DX LISTENING DIGEST 10-21, May 26, 2010 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 2010 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 SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1514, May 26-June 2, 2010 Wed 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 1900 WBCQ 7415 Thu 1900 WBCQ 7415 Thu 2100 WRMI 9955 Fri 0030 WRMI 9955 Fri 0330 WWRB 3185 Fri 1430 WRMI 9955 Fri 2030 WWCR1 15825 Sat 0800 WRMI 9955 Sat 0800 IPAR/IRRS/NEXUS/IBA 9515 [second, fourth, fifth Saturdays, maybe] Sat 1330 WRMI 9955 Sat 1630 WWCR2 12160 Sat 1800 IPAR/IRRS/NEXUS/IBA 7290 Sat 1900 WRMI 9955 Sun 0230 WWCR3 4840 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1515 WRMI 9955 Sun 1900 WRMI 9955 Sun 2330 WWCR4 9980 Mon 0330 WWCR4 5890 Tue 1530 WRMI 9955 Tue 1900 WBCQ 7415 Tue 2230 WRMI 9955 Wed 0030 WRMI 9955 Wed 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 1900 WBCQ 7415 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 or http://schedule.worldofradio.org or http://sked.worldofradio.org For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://193.42.152.193/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN: http://www.wrn.org/wrn-listeners/world-of-radio/ http://www.wrn.org/listeners/world-of-radio/rss/08:00:00UTC/English/541 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org ** ABKHAZIA. Caucasus. Abkhaz Radio from Soukhimi has appeared again on the frequency of 9535 kHz and was heard at 0730 hours in a local language and at 08 hours in Russian. The station can possibly have other programs but until 05 hours the frequency was occupied by Radio Exterior de España and from 05 to 07 hours by Radio Algeria [via FRANCE]. So, 73 and DX! (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX May 21 http://bit.ly/anG7UV via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) ** ALASKA. 7355, KNLS, May 22 at 1233, poor signal with Bible story in English about Israelites (not to be confused with Israelis) building a temple in Jerusalem, has to be this; yes, 1237 YL ID in passing. Barely above noise level, and also bothered by overload from WWCR 7490. Why in the world is KNLS staying on this lo frequency in the Arctic summer, which will enjoy little darkness to propagate Chinaward? This is the one English broadcast supposed to be on two frequencies, the other, 9680 per http://www.knls.org/English/ksched.htm and also the versions on the Chinese and Russian pages which do not always match. But WRTH Update with a double-dagger says one of the two transmitters is inactive. And if they were really on 9680, KNLS would be under Indonesia, Taiwan and China jamming! As gamelan was dominating there at 1247. What genius picked that frequency? The other three English broadcasts at 08, 10 and 14 are scheduled on 11765, which is the silent transmitter as Mandarin at the same hours takes priority on the only remaining unit. So 12-13 on 7355 is currently their ONLY English broadcast. 7355, the only English hour from crippled KNLS, poor May 24 at 1238 with gospel rock; 1241 American Highway feature about the National Religious Broadcasters convention (KNLS is after all, Nashville`s *other* SW station), interviewing Rev. Mike Huckabee of Fox (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7355, KNLS at 1207 with feature on genetically-modified crops, 1210 Mike Osborne with “Postcard from Alaska” featuring Glacier Bay National Park. Good May 26 (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, listening from my car with an Eton E1 and AN-1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANGOLA. Regular listening over the past week produces following: 7216.74, - carrier on each evening (e.g. 2000), weak, no audio. 4949.8, - strong carrier each evening but no audio. 1088, - Rádio Nacional in Portuguese with a good signal each evening. 945, - no sign of Angola. 73s (Graham Bell, Cape Town, South Africa, May 25, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) but São Tomé e Príncipe, q.v. ** ANGUILLA. 11775 absent May 25 at 1401, but back on with University Network at 1800 check (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. Not much luck with LRA36 lately, low solar flux. May 21 at 1318 an occasional carrier around 15476, but mixed with weak hash, probably local origin, but possibly Cuban spur. At the moment, however, RHC 15360 seemed too weak itself to audiblize its spurs. I continue to fear LRA36 has gone silent again; can anyone confirm still hearing it? Once again on Monday May 24, 15476 without even a carrier at 1225, 1338 tho the 15480 stations were detectable. This is especially odd, since May 22-23-24-25 are dates celebrating the 200th anniversary of Argentina, with some special event ham operations from Antarctica, per an item from Arnaldo Slaen on the congiglist yg. 15476 still with no LRA36 carrier detectable here, May 25 at 1310, just the spurry blob from 15360 Cuba [q.v.] landing around 15473.7. LRA36 is so weak that it needs a completely clear frequency, which fortunately it did have earlier in May. Now RHC exceeds its entire two-sesquihour weekday schedule from 1200 as RHC runs 15360 at 11-15, toward South America, so its variable spurs should also be an obstacle much closer to Base Esperanza. But is LRA36 on the air at all? Another of its fans, Maurits Van Driessche in Belgium, tells me he could see a carrier on his Perseus, 15476.020 at 1203 UT Monday May 24. We might have a chance at 1500 if Cuba is off promptly and RNASG runs a bit overtime as sometimes reported (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15476.0, LRA36 (presumed), 1447-1509*, May 26. Clearly in Spanish; pop songs; poor to very poor by sign-off. Even with no ID, I think this must be them (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, I see yesterday a carrier from LRA36 on 15476.020 kHz, at 1203 UT, 24/5. I install my LW from 100 meters again; my best antenna for the 19mb are broken. All the best and 73, Perseus SDR +LW 100 meters, (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, May 25, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn inside the email some foto from the Perseus, with LRA36. You see the time left on the screen, it`s from this afternoon. Much rain here in Belgium, so much static 73, (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Very faint trace, 1256 UT May 26 (gh) ** ASCENSION ISLAND. RADIO BROADCASTING ON LONELY ASCENSION ISLAND - 1 In our program today, we look at the story of radio broadcasting on another lonely island way out there in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. On this occasion also, we begin the story back at the beginning. More than five hundred years ago, the Portuguese explorer, João da Nova Castella, came across the island and named it Conception Island, though he did not report the sighting nor the naming of this isolated island. Two years later, in the year 1503, another Portuguese explorer, Afonso de Albuquerque, also came across the island and he named it Ascension Island, due to the fact that he discovered it on Ascension Day. Ascension Island is a rugged volcanic peak rising three thousand feet above the sea floor. It is located half way between South America and Africa, some five hundred miles south of the equator and eight hundred miles north of St Helena Island. There are forty four distinct volcanic craters on Ascension and many old lava flows. The highest peak is Green Mountain at more than two thousand eight hundred feet. At the time of its discovery by European navigators, Ascension was uninhabited, though for the next two hundred years, it was the haven for occasional shipwrecked sailors. Exactly two hundred years after its first discovery, the Royal Navy vessel, HMS Roebuck sank in Clarence Bay and the sixty survivors spent two months on the island before they were rescued. On subsequent occasions, a Dutch ship’s officer was exiled on Ascension; it was visited by the famous Captain Cook, and it was visited also by the equally famous Charles Darwin. In 1815, the British navy established a garrison on Ascension as a precaution against the French if they were to make an attempt to rescue Napoleon off St Helena. Forty years later, the British Commandant stated: This is one of the strangest places on the face of the earth. During the year 1900, the undersea cable reached Ascension, and a generation later they issued their first postage stamp. During World War 2, the German U-Boat 124 approached the island with hostile intent, and shortly afterwards the first contingent of Americans arrived to survey the island for an airport. These days, the island with its several hundred inhabitants, all of whom are classed as non-citizens, work for the major facilities on the island, including the airfield and the BBC shortwave station together with the needed supportive facilities. The golf course, with its surface made up of volcanic ash, rock rubble, and a sandy oil mix, is officially declared to be the worst golf course in the world. It was back in the year 1925 that the British navy installed the first wireless station on Ascension Island. All of the electrical equipment was imported from England and it was constructed on the area known as Wireless Plain where it was activated under the British navy callsign BZO. Interestingly, the transmissions from station BZO were monitored at the Meudon Observatory in Paris France during a solar eclipse on May 29, 1919. During the time of darkness, it was noted in Paris that there was an increase of signal strength from the longwave transmitter on Ascension Island, and it is probable that this was the very first occasion when propagation enhancement was noted during an eclipse of the sun. Station BZO was abandoned in 1922, though the building was re-used a generation later for another navy wireless station. This building was finally demolished in 1937. Originally, Cable & Wireless established a shortwave station to supplement the usage of the undersea cables that connected Europe, Africa & South America. It is probable that the first of these shortwave transmitters was installed before World War 2. Currently, C&W is still on the air shortwave, with transmitters for maritime communication under the callsign ZBI. The first radio broadcasting station was installed by the Americans as an AFRS unit with just 50 watts on 1110 kHz under the callsign WXLR. This station was inaugurated on September 3, 1944 and it was closed when the American left, in June 1946. However, just twelve years later again, the AFRS station was revived with just 3 watts output under an Ascension callsign, ZD8VR, Volcano Radio. The power output was soon afterwards increased to 30 watts, and then later again to 1 kW, though this was subsequently reduced as an economy measure to half power at 500 watts. The American Volcano Radio ZD8VR rebroadcast a live relay of the famous St Helena Day Broadcast from Radio St Helena in 1994, as a service to the many people from St Helena who were working on Ascension Island. A few QSL cards were issued from the first American AFRS station WXLR, and two different QSL cards have been issued from Volcano Radio ZD8VR. Ten years after the AFRS station was established, another local mediumwave station was installed on Ascension Island. This new station was established and operated by the BBC under the callsign ZD8RA, Radio Ascension. Subsequently, additional radio stations have been installed on Ascension. BFBS Radio on FM only, came in 2003; a local Saint FM was established by Cable & Wireless C&W, for the benefit of the St Helena workers around the same time; and shortwave communication stations have been in use by the Americans at the Wideawake Airfield, and also by the NASA space facility. The Wideawake Airfield is named after a local bird that wakes people with its call early each morning; and the communication radio station operates under the American callsign WYUC. Here is a list of the local radio broadcasting stations recently on the air on Ascension Island. It should be stated that the two mediumwave stations are currently reported to be inactive:- * BBC ZD8RA Radio Ascension 1485 kHz 500 watts 93.2 MHz 15 watts * AFRTS ZD8VR Volcano Radio 1602 kHz 100 98.7 400 * C&W Saint FM 91.4 25 * BFBS BFBS Radio 97.3 & 105.3 MHz In addition, the BBC Atlantic Relay Station is also located on Ascension Island, and that’s the story here in Wavescan next week (Adrian Peterson, IN, AWR Wavescan script May 23 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Radio Symban Mk3 F.Pl. = Radio Symban is returning to SW I'm informed that come mid June the station will move its SW transmitter site from Marrickville to a site in Sydney's South West. This will be the station's third SW site in just over two years as it attempts to find a suitable broadcast site. Apparently interference problems to a local recording studio could not be satisfactorily resolved at the Marrickville location hence the need to have the station move tx site again. More news as it happens, but I understand that the SW antenna is still insitu at Marrickville at the present time. 73's (Ian Baxter, NSW, May 24, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 2368.5 kHz (gh) ** AUSTRALIA. R. Australia has replaced ``All in the Mind`` with ``All in the Foot``, Friday at 1330 UT, noted May 21 on 9590. Axually, the new show is called ``World Football Weekly``; could it have something to do with the upcoming World Cup elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere? Checking online programme guide, WFW is Thu 1031, Fri 1330, 1930, Sat 0130, while All in the Mind still exists Wed 1405, Sat 1130 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA [and non]. /FRANCE, 15160, Big mess in 0600-0630 UT slot May 23. Noted usual RA Shepparton Sunday sports live coverage but hit terrible by co-channel RFI Issoudun (Mon-Fri En, Sat/Sun French to Africa, \\ 11615 17800). Both equal S=8-9 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AZORES. REMINDER --- Folks, With the Es season now in full bloom, a timely reminder that someone will if diligent be the first to hear "Europe" (The Azores Islands) on FM this year. These are where to be looking: Terceira FM stations are propagation indicators - whether EE or tropo. Located on a significant elevation above the western side town of Santa Bárbara, 3300+ feet at the tower base, are 90.5 (22 kW), 101.1 (only 400 watts; Radio Club de Angra) and 104.4 (Radio Horizonte; 1 kW). The communications central for this island is paved road to the top (called Serra do Cum). There are no (known) FM stations on Flores but west of Terceira and certainly 'in the way' for any direct ducting are São Jorge (FM 107.2), and Faial/Pico (FM 100.2). 90.5 on EE seems reasonable and at 22 kW and the 3300+ antenna height it (Antena 1) should get out very well (Bob Cooper in New Zealand, May 25, WTFDA via DXLD) ** BELARUS. Radio Belarus on-air time schedule puzzles me still. See below. Noted signals this morning May 20th at 1000-1100 UT on 6010 6040 6070 7235, and 7280 kHz too. 73 wb Belarus seemingly schedule in A-10 season at 0300-0800* UT and 1500- 2100 UT. 7265 missed on May 16th again. In 0300-0800 UT slot noted 6010 6040 6070 7235, and best on 7280 kHz. 6040 and 7280 still on air at 0806 UT. Nothing on 6115 kHz anymore (Wolfgang Bueschel, wwdxc BC- DX TopNews May 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELGIUM [non]. NETHERLAND ANTILLES, TDPRadio, 15755, 25 May at 1917. Fair signal of DRM but not decodable at that strength (Terry Wilson, MI, Eton E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM abottom ** BHUTAN. Broadcasting in Bhutan Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) on 6035 kHz SW The 30 kW replacement transmitter at Sangaygang was regularly heard throughout Bhutan, although with many breaks. The 100 kW transmitter awaits repair by an Engineer from India. Heard in Bhutan at *0000-0050 and 1019-1240, Apr 22-27, with many attempts to get on the air with the usual programmes of a Buddhist Morning Mass, Dzongkha talks and national songs. Heard // 88.1, 96.0 and 98.0 FM. I took photos of the BBS Studio building and SW transmitting antenna. BBS FM (All carry the same programme): 88.1, Punakha Weak in Thimphu, 55555 in Punakha, 35444 in Paro 93.0, Trongsa Weak in Thimphu, Punakha (25443) and Paro (55555) 96.0, Thimphu 55555 in Thimphu // 6035 SW 98.0, Chhukha (?) 55555 in Punakha and 25443 in Paro 99.0, UNID site 33443 in Punakha. Private FM: 91.9, R Oh-la-la 25443 in Paro with ID. Not 24 hours. 99.1, Kuzoo FM, UNID site, 33433 in Punakha with Bhutanese songs // 104.0 99.9, R Valley, Thimphu, 55555 in Thimphu with ID 101.0, Continental R, Thimphu, 55555 in Thimphu with talks in English and Dzongkha 102.0, Kuzoo FM, Paro, 45444 in Punakha and 55545 in Paro with ID // 104.0 103.0, Kuzoo FM, UNID site, 55555 in Punakha // 104.0 104.0, Kuzoo FM, Thimphu, 55555 in Thimphu in Dzongkha 104.0, Kuzoo FM, Punakha, 55555 in Punakha // 102.0 105.0, Kuzoo FM, Thimphu, 55555 in Thimphu and Punakha in English with pop songs, like “Last Christmas” ! 106.0, Kuzoo FM, Punakha, 33544 in Thimphu, but 55555 in Punakha // 105.0 107.0, UNID, Paro 45444 in Paro heard 24 hours with non-stop English songs, ann in Dzongkha. The list seems impressive, but the number of different channels in the FM-band were in the capital Thimphu only five, in Paro only four and in Punakha only three. BBS TV was studied at Phuntsho Pelri Hotel in Thimphu where I stayed. They signed on at 0000 UT with a long Buddhist morning prayer similar to the broadcasts heard on FM // 6035 kHz, but not in parallel. On the screen was shown repeated films from a beautiful Bhutanese landscape with a temple and white monkeys. At 0030 an elderly Monk was seen reading the Tibetan texts in front of an audience of about 200 males and females sitting in rows on the floor. It ended at 0058 when a short religious dance was seen, followed by the morning news in Dzongkha. This four star hotel offered satellite TV also with BBC World News in English, National Geographic, A Planet, Cartoon Network, Channel News Asia in English – and 53 Indian TV-Channels! The diplomatic relations with China are very chilly, so no Chinese TV-programme was relayed! Most better hotels offered access to the internet and in the biggest cities were several private Internet Cafes (Anker Petersen, DSWCI DX Window May 19 via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 4699.974, Radio San Miguel, 1043, Spanish, about the strongest I have heard them here, with an amazing S9+30 signal. Religious program, which at first thought was a Catholic mass, but was actually a few scriptures being read by a man, between contemporary- sounding hymns. 16 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)) ** BOLIVIA. 4865, R. Logos, Santa Cruz. May 21, 2310-2331 religious talks by male “Jesus”, program about human health “Dengue, cancer”, “médico directo” doctor discussion about some disease and its treatment. From 2326 deteriorating, peak at 2324 with 33323, 73 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 5952.38, Radio Pio XII, 1115, Quechua, brief snippets of a male announcer making it through, but (very difficult) copy was only possible in LSB to escape powerhouse on high side (5955). 21 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 6134.77, R. Santa Cruz, 0107-0125*, May 24. Program of “más fútbol”; nice sign-off announcement with final “Buenas noches Bolivia”; almost fair, but with a het. Please listen to the audio attachment of sign-off (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6134.79, Radio Santa Cruz, 0935-0945 May 24, Noted a male in long Spanish language discourse which ends with a time check and into music. After one tune, the male returns with more comments with mentions of "Santa Cruz" often. At 0945 music continues. Signal is very good this morning (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston FL, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Também acho que a Bandeirantes SP prestigia e valoriza as ondas curtas, pois foi através delas que ela se notabilizou nos meios radiofônicos e na audiência alta que sempre teve, principalmente nos anos 50's, 60's, 70's e 80's ou até hoje, em meio a tantas emissoras retransmissoras de seus sinais. 49m 6090 kHz -- 31m 9645 kHz -- 25m 11925 kHz. Ondas médias de 840 kHz e FM de 90.9 MHz. A Rádio Globo alugou suas ondas curtas a entidade religiosa. Suas frequências -- 49m 6120 kHz e 31m 9585 kHz (frequência que era utilizada pela extinta e saudosa Rádio Excelsior - a máquina do som - estilo nos anos 70's e 80's criado por Antonio Celso). A Clube Paranaense retransmite a Eldorado de SP, cuja direção não é nada afeita às ondas curtas. Quanto às interferências geradas pelo TX de 49m 6090 kHz, concordo que providências, por parte da direção técnica da Bandeirantes SP, devem ser tomadas. Duplo espúrio e harmônico que atinge duas emissoras de Brasília. Em 5990 e 6185 kHz. 73 (Luiz Chaine Neto, LIMEIRA - SP - 24- 5-2010, radioescutas yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 9645.3, 0430, Rádio Bandeirantes best of the HF Brazilians, in the clear with lively Portuguese format after Vatican Radio closed. Frequency has drifted up to 9645.33. // 11925 was poor. 25/4 (Bryan Clark at Mangawhai, New Zealand, with AOR7030+ and Alpha Delta Sloper, EWEs to NE, E and SE, plus various 100 metre BOGs to the Americas, May NZ DX Times via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 11735, 1925, R MUNDIAL [sic], via long path, weak in Portuguese, fair from 1945, 23-28/4, sked 1956, IDs 1958, transmitter off 2000 (Kelvin Brayshaw, Levin, New Zealand, Eton E5, indoor coax loop, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 11829.95, R. Daqui, Goiânia GO, at 1950-2013 UT on 17 May, newscast, música sertaneja after 2000 UT, IDs: "Radio Daqui AM", suddenly off at 2013 and did not return back, checked many times during that evening. Probably a test because they switched it off at 5:13 pm local time and it was a bit early. Did not appear on 18 + 19 May (Karel Honzik, Czechia, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 26 via DXLD) Ex-R. CBN Anhanguera, also on 4915, 6080. Seems 11830 has been inactive, not reported in longtime, unlike 4915 (gh, DXLD) ** BULGARIA. Frequency change of Radio Bulgaria in Russian from May 30: 2300-2400 NF 7300 PLD 170 kW / 045 deg to CeAs, ex 7400 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, May 24 via DXLD) Reminding us of one of SW`s great mysteries --- why R. Bulgaria only can use frequencies ending in zero-zero --- when looking for a new frequency that really limits their choices (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also EGYPT for collision ** CANADA. MONTREAL'S CJWI 1610 ABOUT TO MOVE TO 1410 WITH 10 KW While waiting for something to happen on medium wave, I learned that station CJWI is about to move from 1610 to 1410 kHz with a steady 10 instead of 1 kW. As I was learning in a short article from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CJWI I found the following: (quoted text) CJWI has the particularity of having its transmitter site on the top of a building, a rarity among AM stations. It uses a short Valcom fibreglass whip antenna mounted atop a warehouse located on Jarry Boulevard in Montreal, near Autoroute 40. Then with the help of Google StreetView, I went and had a look at the 3733 Jarry East, Montreal where the station is located and indeed, you can see clearly that fiberglass pole sitting on the top of the building (hoping that this mega URL will work): http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=fr&geocode=&q=3733+jarry+est,+montreal&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=28.338394,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=3733+Rue+Jarry+Est,+Montr%C3%A9al,+Communaut%C3%A9-Urbaine-de-Montr%C3%A9al,+Qu%C3%A9bec+H1Z+2G1&ll=45.56839,-73.605652&spn=0.059966,0.154324&t=h&z=13&layer=c&cbll=45.56851,-73.605327&panoid=mjScel6jY2zTnjX37BvTJQ&cbp=12,1.07,,0,-8.27 So you guys who listened once at CJWI, this is where it came from :-) (Sylvain Naud, Portneuf, QC Canada, http://www.quebecdx.com (via mwcircle yg May 25 via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) ** CANADA. CHHA-1610 Toronto ON has applied to the CRTC to change its power from 10 kW-day, 1kW-night, both non directional to 6.25 kW- unlimited directional, with a null to protect CJWI-1610 Montreal. The change to a directional antenna was requested by Industry Canada in response to complaints by CJWI. The application by CJWI to move to 1410 has been approved but has not yet been implemented. The directional antenna proposed is not the usual array of two or more towers, but rather a single tower with a tuned guy wire to create the required directional pattern. I would advise anyone interested in directional arrays to read the engineering brief which is part of the application, a link to which can be found with the application: Toronto, Ontario Application No. 2009-1739-6 Application by San Lorenzo Latin American Community Centre to amend the technical parameters of the Type B community radio programming undertaking CHHA Toronto. The licensee proposes to change CHAA's authorized contours by decreasing the transmitter power from 10,000 watts to 6,250 watts day time, and increasing the transmitter power from 1,000 watts to 6,250 watts night time. The population within the 15 mV/m contour would decrease from 1,315,982 to 1,067,284 in the day time, and increase from 194,073 to 1,067,284 in the night time. The population within the 5 mV/m contour would decrease from 2,828,585 to 2,409,869 in the day time, and increase from 500,010 to 2,409,869 in the night time. The licensee states that the proposed changes will result in a better quality signal to listeners located in the northwest part of its licensed area who are currently experiencing poor reception of CHHA. 73, (via Deane McIntyre VE6BPO, May 21, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENINIG DIGEST) If they run 6.25 kW nights with that null they will really blow midwestern TIS's out of the water, noting that they get out great with 1 kW and severely bother Chicago and Milwaukee area traffic TIS's. 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL/WA, IRCA via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) ** CANADA. 6030.000, CFVP-Calgary, 0641, English, all alone on frequency, with country music and "Classic Country AM 1060" sweeper. Weak but in the clear. First time reception here. 15 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A Saturday, so DentroCuban jamming and Radio Martí should have been on! (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. 6160.000, CKZU-Vancouver, 0724, English, threshold, presumed with talk by a man and one reference to "Canada." Could not pull a CBC ID. IF actually this, it would be first time reception here. 15 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST)) ** CANADA. John Grimley, a former ODXA member, asked me if the CBC's World at Six is carried (in AM mode) on RCI (Harold Sellers, Ont., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) CBC North on 9625 is the only way to hear World at Six on shortwave, except for the peanut whistle sw transmitters in Newfoundland and BC. RCI doesn't go there anymore. Tell John that John says hello (John Figliozzi, NY, ibid.) see also SOUTH AFRICA At least a few months ago, "TWAS" said in its promos that it was aired "to the world via RCI" or something like that, even though RCI ended relays of domestic CBC English programming years ago. Sirius satellite radio carries TWAS, of course. It appears that Canadian Forces Radio & TV carries TWAS but there is no presence of CFRT on shortwave; but they do have a live web stream (info courtesy Public Radio Fan website). (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** CANADA. CBC RADIO SUMMER 2010 : LAME IMPROV, COOKING TRIVIA, RCI VIVA RERUNS, DIVORCE TALES One Radio Summer brought us Randy Bachman, Terry O'Reilly and else. They also brought us PromoGirl and Promogit and various dumbings of R2. These are so bad that Chris Boyce must be trying to sell them to one of U.S. Public Radios. And they must hate the (formerly popular) CBCOvernight that they bring nothing from the other English network programming around the world as in past years. Are they scared by the comparison? (Dan Say, BC, May 21, alt.radio.networks.cbc via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Viz.: ARDEN, SUZUKI LAND SUMMER CBC RADIO GIGS Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2010/05/21/cbc-radio-summer-arden-suzuki.html Last Updated: Friday, May 21, 2010 | 12:12 PM ET CBC News --- Singer-songwriter Jann Arden and environmentalist David Suzuki will add radio hosting duties to their resumés this summer, with each debuting new weekly shows on CBC Radio. Being Jann, an hour-long Saturday morning show featuring the Juno Award-winner spinning tunes, conducting interviews and sharing stories, is one of the new programs to be featured on the network's summer program lineup, which begins June 28. A new addition on Sunday mornings will be The Bottom Line with David Suzuki, in which the renown broadcaster, climate change activist and host of CBC-TV's The Nature of Things talks to scientists, politicians and celebrities about environmental issues. "We're thrilled to welcome some new faces to the radio team," Chris Boyce, programming director of CBC Radio, said in a statement. "Jann Arden's sense of humour and rich musical background will make her an exceptional host. David Suzuki will do what he does like no one else --- provoke strong opinions and debate on environmental issues. [Suzuki is not a new face, but very welcome back. We remember when he presented Quirks & Quarks --- the original host?] Other new programming includes: Coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2010, including live broadcasts of the last four games of the tournament, as well as the five-part drama 'Y' Soccer. Food-related show The Main Ingredient. This is That, an improv comedy program satirizing public radio. Asunder, a 10-part series exploring divorce in Canada. Promised Land, a program chronicling stories of harrowing escapes made by immigrants and refugees to arrive in Canada. Guest hosts will take the mic for the summer editions of shows such as The Current, As It Happens, The Sunday Edition and Q. Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2010/05/21/cbc-radio-summer-arden-suzuki.html#ixzz0ocgEjRjL (via Say via Cooper, DXLD) see also COSTA RICA: DRM 9630 ** CHILE. Spurs from 11920 kHz HCJB --- Hello Glenn! I contacted Calera de Tango, they have looked at the transmitter. There has been a problem at the frequency synthesizer. But it should now be OK again. Greetings from Germany, 73, (Stephan Schaa, May 20, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Good; hope it stays OK this time. Checked May 20 around 2255 and indeed did not hear the spurs circa plus/minus 20 kHz; however, the fundamental was unusually weak due to poor propagation, so more tries are needed. A closer check of CVC 11920 relaying HCJB Portuguese, May 21 at 2305 confirms there are no audible spurs circa plus/minus 20 kHz. Yet another problem with a CVC transmitter, this time the one in Spanish on 17680: May 23 at 1257 found matching modulation spur spikes at plus and minus 65 kHz = 17745 and 17615. At least these are concentrated and not spreading over the entire range like CR [q.v.] from 15170. (It goes without saying that WWRB was splattering too from 9385 on 9370 and 9400.) (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) However, spurs from 17680 not heard since (gh, May 25, ibid.) CVC, 17680, 25 May at 1815. Christian music and talk in Spanish. Superb S9+10 signal. Accompanying DRM signal on 17640 is weak at S5 (Terry Wilson, MI, Eton E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Firedrake May 20, all in parallel: 8400, fair at 1241 10300, fair at 1248, not audible at 1311, but just barely audible 1333 11100, very poor at 1249, and at 1307 11500, very poor at 1249, and at 1307; JBA at 1333 13680, poor at 1256 13870, fair at 1256 The last two are unusual, in-band. Nothing listed to target on 13680; VOR in Russian via St. Pete on 13870, but the 20 May edition of Aoki does also show 13870 as one of many 24-hour, 100-watt Sound of Hope frequencies requiring jamming. Firedrake May 21: 9350, good at 1258, to open carrier vs nothing at 1300, resumed at 1305; at 1550 JBA and could not confirm whether // 12960 11500, good at 1335, but not on the earlier scan 12960, very poor at 1546 12970, good at 1309 and // 9350. None others found at this time, 8-18 MHz. 12970 gone at 1350. Not much making it from Asia at 2221 UT May 21 on 13 MHz or other bands, but on 13775 good signal with W&M in hyper Chinese, sounds like typical CNR1 programming. Faded to JBA by 2230. Per Aoki it`s another jammer, against VOA Chinese via Thailand during this hour only. Firedrake May 22: 8400, good at 1240 and at 1350 10300, good at 1249 and at 1349 11500, fair at 1252, poor at 1347 12960, good at 1333 and at 1356 and at 1410 to 1412:47* 13300, very good at 1334 and at 1356 and at 1410, also off at 1413 Firedrake May 23: 8400, nothing, nor on 9 MHz band 10420, fair at 1248, very good at 1315 but went off at 1316* 11500, fair at 1248 and 1314 // 10420 12800, VG at 1351 // 12970 12970, VG at 1351 // 12800 13000, VG at 1250 and 1309, not // 10420; off by 1351 13300, VG at 1352 // 12800 and 12970 13320, VG at 1250 // 13000 but not the lowers Firedrake May 24: 8400, fair at 1334 // 13320 and 10440; not heard at earlier check 9360, fair at 1253, gone at 1257 10420, just barely audible at 1255 10440, fair-good at 1331, 1421, fair at 1422 11410, JBA at 1256 12980, good at 1256, not // 10420; 1300 to open carrier, 1305 resuming, gone at next check 1327 13300, VG at 1259, // 12980 but not the others; 1300 OC, 1305 resuming, gone at next check 1327 13320, VG at 1328, moved from 13300? G-VG at 1423 More jamming: 15330, May 24 at 1303, noise/buzz plus CNR1 audio // 15285 and 15265. This is contra BBC Uzbek via Thailand at 1300-1330, and all gone after 1330 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also EAST TURKISTAN Firedrake festival tonight -- Lots of Firedrake jamming stations heard from China mainland tonight. In 1900-2000 UT slot noted by quick check the channels 7260 7355 7435 9355 9455 9865 9875 9905 11700 11785 13625 kHz were covered by unwanted signals occupation. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, May 24, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Wolfy, Are you referring to the traditional music-only jammers, or are some of these CNR1 network audio jammers, which are not music-only? I don`t hear much of either during that time period, but it`s unusual for Firedrake to be on some of those inband frequencies when I do hear jamming, e.g. 11785 around 1300 always with CNR1 (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Firedrake traditional music noted only last night May 24th, as Chinese jamming against US RFA. Chinese music type like Firedrake music 1-2 years ago ... This morning May 25th the usual word-talk Chinese-only jammers in ECHO format appeared again. Mainland jamming in A-10, Echo jamming, but Firedrake modes when marked. Times approximate. 6140 IBB TIN 2000-2200 7260 IBB UDO 1600-1700 7260 IBB TIN 1900-2100 sometimes Firedrake 7280 IBB TIN 1700-1900 7330 IBB Tinang 1600-1700 7355 IBB TWN 1800-2200 sometimes Firedrake 7420 BBC NAK 1300-1530 7435 IBB TIN 1900-2200 sometimes Firedrake 9350 IBB TJK 0100-0200 9350 IBB IRA 1600-1700 9355 IBB SAI 1700-2100 sometimes Firedrake 9365 IBB KWT 0100-0300 9370 IBB TJK 1500-1700 - special 'BUZZ ahead of audio' jammer 9370 IBB IRA 1700-1800 9450 SOH TWN 1400-1600 9455 IBB SAI 1500-2200 sometimes Firedrake 9480 IBB UDO 0000-0100 9490 IBB SIT 0000-0100 9490 IBB SAI 1200-1300 Korean jammer? 9540 IBB TIN 1700-1900 9545 IBB Tinang 0000-0300 9565 IBB Tinang 1600-1700 - special 'BUZZ ahead of audio' jammer 9605 BBC SNG 1300-1530 9660 RTI TWN 2300-0300 9680 RTI TWN 1100-1700 9845 IBB TIN 1000-1200 9845 IBB SAI 1200-1300 9845 IBB Tinang 1300-1500 9845 IBB Tinang 2200-2300 9855 IBB IRA 0000-0100 9865 IBB TIN 1800-2000 sometimes Firedrake 9875 IBB TIN 2300-2400 - special 'BUZZ ahead of audio' jammer sometimes Firedrake 9905 IBB PAL 1500-1800 sometimes Firedrake 9905 IBB PAL 1900-2200 9985 IBB SAI 1300-1400 11510 IBB UDO 1400-1500 11540 IBB TIN 1500-1800 11540 IBB SAI 1800-1900 11585 IBB TIN 1500-1600 11590 IBB KWT 1200-1400 11595 IBB KWT 1500-1600 11605 IBB TIN 1200-1400 11615 IBB SAI 1400-1500 11665 RTI TWN 1000-1700 11700 IBB TIN 1800-2000 sometimes Firedrake 11740 IBB TIN 2000-2200 11780 IBB WER 1500-1530 11785 IBB UDO 1100-1300 11785 IBB Tinang 1300-1400 11785 IBB TIN 1900-2400 sometimes Firedrake 11795 IBB UAE 1500-1600 11795 IBB TIN 1600-1800 11805 IBB Tinang 1300-1430 11805 IBB TIN 1430-1500 11840 AIR DEL 1130-1315 11925 IBB Tinang 0000-0300 11990 IBB TIN 1100-1230 11990 IBB NVS 1300-1500 12005 IBB TIN 1500-1600 12025 IBB SAI 1500-1700 12040 IBB Tinang 1000-1500 13610 IBB TIN 0700-1100 13625 IBB TIN 1700-2200 sometimes Firedrake 13675 IBB TIN 1500-1700 13740 IBB UDO 0700-1000 13755 IBB KWT 1500-1530 13760 IBB TIN 0300-0700 13830 IBB TJK 1100-1400 13970 SOH TWN 1600-1700 Firedrake music ! 15140 SOH TWN 0900-1000 + 1400-1500 Firedrake music 15250 IBB TIN 0700-1100 15255 IBB Tinang 1100-1300 15265 IBB UDO 0300-0600 15285 BBC SNG 1300-1530 15290 RTI TWN 0400-0600 15490 IBB TIN 0300-0600 15495 IBB TIN 1500-1600 15545 VoT TJK 1100-1330 Firedrake music ! 15615 IBB TIN 0300-0700 15635 IBB TIN 0300-0700 15665 IBB SAI 0900-1100 15670 IBB UAE 1100-1400 17560 VoT MDG 1400-1430 17615 IBB TIN 0300-0700 17735 IBB Tinang 0300-0400 17735 IBB UDO 0400-0600 17750 IBB KWT 1000-1200 17775 IBB TIN 0700-1000 17780 IBB KWT 0600-0700 17855 IBB Tinang 0700-1100 17880 IBB SAI 0300-0700 21500 IBB TIN 0600-0700 21550 IBB TIN 0300-0700 noted also jammer test around 0930-0941 with Firedrake music. 21690 IBB UAE 0600-0700 (Wolfgang Büschel, Stuttgart, Germany, May 25, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake May 25: 8400, poor at 1250 9380, fair at 1256, just as WWRB was starting to fade up carrier and BS modulation on 9385. 11500, JBA at 1328 14700, poor-fair at 1325, and 1351; nowhere else 8-18 MHz Firedrake May 26: 8400, fair at 1221, JBA at 1339 bandscanning upward found nothing by 16 MHz, but proving it pays to keep going: 16100, fair at 1344, gone at 1421 16520, good at 1344, gone at 1421 But no other FD found 8-22 MHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15185, Firedrake vs VOA in Uzbek, via Sri Lanka, 1510, May 26. VOA holding up fairly well (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 7350, CNR-11, *1300, May 25. Fair signal here; // 6010 (poor with jamming on 6003); still unable to find any broadcast of “Holy Tibet”, which they formerly carried here on a daily basis (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. 5910.02, 0215-0225 13.05, Marfil Estereo, Lomalinda. Spanish announcement, Colombian pop songs 25332 (6035 not audible free channel) (Anker Petersen, heard here in Skovlunde, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 5910.02, Marfil Estéreo, 0632, Spanish, contemporary ballads, time check by man, Marfil jingle and more music. Fair to good. 23 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, ICF-2010, ICF- SW7600GR, etc.) ** COSTA RICA. New [sic] 5954.19, 2307-0200 15 + 19.05 ELCOR, Guápiles, Pococí [sic], Limón. Spanish test transmissions with non- stop songs in Spanish audible in most narrow bandwidth, 43433, QRM stations on 5950, 5952.47 (R Pio Doce), 5955 and 5960. Best 73, (Anker Petersen, heard here in Skovlunde, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 5954.2, ELCOR Transmitter, 2310-2352 May 17, Non-stop pop music vocals. Carrier cut at 2322 but returned at 2329. Appeared to be recording of “live” concert with applause between selections and on- stage announcements in Spanish. Fair signal (Rich D'Angelo, Wyomissing PA 19610, Ten-Tec RX-340, Drake R-8B, Eton E1, Eton E5, Alpha Delta DX Sloper, RF Systems Mini-Windom, Datong FL3, JPS ANC-4, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) 5954, ELCOR test, at 0326 on 5/19. Very good (with Florida silent), playing soft LA vocals (Gerry Dexter, Lake Geneva WI, NRD 545, TenTec 340, Mark (MK-1) and Parker balanced doublet antennas, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) 5954.12, ELCOR music test still going with fairly good signal May 22 at 0145, but a lot weaker than WYFR 5950. Quite separable on DX-398 narrow, and side-tuned up a bit. It was three clix above 5954, i.e. 3 x 40 Hz, but margin of error prevents certainty on the last digit (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See USA KJES Re 10-20, ELCOR on 5954.1: 21 mayo 2010 --- Estuve en línea en: http://radiocasinodelimon.com/ Pero de todos los enlaces que tiene (Skype, msn, yahoo, chat, gmail) Me respondieron un día después por gmail. Y conseguí una respuesta (corresponde con lo que informa el colega Raul) De: Radio Casino de Limón para usuario: "No, las frecuencias de onda corta y AM ya no se utilizan, solo la FM 98.3" 22 de mayo de 2010 (Yimber Gaviria, noticiasdx yg via DXLD) All Raúl was explaining, again, was that R. Casino is not responsible for the 5954v transmissions of today, which we already knew (gh, DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. I have just realized that REE`s relay on 15170 has been missing for some time. Nothing but Russian heard on 15170, May 20 at 1336, i.e. BBCWS, 70 degrees from Woofferton all the way from 1300 to 1730, per HFCC. So are ANY of the Cariari frequencies on the air now? REE registrations in HFCC are useless, since they embrace total possible usage spans for each frequency, not real usage, which also varies depending on day of week, another minor point REE does not bother to break down in its HFCC registrations. Yet, it seems no two REE schedules are in agreement either. Here`s the latest in the WRTH A-10 update for Cariari, to be checked for activity: Spanish Days Area kHz 0000-0400 daily SAm 6020cri 0200-0600 daily CAm 3350cri 0200-0600 daily NAm 9630cri 0400-0800 daily SAm 5965cri 1200-1500 mtwtf.. CAm 5970cri 1200-1500 mtwtf.. SAm 5930cri 1200-1500 mtwtf.s NAm 15170cri 1200-2300 ......s CAm 9765cri 1200-2300 ......s SAm 11815cri 1500-2300 ......s NAm 17850cri 1600-2300 .....s. LAm 11815cri 1600-2300 .....s. NAm 17850cri 1800-2000 mtwtf.. SAm 11815cri 1800-2000 mtwtf.. CAm 9765cri 1800-2000 mtwtf.. NAm 17850cri Note that the 12-15 broadcasts on M-F include news in ``co-official languages`` Catalan, Galician and Basque [not really except for open and close, rest in Castilian] at 1240-1255. I waited until after 1800 to post this report, so I could check the next weekday transmissions scheduled: At 1802, 17850 blank next to 17845 WYFR; 11815 Spanish audible weakly, and 9765 with carrier detectable, but what else could it be? So it seems only one of the CRI transmitters is down. Last year it was reported that a new DRM-capable transmitter would be installed here; or was it two? During previous outages I have speculated that could be the cause (Glenn Hauser, OK, May 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) REE relay apparently still running only two of the three transmitters: May 21 at 0536, 5965 // 3350, but nothing audible on scheduled 9630 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 17850, DRM noise strong May 20 around 2100 or earlier, and happened to be tuning across when it cut off abruptly at the odd time of 2112:22*, uncovering WYFR on 17845. Center frequency might have been 17855, but nothing scheduled on either in DRMDX and no mentions of logs on those frequencies in the DRM Forums, or the drmna yg, except for 17850, TDF GUIANA FRENCH to Brazil on 21 May *2009*. Would it be too much to ask for the DRM folx to publish accurate schedules of their own transmissions? GUF is currently registered with ``various`` DRM at 13-21 on 17870-17875-17880, where I was not hearing DRM, but this was after 2100 anyway. I was checking 17850 earlier in the first place to see if REE Costa Rica, q.v. and see previous report, was there (in AM). OTOH, since REE is supposedly installing a DRM-capable transmitter at Cariari, this could also be an early test of it. Those with DRM, please monitor 17850 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DRM is open source. You do not have to be a member of the DRM Consortium to use it. Some DRM broadcasts may be from non-members, who don't submit details of their transmissions (Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) In that case, would the DRM schedules deliberately omit such transmissions even if they know about them? (gh, DXLD) But in this case Glenn's remark could be pretty spot on. From which project budget are these Montsinéry transmissions paid? (Kai Ludwig, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. More unscheduled strong DRM signals the afternoon of May 21. Both of them are on frequencies previously used at other times by Cariari, the Costa Rican relay of Radio Exterior de España, on AM, which I find quite suspicious, since one of their AM transmitters has been silent and they were reported last year to be installing a new DRM-capable one, so are these tests from it? I reported this yesterday and asked DRM receivers to check it, but no such reports have reached me to ID it. May 21 at 2048 there is no DRM on 17850. However, at 2203, I find S9+17 DRM centered on 15170, but at next check 2217 it is gone. Then at 2218 I try the other frequency, 17850 and there it is, at S9+18, surely the same transmitter just moved up, centered on 17850, not 17855, and thus blowing away analog WYFR on 17845 which is scheduled from 1800 to 2245. 17845-17850-17855 DRM still going at 2244, 2300 chex, and cut off abruptly at 2309:17*. Checked 15170 again but did not come back there in next few minutes. Just checked May 22 at 0400, still no listing of either in the DRM DX schedule, nor any reports of them in that forum nor in the drmna yg. Is anyone paying attention? Andy Sennitt points out that since it`s open-source, no one transmitting in DRM is obligated to put it in the schedules or publicize it; tho if they want an audience, it just might help (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. Following suspicious UNID DRM on 15170, 17850, q.v., checked REE relay frequencies May 22 at 0104: 3350 poor and 9630 VG, stronger than 9620 direct from Spain, all in analog. Could not decide whether it was also on the scheduled 6020 under CRI/ALBANIA and Peru/het, but something was SAHing. 9630, REE relay, May 22 at 0530 Spanish conversation, // much weaker 5965 and 3350, so all three transmitters are on in analog now. Suspect 9630 may be the new unit accounting for DRM tests earlier circa 15170, 17850 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Exterior de España en DRM --- En este momento con una excelente señal estoy escuchando a Radio Exterior de España en DRM por los 9630 kHz, en // con las señales análogas de 6020 y 9535 KHz. Más en http://dxdesdecolombia.blogspot.com/ Buen DX (Rafael Rodriguez R., Bogota D.C. - COLOMBIA, 0057 UT May 23, condiglist yg via DXLD) Más being merely this: Presumo que la señal se origina desde Costa Rica; esta transmisión no figura en el esquema de publicado a través de la página de la organización en http://www.drm.org/index.php?p=broadcast_schedule (Rodríguez` blog as above, via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) So this confirms our suspicions that DRM is now up and running from the Costa Rica relay. In fact, REE has now registered one transmission in DRM via Cariari, 9625-9630-9635 at 00-02, 100 kW at 340 degrees to Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, eastern and central USA. But not 15170 or 17850 where I previously heard DRM. This is bad news for CBC Northern Quebec and its listeners on 9625; but then the Canadians have not even objected to WYFR on 9625 itself until 1245 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. May 22 I again checked out 17850 for more unID DRM tests. Not today, probably because it`s Saturday, but plenty more of interest from REE. Tune-in 17850 at 2042 to find big AM carrier, with hum and some hash on hi side, but no programmatic modulation. Even without DRM, this signal overshadows WYFR on 17845; with lots of open space on 16m, they should never have attempted such neighborliness. Then 17850 cut off for a minute at 2043*-*2044; 2046 added modulation, a show called ``Hispanorama``. This was axually a series of brief modules with closing, pause and re- opening every few minutes, evergreen topix such as art, the Second Republic, etc. At 2100 I compared to 17595 direct from Spain and found other programming running there (in plain Castilian, not portullano as on weekdays). At 2113 I also compared to much weaker 11815 and 9765 and found the odd programming was also running on those Cariari channels // 17850. Suddenly, at 2120, Hispanorama stopped and the three rejoined feed from Madrid in progress, // 17595 and weak 17755 but with the usual satellite delay a second or so after them. So Hispanorama was backup programming from the site for whenever feed from Spain be lost. Another direct frequency with much bigger signal in // was 15110. After 2200 they were all in a world music show, sounded African, then at 2231 discussing judíos argentinos and their music. Per this program grid http://programasdx.com/principal_archivos/parrillaree10.pdf at 2200-2300 UT Saturdays it is ``Mundofonías``; and before 2200 is ``Tablero Deportivo``, which normally would have been filled by silly ballgames, but none this Saturday evening, or they ended earlier. Next morning May 23: 15170 CR back on with extremely strong signal at 1254 just as ``Amigos de la Onda Corta`` was ending. Unfortunately it`s distorted on the fundamental and splattering modulation spikes as far as 15000 to 15330, worsening closest to 15170. 1353 still doing it altho more like plus/minus 100 kHz range. 15170, REE relay, again overmodulated and splattering spikes roughly between 15000 and 15300, May 24 at 1228; but at 1304 they must have tweaked something as the spikes were gone, also at 1325. This may well be the new DRM/AM transmitter, now scheduled with DRM only at 00-02 on 9625-9630-9635, and confirmed by Rafael Rodríguez, Colombia. [and non]. REE Cariari is indeed running their new DRM transmitter on 9630, and how! Supposedly scheduled only at 00-02, but May 24 at 2351 tune in, it`s already on covering at least 9625-9635, goodbye CBC NQ. Next check 0128, the DRM so strong it`s audible all the way from 9620 to 9655! DRM Consortium claims the bandwidth is strictly `only` 10 kHz, dropping off sharply above and below that range. It probably would have been detected below 9620 if it were not for some strong AM signals there unlike the 9650 area. DRM is doubtless spreading to 9620, where it interferes with: REE direct from Spain!! Way to go. The new DRM transmitter is still not funxioning properly when in the AM mode (presumably this is the one, unless they still have the old one operational for a total of four now). May 25 at 1315, very strong 15170 has continuous crackle, which also produces the spiky spurs, this time audible depending on modulation peaks, roughly plus and minus 70 kHz, 15100-15240 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15170, REE still maladjusted, May 26 at 1227 putting modulation peak spikes roughly 15100-15240. By 1420 it`s much worse, totally distorted on 15170 itself and splattering 15055-15210 or so (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CROATIA [non]. GERMANY, Voice of Croatia Relay, 9925, 0350, Croatian, May 15, OMs singing (Stewart MacKenzie, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Voice of Croatia has made its usual odd-date May switch from 7375 to 9925 via the overlapping German relays. Tnx to a log tip from Stewart MacKenzie reminding me of this. HFCC says from 10 May until 6 September, now scheduled on 9925: 22-03 240 degrees from Wertachtal to South America 23-03 300 degrees from Wertachtal to North and Central America 01-05 325 degrees from Nauen to North America (west) Eibi, which has not been updated since 12 April, still has 7375 instead of 9925, with English at 0200-0215 only. There used to be another one, at 2215-2230 per Aoki at least when on 7375, but needs to be reconfirmed on 9925. May 20 at 2200 the signal on 9925 was just too weak in very poor propagation conditions, only one transmitter this early and aimed to S America. Quite good after 2300, however; and at 0213 UT May 21 finishing ``Croatia Today`` English segment by spending a minute reciting satellites it`s on, MW and SW frequencies including this one, into music. The list of satellites merely gave the name and the orbital position, no other parameters. Do they really expect listeners to hunt thru all the transponders and all the frequencies on each to find VOC? For that matter, do they have any significant number of individuals listening to them by direct satellite as opposed to shortwave or mediumwave? At 0230 recheck, 9925 was starting La Voz de Croacia in Spanish. And despite being on three transmitters from two sites, they were well synchronized, no echo detectable, presuming all three of them were propagating here to different degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. Re 10-20: 15405, Radio Habana Cuba; 2245, 15-May; W in Spanish with Cuban music feature to lenghty RHC promo at 2245+. SIO=434- with strong hum QRM, hummy spur?; // 15380, SIO=4+54; // 15370, SIO=554; // 15335, SIO=3+33+ hummy spur?; // 15300, SIO=333- hummy spur?; // 12030, SIO=353+; nothing on 11760 (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) These are the spurs from 15370 transmitter I have reported a few times, but not at exactly 35 kHz displacement; are you rounding off frequencies? 9750, DentroCuban jamming pulses vs NHK in Japanese, May 20 at 1318. I assume this is a spur, perhaps from the 9805 wall of noise against R. Martí. 15370, the RHC transmitter with the spurs in Spanish at 21-23 to Europe, is also on the previous hour, 2000 in Portuguese, 2030 in Arabic, so May 21 at 2042 I find its main whiny spur on 15409.5 and a weaker one JBA around 15330. At 2045 in Arabic mentioned Máximo Gómez, one of the original revolutionary figures who would later have a clandestine channel of La Voz del CID named for him. BTW, it should have been La Voz *de* CID as there was nothing masculine about it (Cuba Independiente y Democrática). But they were probably trying to evoke El Cid. A recent report from Cuba says CID is active in the DentroCuban opposition, but we wonder if it`s now only a sham. 12060, DCJC pulsing at the rate of 4 times per second, fading in and out, the second harmonic of one of the jammers on 6030 against R. Martí -- but which? 5040, RHC missing at 0140 May 22, tho Rebelde 5025 was good as usual. On the DX-398 with reel-out antenna and AC power, I could hear RHC English weakly on 5070, so it took the huge signal on 5970 to produce such an image on this receiver; nothing else 900 kHz below other 49m frequencies was audible. 6000 also in English at 0149, but much weaker signal and much weaker modulation than 5970. 9580, supposed to be CRI Chinese via Habana, big open carrier with hash, no intelligible modulation, May 22 at 0205, and putting like hashy spurs on 9570 and 9590 --- just like the same transmitter does in the mornings, whether modulated or not, when on 9570, QRMing Australia on 9560 and 9580. RHC`s spurry 19mb transmitter with matching modulation on the closer ones, plus continuous whine, which is audible same pitch on the further ones: May 24 at 2219 when fundamentally on 15370, also heard on approx. 15295.3 where first noted; also 15407.4, 15258, i.e. roughly 37.4 kHz multiples. It`s hard to pin down the spurs exactly as they are blobs without clear center carriers, but one can notice changes in pitch with BFO stepping 1 kHz up and down on the YB-400, and estimate the centers. At 2219, RHC was plugging the availability of all Cuban radio networks on some satellite at 11,884 MHz. Maybe there are no spurs there? RHC still colliding with RDPI PORTUGAL on 12020: May 24 I tuned in seconds before 2300 and both carriers were open; then at 2300 sharp, both started modulating, in a fine instance of involuntary coördination. RHC was generally atop at further chex. Next morning May 25 when the fundamental is 15360: spurs at 1310, on 15397.9, i.e. 37.9 kHz displacement, the whiny spurs also around 15435.8, 15473.7, the latter uncomfortably close to LRA36`s 15476. At 1353, the RHC spur on 15322.1 was QRMing Chinese on 15320.0, which is AWR via Nauen, GERMANY. The next spur down, on 15284.2 was clashing at 1315 with the CNR1 jammer on 15285 vs BBC Chinese via Singapore --- Commies vs Commies! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Spurs even performed to Europe --- RHC in Spanish at 2220 UT May 24, 15370, S=9+20dB and two spurious on 15335-15341 / 15404-15408 kHz. 15380 S=7-8. 12030 S=7, speech to the crowd and accompanying echo, words heard 1 second later underneath as repeat. 17705, 2230-2300 UT in Guarani, S=4 towards Paraguay. 9640, S=9+10dB signal of Spanish program "Mesa Redonda" from La Habana, news featured on CLM, BOL, PRU, MEX etc. at 2344 UT May 24. \\ 6000 kHz at S=9+20dB level (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 24, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Arne, RHC is at it again! 11730, at 2135 in Spanish with a man and woman with talk then a full “Radio Habana Cuba” ID at 2139 - Good May 25 - once again RHC adds a frequency like rabbits add bunnies except RHC denies they add them at will and they refuse to register them with HFCC (Mark Coady, Ont, ODXA yg via DXLD) Yes, but 11730 is hardly new; has been on the air for months. Arnie says they notify ITU and that is enough (gh, DXLD) 9490, DCJC gone wild, still pulsing away around 0600 May 26, and at 1218, vs VOA SAIPAN in Korean, and again vs nothing at 1340. The only time 9490 `needs` to be jammed is M-F 23-02 Tue-Sat when R. República is Sackvilling. Not only does Cuba jam unnecessarily, it broadcasts RHC on many unnecessary spurious frequencies. You may be tired of my ranting about this, but someone has to speak out against this gross pollution of our shortwave bands, and whoever does it gets critiqued, not just Cuba! The RHC transmitter on 15360 had no problems for months, but lately the one they are using is putting out those spurs each side, at variable multiples. May 26 at 1349 they are centered about 15397.1 and 15322.9, a nice match plus and minus 37.1 kHz. These have modulation clearly matching the fundamental along with that constant-pitch whine. Further out it`s mostly the whine, at doubleplus 37.1 = 15433.2, but could not hear any on 15285.8, perhaps masked by the China radio war. The whine, however, could be heard another step down, on 15248.7. At 1357, however, I noticed that the spurs had made a considerable shift tho the fundamental remained 15360. Now they are closer to 50 kHz apart, approx. 15410, 15460. And then the spurs cut off and on, while 15360 stays on. At 1419, I can hear whine plus modulation on 15260. Clearly there is something intermittent. Maybe a short in the curtain antennas if not in the transmitter. Next check at 2055 when the same transmitter is on 15370 in Arabic. Now the primary spurs are on 15408 and 15332, plus and minus 38 kHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. RADIO MARTI MARKS 25TH ANNIVERSARY -- Miami, 05/20/2010 Today marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of Radio Marti, which began its broadcasts to Cuba with a simple "buenos dias Cuba." In the years since, Radio Marti's news programs, dedicated to being accurate, objective and comprehensive, have offered the Cuban people a welcome alternative to state-controlled media propaganda. "I appreciate the opportunity in this historic day to acknowledge all journalists, engineers and support staff for your commitment in providing professionalism, objectivity and balance in all our programs and newscasts," said Pedro Roig, director of the U.S. government's Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which oversees Radio Marti. "Congratulations to all in these 25 years of commitment to the freedom of Cuba." Cuba has one of the world's most restrictive media environments - in the bottom 10 of the Freedom of the Press rankings by Freedom House and among the 10 worst countries to be a blogger according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Radio Marti and its sister television and Internet outlets broadcast across multiple media platforms to combat the massive jamming efforts of the Cuban government. With an all news format, Radio Marti programs air 24 hours a day Tuesday through Sunday, and 18 hours on Monday on shortwave and AM frequencies. Approximately 70 percent of the broadcast hours are live newscasts. Three daily half-hour programs are dedicated to information and reports from dissidents, independent journalists, independent librarians and pro-democracy advocates within Cuba. The Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which is funded by the U.S. government through the presidentially appointed Broadcasting Board of Governors, was established in 1990 to oversee the operations of Radio and TV Marti, which broadcast news and information to the people of Cuba. For more information, please call the BBG's Office of Public Affairs at 202-203-4400 or e-mail (BBG press release via Clara Listensprechen, dxldyg via DXLD) 11845, at 1310 Sunday May 23, atop jamming, R. Martí again talking about Mark Twain, no doubt playback of the same show I heard previously. They pointedly remarked that Twain was known for satirizing American foibles. (Something the humorless DentroCuban Revolutionaries would never do about themselves.) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS. 9760, Cyprus Broadcasting Corp, *2215-2244*, May 22, sign on with Greek music followed by Greek talk and local music. Very good signal. // 7210 - mixing with China. // 5930 - weak but readable in noisy conditions (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** DIEGO GARCIA. 4319 (USB), AFRTS, 1332, May 20. Military PSA; “You are listening to the American Forces Network”; news of Broadway shows; poor; // Guam on 5765 (USB) (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see Hawaii [non] ** DJIBOUTI. 4780, Radio Djibouti, *0300-0330, May 23, sign on with National Anthem. Arabic talk and rustic flute music at 0301. Qur`an at 0302. Arabic talk at 0312. Rustic local music at 0329. Poor in noisy conditions (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** EAST TURKISTAN [and non]. Several CRI morning language services to Europe audible on 16m at para-solstitial nightmiddle, May 24 at 0605- 0611; figured they would all be transpolar via Kashgar, and Aoki confirms that: 17865, at 0605 French ID, contact info, intro economic news with Pink Floyd, 308 degrees 17720, at 0611 in German, 308 degrees 17680, at 0607, Spanish news by YL, 294 degrees 17650, at 0608 in Chinese, 308 degrees 17540, at 0610, English discussion of China/US relations, 173 degrees 17515, at 0609, Italian news, strange accent, 298 degrees 17485, at 0609, too weak to tell but listed as Arabic, 269 degrees R. Free Asia via NMI in Mandarin was also in on 17880 and 17615, and did not notice any jamming, strangely enough. 21 MHz not making it this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. 6050, HCJB, 0828 5/16 Anthem, time pips, Andean music with kids singing - as usual for Sunday morning. First half hour of show is usually music, then a mixture of talk and music. Fair with strong QRM from Fidel on 6060. Best in LSB; tone control at minimum to reduce local buzz. 0850 5/18 flute music, very poor (Larry Russell, MI, MARE Tipsheet 21 May via DXLD) ** EGYPT. [probably] 15285, Ahead of CNR/CRI jamming against BBC Kranji Mandarin co-channel, another strong Arabic HQ station noted with medium S=9 signal at 1505-1515 UT. Seemingly R Cairo Abu Zabaal, which scheduled later at 1600 UT. May 22. 1330-1530 on 15040 ABZ 100 kW 070 deg to WeAS in Farsi 1430-1600 on 15065 ABZ 250 kW 070 deg to WeAS in Pashto 1500-1600 on 15780 ABZ 250 kW 050 deg to CeAS in Uzbek 1600-1700 on 15285 ABZ 100 kW 160 deg to EaCeAF in Afar 1700-1730 on 15285 ABZ 100 kW 160 deg to EaCeAF in Somali 1730-1900 on 15285 ABZ 100 kW 160 deg to EaCeAF in Amharic [later:] Re 15285 Radio Cairo, Egypt. Has something to do with DST in Egypt from April 30? http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=53 http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/timezone.html?n=53 15800, This Morning May 23 observed Radio Cairo's General Arabic service to Africa one hour earlier from 0600 UT onwards May 23. Scheduled 0700-1100 UT. Suffered a little bit by co-channel Radio Sofia Bulgaria in Spanish 0600-0630 UT Wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) We already dealt with the issue of DST affecting R. Cairo schedules in last DXLD (gh) And today I noted the presence of Radio Cairo in Arabic on 15800 kHz from 0600 UT (ex 0700), with Radio Bulgaria in Spanish to 0630. Coordination of Radio Cairo is 0700-1100, without comment ... that from April 30 will be 0600-1000 UT. According to the program to cover a signal should not be a problem between the two stations - Radio Bulgaria and Radio Cairo. Coverage of Radio Bulgaria is stronger than that of Radio Cairo with 20 dB. Interesting what is the situation in Germany. I expect very soon and additional information from Spain (R BULGARIA, Ivo Ivanov, May 25, BCDX May 26 via DXLD) ** EGYPT. I have been monitoring Radio Cairo in the 0200 UT time slot to North America on 6270 kHz and have noted the following: * 18 May 2010 at 0215, news broadcast: readable, despite somewhat muted audio and voice distortion, SINPO=45433 with an S9 signal * 20 May 2010 at 0210, music into news: readable until 0227, when an audible “hum” appeared (xmtr or modulation related?) * 22 May 2010 at 0200 sign on in English. Music followed by the “Holy Quran and its meaning,” into news at 0215: audio not clear, with an audible xmtr hum, which disappeared at 0215, making for decent listening of their news program. Listenable for the remainder of the program this evening, including program on the heritage of neighborhoods and archaeology and Egyptian history, followed by program of pleasant music. SINPO=45333, S9 signal * 23 May 2010 at 0215 tune in, news just beginning at quarter past the hour, no xmtr or modulation hum this evening. SINPO=35433, S8 signal (Ed Insinger, Summit, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 5005, R. Nacional, Bata. May 18, 2234-2251 Spanish music sometimes sounding like Cuban, 2250 N.A.. 34333 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5005, Rdif. de Guinea Ecuatorial-Bata, 1925, Spanish, expanded news bulletin (or similar) with talk by a man and many references to "La República." Occasional comments by a woman and no breaks for music, 'till 1945 or so. Was curious to see if parallel to Malabo on 6250 but only heard the North Korean. 21 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT- 950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5005, Equatorial Guinea, R. Nacional, Bata. May, 23 0552-0602 African music selections, male announcements in Spanish. 6250 was off or unlistenable in this time period, deterioring 25322 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5005, RNGE/"R.Bata", Bata, 2001-2119, 21 May'10, Castilian, news; news again at 2100; 45343, but the audio has worsened again. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA, Radio Africa, 15190 kHz, two dates, 11 April 1935z and 30 April 2145z, 2010 (one card each date). Almost full data cards, no signature or TX power, "Radio Africa" with photo of serious- looking gentleman (Station manager in GUE?) standing in front of R. Africa transmitter. Also cover letter, station info and sked :-) For reception reports by mail and by e-mail to Equatorial Guinea (+ $2 on the letter), sent from HQ in one envelope in Pleasanton, California. I am quite happy about these two :-) (Bruce Jensen, California, USA ptsw yg via DXLD) ** ERITREA. NEW 4700.02, 1825-1915, 11.05, VOBM, Asmara (presumed) Arabic talk and songs from Horn of Africa 35333 heard // 7190 (ex 7175) (25322) (Anker Petersen, heard here in Skovlunde, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** ERITREA. 7185, 1832, VOBME appears to have additional transmitter as noted here 25/4 in parallel (slightly delayed) to 7175 which was strongest signal below 7200 this day. Other language channel was on 7220 ex 7210. Changes no doubt to avoid Ethiopian jamming (Bryan Clark at Mangawhai, New Zealand, with AOR7030+ and Alpha Delta Sloper, EWEs to NE, E and SE, plus various 100 metre BOGs to the Americas, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** ERITREA. 7210, Voice of the Broad Masses, Selai Daro, 1726-, 22 May'10, vernacular, traditional songs, talks; 34432, co-chanel & adjacent QRM. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA [non]. Venerdì 21 maggio 2010 *1730 - 15350 kHz, VOICE OF ASENA - Samara (Russia), Tigrigna - nxs YL. Segnale sufficiente-buono. 1. La trasmissione inizia tra le 1731 e le 1732. 2. Solo lunedì e venerdì. 3. No (more?) jamming (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova), Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) ** ESTONIA. Tartu Family Radio on 1035 kHz now 200 kW [got your gag reflex under control? Read on --- gh] From http://www.twr.org/judyblog/ (12 May 2010) Switched On! It's happened, my friends! The transition from the 100,000-watt AM transmitter at the Tartu Family Radio station in Estonia to the new 200,000-watt AM transmitter has occurred. Now, more than 150 million people across this vast region which includes Western Russia, the Ukraine and Belarus can hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their heart language [sic]. TWR Radio Partnerships Director John Summerville travelled to Estonia for this exciting event with TWR President Lauren Libby and WMIT's Jim Kirkland from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's radio station in Black Mountain, North Carolina. WMIT 106.9 The Light and its listeners partnered with TWR on the Estonia transmitter upgrade. In addition, many of you reading this today joined with us on this miraculous project (see JudyBlog post of April 29, 2009 "To Russia with Love"). Yesterday, John provided this brief update from Estonia: "Going out to the AM 1035 transmitter site, which is about 25 minutes outside of town [Tartu] along a single lane dirt road, we met Tom King and his team (Kintronics Labs, Inc. of Tennessee). Tom had just finished the conversion. Instead of 100,000-watts, the transmitter was now broadcasting 200,000-watts. We had a ceremony of flipping the switch, and we prayed." For an inspiring report of this praiseworthy event, go to www.twr.org and listen to TWR President Lauren Libby and WMIT's Jim Kirkland describe this grand occasion (via Tony Rogers, May 23, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. 6030, Radio Oromiya, 0328, May 24. Happy to find that the traditional “clear” Monday (UT) is still here, without any Cuban jamming or R. Martí; tuned in to the usual repetitive xylophone-like IS (perhaps *0321?). Unusable after 0329, when mixing with Calgary (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. 7210, Radio Fana, *0258-0335+, May 21, ex-6890, // 6110 - weak under Cuba. Sign on with IS. Vernacular talk at 0301. Horn of Africa music. Fair, but weak under the BBC at *0300-0330*. And covered by Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea at their 0355 sign on on 7210 (Brian Alexander, PA, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX Listening Digest) ** ETHIOPIA. 7110, R. Ethiopia-Home Service, Geja Dera, 1507-1528, 23 May'10, vernacular, talks; \\ 9704.2; 15341. 9559.8, R. Ethiopia-External Service, Geja Jawe, 1433-1456, 22 May'10, Arabic, talks, HoA songs; \\ 7165 rated 35343; 34343, adjacent QRM. 9704.2, R. Ethiopia-Home Service, Geja Dera, 1239-1257, 23 May'10, vernacular, talks, same menu at 1345; \\ 7110; 25443. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. VOA INCREASES COVERAGE OF CRUCIAL ETHIOPIAN ELECTION Multimedia analysis, interviews, special reports and features Washington, D.C., May 19, 2010 – The Voice of America is expanding coverage of Sunday's Ethiopian parliamentary elections with special daily radio programs in English, enhanced multi-media efforts, and additional live broadcast hours on election-day in Amharic, Tigrigna, and Afaan Oromoo. A 10-minute daily English-language program, titled Ethiopian Elections in Focus, is now airing evenings with the latest on the issues and candidates as they prepare for the crucial May 23 vote. The program, which is part of VOA English to Africa's extensive lineup, will continue all week after the election. Analysis, interviews, special reports and features are available at http://www.voanews.com and through a special newsletter that is being distributed by email in an effort to reach listeners who have been affected by the jamming of VOA's popular broadcasts to Ethiopia. VOA's Horn of Africa service will broadcast live to Ethiopia election- day from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the evening, bringing uncensored coverage to its large audience through shortwave and on VOA 24, a new satellite service carried by Arabsat. The extended election coverage, in Afaan Oromoo, Amharic, and Tigrigna, will include on-the-scene reporting of election-day events, panel discussions of polling station turnout and interviews with Ethiopians around the world. VOA has also added a 30-minute morning program in Amharic that starts at 6 a.m. Earlier this month, Voice of America Director Danforth W. Austin issued an open letter to Ethiopian listeners expressing deep concern about the jamming of VOA broadcasts and websites. He also assured listeners that VOA will continue to do all it can to bring Ethiopian listeners the news they have come to trust and rely on for almost 30 years (VOA press release May 19 via DXLD) Do you suppose, just maybe, it would be helpful to include in the press release the latest beefed-up list of all VOA SW frequencies for the Amharic+ services? Of course not! (gh, DXLD) Temporary schedule of the VOA Amharic until June 6. Each transmission on 11 frequencies: 0300-0330 Mon-Fri 4960 SAO 100 kW / 030 deg 5985 WER 250 kW / 150 deg 6055 BOT 100 kW / 010 deg 7300 SAO 100 kW / 076 deg 7310 WER 250 kW / 150 deg 9490 MEY 100 kW / 015 deg 9540 MEY 100 kW / 020 deg 9590 WER 250 kW / 150 deg 9600 WER 250 kW / 150 deg 9700 MEY 250 kW / 015 deg 11790 IRA 250 kW / 275 deg 1800-1900 Daily 9620 IRA 250 kW / 275 deg 11905 LAM 100 kW / 132 deg 11925 WER 250 kW / 150 deg 11975 WER 250 kW / 150 deg 12140 UDO 250 kW / 276 deg 13630 BOT 100 kW / 010 deg 13835 KWT 250 kW / 200 deg 13870 NAU 250 kW / 140 deg 15230 KWT 250 kW / 046 deg 15730 SAO 100 kW / 076 deg 17565 GB 250 kW / 067 deg (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, May 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GAMBIA. 648, GRTS, Bonto, 2246-2257, 21 May'10, vernacular, talks; very good audio as usual; 44433, QRM de Spain. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. EX-GUERILLA TRADES GUN FOR MICROPHONE It’s been 14 years since the brutal civil war that gripped this country for over three decades finally came to an end, and the former combatants that once manned guerilla [sic thruout] posts in the mountains have all gone back to civilian life. For many of them, though, the battle for justice and equality has just taken a different form. Take Alberto "Tino" Ramírez Recinos, for example, a community radio organizer who fought with the guerillas from the age of 15 after his father was kidnapped and killed by the military. “The war was my university,” said Tino, who was one of nine children in a poor campesino family. “I learned things I’d never dreamed of learning. I learned broadcasting, producing, technique - the war gives you the opportunity to learn other things besides killing people.” After nearly a decade on the front lines, Tino was assigned to La Voz Popular, the short-wave radio station that transmitted the voice of the Guatemalan resistance. He worked with the production crew on the Mexican side of the border. And then, once a week, he’d wrap a cassette tape tightly in plastic bags and swim across the river that divides the two countries and through enemy territory to a broadcast post on the Guatemalan side. There they set up their short-wave radio and broadcast up to Tajumulco volcano, where that crew caught the message and transmitted it to the world. The station reported the atrocities committed by the military, the massacres of villagers, the kidnappings, the terror campaign targeting the civilian population in the countryside. Most of what was happening was hidden from the rest of the world, because the mainstream media was censored and controlled by the military. “People knew there was a war in Guatemala,” he said. “But what they didn’t know was the policy of targeting civilians on the part of the government and the military.” An estimated 200,000 were killed during the war, most of them indigenous farmers in the countryside. Many of Tino’s compañeros died in that conflict, but he survived to carry the battle to a different field. When the war finally came to an end in 1996, the peace accords called for a network of community radio stations to provide the people in the rural communities with a means to broadcast in their own language. But the government set up a bidding process for the frequencies, and the mostly indigenous groups that wanted to do community radio couldn’t afford the frequencies. So they set up their own pirate stations and began broadcasting anyway. Currently some 200 community radio stations are operating without a license, broadcasting news, public health, educational and environmental programming in the native languages, but have been subject to harassment, raids and even imprisonment by local governments who dub them “pirates.” Now La Voz Popular has evolved into Mujb'ab'l yol, whose name means “Meeting place of expression” in the Mam Maya language. http://www.mujbablyol.com/EN_index.html Tino is one of its lead spokespeople, rallying groups around the country to support a new law that would legalize nearly a thousand community radio stations around the country and guarantee a frequency for at least one station in each of the country’s 333 municipalities. “The war has ended; the guns have gone silent,” said Tino. “But since 1996 we’re continuing the struggle with a weapon that can be much more powerful: The microphone.” It’s not the first such initiative; several others have been presented in the national legislature, but have all died in committee. Mark Camp, the communications coordinator for Cultural Survival http://www.culturalsurvival.org/ based here in Guatemala, has been working with Mujb’ab’l yol to support their efforts, and he says he’s optimistic about its passage. It’s the first time the bill has gotten out of committee, and it’s garnered the support of the party currently in power, as well as the major opposition party and a number of smaller parties. ... “We’re not there yet, but we feel our prospects are very good,” Camp said. Read more from The Esperanza Project, http://theesperanzaproject.org/ a bilingual, multimedia web initiative founded and reported by Tracy L. Barnett http://www.tracybarnettonline.com/ Source: http://www.odemagazine.com/exchange/15401/ex_guerilla_trades_gun_for_microphone (via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) ** GUINEA. 4900, Radio Familia. Threshold with carrier only at 1840 (detectable only in sideband). Began fading-up soon thereafter with occasional snippets of French talk, slightly better after 1900 with comments by a man. Far too weak for an ID so obviously tentative. But I don't know who else would be here, with French programs. 21 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4900, Familia FM, Conakry, 1937-2226, 21 May'10, vernacular, African songs; traditional music, talks, interviews running at 2200, no news at 2210; 15332, better at 2200+, with a stroger QSA. It was found much better the next day, 22nd May, at around 2200 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, ibid.) New 4900.00, 1955-2050 19.05, Familia SW [sic]. Carrier on and off with glimpses of music bits, 25333, but from 2045 QRM from an Italian Pirate conversating and *2050 QRM Xixang PBS 4905 (Anker Petersen, heard here in Skovlunde, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) I got recently some more info about Radio Familia 4900. The SW transmitter is located some 400 km inland from the capital, Conakry. They stream the audio from Conakry online to Canada and from there up to satellite and the audio is picked up at the transmitter site. SW is scheduled 1800-0000 but if solar/wind power lacks, they may sign off earlier. Plans are to add more wind generators and extend broadcast hours 1800-0300 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, May 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Jari, Didn't they indicate the actual location of the 4900 tx? R. Rurale, Labé 1386. This one, which used to be a more or less regular one (and without QRM), seems to be silent; Euskadi Irratia 1386 [SPAIN] became a pest since they moved to this channel, but the Guinean could still be tracked underneath EI. I've been unable to get any signal from many months now. Probably too little power then? 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, ibid.) ** GUINEA. 7125, 0737, Radio Conakry with highlife music, French ident – “Ici Conakry, la Radiodifusion Nationale de la République Guinéenne” 19/4. Reactivated but still intermittent. Closed abruptly 0759 this day. Noted regularly here since 18/4 after 0600 and around 1830 (Bryan Clark at Mangawhai, New Zealand, with AOR7030+ and Alpha Delta Sloper, EWEs to NE, E and SE, plus various 100 metre BOGs to the Americas, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) 7125, R. Guinée, Sonfonya, 2133-2152, 21 May'10, vernacular, talks; 35444. Sole audible broadcast station 7100-7200. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7125, Radio Guineé, 2230-2258*, May 21, vernacular and French talk. Abrupt sign off. Fair to good. (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** GUYANA. 3289.98, Voice of Guyana, 0815-0915, May 21, tune-in to Hindi vocals. Qur`an at 0833 and inspirational talk. Qur`an again at 0840. ID at 0841. ID/frequency announcement at 0846 followed by Christian choral music. Morning show at 0900 with talk about local agriculture program. TCs. Pop music. Station promo for local Cricket coverage. Birthday greetings. Fair signal (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** GUYANA. Re 10-20: My comments are just all but the same as Dave Valko. I have this station on 3289.00. Static is terrible however, I could clearly hear a short glimpse of the sax music of Kenny G. I have tried both a yagi ant for the ham band as well as a long dipole. No ID yet and is 0859 UT at Puerto Rico (Luigi Pérez, May 20, HCDX via DXLD) Really a full kHz lo? Dave had it on 3289.98, just 20 Hz lo (gh, DXLD) 3289.874, Voice of Guyana, 0915, all alone on frequency and presumed the one with Hindi vocals. Fair at best. 14 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)) 3290, Voice of Guyana, 0946-0955 May 24, Noted a male in English comments at tune in. Believe the topic is religion. Signal was fair this morning (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston FL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3290, Voice of Guyana, 0247-0413 May 18, Program of vocals hosted by a man announcer with occasional talk in English. Poor to fair signal but a lot of noise on channel made overall reception very poor most of the time. Reception seemed to improve around 0330 during continuous music run. At 0356 man announcer mentioned BBC news at 0400. 3+1 time pips at 0400 followed by woman announcer with BBC news. Although reception was improving, I could still only make out about 25% of what was being said during news (Rich D'Angelo, Wyomissing PA 19610, Ten-Tec RX-340, Drake R-8B, Eton E1, Eton E5, Alpha Delta DX Sloper, RF Systems Mini- Windom, Datong FL3, JPS ANC-4, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** GUYANA. In regards to Guyana's transmitting site, I remember it was located outside of the town of Demerara. We had to cross the river on a large pontoon bridge. Then travel parallel to Canal #5 for a bit. The site has two antenna systems, a vertical 1/4 wave for 560 kHz, and the horizontal array for H.F. The array for H.F. is easy to spot because the support towers are tilted outwards at a 45 degree angle. I mention this because I have received a few E-mails from people in Guyana who want to confirm they are seeing the site when they drive by (Jamie Labadia, May 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUYANA. VOG ON THE INTERNET SHOULD BE FIXED By Stabroek staff | May 21, 2010 in Letters Dear Editor, In previous correspondence to this newspaper last year, I had mentioned that Guyana radio is being mismanaged and the programmes left much to be desired. I also mentioned that the current management of the state media cares very little, if at all, about the preservation and upliftment of Guyana radio. The merger of the Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and Guyana Television Network (GTV) surely had its positives and negatives about it. But radio has played a very significant role in many people’s lives, especially those of our older folk, and the ones who performed the merger I am sure had to take that into consideration. Radio has been around for quite some time and has a distinct edge and advantage over many other forms of media, although today we’d like to believe that television has overpowered all of them. Radio today exists only under Voice of Guyana and 98.1 FM. Radio Roraima is no longer available to Berbicians, and the online feed has not been on either. Shortwave has been under test over the past couple of weeks. Could anyone say if our interior locations are receiving the Voice of Guyana? Radio legislation will not happen until after the next elections, so don’t hold your breath. So, we have got to pretty much like what is on VOG and 98.1 FM for the years ahead. My mom and dad have grown up loving oldies. It’s their kind of music. I found myself loving the thing too. Ever since I was small, I heard my dad playing his golden oldies, from the stacks of TDK cassettes in his wardrobe. Those songs have a special meaning for him – and mom too. They resonate well with our older folk. I love oldies today as well. As I told mom the oldies will always remind me of them when they would have left this world. I love to listen to them on Guyana radio which plays oldies almost every day. ‘A Better World,’ ‘A Sunday Kind of Love,’ ‘Party Time,’ ‘Breakfast Show,’ ‘Banks Sunday Moods’ (great job last Sunday Michella), ‘Triple M Show’ (I missed this show for over a month since VOG online has been down, and I just imagine the vintage songs Mr Langhorne serenades his listeners with every Tuesday evening), ‘Feed-back,’ ‘Music to Remember,’ ‘Ron’s Rendezvous’ and ‘Basil P Special’ (Basil, where do you dig up these oldies from each Sunday bro?), you make my parents sing their hearts out from 8-10 each week. But I do not know what the heck 98.1 FM plays on Saturdays. There is a series of dub and very unappealing songs (at least to the ear) that are played almost all morning and all day. Maybe a revision is needed there. Moderation in everything is the key. Listeners don’t want to hear one genre of music all day, every day. Sundays are exactly the opposite on 98.1 FM, so pleasing and soothing. The music takes you back on a nostalgic journey from 6am-midnight, with Basil Persaud ending the broadcast day. Mr Oswald Singh has a great voice for morning radio – great to wake up the nation. Messrs Ron Robinson, Franklin Langhorne, Basil Persaud, Oswald Singh, Frederick Rampersaud, are among the great men of Guyana radio. The ladies include Misses Michella Abraham-Ali, Wanita Huburn and Andrea Joseph. Forgive me if I missed out any names. But those are the ones whom I regularly listen to. Now, the internet has been a zone where radio has evolved through the click of a button. NCN has been providing real-time streams for 98.1 FM and VOG for the past couple of months. Only 98.1 FM streams have been stable and reliable. I can’t say the same for VOG, which has been off for over a month now. Please, whoever is at fault (GT&T or NCN or whoever), fix VOG on the internet. My pocket radio does not pick up VOG clearly, as the transmission is being affected by electronic equipment interference, static, etc. Please, once again, fix the internet radio for good. Don’t let me write about it another time. Yours faithfully, Leon Jameson Suseran Source: http://bit.ly/ai9cO9 (via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) ** HAWAII. USA: WWVH, 23 May 2010 from 2300 until 2348 UTC on 15000 kHz. Clear female ID’s audible 5 seconds before WWV announcements. Atmospheric noise low, providing open window for WWVH. 73’s (Ed Insinger, Summit, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII [non]. 10320 (USB), AFRTS. Continues to be off the air. Their website http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/Shortwave.aspx shows what we have known for a long time now: “Out of service for an indefinite period” (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, May 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see Diego Garcia ** INDIA [and non]. Dear friends, May 19, 2010 --- During my holidays on April 14-29, I had a lot of experiences ranging from the very hot, dry and dusty Delhi on the central plain (up to + 43 Centigrade in the shadow) to the mountaneously and forestcovered Himalaya in Darjeeling (Northern West Bengal), Sikkim and Bhutan where the temperatures were much more moderate from +5 to +25 Centigrade, but also with rain and fog (= within clouds) at times. We drove in altitudes between 250 and 3140 metres above sea level, often at narrow and poor roads. We were introduced to the Hindu, Muslim and particularly Buddhist cultures, performed by the Indian and Bhutanese nationalists, besides Nepalese and Tibetan refugees. I was able to take photos of All India Radio (AIR) Kurseong and Gangtok and of the Bhutan Broadcasting Service. Thanks to our member Alokesh Gupta I visited on my last day together with Alokesh and my friend Rajeesh from Kerala, AIR HQ’s: The SMS Section where they receive all reception reports and decide SW frequencies to be used; the technical department responsible for all studio facilities, and the General Overseas Service which highly appreciated our presence. We then drove to the big AIR transmitting site of Khampur (33 antenna masts!), but on our way also passed the declining AIR Kingsway site and a MW-site. In Khampur, we got demonstrated the transmitters and particularly the new DRM-transmitter which did broadcast on 6100 kHz. After this visit we had a very delicious dinner together with 4 local radioamateurs. Throughout my tour I brought my portable Sangean ATS909 and whenever I had a chance, I listened to the local broadcasting scene (Anker Petersen, DSWCI DX Window May 19 via DXLD) See also BHUTAN, NEPAL ** INDIA. LARGE POPULACE DEPRIVED OF LOCAL PROGRAMMES (Nagaland) A portion of the May 17 story: http://www.morungexpress.com/local/48867.html “Interacting with the staffs of AIR Kohima, the Parliamentary Secretary lauded the efforts of AIR, Kohima saying that radio is still the best form of communication in Nagaland. He, however, expressed his concern over the non-availability of radio signals in remote areas of Nagaland especially the bordering areas saying that almost 60% of the populations in those areas are deprived of radio programmes. The Parliamentary Secretary therefore, highlighted the need to upgrade local radio stations in those areas in order to help cater radio services to more people. Tohanba also assured that he will take up the matter with the Ministry concern in Delhi. Speaking at the informal meeting, ADG A. Lassa asserted that time has come for the Centre to take action regarding the improvement of radio coverage signals in remote places of Nagaland. She also impressed upon the visiting dignitaries to appraise the Centre of the problems faced by the two leading public media houses. The visiting officials also asked the Station’s administration to make a fresh communication to the State Government regarding the land requirements and for uninterrupted power supply to the Station.” We can hope that the AIR Kohima transmitter will be put to more use in the future on 4850 kHz! (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, May 24, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. New [sic] 4800, 2345-2400 20.05, AIR Hyderabad. Hindi announcement and songs, special early broadcast, maybe because of cyclone, 43433. CWQRM and much weaker Voice of China. AP-DNK 4840, 2353-2400 20.05, AIR Mumbai Hindi announcement, 2353 AIR IS, *2355 Vande Mataram hymn, frequency announcement, blowing instruments, 45434 AP-DNK 5010, 0025-0045 23.05, AIR Thiruvananthapuram Malayalam/Hindi/ English Vande Mataram hymn, Malayalam opening ann, 0030 news from Delhi in Hindi, 0035 news from Delhi in English about the tragic aircrash in Bangalore [sic] yesterday, several phone numbers for relatives to call; a murderer in Darjeeling; boxing results, 0040 Indian songs 45444 AP-DNK 5040, *0023-0025 23.05, AIR Jeypore. Hindi announcement after AIR IS, so back on the air, 32332, QRM R Habana Cuba in French (Anker Petersen, heard here in Skovlunde, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. Re 10-20, UNIDENTIFIED. 5015.46, on May 18, from 1324 to 1331. Sounded like subcontinent type music and singing; very weak. Perhaps AIR Delhi being off frequency? Do not recall hearing anything before on or around 5015 at this time period (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Ron. Yes, it's Delhi off frequency. Been there two-three days. Sometimes with satisfactory audio, but usually only a terrible buzz. Transmitter has been malfunctioning for a long time. But who cares at the AIR. 73, (Jari Savolainen, Finland, ibid.) ** INDIA. 9870, AIR New Delhi (Bangaluru), 0349-0355, 5/21/2010, Hindi. Vividh Bharati program. Hindi music with short announcements by a woman. Poor signal with fading, occasionally peaking up to moderate strength (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, IC-R75, RX-340, Random Wire (90'), ALA100M Loop (20'), DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. All India Radio G.O.S. heard this evening, 26 May, on unlisted and unannounced 9940. This for the 1745-1945 broadcast (which I caught at 1934 with their Commentary, followed by film songs). The frequency continued from 1945 to 2045 in Hindi, and is still continuing for the English broadcast from 2045 to 2230. Schedule for 1745-1945 announced at 1945 close as follows: 11935, 7400 and 9415 to East Africa; 9445, 7410 and 6120 to West & North Africa; Europe frequencies not given. 6120 seems to be a new frequency, but I was not able to hear it. Schedule for 2045-2230 announced at 2045 open as follows: 7550, 6280, 9445 and 9950 to Europe; 9910, 11620 and 11715 to Australia (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA [and non]. Collisions. Broadcasts heard from two different stations on one and the same frequency at the same time: for instance – at 0500 hours on 12080 kHz Radio Australia and the Voice of America, at 1330 hours on 9690 kHz Radio Voice of Nigeria and All India Radio and again All India Radio and China Radio International are at same time on 13710 kHz. Thus, its emission in English at 1330 hours All India Radio has only one clear frequency – 11620 kHz. So, 73 and DX! (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX May 21 http://bit.ly/anG7UV via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) ** INDIA. ALL INDIA RADIO FUTURE HAZY? --- S. Harpal Singh http://www.thehindu.com/2010/05/21/stories/2010052160740300.htm ADILABAD: The future of All India Radio looks hazy given the efforts being made to cut the budget of the National Public Service Broadcaster by half. If this move becomes a reality, individual AIR stations will be required to generate 50 per cent of respective budget, a seemingly difficult task. Smaller broadcast entities like AIR Adilabad, Kothagudem (Khammam) and Markapuram (Ongole) that are located in rural areas will be the worst hit by the move. Due to their location in economically backward areas, these stations can hardly be expected to generate revenue through advertisements which may raise a question mark on their very existence. The proposal to cut the budget has become a cause of worry to the National Federation of AIR and DD Employees (NFADE) and the Programme Staff Association (PSA). The degree of difficulty in generating revenue was discussed at the PSA National Executive meeting at New Delhi on May 14. “When stations like Hyderabad and Vijayawada are not equal to the task how can it be expected of smaller stations,” opines V. Gopichand, AP State secretary of the Programme Staff Association, about the degree of difficulty in revenue generation. He says the move will be opposed by all Associations within the Broadcast giant once the issue of fresh recruitment settles down. AIR Adilabad station was commissioned in 1986 as a facilitator for providing opportunity to tribals and others like rural artistes to exhibit their talent. It is rated very highly in terms of meeting its objective but it quite poor in generating revenue. It has earned only Rs. 50,000 through advertisements last year while its budget is of the size of about Rs. 80 lakh per year. Expecting Rs. 40 lakh to be generated in a poor and backward place like Adilabad is like questing for the impossible. The relevance of AIR stations like Adilabad rests not only on the service it provides to rural talent. It also serves to bridge the gap between farmers and agriculture scientists through its highly popular programme Kisan Vani (via Alokesh Gupta, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 4750, RRI Makassar, May 22 at 1223, amazingly fair signal with Indonesian talk, best extracontinental signal on 60m. Local sunrise in Enid today was 1119 UT, only 5 minutes away from its earliest at 1114 in early June (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, I also noted the better signal from RRI Makassar (4749.95) at the same time. Actually about equal strength at my location to CNR- 1. Noted them clearly in parallel with RRI Jakarta on 9680, carrying the Jakarta new relay. Did you happen to catch the news item about “Radio Netherlands” and “Bangkok” at 1224? Assume was about the RNW journalist Michel Maas who was shot in Bangkok. At 1228 played the usual choral Anthem and then into their own programming (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, ibid.) No ** INDONESIA. 4789.8, RRI Fak Fak, 1224, May 21. Choral Anthem at the end of the Jakarta news relay. Every day the news ends at a slightly different time. May 20: choral Anthem at 1231; CODAR QRM. 4789.96, RRI Fak Fak, 1223, May 26. Anthem (choral); // 9680; after the Jakarta news relay; very weak with CODAR QRM (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 7289.820, RRI-Nabire, 0708, Indonesian, RRI news by a man, presumed ID by a woman at 0709, brief music bridge and into more talk by a man. Strong S9+30. 15 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT- 950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 9525.89, Voice of Indonesia, 1302-1315 May 23. English news in progress, followed by commentary and features at 1313. VG signal (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) 9526-, VOI has been quite weak lately, but still detectable during the 1300 English hour May 24 and 25; seems to be quite a bit stronger before 1300 when in Japanese with the same 30 degree antenna, per Aoki. Probably increasing absorption at this end with too much summer sunshine. May 25 at 1300 the carrier is JBA, and after 1400 is still enough to cause a het to CRI 9525.0 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9526, Voice of Indonesia at 1301, woman beginning English with program lineup, ID and news. Very poor May 26 (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, listening from my car with an Eton E1 and AN-1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. ZombieSat --- Glenn, These articles reveal more technical details: http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/100704 http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2010/05/18/plan-to-protect-amc-11-against-zombie-intelsat/ http://www.ses-worldskies.com/worldskies/news_and_events/AMC-11_News/index.php (Ed Thomas / wd8kct, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx, but beware the animation via the last one which crashed (gh, DXLD) ** IRAN. IRIB World Service, 15085, 25 May at 1904. Fair signal of music and YL in French, followed by perhaps language lesson. Static and band gusts. Off by 1911 (Terry Wilson, MI, Eton E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. ? 5104-USB, Reshet Bet has been heard last two days on 0400 and 1900+ relaying Reshet Bet in //6973 with signal S9. Does anyone know something more? (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, May 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Galei Tzahal has been a few days now on 5104 USB in parallel with 6973. Strong signal also here in Finland. Are they also relaying Kol Israel's Reshet Bet?. I've noted only the usual Galei Tzahal programs (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, ibid.) see RUSSIA May 21 at 1947 noted Galei Tzahal on 6821 USB. 5104 where they had been for a few days was empty at that moment. 6821 was a lot stronger than parallel 6973 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Venerdì 21 maggio 2010, 2130 - 6821-USB // 6973 kHz, GALEI ZAHAL - Lod (Israele), Ebraico, DJ YL e mx rock/pop. Segnale sufficiente-buono. Pirate relay or NF? (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova), Italia, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) 6821 USB, Galei Tzahal, 2210-2345+, May 21, Hebrew talk. Local pop music. Some US pop music. // 6973 - both weak at tune-in but improved to fair levels by 2240. 6821 stronger than 6973 by 2320. Thanks to Jari Savolainen tip. 6821 USB, Galei Tzahal, 2305-0000+, May 22-23, still here with Hebrew announcements. Local pop and US pop music. Fair signal. Weaker on // 6973. Both frequencies also heard later at 0155-0210 (Brian Alexander, PA, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, [DX Listening Digest) Galei Zahal, 15785, 25 May at 1805. Carrier only, no trace of audio. Slight trace of OM at 1837 (Terry Wilson, MI, Eton E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY. Just listening and found Radio Maria again on 26000 kHz at 1549 with a fair sig here in Hertfordshire; second time this week (Steve Calver, Letchworth Garden City, May 20, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** JAPAN [non]. 6120, NHKWNRJ via Sackville, May 23 at 1219 during World Interactive, with new monthly feature`s second outing by a guy from South Dakota who is teaching English in Japan, ``Dotchi``, which involves surveying website visitors on different topix, this month: should holidays be shifted to they don`t bunch up causing congestion? (There were three or four in a row in early May`s Japan.). Said to go to http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/dotchi Dotchi means decide and it`s running in all their languages, including English: https://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/dotchi/top/english/index.html No mention of the SD guy on that website, but he outroed as Jeff Otto(?), to be back next month (on the fourth Sunday, evidently). 1224 back to YL host who mentioned they are still doing a haiku feature (presumably on the first Sundays), and plugged contest prompted by 75th anniversary of R. Japan (make that R. Tokyo! From the Japanese Empire, pre-WWII), ``What is Radio Japan to me?``. Deadline July 15; entries may be in several forms, including plain essays; see website. Then to mailbag including a French harmonica player whose website is http://pierredacquin.com There he`s selling his CDs, but I don`t see any samples (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN [non]. Frequency changes of Radio Japan NHK World from May 23: 1300-1345 NF 11965#TAC 100 kW / 131 deg to SoAs in Bengali, ex 6155 # strong co-ch TRT Voice of Turkey in Russian (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, May 24 via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. 9345, Korean rather distorted modulation, May 22 at 1242, from VOK. 13760, May 22 at 2111, unmistakable style and accent in English of VOK zombie, fair signal blustering about South Korean traitors provoking war. It seems the 13 MHz area is currently in a narrow band between the LUHF and the MUF at this time of day from E Asia to C North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 7505 22/May 2050, UZBEKISTAN, Radio Free Chosun, in Korean. A drama with short music and narration by OM e YL. In the recording, the noise is electrical. At 2059 UT YL talk, ID and 2100 UT end transmission. Moderate signal (Jorge Freitas, Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [and non] a.k.a. KOREA SOUTH [and non]. NORTH KOREA THREATENS LOUDSPEAKER NETWORK --- Radio World 24 May 2010 http://www.rwonline.com/article/101030 One of the traditional benefits of shortwave radio has been that, so long as listeners can acquire or make receivers, programming can be broadcast from distant shores to listeners who might benefit from alternate viewpoints. For governments that want to block such broadcasts, overpowering the transmission frequencies with jamming signals has been the traditional means of response. Along the demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea, however, both sides have used loudspeaker networks to boom audio programming to the other's citizenry. Under an agreement in 2004, the loudspeaker networks on both sides of the DMZ were dismantled; however, in the wake of the 26 March sinking of a South Korean navy vessel, the South Korean military reportedly is moving to rebuild the loudspeaker network. South Korea attributes the 26 March sinking of the ROKS Cheonan to a torpedo attack by a North Korean submarine. Forty-six South Korean sailors died in the incident. North Korea has denied responsibility. North Korean officials have stated that if the loudspeaker broadcasts are resumed, that the North Korean military will attack. "If South Korea installs new speakers for psychological warfare, we will directly aim at them and open fire to destroy them," an unnamed North Korean military commander said in a statement, carried by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, according to The Korea Times. Defense Minister Kim Tae-young responded to the threat saying that, South Korea was prepared to retaliate if the loudspeaker network were targeted for attack. "If the North disrupts our psychological warfare by opening fire at loudspeakers, we will counterattack immediately," the minister affirmed during a session at the National Assembly, according to The Korea Times (via Mike Terry, May 24, dxldyg via DXLD) S KOREA RESUMES PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE WITH N KOREA Note that "psychological warfare" includes new radio broadcasts, too. (Sergei S., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea blared propaganda broadcasts into North Korea on Tuesday after a six-year halt and Pyongyang said its troops were bracing for war as tensions spiked on the divided peninsula over the sinking of a warship. The South's restarting of psychological warfare operations — including radio broadcasts into the North and placing loudspeakers at the border to blast out propaganda — were among measures the government announced Monday to punish Pyongyang. South Korea's military resumed radio broadcasts airing Western music, news and comparisons between the South and North Korean political and economic situation late Monday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The military also planned to launch propaganda leaflets by balloon and other methods on Tuesday night to inform North Koreans about the ship sinking. In coming weeks, South Korea also will install dozens of propaganda loudspeakers and towering electronic billboards along the heavily armed land border to send messages urging communist soldiers to defect to the South. The North warned Monday it would fire at any propaganda facilities installed in the Demilitarized Zone. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100525/ap_on_re_as/as_skorea_ship_sinks (via Sergei S., dxldyg via DXLD) WTFK??? SW? Under what name??? (gh) "RESUMED" RADIO BROADCASTS FROM SOUTH TO NORTH KOREA AP, 24 May 2010, Hyung-Jin Kim "South Korea's military resumed radio broadcasts airing Western music, news and comparisons between the South and North Korean political and economic situations late Monday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The military also planned to launch propaganda leaflets Tuesday to inform North Koreans about the ship sinking. In coming weeks, South Korea also will install dozens of propaganda loudspeakers and towering electronic billboards along the heavily armed land border between the two Koreas. The action, which ends a six-year suspension, is expected to draw an angry response from North Korea. The country's military already warned Monday it would fire at any propaganda facilities installed in the Demilitarized Zone." -- The Korean Broadcasting System's KBS Global Radio, on three powerful medium wave transmitters which can easily reach into North Korea, has always been on the air. Is it reverting to more aggressive reporting about North Korea? This network has been criticized in recent years for holding back in its coverage of North Korea, in line with the ROK's policy of reaching out to Pyongyang. Or are the "resumed" broadcasts a revival or revitalization of clandestine stations beamed to North Korea? BBC News, 25 May 2010: "South Korea's defence ministry said the first radio programme, entitled Voice of Freedom, went out on Monday evening. Broadcasts would take place three times a day, a spokesman said. He said the programme would be broadcast through high- performance loudspeakers that will be installed along the demilitarised zone. 'Initially we are installing loudspeakers at 14 places along the DMZ (Demilitarised Zone). The installation requires several months of work,' the spokesman told AFP news agency. South Korea says it will also drop propaganda leaflets into the North to tell people about the Cheonan incident as soon as possible, and set up giant electronic billboards to flash messages." Bloomberg, 24 May 2010, Bomi Lim: "South Korea broadcast a pop song extolling freedom of choice and a warning on the dangers of overeating into North Korea, ending a six-year moratorium on propaganda in retaliation for the sinking of a warship. The four-hour radio program yesterday evening included a speech by South Korean President Lee Myung Bak outlining his government’s response to the March 26 sinking, which an international panel concluded was caused by a North Korean torpedo. ... The propaganda broadcast made on FM radio began at 6 p.m. local time yesterday when a woman anchor announced what she called the 'voice of freedom.' North Korean listeners were regaled with a song by a South Korean girl band, Four Minute. ... The broadcast then explained how South Koreans no longer experience hunger, and are more worried about getting fat. 'Always remember, we want to share our prosperity with you,' the anchor said, accusing North Korean officials of enriching themselves while the people go hungry." AFP, 25 May 2010: "One group of loudspeakers on the Seoul side could be heard more than 20km from the frontline at night time." See previous post about same subject. VOA correspondent Steve Herman tweets: "ROK military reported to have launched broadcasts targeting DPRK called 'Voice of Freedom' on 103.1 & 107.3 MHz FM." -- So does the South Korean military know that most North Koreans now have radios with FM bands? Or are they using FM because it is the predominant waveband in the South? Posted: 25 May 2010 (Kim Andrew Elliott, kimandrewelliott.com via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH [non]. 9650 via Canada, KBS World Radio, Saturday May 22 at 1244 with Seoul Calling, mailbag in progress. Even tho the OM speaks English with an American accent he doesn`t know much about US geography, as refers to mail from: ``Rochester, in the United States``; and another one from ``Indiana, USA``. How are we ever going to convince these foreigners that it is not sufficient to mention town and country, without the state??? Place names are duplicated in state after state, so we have no way of knowing which one you are talking about otherwise. In the case of Rochester, there are two main cities of that name, in New York and Minnesota. As for Indiana, besides being a state, it is also the name of a town, at least in Pennsylvania! You don`t necessarily have to know these details about each name, just include the city plus the state every time. Of course, it`s usually but not always safe to assume our major cities, u.o.s. There are Houstons and San Antonios besides the ones in Texas, etc., etc. At 1254-1257 ran Kevin O`Donovan`s ``Weekly Listening Guide`` with some DX news items partly from Christer Brunström in Sweden, concerning Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Japan; WRTH free pdf supplement issued; PWBR ``appears`` to have ceased publication; and propagation from SWPC, the same source I cite on WOR but he summarizes it non-numerically as I used to do. All this squeezed into three minutes. Just before Kevin, a listener in North Carolina had mentioned QRM on 9650 believed to be from R. Netherlands. NOT – as soon as KBS cut off at 1259, on came the RNW IS via Tinang, soon to be overridden by Sackville back on for CRI relay, but as usual enough to cause annoying QRM even here to CRI, serves the damn jammers right. Anyhow, RNW is not interfering with KBS on 9650; instead the main QRM from 1200 is North Korea`s Japanese service, as these two have clashed for ages. This surely gets worse further west in North America. I assume it`s just another manifestation of the N/S standoff with neither willing to lose face by conceding defeat and moving. Who cares about the listeners? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN. 3930.65, *0145-0155, CLANDESTINE, 13.05, R. Voice of Kurdistan, Sulaimaniya, Northern Iraq. Arabic music and songs, 45344 (Anker Petersen, heard here in Skovlunde, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** LIBERIA. Star Radio is testing. Wanted to let you know that Star Radio is conducting tests on 4025 kHz. The transmitter I built is small, 2,500 watts, but I tried to make up for it with antenna gain, as they had specific areas they wanted to cover. I didn't have to go to Monrovia, because the whole transmission system was designed as a "kit". They all came to the factory and I took them step-by-step thru the transmitter install, tower erection, and tuning the antenna system. Here are the details of the system. The transmitter is a Solid State Class E modulated via a Pulse Width Modulator. Power out is continuously adjustable from 0 to 2,500 watts. The antenna is a "Bow- Tie" dipole, fed with Open-Wire Line, and a Link-Coupled Antenna Tuning Unit. Antenna height is approximately 50 feet. It was to be oriented broadside East / West. I don't know the exact Geo coordinates. I'm going to get on the site and look for reports on Star Radio. Please tell everyone I said Hi, and thank them for the reports. Talk to you later (Jamie Labadia, May 23, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Studio address is: 12 Broad St., Monrovia. As for shortwave transmitter site location??? Broad St can be located on GE (Ian Baxter, Australia, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) STAR RADIO RE-ACTIVATES SHORTWAVE SERVICE Written by Charles Gbollie Saturday, 22 May 2010 http://www.starradio.org.lr/component/option,com_news_portal/Itemid,302/ The Management of Star Radio has announced the re-activation of its shortwave service in the Country. The entity’s Station Manager James Morlu disclosed the institution has begun test transmitting on its shortwave service. Mr. Morlu did not state the length of coverage of the new shortwave service, but said it creates a medium to interact with more listeners. According to him, the frequency of the shorwave is 4.025 MHz and can be caught within the 75-meters band. He believes as the country strives towards its recovery process, it was prudent to have a viable information dissemination channel like the shortwave. Mr. Morlu assured Star Radio will continue to institute programs reflective of the cultural diversity of the country. The Star Radio Station Manager spoke when the UN Refugee Agency, the UNCHR symbolically transferred assets to several of its partners in Liberia including Star Radio. Mr. Morlu hopes the three motorcycles provided Star Radio will help enhance the work of some of the entity’s correspondents, but said more was needed (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is the first time it has axually broadcast on SW from Liberia. For a couple years it was transmitted back from Ascension or UK, paired with Cotton Tree News for Sierra Leone, but has been absent for a year or so, tho continuing domestically on FM (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MADAGASCAR. 6134.9v, RTV Malagasy, 1350-1359, May 26. Continues to have mostly fair reception via long path; Shiokaze's Yamata (Japan) transmitter on at 1359 and into English (it’s Wednesday) at 1400; Madagascar still faintly heard under Shiokaze. BTW – Shiokaze has not broadcast in English for the past two Fridays! (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 5964.92v, Klasik Nasional FM via RTM, 1306, May 25. In vernacular with the news; followed by PSA about registering for a university in Kuala Lumpur; into music program; IDs “Radio Malaysia Klasik Nasional” and singing “Klasik Nasional”; better than normal reception. 6174.4v, Voice of Malaysia via RTM, 1256, May 20. Expected to hear the usual VOM IDs before ToH, instead heard them give an address: “Wisma Radio Angkasapuri, [a P.O. Box number], Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia”; noted several other references to “Radio Angkasapuri”. The RTM Kuala Lumpur broadcasting center is called “Angkasapuri”, so it is not an actual station/program. This is the first time I have ever heard this particular reference. After the news at 1308 heard the regular V.O.M. singing jingle; mentioned Bahasa Indonesia, which I assume was the language in use at the time. CNR-1 on 6175.0 continues to be off the air. 6174.4v, Voice of Malaysia via RTM, 1258, May 22. Unique ID in English; usual Radio Angkasapuri address (please listen to the brief audio attachment). The switch over to the Suara Islam program at 1400 was delayed till sometime after 1411 (noted by 1433). http://www.vom.com.my/JADUALSIARAN/tabid/3217/Default.aspx contains their complete schedule. CNR-1 continues to be off the air, making this enjoyable listening! 7295, Traxx FM via RTM, 0008-0036, May 24. Very surprised to actually hear them during this time period! In English; usual format with DJ playing pop/rap songs; several Traxx FM IDs. A first for me! Very unusual conditions! (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. 5995, RTVM, 2330-0001*, May 22-23, Afro-pop music. African hi-life music. French announcements. Sign off with National Anthem. Poor in noisy conditions and adjacent channel splatter (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 5995, RTVM, 0640, good with local vocals and tribal chants, followed by talk by a lang man. Very good. 23 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc.) ** MAURITANIA. 783, R. Mauritanie, Nouakchott, 1922-, 21 May'10, vernacular (not similar to Arabic), talks, many refences to Islam, ID in Arabic prior to prayer; 54444, adjacent QRM. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. XEXQ-OC, 6045: it`s gone again. At least cannot detect even a carrier, May 22 at 1216 and later; while XEOI 6010, Radio Mil had its usual fair signal at this hour, with music on Saturday. 6045, XEXQ-OC still missing Sunday May 23 at 1215. 6045, XEXQ-OC, SLP, still missing for the third morning in a row, not even a carrier May 24 at 1230. Julián Santiago Díez de Bonilla in the DF agrees it`s off and is trying to find out why (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 6104.8, XEQM Mérida showing up again May 21 at 0533, lively music, fair at peaks with usual deep fades including at 0534 when a hyper canned announcement played. Modulation a bit distorted (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) XEQM con la programación de Candela FM el 23 de mayo de 2010 2240 UT: música, anuncios, identificación y lectura de la locutora de nombres de oyentes que buscan pareja sentimental. Señal bastante oscilante ocasionalmente interferencia de RHC, envío enlace a archivo de audio: http://rapidshare.com/files/391093453/SW6105KHZ-23MAY2010-2240UT.WAV.html Atte: (Ing. Civ. Israel Gonzáalez Ahumada, M.I., May 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Candela FM y Radio Mil XEQM 25 de mayo de 2010 a las 1120 UT, con señal bastante baja al fondo de RHC, XEOI bastante intensa y estable sin interferencias a las 1140 UT, XEXQ en 6045 ausente y en su lugar HCJB en 6050 aunque con baja señal bastante estable. Envío enlace a los archivos de audio: http://rapidshare.com/files/391524372/SW6105KHZ-25MAY2010-1120UT.WAV.html http://rapidshare.com/files/391524552/SW6010KHZ-25MAY2010-1140UT.WAV.html Atte: (Ing. Civ. Israel González Ahumada, M.I., May 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 6185.000, XEPPM, Radio Educación, 0654, Spanish, presumed with easy-listening music, went across top-of-hour without any ID. Weak but clear. 15 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)) ** MEXICO. Hi Glenn, I'm not sure where to file this - I defer to you. MEXICO (?): At around 1600 on May 23rd, 2010, while listening to a weak NPR station by tuning to 90.65 MHz (station on 90.7; tuned to 90.65 to avoid higher adjacent interference), the weak NPR station gradually faded out as a transmission in Spanish faded in and covered it. A male announcer made references to "Mexicali" and "Baja California", and played rap spoken in Spanish, and pop sung in English. The signal was perfectly clear and intelligible, and gradually faded away after 20 minutes or so. This was around 9 am local time (Eric Bryan, WA, DXLD, May 24, 2010, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Eric, It was probably sporadic E from XHMOE, Mexicali on 90.7, the Los Cuarenta Principales (Top 40 network) outlet. See http://mexicoradiotv.com/listbaja.htm (Glenn to Eric, via DXLD) ** MONGOLIA. V. of Mongolia, 12085 kHz, 22 May 2010, 0900z onward - pretty good signal, SIO - 242, Japanese - YL with news (I suppose) and music. Cannot stay up forever, but will see what happens at 0930 when scheduled to switch to Mongolian. Slight QRM from R. Australia 12080, but USB takes care of that. Pretty cool :-) At 0929z, the program in Japanese, which consisted of YL discussion with music of Mongolia played, ended; the VoM interval signal played through a few times, followed by what sounded like the same tune played by an orchestra (N. Anthem?) and start of BC in Mongolian, which consisted of apparent news and recorded speech/interviews. I had never heard this station so well as this morning, so I thought it of note. 73, (Bruce Jensen, California, USA, ptsw yg via DXLD) Followed by Chinese at 1000 and English at 1030-1100 per Aoki; but a beam change at 1030 from 116 to 178 degrees, neither at all favorable for us (gh, DXLD) ** MOROCCO. Radiodiffusion-Television Marocaine, 15345, 25 May at 1740. Arabic music. Poor signal in static and hum (Terry Wilson, MI, Eton E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR. 7200.0, Myanma Radio, ex: 7185.75v, 1322, May 25. In vernacular; at 1330 became // 5915 and the start of lectures provided by the Minorities and Distance Learning Services. Much better audio than former frequency, as this only had one audio feed, instead of two different audio feeds at the same time, which I assume was due to former frequency being from Yangon and 7200 being from Naypyidaw; fair, but pre-1300 Korea dominates. I know Myanmar operates this frequency during other time periods, but this is the first time I have heard them here! May 24 was the first day that 7185.75v was missing (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Wondered where they went. Still not a good choice as Pyongyang are there; so is a Radio Rossii, which dominates the channel down here (Robin Harwood VK7RH, Norwood, Tasmania 7250, Radio Monitor SWLR- KS001, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7200.0, Myanma Radio, 1249-1330*, May 26. Korea signed-off at 1249 (after their Anthem). In vernacular with EZL pop songs. Believe we will find their usual sign-off will be 1330, with occasional anomalies such as yesterday going past 1342. Was still able to hear Myanmar under a strong Korea before 1249 (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR [and non]. STATE MEDIA IN BURMA SILENT ON THAI UNREST By KO HTWE Friday, May 21, 2010 While Thailand's increasingly volatile political crisis attracts the attention of much of the world's media, people in Burma are getting only a trickle of information about the situation in a country that is host to a vast Burmese migrant population. State-run television in Burma has provided scant coverage of the protests that paralyzed Bangkok for the past two months... Source: http://bit.ly/94MEot (via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) ** NEPAL. In April, I flew over Nepal twice and was lucky to see the snow covered, very high mountain tops above the clouds. Despite my many bandscans of the 60 mb from seven cities located 280 – 410 kms east of R Nepal, Kathmandu, I heard no signal on 5005 kHz, except in one case. That was from Gangtok in Sikkim where I listened just with the whip antenna: 5005, R Nepal, Kathmandu, 1136-1137, Apr 19, Nepalese talk, but very weak audio, 35431 (Anker Petersen, DSWCI DX Window May 19 via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. RE: DXLD 10-20: Under Philippines, Glenn asked about my observations of RNZI being off-the-air at both 1239 and 1353, on 6170, for May 14 (Friday). Yes, RNZI was not heard till after 1400. Again on Friday (May 21), I did not hear them before 1400. They usually sign on at 1300, so Friday for some reason is different! (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. RADIO NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL 2010 FUNDING BUDGET FROZEN Radio New Zealand International [RNZI], the country's shortwave broadcaster receives no additional funding in the latest government budget for 2010/2011 announced in Wellington yesterday. Funding remains at NZ$1.9m [US$1.26m] and it's required to deliver 16 hours of good quality reception daily to a minimum of 11 Pacific nations with one 100kW analog transmitter installed in 1990 and one 100kW digital capable transmitter installed in 2005. The primary coverage nations it's funded for are French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Tokelau, American Samoa, Samoa, Niue, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, Tuvalu, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. The secondary coverage nations are Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Nauru and Kiribati, whilst general coverage must be provided to the Asia/Pacific and Pacific Rim region including the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau. In addition, RNZI must increase the number of Pacific radio stations relaying or rebroadcasting its news bulletins to 18 and is permiited a maximum 1% of transmission time lost from equipment failure. The Radio Heritage Foundation welcomes the continued funding of RNZI as recognition by the government that it provides a valuable service for New Zealand's interests in the Pacific. 'At a time when many shortwave broadcasters face budget cuts and complete closedown of services, this continued confidence in RNZI's ability to deliver a quality service with a bare-bones budget is tribute to the extreme dedication to duty and pragmatism of the entire RNZI team" says chairman David Ricquish. RNZI provides valuable cyclone, extreme weather watch and tsunami warnings for the entire South Pacific region. It also provides local FM quality news, information and other programs for rebroadcast on a growing number of local Pacific island radio stations. "With Fiji in media censorship lockdown and media freedoms poorly understood in many of the target nations, RNZI provides local listeners with a respected and valuable news source from a Pacific perspective" adds Ricquish. "Every week, thousands of New Zealanders are on holiday, on business visits or working and living in the Pacific and RNZI provides a valuable service for their continued safety." "To maintain this security, RNZI should also be urgently capital funded for a replacement of the 20 year old analog transmitter with another high power digital capable shortwave transmitter sooner rather than later" says Ricquish. Catastrophic RNZI transmitter failure co-inciding with natural disasters or sudden political events and instability in the region could threaten the lives of New Zealanders and New Zealand's security and commercial interests. PUBLIC RADIO FUNDING 'HOLDS THE LINE' WHILST COMMERCIAL RADIO ADJUSTS TO RECESSION Publicly funded radio broadcasters in New Zealand have essentially had their funding frozen in the latest government budget for 2010/2011 announced in Wellington yesterday. New Zealand On Air, the main funding authority has seen its budget remain the same. It's total budget is NZ$126.9m [US$84.4m] and includes TV, radio, archiving and new media responsibilities. It funds Radio New Zealand, community radio stations, the National Pacific Radio Trust [NPRT] and a small amount of contestable hours for commercial radio. Radio New Zealand is again funded to produce 17,520 hours of radio programs in 2010/2011, which is the same as two x 24 hour networks across the year. It is likely to continue to operate its RNZ National and RNZ Concert services and maintain its AM and FM coverage with this funding. Fourteen existing community access radio stations and the NPRT will be bulk funded, but like Radio NZ, they'll also have to meet increases in operating costs [such as the increase in the Goods & Services Tax [GST] rate to 15% from October 1, salaries, rentals, energy] from within existing allocations. This will put pressure on creativity to find new income sources, such as finding more sponsorship partners, increasing the paid membership base for the access stations, or increasing charges to program makers and holding back on capital expenditure such as new facilities. NPRT operates the Niu FM Network, Niu FM 103.8 [Auckland] and 531pi [Auckland] and its budget is frozen at NZ$3m [[US$2m] with each station funded for 24 hour operation and an increase in the number of hours broadcasting in at least 9 Pacific languages. In addition, funding for the nationwide network of Iwi [Maori language] radio stations has been frozen at NZ$11.34m [US$7.54m] to provide for 60,000 hours of Maori language and cultural radio programs. There are currently 21 iwi radio stations. Meanwhile, New Zealand's international shortwave broadcaster to the Pacific, Radio NZ International [RNZI] sees its funding also frozen at NZ$1.9m [US$1.26m] for continued delivery of 16 hours of quality reception level of its programs to a minimum of 11 Pacific nations. According to the Radio Heritage Foundation, the funding levels will challenge all publicly funded broadcasters. However, no public broadcasters are expected to reduce or remove existing services although there may be more music programs and less spoken word documentaries and current affairs programs. The two major commercial radio networks in New Zealand [Radioworks and The Radio Network] have already faced declines in advertising revenue, and rationalized some local services with increased networking hours and closure of marginal stations to cope with the ongoing recession. Another network operator [Rhema Broadcasting Group] relies heavily on membership dues and donations and has seen its donation income drop considerably in the past year. New Zealand private and commercial broadcasters are also faced with 20 year licence renewals scheduled in 2011, over 250 FM frequency changes currently underway, and increased competition from new local commercial stations and online streaming of radio stations from overseas. Digital broadcasting has been tested but is unlikely to be introduced within the near future. Like the publicly funded broadcasters, private commercial radio in New Zealand also faces increased costs from the GST increase, pressure on salaries and operating costs and has the added challenge of reduced advertising expenditure. Radio Heritage Foundation is a registered non-profit organization connecting popular culture, nostalgia and radio heritage across the Pacific. Its global website http://www.radioheritage.net offers free community access to Pacific Radio Guides and other valuable resources. Annual supporter packages start at US$10 and online advertising rates are now available (David Ricquish, Media Release, Radio Heritage Foundation May 20 via DXLD) Now that`s positive spin! ** NIGER. 9705, LV du Sahel (tentative), Niamey. May,20 2030-2045 African music selections, 2039 male talks maybe in Vernacular, back to music. 23422 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 756, Broadcasting Corp. of Oyo State, "R. Oyo", Ibadan, 2231-2244, 22 May'10, vernacular, African songs, talks, ID; 44433. 917, R. Gotel, Yola, 2220-2230, 22 May'10, light songs, pops, all in a western menu; 44443, adjacent QRM de SPAIN 918. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn – This is a good time for AM Nigeria here in Cape Town. Over the past few nights I’ve identified: 594 FRCN Kaduna, 612 Kwara State BC, 729 Kano State BC, 756 BC of Oyo State, 917 Radio Gotel, 918 Radio Benue, 972 Katsina State Radio and TV Services (tentatively) and 1026 Jigawa BC. Through the evening hours from greyline (1700) to sign off (around 2300) this group gives you pretty much the full gamut of Nigerian radio. There’s news in English, Hausa, other local languages and pidgin, Christian evangelism, Muslim chants, hootenanny and Irish folk music, many local music styles and instruments, bleeding heart phone- ins, local education announcements, ads for internet or vitamins and political discussions in vernacular. The only one I haven’t been able to identify clearly is 972 Katsina but have heard the name mentioned, with the accent on the first ‘a’. 756 Ibadan (Oyo State) sometimes runs English news at 2000 but starts just before the hour. Strengths vary and fading can be quite extended but 594 Kaduna (listed with 200 kW) is so strong at times it nearly matches the only local AM station, 567 Cape Talk. 917 R Gotel and 918 R Benue are right on top of each other but easily separable using SSB. In fact, I was unaware of R Gotel initially. There’s also a Nigerian on 747 (listed as Nagarta Radio, Kaduna) but only ‘Nigeria’ has come up so far and no English heard. Nigeria has 36 states plus the capital territory but quite a few state AM stations are reported as inactive. 73s (Graham Bell, Cape Town, South Africa, May 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 15120, V of Nigeria noted today 15-16 and 18-19 UT, also Arabic at 1730-1757 UT. Latter in different direction of probably Saudi Arabian peninsula, NE/ME. Only much fluttery S=7 signal into southern Germany. Transmission cut off midst on program at 1757:50 UT. But came on air again with different more powerful signal of S=9+20dB at 1802:54 UT, midst on news in English, newsreader in progress (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, May 20, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. [Pirates]. 6925 USB, Radio Ga Ga, 2325-2336*, May 21, rock music. ID. Sign off with SSTV. Weak but readable. 6950.6 AM, Radio Ronin Shortwave, 0055-0121*, May 21, music by Eagles and others. IDs. Email address. Good. 6925 am, Undercover Radio, 0107-0116*, May 23, talk by Dr. Benway with IDs, email address, and Merlin, Ontario mail drop mentioned. Said they were running 1000 watts and that this was a test broadcast. Strong. Very good signal (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** NORTH AMERICA. USA: Pirate: Captain Morgan on 6925.2 kHz AM, 25 May 2010 from 0147 to 0230 UTC. Mixed program of music and ID’s at 0150 UTC and 0227 UTC, including e-mail address: captainmorganshortwave @ gmail.com S9 signal into northern New Jersey , but incessant static crashes deteriorated the readability and offset the solid signal (Ed Insinger, Summit, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS. Repeat performance of the Radio Free Asia transmitters in Chinese from Tinian and Saipan still propagating to 21+ MHz in the nightmiddle: May 21 at 0526 all audible: 21690, 21550, 17880 (best, Saipan), 17615, 15615, 15120, 13760. And without jamming, but I am sure that is not the case DentroChina (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also EAST TURKISTAN ** OKLAHOMA. 1120, KEOR, Sperry-Catoosa-Tulsa, still missing May 20 at 1545 check. Two of our irregular AM stations are missing again, May 22 at 2015 UT: 1580, KOKB Blackwell, back to open carrier, and same an hour later; last few days whenever checked the revived audio had been unpleasantly overmodulated and distorted. 1120, KEOR Sperry-Catoosa-Tulsa, still absent, no modulation or carrier. Ditto for both at next check 1604 UT May 23. Chex the afternoon of May 24 and the morning of May 25 reconfirm that KEOR 1120 Sperry-Catoosa-Tulsa is still off the air; and that KOKB 1580 Blackwell is still on the air, but overmodulated. Seems most likely to lose modulation for entire weekends. I shall try not to repeat reports of either until there is some change. Also, May 24 at 1850 UT, the GCN Enid pirate on 99.9 was missing for the first time since I discovered and located it; busted? Guess not; they were back a few hours later (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. A 5-second clip on KOCO-7`s 10 pm news at 0316 UT May 22 showed their ``old analog antenna`` being taken down in preparation for installing their ``new digital antenna`` in a few weeks --- but, but, they have already been operating digital-only for almost a year now. Maybe it was the useless ex-channel 5 antenna, but they obviously already have a channel 7 antenna, so what are they talking about? Meanwhile they are still on the digital air somehow from some antenna. Found this earlier story from them about it altho not very informative either at least with some video. http://www.koco.com/news/23040645/detail.html I guess that so far they have been transmitting their digital signal from an old analog antenna; is such a thing even possible? Everyone knows you have to buy a new DTV or HDTV antenna in order to receive such signals, preferably a solid-gold one. The real `problem` is that for channel 7 people need the biggest VHF- Hi antenna, while all other OKC stations are on shorter wavelengths (and soon KWTV will quit 9 for 39 only) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. UnID station in English and Pidgin? seeming to be Pacific station on 5960 kHz from May 18 at +0930-1100UT (blocked out on CRI 5955 kHz) with received by many Japanese DXer. However, this frequency neighborhood is polluted by the jamming from North Korea. After Urumqi on 5960 s/off at 1800, I can receive non-stop music station seeming to be the same station, QRMed on V of Turkey. Audio file: May 20 at 0900 by Taku in Akita http://ani.atz.jp/DX/mp3/20100520_1800_1805_5960kHz.mp3 (S. Hasegawa, Japan, NDXC, May 22, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I can receive it today now, likely New station of Papua New Guinea (S. Hasegawa, NDXC, 1118 UT May 22, ibid.) Or could it be Wantok Radio Light, which still claims to be on 7325 despite all the QRM mainly from CRI in local evenings, but also sometime during its 20-17 UT timespan the following using 7325 per Aoki: Iran, BBC, DW, RCI, AIR, RFI/Taiwan, VOR, RNW/GB. http://www.wantokradio.org/Wantok%20Radio%20Light%20Coverage.htm Which also shows the transmitter site. They have desperately needed a better frequency forever. However today`s Aoki says this: 5960 NBC Port Moresby ? 0000-2400 1234567 English 10 ND Port Moresby PNG 14711E0927N NBC a10 May 18- And whatever became of the Catholic station on 60m? [later:] And then I saw David Sharp`s log [below] of WRL still on 7324.941 altho at a much earlier time. O well, tsk2 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Everyone. With all the talk on the DXLD Group Board about a new PNG station, I thought I'd check into this a little more. PAPUA NEW GUINEA, 5960, Unidentified. Tuned in at 2320 to hear traditional island music. In fact, the entire program was local music, except for the one pop song, "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys. Scant talk by English-language woman announcer; in fact I only heard two talk breaks prior to 0000: one at 2340 and another at 2352. Difficult to copy, as she was soft spoken and the station was suffering deep fades (all daylight path between my QTH and PNG). Hoped for a clue at 0000 but I didn't hear the expected NBC National News theme. In fact, it seemed to go across top-of-hour with no ID but it could have easily been missed during fade. Have to think this is NOT a second frequency for Wantok Light. Can't see that station running a secular format on a local Sunday morning, Also, for what it's worth, this station has the NBC "sound." Strangely, I have heard the same Beach Boys song on many NBC regional stations -- perhaps it's one of a few "approved" pop songs for their playlist? Anyway, if I had to place a bet, I'd wager it IS the NBC and probably in the Port Moresby area. Late morning reception also indicates it would probably be running around 10 kW. Reception of this strongly correlates to midday reception, years ago, of the now-defunct NBC 9675 outlet. 22 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, ICF-2010, ICF- SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) At 0900 UT on May 23. The mean jamming from North Korea is obstructive. http://ani.atz.jp/DX/bbs1/img/3226.mp3 by Inoue NDXC. Add. http://ani.atz.jp/DX/bbs1/img/3231.mp3 ".....P O Box ...." by male. Add. http://ani.atz.jp/DX/bbs1/img/3233.mp3 by Noda in near Tokyo. Radio Wai ??? Add. http://nodatec.air-nifty.com/blog/files/100523_1835_5960.mp3 0935UT by Noda (S. Hasegawa, NDXC, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) PAPUA NEW GUINEA, 5960, Radio Karai? 0820, mix of islander and pop music. Into talk by a laid-back man, THOUGHT he made a reference to "Radio Karai" which would mean this is the NBC. Mention of "Papua New Guinea" at 0830 then UT +10 time check as "It's half past 6." Then into messages (in local language) by a man with many references to "P- N-G" and another time check as, "It's 26 to 7 o'clock." Thought I heard a second mention of "Radio Karai" prior to "Biggest reggae hits" sweeper and back to music at 0842. Still not 100% sure on ID, only because the announcer had a thick accent and a low mic level. Interesting to note, despite good conditions (and an all-night path), this one was still suffering from regular fades, which makes me think the transmitter is running at less than my initial 10 kW assumption. Reception was slightly better than Vanuatu 5055 but was significantly weaker than SIBC 5020 (which pegs the S-Meter). 23 May. (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO FLY ON 5960 KHZ P&NG Probably I think that it is this station. Cf. DXLD 2004 4-150 (S. Hasegawa, NDXC, Japan, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) VIZ.: Radio Fly swots [sic] airwaves Papua New Guinea mining giant Ok Tedi Mining opened a new community FM station in the town of Tabubil in the Western Province on September 20. Known as Radio Fly, the station uses 103.8 FM in Tabubil and 95.3 in Kiunga, both service towns for the big Ok Tedi copper mine. Mine management says the station "will help people of the region understand the changes taking place in their world" such as, no doubt, the planned closure of the mine in a few years. The mine generates 18% of total foreign exchange earnings for Papua New Guinea and considerable social unrest can be expected when it closes. Radio Fly will cover 'the Star Mountains and Fly River right down to Daru, over to Nomad and Morehead and even down to the Telefomin District of Saundaun' says Ok Tedi (The National via Pacific Islands Report via David Ricquish, Radio Heritage Foundation, Wellington, New Zealand, DXLD 4-150, Oct 1, 2004 via DXLD 10-21) Yes I agree, it does indeed sound like Radio Fly, particularly on the clip below http://nodatec.air-nifty.com/blog/files/100523_1835_5960.mp3 0935UT May 23 by Noda S. Hasegawa There is a bit about it on this web site, but no mention of shortwave http://www.oktedi.com/community-and-environment/community/radio-fly-and-otv 73s (Dave Kenny, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Radio Fly and OTV Radio Fly is a community radio station which is funded and operated by Ok Tedi Mining Limited. It provides a vital community information service to isolated areas of the North Fly region, parts of West Sepik, the rest of Western Province and some areas along the border of West Papua. It broadcasts in English and Tok Pisin. The isolated location of Western Province means that access to mainstream media is very limited, but Radio Fly fills that void. The station is vital for the Community Mine Continuation process, informing villages of visits from community relations officers, and keeping them apprised of the environmental conditions and mine activity. A large chunk of the programming is focused on health and education messages as well as sustainable development, which is a topic very close to the listeners’ hearts. As well as playing a wide range of music and entertainment, Radio Fly serves as a medium for dissemination of relevant information. The Tok Save (announcement) service is widely used by people all over the province, to announce social and business gatherings such as government visits, sports meets, women’s training sessions, weddings, funerals, and workshops. Legal, health, farming and business-oriented programs are widely heard, and children’s and religious shows are very popular with regular listeners. Volunteers with a particular interest often come into the studio to present their own programs, and there is a three- times-daily news bulletin, which covers local, national and international stories. The Fly Weekly Top 10 Hit Parade is a compilation of the most popular requests and dedications of the week, as made by listeners. jayso-james.jpg OTV is the closed circuit television channel run by OTML, and a complement to Radio Fly. It has a more limited audience than Radio Fly, as televisions are hard to run and maintain in remote areas. OTV has a children’s program, current affairs, public announcement service and sports programming. There are also plans afoot for a lifestyle show, a music program and a regular news bulletin. As development continues in the region, OTV will continue to grow in audience and programming, performing an increasingly important service (Radio Fly website as above via DXLD) Checking the new Aoki schedule file, just a couple of changes today: The 5960 PNG entry previously shown as NBC Port Moresby is now shown as Radio Fly, in Tabubil. 24 hours (Dan Ferguson, May 23, shortwavelistening yg via DXLD) Hi Everyone. I have seen "Radio Wai", and also "Radio Fly." I think it is "Radio Karai" (which is the name of the NBC national service). Looks like this one may need a little more work. P.S. While I do believe this is the NBC, I haven't completely discounted the possibility, this is a private broadcaster. 73s (David Sharp, NSW Australia, 2009 UT May 23, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) As for May 24, Many Japanese DXer watched 5960 kHz. I received Radio Fly on 5960 at +0845 to 1058(B/out) UT on 5960 kHz. The Pops DJ program title is "Super Hit program" by male, Station jingle and ID as "103.8 FM Radio Fly". It seems that community FM of Radio Fly started SW newly. First noted on May 18 at 0920 UT. Audio file: at 0958 UT on May 24 by Noda http://nodatec.air-nifty.com/blog/files/100523_1858_5960.mp3 (S. Hasegawa, NDXC, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Reply from David Sharp (NSW Australia): So, it is a community broadcaster! Good work on the ID, as 'Radio Fly" and "Karai" can sound similar (at least to my ears). (David Sharp, ibid.) RE: [dxld] Radio Fly on 5960 kHz P&NG --- Heard here also at various times over the weekend (local evenings) but very tough going & no ID. Better signal today, 1015 UT - but still not great. If you Google the name, there is a report back in 2004 from David Ricquish, when it started on FM. Seems to be associated with the Ok Tedi mine. Regards, (Craig Seager, Bathurst NSW, May 24, ARDXC via DXLD) I think we should have next year's AGM at Ok Tedi after a trip up the Fly (Wayne Bastow, Wyoming, NSW, Australia, 33 23' 44.29" South, 151 21' 11.99" East, ibid.) Good barramundi fishing on the Fly. Not sure I want to drink the local water at Ok Tedi (Ian Johnson, ibid.) Fly is a river in the southwestern corner of PNG; so does one fly-fish there? (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) NEW PNG SHORTWAVE OPERATION AUDIBLE ON TWO FREQUENCIES Radio Fly, a community FM broadcaster funded and operated by Ok Tedi Mining Limited in Papua New Guinea is now being heard here on two shortwave frequencies - 3915 and 5960 kHz. Japanese DXers first reported the latter frequency on 18 May. Noted here in the evening at 0800 UT. Both frequencies provide poor to fair reception, not helped by above average atmospheric static levels. The 75 metre band frequency additionally suffers from radio amateur QRM at times. I have also heard Radio Fly 5960 at 2000 UT, through co- channel China Radio International. I received a quick email QSL from evening announcer Jobby Paiva. He is on the air between 6 and 10 pm PNG time (0800-1200 UT) and he says he will provide updates on Radio Fly via his blog (easily located by a Google search). (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland, New Zealand, AOR7030+ and EWE antennas beamed NE, E and SE, May 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) One source at Radio Fly told me some time ago that these shortwave transmissions started early May. He said there are two transmitters on SW, one at Tabubil and one at Kiunga. He didn't specify which site is on 5960 and which on 3915. I wonder what output power these transmitters are? (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, ibid.) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7324.941, Radio Wontok Light, 0655, Pacific Islander choral hymns, English ID by a woman at 0659, brief dead air, then into another religious program with gospel music. 22 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 14 May band scan yielded following between 1135 and 1200 UT: 4747.047, Huanta Dos Mil (the strongest of all Peruvians) 4774.931, Radio Tarma 4824.363, La Voz de la Selva (best in LSB to escape het high side) 4835.480, Radio Marañón -- tentative. 4955.000, Radio Cultura Amauta (second-strongest signal) (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)) ** PERU. New 5921.27, 2357-2400 15.05, R Bethel, Arequipa, only carrier noted, ex 5950, 13331, QRM CRI in English 5915, *0000-0100* U.S. religious station on 5920.00. No QRM at 0145 (Anker Petersen, heard here in Skovlunde, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) BOLIVIA [sic]. 5921.27, UNID, maybe R Bethel, Arequipa, carrier fade in 2357-0150, May 16, very weak audio in unID language, QRM 5915 *0000-0100*, Iranawila religious in English. Ex 5950. Thanks to Klemetz and Honzík (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window May 19 via DXLD) See 10-20 for several more definite reports of this (gh) ** PERU. 5039.15, Radio Libertad, 1130, best in LSB to escape het high side (against presumed RHC but Libertad was dominating). Good with huaynos, talk by a man and woman with ad string and several mentions of "Junín", but NO ID. 21 May. 5120.4, Radio Ondas del Suroriente, 1145, only presumed, due to program of huaynos and mentions of "Quillabamba" by a man. Anyone else had a logging at this time? 21 May. 6019.27, Radio Victoria, 0711, Spanish, pentecostal-sounding sermon by a man, parallel to 9720.06. Both frequencies were fair to good. 22 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. Re 10-20: PBS Radyo Magasin-DZRM on 6170.39. The best window of opportunity to attempt to hear this would now seem to be on Fridays, when RNZI recently has not signed on till 1400 (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, May 21, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PORTUGAL. Re 10-20, DRM on RDPI: RDPi com DRM nas ondas curtas: pormenores. Glenn e demais leitores: Segundo o horário A10 da nossa RDPi - R. Portugal, a potência é 90, não 80 kW; mas também pouco interessa. No entanto, aqui fica o pormenor de - por ser em modo digital - mais uma emissão perfeitamente inútil. Quanto ao referido "apoio da DW", conviria talvez explicar que não se trata disso, de todo! O acordo entre Portugal e Alemanha para a implantação, no nosso solo, de uma estação como a que é operada pela Pro-Funk GmbH, antiga Rádio Transeuropa, estabeleceu logo que esta última ficaria obrigada a retransmitir a emissora oficial portuguesa durante um número estipulado de horas semanais, fossem ou não necessárias. E o que sucede com a emissão em DRM não será mais do que, a pretexto desse modo, a Pro-Funk acabar por poupar na factura da corrente eléctrica mercê da redução da potência de emissão do transmissor. Os emissores HF da RDPi, no seu centro em São Gabriel, também poderiam emitir em DRM, mas apenas se os dispendiosos módulos respectivos fossem instalados. Não é o caso, nem se prevê, dada a "evolução positiva" do DRM, por um lado, e a limitação da despesa, por outro. 73. (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Aí está uma opinião mais que abalizada para esclarecer sobre o DRM da RDP. Que se apaguem todas as outras opiniões dadas aqui, e que prevaleça a do colega Carlos Gonçalves de Portugal. Nem potência de 80 kW e nem Deutsche Welle que para nós brasileiros é chamada de A Voz da Alemanha. É o que há. 73 (Luiz Chaine Neto, Limeira sp, 20-5-2010, ibid..) ** PRIDNESTROVYE. Moldova: 9665, Radio PMR, English news read by OM. Most items concerned relations between Pridnestrovia and its CIS neighbors like Russia and Ukraine, and how Moldova fit into the mix. They talk about that a lot. The bumper music they use sure sounds familiar; I think one of my local TV stations used it as a news theme! :42 s/off with sked in CET rather than UT, and addresses. (I still haven't gotten a QSL from my report in March) and then into German. SIO 444, 0130-0145 21/May (Kenneth Vito Zichi, MI, MARE Tipsheet 21 May via DXLD) Bonsoir! Lundi, j'ai eu la grande surprise de recevoir un e-mail de Radio Pridnestrovie à Tiraspol. C'était une réponse à mon message du 9 octobre 2008, soit 528 jours pour la réponse !!! Il y avait une carte en pièce jointe, ainsi que l'info que maintenant Radio PMR est sur Internet: http://www.radiopmr.org C'est en russe, mais il y a aussi les pages en anglais, allemand et français, avec le texte de l'émission du jour. L'on trouves ces pages, en passant la souris sur les mots en vert, c'est la 3ème en partant de la gauche (Golos Pridnestrvya). Peut être bientôt, l'audio en ligne. E-mail: radiopmr @ inbox.ru WEB Contact: http://www.radiopmr.org/about/23/Kontakty Director: Kirsa Anatoly Alekseyevich Address: Radio Pridnestrovie MD 3300 Tiraspol, Pravda str. 31 Bon écoutes! (Christian Ghibaudo, France, via Dario Monferini, May 20, playdx yg via DXLD) ** ROMANIA [and non]. /UAE, 15750. There are lots of frequency channels free in this morning hour, but RRI Bucharest left 21500 in favour of 15750 kHz in 5-6 UT English service to S & SE Asia. 15750 is used at that time by Somali language Bar Kulan Radio service via Al Dhabbaya-UAE, S=8-9, RRI increased to S=9+10dB at 0554 UT, May 23 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 5930, R. Rossii, Petropavlovsk/Kamchatskiy, now with severe motorboating May 22 at 1215 such that one can barely tell there is Russian talk underneath it. What in the world are they thinking at this site, allowing this to go on for years and years? ``We are totally incompetent radio engineers``? 9455, open carrier with good signal at 1352 May 22, then intermittent tone tests to 1358, a sure sign of something from the CIS. 1358 back to open carrier, 1359:30 start VOR IS, 1400 open in English. Altho 265 degrees from Pet/Kam at 14-16, this should be sufficient in the western North American mornings. However, by 1409, ChiCom echo- jamming on 9450 against Sound of Hope was getting to be a problem (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15425, VOR – Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka, 0316, May 24. This frequency consistently has very good reception. In English; interesting interview with Gary Powers, Jr., son of the pilot involved in the U2 incident 50 years ago this month (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. "EARLY SHORTWAVE MEMORIES DAVID SMITH" VIDEO By Jonathan Marks April 25, 2010 For most parts of the world, shortwave is no longer the medium of choice. There are exceptions, where it has become a medium of last resort. I have been asking people who confess to being SW listeners at early age to share their recollections. David Smith of Okapi Consulting in Johannesburg had this anecdote about listening to Radio Moscow in the 1970's. http://vimeo.com/11202806 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. PAVEL MIKHAILOV, AGE 63, IS GONE A well-known Russian DXer and prolific writer Pavel Mikhailov, RV3ACC, passed away in his down-town Moscow condo on May 23, 2010. The preliminary cause for his death is a heart attack. He was 63. Pavel was a founder and long-time host of Klub-DX and other popular shows at the Russian World Service of Radio Moscow/VoR. Active in DX- hobby since 1960s, he arguably was the most famous DXer in the Russian-speaking world. Many Russian DXers picked up the hobby, thanks to his personal encouragement. Pavel left Voice of Russia in 2004 due to his failing health but continued preparing a monthly column for Radio Magazine, publishing a weekly MediaCom Digest on electronic media, writing articles for general Russian press and actively corresponding with his numerous DX- friends. Pavel was born and grew up in Latvia. An engineer by training, he was a true intellectual from the Soviet past - a bright, passionate and articulate man (married with no kids) who easily made both friends and enemies. He viewed himself as a product of Khrushchev's political and cultural Thaw. Not incidentally Ottepel' (Thaw) was a title for one of his most popular radio programs at the Voice of Russia. The emotionally charged broadcasts consisted of popular songs from 1960s and Pavel's memories of joys, loves, discoveries and friendships from that time. In Open_DX forum one of his friends is quoting Pavel's email written just four days before his death: "It's important to take a good care of a person while he's still alive instead of singing praises to him after his death." I knew Pavel personally since the end of 1980s. I will always remember our long phone conversations, his radio broadcasts and the Russian newspapers that he often mailed to me in pre-Internet times when I lived outside of Russia. Pavel's photo can be found at MediaCom Digest's site: http://www.mdigest.ru/ (Sergei S., May 25, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) obit ** SAO TOME & PRINCIPE. SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE, 945 RNSP, Pinheira, 2237- 2249, 22 May'10, Portuguese, local, Portuguese & Brazilian songs; 23431, QRM de FRANCE. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 945 kHz - Radio Nacional in Portuguese each evening with local and international news from just after 1930 lasting until around 2010, good signal and audio. ID after news includes 'I love you' in English. Also heard in the morning at 0505 with full ID in Portuguese. The speaker tends to elide 'Sáo Tomé e Príncipe' into about 3 syllables but you can make it out! 73s (Graham Bell, Cape Town, South Africa, May 25, WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA. 17785, BSKSA Riyadh "early pre-French piece" in English at 0752 til 0800 UT, May 25. S=9+5dB towards W Africa. Featured presented from the press "donation of the Kings family..." at 0755 UT, and English final announcement at 0757. Exact time signal at 0800, French section start (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 26 via DXLD) Observed different use of 9715 and 11785 kHz: May 11th: 0300-1455 UT feat. from 0955 UT with "Bzz" on 9715 and 11785 kHz was silenced and 17615 kHz not in use. Also with "bzz" was 15380 kHz at 1230 UT. May 12th: 1100-1200 UT on 17615 kHz with "bzz" and "bzz" spurs on +/- 18 kHz on 17597 and 17633 kHz heard. At 1050 UT on 11785 kHz was on the air clearly and 9715 kHz was only till 0955 UT on air. All above programs were with "Qor`an Qerim" (as they called Holy Quran). (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, May 17, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 26 via DXLD) 13710 Wunderliche Modulation: BSKSA Riyadh 13710 kHz. Manche BSKSA- Sender sind ja beruehmt fuer ihre wunderliche Modulation. Der auf 13710 kHz machts ganz drollig und sendet gleich drei Traeger: 13710 kHz (maessig verbrummt) und plus/minus 5360 Hz, die jeweils frequenz(?)moduliert sind. Mal eine Abwechselung nach dem asymmetrisch-kaputten Signal (Nils Schiffhauer-D DK8OK, A-DX May 19, ibid.) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 5019.96, SIBC, 1153-1201 May 25. Pop music program hosted by YL in English; final comments at 1158, followed by closedown announcement and anthem at 1201. Fair (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) 5020, SIBC, 1201-1202*, May 25. In English with sign off announcement and anthem; almost fair (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5020, S.I.B.C. at 1157 with music, woman with devotional words of encouragement and prayer, 1200 Radio Happy Isles ID and closing announcements, anthem. Poor May 26 (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, listening from my car with an Eton E1 and AN-1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA. HARDLINE ISLAMISTS SHUT DOWN LOCAL RADIO STATION IN MOGADISHU | Text of report by Somali opposition Radio Voice of Mudug on 21 May [Presenter] Al-Shabab Islamic Movement has shut down and taken away equipment of local Somaliweyn Radio station in Mogadishu Fighters loyal to Al-Shabab Islamic Movement today raided local Somaliweyn radio station in Somali capital. The fighters are said to have entered the building of the radio station and taken away the FM equipment. The reason behind the closure of this radio station is unclear but sources say that the group had recently accused Somaliweyn Radio of not obeying orders of the Islamist group and of airing anti- Islamic programmes. The director of the radio station in Mogadishu, Abukar Muhammad Kadaf, accused Al-Shabab of taking away the radio equipment and called on them to return the property of the radio station. He stated that the move amounts to media censorship. It is not the first that Islamist groups have shut down local radio stations in Mogadishu as local journalists accused them of suffocating freedom of media. Source: Radio Voice of Mudug, in Somali 1230 gmt 21 May 10 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** SOMALIA [non]. RADIO BAR-KULAN - SOMALI RADIO BY SOMALIS By Jonathan Marks http://vimeo.com/11502839 Was delighted to do an interview with David Smith, the launch director of Radio Bar-Kulan. This is a new venture based on successful projects in Congo and the Central African Republic. The task of uniting Somalis in a country with no functioning central government is daunting. But, I believe, if anyone has the expertise to get it right, it is the team of Somalis working alongside David Smith at the moment. They are using a mix of shortwave, FM, and the web to reach both Somalis inside the country but also a large diaspora scattered across the world. The website, as you might expect, is in Somali, with some experimental posts in English. http://bar-kulan.com As of May 14th 2010, the station has expanded output to 16 hours a day starting at 0300 UT (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. OBITUARY: NORBERT TAFERNER, 1940 – 2010 Norbert Taferner, a retired South African civil aviation official, and his wife Paula died in a plane crash in Tripoli, Libya, on Wednesday. Norbert Taferner was known among amateur radio operators as ZS6ANL, and as a presenter of a technical media program on Radio RSA (now Channel Africa) in the 1980s and the early 1990s. Paula and Norbert Taferner were originally both Austrians. He reportedly took the South African citizenship some time since the 1960s while she remained Austrian. Irish author Bree o'Mara also died in the crash. The only survivor, a nine-year old boy from the Netherlands, was scheduled to be flown back to the Netherlands today (wellenreiterbn, Germany, May 23, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Re: Nigeria AM --- Hi Graham, Tnx for the very interesting report. Too bad you still have one local MW station in the way - hi! 73, (Glenn to Graham Bell, via DXLD) Hi Glenn, Yeah, we need to shift it to FM too! Funny thing is that the paucity of AM stations here is a legacy of apartheid - the regime was terrified that the 'red (communist)/black (African) menace' would corrupt the AM band with treasonous messages. 73s (Graham Bell, Cape Town, South Africa, DX LISTENING DIGEST) And FM didn`t matter? (gh) ** SOUTH AFRICA [and non]. Can these be heard on shortwave? John Grimley, a former ODXA member, wonders if any shortwave broadcaster will be having regular coverage of the World Cup of soccer. I assume the BBC will have frequent results reports and Channel Africa will have coverage, but will any station be carrying games? Anyone know? (Harold Sellers, Ont., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I suspect that FIFA, who like to make money, would not authorize potential Continent-wide or global broadcast on shortwave; they make money by selling rights on a country by country basis. In the USA Sirius-XM will carry every match live on satellite radio; I am not sure if they are allowing this to be received by Canadian subscribers (Andy O`Brien, NY, ibid.) If John only speaks English, he's probably out of luck as far as the World Cup play by play is concerned. Spanish and Portuguese listeners to SW (REE and RDPi) will probably have something to listen to, though (John Figliozzi, NY, ibid.) In years past the BBCWS has had special SW frequencies for events like the World Cup, but I don't know if this will be the case in 2010. Live sports events tend not to be webcast by public service radio stations due to copyright restrictions; one might expect FIFA to offer fee-based web listening alternatives. Might be interesting to inquire of Channel Africa what they're doing given that they're hosting the tournament (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ODXA yg via DXLD) The entire world cup is being carried on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Channel details will be forthcoming in a few days, or so says a release dated May 20th. They will use ESPN's JP Dellacamera and Tommy Smyth to call the games. As far as I can tell there is no shortwave coverage of games (Mark Coady, Ont., ibid.) see also UK World Cup Soccer, dunno. Interested to find out myself. You might have to listen to programs such as VoA's Sonny Side of Sports or sports programming on the BBC. Live play by play on radio is probably a second thought as IIRC for some reason this is the most watched TV sporting event in the world. As Brian Smith once pointed out to me, it`s also the only sporting event with a death count. http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/world_cup_ death_watch/index.html (Fred Waterer, Ont, ibid.) SiriusXM to carry World Cup World Cup: Satellite radio to carry tournament May 19, 2010 | 11:13 am All 64 matches of this summer's World Cup from South Africa will be broadcast live on Sirius XM satellite radio. The broadcasts will be produced by ESPN Radio but will be available on Sirius XM nationwide. When more than one match is being played at the same time, Sirius XM will devote additional channels to the World Cup, making every play available in real time. In addition to live play-by-play, Sirius XM will offer analysis throughout the tournament on special World Cup editions of "The Football Show" featuring Italian soccer legend Giorgio Chinaglia. -- Kevin Baxter (source? Via Kevin Redding, May 21, ABDX via DXLD) Radio Netherlands Worldwide will be carrying live commentaries (in Dutch) of all matches involving the Dutch team. I imagine similar arrangements have been made for other national teams. I assume this means BBCWS will carry the England matches, but I haven't seen details of coverage yet. Some broadcasters, such as RNW, have registered additional shortwave frequencies for coverage, but since we don't know which teams will be going through to the knockout stages these include all possible dates and times, so some are effectively 'wooden' registrations. Ours are in the HFCC schedule and on our website. Because of the cost of rights, it's likely that international broadcasters will only carry those games of direct interest to their expats (Andy Sennitt, RNW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See U K! FIFA World Cup broadcasting rights -- a link of possible usefulness Following up on Harold's query of a few days ago, I came across the following Wikipedia entry regarding broadcasting rights to the FIFA World Cup: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup_broadcasting_rights It will be interesting to see how well the Internet sites mentioned (e.g. RTE) use geolocation to identify a website visitor's country of origin. The BBC has this pretty well locked down when it comes to TV and radio content (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, May 23, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 9385, WWRB, May 20 at 1348, instead of Brother Scare I hear that wacko Glenn Beck, barf. I assume The Overcomer was just running a clip of him to reinforce some view of that wacko R. G. Stair (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also USA: WWRB ** SPAIN. 17595, REE at 2102 May 20 in Portuguese, or is it? The Castilian accent was so heavy that I had to listen carefully to detect that the words were axually Portuguese. I wonder if the Brazilians to whom this is aimed find it equally amusing to hear Portuguese spoken as if it were Castilian. But then they`ve got wacky wailing evangelist David Miranda who does a much worse job of speaking Spanish sounding like Portuguese, or v.v.? For another day, REE Spanish to North America at the same time was on correct 15110 instead of 15385, quite separate from 17595 which had broken away from parallelism. see also COSTA RICA! DRM et al. Another error in the WRTH A-10 update: Emisión Sefarad from REE, Monday 1425-1455 on ``15325``. That`s what comes from believing station info rather than real monitoring, as I have reported again and again, it`s on 15385, reconfirmed May 24 at *1425 after IS, fanfare opening, and at the moment correctly announcing 15385 while she too used to believe 15325 was right. Still claims to be on 11795 for the S American repeat at 0115 UT Tuesdays, yet to be confirmed by anyone`s monitoring whether there or buried by Brasil on 11780; and 0415 Tuesdays to North America on 9650, as we confirmed already March 30. ** SPAIN. Still trying to confirm the frequency for REE`s weekly Emisión Sefarad, to S America, UT Tue 0115-0145. On the previous broadcast to the Middle East Monday at 1425 the frequency announced May 24 for 0115 was still 11795. So at 0120 May 25 I check 11795 and there is absolutely nothing. Previously announced frequency for this was 11780, so again I struggle to detect anything under huge signal from Brasília. Cannot hear any other modulation, but RNA never pauses for an instant. There is some slight fading which could be from a much weaker signal making a subaudible heterodyne, or maybe not. The REE Spanish frequency to S America, clear 11680, meanwhile, was inbooming, so something should have been detectable on 11780 if really there. Then I scan the entire 25m band in case Sefarad really be on a completely new unknown and unannounced frequency, but nothing found. I reiterate my plea for South Americans in the skip zone of Brasília to look for this on 11780, and 11795 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. Spurious emissions of SLBC transmitter on 11905 kHz noted on 11853 & 11957.5 kHz since last fortnight. Cross talk of SLBC Hindi & English noted on both the spurious channels. Thanks to Jose Jacob for tracking down the 2nd spurious channel (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, May 20, dx_sasia yg via DXLD) ** SUDAN. 7200, R. Omdurman, Al Fitahab. May 20, 0350-0402 Arabic style music, male and female talks in Arabic “Sudan”, Pop music in Arabic, 0400 time pips, male announcements. 35433 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. 13600, 0510 May 23, good signal with `Horn of Africa` music, into Arabic(?) interview on phone. But it`s R. Dabanga, via Madagascar, for Sudan, which is not exactly on the HOA, 0430-0527 at 330 degrees, thus also USward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. ASCENSION, Sudan Radio Service - Darfur, 17700, 25 May at 1645. Songs in Arabic followed by OM at 1659 and off. Good signal in staticky conditions, though loud hum present as well (Terry Wilson, MI, Eton E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAJIKISTAN. Obliquely answering my recent question: (gh, DXLD) Tajik Radio was heard in Sofia with a weak signal in English at 1345 hours on 7245 with a political commentary on Pakistan and Afghanistan. This is the only broadcast in English from this country – from 13 to 14 hours. Tajik Radio is received regularly with a local program after 16 hours on 4765 kHz. So, 73 and DX! (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX May 21 http://bit.ly/anG7UV via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) Regarding the latest World of Radio, and the following from Glenn Hauser: "FYI, a very difficult external service to monitor. Can anyone hear them in English at 13-14 on 7245? (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1513, DX LISTENING DIGEST)" 7245.016, Voice of Tajik, 1100+ Hindi with talk by a woman and fantastic Central Asian music. Brief silence at 1200 and into Arabic. General comments by a man, some music, then talk by a woman from 1210 to 1220 (news?). Fair at 1100 but fading up nicely for 1200 program. Again, lots of fantastic local music. Sadly, absolutely KO'ed by CNR-2 at 1300, HOWEVER, I could hear snippets of English during quiet periods of CNR's program. Prior to 1300, this was about S9+20 (S9+30 on peaks), so it would get out if China wasn't co-channel. With fewer stations on the air, I'm amazed at how many train-wrecks we still see on HF, many of them the result (in my opinion) of poor frequency planning by Chinese (and other) broadcasters. 24 May (David Sharp, NSW Australia. FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, ICF-2010, ICF-SW7600GR, etc., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TANZANIA. 1377, R. Free Africa, Mwanza, 2145-2207, 22 May'10, Swahili, talks, African pops; 23431, QRM de France. Better reception after 2200. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TATARSTAN [non]. 15110, Tatarstan Wave/GTRK Tatarstan, via Samara, *0410-0500*, May 24. At 0407 test tone and open carrier; brief IS at 0410; Russian ID: "programa na volne Tatarstan"; program consisted entirely of traditional ballads. This all music format is very different from what I have heard here in the past. Today no news or any talking segments at all, but I did enjoy listening to the entire music show; almost fair reception (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND. I am wondering how the government`s Radio Thailand is covering the strife in Bangkok. I rather doubt it`s objective, but reception has been poor to nil. 15275 seldom audible. And nothing audible on 9890, May 22 at 1248, no tnx to VOA Greenville music splash from 9885. As a reminder, here`s the complete English schedule, from WRTH Update: 0000-0100 daily NAm 15275 0200-0230 daily NAm 15275 0530-0600 daily Eu 17655 1230-1300 daily As, Pac 9890 1400-1430 daily As, Pac 9575 1900-2000 daily Eu 7570 2030-2045 daily Eu 9680 HSK9 was extremely foolish not to insist on being relayed by Delano and Greenville as long as they exist(ed), as a condition of allowing IBB to operate the station at Udorn (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also MYANMAR 17655, Radio Thailand in English via Udorn Thani site, 0530-0600 UT May 23, S=7-8 in Germany, meant to Moscow Russia and Scandinavia target. Featured food and spicy rice, news at 0548 UT. Migration of Thai mobile workers in maritime sector, ID at 0551 UT, Thailand in prospect. Muslim community in Thailand, took part on Muslim World conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Efforts to create a Palestine state in Palestine, Gaza and West Bank. Thai Airways celebrate 50 years air traffic with Hong Kong target. From 0558 UT Udorn signal suffered by s-on 500 kW powerhouse of Kashi- CHINA on adjacent 17650 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) So you listened to entire broadcast and they said nothing about the Red Shirts, violence in BKK?! (gh, DXLD) ** TIBET. China (Xizang, Tibet). Radio Xizang from Lhasa is reported to be on the air with a program in English called “Holy Tibet” from 1530 to 16 hours on 4905, 4920, 6130 and 7385 kHz. So, 73 and DX! (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX May 21 http://bit.ly/anG7UV via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) New [sic] 4905, *2050-2345, CHINA [sic], 19.05, Xizang PBS, Lhasa, Tibet. Tibetan talks and music, 2230-2300 English reading scripted text of facts about Tibet (approved from Beijing !?!), songs, 2300 news in Tibetan 55444. But usual // 4920 and 5240 were not on the air. Also noted 20.05 at 2345 (Anker Petersen, heard here in Skovlunde, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** TUNISIA. Tunisian Radio & TV, 7275, 26 May at 0455. Superb S9+20 signal of OM in Arabic and Arabic music with YL and lyric "Allah hoo." Sax jingle at 0459 and IDs. Anthem and news at 0500 (Terry Wilson, MI, Eton E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. 15450, fair signal from VOT, Thursday May 20 at 1300, tuned in just as Live from Turkey was starting with ``Hello, hello, hello``. This supposedly listener-participation show has degenerated into vapid conversations, mainly Seref Isler tweeting about what he is doing or thinking right now, such as should he get a leather jacket? With occasional comments from some YL announcers (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So, does anybody actually call in, or try? I'd check for myself, but reception of VoT here in California is typically dismal - not for lack of carrier, which is as you suggest fair, but the audio (or energy in the sidebands) is usually weak and muddy. We do receive their regional-language broadcasts much better. Radio Kuwait the same way, whose Arabic to WNA on 19m sounds almost next door. Ain't it always the case? (Bruce Jensen, CA, ptsw yg via DXLD) I haven`t listened intently straight thru, but have not heard any callers in weeks, nor any phone number given as they used to do, with indistinct quickly-mumbled numbers. Could be that management will no longer foot the bills on call-backs. They never made it easy, such as by setting up call by e-mail, so you axually had to call them first and even a brief contact can be expensive (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKS & CAICOS [non]. TCI Broadcast Across United States Thursday, 20 May 2010 17:55 Radio listeners from across United States were treated to a slice of the Turks and Caicos Islands this week when 21 radio stations broadcast live from Beaches Turk & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa. Stations from Seattle to Boston heard the excitement of their favorite radio personalities enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures in the TCI this week. . . [more] Source: Turks and Caicos Official Website. http://bit.ly/dBtGiB (via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia) ** UGANDA. New [sic] 4975.98, 0000-0030 21.05, UBC R, Kampala, non- stop Afropop in a late broadcast, 45444 (Anker Petersen, heard here in Skovlunde, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) ** U K. WORLD CUP ON SHORTWAVE -- BBC WORLD SERVICE PROGRAMMING I heard back from my contacts at the World Service; the matches themselves won't air live, as we'd discussed; however the World Service will have plenty of special programming surrounding the World Cup theme. There will be no special shortwave frequencies for World Cup coverage, however. Here's a list of the programming; cobbled together from the BBC Press Office; I've stripped out the time citations (which were only BST anyway) so you'll have to consult the BBC World Service website for the times relevant to the way you listen. Most (if not all) of the programming -- even the Africa-specific programming -- should be available on-demand via the World Service website as well. Programs in advance of the tournament: "Africa Kicks" As Africa prepares to host the World Cup, the BBC goes on a journey across the continent’s football ‘factory’ – the region in West Africa that produces the highest number of international players. Names like Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast, Emmanuel Adebayor of Togo, Michael Essien of Ghana and Nwankwo Kanu of Nigeria, are known to fans around the world for their English Premier League and international exploits. Africa Kicks will focus on countries which have produced a wealth of football talent - and attract huge international business interest from across the world. Africa Kicks will explore the political, economic and football hopes, dreams and challenges of this region in a series of multimedia reports. From Monday 30 May on BBC World Service English’s flagship programmes for Africa including: Africa Have Your Say, Network Africa and Focus on Africa. For BBC World Service on The World Today, as well as for a range of language services - BBC Afrique, BBC Arabic, BBC Hausa, BBC Hindi, BBC Persian, BBC Swahili and at bbc.com/worldcup. BBC World Service’s writer in residence Hamid Ismailov will also be blogging during this journey through Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria BBC World Service in English "In the Shadow of the Stadium", from Friday 4 June. South-African Audrey Brown goes to the area around Johannesburg’ s refurbished Soccer City stadium – the venue for the opening match and the final – to meet the people who are living around the stadium and are directly affected by the tournament, to find out what impact the World Cup will have on their day-to-day lives. "The Power and the Passion", a new four part series from Monday 7 June. While many football fans around the world will be avidly debating and agonising over the fate of their nations in June, it is often at the domestic club level that the game finds its most passionate support. The Power and the Passion, follows David Goldblatt as he travels to four very different football games, all big local derbies, in Italy, Egypt, Ghana and the UK, to experience the build-up and pitch action from the perspective of the fans. "South Africa's Path to Freedom", from Wednesday 9 June. Nobel Prize- winning author Wole Soyinka travels from his native Nigeria to the host country of World Cup 2010 - South Africa - to assess the past and present of the Rainbow Nation through the eyes of its finest writers. Wole Soyinka fought apartheid from outside South Africa during the years of oppression and conflict. He now makes a special journey to meet some of the key writers who lived through the turbulent years, including fellow Nobel Prize winner Nadine Gordimer, as well as Albie Sachs, South Africa’s Poet Laureate Keorapetse Kgositsile, playwright Athol Fugard and academic and writer Antjie Krog. Programs during The Tournament: BBC World Service in English "Sportsworld" , the flagship global sport programme hosted by Russell Fuller, will be in Johannesburg with six special World Cup editions on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 June, Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 June, and Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 July. In addition, Russell will be hosting weekend editions of World Cup Have Your Say, Saturdays and Sundays from 12 June. "World Football", on Saturday 12 June will be profiling the history of football in South Africa, examining the impact of apartheid on the game. It includes a profile of football on Robben Island and the Makana Football Association, a body formed by political prisoners on the island. "World Cup Have Your Say - talking a good game": While coverage of action on the pitch will be dominated by the insight and opinions of a host of football experts, for the second consecutive World Cup tournament, BBC World Service will be giving football fans around the world a daily opportunity to have their say about the action, drama and tears on and off the pitch. Presented by Ros Atkins and anchored from Soweto, World Cup Have Your Say will be a daily half-hour multimedia discussion show, in which the pundits will step aside and let the fans decide on the tournament talking points, from chants to cheats, referees to vuvuzelas. Fans can join in the debate from around the world via bbc.com/worldcup and via Twitter (@BBC_WHYS) and Facebook (World Have Your Say). World Cup Have Your Say is daily from Friday 11 June to Monday 12 July. Komla Dumor and Ros Atkins will be presenting "The World Today", BBC World Service’s flagship news and current affairs show, from Soweto, bringing audiences the atmosphere and finding out first-hand about the impact of the tournament on local residents. There will be special World Cup editions on Friday 11 June and Monday 14 June. BBC World Service English – services for Africa "Fast Track", the flagship sports show for Africa on BBC World Service, presented by Farayi Mungazi, will be covering all the latest news from the tournament on Mondays and Fridays. The interactive discussion show "Africa Have Your Say", presented by Vera Kwakofi, will debating a range of issues and topical news subjects over the course of the tournament. Africa Have Your Say on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during the tournament. "Focus on Africa" and "Network Africa" will have presenter Peter Ndoro travelling around South Africa for the duration of the tournament, to meet the fans and bring the excitement, atmosphere and stories from Africa's World Cup to BBC audiences across the continent. (via Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, May 21, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** U K [and non]. BBCWS AUDIENCE FIGURES SHOW DECLINE IN SHORTWAVE LISTENING The BBC attracts a record weekly global audience of 241 million people to its international news services like BBC World Service and the BBC World News television channel, according to independent surveys. This is up three million on last year's overall audience estimate. However, the multimedia BBC World Service lost 20 million short wave radio listeners during the year; reflecting the increasing global decline of the medium. But during the year BBC World Service attracted around nine million new viewers to its television, online and mobile services; in addition to new listeners to BBC radio programmes through local FM and medium wave radio partner stations in a number of countries. BBC Global News Director, Peter Horrocks, said: "BBC Global News's record audience demonstrates that people come to us for journalism that is challenging and asks difficult questions, yet respects different points of view and actively encourages debate. "The figures also show the success of our multimedia strategy and investments for global audiences. But the continued dramatic decline in short wave listening shows that those audiences are rapidly changing the way they access international news. Unless BBC World Service can accelerate its response to those changes, it will face a rapid deterioration of its impact as other technologies become more prominent in international media markets." BBC World Service drew an overall weekly multimedia audience of 180 million across television, radio, online and mobiles. This is eight million down on last year. The audience losses were mainly due to a sharp overall decline in short wave radio listening during the year. Radio audience losses were particularly dramatic in Bangladesh (-7 million), India (-8.2m), and Nigeria (-2.9 m). However, there were significant radio audience gains in Tanzania (+1.4m), and the US (+ 600,000), mainly through BBC programmes being used on local FM and medium wave radio partner stations. The multimedia BBC Arabic service attracted an audience of 22 million a week, including 12 million watching BBC Arabic television. The BBC Persian multimedia news and information service was hampered by the jamming of its newly launched TV satellite service and the continued blocking of its online service by the Iranian authorities. However, in a hostile environment for research, the independent surveys indicated audiences of 3.4 million, including 3.1 million watching BBC Persian television in Iran. Together the channels contributed a 72% increase in the estimated audience of BBC World Service's non-English television services. BBC World Service continued to have strong impact in Afghanistan, where BBC audiences are 10 million; and in Iraq where the BBC reaches 4.5 million people each week. In Burma, the BBC now reaches 8.5 million listeners, up 1.4 million on the last survey. BBC's commercial international news services BBC World News and bbc.com/news – the BBC commercial international television and online news services – attracted a combined global audience of 83 million. BBC World News has a weekly audience of 71 million. The news, weather and sport sections of the BBC's international commercial site, bbc.com, increased to more than 17.2 million unique users every week. It also attracted more than 1.1million unique users in February 2010 accessing mobile news, weather and sport content from BBC Global News every week. By April, this had increased to 1.5 million unique users every week. There has been an increase of 120% in page impressions in the last year. Mobile traffic to news pages alone on the bbc.com mobile site increased tenfold. (BBC Press Office) An article in today's Financial Times "BBC urged to boost online output" includes: Senior managers at Bush House told the FT that spending cuts announced by the coalition government on Monday translated into a 3 per cent cut in the budget of the Foreign Office, which currently funds the World Service to the tune of £272m ($395m, €315m).... "Where people have access to our programmes on FM, they shift to that platform and they no longer use shortwave," Mr Horrocks said. "There is a powerful symbolism about universal availability, but if people haven't got the [shortwave] sets and they aren't listening, keeping it going for its own sake, for metaphysical reasons, doesn't make a lot of sense."... In his first interview since taking over as the BBC's global news director, Mr Horrocks said that countries such as Burma and Somalia, where there was no prospect of a substitute for shortwave, would remain covered "for the foreseeable future". But in the next five years, other shortwave services were likely to be phased out, he said, although no final decisions on which have been made because future funding is unclear.... The bulk of funds for World Service output comes from a Foreign Office grant-in-aid. Senior managers fear that with an unprecedented squeeze on public spending to be announced in next month's emergency budget, a significant proportion of that money may disappear. Most think that the Arabic and Persian services will be left untouched as they play a crucial part in correcting the damage done to the UK's reputation in parts of the world where the Iraq war and military presence in Afghanistan continue to rankle. That suggests the English-language radio and other language services in countries such as India will be worst hit. Mr Horrocks would not be drawn on which areas might be cut, saying the division of spending would depend "on the funding hand we are dealt". His office later described a report that up to a quarter of the budget could disappear as "speculative". Article available free with registration however I found that this was not needed when clicking the link from Google News: http://news.google.com/news/search?aq=f&pz=1&cf=all&ned=uk&hl=en&q=%22bbc+world+service+must+shift+online%22 (Mike Barraclough, May 24, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Oh, no - what a shocker! Just a thought: could this SW audience decline be somehow related to the fact that BBC has cut its SW output rather dramatically in recent years? (Sergei S., ibid.) Sergei: This could be since they now have an exchange agreement with World Harvest Radio to carry their feed via one of the channels in the early UT hours to the Americas. Check The Sked at http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice and at: http://www.whr.org 73's, (Noble West, Clinton TN, ibid.) Noble, I fail to comprehend the cause and effect you imply. The only WHR relay I know of is 1215-1300 UT M-F on 9410, which is still in English with Spanish only during the first quarter of the hour. It is not an exchange. If you go to the WS homepage you cite, you have to hunt and hunt for SW schedules. How to listen? I enter USA as a country. It is not recognized! Just various worldplaces with the letters usa in them. I then enter United States --- that goes only to United States outlying islands, capital Washington! I then enter Enid --- that produces listings pertaining to XM satellite and cable only. I give up? (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Glenn: This is a one hour transmission at 1200-1300 UT weekdays and could be weekends, might need to check sources to be certain. Is 9410 actually beamed towards North America or is this a non directional service? The Beeb has suspended all shortwave from their former sites they used to maintain until VTC acquired them some time ago, and Media Broadcast now oversees these facilities. I may need to set my timer and select standby for catching this early morning transmission for here. 73's, (Noble West, Brainman Media, Clinton TN, for DXLDYG via DXLD) 9410 BBCWS relay from WHRI S Carolina is aimed 167 degrees, targeting Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, Northern South America. It is NOT for any part of the USA altho of course we can hear it. BBC is on M-F only at 12-13, but WHRI runs the frequency with its own programming for at least part of the hour on Sat and Sun. The // BBCWS broadcast via French Guiana on 11860 aims 305 degrees, for essentially the same targets, excluding the USA, altho we can hear it too (perhaps better than WHRI circa the SC skip zone). It`s M-F only. Both have 15 minutes of Spanish and then 45 minutes of English joined in progress. You are also mixed up about BBC sites. They certainly have NOT ``suspended all SW``. VTC (to use its penultimate initialism) may operate them but the overseas sites are owned by BBC and primarily for its use. Media Broadcast which is a combination of what used to be known as TDF and DTK, has nothing to do with VTC. They are competing companies, but this does not prevent some BBC transmissions being relayed from MB sites such as French Guiana (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) > Media Broadcast which is a combination of what used to be known as TDF and DTK No, this is not the case. Media Broadcast consists of the former broadcasting distribution operations of the postal offices in both German countries. First the postal office has been privatized by way of founding several companies, including Deutsche Telekom which took over the telcom business (what was on the east side known as "the blue post", since vehicles etc. of this department, including outdoor broadcasting units, were not yellow but blue). Then in a next step Deutsche Telekom sold the broadcast distribution business to TDF, creating the new company Media Broadcast. In fact the reasons for this step are beyond me. Media Broadcast owns almost nothing and has to lease almost anything from companies of their former trust. Premises and grounds have to be leased from DeTeImmobilien, tower space has to be leased from Deutsche Funkturm, feed circuits (not their specific equipment but the physical fibre/copper lines) have to be leased from the Deutsche Telekom parent company. And one hears that Media Broadcast gets no treatment as a brother anymore. Now TDF, Télédiffusion de France: This is the former broadcast distribution business of France Télécom, which likewise is the result of a privatization of the respective ministry of post and telecommunications department. TDF now owns not only Media Broadcast but also the broadcast distribution companies of Hungary (Antena Hungária) and Finland (Digita). Both used to operate shortwave transmitters, too, but Digita does not appear to be interested in continuing this business anymore, and in Hungary the operation of SWBC transmitters is about to end, if the situation is such as the schedules suggest. Now the detail that apparently causes some confusion here: Media Broadcast gained a lot of experience in arranging shortwave transmissions for all kind of customers since 1996, and now these activities also include transmitters of other TDF group companies, in practice TDF and its subsidiary Monte-Carlo Radiodiffusion after nothing could be arranged in Finland. In particular Media Broadcast arranged the Montsinéry transmissions for Voice of Russia, within the existing provision of transmission services for them which in fact started decades ago, with the 1322/1323 kHz relay. To avoid further confusion: Media Broadcast now also arranges transmissions via Moosbrunn. This should not lead to wrong conclusions. Österreichische Rundfunksender, the operator of the Moosbrunn site, is owned by Raiffeisen bank and ORF, without TDF being involved in any way. This is just a cooperation, in which MB benefits by having another option for its existing customers and ORS benefits by getting more airtime sold. And don't get confused by the circumstance that ORS now works with both worlds, MB and VT/Babcock (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) Others may have already noted this, but there is an element of the "chicken/egg" dichotomy in the BBC's analysis. So, which is it? Is the BBC reducing shortwave because listenership on that platform is down? Or is shortwave listening down because the BBC is (has been) reducing its shortwave presence? The answer is probably yes (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, swprograms via DXLD) More on BBCWS budget issues -- shortwave likely to face further cuts Peter Horrocks, World Service director, was recently interviewed by the Financial Times. Key comments pulled from the article: "The BBC World Service must look to transfer more of its message to the world online and on to mobile telephones in order to counter potentially severe budget cuts and a sharp decline in its traditional shortwave audience...a reduction in the budget for expensive shortwave transmissions that reach most parts of the globe is one of the motivations for a reshaping of the BBC’s overseas operations." Horrocks cited a global audience survey which showed that while the overall number of people listening to, watching or reading BBC broadcasts online had gone up slightly from 238m to 241m in 2009-10, the World Service radio shortwave audience had fallen 9 per cent from 177m to 161m. You'll have to register with the FT for the full article; its URL is http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0337712a-666f-11df-aeb1-00144feab49a.html (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, May 24, swprograms via DXLD) BBC World Service - "Bringing Britain to the World and the World to Britain" --- Interesting and upbeat interview with Peter Horrocks, BBC Global News Director, on BBC Radio 4's "The Media Show" today from 13:38 (1238 UT). Will be available on Listen Again shortly (Mike Terry, England, May 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. BBC DOMESTIC RADIO ON iPhone WILL COST AMERICANS $52 PER YEAR paidContent:UK, 19 May 2010, Robert Andrews: "The public-service BBC’s app plans may be on hold in its native UK until its regulating body checks for anti-competitive effects - but, outside of Blighty, the profit-seeking BBC Worldwide wing is pressing ahead with its latest mobile download. The BBC’s boldest step yet in to chargeable content, BBC Listener is a radio app offering over 20 documentary, magazine and discussion shows on-demand, plus access to archive programmes from the last decade. Here’s the bold bit - after the $2.99 download fee, BBC Listener uses iPhone OS 3.0’s in-app subscription feature, requiring uses pay $12.99 per quarter for continued access. There’s potentially a decent U.S. market of public radio afficionados [sic] keen for serious news and analysis, and forms part of BBC Worldwide’s big U.S. push. Most of the shows are from BBC Radio 4 - the intellectual station that some Americans I know cite as the world’s only credible objective news source of any scale. But BBC Listener may not be all that good value - many of the shows contained within are available as free downloadable podcasts, as well as for web playback, no matter where in the world listeners are." Anglotopia.net, 21 May 2010, Jonathan: "This app is just a start – the BBC needs to prove that people outside the UK are willing to pay for it’s content. That is something we highly advocate – they will only make more of their great stuff available to the US if there proves to be a market for it." See also bbclistener.com (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) This news made me scurry to bbc.co.uk to find out if the live streams and on-demand programs of BBC's Radios 4,3,2, Scotland, etc, are still available -- for free. They are. But with the BBC starting to monetize its domestic radio in the export market, for how long? BBC domestic television online is already off limits to internet users outside the UK. The best international radio available to US audiences is the domestic radio of the BBC. Posted: 22 May 2010 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid. via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) Jonathan Marks on May 26th, 2010 at 10:09 Beeb is dropping its Realaudio feeds as from next Monday, so bits of my Reciva webradio will be redundant. But WMA will be retained as a format I believe (Media Network blog comment via DXLD) ** U K. LONDON TO BIRMINGHAM BACKWARDS WALK IN SUPPORT OF BBC ASIAN NETWORK Ranvir Singh Verma, frontman of band Universal Taal was reported to be planning to walk backwards from London to Birmingham, a distance of 120 miles, in support of BBC Asian Network following a protest rally yesterday. His slogan is 4 Words not Backwards, Save the Asian Network. Media Guardian reports that he came up with the idea after reading about Lotan Baba, the "rolling saint" who has rolled his body more than 18,000 miles across India for unity and peace. "His belief in penance is what encouraged me to devise this challenge," said Verma. "There are also many Native American communities that have one member that does everything backwards, including riding a horse. This acts as a reminder of the stupidity of humanity and the need to address our actions from time to time." There's a longer interview with Ranvir at the link below: http://www.desiblitz.com/content/walking-backwards-for-bbc-asian-network (via Mike Barraclough, May 23, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U K. BBC BROADCASTING HOUSE REBUILD AS AT 21ST MAY 2010 I visited my former work place today, well viewed it from the outside during lunch whilst at a seminar held by the Asperger Foundation in London. I have posted a selection of pictures, including one of the poster which gives a clear run down of building progress, on my blog. I cannot see this on the BBC Site. http://wireless-waffle.blogspot.com/2010/05/broadcasting-london-rebuild-as-at-21st.html The building being largely complete, and the fitting out being in progress. Studios are being completed in the basement and should be in use in due course (Keith S. Knight, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** U K. DAB controversy --- see DIGITAL BROADCASTING below ** U K. SOUTH HERTS RADIO EXTERNAL SERVICE --- We will be broadcasting an external service this Sunday 23rd May. This may start as late as 1130 UT but we may come on air earlier. The plan is to run until 2330. We will be using 6255 kHz in the 48 meter band low power to Europe and our live web stream will be on air from our listen live page http://www.southhertsradio.com/live.html Our programmes will be as scheduled from 1130 until 1900 UT and other shows will be aired if we come on before 1130 and also after 1900 until 2330 UT. Full details are on our programmes page http://www.southhertsradio.com/progs.html UK times are listed so add one hour onto UT. Please note: World of Radio is only Sundays now currently at 1130 UT on 6255 shortwave. All other i.p. addresses and links to ways you have listed live in the past must now be ignored. We recommend you visit the listen live web page and simply use the features on there. You have lots of choice. In the event of any live stream failure, we have an interactive listen again player on our listen live page and we add files to this every week even if we are off air. This allows you to hear shows that were ment to be broadcast and we update these every 7 days. Now you will never miss a DX broadcast. Our FM will be on locally in various parts of Hertfordshire on 90.9, 97.9 and the new 107.3 FM. Regards, (Gary Drew, UK, May 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re: VOA Launches new English programs I sampled parts of the new "Middle East Monitor" and "International Edition" yesterday at roughly 1720 via the live VOA web stream. Middle East Monitor airs at 1700 and 1900 UT, according to on-air promotions; it appears to be a 30-minute program. At first glance it's a good (though dry) series of dispatches on events in the region. Similarly, "International Edition" spends 30 minutes on roughly six stories, taken from around the globe, including the USA (Gulf of Mexico oil spill). Serviceable enough, but short on analysis. I'll update more as I do some more listening. These programs do not appear on the VOA website. I sent an e-mail to the VOA to point this out and have also joined their Facebook presence and left that critique there. We'll see if the Facebook post generates a response, as that's a public forum; the VOA does monitor and comment on posts (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, May 20, swprograms via DXLD) See also ETHIOPIA [non] ** U S A. 17585, VOA Greenville, Saturday May 22 at 1406 with panel discussion, which per http://www.kimandrewelliott.com/VOA_English_to_Asia_and_ME.pdf is On the Line, so feeds straightened out, no longer offensive rap on Music Mix. At least not on weekends. Signal not so hot; at 1417 bothered by YFR Bengali via Wertachtal on 17580. Nothing on 9760 from VOA Philippines during this hour on weekends; why not? 1427 to US Government editorial, which finished a few seconds just in time before 1430* after which a much weaker VOA Botswana signal was detectable on 17585. So fans of VOA Editorials must get used to new times for them, formerly :55 past certain hours. Kim`s sked shows :25 past: at 1225, 1425, 1725, 1925, 0125, but only Saturday/Sunday; and really at :27 past. When they were at five till, usually ran short and had to insert fill. Are the eds really only once a week now or inserted elsewhere into weekday programming? Contrary to the new VOA program schedule via http://www.kimandrewelliott.com showing the USG Editorial weekends only at :25 past certain hours, it`s still at 1255 weekdays, as Tuesday May 25 at 1259 I tuned 9510 just in time to hear the Editorial outro, then sign-off by the `PHX` or Tinang II, weak 50 kW site in the PHILIPPINES, a detail only for those of us in the know, not the casual listener, who can only assume VOA is really transmitting from ``Washington, DC`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. "DON'T SILENCE VOICE OF AMERICA" May 26, 2010 --- Interesting article here http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/05/Dont-Silence-Voice-of-America by Helle C. Dale, Senior Fellow in Public Diplomacy in the Sarah and Douglas Allison Center for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation (via Mike Terry, UK, dxldyg via DXLD). Has comparison of increasing number of SW frequencies from CRI, decreasing from VOA. That`s simplistic. What counts is the number of frequency-hours, or even the number of program-frequency-hours, whereby the comparison would be even worse (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. ALL EIGHT BBG NOMINEES ARE NOW COMMITTEE APPROVED, AWAIT SENATE FLOOR VOTE At a business meeting on 25 May, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee cleared Michael Meehan and Dana Perino, nominees to the Broadcasting Board of Governors. They join the six others already cleared by the Committee, including Chairman-designate Walter Isaacson, awaiting confirmation by the full Senate (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Meanwhile, VOA director Dan Austin announced today that Alex Belida, director of VOA Persian News Network, is "effective immediately" being moved to the VOA Director's office as senior adviser, to work with VOA's South Asia division. Belida was named acting director of VOA PNN since September 2008, and was actual director only for the past month. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) was holding the BBG nominations. (See previous posts on 9 May and 30 April 2010.) He has also been critical of VOA PNN broadcasts. (See previous posts on 16 May, 9 May, and 14 April 2008.) Coincidence? Implications? Developing... Posted: 26 May 2010 (Kim Andrew Elliott, see http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=9009 for linx, via DXLD) ** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1513 monitoring: Area 51 no longer publishes any schedule for weekdays when it is webcast only, not on WBCQ; yet the streaming link still runs, and UT Friday May 21 at 0000 we found WOR already about to conclude. Assuming it played straight thru, it must have started around 2335 UT May 20. The week before, it only came on for little more than one minute, the introduction, a few minutes before 2400. WWCR 15825, Friday at 2029: with low flux, and no sporadic E at the moment, I could barely detect a carrier May 21 at 2037; some other chex had a little audio which sounded like me, but still too weak to copy. I am thinking not only is the signal very poor but the modulation is low. That improves a little at 2057 when I can detect the QSY to 7465 announcement. ACB Radio webcast confirmed with WOR 1513 during the final airing in the 2300 UT semihour Friday May 21. WORLD OF RADIO 1513 monitoring: Saturday May 22 at 1338 fair on WRMI 9955, and no jamming audible. At 1643 loud and clear on WWCR-2 12160. Next scheduled airings on WWCR are: UT Sun 0230 on 4840, 0630 on 3215, 2330 on 9890, Mon 0330 on 5890 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Good Friends Radio Network has bought up gobs of time on WBCQ 9330-CUSB, per http://schedule.wbcq.com/main.php?fn=sked&freq=9330 supposedly daily at 13-04 UT, but May 25 at 1255 it`s already on, so like so many things at WBCQ, operation is flexible; does it start 5 minutes early, or 60 minutes? Natch, I have never found its gospel- huxter programming worth putting up with the incomplete modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WRNO with gospel song by YL mentioning El Shadai(?) over and over, May 22 0159 past hourtop. Seems almost on 7506; At 0330 more like 7505.8, VG strength (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7505.7, WRNO (New Orleans) (presumed), 0401-0408, 5/21/2010, English. Caught the end of their broadcast with a few seconds of music (or a theme/jingle), audio fading down like someone slowly reducing the volume. The strong carrier stayed on and was joined by an undulating hum. I had to leave at 0408, so can't be sure how long this continued (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, IC-R75, RX-340, Random Wire (90'), ALA100M Loop (20'), DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 7555, strong open carrier at 0155 May 22; 0201 KJES had started with catechism repetitions in English, big hum and quite undermodulated. ELCOR cannot be proud (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9265, WINB with Martha Garvin`s ``Musical Memories``, May 23 at 1242 accompanying herself on piano as she sang ``I Shall Not Be Moved`` and ``That Train``, i.e. civil rights protest songs, imagine that. Next check at 1317 heard a less talented singer with portative organ accompaniment caterwauling ``The Battle Hymn of the Republic`` followed by sermon about Micah. Sounds like the Filipina who has decided she should evangelize American ex-colonialists. Naturally, WINB`s screwed-up program sked on its own website is no help, showing Martha only at some completely different time, and wrong ET/UT conversion so that Sunday at `1400` it`s ``Living the Bible`` or at `1300` ``Call to Worship`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9385, WWRB with Brother Scare`s Sabbath, May 22 at 1341, putting usual scratchy buzz on WTJC 9370 and FEBC 9400. A respite at next check 1409 as WWRB was missing, working on the problem? I seriously doubt it. Dave loses no love for WTJC. See also SOUTH CAROLINA [non] As I was checking out Firedrake on 9380, May 25 at 1256, noticed that WWRB carrier was just coming on 9385; open at first, then fading up Brother Scare, as the strength also seemed to be fading up from no problem to 9380, to a serious problem to 9380 a few minutes later. However, at 1344, 9385 was off the air again. 1800 recheck, on with open carrier, 1803 with B.S. Altho 9385 is registered available until 2400, I`ve noticed it`s off by 2100. If WWRB is starting the next Brother Scare frequency, 3215 as early as 2100 when it is registered available, it`s totally inaudible that early here in the summer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Now it`s WYFR putting out spurs. May 21 at 0516 I hear a big distorted blob in Spanish with hum centered as closely as I can measure it, on 9921.3. Soon IDed by // 9715. Then I look for a match 206.3 kHz on the other side, and there it is, tho seems not quite as strong, on 9508.7 --- and it bothers another WYFR frequency in Spanish, 9505. Okeechobee has been notified and I expect they`ll be working on it, so let`s hope for a non-repeat tonight (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, our daytime operation of that transmitter is on 15130 kHz. I found spurs out plus and minus 250-270 kHz, depending on the drive level. Problem resolved down to a 300 watt solid-state linear power amplifier in the RF chain. Thanks again for passing on your observations. Much appreciated and very helpful. 73, (Dan Elyea, WYFR Okeechobee, May 21, ibid.) And indeed not heard on 9 MHz next night ** U S A [and non]. Summer A-10 of WYFR Family Radio via RNW: 1600-1700 on 9590 MDC 250 kW / 320 deg to EaAf in Swahili 1700-1800 on 7395 MDC 050 kW / 310 deg to EaAf in English 1800-2000 on 7395 MDC 250 kW / 320 deg to EaAf in English 1900-2100 on 6020 MDC 050 kW / 255 deg to SoAf in English Summer A-10 of WYFR Family Radio via TRW: 1800-1900 on 7320 ARM 300 kW / 290 deg to WeEu in German 1800-1900 on 9615 SAM 250 kW / 284 deg to WeEu in Polish 1900-2000 on 6010 KCH 300 kW / 270 deg to WeEu in Italian 1900-2000 on 7320 SAM 250 kW / 284 deg to WeEu in German 2000-2200 on 7430 KCH 250 kW / 309 deg to WeEu in English 2000-2100 on 7540 A-A 300 kW / 300 deg to WeEu in French 1200-1300 on 11855 DB 100 kW / 024 deg to CeAs in Russian 1300-1400 on 12155 DB 200 kW / 125 deg to SoAs in English 1400-1500 on 7215 IRK 250 kW / 224 deg to SoAs in Nepali 1400-1500 on 9405 ARM 300 kW / 110 deg to SoAs in Punjabi 1400-1500 on 15450 ARM 200 kW / 147 deg to SoAs in Assamese 1400-1600 on 12065 ARM 300 kW / 110 deg to SoAs in Urdu 1500-1600 on 11505 ERV 300 kW / 110 deg to SoAs in Punjabi 1500-1600 on 11655 ARM 300 kW / 110 deg to SoAs in Marathi 1500-1600 on 12130 KCH 500 kW / 105 deg to SoAs in Sindhi 1600-1700 on 9735 ARM 300 kW / 110 deg to SoAs in Punjabi 1600-1700 on 11505 ERV 300 kW / 110 deg to SoAs in Urdu 1000-1100 on 7245 K/A 100 kW / 178 deg to EaAs in Japanese 1000-1100 on 9450 IRK 250 kW / 110 deg to EaAs in English 1100-1200 on 9450 IRK 250 kW / 110 deg to EaAs in Korean 1100-1200 on 9460 P.K 250 kw / 247 deg to EaAs in Cantonese 1100-1500 on 9865 P.K 250 kW / 263 deg to EaAs in Chinese 1100-1500 on 11725 P.K 250 kW / 244 deg to EaAs in Chinese 1200-1300 on 5970 K/A 250 kW / 313 deg to EaAs in Korean 1100-1200 on 9900 VLD 250 kW / 220 deg to SEAs in Illocano 1100-1200 on 13850 VLD 200 kW / 220 deg to SEAs in Indonesian 1100-1200 on 15560 A-A 300 kW / 094 deg to SEAs in English 1200-1300 on 9465 IRK 250 kW / 152 deg to SEAs in Cebuano 1200-1300 on 15490 NVS 250 kW / 155 deg to SEAs in Thai 1200-1300 on 13820 A-A 500 kW / 121 deg to SEAs in Tagalog 1200-1300 on 13850 VLD 200 kW / 220 deg to SEAs in Tagalog 1200-1400 on 9615 IRK 500 kW / 180 deg to SEAs in Indonesian 1200-1400 on 11895 IRK 250 kW / 180 deg to SEAs in Vietnamese 1300-1400 on 7565 A-A 200 kW / 132 deg to SEAs in Burmese 1300-1400 on 13810 A-A 500 kW / 121 deg to SEAs in Tagalog 1300-1400 on 13820 A-A 500 kW / 121 deg to SEAs in English 1400-1500 on 9365 TAC 200 kW / 131 deg to SEAs in English 1400-1500 on 9615 IRK 500 kW / 180 deg to SEAs in English 1400-1500 on 13810 A-A 500 kW / 121 deg to SEAs in English Summer A-10 of WYFR Family Radio via TWN: 1500-1700 on 9955 TAI 250 kW / 325 deg to CeAs in Russian 1300-1500 on 11560 HUW 100 kW / 285 deg to SoAs in English 1500-1600 on 6280 TSH 300 kW / 285 deg to SoAs in English 1500-1600 on 11560 HUW 100 kW / 285 deg to SoAs in Hindi 1600-1700 on 6280 TSH 300 kW / 285 deg to SoAs in Hindi 0800-0900 on 11895 TAI 100 kW / 002 deg to EaAs in Korean 0900-1000 on 11565 TAI 100 kW / 310 deg to EaAs in Chinese 0900-1100 on 9545 TAI 100 kW / 310 deg to EaAs in Chinese 0900-1100 on 9945 TAI 100 kW / 310 deg to EaAs in Chinese 1000-1100 on 9920 TAI 100 kW / 002 deg to EaAs in Chinese 1100-1600 on 6240 BAO 100 kW / 310 deg to EaAs in Chinese 1100-1600 on 9280 YUN 100 kW / 335 deg to EaAs in Chinese 1200-1300 on 11535 YUN 100 kW / 342 deg to EaAs in Chinese 2100-2400 on 9280 YUN 100 kW / 335 deg to EaAs in Chinese 2200-2400 on 6230 BAO 100 kW / 310 deg to EaAs in Chinese 2300-2400 on 9540 TAI 100 kW / 310 deg to EaAs in Chinese 0000-0100 on 11630 PAO 100 kW / 245 deg to SEAs in Vietnamese 0900-1100 on 9465 PAO 100 kW / 180 deg to SEAs in English 1000-1100 on 9455 PAO 100 kW / 225 deg to SEAs in Vietnamese 1100-1200 on 6220 HUW 100 kW / 265 deg to SEAs in Burmese 1100-1200 on 11520 PAO 100 kW / 180 deg to SEAs in Tagalog 1100-1200 on 11550 TAI 300 kW / 205 deg to SEAs in Indonesian 1200-1300 on 7460 PAO 100 kW / 225 deg to SEAs in Vietnamese 1200-1300 on 11520 PAO 100 kW / 180 deg to SEAs in Indonesian 1200-1300 on 11570 HUW 100 kW / 265 deg to SEAs in Burmese 1300-1400 on 7260 TAI 100 kW / 250 deg to SEAs in Vietnamese 1300-1400 on 9960 PAO 100 kW / 225 deg to SEAs in Vietnamese 1300-1400 on 11520 PAO 100 kW / 180 deg to SEAs in English 1400-1500 on 9585 PAO 100 kW / 225 deg to SEAs in Vietnamese 1400-1500 on 11520 PAO 100 kW / 180 deg to SEAs in Indonesian (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, May 24 via DXLD) Sorting by anything other than target area would have been more useful (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. KATY-FM, IDYLLWILD, SEEKS RELIEF FROM KRTH IBOC INTERFERENCE KATY-FM, 101.3 MHz, Idyllwild [California], is reportedly receiving destructive interference inside its 60 dBu contour caused by the upper HD Radio (IBOC) sideband transmitted by KRTH, 101.1 MHz, Los Angeles. KRTH is a CBS-owned grandfathered super powered station, and that super powered operation undoubtedly exacerbates the interference. Willie D. Davis, President of All Pro Broadcasting, Inc., (owner of KATY) writes as follows: "All Pro has previously and unsuccessfully tried to get CBS to address the matter. In light of CBS's inaction, All Pro concluded that it had no choice but to seek redress at the FCC." This story is local in nature and will undoubtedly be of keen local interest. We hope to publish a link to the formal KATY complaint in the near future. The following URL leads to the All Pro press release. http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/KATY-KRTH.pdf (CGC Communicator May 20 via Greg Hardison, DXLD) IBOC INTERFERENCE DISPUTE IN CALIFORNIA http://www.rbr.com/radio/24360.html As the link notes, this may be a worst-case situation. KRTH (as most major Los Angeles stations) is a grandfathered "superpower" station - spaced from KATY as if it was a Class B but authorized for more power than would be allowed for a full Class C. And, according to the article, authorized an IBOC power level based on its grandfathered more-than-C power, not what it would be authorized as a B (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, May 21, WTFDA via DXLD) The article mentions that this complaint has nothing to do with the power increase, and that it has been a problem since 2007. Can we make any comparison to grandfathered KRTH at 1% IBOC power at the aforementioned spacing, to a normal, non-grandfathered scenario with the new power increase? I realize the advantage (for lack of a better term) that KRTH gains from its grandfathered status is significant, I'm just not sure how significant it is, and whether it would even come close to replicating what stations would experience at higher IBOC power levels (Bryce Foster - KG6VSW, Murfreesboro, TN EM65, ibid.) OK, I'll take a shot at this --- KATY is licensed on 101.3 for 1,550 watts at 200 m at 33-43-31N/116-44-58W. Their 60d Bu interference- protected contour extends 28.357 km. KRTH is licensed on 101.1 for 51,000 watts at 955 m at 34-13-38N/118- 04-00W. Their 54 dBu first-adjacent interfering contour extends 140.509 km. Both stations are non-directional. The stations are 133.856 km apart. So at its closest point, KATY's interference-protected signal comes within ~105.5 km of the KRTH tower. In other words, if the KRTH interfering contour extends more than 105.5 km, there will be (predicted) interference. (which means KRTH's analog signal is ostensibly considerably in violation of the first-adjacent protection rules, causing 1st-adjacent interference to KATY. Except that KRTH was there, and operating at 51,000 watts, first. They're allowed to continue operating at that power for as long as they wish.) KRTH's digital signal at 1% IBOC would be 510 watts. I'm not aware of any propagation curves or interfering contour standards for digital signals (they're apparently assumed to be in compliance if the analog is). I'll treat KRTH's IBOC signal as an analog signal co-channel to KATY. 510 watts at 955 m, the 40 dBu co-channel interfering contour would extend 118.627 km. That exceeds 105.5 km, so there will be predicted co-channel interference to KATY. With a maximum IBOC power increase to 4%, KRTH would be running 2.04 kW of digital power. The 40 dBu co-channel interfering contour would extend 140.585 km. Obviously this even more exceeds 105.5 km, so there would be even more co-channel interference. If KRTH were restricted to the normal Class B power limit, their power would be 760 watts (so yes, their grandfathered status is significant!). With that facility, their 54 dBu analog adjacent- channel interfering contour would extend only 77.4 km; there would be no interference. 1% IBOC, if calculated against the normal Class B limit, would be 7.6 watts (yes, 7.6 watts). The 40dBu co-channel interfering contour would extend 58.594 km; again, nowhere near close enough to KATY to cause interference. At 4% IBOC the digital power would be 30.4 watts and the 40 dBu interfering contour would be 77.436 km, still nowhere near causing interference. Now, consider that we're talking about California. California is not Kansas (i.e., it's not exactly flat!). I'm obviously not familiar with the terrain between these two stations. It is very possible propagation between these two sites is better (or worse) than a "flat earth" algorithm would predict. For what it's worth, KRTH's grandfathered "superpower" signal even exceeds what would be permitted for a Class C station at that antenna height (nominally, 34,000 watts) – (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) That's a very interesting analysis; thanks for taking the time to crunch those numbers. It would seem logical that grandfathered "superpower" stations would have been re-classified to Class C, which might have provided at least a little more adequate spacing standards. Is there a good reason why they classified these stations as Class B, or was that simply their class prior to the new rules? The terrain does nothing to mitigate the interference situation here, for what it's worth. KATY's main coverage area is roughly 40-70 miles from KRTH's Mt. Wilson transmitter, at the other end of a large valley that runs east-southeast of Los Angeles. There is very little terrain along the valley floor, and Mt. Wilson is significantly higher than the valley floor (KRTH transmitter is 6083' ASL, the valley floor is roughly 1000'-1500' in KATY's coverage area). Clearly this is an exceptional situation. It will be interesting to see if any kind of ruling or response is made (Bryce Foster - KG6VSW Murfreesboro, TN EM65, ibid.) The FCC has divided the country into Zone I and Zone II. Zone I consists of California south of 40N, and a wide area of the northeast, VERY roughly everything northeast of the intersection of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Everything else is Zone II. In Zone I, Class C (and C0, C1, and C2) stations are simply not permitted (similarly, in Zone II there are no Class B or B1 stations.) Of course, Class C stations are interference-protected to a greater distance. WNOX-100.3 Oak Ridge, being a Class C station, precludes the use of 100.3 for any other full-power station within 226 km.* If it were a Class B station, it would only preclude reuse of the frequency within 178 km. I think the FCC figured in the heavily-populated Northeast and Southern California, allowing one station to tie up a frequency over a 226 km circle would unduly limit the number of stations that could be allowed - and would be unnecessary to ensuring access to FM service for everyone, as even at the lower powers pretty much everyone would be within the service area of at least one FM station (probably far more). But the framework for the current classifications went into effect in 1964. Before that, by my reading there were only two classes of FM station: A and B. Class A was limited to 1 kw/100'. Class B was ostensibly limited to 20 kw/500' -- but the way I read the old rules, if you could show no interference would be caused and you'd serve people who wouldn't otherwise get FM service, **YOU COULD APPLY FOR AS MUCH POWER AS YOU WANTED** (and the FCC would probably grant it). Quite a few stations applied for, were granted, and even occasionally built facilities running hundreds of kilowatts. The largest, in Grand Rapids, Mich., was licensed for 470 kW for a long time and is still authorized for 320 kW. Most of them, however, went bust in the 1950s. Those Class B stations that still existed when the 1964 regulations went into effect, they were reclassified to Class C if they were in Zone II; if they were in Zone I, they remained Class B. *New* Class B/C stations were subject to the new power limits, but the FCC didn't force them to reduce power. * 203km if a directional antenna is used. (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) In these matters I always toss out the math and lean towards common sense using this angle. If I move into the house next to Doug Smith and have an ultra lite radio and listen to my music, chances are we both will be content as neighbors. Think of this as the days prior to IBOC. However, if I patch the radio into my son's 1 kW Harke amp and dual full stack speakers, and set them on the outside deck, then I suspect we'll have "issues" with being good neighbors. Think of this as IBOC operation. Doug and I could enlist technical people to measure SPL, lawyers to sue each other, and talk to governing bodies about the legitimacy of my music traversing the property line. And in the end we may arrive at a decision, but it will come with hard feelings against each other. Which leads me to this point. I realize that IBOC is "legal" according to the FCC's definition. But what ever happened to common sense and just being a good neighbor? In retrospect, I sure wish the FCC would have taken the suggestion in their comments process to put all IBOC/Digital for radio in TV channels 14-18 as part of the DTV transition, and traded those for allowing TV to operate on 52 to 59. Radio could have had a decent platform for their digital services (especially AM), TV would have had a few more channels, and the mobile 2-way guys wouldn't have been hosed that bad. The real winner with IBOC/Digital in 470-500 MHz would have been radio, which could arrive at decent coverages for nearly all stations. But again, it's all common sense. ((deep sigh)) (Fred Vobbe, OH, ibid.) If you're a Let's Active or Loud Family fan I wouldn't have a problem(grin). There's been a LOT of hype and misrepresentation in the IBOC debate. And let's be honest: there's been hype & misrepresentation on *both* sides of the debate. We can't assume there is no interference just because ibiquity & the NAB say so. We can't assume there *is* interference just because KATY and WYSL say so. What the math does is provide a "sanity check" on the claims, either side. We don't have to take KATY's and WYSL's words for it; the math backs up their claims. This would never have flown from a political/business standpoint. As we now know, non-broadcast interests are not satisfied with just channels 52-69 (I can't say that's a surprise. I've heard two-way advocates calling for the complete abolition of OTA TV all the way back to the mid-1980s.) The radio-in-14-18 thing would have been especially problematic in the Northeast, where various combinations of these channels are in use for public-safety land-mobile operations. In the very part of the country where demand for broadcast services is greatest, the amount of spectrum that would be available is least. IMHO the broadcasting industry doesn't have enough clout to fight this off. I do think we need an out-of-band digital radio scheme. I am not at all convinced the spectrum used for Eureka 147 in Europe is truly unavailable in the U.S. The argument that the military needs it just kinda smells. Alternatively, I think a Eureka thing on a shared-with- TV basis in channels 2-6 would be workable. In this case, there are relatively few 2-6 TV allocations in heavily-populated areas. There's more then enough room to move all the AM signals up there. – (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) THE HD RADIO INTERFERENCE POT STARTS TO BOIL Thanks to Chuck Hastings, the CGC Communicator newsletter has obtained a copy of another southern California FM HD Radio complaint that has been sent to the Commission. Spanish language KMLA, 103.7 MHz, Class A, El Rio (near Oxnard), is reportedly receiving substantial interference from the HD operation of KOST, 103.5 MHz, a super powered Class B station in Los Angeles. Chuck writes, "Yes, you may Web-post the letter. The KMLA owners want as much help and exposure as they can get because they have lost a lot of listeners that they can't get back until the interference is taken away." The KMLA complaint is posted at the first URL below. In related news, a number of interesting comments have been posted concerning KATY's HD complaint against KRTH. The second URL below takes you to Radio Business Report's story about the interference. The comments appear right after the story. http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/FCC_KMLA-FM.jpg http://www.rbr.com/radio/24360.html (CGC Communicator May 22 via Kevin Redding, May 23, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. Re 10-20: Listening To WOR Online Hi Tom [Dimeo]: As you know, I have addressed this with you. Many websites, particularly with larger stations or groups that can share content across their platforms, tend to use those numbers and such that to you don't mean a thing. And I agree - user friendly file names would be a big help - but that's how I design websites, not how professional companies who do this for a living do it when they need to share across platforms - and that rely on databases to churn out content. The design of the site is outsourced for WOR - we add the content in pre-formatted pages. This is so that producers, talent, anyone can add content to the site and not have a clue as to coding or anything else - they just type and it comes out looking decent. The unfortunate part is that websites are generally designed to be visual, and are in general not user friendly to the visually challenged. When I brought this up with our web team, their jaws collectively hit their desks, as this was something they never even thought of. They will be immediately adding a text link near the bottom of the page for the stream - and possibly for other areas of the website. The text link should make sense when your reader hits it. Actually, I say immediately, but it may take several days, as the web team needs to confer with the design company and have it implemented. But, this is a first step. Thanks for making us aware of this issue. (Thomas R. Ray, III CPBE, AMD, DRB Vice President/Corporate Director of Engineering Buckley Radio WOR News Talk Radio 710 HD Chairman, SBE Chapter 15 New York City 212-642-4462 phax: 212-921-4751 Ham call: W2TRR, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. 2670 USB, USCG Astoria WA [sic; Oregon?], NMW, 0530 UT. I heard someone key the transmitter on and off. 0533 "Hello all stations..." and into Coastal Waters Forecasts. Most were for Washington with mentions of Columbia River Waters. Then into Broadcast Notices to Mariners, mention of their next broadcast time, ID and off. First time to hear their voice broadcast. I hear their NAVTEX on 518 kHz all the time (Martin Foltz, Mission Viejo CA, May 21, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. I finally remembered May 22 to identify the ``cowboy music show`` I had run across months before on KGGF 690 Coffeyville KS, Saturday at 11 am CT. After ABC news, started at 1605:30 UT, ``Chronicle of the Old West``, weekly edition. So there is also a daily edition, and both are available on demand, details here http://www.chronicleoftheoldwest.com/the-radio-show2.shtml Mentioned they had just added a new affiliate, KRLL in California, Missouri. WTFK? I have to look it up in FCC AM Query: 1420 kHz. Now we only have to listen to it for 168 hours to find out the time. Looking for a complete affiliate list, but all I find is this journal which mentions a number of them in passing: http://www.chronicleoftheoldwest.com/on_the_road_journal2.shtml COTOW, hosted by a guy named Dakota Livesay (live with a short I), originates in Show Low, Arizona, which is a neat town I have visited a number of times, now uninfested by William Cooper. But don`t forget your papers. Listening to this week`s show on KGGF, it`s talk rather than music, including a long interview about Amanda Blake, Gunsmoke actress as Miss Kitty (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH WVMC MOUNT CARMEL IL? Since the Indiana Radio Watch (newsletter) is copyright protected, I will not do a cut and paste but the latest version has a soap opera type story involving WVMC-AM 1360 in IL. Interesting stuff: Apparently the FCC received correspondence from Chief Operator Marty Hensley (!) who was turning in WVMC's license as the station went bankrupt, equipment was foreclosed and so on. He added that the station was silent since May 2008. The FCC then deleted the call and cancelled the license. THEN the President of Wabash Communication's wrote the FCC and said that Hensley wasn't Chief Operator and basically had no say in turning in the license and that the station is operating (not silent). The FCC said that DWVMC could now continue to operate. Questions: 1. What does Marty Hensley have to do with Wabash and WVMC? 2. Is this a case of hi-jacking? i.e. could I just fire up a letter to the FCC and say that I'm the big cheese and that Wxxx or Kxxx is silent and hope that the FCC pulls the license? 3. Is this a case of Marty just going nuts? Recall that he tried to force high school and college radio stations in Central Indiana to carry his REL programming 4. Has this station actually been silent at some point? 5. Is (was?) Hensley hoping to do something else with 1360? Thanks. 73, (Dave Hascall, Indianapolis, May 24, WTFDA via DXLD) It may be copyright protected, but you can link to it: http://sbe25indy.blogspot.com/ The relevant part is about halfway down the page, and it has links to the documentation (Curtis Sadowski, Paxton IL, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) All I know is that WVMC was sold to Withers Broadcasting and it is on the air now, simulcasting WYNC 94.9 (Paul B. Walker, Jr., Marion IL, IRCA via DXLD) All - The http://sbe25indy.blogspot.com/ link that Curtis mentions s best for reading the story, as there are multiple links within the story. I can not completely answer David's questions. I know more, but can not say. My apologies. As for David's point in question #3 ("Recall that he tried to force high school and college radio stations in Central Indiana to carry his REL programming"), I would reference my 13 March 2005 IRW, where I wrote: The FCC recently renewed six of the eight noncommercial FM licenses. Those licenses were renewed over the shared-time petitions of Hoosier Public Radio Corp. The remaining two applications are pending. The six renewed were WEEM-FM (91.7fm, Pendleton), WHJE (91.3fm, Carmel), WBDG (90.9fm, Indianapolis), WRFT (91.5fm, Indianapolis), WATI (89.9fm, Vincennes), and WKPB (89.5fm, Henderson, Kentucky). The two pending renewal applications are for WJEL (89.3fm, Indianapolis) and WFCI (89.5fm, Franklin). Commenting on his stations' renewal, WEEM GM Jeff Dupont told IRW "I see the FCC's decision as a victory for the children in the school system. WEEM-FM exists primarily as a learning environment for the students and our license renewal preserves that environment." In an e- mail to IRW, Hoosier Public Radio Corp. director Martin Hensley asserts that "None of the applications can be valid." and elaborates by saying "The Commission has specific Rules about who can sign an application [...] the Pres Vice Pres or Secretary [must] sign the application or contract. [...] In the instances of each application, either an independent contractor (engineer), teacher, or school official signed the app." And this, on 15 January 2005: Franklin College's Alternative/WFCI (89.5fm, Franklin) recently signed an agreement with Indianapolis NPR affiliate WFYI-FM (90.1fm) that allows WFCI to carry WFYI's signal on its station, thereby enhancing WFYI's reach into Johnson County. Jon Murray's article in the Indianapolis Star points out an interesting point to this deal: The deal is a start at thwarting broadcaster Marty Hensley's attempt to force several Indianapolis (and suburban) non-commercial stations to share time with him for part of the day. Murray's article states that the "FCC minimum to avert time-sharing is 12 hours." John Krull, the Director of the Franklin College Pulliam School of Journalism says the WFCI-WFYI deal will provide "at least that much programming." Best, (Blaine Thompson, Indiana RadioWatch irw@well.com http://www.indianaradio.net WTFDA via DXLD) Bizarre. If you sell everything off, especially a license, I would think that would be a chapter 7 bankruptcy - liquidation - and the trustee or receiver would do it. I assume they filed chapter 11 bankruptcy, sold the equipment, and then the operator confused, didn't go thru Wabash legal if it even existed, sent the letter not realizing someone else was moving in. When Winter's legal found out they got Wabash to send the letter. Imagine Winter buying a license that didn't exi[s]t (George Magiros, 25 May, IRCA via DXLD) If WVMC-1360 is on the air, Paul Walker can easily find it on the dial from his location in Marion, Illinois, not far from Mount Carmel. The FCC data base and Cavell-Mertz still show DWVMC, licensed to Wabash ... StreamingRadio.com website shows WYNG (FM) in Mount Carmel owned by Withers, but does not show the AM station in Mt. Carmel among his holdings. The WYNG website, http://www.wyngfm.com/ makes no mention of 1360. Nor can any mention of 1360 be found on WYNG's Facebook Wall: http://www.facebook.com/pages/WVMC-1360-AM/123900857626694?v=info#!/wyngfm?v=wall I have e-mailed my former boss to see if I can get the lowdown. There may be an STA, I'm guessing. STAs don't show up in the readily available FCC data base. Withers has a strong national presence in the broadcasting industry, and an astute knowledge of the politics of broadcasting. He was among the leaders of the movement to enable AM stations to be relayed by FM translators, telling me of that effort during our last conversation in February 2009 in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, his base location. Here is Withers' bio from the NAB website: http://www.nab.org/documents/advocacy/NABPACTrustees/russellWithers.asp This broadcaster knows what he's doing (John Callarman, Krum TX, ibid.) [Later:] I wrote: ``Nor can any mention of 1360 be found on WYNG's Facebook Wall`` --- Not quite right ... among the five links to "Favorite Pages" on the WYNG website, there is a link to WVMC-1360, but this FaceBook page is blank. Indications on both WYNG's website and its Facebook page are that these are newly established in early May (Qal R. Mann, Krumudgeon, ibid.) ``STAs don't show up in the readily available FCC data base.`` They do, actually - it just takes another click through FCCinfo.com or the FCC's own AM query. Click on "view applications" and you can see that there was an STA granted last week to allow "DWVMC" to get back on the air while the FCC sorts this mess out. That application list also shows the app that was filed last December to transfer WVMC from Wabash to Withers. That transfer has apparently not yet been consummated, and this current issue will have to be cleaned up before the sale can close. In the meantime, Withers (whom I respect greatly as well) has a time brokerage agreement in place to operate WVMC. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) WVMC is only 500 Watts and I can't hear it here in Marion, at least haven't heard it; I have a 1340 and 1390 pretty close to me. I will try next time I'm out in the car. I think I had read Withers bought the dark station for like $36,000 I think. And I HAD read somewhere it was back on the air simulcasting WVMC, probably just to save the license as I think it had been dark for awhile (Paul B. Walker, Jr., ibid.) I found this in the application for the STA: "AS OF APRIL 13, 2010, THE DATE ON THE LETTER, AND PRESENTLY, 'MARTY HENSLEY' WAS NOT AND IS NOT THE CHIEF OPERATOR OF WVMC. FURTHER, HE WAS NOT AND IS NOT AN OFFICER, DIRECTOR OR SHAREHOLDER OF WABASH COMMUNICATIONS, INC., AND HE WAS NOT AND IS NOT AN EMPLOYEE, ATTORNEY OR AGENT FOR WABASH COMMUNICATIONS, INC. 'MARTY HENSLEY' HAD NO AUTHORITY TO OPEN MAIL ADDRESSED TO WABASH COMMUNICATIONS, INC., AND HE HAD NO AUTHORITY TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS TO THE FCC ON BEHALF OF EITHER WABASH COMMUNICATIONS, INC. OR STATION WVMC. https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi- bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101369198 &formid=911&fac_num=56562 It's a serious charge - he wasn't even an employee - no wonder the FCC wants to investigate it further. "In this case, we believe that the public interest in continuing DWVMC(AM)'s service to the residents of Mount Carmel, Illinois, warrants continued operation of the Station [for 180 days] pending further investigation and disposition of the matters raised in the STA Request. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=18776 ps. why is there a D in the call sign? if that isn't too off topic (George Magiros, ibid.) The "D" goes in front of callsigns of stations that have had their licenses cancelled and callsigns deleted, but which have not yet been removed from the database. It's sort of an FCC form of purgatory: these are often stations that are still operating for one reason or another, but which have to work through some Commission paperwork (or pay overdue fines or somesuch) to get their licenses restored. s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) Marty even says he WAS the chief operator for WVMC to the FCC in the first sentence of his letter "I was the Chief Operator for the Mt. Carmel, IL as listed above". And that he "received the mailed license for WVMC" and was returning it. http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103429955702&s=202&e=001lZVRblY4oxLTFQ7ulFalm_SoRcUv7TDKFR8kh2lZ1fMlMc2ozRkehCLvm6JAKRBjkjGq70MVC0vGjFUHsiWb6LunxiiWbv14HHUd6JTw2z4b1-gVeBAWflStVcMvU2XbfeS_-e8_pqF2hpIFon3ubyymxo2EPZB2eZggVPbQHy8ZVXJX6aUxfX4aqbHq6MpzTeInyxhdFfnmsMsTNTuuAgNdduE3NJNuADHKcQnI6So= (via http://sbe25indy.blogspot.com/) I guess he was confused and thought it was his legal duty to return it believing the company he used to work for was "legally defunct" and abandoned (chapter 7), which it wasn't, but being reorganized instead (chapter 11). if someone had just changed the mailing address none of this would of happened. hopefully i'm wrong about seriousness. the fcc probably wants to make sure. thanks scott (George Magiros, ibid.) We were too far north to hear WVMC when we blew through there two weeks ago.? All I noted was the Watseka that used to dominate the channel when I lived down that way. I have several hundred pages that I copied several years ago from the BYB (2003/04).? They show that Wabash paid $85,000 for WVMC in 2000.? Selling it for $36,000 is quite a loss.? In that area, with its low population and given the limited coverage the station must have, plus its nonexistant prospects of increasing its power, keeping it on as a twin for the FM (which probably competes in the Evansville market) is probably the only way to keep it on at all.? (Withers must have bought the FM from clear channel after 2004). 73 (David Faulkner, ibid.) To the best of my knowledge, WYNG, the sister FM doesn`t compete in Evansville and doesn`t try to. Neither does Withers WRUL/WROY in Carmi. Both FMs have huge signals. WYNG is live in AM and PM Drive. Sister WRUL-FM in Carmi is all satelitte 24/7 and little 5 0 0 Watter WROY 1460 in Carmi is live, local 6am to 7pm (Paul B. Walker, Jr., ibid.) ** U S A. Classical on KWMU coming! Maybe my message DID do some good! Here's a new item on the P-D "Culture" blog: http://interact.stltoday.com/blogzone/culture-club/culture-club/2010/05/kfuo-kwmu-adds-classical-music-hd-channel/ So they're not following my suggestion precisely, but doing essentially the same thing but with a satellite-classical service instead of local origination. What surprised me is that they went ahead and publicly announced this and never sent me any response to my e-mail. By the way, do you have any FM HD radios? I only have one, a Cambridge Soundworks model I got on a discount deal a year or so ago. Problem is that HD radios seem to not be all that sensitive, when they really should be *more* sensitive in order to get a clear digital signal. And an aside re FM: I was watching a KETC "Living St. Louis" segment on KSHE's 40th anniversary as a classic album-rock free-form FM broadcaster (it's now much more corporate-radio of course), and they repeatedly emphasized how few people actually had FM radios in the 60s. I clearly remember listening to FM then, of course, but I am having a hard time recalling just what radios I owned then. I think I had a generic brand transistor AM/FM (maybe several?) but the first one I clearly recall was the GE SuperRadio II (Will Martin, St Louis MO, May 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not surprised KWMU is doing that. Most public radio stations take the easy way out and refuse to produce their own classical shows any more. Much better than nothing (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** URUGUAY. 6045-USB, 0805, Radio Sarandí tentatively reactivated. Spanish newstalk format in USB mode only, noted 29/4 and 30/4. I last had positive ident on this on 19/2 and it has been missing on regular checks till now. Clear frequency but difficult reception due atmospheric static noise level (Bryan Clark at Mangawhai, New Zealand, with AOR7030+ and Alpha Delta Sloper, EWEs to NE, E and SE, plus various 100 metre BOGs to the Americas, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** VATICAN. 9600, VR IS May 21 from tune-in 2242 till off at 2245* without announcement. Chinese from SMG at 2200-2245; most of their languages end at least a few minutes earlier, but instead of going right off, VR likes to play its lovely ``Christ Conquers`` IS postludio ad infinitum (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. TRIBUNAL RECHAZÓ REACTIVACIÓN DEL CANAL RCTVI RCTV, la televisora privada más antigua del país, salió del aire en señal abierta en el 2007 cuando Chávez se negó a renovarle la concesión alegando que el canal respaldó el fallido golpe de Estado del 2002 AP | Caracas, Venezuela | Publicado el 20 de mayo de 2010 El Tribunal Supremo de Justicia negó una medida cautelar solicitada por la estación Radio Caracas Televisión Internacional (RCTVI), que pedía la reactivación de su señal en el servicio de cable en Venezuela como un servicio de producción nacional audiovisual. . . Fuente: ElColombiano.com http://bit.ly/cNJU71 (via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [non]. Another no-show from El Hugazo, checking ``Alo, Presidente`` frequencies via Cuba, Sunday May 23 at 1604: nothing on 17750, 13750, 13680, 12010, 11690. RHC itself was audible on 11730, 11760, 12030, 15380. 15250, RNV via CUBA, May 24 at 2341 as I tuned by, heard them STILL giving in Spanish the same old schedule they had at the outset years ago, starting with 11 am to San Francisco on 13740 --- which now has been totally outdated for YEARS except for one broadcast which happens still to exist, ``1700 [meaning local time = 2000 UT] to Rio de Janeiro on 17705``; and all the `new` broadcasts never get mentioned including the one I am listening to. What total Bolivarian incompetence! The only reason the correct schedule is out there such as in the WRTH A-10 Update is that WE originally put it together by monitoring. No help from RNV. At least it has not changed for some years now. Except when RHC runs it overtime. RNV obviously get reception reports on frequencies and at times not in their announcement, but duh, they have not put two and two together in the studio and figured out maybe some correxions are needed. Also, standard inquiry: what has become of their own new SW transmitter site at Calabozo which was supposed to go on the air by last December? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 6874.9, May 22 at 0153, very weak talk and music in the noise level, presumably one of the pirates. Seems more upper than lower. WYFR is on 6875 from 03 to 12 give or take (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 7370, Unidentified 860 Hertz tone transmission noted May 22 at 1600-1730 UT, but from 1730 til 1754 UT only 'empty' carrier. What a waste of mains power. Seemingly Grigoriopol-MDA transmission, equal level of accompanied co-channel IRIB Kamalabad in Turkish, which sound could well separated from Hertz tone procedure. 7410 AIR was much, much weaker, so I guess no AIR sound could be heard here on 7370 on this time span. S=9+10dB (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 15105, not traced any ID of this English language station at 0615 UT, S=3 poor here in Germany. Some Horn of Africa / Saharan music? Left the air around 0658 UT. Some Sudan Sunday special? No \\s found on BBC Africa Sat/Sun specials. Ascension outlet? Spurious? (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Checking the new Aoki schedule file, just a couple of changes today: There's an unID entry on 15545 at 1500-1600 (Dan Ferguson, SC, May 23, shortwavelistenng yg via DXLD) Viz.: 15545 UnID 1500-1600 ......7 EGR a10 May 22 --- Means European Gospel Radio, i.e. via IRRS via SLOVAKIA, Saturdays only, but what? (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 21540 kHz 17/05 1455 - Free Asia (BBG), Eua - musica árabe tradicional, sinal regular - 35444 (Sarmento Campos, Maricá, Rio de Janeiro, Receptor : Sony ICF-SW77, Antena : Longwire 10 metros, Posição : S 22.9321 W 42.8691º, radioescutas yg via DXLD) He IDed it as above but the Arabic station axually on 21540 at 10-15, per Aoki, is R. Kuwait. This raises a more important question: is Spain still on 21540 too at 09-15(Sat/Sun -17)? Haven`t had much trans-Atlantic 13m reception here for weeks (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ FM ATLAS XXI Better than an online database of FM stations of Mexico is my print publication, the FM Atlas, just published. It has new and revised data on FM stations in time for the skip season! Thanks to the many who have bought the book so far; we are feverishly trying to get them out to people as fast as possible. Bruce Elving, FM Atlas Publisher, 21st edition, 2010, 288 pages, $22 postpaid, listing on maps and directories the FM radio stations of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Order by mail at PO Box 336, Esko MN 55733- 0336, by PayPal or by credit card at 218-879-7676. 73 (Bruce Elving, May 21, amfmtvdx at qth.net via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) EMISORAS DE FM There are two indispensable directories for Mexico. One is the FM Atlas. The other is the Emisoras - a listing of FM stations in all of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, Mexico. The photo I took in the Bahamas graces the cover of the Emisoras, but that's just window dressing. It's the work of Jim Thomas of the WTFDA, who created detailed lists with maps, that makes it absolutely worth it. http://www.wtfda.org --- It's online but easily printable for a three- ring binder - and you can print the maps separately to mark which stations you need, or are targets. The FM Atlas, equally indispensable, is produced whenever Bruce Elving, also a WTFDA member, gets a burst of energy. It's exclusively on paper, though he does offer a subscription-based update (not sure if that includes Mexico - ask him). It includes lists and maps. Latest editions of both are each hot off the presses, and the serious DXer will use both of these. The WTFDA web site, above, also has a link to this. Finally, I strongly recommend joining WTFDA if you DX FM or TV. I've been a member since the late 70s, and I would be doing other things had I not had the resources and camaraderie of the club and its many members. The e-mail list is much more active than this one in terms of alerts about skip openings, and the WTFDA also has a Forums site with places to post audio and video clips. Each of the three things I've mentioned are pocket change. Saul (Saul Chernos, Burnt River ON, ibid.) MUSEA +++++ DAYTON CODEBREAKERS A one-hour documentary aired on OETA. Apparently it is available from American Public Television for the next few years. A different angle to the better-known story of Bletchley Park and ENIGMA. See website (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: http://www.daytoncodebreakers.org/ This mission of this site is to tell the story of hundreds of people who worked at the United States Naval Computing Machine Laboratory, a top secret project in Dayton during World War Two. These people kept their secret for over fifty years. This site is maintained in Dayton, Ohio by Deborah (Desch) Anderson; additional contributions have been made through the generosity of Dayton History, especially the Archive Center at Dayton History, and the internet service provider Donet. I am grateful to the Archive Center and to the Wenger Command Display in Pensacola, Florida and the many veterans--WAVES and sailors-- who have been so generous over the years for a share of the photographs presented here. Thanks for learning about a part of Dayton's, and the nation's, history. The story of the Dayton code breakers survived 50 years of secrecy in part because it woven with so many threads of world history -- military, diplomatic, technological, scientific. I emphasize technological facts and personal stories on this site but I think it's important to mention that the equipment designed here was part of the dawn of the age of information, and that so many of today's headlines deal with issues originating 60 years ago (via DXLD) The BBC in 1959 Someone has posted the 1959 documentary film "This is the BBC" on YouTube. It's in seven parts. Part 1 is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lusobLcdEqQ and you can then follow the links from each part to the next. Of course, I was particularly interested in a brief (but rather good!) section on Monitoring, which starts at 4:35 in Part 5, but there's plenty of other interesting material, including colour TV test transmissions, which apparently took place after normal broadcasting had ended for the day (Chris Greenway, England, May 19, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ REPORTAGE "GRAN MAGGNNNATTAAA 35,35 YEARS PLAY-DX" Ciao! You may look at the photos and the complete detailled reportage of the meeting "35.35 YEARS PLAYDX" we have celebrated the past 15 may in ASTI and SETTIME. http://www.playdx.com/html/playdx35/playdx35.htm Thanks to Gigi Naj for the good organisation of the Meeting. 73's (Dario Monferini, Milano, Italy, May 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Three months to the NRC/WTFDA Rochester convention! So who's coming to Rochester for the NRC/WTFDA convention, August 27- 29? We're working on a great weekend of radio fun. Here's what's on the agenda so far: If you're coming in from out of town, you might want to get here a day early. For those arriving on Thursday August 26, we'll have some sort of an informal dinner and, if there's interest, a Red Wings baseball game. Friday, August 27 will kick off with studio and transmitter tours (including, perhaps, a live talk show appearance at WXXI!) There's lots that has changed here since the last time the clubs were in town in 2003-04, and plenty that we didn't see last time. On Friday night, Jim Renfrew and his wife Robin will be hosting a cookout at their spread west of Rochester. Jim has an all-band DX setup, everything from LW to UHF, and we can enjoy an evening at his shack, not to mention great food and great company. On Saturday, I'm hoping to start the morning with some informal DX seminars. John Johnson, who's coming from Montana with Nancy, has already volunteered to put on his slide show of his western station visits going as far back as the 1970s. I'd love to hear from other DXers interested in giving short talks about their areas of expertise as well! There will be more tours Saturday afternoon - including the Antique Wireless Association museum just a short drive from the convention site. Details of the banquet Saturday night are still being worked out. I expect that it will be a "pay for what you order" affair, which will allow us to keep the actual registration cost nice and low. After the banquet, we'll have a speaker (TBA) and the club auction, as well as short business meetings for both clubs. Details on where to send auction donations will be coming soon. On Sunday morning, it's the DX Quiz - and for those looking for a leisurely route home, I'm pretty sure that a few of our outlying AM facilities (Bob Savage's WYSL in Avon and Mark Humphrey's WCJW in Warsaw) will be able to have their doors open Sunday afternoon for visitors heading south and west by road. That's the tentative schedule, now for the registration details: HOTEL - We're at the Brookwood Inn, right off I-490 and the NYS Thruway (I-90) and alongside the historic Erie Canal in the quaint village of Bushnell's Basin, a few minutes east of downtown Rochester. Rooms are just $65 + tax per night, and that rate covers up to four people in a room. There's free breakfast, free parking and a free airport shuttle if you're arriving by air. To make your reservation, call the Brookwood at 800-396-1194 or 585-248-9000 and use the code "National Radio Club." And then please let me know you've reserved, too! TRANSPORTATION: Rochester is served by most major airlines (American, Continental, Delta, United) with discount service from JetBlue and AirTran. Southwest flies to Buffalo, about a 90-minute drive from the hotel. The hotel has free shuttle service from the Rochester airport. If you're flying to Buffalo, a rental car is recommended. The Rochester Greyhound/Trailways and Amtrak stations are in downtown Rochester, less than 15 minutes from the hotel. Rides can be arranged with advance notice. Rochester is an easy day's drive from most of the northeast and much of the midwest and mid-Atlantic regions, and the hotel is 5 minutes from exit 45 of the New York Thruway (I-90). REGISTRATION: Details will be announced in June; this year's convention will have a small registration fee to cover snacks, materials and the Friday night cookout. You'll pay for your own dinner at the banquet. FAMILY ACTIVITIES: No need to leave your spouse or kids at home! Even if they're not into radio, Lisa Fybush is organizing weekend activities for non-radio attendees. Contact her at lisa@fybush.com if you're coming. QUESTIONS? Let me know, and I'll try to answer them...and please spread the word about Convention 2010! (Scott Fybush on behalf of the convention committee: Scott and Lisa Fybush, Jerry Bond, Greg Coniglio, Rick Lucas and Jim Renfrew, May 26, IRCA via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ Eton E1/E1XM Discontinued Eton has discontinued the E1 (see Universal Radio's website). New E1's are no longer available so if you want one better begin thinking about buying used gear (Rich D`Angelo, PA, May 19, NASWA yg via DXLD) Thanks to a tip from NASWA's Rich D`Angelo, Universal Radio is announcing that Eton has discontinued production of the E1 in both the XM and XM-less versions. Speculation has run wild for well over a year that this was imminent and now we know. Several DXers swear by it, including Harold Sellers and yours truly. If you want one you will need to find a used one (Mark Coady, Peterborough, ON K9J 6X3, May 19, ODXA yg via DXLD) ANOTHER 2 X IF IMAGE MISUNDERSTANDING WTWW has received a complaint from Florida, bolstered by a recording, that it is interfering with WWCR on 4840, and Mauritania on 4845, by putting out a spurious signal from its 5755 transmitter on 4845. My reply: In my experience, WTWW on 4845 immediately raises a red flag, as that is exactly 910 kHz below the true frequency 5755. 910 is two times 455 kHz, a typical intermediate frequency of shortwave receivers. It is common for listeners to report hearing stations on the 4 MHz band which are NOT REALLY THERE, but are images produced only in the (cheap) receivers from 910 kHz higher. This should be easy to verify, by checking against a receiver with a different IF (such as 450 kHz), which would put the image 10 kHz higher on 4855. Or on any receiver with better image rejection even if it does have a 455 kHz IF. While it is conceivable that the transmitter on 5755 could be putting out a very weak spur on 4845, it is far more likely that anything heard there is produced ONLY in a receiver, and thus WTWW has no responsibility for it. Regards, (Glenn Hauser, via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I should add that stations picking out frequencies, especially out-of- band, should always take into consideration whether there will be a strong signal 910 or 900 kHz higher, which cheap receivers will cause to `interfere` (gh, DXLD) WHITE SPACE? Lately I've been noticing what looks like 2-way type transmissions on ch 2, 7 & 8 when my VHF antenna is pointed towards Rochester. The ch 2 will go a bit silent with a dark moiré type pattern for a few seconds and up to a half minute or so, Ch?8 has light grey/dark grey thick bars with a braap-braap sound that lasts for a few seconds to a minute and ch 7 is the same only not as strong but at the same time(maybe covering both freqs.?). Could this be dreaded "white space" transmissions? Is there a list of transmissions in the white space. Only noticed in the past few months, not before June of last year. (Jim Pizzi, 15 miles ESE of Rochester, NY, WTFDA via DXLD) SWL `CALLSIGNS` Help Needed --- Good day to all. It is always a very happy sensation when the phone rings and at the other side, is someone who got you phone somehow and is calling to say, "I am interested in Short Wave Would you help me" ? That is what occurred to me today. A man placed me a call very much interested in Short Wave. I maybe 30 minutes I gave him a crash course on the topic and promised to call him back again. One of the questions he asked is, related to the SWL License (I have one of those) A nice thing to have and hang at the shack ( we all love that) The point is that I can remember how I got this license. Can anyone help me on this so I can pass this info to this gentleman please? Best 73s (Luigi Pérez, PR, HCDX via DXLD) Luigi, There is no such thing as a ``SWL License``. Fortunately, no license is required to listen! At least not outside the most repressive communist regimes, mostly of the past. There was once a fad which I hope has passed for SWLs to obtain a `call sign` like licensed radio amateurs must have in order to transmit, which for them is logical. Several individuals and companies saw a money-making opportunity and starting issuing such made-up alfa-numeric SWL callsigns for a price; which have no legal standing whatsoever. If your caller really feels his own name is insufficient for him to be known by, tell him to make up any combination of random letters and numbers and put them after or instead of his name, even have them printed on a framable certificate, if that makes him feel good. Google them first to see if they already mean or lead to something or someone else. Probably should not be something already used as a password. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Hi Luigi, To get a free SWL call sign, go to: http://members.shaw.ca/swarl/sld006.htm You will also get a free certificate in pdf format thru email. It has no legal standing but will help you to register with qrz.com & eqsl.cc if you are interested in listening on amateur bands & chasing for qsl's. --- (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, ibid.) Yes, a lot of hams have the mindset that even if you are not a ham, you should have some kind of callsign to merit a response to an SWL report. As, of course, SWLs are `junior hams`, incomplete until they get a license. A lot of these made-up SWL calls are based on ham country prefices, too (gh, DXLD) Hi Glenn. Don`t worry, I am aware of everything regarding this type of Lic. At the beginning - just as a sympathetic thing - I used to use my old CB Club Call as a SWL Lic (KPR260) It occurred to me that I could add SWL and just made myself a SWL Call as KPR-260-SWL. Then I found that someone somewhere was charging (as you mention) a couple of bucks (I guess it was $5.00) on such Lic. At the end and after a thousand headaches, I got a Lic via e-mail as KPR3003SWL. It has no legal status whatsoever; however, it looks nice at my small shack near my FCC NP4FW Call. This gentleman new at the hobby, placed me a call a couple of days ago. I knew that the question was going to rise. More than that, I urged him to pay me a visit so he can learn more over a cup of coffee. I told him about HCDX, Monitoring Times, Pop Comm and on Harry Helms book. Best 73s (Héctor (Luigi) Pérez, NP4FW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Olá Pessoal, Para quem deseja saber mais sobre como obter gratuitamente seu prefixo de radioescuta juntamente com um belo certificado para decorar o seu shack: Visitem o meu blog: http://pu2lzb.wordpress.com PS: Vejam também quais as vantagens em se ter um prefixo de radioescuta válido e reconhecido internacionalmente. Um forte 73 a todos e boas escutas ! (PY2028SWL RENATO ULIANA, Grid Locator: GG66rn, Guarulhos SP Brasil, radioescutas yg via DXLD) e fora do Brasil? (gh) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DTV ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DTV BACKUP TRANSMITTERS Do stations have digital backup transmitters like they did with analog? I'm guessing not because digital transmitters cost money when stations most need it now. One is costly enough. But it sure could come in good use at times like these (Chris Kadlec, MI, WTFDA via DXLD) Very few stations have digital backup transmitters. It's partly a matter of cost, partly a matter of available space (during the transition, there was little room at many transmitter sites for backup xmtrs or antennas). And it's partly a matter of pragmatism: it was one thing to spend the money on a backup transmitter 30 or 40 or 50 years ago, when 100% of your audience was watching OTA and transmitters were unreliable, complex beasts. It's another thing to commit those resources in 2010, when in some markets as few as 10% of viewers are OTA-dependent and when modern transmitters are (generally) much more reliable. Even back then, the backup transmitter was usually not something that was bought specifically as a backup; it was often the old transmitter that was replaced with something newer or higher-powered. Rather than being hauled away or sold to someone else, the old transmitter tended to be kept on site as a backup. The DTV transition broke that cycle for many stations. It's been only 12 years since the very first DTV signals came on the air, and so most stations are still on their first main DTV transmitter. As those original DTV transmitters get cycled out of main use, they'll become backups - but that will take a while. s (Scott Fybush, WTFDA via DXLD) Y'know, a quick SQL check of the FCC database suggests there are *more* digital backup transmitters than there were analog. I count 106 for DTV, 95 for analog. Figures may not be 100% accurate due to one station having more than one backup etc... I'm not sure that necessarily reflects reality though. Many backup transmitters (both analog and digital) *don't show up in the FCC DB*. What I *think* the theory is is --- if the backup is licensed with the same parameters as the main (same antenna and output power) a separate license is not required. At one time, your license specified the make and model of transmitter you were to use. Not anymore. For example, on the WTMJ-TV (DTV ch. 28) license: "Transmitter: Type Accepted. See Sections 73.1660, 73.1665 and 73.1670 of the Commission's Rules." That's all it says -- WTMJ-TV must use a type-accepted transmitter. It doesn't matter *which* type-accepted transmitter, as long as it can make enough power to achieve their licensed 1000 kW ERP with their licensed antenna (which *is* specified on the license, a Jampro JSH- 32/28.) So if WTMJ-TV wanted to install a backup transmitter with the same power as the main, it's already authorized. ====================================================================== It might also be noted that many modern VHF DTV transmitters are inherently modular. The WSMV DTV transmitter (we only have one) consists of two redundant exciters driving two cabinets full of amplifier and power supply modules. We can lose one power supply module and 2-3 amplifier modules and the transmitter power doesn't even change. We can lose most of them and still be on the air at reduced power. So arguably, we don't really *need* a backup transmitter -- our transmitter is its own backup (might be nice to have a backup *antenna* but even at the peak of the analog era, almost *nobody* had a backup antenna). This is not necessarily the case at UHF where tubes are still often the order of the day. In a number of cases where stations *do* have DTV backup transmitters, they had a STA early in the transition to operate at reduced power. Or, towards the end of transition they got a permit to increase power ("maximize") from their initial post-transition figure. In many of these cases, they kept their old reduced-power transmitter & relicensed it as a backup (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, May 23, ibid.) I quite agree. There's a difference between a second transmitter at the main site, feeding the main antenna at the same power level, and a true "backup" facility that might be at a completely different location or at least a separate, lower antenna. I don't think the concept of a backup antenna is as rare as Doug makes it out to be. At least two of the five stations here in Rochester have backup antennas lower down on their towers - but of course, those were the low-band Vs pre-transition. Only one of those stations, WHEC 10, stayed on its analog channel. Since they're using the same transmitter for digital that they used for analog, I have no reason to think they couldn't still use the old analog backup antenna if the need were to arise. > In many of these cases, they kept their old reduced-power transmitter & relicensed it as a backup. That's the case for one station here: WROC-DT 45 came on the air with a low-power rig (a Rohde & Schwarz 1 kW, if memory serves), and I believe they kept it in place as a backup when they got the full-power transmitter a few years later. That's the only station in town with a backup transmitter, per se; WHEC's old analog transmitter is a solid- state Harris unit that, like Doug's at WSMV, is essentially its own modular backup. (Even when a transmitter is internally redundant, there are still other pieces that can go wrong; we were off the air at WXXI-DT for several days when the mask filter that sits between the transmitter and the transmission line failed.) Sometimes when stations can't make use of their pre-transition STA transmitters locally (a UHF DTV returning to its pre-transition VHF channel, for instance), I've seen station groups do internal swaps to move transmitters around to serve as backups. The low-power channel 58 transmitter that was WHEC's interim DTV rig here, for instance, was supposed to have gone to a sister Hubbard station in Minnesota when WHEC went back to VHF. As it turned out, that particular Harris model was not easily retuned, and so it's collecting dust here in Rochester instead. (Anybody need a channel 58 DTV transmitter? :) s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) Neither WISC nor WSMV had a completely separate backup antenna. Both stations had the ability to split their single antenna and feed only part of it. I've heard of other stations doing that. Can't say I've known *firsthand* of any station that had one (obviously quite a few did/do but I've only read about them, never actually saw a station that had one) I guess I'll stick to my claim that backup antennas are rare, but by no means unheard-of and possibly less-rare in certain markets (notably NYC). (absolutely, and there are heat-exchanger parts that can get you in trouble too. As one station (I forget who...) learned the hard way a month or two ago when someone decided to steal the copper piping in their exchanger...) – (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) Are you thinking of KMBC? (Trip Ericson, ibid.) Yes (Doug Smith W9WI, ibid.) http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/451956-KMBC_Transmitter_Knocked_Out_By_Purloined_Pipes.php (via Curtis Sadowski, ibid.) Many, do not. It's a cost thing after being required to pay the expense of the transition. Our WLIO channel 8 has a low power, 500 watt vs the 4,320 out of the big rig, but our channel 35 only has the redundant exciters, power amps, and controllers. Finances, in most cases, dictates the backup costs. I guess a good comparison would be, how many people have backup cars? Some people are lucky and do. Most don't. And the need for the backup is proportional to the amount of revenue a station gets from OTA broadcasts (Fred Vobbe, OH, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- IBOC See USA KRTH/KMAY; KOST/KATY+ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DAB ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 Comment on “UK launches “scrappage scheme” for analogue radios” #1 Electronic_Engineer on May 21st, 2010 at 16:37 Unfortunately, verifiable evidence proves that DAB radio is actually INFERIOR to FM in the most important areas and no better than others. More stations have been crammed in than the DAB system was designed for, so the sound quality is always worse than FM, and the BBC website shows that programmes made in stereo are sometimes broadcast in mono on DAB. The signal for DAB is more patchy than for FM, and when a DAB signal is poor, you get a loud ‘bubbling mud’ sound, or no sound at all. Many of the advantages claimed for DAB radios already exist on FM. If you have an FM radio with RDS - as is the case in most cars - you already have push button station selection, and automatic retuning as you drive round the country. And RDS also provides radio text, although for some reason many UK broadcasters have chosen not to use it. The best way to listen to digital radio is either on Freeview or through the internet, both of which give much better sound. The UK’s shoddy outdated DAB system has been abandonned by most other countries, and deserves to fail here. (Media Network blog via DXLD) "Listen Again" to BBC Radio 4 "PM" Programme discussion at 17:50 UK time re radio scrappage scheme. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00sccf4/PM_20_05_2010/ (Thanks to Ken Fletcher) (Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) UK DIGITAL RADIO SWITCHOVER GETS POOR RECEPTION Daily Telegraph 23 May 2010 A recent House of Lords Communications Committee report gave warning of a backlash and said there was "public confusion and industry uncertainty" over the switchover. Critics said the switchover date is much too early because demand for digital radios is still low, many areas had no - or poor - digital coverage and many hilly areas would be unable to receive digital radio because of the prohibitive cost of transmitters. Only about 80 per cent of the country has digital coverage, compared to FM's 96 per cent. They claimed that the current analogue FM radio already provided high sound quality and although it was susceptible to "interference" that was preferable to digital which could lose the signal altogether. Others said the current digital system - known as Digital Audio Broadcasting, or DAB - was already being overtaken by a superior DAB+ system and would soon be obsolete, forcing people to upgrade their radios yet again. Charities have warned that many pensioners and other less well off people would find it difficult to afford to buy new digital radios at £40-50 a time - even with the help of a "scrappage" scheme, which begins this weekend and gives radio owners a 20 per cent discount off a digital radio when they hand in an old one. Libby Purves, the writer and former Radio 4 broadcaster said the rush to digital, and the scrapping of up to 50 million radios in good working order - was "barking mad". Ms Purves said she was a fan of many digital channels but said the switchover should be "put off for 10 years". . . http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7753364/Digital-radio-switchover-gets-poor-reception.html (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) CONCERN AS RADIO SCRAPPAGE SCHEME DISMAYS ANALYSTS Cambridge News UK 25 May 2010 Here's the bad news. Very soon you're going to have to part with your steam radio and your crystal set, because the world of radio is going all digital. To lessen the pain, a radio scrappage scheme has been announced, but not everyone thinks it's a good idea, including Cambridge Consultants, who developed the Iona WiFi-enabled internet radio. "DAB is already a 20-year-old technology and a great deal of debate surrounds whether or not it is the right target for 2015 (the final switchover year). The new radio scrappage scheme to hasten the digital switchover may prove to be equally mis-directed," CC says. "The 20% discount offered by the scrappage scheme is a hefty margin for retailers to swallow at the moment, so it's not surprising that some don't seem keen to participate. "Even radio manufacturers won't get much from this, as there aren't many providers of the core DAB technology, so there isn't much room for innovation. Manufacturers will have much more fun designing really novel internet-based products, especially as new technology emerges." CC adds: "It's difficult to see who is benefitting from the scrappage scheme idea. Is a spectrum sale really worth it? "The DAB debate is incomplete as it views analogue and DAB as the only radio technologies available to consumers. If you want high quality, good sounding, interactive, personalised radio content, the internet is the place to look. Britons are already spending a hugely increased amount of time online. "IP-based radio services offer consumers far more in terms of quality and variety, including on-demand content which DAB cannot provide. By 2015, IP-based services will be available on the move for a large proportion of the population so schemes such as the new radio trade- in, which push toward a DAB switchover, are premature." http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Business/Concern-as-radio-scrappage-scheme-dismays-analysts.htm (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) UK - "THE DIGITAL SWITCHOVER IS FOLLY. LISTENERS LIKE RADIO AS IT IS" The Guardian By Julian Glover 23 May 2010 In an ingenious double exploitation of philanthropic guilt and illicit anxiety, radio broadcasters are now trying to shame us into handing in our outmoded sets. A series of adverts has been launched on the BBC and elsewhere to promote what is being called an "amnesty" for FM radios, as if battered old receivers have been declared some sort of offensive weapon and owning one the next worst thing to keeping a machete under the bed or a gun in the glove box. The lure is a small discount of uncertain value on a new digital set, and the worthwhile promise that some of the battery-powered redundant devices will be sent to a children's radio scheme in South Africa. How many will actually end up in the children's hands no one seems able to say. The rest of them are to be recycled, a term that opens up an array of bureaucratic jargon and European directives, but boils down to the likelihood that radios deemed officially unacceptable in Britain will be picked apart in one Chinese factory by low-paid workers while another group of workers, equally underpaid, assembles shiny digital replacements. Either way, manufacturers will be kept happy, although perhaps not listeners. This is the story of what happens when the state makes up its mind and then, when things start going wrong, carries on regardless over several decades before hiding the consequences behind a sham of free- market activism and individual choice. . . [MORE] http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/may/23/digital-switchover-car-radio (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) “It is quite extra-ordinary that both the BBC and some parts of the commercial sector should broadcast a proposition which both know to be fundamentally flawed in many parts of the country. At a time when people are concerned about making best use of every penny they have, for those same people to be urged to scrap their FM/AM sets in favour of a DAB set that might not even work in their area is disgraceful." Full story at http://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.5952 (Mike Terry, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM see also BELGIUM; CANADA; CHILE; COSTA ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RICA; INDIA; PORTUGAL USA. NETHERLANDS ANTILLES, The Disco Palace, 15755 DRM, 26 May at 2030. Lovely stereo audio of scary old disco tunes, with nearly local FM quality, when the signal can be decoded, which is intermittently, with constant dropouts and not even 15 seconds passing before the non- stop disco action farts into deadness while waiting for the next decodable bit to make it through the aether, and this is in the target zone, the targets being the USA and Canada. If I can't even decode the signal reliably here, then it will be exactly as poor in Ontario and presumably worse Northwards. If this really is a US station, why is it broadcasting from Bonaire? Wouldn't it be more effective stateside? Why is it broadcasting from 2000 to 2100? Who is listening? Who is the target audience? The frequency of 15755 is barely within the MUF limit for today's solar flux, so wouldn't something in the 22 meter band be more wise? As it is, I'm having a horrible and truly tortuous listening experience. Thanks for proving yet again what a fiasco broadcast digital radio and television are. They are unreliable even when they're local, so what chance do they have when they're two F-hops away? And switching off the broadcast mid-song at 2100 sharp? I can't express how heartily that encourages me to attempt listening again (Terry Wilson, MI, Eton E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) It`s pretty clear that The Disco Palace is an imaginary building in ``Miami``; really an alter-ego of Transmitter Documentation Project, Belgium, next to its own dance music DRM show (gh, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ SPORADIC SPACE-SHUTTLE SKIP, ROUND TWO? Please be alert for a repeat of the extraordinary daytime MW DX opening Glenn Hauser in OK observed in the few hours following the landing of the last space shuttle mission April 20, which brought in night-like reception of stations in the 500-800 mile range from Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. The lower SW tropical bands could also be affected, but be difficult to detect due to the paucity of daytime signals in North America, especially broadcasters. Hams on 160 and 80 meters should certainly try for unusual contacts. This coincided with the path of passage of the STS thru the ionosphere across North America from Vancouver to Cape Cañaveral, so we theorized that the orbiter had caused some long-lingering ionization (or perhaps more likely, disrupted the normal daytime effect of the D layer absorbing MW signals). You may want to have a look at what I heard on April 20, under USA in http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld1016.txt We don`t yet know what path Atlantis will take into Florida this time (or even whether it will have to land in CA or NM due to weather in which case the time or even day would be different), but the mission TV schedule if all is nominal according to the NASA website as of May 25 shows in UT for the final day of the mission, Wednesday May 26 starting with orbit number: http://www.nasa.gov/tvschedule/pdf/tvsked_revj.pdf 183 ATLANTIS DEORBIT PREPARATIONS BEGIN 07:40 184 PAYLOAD BAY DOOR CLOSING 09:05 186 ATLANTIS DEORBIT BURN 11:45 187 MILA C-BAND RADAR ACQUISITION OF ATLANTIS 12:35 187 KSC LANDING 12:48 Even if ionospheric passage occur at night, the effect could still linger many hours into the daytime. It will certainly be daytime by landing on the above schedule. Once deorbiting is Go, the path into KSC will become evident. Keep an eye on: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html If you are within say, 250-750 miles of the path during the following daytime hours, look for MW DX on normally open frequencies. Should this happen again, it will be strong evidence to confirm my theory. If not, I would dearly like to know what could have caused it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Latest Space Shuttle News STS-132 Crew Prepares for Landing Tue, 25 May 2010 06:47:07 PM UTC-0100 Tuesday the space shuttle crew participated in interviews and prepared for its return to Earth. The first landing opportunity for Atlantis is Wednesday at 8:48 a.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center. Wednesday weather forecasts for Kennedy Space Center were generally favorable, though there was a chance of showers within 30 miles of the runway (via gh, DXLD) Please feel free to repost this to other groups where it may be of interest. And would anyone making some positive observations please report them to me directly, wghauser @ yahoo.com (Glenn Hauser, OK, May 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This landing is approaching KSC on a very different path than the last one: across Central America, Cuba, Everglades. So if the same thing happens it would affect DX in the Caribbean area, where I hope someone will be checking the MW and tropical bands today, but not likely observable in Oklahoma or most of the US. Let`s hope that the few remaining landings will be right across the USA as in April. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts132/news/landing.html (Glenn Hauser, 1245 UT May 26, ibid.) Down safely on schedule at 1248 UT. Altho my April 20 logs were roughly perpendicular to the path a few hours earlier, if there is an ionospheric disruption now, it could affect paths roughly along the track too, e.g. from between Central America and south Florida, so please look for DX in those areas (Glenn Hauser, 1253 UT, ibid.) [Tvfmdx] WHY DOES EUROPE HAVE ALL OF THE FUN? I know that this has been discussed before but why does Europe seem to have all of the fun? In looking at the Sherlock maps it seems that *every day* there are huge clusters of bleeding red 50 MHz Es lines all over the continent - and often into the evening when our Es may fizzle or shift. Yesterday at about 1900 UT, Europe was covered and there were as many 144 MHz contacts as there were 50 MHz contacts in North America. Today same boat at 1200 UT (there were also 144 MHz Es contacts almost as many). Is it location? Many of the clouds seem North of 40' N Latitude (but South of 60). Or ???? Thanks and 73. (Dave Hascall, Indianapolis IN, May 25, WTFDA via DXLD) The short answer is that the Geomagnetic Equator at European longitudes is north of the Geographic Equator, whereas in the Western Hemisphere the Geomagnetic Equator is south of the Geographic Equator. i.e. further away from us. Regards, (Fred Laun, Temple Hills, MD, ibid.) Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to active levels during the period. Activity was predominantly quiet on 17 May. Activity increased to quiet to active levels during 18-21 May. Predominantly quiet levels occurred during the rest of the period. The active levels that occurred on 18 May appeared to be associated with a solar sector boundary passage. The activity levels that occurred during 19-20 May were associated with a recurrent co-rotating interaction region followed by a coronal hole high-speed stream (CIR/CH HSS). FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 26 MAY - 21 JUNE 2010 Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal to moderate levels during 26-29 May. Flux levels are expected to increase to high levels during 30 May - 09 June. Normal levels are expected for the remainder of the period. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet levels on 26 May. Activity is expected to increase to unsettled to minor storm levels during 27-30. The increased activity forecast on 27-28 May is expected due to CME activity that occurred on 23-24 May. The activity on 29-30 May is expected due to a recurrent CIR/CH HSS. Quiet to active levels are expected on 31 May, with quiet to unsettled levels on 01 June, as the effects of the CH HSS subside. Quiet levels are expected during 02-14 June. Quiet to active levels are expected during 15-16 June, as a recurrent CIR/CH HSS affects the field. Quiet levels are expected during the rest of the period. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2010 May 25 2351 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center # Product description and SWPC contact on the Web # http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2010 May 25 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2010 May 26 76 5 2 2010 May 27 78 17 5 2010 May 28 78 15 5 2010 May 29 80 20 5 2010 May 30 80 20 5 2010 May 31 80 12 4 2010 Jun 01 82 7 3 2010 Jun 02 80 7 2 2010 Jun 03 80 5 2 2010 Jun 04 80 5 2 2010 Jun 05 78 5 2 2010 Jun 06 76 5 2 2010 Jun 07 75 5 2 2010 Jun 08 70 5 2 2010 Jun 09 70 5 2 2010 Jun 10 70 5 2 2010 Jun 11 70 5 2 2010 Jun 12 70 5 2 2010 Jun 13 70 5 2 2010 Jun 14 70 5 2 2010 Jun 15 70 5 2 2010 Jun 16 70 7 3 2010 Jun 17 70 5 2 2010 Jun 18 75 5 2 2010 Jun 19 75 5 2 2010 Jun 20 75 5 2 2010 Jun 21 75 5 2 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1514, DXLD) ###