DX LISTENING DIGEST 12-03, January 18, 2012 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 2011 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 WORLD OF RADIO 1600 HEADLINES: *DX and station news about: Australia, Belarus, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Cyprus Turkish, Djibouti, Ecuador, Europe pirate, France, Indonesia, Kashmir, Kurdistan, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Peru,, Romania, Russia, Sarawak non, USA, Uruguay [the Radio Free Sarawak item mentioned as supposedly coming from Tajikistan, is really registered as via Palau] SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1600, Jan 19-25, 2012 Thu 0430 WRMI 9955 [1599 replayed this week] Thu 2200 WTWW 9479 [confirmed] Thu 2230 WBCQ 7490 [confirmed] Fri 0430v WWRB 3195 [confirmed on webcast] Sat 0900 WRMI 9955 Sat 1600 WRMI 9955 Sat 1830 WRMI 9955 Sun 0500 WTWW 5755 Sun 0900 WRMI 9955 Sun 1630 WRMI 9955 Sun 1830 WRMI 9955 Mon 0330v WBCQ 5110v-CUSB [alternate weeks not including this] Mon 1230 WRMI 9955 Tue 1030 HLR 5980 Hamburger Lokal Radio Thu 0430 WRMI 9955 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/09:00:00UTC/English/541 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg without delay. When applying, please identify yourself with your real name and location, and say something about why you want to join. Those who do not, unless I recognize them, will be prompted once to do so and no action will be taken otherwise. Here`s where to sign up: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** ANGUILLA. 11775, University Network; 2120-2140+, 15-Jan; Rev. Barbi ragging on King James translators' mistakes, then into rant about problems in the Ministry & that she might have to clean house like Dr. Scott did. Rev. B has been there for 15 years! Sed she was a "giddy person" when she met Dr. Scott. (Interesting term considering her profession at the time.) Knee-slappin' gospel & phone # for reservations break at BoH+, then back to the Rev. with Old Testament rhetoric & analysis. (Does that make the Rev. a Torah huxter?) S30 peaks (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. Se necesitan coordenadas --- El amigo Arne Nilsson, desde su rinconcito de escucha a la altura del Circulo Polar Artico, me manda un audio de la emisora impugnada de La Plata, sintonizada por el en 1629.973 con musica variada y un anuncio que incluye el titulo de un tango no muy conocido, El corazon al sur. Dice asi: Usted esta aqui, en la punta del dial, con el corazon al sur, AM Mil Seis Treinta, Diagonal. Lo de Diagonal me hace pensar en la Capital Federal, pero supongo que la emisora sigue en La Plata (Henrik Klemetz, Suecia (Omiti todo signo diacritico para hacer el mensaje legible), Jan 13, condiglist yg via DXLD) Henrik, si bien no puedo ser de mucha ayuda, no tengo dudas que la emisora es de La Plata y la misma expresión "Diagonal" (será su nombre?) la emparenta más con dicha localidad puesto que se la llama a la capital bonaerense (La Plata) precisamente "la ciudad de las diagonales" por las arterias que de esa forma la cruzan. 73 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, ibid.) Arnaldo, gracias por explicarme lo de Diagonal. No conocia ese extremo. Ahora nomas habria que encontrar el correo electronico adecuado. No se si Omar se encuentra o si esta de vacas. Quizas el nos pudiera hacer la gauchada (Henrik Klemetz, ibid.) Omar lee este foro así que a lo mejor te puede dar una mano. No es fácil conseguir material o info sobre estas emisoras nuevas. Acá, por estos lares, hay una gran movida en materia radiofónica. 73 (Slaen, ibid.) Las Coordenadas son: 34 54'31"S 58 0'50"W Ahí está ubicada la planta transmisora (Marcelo Oscar Filipo, Jan 14, condiglist yg via DXLD) Gracias Marcelo. Se sabe si ya esta resuelto el pleito? Podrias conseguirnos a los del exterior un correo electronico de la emisora? Un numero telefonico? Una direccion postal? El nombre de alguna persona a quien dirigirse? (Henrik Klemetz, Suecia, ibid.) ** ARGENTINA. 6060, R. Nacional Argentina --- Por favor alguien que llame a R Nacional Argntina y que apaguen 6060 hasta arreglar el desparramo que hace! HAN (Horacio A. Nigro, Uruguay, 0309 UT Jan 13, condiglist yg via DXLD) Está arruinando toda la banda de 49 Metros R.A.E. (Ernesto Paulero, Argentina, 1442 UT Jan 13, ibid.) ** ARGENTINA. Re 12-01, DRM Radio looking for a SW frequency: Asunto: [Lista ConDig] Una Ayudita con el inglés. (Y los piratas) Estuve leyendo la información publicada en la página de: Glenn Hausers en el informe DX LISTENING DIGEST 12-01 January 4, 2012. http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld1201.txt En ese informe se incorporó al pié de comentarios que hacen referencia al monitoreo de frecuencias que estámos realizando para DRM RADIO, una frase que nos generó más de una incógnita: "Looks like a rather brazen pirate, planning to use 40m (gh, DXLD)" A nuestro poco entender podríamos traducirla como: "Se parece a una descarado pirata, planificando el uso en 40 metros." Nos gustaría poder contar con una confirmación sobre la expresión dada por DXLD. Saludos cordiales (Jorge Villavicencio http://www.drmradio.com.ar Jan 13, condiglist yg via DXLD) Jorge, El Sr. Hauser habla muy bien español y el te podra aclarar que es lo que quiso decir, ya que se esta enterando por esta via, dado que esta suscripto. Saludos (Enrique A. Wembagher, ibid.) Gracias Enrique, espero que el Sr. Hauser pueda aclarar nuestras dudas (Jorge Villavicencio, ibid.) Hola Jorge, Acabo de encontrar este tema. Sí, me parece una actividad pirata, puesto que la banda de 40 metros (7000-7300) no está disponible para radiodifusión en América. Por sin embargo buscar una frecuencia adentro, debe ser pirata. Si cuenta con licencia, pido disculpas. Por favor aclarar. Dije ``brazen`` porque no oculta sus planes. No condeno este proyecto que es bastante interesante, y también quiere evitar interferencias. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Gracias Glenn por tu respuesta. En realidad nosotros estamos monitoreando la banda de 31 metros (9400-9900 kHz) y tuvimos la advertencia de varios diexistas sobre la imposibilidad de utilizar en América la banda de 40 metros. Me gusta también tus conceptos de catalogarnos como "brazen" por no ocultar nuestros planes. En ese sentido estamos alineados a los preceptos de las Radios Libres que se diferencian sustancialmente de las Radios Piratas. A su vez apoyamos la iniciativa de solicitar a la UNESCO declare: Patrimonio Inmaterial de la Humanidad, a las transmisiones internacionales de radio por la onda corta y por internet. El hecho de que varios Estados estén invirtiendo gigantescos recursos para controlar internet, inclusive en aquellos países considerados democráticos, hace imperioso que todos los ciudadanos del planeta se mantengan alertas para evitar, por parte de organizaciones gubernamentales, el avasallamiento de nuestros derechos adquiridos. Muchas gracias por contestar nuestra inquietud y estamos a tu entera disposición. Saludos cordiales (Jorge Villavicencio, DRM Radio Argentina http://www.drmradio.com.ar Live: http://radio.solumedia.com.ar:8048/listen.pls Jan 17, ibid.) ** ARGENTINA. 15344.84, Radio al Exterior; 2259-2303+, 17-Jan; M&W alternating items in Spanish; 2300+ "RAE, Radio al Exterior" & "Esta es Rae, una voz de Argentina en el mundo"; reggae song in English at 2302 after IDs. SIO=443 with weak roar QRM (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. The Melbourne Jewish community is currently testing on 1674 kHz in the Expanded AM band. It will be interesting to listen after dark to see if there is any significant co channel interference from Vision Radio, Brisbane. I'm not sure if this is the only other occupant of 1674 (Brian Goldsmith, mwoz, via Jan DSWCI SW News via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) Melbourne Jewish Radio, now on 1674 kHz AM, was previously on 96.1 MHz FM here in Melbourne Vic between June 2009 and about July 2010, when their short term FM test license expired. They ID'ed as "Lion FM" at the time and have continued to do so on their new 1674 kHz despite no longer operating on the FM band. One of their most recent ID's has been "Lion 16-74". If they have an official call sign, it would more likely be 3MJR. They mention on their website of hoping to go back to the FM band, but as they were only temporally given the FM frequency to allow them to run a short term broadcast, which actually lasted just over a year, I think that it would be doubtful that they will be on FM again anytime in the near future. Their 1674 kHz frequency actually gives them a far better coverage, providing their listeners can tune to the extended area of the AM band (Robert Copeman via mwoz via Jan DSWCI SW News via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) On a split frequency, 1674 might have a chance of making it to NAm; one to add to the 2012 WRTH which shows only a 1 kW Filipino on that frequency, not Brisbane either (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 2368.5, R. Symban (presumed), 1503, Jan 13. With Greek songs; back to extended (24 hr?) schedule; in the first part of the month I was not hearing them, so thought they had ended the extended schedule, but now they are back with it again (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. CHRIS HAMBLY HAS PASSED AWAY --- I have just learnt of Chris Hambly's passing through his lawyer. Chris passed away on Sunday 18th of December 2011. I hadn't spoken to Chris since the 15th of December, which was unusual, so I rang his lawyer only to find out the tragic news. Chris was an institution in the Australian Radio DX club and a life member #149. He first joined way back in January 1968. My last call to Chris was whether he received his WRTH 2012. He responded with, it`s very good this year. Terribly sad. Regards, Johno (John Wright Secretary ARDXC, Jan 16, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I hadn`t heard from Chris in a much longer time, and wondered if he was all right. Chris was a contributor, directly or indirectly to RIB, WOR and DXLD. He saved up for phone cards, and would occasionally call me, never using the internet, but I hoped he would not spend his railroad retirement resources on that (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sad News Regarding Chris Hambly --- Hi Glenn, I am writing to you to let you know that Chris Hambly unfortunately passed away in his home, after having a fall on December 18, 2011. Chris was 66 years old at the time. As Chris was living alone, it took sometime to find out what happened. When, I couldn't contact Chris on the phone, I presumed that he may have been away, but when there was no contact over Christmas and New Year, I became concerned and started to investigate further. I contacted John Wright in the ARDXC, who was able to contact Chris's lawyer and was then told the sad news. Chris did have a friend named Lindsay boarding at Chris's house for awhile, but Lindsay left there back in October 2011 and didn't return. It is not exactly clear as to what happened to Lindsay. All we know is that he went to the USA. Anyway, I thought that I would write and let you know, as I think Chris often wrote to you regarding DX information. Regards, (Robert Copeman, Jan 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I have known Chris Hambly since the early 1980's, when I joined DX Australia. We remained good friends over the years and shared a lot of DX experiences during that time. In 1994, when I founded ICDX, Chris was the first to join the group and was always eager to share in the TV, FM DX hobby. Chris was also well into AM and SW DXing. Chris had a rather unique way of keeping tabs on reception times when reporting DX. He kept a line of clocks in his room on the wall, all set to different times, which allowed him to quickly check on local times in whatever country that he was receiving. This became very useful with SW DXing. After losing his parents, Chris continued to live in the family home and for a number of years, had a long time friend staying with him. Ironically, the friend moved out during 2011, leaving Chris to continue there alone. Chris Hambly was one of the long time Dxers and he will be sadly missed. Regards, Robert Copeman I “met” Chris first in the ‘80’s while using Melbourne’s Underground Rail Loop - Chris was a station attendant at Melbourne Central (then Museum). For some reason his name tag caught my eye. Neither of us knew of the other’s interest in HF radio then. I didn’t come to Radio Australia until some years later and didn’t become aware of ARDXC until a few years after that. Chris first phoned me around 1991 to comment on the special 26 MHz broadcast I had mounted to the Middle East - first time RA had scheduled that band from Cox Peninsula. He was very pleased to report reception from Darwin and I sent him a QSL card. It was the beginning of a happy and (very) regular correspondence. Chris would phone frequently to give me updates on the HF broadcast environment (all contributions gratefully received), his latest exploits; and to tease me about my lack of knowledge/interest in AFL. I am very sorry to hear of his passing in such a lonely fashion. Curiously and sadly I never met Chris again after he left the railways; I never took up his invitations to drop in for a chat. Too late now. Vale Chris. Nige (Nigel Holmes, Transmission Manager Radio Australia, GPO Box 428G Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia; both via Craig Seager, Australia, DXLD) I first met Chris in 1982 at an ARDXC annual convention in Melbourne (Brighton, I think), and we had often spoken on the phone since. He will be remembered by many for his generosity; I know from conversations with him that from time to time in the past he had subsidised things like subscriptions and WRTH copies for other DXers. This was in part an attempt to reach out in friendship, but also his way of encouraging newer people in a hobby where he had found a happy niche over many years. Very sad news, indeed. Regards, (Craig Seager, DX LISTENING DIGEST) obit ** AUSTRALIA. NEW ABC RADIO NATIONAL SCHEDULE Starting in late January after the summer holidays, ABC’s Radio National will be revamping its schedule. Particularly interesting (to me anyway) is the return of “The Philosopher’s Zone” to the schedule, again hosted by Alan Saunders, and “Nightly Planet” with Lucky Oceans; I know many folks used to enjoy “The Planet” in USA mornings over shortwave in times past. Other changes of interest: “Drive” is a new weeknight news analysis program airing after the 6 PM (local AEDT) news, which corresponds to 0700 UT. “Late Night Live” is reduced to four nights per week at 10 PM local time; on Friday a news interview program, “Friday Late”, includes long-form interviews by Mark Colvin, nowadays regarded as one of the ABC’s best interviewers (and the host of the weeknightly “PM” news program). For more details on the new ABC Radio National schedule, check out http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/ and look for the graphic along the right side of the web page. That’s all I have time for this month…here’s to good listening wherever you find it! 73 DE (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, January NASWA Journal via DXLD) Remains to be heard if and when any of these will be on R. Australia SW (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [non]. 9525, UAE. Radio Australia, Al-Dhabbaya, 2258- 2301. Talk in Indonesian by man. A few bars of music at 2259 followed by announcements. ID by woman at 2300, then news. Moderate signal strength with little fading. One of the strongest signals from Al- Dhabbaya heard in recent years. 1/10/2012 (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, RX-340, IC-R75, ALA100M Loop, Random Wire (90'), Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. VMW, Waluna Meteo, 12362, f/d logo e-QSL in 2 days for English email report. V/S N. Chandran, n (dot) chandran (at) bom (dot) gov (dot) au (Al Muick, Whitehall PA USA, Jan 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELARUS. On its web site, Radio Belarus indicates a new frequency 11730 kHz instead of 7360/7390 kHz (1100-2300 UT). http://www.radiobelarus.tvr.by/eng/ (Aleksandr Diadischev, Ukraine, Jan 15, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) And the only other one shown is 6155 at 1705-2300 UT. Several other 6 and 7 MHz frequencies are HS relays, as separated in WRTH (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) Strong signal in Northern Romania today at 1252 UT, but weak modulation. At 1300 Radio Japan in English from Tashkent took over the frequency (Tudor Vedeanu, (Gura Humorului, Romania), ibid.) Indeed 7360 and 7390 are empty now, as far as I can tell from within some local noise. And indeed Radio Belarus is now on 11730, noted at 1300 with co- channel interference (NHK from Tashkent it seems) which also makes it difficult to assess the modulation. But I think distortion and buzz are the same than previously on 7390, indicating the use of the old 100/150 kW transmitter from there rather than the 15 x 5 kW block so far run on 7360 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) I first noticed the new frequency advertised by tvr.by on January 10. Back then I didn't manage to confirm 11730 due to poor propagation and/or heavy NHK signal. Today the reception through a remote receivers in Slovakia and Berlin was very good from about 13.40 UT. The reception deteriorated at around 14.20 (strong QRM FEBC-Manila?) From 1430 to 1500 11730 is occupied by powerful RRI Russian (supposedly for Russia's Far East) - a hopeless frequency choice for the Russian service of R. Belarus at that time (Sergei S., Jan 15, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Continued under ROMANIA 11730, 15/Jan 1948, R Belarus, in French (listed in Eibi), (I could not identify. There was a slight French accent, but I cannot say). OM talk. At 1951 YL talk. Modulation low compared to the signal. At 1956 pop music. At 2000 Start of the transmission in Spanish (listed in Eibi). YL with comment from some recorded interviews. At 2010 pop music. At 2018 music. At 2020 OM talk. I did not hear the transmission on a radio remote from Spain. Signal degrading. 25432 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7360 a n d 11730 registered in B-11 and A-12 seasons. 6010 0300-0200 28SE,29W BR 5 0 925 6040 0300-0400 28SE,29W MNS 5 0 925 6070 0300-0200 28SE,29W BR 5 0 925 6080 1600-2204 28E,29S,39N MNS 150 130 158 to Crimea, Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Iran. 6115 1600-2204 28SE,29W MNS 75 0 925 6190 0300-0200 28SE,29W OR 5 0 925 7235 0300-0200 28SE,29W OR 5 0 925 7255 1600-1800 29,30 MNS 250 75 218 to Moscow, Kazan, Ekaterinburg. 7265 1600-2200 28SE,29W BR 5 0 925 7280 0300-0200 28SE,29W BR 5 0 925 7360 1200-2400 27,28 MNS 75 270 902 to Western Europe 11730 (ex-7390) 1200-2400 27,28,37N MNS 150 246 218 to south-western Europe, Iberian peninsula, NoWeAF. 6155 1805-2400 27,28,37 MNS 250 255 218 to south-western Europe, Iberian peninsula, NoWeAF. 7255 0500-0800 29,30 MNS 250 75 218 to Moscow, Kazan, Ekaterinburg. in A-12 season 7255 (ex-6155) 1805-2400 27,28,37 MNS 250 255 218 to south-western Europe, Iberian peninsula, NoWeAF. 11930 (ex-7255) 0500-0800 29,30 MNS 250 75 218 to Moscow, Kazan, Ekaterinburg. (Wolfgang Büschel, Jan 15, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 18 via DXLD) ** BHUTAN. RE: BBS - Global Shortwave Coordination Conference Hi Glenn, Just received an update from the Global Shortwave Coordination Conference in KL, Malaysia, from Thinley Dorji (Transmission head of BBS at Thimphu). "Today our conference will be closing. So I am very happy to say that I could solve most the interference and frequency collision by other transmission. I will be back by tomorrow." I responded by wishing him a safe trip home via New Delhi and informed him again that it seems both their transmitters on 5030 and 6035 were not broadcasting through to today, Jan 12. We will have to wait and see what happens after he returns to Thimphu (Ron Howard, San Francisco, Calif., Jan 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [later:] Hi Glenn, Here is the quick response back from Thinley Dorji to my email regarding BBS presently being off the air and questioning what frequencies they would now use. "There are some technical problems at the transmission site and our friends are still working on them. The frequency 6035 kHz is having collision and interference from China National Radio, Japan International Radio and All India Radio. The interference is severe especially on peak hours that are from 1200 to 1600 hours. Since they don't want to move their frequency, I am looking for a free frequency. And the 5030 is out of band that I am also looking to locate another frequency. When I go back to the office I will propose this and see how our management will take it up." So BBS will be considering making changes to both their SW frequencies! (Ron Howard, CA, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, ibid.) Hi Glenn, Victor Goonetilleke (Sri Lanka) has found out what the concern is regarding 5030 being "out of band". Mr. Dorji says that some radios don't cover 5030. This seems rather questionable. Victor has kindly offered his services to help BBS determine what might be suitable frequencies for them. We will have to wait to see what develops (Ron Howard, Jan 13, ibid.) In this part of world most people still use analogue radio receivers, and most of them come with 19-49 meter band coverage (although we have tropical band transmission here but still many cheap radios don't come with 60 mb except Philips India), and majority of receivers used in North Bengal (west Bengal's Northern Part) and Bhutan are Chinese made analogues which are priced below 10 USD, have the bands split, so even most of them have 60 mb but the small screen mostly ends at 5000-5010 kHz when 60 mb selected, the 3-4 cm screens mostly unable to accommodate many channels which are situated at the start or end of the band. I remember I have one KCHIBO KK8108T since 1996 - I had to open the receiver and adjust ferrite cores to listen to Sudan on 9200 kHz - otherwise its 31 mb was started at almost 9490. So, I think for a local broadcaster, these things must be taken into consideration. And regarding frequency collision I don't find any difference between Chinese & Indian management bodies; they never seemed to hear anyone else, it`s shame for us. I don't find any profit in transmitting on a collided frequency - it makes no sense other than their hypocrisy. -- Thanks & Regards, (Partha Sarathi Goswami, Siliguri, Dist. Darjeeling, West Bengal, INDIA, Skype: dxinginfo dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) BBS 5030 on air --- Tip from Babul Gupta, Kolkata --- Bhutan Broadcasting Service noted on air on 5030 kHz with Nepali program at 1035 UT tune in, excellent reception at Kolkata, 45544. 5030 was off air for last few days; the AIR engineer was trying to solve the problem thru video chat with BBS engineers (Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, Jan 15, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [non]. 6035.02, fading in 1350-1420 16.01, Yunnan PBS, Kunming Chinese talk and song, 1400 Vietnamese news and talk 25232. No sign of Bhutan (Anker Petersen, done on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** BHUTAN. And some wooden registrations in A-12 from March 25. And 5070 0000-1600 Eng, or 5900 0000-1600 Eng, or 6225 0000-1600 Eng. (HFCC K-L Jan 13, BC-DX 18 Jan via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. Radio San Miguel, captada en Bogotá D.C. en 4699.30, 0157 UT 18-Ene-12, 23232, locutor despidiendo la emisión, hace referencia a "bienaventurados los comunicadores y su labor por la paz". Señal baja, modulación clara (grave), presencia de ruido e interferncias, propagación muy irregular. Aquí la grabación: http://www.goear.com/listen/c5fd096/radio-san-miguel-469930-hk3ort 73 y Buenos DX (José Luís de Vicente T. - HK3ORT, condiglist yg via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. R. Yura - 4815.90 --- Radio Yura, 4815.90 [sic] kHz escuchada en Bogotá D.C. a la 0146 UT 17-Ene-12, 45434, Programa con música popular alternada con propaganda comercial local. A las 0200 fin de emisión; sin embargo se enlaza con emisora local de FM, a las 0300 cesa toda transmisión. Aquí grabación de la captación: http://www.goear.com/listen/cede59a/r-yura-481490- 73 y buenos DX (José Luís de Vicente T. - HK3ORT, condiglist yg via DXLD) José Luís, ¿No quiere decir la habitual 4716v? Y hay otra secuencia en URL: 481490. ¿Cuál es?? 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Nice recording of the sign-off; they mention frequency, 4715, I think but fades a bit during the `7` (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) Glenn, La frecuencia correcta es 4716.70 khz y no 4815.90 kHz, confirmado según escucha de hoy 17-Ene-12, 2330 UT; me disculpo por la confusión originada. 73 y Buenos DX (José Luós de Vicente T. - HK3ORT condiglist, via DXLD) ** BOTSWANA. 15580, Jan 13 at 0543, JBA (just barely audible) signal from VOA English, and it`s the OSOB (only station on band), not even Nigeria or Australia on 19m. Current registrations show 15580 at 03-07 is via Botswana, except at 04-05 switching to Sri Lanka (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 4878, 13/Jan 0036, Provavelmente R Roraima, agora com música. Sinal muito fraco e sofro ruído da rede elétrica. Definitivamente em português. As 0039 propaganda. Relatado na lista DXLD como fora da frequência. As 0041 o que parecia ser a ID com a divulgação de frequências. Monitorando em um Rádio remoto [onde?] no Global Tuners está confirmado, Rádio Roraima. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, condiglist yg via DXLD) Por acá la mejor señal es en 4877.150 kHz y usando el phaser se puede sacar el ruido; algo está con emisión de música e intervenciones del locutor en portugués, SINPO 23222 (Ernesto Paulero, Argenitina, 0110 UT Jan 13, ibid.) Beware of his ``best signal is on this exact frequency`` reports --- that does not mean it is the *carrier* frequency which should always be reported to such precision by those who can measure it (gh, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. ONDAS CURTAS DA RÁDIO APARECIDA --- É uma pena que as ondas curtas da rádio Aparecida estejam com deficiências. A que melhor se encontra, ainda com um zunido, é a de 62 metros 5035 kHz. As de 49m, 31m e 25 metros não deveriam estar no ar, a fim de economizar energia. Isto porque não há condição de uma boa sintonia delas. E pensar que outrora essas ondas curtas estouravam com muito boa qualidade de áudio!!! Uma pena, mesmo. 73 (Luiz Chaine Neto, Limeira sp, 17-1-2012, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Caro Luiz e demais colegas, este não seria um problema mais em virtude de interferências de outras rádios (que, em tese, não deveria estar ali) do que uma eventual falta da Radio Aparecida? O que você comentou, eu observo em todas as demais rádios tradicionais em OC. Para você ter uma idéia, eu estou hoje a uns 100 KM em linha reta de Belo Horizonte e estou sofrendo para escutar a rádio inconfidência. Em compensação, a Itatiaia (também de BH) ouço muito bem. Sem contar uma infinidade de rádios cujo idioma parece ser da China, que estão muito perto de quase todas estas rádios citadas. Cordialmente, (Marconi Arruda, ibid.) Apenas para complementar meu e-mail anterior, noto o mesmo problema com as frequências da Rádio Canção Nova. Entrei em contato com eles a fim de reportá-lo e estou aguardando uma resposta. Vou procurar também as rádios do governo (EBC) que também vão na mesma linha. Cordialmente, (Marconi Arruda, ibid.) ** BRAZIL. 6120, Super Rádio Deus é Amor, 0850-0900, usual emotional Portuguese preacher. Poor to fair. Covered by Radio Netherlands after 0900. Fair to good on // 6059.95. Threshold signal on // 9564.87. Jan 13 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** BRAZIL. 6150, Rádio Record, São Paulo (presumed), 2314-2332. Talk in Portuguese by man followed by pop ballad music. Talk by man and woman over music at 2322. Back to music at 2324 with a couple of English language selections ("Unforgettable", etc.). Portuguese talk by man and woman at 2331. Poor to moderate signal strength with fading. Chinese talk sometimes heard faintly below. 1/12/2012 (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, RX-340, IC-R75, ALA100M Loop, Random Wire (90'), Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 9675, Jan 14 at 0655 music, 0658, definite Brazilian- accented announcements, commercials, but hard to copy with fading and distortion, no doubt ZYE971, R. Canção Nova, Cachoeira Paulista SP. Were they on all-night, or just signing on before 5 am DST? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Re 12-02: Rádio Bandeirantes de São Paulo QSL from NHK São Paulo Office: ``BTW "bandeirantes" means "pioneers".`` It seems "bandeirantes" now means "people in São Paulo state" in Brazil (Takahito Akabayashi, Japan, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Who are also known as paulistas. Perhaps one of our Brazilians can explain the distinction. To complete this thread, I said in DXLD 12- 02: I always assumed it meant standard-bearers, or flag-wavers. My Langenscheidt dixionary says: ``(Braz., hist.) member of the expeditions called bandeiras; adj.: of or related to bandeiras`` so it`s related. Note: will people please stop misspelling this ``Bandierantes`` (Guilherme Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, I do not know this definition. [``pioneers``] See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandeirantes “My Langenscheidt dixionary says: ``(Braz., hist.) member of the expeditions called bandeiras” This is correct-definition. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana BA - Brasil, ibid.) Very interesting. For me at least, an example of learning something thanks to shortwave. The name is not exactly a positive reference, as the bandeirantes began as expeditions to enslave natives, then to mineral exploitation, and eventually to general `pioneering` expanding Portuguese/Brazilian influence to its present boundaries (gh, DXLD) Paulistas are the people born in São Paulo state. Bandeirantes are the pioneers of Brazilian colonization times, who tamed the inland part of the Brazilian country, always coming from São Paulo city. Initially they were looking for the natives, to turn them into slaves; later, precious stones or gold (from Minas Gerais state). In this process, they made important territory conquests, that formed the actual Brazilian territory (other reasons caused this territory formation, but the Bandeirantes were an important part). These excursions, are denoted "Bandeiras". These Bandeiras reached very remote lands in those times, like Roraima or Acre state, always coming from São Paulo. Raposo Tavares (who reached northern lands of Brasil) and Fernão Dias Paes (who reached Minas Gerais; his son was the owner of the actual Embu city territory), are the best known Bandeirantes, among others. According to some historians, the Bandeirantes "phenomenon" was unique, like no other in world history (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu - Sao Paulo - Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. BRASIL: 15190.06, ZYE522, Rádio Inconfidência; 2252-2257+, 17-Jan; M in Portuguese with news items; mentioned the Venezuela border (something stirring?); ID at 2254+ plus news promo, ad with phone # & mentioned "Inconfidência AM"; back to commentary at 2256+. SIO=444-; // 6010 ZYE521, poor (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. 5900, Jan 12 at 0628, ME music, poor signal, cuts off without announcement at 0630*. Thought it might have been something more interesting than R. Bulgaria, but it`s all that`s scheduled, in Turkish. HFCC also shows 0630 in German, but it`s really a wooden alternative to 7400 or 9400, no signal on 5900 after 0630 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7400, 2210-2300*, Fri 13.01 R. Bulgaria, Plovdiv, English news, weather, comments, talk, Bulgarian music, 2240 Weekly DX programme about WRTH 2012 and its early history with Danish editors O. Lund Johansen and Jens Frost, talk about SW propagation, tips and DX-Mix about Babcock transmitter schedules. But recorded before the news about the closure of R Bulgaria on SW was public, 54544 (Anker Petersen, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) Viz.: The World Radio and TV Handbook 2012 first appeared in 1947, when the editors and the publisher were located in Denmark. Its founder and first distributor was Mr. Olund [sic] Johansen, replaced later by Mr. Jens Frost. Its current editor is Mr. Nicholas Hardyman from the United Kingdom. [don`t forget Andy Sennitt`s tenure --- gh] Even the inaugural edition contained information about radio broadcasting in Bulgaria. Back then Bulgaria had two radio transmitters for short waves, of which only one was operational, with a power of 5 kW, according to the Handbook, and 3 kW according to the Bulgarian archives. On a frequency of 9350 kHz or 32.1 m short waves news broadcasts were carried out in 12 languages – in six Balkan languages to the countries in the Balkans, and also in French, English and Esperanto beamed to the world, and in Russian, Czech, and Polish to North Europe. In the late 1940s Karlo Lukanov was director of the Bulgarian radio. In those years Bulgaria had transmitters for short and medium waves. A report of the Communications Ministry reads that as of March 15, 1948, there were the following transmitters for medium waves: in Sofia on 767 kHz with a power of 15 kW, near Vakarel on 850 kHz with a power of 50 kW, in Varna on 1276 kHz and in Stara Zagora on 1402 kHz with a power of 600 W each. At that time the programmes from Sofia were broadcast under the name of Hristo Botev Radio Station from 6.30 to 8- 30 a.m., from 12.00 to 2.30 p.m. and from 6 to 10.50 p.m. local time. The most popular programme was the central news bulletin that began at 8.30 p.m. The news for the Balkans in Romanian and Turkish was beamed on medium, waves. The radio stations in Varna and Stara Zagora had their local programmes, and retranslated also the programmes from Sofia. According to the World Radio TV Handbook, the radio in Sofia was sending back QSL cards ever since the 1940s to listeners abroad. In the next editions the information on Bulgaria expands in view of the increase in broadcasts for foreign countries (R. Bulgaria DX Program Jan 13 http://bit.ly/xGq35B via Yimber Gaviria, DXLD) News broke Friday the 13th of January that R. Bulgaria will be closing down its shortwave service completely at the end of this month! (gh) RADIO BULGARIA TO END SHORTWAVE Email from Radio Bulgaria January 6 [sic; means 13??], 2012. "Dear Kraig, This year the radio's budget has been seriously cut, and we will soon be facing some radical changes in our transmissions. Shortwave broadcasts are to be ceased, and opportunities for satellite broadcasting and online programs are now explored. We are under quite a lot of mostly negative pressure recently, as we fear they might lead to losing some of our most regular and interested listeners, including you. But let's hope that things will change for the better! Keep listening to our programs while we are still on the air on shortwave. We will soon be sending all our listeners detailed info on what the future changes to our broadcasts will be. Warm regards from sunny but cold Sofia, Rossitsa, English Section, Radio Bulgaria" Another voice lost. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC Krist, Manassas, Virginia USA, Jan 13, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That's sad, Rossitsa was very kind to me when I visited the station last summer. I asked this very question and they just didn't know at the time. I am sure it is a sad day in that cozy English section office in central Sofia (Hans Johnson, Cumbre DX via DXLD) The last transmission should be on Jan 31st (source: French service) Regards (JM Aubier, France, Jan 13, dxldyg via DXLD) Dear listeners and friends of the short waves and Radio Bulgaria, With a huge regret to inform you very bad news. After more than 75 years in the world broadcasting from January 31, 2012 at 2200 UT Radio Bulgaria cease broadcasting on short and medium waves. The solution is that Radio Bulgaria is not necessary now its short waves and medium waves listeners. The reason - no money for broadcast on short and medium waves. And who listens to short waves today? Already has internet. Maintaining the short waves was "Mission Impossible"! Hope dies last. As a frequency manager in the last 19 years my main task was to provide best quality signal of Radio Bulgaria in worldwide coverage. There will be no short waves, there will be no frequency manager. For all people who work in Radio Bulgaria that bad news is shock and horror Beginning of the end. But expect your moral support. Please send e-mail to: Albanian section: Bulgarian section: English section: French section: German section: Greek section: Russian section: Serbian section: Spanish section: Turkish section: and from January 14, 2012: Thank you and goodbye, Ivo Ivanov P.S. SW transmitters Kostinbrod & Padarsko will be destroyed in the next few months. [WORLD OF RADIO 1600] Winter B-11 R. Bulgaria until January 31, 2012 - 2200 UT / 0000 Local ALBANIAN 0630-0700 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU Mon-Fri 0630-0700 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU Mon-Fri 0700-0800 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU Sat/Sun 0700-0800 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU Sat/Sun 1700-1730 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU 1700-1730 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU 2000-2100 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU 2000-2100 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU BULGARIAN 0100-0200 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to NoAM 0100-0200 on 7400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to NoAM 0100-0200 on 7300 PLD 170 kW / 260 deg to SoAM 0100-0200 on 9400 PLD 170 kW / 245 deg to SoAM 0530-0600 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU Mon-Fri 0530-0600 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU Mon-Fri 0530-0600 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 115 deg to N&ME Mon-Fri 0530-0600 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 126 deg to N&ME Mon-Fri 0530-0600 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU Mon-Fri 0530-0600 on 7400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to WeEU Mon-Fri 0500-0600 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU Sat/Sun 0500-0600 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU Sat/Sun 0500-0600 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 115 deg to N&ME Sat/Sun 0500-0600 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 126 deg to N&ME Sat/Sun 0500-0600 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU Sat/Sun 0500-0600 on 7400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to WeEU Sat/Sun 1400-1500 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 078 deg to CeAS 1400-1500 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 030 deg to EaEU 1400-1500 on 11600 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 1400-1500 on 15600 PLD 300 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 1600-1700 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU 1600-1700 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU 1600-1700 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 078 deg to CeAS 1600-1700 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 030 deg to EaEU 1600-1700 on 9700 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 1600-1700 on 15700 PLD 300 kW / 185 deg to SoAF 1900-2000 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU 1900-2000 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU 2200-2300 on 6000 PLD 170 kW / 260 deg to SoEU 2200-2300 on 9400 PLD 170 kW / 245 deg to SoEU DX MIX NEWS 0545-0600 Sun; 1445-1500 Sun; 1945-2000 Sun ENGLISH 0000-0100 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to NoAM 0000-0100 on 7400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to NoAM 0300-0400 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to NoAM 0300-0400 on 7400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to NoAM 0730-0800 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 0730-0800 on 9400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to WeEU 1830-1900 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 1830-1900 on 9700 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to WeEU 2200-2300 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 2200-2300 on 7400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to WeEU DX MIX NEWS 2230-2240 Fri; 0030-0040 Sat; 0330-0340 Sat; 0740-0750 Sat FRENCH 0200-0300 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to NoAM 0200-0300 on 7400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to NoAM 0700-0730 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 0700-0730 on 9400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to WeEU 1800-1830 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 1800-1830 on 9700 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to WeEU 2100-2200 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 2100-2200 on 7400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to WeEU DX MIX NEWS 2130-2140 Tue; 0230-0240 Wed; 2130-2140 Sun; 0230-0240 Mon GERMAN 0630-0700 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 0630-0700 on 9400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to WeEU 1730-1800 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 1730-1800 on 9700 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to WeEU 2000-2100 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 306 deg to WeEU 2000-2100 on 7400 PLD 300 kW / 295 deg to WeEU DX MIX NEWS 2050-2100 Tue; 0650-0700 Thu; 2020-2030 Sat GREEK 0600-0630 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU Mon-Fri 0600-0630 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU Mon-Fri 0600-0700 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU Sat/Sun 0600-0700 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU Sat/Sun 1730-1800 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU 1730-1800 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU 2100-2200 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU 2100-2200 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU RUSSIAN 0400-0430 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 030 deg to EaEU 0400-0430 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 078 deg to CeAS 1500-1600 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 078 deg to CeAS 1500-1600 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 030 deg to EaEU 1900-2000 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 078 deg to CeAS 1900-2000 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 030 deg to EaEU DX MIX NEWS 1540-1600 Sat; 1940-2000 Sat; 0410-0430 Sun SERBIAN 0700-0730 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU Mon-Fri 0700-0730 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU Mon-Fri 0800-0900 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU Sat/Sun 0800-0900 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU Sat/Sun 1800-1830 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU 1800-1830 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU 2200-2300 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU 2200-2300 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU SPANISH 0000-0100 on 7300 PLD 170 kW / 260 deg to SoAM 0000-0100 on 9400 PLD 170 kW / 245 deg to SoAM 0200-0300 on 7300 PLD 170 kW / 260 deg to SoAM 0200-0300 on 9400 PLD 170 kW / 245 deg to SoAM 0700-0730 on 7300 PLD 170 kW / 260 deg to SoEU 0700-0730 on 9800 PLD 170 kW / 245 deg to SoEU 1730-1800 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 260 deg to SoEU 1730-1800 on 9400 PLD 170 kW / 245 deg to SoEU 2100-2200 on 6000 PLD 170 kW / 260 deg to SoEU 2100-2200 on 9400 PLD 170 kW / 245 deg to SoEU DX MIX NEWS 1750-1800 Sun; 2120-2130 Sun; 0020-0030 Mon; 0220-0230 Mon TURKISH 0600-0630 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 115 deg to N&ME 0600-0630 on 7400 PLD 170 kW / 126 deg to N&ME 1830-1900 on 747 PET 300 kW / non-dir to SEEU 1830-1900 on 1224 VDN 300 kW / 205 deg to SEEU 1830-1900 on 5900 PLD 170 kW / 078 deg to N&ME MW: PET=Petritch (G.C. 41N28/023E19) 1 x 300 kW VDN=Vidin (G.C. 43N50/022E43) 1 x 300 kW SW: PLD=Padarsko (G.C. 42N23/024E52) 2 x 300 kW, 3 x 170 kW ADDR: 4, Dragan Tsankov Blvd., 1040 Sofia and P.O.Box 900, 1000 Sofia. Tel.: +359 2 933 66 33; fax.: +359 2 865 05 60; Website: www.bnr.bg (DX Mix News 13 January via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) It makes clear that the broadcasts on 747 and 1224 will go away as well, and presumably the transmitters, the last high power mediumwave outlets still on air in Bulgaria, will be switched off altogether. I have to add that I find the time horizon specified in the PS. indeed frightening (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The snowball picks up size and speed. The Powers That Be in Bulgaria are simply taking their cues from other European broadcasters that have either made cuts or shut down. The huge cuts Deutsche Welle recently made in particular have resonated across the continent. Radio Bulgaria had maintained a fairly substantial SW schedule up to now. Guess they decided to make its demise as swift as possible, instead of the drawn-out cuts and trims happening elsewhere. I'm afraid their neighbor to the north, Radio Romania International, will be the next to go, despite the transmitter upgrades of a few years ago (Steve Luce, Houston, Texas, dxldyg via DXLD) So see ROMANIA too In regard to Bulgaria with their strong signals they become a CRI relay? 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, ibid.) Anybody who wants to save any Radio Bulgaria recordings may download them from this site ftp://adminbnr.dev.bsh.bg/RadioBulgaria/Programi%20ot%20denia/Angliisk a/ The files are in mp3 format and grouped by day of the week, 1_Ponedelnik = Monday and 7_Nedelia = Sunday. At the same site, ftp://adminbnr.dev.bsh.bg/ there are recordings from all parts of Bulgarian radio if you click through all the different directories. Best Regards (Harry Brooks, North East England UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) At 2200 UT on 31 January 2012 Radio Bulgaria will close all of its AM broadcasting i.e. Mediumwave and Shortwave to replace them with internet broadcasts. This will mean that in 2 weeks both 747 Petrich and 1224 Vidin will be closed. I will make the necessary changes on the databases. Are Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, and Vatican the last European countries to use Mediumwave to serve public overseas broadcasting? 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Jan 14, mwmasts yg via DXLD) OTRA QUE SE NOS VA --- LA LENTA SANGRÍA ES PEOR QUE LA MUERTE SÚBITA. ESTAS NOTICIAS ME RESULTAN MUY INSOPORTABLES PERO HAY QUE DIGERIRLAS, CADA UNO A SU MANERA. RGM (Rubén Guillelrmo Margenet, Argentina, condiglist yg via DXLD) A onda curta não irá acabar tão cedo. O que está acontecendo é uma reformulação econômica e os cortes nas emissoras estatais com programação em outras línguas estão vendo tarde demais o fracasso das programações cansativas com excesso de notícias e comentários políticos e devido a isso o baixo retorno do investimento. Bem verdade a Nederland, VOA, BBC, Suécia possuíam excelente programação e hoje algumas poucas, como a Romênia, Bulgária França estão sendo extintas devido ao efeito dominó. As ondas curtas ainda sobreviverá para atender ao serviço doméstico de países da América Latina, África, Ásia e Oceania. Novas oportunidades nas bandas surgirão. A verdade é que lamentamos os encerramentos, mas muito poucos de nós, o qual na verdade eu não me incluo, são ouvintes assíduos de suas programações e escrevem para elas sem o interesse do QSL. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana BA - Brasil, condiglist via DXLD) Rádio Bulgária --- Prezados Senhores! Recebi com temor e muito susto a notícia da suspensação das transmissões da Rádio Bulgaria para a América Latina. Estranho e incompreensível a atitude do Governo búlgaro. Desconsideração para com os povos e governos da nossa região. Demonstração da pouca importância que se dá as relações mútuas e de conhecimento entre nossos povos, política, cultural e economicamente. Atuando na área de História e na educação brasileira, me vali da Rádio Bulgária, não apenas uma oportunidade, para sustentar material aos alunos e as apresentações que fiz sobre a Europa. É uma rica fonte de conhecimento, informação segura e original sobre este país, que tanta curiosidade desperta em nosso povo.Um protesto por essa atitude insana. http://nelsonwernecksodre.blogspot.com/ http://isebianohistorico.blogspot.com http://historianova.brasil.zip.net/ http://cafehistoria.ning.com/profile/AcirdaCruzCamargo http://www.recantodasletras.com.br/autores/acir MSN: acirpr @ hotmail.com (Acir C Camargo, Jan 14, radioescutas yg via DXLD) On 5900 and parallel 7400 in English to West Europe --- Vatican Radio Chinese language service in parallel on 5900 but RBI still understandable. Occasional bursts of S9 noise fading up on 5900 and overwhelming RBI signal, also audible on 7400 but lesser effect 5900 best quality listening when VR off at 2245, 7400 audio quality still very good, but less presence 5900 SIO 533 before 2245, 555 after 2245, 7400 SIO 544 overall 2200-2210 News & Commentary 2210-2225 Events & Developments 2225-2230 Music 2230-2240 Arts & Artists 2240-2300 Weekly DX program No mention of forthcoming changes during last segment, both freq cleared at 2300 73s (Tony Molloy, 20 miles NW of Manchester, North West UK, ICF 2001D and internal wire, @swlistener http://swlistener.wordpress.com/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear listeners and friends of the short waves and Radio Bulgaria, With a huge regret to inform you very bad news. After more than 75 years in the world broadcasting from January 31, 2012 at 2200 UT Radio Bulgaria cease broadcasting on short and medium waves. The shortwave transmitters in Kostinbrod & Padarsko will be destroyed in the next few months. The solution is that Radio Bulgaria is not necessary now to its short waves and medium waves listeners. THE REASON No money for broadcast on short and medium waves. And who listens to short waves today? Already has internet. Maintaining the short waves was "Mission Impossible"! Hope dies last. As a frequency manager in the last 19 years my main task was to provide best quality signal of Radio Bulgaria in worldwide coverage. There will be no short waves, there will be no frequency manager. For all people who work in Radio Bulgaria that bad news is shock and horror. Beginning of the end. But expect your moral support. WHAT CAN YOU DO? Sign the petition; Contact BNR Please sign the petition to save the broadcasts of Radio Bulgaria on shortwave and medium wave. http://www.saveradiobulgaria.com/?page=sign (Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) As promised yesterday, the site is on at http://www.saveradiobulgaria.com I wrote in the past that when it comes to Slavic broadcasters, your emails and letters do carry a considerable weight. In the Slavic world the abrupt bureaucratic decisions are rarely final. They are often adjusted or even reversed, to pacify the unhappy "vox populi." Personally I don't think R. Bulgaria can afford its current SW and MW presence. But reduced SW output should be fine. So please drop a note to your favorite language service or sign a petition online. And if you choose not to do anything, then please don't lament SW decline ;) (Sergei S., Jan 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I'm not intending to sound negative, but with all the other fruitless "Save the (fill in the blank)" campaigns is this really worth the time? Unfortunately, the powers that be have their minds are made up. Other than us pi**ing in the wind (analogy showing our pointless efforts), there is nothing we can do. In the 1970's, while listening to the rich and varied shortwave transmissions, I never thought in the future I'd be nostalgic for these times. Keyword Bulgaria: Thanks for many years of informative programs. You will be missed. Unfortunately another voice lost to the world. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, Manassas, Virginia USA, ibid.) Sergei S. just explained why that their minds may *not* be made up. It certainly takes little time and effort to sign the petition. That`s the least any of us can do (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A letter or email campaign isn't going to change the decision. We heard the exact same arguments when other broadcasters announced reductions and shutdowns. Those making these decisions are well aware of the arguments for keeping SW, but tiny to nonexistent audiences, technological change and budget deficits have finally forced their hand. As far as "pacifying the unhappy vox populi" we must remind ourselves that SW is directed to external audiences that aren't paying for the service, or voting in national elections in the originating countries. And such "pacification" is what got a lot of counties into financial trouble through staggering and unsustainable levels of debt. The bills are coming due, and there is no money for SW (Steve Luce, Houston, Texas, ibid.) Steve, maybe you are right, but why be such a defeatist? 73, (Glenn, ibid.) It may not help, but it doesn't hurt. If nothing else it tells the staff that will likely be made redundant that their work was appreciated by their audience, if not by their employers (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, Sent from my iPhone, ibid.) Steve: You are approaching the issue from a distinctly Western perspective. Believe me, the decision-making dynamics are quite different in the Slavic world. I wouldn't support a letter-writing campaign to save BBC or RNW because in those countries no one really cares what ordinary people - esp., foreigners - think and say. But the Slavic countries have a much stronger sense of an ongoing direct democracy with foreigners' voices carrying more weight than the local ones. The decisions to cut funding for this or that project are often based on personal connections or political loyalties. I suspect that R. Bulgaria's abrupt cut is largely due to Bulgaria's new president. I don't think any country got into "unsustainable debt level" due to international broadcasting. Usually that has to do with military expenses and overconsumption. I'm not saying that the campaign will work but it might. R.Bulgaria's workers wouldn't be waisting their time on http://www.saveradiobulgaria.com if the whole thing was totally hopeless. I think it's better to write directly to the language service. Signing a petition is good but it won't carry as much weight. 73, (Sergei S., Jan 15, ibid.) Hi there, I think that: it doesn`t hurt and we have nothing to lose ... Everyone should be sending emails and letters to let the staff or Radio Bulgaria know that we are listening and that it's important to keep shortwave. We have to keep together and fight --- and keep shortwave radio alive! I have sent my email yesterday to both French and English service of Radio Bulgaria. Let them know it's important! (Gilles Letourneau, Montreal, Canada, ibid.) That's the thing, we aren't listening and neither is anyone else. DXing a station for 5 minutes isn't listening. Although this a dxing forum, stations don't want dxers; They want listeners. The time to have let them know you were listening was six months ago but submitting regular reception reports. Funny how few of those they actually get until they announce they are shutting down. Now, if want to save Radio Romania and others, start listening, don't just DX them, actually listen to the programming. And submit detailed reports on the content of their programing on a regular basis. Don't beg for QSL cards and such either, just let them know you are listening (Pat Blakely, SC, ibid.) 7400, Jan 14 at 0700, R. Bulgarie Internationale, sign-on in French with schedule including this broadcast also on 9400, usual good signal also aimed at N America. In case you haven`t heard, news broke yesterday that R. Bulgaria is to be closed down on SW and MW at the end of January; maybe they will continue via other media, but the SW transmitters are to be destroyed within the next few months. See for listener protests to be filed. Sergei S. says this may be more effective in the Slavic world than elsewhere. Ivo Ivanov, frequency manager for 19 years, and also provider of DX Mix News, is spreading the word; his job will of course be eliminated if there are no frequencies (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Please consider signing this petition to save Radio Bulgaria: http://www.saveradiobulgaria.com Thanks all, (Alex Klauber, Jan 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Save Radio Bulgaria on SW & MW, sign the petition here : http://www.saveradiobulgaria.com/?page=sign ----- (Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, India dx_sasia yg via DXLD) It seems no one signing the petition so far has claimed to listen to R. Bulgaria longer than I have (1957) -- when it was R. Sofia, but that should count as the previous name of same station. Already in my QSL gallery is the evidence: http://www.w4uvh.net/bulgaria2.jpg http://www.w4uvh.net/bulgaria1.jpg (Glenn Hauser, 0455 UT January 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) In response to Glenn's claim to have listened longer than others I wish to comment as follows. When I was a child, access to a table top or communications receiver was non-existent. As a European my early transistor radios were restricted to FM/LW/MW(enabling me to snuggle under the bedclothes to hear Radio Sweden / Radio Caroline!). It was only when I reached teenager years when I could buy more complex receivers. I would imagine that this would apply to many others. One good thing to see on the list of signers was a small group of young people (mainly in Asia/Latin America). 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Brentwood, England, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) In 1980s, R. Sofia used to provide a very good reception in Moscow on 1224 kHz. I also listened to Bulgarian domestic service, R. Horizont on the MW. Don't remember the frequency now. R. Sofia's SW reception wasn't so reliable in Moscow, as the station didn't target USSR (Sergei S., ibid.) Glenn: I dug thru my archives and found lots of schedules for Radio Sofia which changed to Radio Bulgaria somewhere between 1992 and 1998 as you will note in the attached files above. Somewhere in the 2000s, they dropped the short wave portion of the Greek broadcasts and broadcast only on medium wave, which meant that I was no longer able to monitor these Greek programs; but they continued sending me their schedules. As you will note in the Radio Sofia broadcasts in 1993 in Greek they used 5895, 5915, 5980, 6220, 7115, 7170, 9520, 9700, 11700, 11720. 11735, 11860 kHz. In 2003 Radio Bulgaria in Greek, only on 5900 and 9500 kHz. Now, Greek is only on 747 and 1224 kHz. Then, comes the closedown of Radio Bulgaria (John Babbis, MD, Jan 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear Friends at Radio Bulgaria: Since before 1990, I have been listening to the Greek language broadcasts of Radio Bulgaria on short wave until the broadcasts were on medium wave only. I have enjoyed the news and other information in addition to the musical part of the programs. It was with deep sorrow that I learned of the on-coming closing of Radio Bulgaria on both short wave and medium wave. Even though many people are on the Internet, I doubt that they will carry their computers around with them just to listen to previously available broadcasts on radio. I will miss your Broadcast Schedules, etc., which you were so kind to send me regularly. Good luck to all of you in your future endeavors (John Babbis, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America, Jan 14, cc to DX LISTENING DIGEST) I have just seen on the Media Network blog the official word re the changes to Radio Bulgaria. The upshot is that it appears that broadcasts to the Balkans will after all continue on Mediumwave. There is no doubt that there will be a total shutdown of the Shortwave operation as promised at the end of January 2012. It will be interesting to see whether 747 Petrich and 1224 Vidin are still operating on 1 February 2012. 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Jan 18, mwmasts yg via DXLD) Programmes in Balkan languages will keep coming on MW 747 & 1224 until Feb. 14!! Well, so what? (Ivo Ivanov, R. Bulgaria, Jan 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is shocking, and I mean shocking. Their DX programme is excellent and they put a massive signal in on 5900 and 7400. Sign of the times indeed. What is the world coming to? Shortwave must go on and mark my words, the more stations close or move to DRM, the more (free) radio stations will appear! (Gary Drew, South Herts Radio, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) Switching in favour of the internet - very easy for someone to block. It would seem that money has overruled memories, they of all people should know the benefits of shortwave with the difficulties they had in jamming Radio Liberty/Free Europe during the Cold War (Paul, NZ, MWDX yg via DXLD) It must be considered here that cutting back the airtime even more (for some years now the shortwave transmitters are already off air between 9 AM and 3 PM) would not result in reciprocal cost savings since there are also fixed costs, unrelated to the consumed amount of mains power. It appears that already in last autumn a decision had been made to sacrifice the Kostinbrod site, specifically to sacrifice it instead of Padarsko as it was first intended, I assume because Padarsko has a more capable antenna farm. Back then it was apparently hoped that Kostinbrod could later be revived, unless mentions of the DRM transmissions being only suspended had reviving them from Padarsko in mind. Now it turns out that keeping only Padarsko was still not enough. Yes, it is astonishing what an abrupt decision this appears to be. It looks as if it suddenly emerged yesterday without any advance warning. It also appears that editorial staff is rather cautious, hoping that their job positions will not be affected. They're not the ones who have nothing to lose anymore, or they think so. And, as I already mentioned, it is astonishing as well that NURTS plans to demolish the facilities within the next few months. It is still astonishing when proceeding from the assumption that NURTS is, no matter what the current ownership structure may be, still closely associated with BNR/BNT, like Österreichische Rundfunksender is in fact still an ORF branch (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) > The decisions to cut funding for this or that project are often > based on personal connections or political loyalties. I suspect > that R. Bulgaria's abrupt cut is largely due to Bulgaria's new > president. And here I think that you grossly overestimate the importance of these matters by assuming that such decisions may have something to do with high political levels, with the inauguration of new governments and presidents etc. In this case some answers can be found here, published on Thursday, the day before the news broke from Radio Bulgaria circles themselves: http://www.predavatel.com/bg/news2012/2012_01_12_1 So the budget of BNR has been cut by 10 million Leva in last year and another 7 million Leva for this year. I assume this latest cut has triggered the abrupt decision in regard to Radio Bulgaria. > I don't think any country got into "unsustainable debt level" > due to international broadcasting. Usually that has to do with > military expenses and overconsumption. What should also be considered is the proportion of the costs for program distribution to such simple things as the costs for leading executive personell. As it has just been pointed out in the case of RFI: The latest cuts to its shortwave distribution do not save more money than RFI spent for Christine Ockrent alone. Likewise I wonder how long the BBC will still believe that it can afford Mark Thompson. > R. Bulgaria's workers wouldn't be waisting their time on > http://www.saveradiobulgaria.com if the whole thing was > totally hopeless. I think it's better to write directly > to the language service. Apparently it was Ivo Ivanov who set up this website (Kai Ludwig, Jan 15, dxldyg via DXLD) You know, we have seen similar cuts in the VoA, Deutsche Welle, and yes, even the BBC. I am just amazed, and deeply concerned I must admit, that apparently the concept of renting the transmitters to other broadcasters versus destroying them outright never has crossed their minds. Why would you destroy a revenue-generator? Additionally, renting out the transmitters would at least guarantee some sort of employment for the technical personnel left over. Admittedly, this would do nothing for the on-air talent, but in my humble experience it has always been easier for the talent to find work than we engineers. Modern broadcasting (at least the commercial sector) always seems to feel that engineering is a burdensome expense, meant to be chopped at every opportunity. This situation is only a microcosm of the sad financial state the whole world is in at the moment. International broadcasting is being looked at with a very jaundiced eye in that its benefits are intangibles and produce no immediate or near-term ROI [return on investment]. If there were a million tourists who swarmed into the country and emptied their pocketbooks tomorrow because of something that was said or promoted on Radio Bulgaria, you can bet the various ministries and gargoyles of the economy would be in a flutter to somehow keep this alive to produce more money. It's a sad fact. Shortwave is dying, along with medium- and longwave. The 'Net has made listening on demand so much more practical, and FM does not require the huge power or antenna systems and is more profitable. We as listeners are, ladies and gentlemen, that "weird old uncle" the family speaks in hushed tones about because he still insists on driving around in a 1955 automobile that has a Delco radio in it which can tune stations far away. And you know what? I'm cool with that. I will be signing the petition to save Radio Bulgaria. I started listening to them in the 70's in high school, and, all political nonsense aside, it was entertaining. Will anyone's signature help? I don't know, but like the Pennsylvania Lottery slogan goes: "You gotta play to win." Stepping down off of my soap box now. Good luck and God speed, Radio Bulgaria! No matter what, you will always have a place in our hearts. (Al Muick, Whitehall PA USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Al, The truth is stations like Radio Bulgaria can not compete with stations like the VOA, BBCWS, FRI [sic], Radio Australia and other large ones. Today HF broadcasting is reserved to the developing world. When I travel around South & East Asia who would someone tune to Radio Bulgaria? [sic] People in this region tune to shortwave broadcasts. For news of what`s going on in their own countries and the region. Radio Australia's largest audience is the Pacific/Asia. Their coverage of news for the region is far better than even the BBC. Radio Australia can be tuned in 24/7 here. There signal on HF 90% of the time sounds like high quality AM. This is no easy task as Nigel Holmes at RA told me. The 100 kW at Shepparton need to cross nearly 3000 km of land before they even hit water. During the Australian summer, RA's audience jumps because of the cricket. What can Radio Bulgaria offer someone in Indonesia? Or China? Or Burma? Or the Pacific nations? Nothing. What stations like RB never got was targeted programming. The stations that have targeted programming are the ones who are surviving. (I am just amazed, and deeply concerned I must admit, that apparently the concept of renting the transmitters to other broadcasters versus destroying them outright never has crossed their minds. Why would you destroy a revenue-generator?) 1. Most of these are exchange relays time for time. There are cases where money does change hands, but for the most part no. For example RCI and CRI just exchange time. At the BBC Relay in Singapore there are some hours that are sold, but most of the exchanges are just time. (It's a sad fact. Shortwave is dying, along with medium- and longwave. The 'Net has made listening on demand so much more practical, and FM does not require the huge power or antenna systems and is more profitable.) 2. Shortwave is not dead. HF is still used in the developing world. Some of the largest shortwave audiences in the world are Africa/South East Asia/East Asia. This audience is into the hundreds of millions. Other regions like North America and most of Europe never had this kind of audience (Keith Perron, Taiwan, Jan 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Keith, I guess someone in South Asia who might be interested in Bulgaria would listen to Radio Bulgaria, just as someone here in the US who is interested would listen to them. Further, they can and do compete with the stations you mentioned in that they are the official government voice of their nation. Look at it from that angle. It's not all about news and Bulgaria's transmissions have also had good audio, so I'm afraid I do not see your point here. If you want hi-fi, audio, you are not going to find is using amplitude modulation unless you are going with DRM (angle, or phase modulation) or with IBOC. Radio Australia will also not be able to keep up the 24/7 coverage without budget cutback considerations. Their international programing, like all programming of governmental media, generates no immediate or near term ROI. As I have said, this is a government voice, and is not using targeted programming. Additionally, South East Asia is but one corner of our big blue marble, albeit a not unimportant one. There is the rest of the world that also matters and might be reliably served by Radio Bulgaria. "Most of these exchanges are for time." Oh really? Well, then what about the rented airtime over Radio Luxemburg (Broadcast Center Europe) by Radio Korea on 1440, or Radio Japan via Radio Baltic Waves International, or via many of the Russian transmitters? No, these are not "exchanges." The only thing exchanged here is cash. Bulgaria is in a unique position at the gateway to the Orient and to the Middle East to relay transmissions to those areas for cash, unless she would decide to keep her governmental voice on the air and do a relay exchange as you suggest might be the norm. I would refer you to Red Telecom in New York, who brokers for Kazakhstan or TDP in Belgium who broker for a variety of stations, several of them beaming right into South East Asia. Why would you destroy a cash-generator, I ask again? I did not say shortwave is dead, I said it was dying. In fact, it will inevitably breathe its last gasp when developing countries realize that throwing large sums of money at transmitters which gobble large amounts of power is futile. They, like developed countries, will slowly but surely make their way towards FM and 'Net distribution as well as satellite. Perhaps you are not aware, but VoA and the BBC Trust have already begin putting FM stations all over the world, especially in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, to better serve their audiences, and the VoA has also been cutting back severely. HF will always be used for military comms as well as utility, mostly due to its propagation characteristics and the fact that most of the aforementioned users aren't very much concerned about budgets for their equipment. It's a given for them, and they are the true users of "targeted transmissions." Shortwave will more than likely remain viable for clandestine service as well, where online communications and FM are not practical. 73 (Al Muick, PA, ibid.) Hi Al, In Indonesia and other regions where HF is still powerful, people tune to foreign radio like I said for news about the region. I would invite you to come and spend more than 10 years to see for yourself. Stations like RB are just not important here as the one I mentioned before. In South Asia and East Asia Radio Australia's audience is massive. Because more than 50% of their programming focuses on the region. Because the countries they target people can't get news from within their country. For example Fiji: Radio Australia redirected a few of there frequencies to have more on air. Do you think people really care about news from Bulgaria? Not at all. The audience in South/East Asia is different from North America or Europe. RCI, RA, VOA, NHK, RNZ, RFI all have exchange agreements. The BBC also has with many of them. They no longer with RCI. Yes it's true BBC and VOA have been adding FM and MW stations. But here in Asia they also keep shortwave as does Radio Australia, because of the unstable governments in these countries. TDP will sell time to anyone. Including some groups that are dubious. If any station wants to have an audience that need to target Asia. If RB targeted broadcast to Asia with programs that were relevant to the region. Then they would have a purpose. But to just report on Bulgaria, there would be no interest. In Micronesia people tune to HF because they want information. They are not interested in DXing or QSL or reception reports. Let's go back to Radio Australia. They have 2 daily current affairs programs that focus on Asia and the Pacific. Why do people tune in? To get news from the Asia/Pacific. During the hours when RA relays ABC News Radio and Radio National the programs they relay are also relevant to the region. Two of the most popular programs on RA are Grandstand from the ABC and the afternoon slot. The afternoon slot focuses on Australia which make up 30% of the content, the other 70% is stories that people in the target area would be interested in. I remember last summer when I was in South Malaysia meeting people that would say. They listen to the BBC and RA for news and to the VOA for music. One of the services RNW is cutting by 2013 is Indonesian. Which was a big audience for them. But compared to the audience Radio Australia has in Indonesia with is number of frequencies and hours. It makes RNW's audience seem tiny. Internet. Not in the next 10 years for sure. Most countries in Asia with a few exceptions have full high speed uncensored internet. In PH, Thai, Indo, Malay, Viet, and many others in the capitol the internet is fine. But once you get out of the city limits there is nothing. Will it be built? Not unless there is a major political change in these countries. Now you say cash-generator. Not really. At the moment we have 1 hour a day from 14 to 15 UT directed to Vietnam on 1503 kHz MW using a 600 kW. Per-hour it's 130 USD which barely pays for the power used. This summer when I spent a week at the BBC Far East Relay Station in Singapore. They even told me the hours they sell monthly does not even cover the salaries of the 22 engineers on staff, or the parts needed for the nearly 40 year old 50 and 100 kW Marconi transmitters. PCJ uses FM to Micronesia and some HF to South East Asia (Keith Perron, ibid.) Hi Keith, As I have said before, you are arguing points that have very little to do with the topic I wrote about. FYI, I have spent over 30 years traveling the world and working, so I do speak with some authority on the subject. It is clear you are passionate about South East Asia, but it would appear your train of thought has limited itself to that region of the world. We were discussing Radio Bulgaria, and perhaps you might have also noticed other posting where people have said they enjoy the programming. Of course, VoA and others keep shortwave in Asia. Witness the Robert E. Kamosa transmitting station on Tinian CNMI, where I was the contract station engineer in 2004-2005. At the moment though, VoA is aggressively expanding its use of FM in countries like Afghanistan, African nations like Sudan (North and South), and others many of whose policies are completely inimical to US government foreign policy. You have but to scan the FM sections of the WRTH to see where the VoA, BBC, etc. have placed FM transmitters. You will also note that transmissions to many areas where those FMs exist have been cut back. VoA Poro Point also has a high power mediumwave that reliably serves SE Asia. It is irrelevant who TDP or anyone else sells to. There is no point discussing or debating the organization's merits. The point is that they sell, and the transmitter owners and the brokers profit. Since Bulgaria's issue is that there is a dearth of funding, it would make sense to sell airtime rather than scrap a transmitter site. The expenses are made up for in the costs to the purchaser. Those broadcasters who rent such services, do so because they can afford it and it is less expensive than operating their own equipment at that particular point in time. I think you will find that international governmental broadcasting, Radio Australia included, will slow down in the coming years due to, well, as I have repeatedly stated, lack of governmental funding, their excellent news and programming notwithstanding. As an aside, I regularly spend time in Pattaya, Thailand, and the internet there screams. You can look at a map to calculate the distance form the capitol. Ditto for Kuching, Malaysia. Why don't you write an article about your visit to the BBC Far Eastern Relay Station? I think it would make fascinating reading. It's unfortunate that the money they make from actually selling time does not pay for the salaries of 22 persons or for the power or parts for their transmitters. But then, that is Singapore: 1st world and expensive. Why do you think the majority of transmitter owners selling time are located in Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan, etc.? Just an educated guess on my part, but it seems it would be because things are a bit cheaper there allowing for a greater profit margin. Oh, and the fact that they are not usually bloated organizations like our VoA and the BBC. I welcome further discourse with you on the subject, but perhaps we should take it off the list before people get tired of us going back and forth. 73 (Al Muick, ibid.) I don't mean to be negative, but the bottom line is that no one is listening to their station. And it seems like the only time people actually care, is when the shortwave station is shutting down. And be honest, when's the last time you listened to Radio Bulgaria for the entire broadcast?? not just tune it in for 2 minutes, then tune off but actually listen and listen on a regular basis??? But yet, 100s of people who never listen to Radio Bulgaria will sign these online petitions (Pat Blakely, SC, ibid.) I listen to the complete broadcast. I did so just a few days ago. Only way, at least for me, to hear/learn about Bulgaria. I applaud Radio Bulgaria's honesty in their broadcasts. They told both the good and the bad about themselves. For me their reporting was credible and I told them so. Seems like in the mass media here all I hear about Bulgaria is their mafia, they are dishonest, etc. What a negative picture! I once worked with a person who escaped communist Bulgaria. He was a very nice person. He told me stories about life in Bulgaria, the terrible conditions living under communist (read Soviet) rule. I could not imagine the horrible things the communists did to the people of Bulgaria. Maybe Radio Bulgaria, by today's dummied down standards, is not hip enough. That is OK by me. Radio Bulgaria broadcast intelligent thought provoking material instead of the Radio Disney/what is Hollywood doing/sports worship droll. We live in a world of educated idiots where tests are easier so all can pass. Radio Bulgaria held to a higher standard of actually informing listeners, actually made listeners think about what they heard instead of brain washing them with ADHD programming. Radio Bulgaria's honesty and programming will be missed. Bulgaria's history, culture, folk music and all things Bulgarian will be missed. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, Manassas, Virginia USA, ibid.) R. Bulgaria Listener Survey 2008 --- Anyone remember R. Bulgaria doing listener survey in 2008? Perhaps, the "writing was on the wall". Here are the listener survey questions. 1) Why are you listening to Radio Bulgaria and/or visiting our website? 2) How did you find out about Radio Bulgaria? 3) For how long have you been listening to Radio Bulgaria and/or visiting our website? 4) How often do you listen to Radio Bulgaria and/or visit the website? 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, Manassas, Virginia USA, Jan 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Bulgaria has posted a message about the closure of shortwave on its website today: http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Feedback/HiRadioBulgaria/Pages/1601%D0%918.aspx (Mike Barraclough, Jan 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) `Server application unavailable` at 2107 UT Monday. Did you copy what it said? (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Content retrieved from Google's cache: As of February 1 Radio Bulgaria suspends shortwave broadcasts As of February 1 our media stops broadcasting on short waves, 76 years after the first emission in this frequency range. The reasons are both financial and related to our wish to keep pace with new trends. Programmes in Balkan languages will keep coming in medium waves. As of February 1 you will be able to find and listen to us in the Internet at http://bnr.bg/sites/en/FullEmissions/Pages/default.aspx This gives the start to a new stage of Radio Bulgaria’s development. We hope that the relations of trust and friendship kept up for many years would persist. We would be with you again – our long-time listeners and those who would join the large family of Radio Bulgaria from now on (via Tudor, DXLD) 1 Comment on “Radio Bulgaria official statement about end of SW” #1 Jonathan Marks on Jan 18th, 2012 at 11:41 Sad that Radio Bulgaria seems to have no clue on how to create an easy to remember URL. Will listeners be able to find them on the web to continue listening? Probably not (MN blog comment via DXLD) http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Feedback/HiRadioBulgaria/Pages/1601%D0%918.aspx The strange stuff after 1601 represents the Bulgarian letter capital B. The rest of the URL is in Roman (gh, DXLD) Viz.: published yesterday, 1:51 PM Radio Bulgaria Feedback Hi, Radio Bulgaria As of February 1 Radio Bulgaria suspends shortwave broadcasts As of February 1 our media stops broadcasting on short waves, 76 years after the first emission in this frequency range. The reasons are both financial and related to our wish to keep pace with new trends. Programmes in Balkan languages will keep coming in medium waves. As of February 1 you will be able to find and listen to us in the Internet at http://bnr.bg/sites/en/FullEmissions/Pages/default.aspx This gives the start to a new stage of Radio Bulgaria’s development. We hope that the relations of trust and friendship kept up for many years would persist. We would be with you again – our long-time listeners and those who would join the large family of Radio Bulgaria from now on (via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) Thank you, Mike! The announcement seems to suggest that MW relays will be preserved. R. Bulgaria is known for its very tight editorial control. Obviously it shows in the announcement. Keith, please note that R. Bulgaria's English Service hasn't been targeting Asia in recent history - only Europe and N. America. I'm not sure if it targeted Asia even back in the 1980s. Its Bulgarian and Russian Services do have SW transmissions towards Central Asia. I understand that R. Bulgaria's Arabic online service has been the most popular part of its multi-language offerings - without having a traditional radio presence (Sergei S., Jan 16, ibid.) SEGURAMENTE NO SERVIRÁ DE NADA EN ESTA SALVAJE EPOCA QUE NOS HA TOCADO VIVIR EN DONDE TODO ESTÁ AL REVÉS LOS CHORIZOS EN LOS DESPACHOS Y LOS CARADURAS JUGANDO CON EL TÍPICO "TRINCO" EVIDENTEMENTE NO HAY DINERO PARA TODO Y HAN DECIDIDO OSCURECER EL ESPECTRO Y DEJARNOS SIN EMISORAS DE ONDA CORTA. ASÍ LA CUTRERÍA QUE HA INVADIDO LAS ONDAS DE FM Y LA TV EN TDT SEGUIRÁ PROGRESANDO. EUROPA SE HA VUELTO LOCA Y NO NOS DEJA RESPIRAR. ¿HASTA CUÁNDO? ¿NOS EXTRAÑA TANTO TODO LO QUE DESPUÉS ACABA SUCEDIENDO? LOS GRANUJAS DEL XXI VAN A POR TODAS Y LOS QUE SE QUEJAN SE LES ESTIGMATIZA... ¡MENUDO PANORAMA! CORDIALES SALUDOS / GOOD LUCK / (JUAN FRANCO CRESPO * STAMP JOURNALIST (AIPET), SÀLVIA 8 (MAS CLARIANA), E-43800 VALLS-TARRAGONA (ESPAÑA-SPAIN-ESPAGNE-SPANIEN), DX LISTENING DIGEST) Desde el 1 de febrero podréis escucharnos en Internet en http://bnr.bg/sites/es/FullEmissions/Pages De tal manera Radio Bulgaria entra en una nueva etapa de su desarrollo. Esperamos que la confianza y la amistad, fruto de largos años, se conserven. Seguiremos con vosotros, con nuestros viejos oyentes y acogeremos con placer a aquellos que quieran sumarse a la gran familia de Radio Bulgaria." Horario de programas http://bnr.bg/sites/es/Pages/ProgramScheme.aspx Informe de Sintonia Si necesita un modelo: http://bnr.bg/sites/es/Documents/RadioBG_RR2.doc (via Yimber Gaviria, DXLD) Recording of Radio Bulgaria on shortwave Posted on January 17, 2012 by Thomas This morning at 0000 (Universal Time), I recorded the Radio Bulgaria originating from their Plovdiv, Bulgaria transmitter, 5,420 miles from my home. I started my recording on 5900 kHz at 0000, then moved to and stayed on 7400 kHz after Radio Havana Cuba started transmitting nearby at 0030 UT and bled into their frequency (a very common occurrence with RHC). The first hour is (0000–0059 UT) Radio Bulgaria’s English service, the second hour (0100–0200 UT), their Bulgarian Service and third hour, (0200–0300 UT) French service. In this recording, you’ll hear multiple announcements regarding the closure of their shortwave service as of Feb 1, 2012. They did mention they will continue services over the internet. This was recorded with a Zoom H1 on an Alinco DX-R8T–antenna was a vertical delta loop. (Thomas Witherspoon, http://swling.com/blog/2012/01/recording-of-radio-bulgaria-on-shortwave/ via DXLD) The clip keeps skipping as I try to play it. The deathknell is first sounded starting in the third minute, same text as on website. CubaRM is certainly pervasive, but RHC is not nearby to 5900. Starting at 0030 on 5890 is VOA Spanish plus Cuban jamming. Thomas does not reveal his location but 5420 miles from Plovdiv would put him roughly along a line from Savannah to Bismarck if in USA as seems likely, or around Cape Town, Taipei or Kumamoto --- o, in another post he does say he is in the US (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) 15600, Jan 17 until 1500*, doomed R. Bulgaria with choral music, abruptly off without announcement; had lite het from 15601, WEWN 15610 spur. Due to scheduling, I find myself listening more to its Bulgarian and other language broadcasts for the music than to English, of which there is none scheduled between 0800 and 1830. Its website now says: ``As of February 1 our media stops broadcasting on short waves, 76 years after the first emission in this frequency range. The reasons are both financial and related to our wish to keep pace with new trends. Programmes in Balkan languages will keep coming in medium waves. As of February 1 you will be able to find and listen to us in the Internet at http://bnr.bg/sites/en/FullEmissions/Pages/default.aspx This gives the start to a new stage of Radio Bulgaria’s development. We hope that the relations of trust and friendship kept up for many years would persist. We would be with you again – our long-time listeners and those who would join the large family of Radio Bulgaria from now on.`` Daily English broadcasts are already available on demand there (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Today's on-demand broadcast includes a voiced version of the item quoted below. It will be interesting to see if R. Bulgaria provides the complete hour-long program via the website; historically the online edition ran 35-40 minutes. I note that today's version ran ~51 minutes. It appears the news report is not included in the on-demand audio. I believe many find the non-English language music programming of many international stations to be more compelling listening than the spoken English language programming (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA Jan 17, ODXA yg via DXLD) To me, it's also quite odd that the station provides no streaming schedule or no link to another BNR station that might broadcast the program inside Bulgaria. (Apparently none exists, unfortunately. ) Just posting it as a download screams "stale". Real time streaming -- and including the news -- at least provides the appearance of freshness, even if the programs in reality are likely produced hours earlier (John Figliozzi, NY, ODXA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) Indeed - one would think that, if the Internet is to be their primarily delivery vehicle, that a "live" option be available. Radio Prague has always done this. R. Prague also arranges their on-demand material thematically, in addition to chronologically, which also makes sense in the world of web-delivered material. Radio Prague's website organization serves as a good model of how to make your content as accessible as possible (at least accessible via the website) for non-English language broadcasters. However, RB thankfully has a more robust web presence than, say, REE, for which on-demand programming sits there as an island unto itself. (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid., WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) Re: Kostinbrod and Padarsko facilities will be demolished Thanks so much for the news Kai. Two questions: 1. Is there any SW transmissions at all still emanating from the Sofia - Kostinbrod site? Last news I heard was that only DRM transmissions were occurring from there late last year? I never did get around to getting that site QSL'd. 2. Do you guys know Ivo well? Would perhaps be nice for him to arrange for video footage of the Kostinbrod & Plovdiv - Padarsko SW sites before they are dismantled. Not great news to start the year, but not unexpected either. Thanks & good listening. Best of 73's (Ian Baxter, shortwavesites via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) 1.) No, since November only Padarsko is in use anymore, which brought also an end to the DRM transmissions. This was another cost cutting measure, after cutting back airtime and running the Padarsko transmitters with reduced power, and actually it was originally planned the other way round, to keep Kostinbrod. 2.) In case you don't know this yet: http://www.predavatel.com/bg/1/kostinbrod#rps http://www.predavatel.com/bg/3/brezovo#padarsko Btw, you're aware of the third site, Stolnik, shut down at some point in the nineties? (Kai Ludwig, Jan 14, ibid.) 1. Thanks for the clarification/confirmation re DRM transmissions. 2. Yes thanks. 3. Yes I'm aware of STOLNIK site being closed for SW somewhere around that era. I'm very keen to acquire an exact last day, month or year that Stolnik ended SW transmissions. If any of you guys know how to contact Ivo to request that info I would be most grateful. Cheers (Ian Baxter, Jan 15, ibid.) http://www.predavatel.com/bg/1/elin-pelin#stolnik automatic Google translation, and 36 photo images visible: Radio transmission station Sofia 2 - s.Stolnik (Elin Pelin) RPS Stolnik is located near the village Stolnik, 1 km. Grigorevo the village, about 20 km. northeast of the capital, geographic coordinates of the station: 42.42N / 23.35E, altitude (terrain elevation): 900 m, antenna height: 110 m station was built by Soviet specialists, and the first transmitters come in regular ekspoatatsiya in 1952 RPS on Stolnik years serves to broadcast shortwave radio for the Bulgarian abroad. However, this is one of the best spots in the country for broadcast on medium wave. In 1967 there are two installed always shortwave transmitter KV-100 to 100 kW, in 1970 the USSR have been delivered and 2 pcs. transmitters Molnia 2M - 15 kW. From 1957 works Czech TESLA transmitters 50 kW, broadcast programs of Hristo Botev in the Bulgarian National Radio coverage of the average wave frequency 828 kHz. On April 6, 2010, in order to optimize costs, BNR stopped most of the transmitters on the waves, including RPS Stolnik. 73 wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) In the late 70s and to this day, R Bulgaria, or R Sofia as it was then known, has had a strong, listenable signal. If you didn't mind long tributes to party boss Todor Zhivkov it was quite interesting to listen to. As the first station I ever heard, I liked to listen to it when possible. Bulgaria in the late 70s and into the 80s was one of the most stalwart allies of the Soviet Union. The propaganda was thick and heavy. Bulgaria, like many of the nations discussed here, would flood your mailbox with magazines, books and souvenirs. Later, I would hear R Bulgaria discussing not Todor Zhivkov's achievements but his arrest. Bulgaria has had a lively political culture, swinging between anti-communist and reformed communist governments. Recently they elected a new Prime Minister - the former King! Again some stunning cultural programs and great folk music here. Radio Bulgaria's web presence is better than some stations in the region. The day's news broadcast is available in both script form and real audio format. Not a whole lot of information here, but better than Albania or Hungary. Unfortunately the rest of R Bulgaria's progrming seems unavailable as of yet on the 'net. (Fred Waterer, Programming Matters, July *2002* ODXA Listening In via DXLD, via Büschel, DXLD) I am just amazed, and deeply concerned I must admit, that apparently the concept of renting the transmitters to other broadcasters versus destroying them outright never has crossed their minds. Why would you destroy a revenue-generator? As far as I know the transmitters belong to a commercial organization. I find it hard to believe they haven't tried to make them profitable since they bought them. Maybe there was no demand for such services (Tudor Vedeanu, (Gura Humorului, Romania) dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Tudor, Well, the transmitter operator is NURTS, which is a joint venture between Vivacom of Bulgaria and Mancelord Ltd. of Cyprus http://www.nurts.bg according to WRTH and there is also a broker, Spaceline Ltd., http://www.spaceline.bg who is selling airtime on Bulgarian and Armenian transmitters. I think the key here is that NURTS is the "operator" and not the "owner," who I still presume to be the Bulgarian government. I think therein lies the problem of efficiency and profit. Whenever a government owns the tx'ers, things do not go as smoothly as they might when the owners are a commercial operation. 73, (Al Muick, Whitehall PA USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Al, I think NURTS owns the transmitters, this is what they say on their website: "NURTS owns and operates a unique infrastructure of over 700 sites in the whole country." (Tudor Vedeanu, (Gura Humorului, Romania), ibid.) Hi Tudor, You're right! Just saw that. I wrote them an email asking for any information about the planned destruction of the transmitters. I am very interested to hear what they have to say. Either way, it's really unfortunate! I imagine your town must be a nice quiet place for DXing. Is there much QRN in your area? Best 73, (Al Muick, ibid.) There is quite a lot of QRN in the town. Fortunately I have a property up on a hill in a very quiet area. That's where my "DXing headquarters" are located. :) Best regards, (Tudor, ibid.) Re: Radio Bulgaria mediumwave/shortwave transmitters Hi Glen[n], This is the response I received from NURTS Bulgaria concerning the "destruction" of the transmitters after Radio Bulgaria is silenced. Maybe there was some exaggeration by persons with regards to the destruction bit? 73 (Al Muick, Jan 17, ibid.) viz.: -----Original Message----- From: Albert Muick Sent: Monday, January 16, 2012 7:14 PM To: office @ nurts.bg Subject: Radio Bulgaria mediumwave/shortwave transmitters Dear Sirs: With the upcoming demise of the Radio Bulgaria International Service, we shortwave listeners have been informed by Radio Bulgaria staff that the high power shortwave and mediumwave transmitters used for the transmissions are to be destroyed. Is there any truth to this, and can your organization give us some information as to the disposition of these transmitters after Radio Bulgaria International ceases operation? Thank you, (Albert Muick, Whitehall, PA USA, via DXLD) -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: Radio Bulgaria mediumwave/shortwave transmitters Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:54:09 +0200 From: Vladimir Rangelov Dear Mr. Muick, Based on Bulgarian National Radio request the Short Wave broadcasting will be terminated on 1.02. Our broadcasting facilities could transmit programs of other customers if there’s any interest (via Muick, ibid.) Since Albert and Tudor are misinformed: Historically corresponded to the situation in Bulgaria as in the usual pattern most socialist countries (including DDR-GDR): Broadcaster and Network were disconnected "strict", i.e. under different ministries settled. Probably already in strategic considerations concerning the importance of PTT operations, I guess. Stations under the respective Telecommunications Networks Ministry: USSR, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary, Poland, GDR. In Yugoslavia, the broadcasters themselves were responsible for the transmitter. A close relationship e.g. in Austria between ORF and the later, "outsourced" ORS - telecom transmitter site operations there; were not so in Bulgaria. With "Austrian company" majority of Autrian ORS + minority Raiffeisen Zentralbank Oesterreich AG (RZB) - biggest Austrian bank house - and some minor shares by Bulgarian NURTS too?, is meant exactly. But this deal was not able - NEVER - at that time, as protest of anti-trust ministry. See At the end of each was Shares proportionately of 50% of the Bulgarian NURTS and Cypriot Vivacom Mancelord sold. Since is also print out in the WRTH. BUT: in the autumn 2011 there was a new development: Vivacom sold its 50% Shares so "Bluesat partner" in Dubai: ! so the action to leave shortwave totally started at R Bulgaria Sofia, n o t at NURTS (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX 18 Jan via DXLD) It is so sad that many transmitter and antenna systems are being destroyed; at least they can give it to needy broadcasters like Bangladesh, Indonesia - even sell on low price to ones interested? why destroy a useful thing - don't know! -- Thanks & Regards, (Partha Sarathi Goswami, Siliguri, Dist. Darjeeling, West Bengal, INDIA Skype: dxinginfo, Jan 17, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Comments on “Radio Bulgaria to leave shortwave on 1 February” #2 Keith Perron on Jan 14th, 2012 at 00:35 Not really going to be missed by millions. Radio Bulgaria like so many of these tiny little [sic] stations really have no purpose anymore. Not like the VOA, BBCWS, Radio Australia that provide a news and information service to regions where other platforms are not available or censored. If people who want information and news about Bulgaria there are other places to turn to, when you consider where the country has most of its trade. Also who is the audience? I have never picked them up here in the Asia/Pacific or on my travels in Africa and Latin America. And if I did why would I tune to them for news when I have the VOA, BBCWS, RA, and NHK World. #3 Georgi Bancov on Jan 14th, 2012 at 19:22 Hello! I am the owner of the blog swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com I and the frequency manager of Radio Bulgaria Ivo Ivanov decided to create website petition for saving the broadcasts of Radio Bulgaria on shortwave and medium waves: http://www.saveradiobulgaria.com ! Some of you don’t know how many people listen to Radio Bulgaria, especially Bulgarian people, living in Africa, Americas and Asia. #4 Guillermo on Jan 14th, 2012 at 20:51 In this moment just now I heard about the closing. Is very, very sad. #5 Roy Sandgren on Jan 15th, 2012 at 10:11 More people listening via the am than the internet. #6 AnchorJohn on Jan 17th, 2012 at 01:47 Hope the Bulgarian government can keep RB alive. It’s one of the only remaining voices from the Balkans and still keeps people informed of developments there! (MN blog comments via DXLD) Re: Bulgaria: #Radio Bulgaria cancela sus emisiones en onda corta a [Yimber Gaviria publicized this and pulled a Spanish transmission schedule, from somewhere, to which I replied:] ``Hola Yimber, Gracias por todo. El horario citado es atrasado, de temporada A, tanto en horas como en frecuencias. 73, Glenn`` Muchas Gracias Glenn, NO hubo comentario de nadie, a excepcion de Glenn Hauser, el cual me dijo que las frecuencias que habia reportado eran de la temporada A. Corregido y tomado de HFCC http://www.hfcc.org/data/schedbyfmo.php?seas=B11&fmor=BUL Horario en español de Radio Bulgaria hasta el 1 febrero Frec Hora UTC 7300 OOOO-O1OO 9400 OOOO-O1OO 9545 OOOO-O1OO 7300 O2OO-O3OO 9400 O2OO-O3OO 9545 O2OO-O3OO 7300 O7OO-O73O 9600 O7OO-O73O 9800 O7OO-O73O 5900 173O-18OO 9400 173O-18OO 6000 21OO-22OO 9400 21OO-22OO 9545 21OO-22OO 73 de (Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, noticiasdx yg et al. via DXLD) 9545??? Yes, I see that is in HFCC, but it must be an imaginary alternative, unusually not ending in 00; in fact the whole HFCC schedule for 9545 is, all 1234567 301011 240312 D: 9545 0100 0200 12-16 PLD 170 245 0 157 bul BUL RBU BUL 4098 9545 0200 0300 12-16 PLD 170 245 0 157 spa BUL RBU BUL 4099 9545 0630 0700 27,28 PLD 170 306 0 237 deu BUL RBU BUL 4101 9545 0700 0730 27,28 PLD 170 306 0 237 fra BUL RBU BUL 4102 9545 0730 0800 27,28 PLD 170 306 0 237 eng BUL RBU BUL 4103 9545 2030 2100 37,38 PLD 170 245 0 157 ara BUL RBU BUL 10009 9545 2100 2200 37 PLD 170 245 0 157 spa BUL RBU BUL 4107 I`ve never heard it on 9545, and don`t think anyone has, but if anyone does before 1 Feb, please report it. Also, the third frequency at 0700 is not really on the air, 9600 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CFVP 6030, f/d large logo card with cowboy on horse and antenna (drawing) in 81 days for English airmail report and US $2.00 return postage. V/s Harold Sellers, QSL Manager from the Ontario DX Association. This was a lucky catch, as Radio Martí had choked and puked mid-sentence and faulted off for ten minutes or so back on October 21 2011 (Al Muick, Whitehall PA USA, Jan 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 6175, Jan 16 at 0633, surprised to hear big signal with rock music, song by YL in unknown language, mixing in some English words. Soon becomes clear with Spanish announcement 0635 as ``Melodías de Corea``. Sackville must have put the KBSWR Spanish hour to Europe at 06-07 on the wrong frequency instead of 6045! No, 6175 is in addition to weaker // 6045. Seems like the V. of Vietnam relay frequency 6175 and antenna USward are still/again in use long after it normally closes at 0529*! Extremely hyper M&W gab for few minutes; his accent sounds Mexican, not Castilian. 0638:30 back to music, really fast disco beat: that`ll wake `em up in Spain and keep us awake in Oclajoma. 0642 she explains some Korean words, presumably relating to the song lyrix. 0648 audio message from a listener in Buenos Aires, then playing request for him, ``The Boys`` by some ``chicas explosivas``. So was this a one-off mistake, test, or possibly making this transmission do double-duty, also late evening for Aztlán, western México? 6175, Jan 17 at 0545, 0623 and 0634, no signals from Sackville, unlike 24 hours earlier when the KBSWR 06-07 Spanish service was being run on this Vietnam relay frequency // KBS` normal 6045 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CBC RADIO ONE’S “IDEAS” WORTH A LISTEN --- In the past I’ve cautioned that “Ideas”, a nightly documentary program from CBC Radio One, was generally not archived for on-demand listening, though one episode each week has been offered as a podcast. This has changed in recent months, as most episodes are posted for on-demand listening within a day or two of the original airing of each program. What I tend to do is to regularly visit the “Ideas” website and look for interesting programs to fill in my listening schedule. Some recent subjects covered in recent “Ideas” programs: * A story on mythical Cree beings called Wihtigo * Whether or not complexity in life is good, or bad – from the Calgary Institute for Humanities Community Forum * The decline of trustworthiness of newspapers “Ideas” remains a staple of Radio One programming weeknights at 9[:05] PM across Canada’s time zones. The archive of on-demand programming is complete, with some exceptions, back to October 2010; roughly 1/3 to ½ of programs from January 2009 through September 2010 are also available. You can directly reach the “Ideas” website at http://www.cbc.ca/ideas 73 DE (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, January NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** CANADA [and non]. CHCH channel 15? I noticed in Doug's column this month that CHCH-DT Hamilton is planning on moving from ch 11 to ch 15. How's that going to work with a 15 kW channel 15 in Buffalo? (WBNF). They will lose a lot of OTA viewers in Niagara. Maybe even me - as I normally have the antenna pointed at Buffalo for family viewing (the CKXT relay that used ch 15 was useless here - watched the main ch 66 sig from CN Tower instead). I sent CHCH an e-mail. Their engineering analysis completely ignored all US stations (and I assume they knew nothing about the pirate in Toronto). Look forward to their reply. BTW, I forgot to mention that CHCH's application mentioned Mobile TV as another reason to move to UHF. So it looks like Mobile TV may be arriving eventually up here in Canada too. Wrh (William R Hepburn (VEM3ONT22), Grimsby ON CAN 43 10 59.5 -79 33 34.3, DX PIX : http://dxinfocentre.com/hepburn/ AUTOLOG : http://dxinfocentre.com/hepburn/logs/dxtv.htm 10 Jan, WTFDA via DXLD) Of course they ignored the US stations. The LOU with the FCC already contains an allotment in Hamilton, up to 493 kW ND at 338 meters HAAT on channel 15. Technically speaking, US permission is already obtained (Trip Ericson, http://www.rabbitears.info ibid.) I understand that, Trip, but their main service area is promoted as Hamilton - Halton - _Niagara_. Although they would be *allowed* to use ch 15, it would not be advisable due to the lack of coverage in Niagara Falls-Fort Erie, and possibly even St. Catharines & Welland. Any engineering firm doing an analysis for the owners (who are probably non-tech types) should at least have been made *aware* of the possibility of lost coverage in Niagara - especially since they likely paid a tidy sum for the report. wrh (Bill Hepburn, Ont., ibid.) Is there any other channel that would be better? If the channel is allotted to Hamilton in the LOU, does CHCH's use have priority over WBNF's? Can CHCH file a complaint through channels & get WBNF bumped from the channel? Does the fact that WBNF is a Class A station have any meaning internationally? -- (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) Good questions. I think WBNF's new application to protect CHCH means that the two stations coverage areas will no longer overlap - technically (maybe in Fort Erie though). But of course we all know what happens in zones where 2 DTV signals are of equal strength - neither gets decoded. Near impossible to serve Buffalo with one DTV signal and adjacent Fort Erie with another. Might look nice on paper with coverage charts - but the real world doesn't include lead walls along the international border (although I wouldn't put it past Napolitano to put one up to keep us dangerous Canadians out (; Only 11 and 15 are allocated to Hamilton. (Sounds like not much for a city of 500,000, but even in the analog days they were only allocated 11 and 50 for full power - 50 is now allocated to sorta-nearby Welland - but only for 300 watts !). Best option, IMO, would be 20-30 kW on channel 11. Not sure why they're given only 6 kW. Channel 11 has been an allocation for 50+ years. Neighbouring 11s haven't changed (Huntsville, Kingston, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Alpena - only Wilkes-Barre is new). Real problem is people using UHF antennas for channel 11 combined with ridiculously low power. With stations leaving VHF, and the FCC on its OTA-deathray plan, I don't see how OTA can survive with only 17 channels left (UHF 14 thru 30). wrh (Bill Hepburn, Ont., ibid.) Technical statement in the WBNF-CA digital application: https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101369172&qnum=5100©num=1&exhcnum=1 They evaluate interference to CKXT's (now defunct) operation on channel 15, showing that roughly 22,000 Canadians would be unable to receive the Hamilton channel 15 operation due to WBNF. I think your fourth paragraph explains why they aren't interested in your third. A surprising number of OTA viewers are installing new antennas -- and for the most part, currently available antennas are not suitable for VHF reception. (rabbit ears are usually fine, but store clerks seem to be "upselling" them to "boosted" "digital" antennas, and the non-technical viewers are quite willing to go along) A FCC study last year found the gain factors on many indoor antennas were more than 10 dB lower on VHF than on UHF. CHCH would need 60-100 kW on channel 11 -- assuming that could be granted without interfering with Huntsville/Kingston/Toledo/etc.. And assuming they'd be willing to spend that much money on electricity (100 kW digital is roughly the same as 200 kW analog, but they've budgeted on the assumption they'd be using 6 kW. This UHF move is probably stretching their budget as it is.) The whole VHF power increase thing also needs to factor in increasing noise levels in the home. The non-enforcement of Part 15 has been very problematic for radio amateurs for decades -- now, it's showing up for TV as well. This stuff radiates more crap in VHF than in UHF, and in many cases it's going to take more than a 6 dB increase in transmitter power to fix it. -- (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) ** CHAD. 6164.96, RNT, 0427-0445, audible after Radio Netherland 6165 sign off at 0427. Local Afro-pop music. French announcements. Poor with weak QRM from unidentified station on 6165. Possibly Zambia. Jan 13. 6164.96, RNT, 2225-2320, French talk. Afro-pop music. Fair, but some adjacent channel splatter. Jan 14 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 6165, 0525-0545 16.01, R Tchad, N'Djaména, French "Journal Parlé" ending, followed by vernacular talk, conversation in heavily accented French, African song, 0530 French ID: "Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne", report from N'Djaména, speech in French by the mayor of N'Djaména, 55344 (Anker Petersen, done on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** CHINA. 2011 Final Flaming Goose Report --- Crash & Bang Chinese Opera Music Jammer, a.k.a. Firedrake === From 2011 posted logs (various sources). All broadcasts originate from East Jammerstan. Transmissions will typically change frequency and time often, as the jammer's target moves. (t) means tentative * Not reported on this frequency during 2010. 1098* 19 (till 2200?) 5860* 19 6025* 18, 19 6030 13 6075* 17 6095* 19 7355* 18 7385* 13, 18, 19 7395* 18 7415* 17, 18 7445* 17, 18 7610* 23 7970* 06, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17 7990* 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 8400 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 23 9170* 12 9200* 00, 01, 02, 06, 12, 13, 14, 23 9315* 14 9350 13 9355 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20 9365 13 9380 13 9450 15 9455* 17, 18, 19, 20 9485* 19 9540 17 9875* 19 9905 17, 19 9910* 13 9920* 13 10300 06, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 23 10965* 09, 10, 12, 13 10970* 01, 12, 13 11545* 12 11500 01, 04, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 23 11510* 12 11540 13 11560 14 11590 13 11595* 14 11640* 04, 05 11750 16 11790* 19 11870* 17 11920 16 11940* 17 11945 17, 19 11950* 08 11980* 12, 14 11990* 12, 13 12025* 13 12045* 14 12160* 07 12175* 12, 15 12180* 11, 12, 13 12230* 00, 01, 02, 04, 09, 10, 12, 13, 14 12240* 04, 05, 06, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 12270* 07, 10, 11, 12, 13 12300* 02, 13 12500* 07, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23 12600 07, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23 12670* 00, 01, 12, 13, 14, 23 12900* 06, 07, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 12980 10, 11, 12, 13, 23 13050* 13 13060 12 13100 12 13130* 01, 02, 06, 07, 11, 12, 13, 14 13270* 07 13300 10 13500 03, 12, 13 13600* 13 13625 13 13680 12, 13 13700* 13 13785* 15 13795* 13 13800* 01, 02, 10, 12, 17 13830 11, 12, 13 13850* 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 06, 08, 09, 11, 12, 13, 14 13900* 13 13920* 00, 01, 02, 04, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23 13950 14 13960* 12, 13, 14, 23 13970 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 07, 08, 09, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23 13980* 11, 12, 13 13990* 12 14400 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 11, 12, 13, 14 14700 00, 01, 02, 04, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23 14720* 01, 03, 04, 07, 11, 12, 13, 14 14800* 12, 13 14900 00, 01, 03, 07, 09, 11, 12, 13 14950* 11, 12, 13, 14, 23 14970 00, 01, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23 15070* 07 15230* 13 15260* 14 15265 13 15275* 13, 14 15280* 13, 14 15285 13, 14 15290* 13 15295* 13 15375* 13 15390* 13 15395* 13 15425* 13 15430 13 15435* 13 15440* 13, 14 15445* 11, 12, 13, 14 15455* 13 15495* 13? 15515 13 15520 13 15525* 13 15530 14 15535* 13 15540 12, 13 15545 12, 13 15550 12, 13 15555 12, 13 15560 13, 14 15565* 12, 13, 14 15570 13 15670 11, 12, 13 15700* 14 15745* 12 15750* 13 15760 13, 14 15770* 14 15775* 14 15780* 13, 14 15785* 12 15790* 13, 14 15795 12, 13, 14 15800* 07, 11, 12 15900 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23 15970 00, 01, 05, 07, 09, 12, 13, 14, 16, 23 16100 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 23 16120* 02, 03 16160* 12 16480* 12 16500* 07 16700 01, 02, 06, 12, 13, 23 16970 01 16980* 00, 01, 02, 03, 05, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 23 17100* 01, 02, 06 17170* 01, 03, 06, 07, 12, 13, 23 17300 12 17450* 10 17560 14 17570* 14 17575* 14 17705* 13(t) 17730* 02 17735* 04 17790* 13 17920 07 18180* 12, 13, 14 18200* 14 21495* 04 Updated 10-January-12 (Harold Frodge, MI, Jan 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake Musical Jammer: For the last six weeks or so, I have heard very few Firedrake broadcasts compared to previously. Because other broadcasts from China have been heard with good signal strength at the times I would expect Firedrake to be on the air, I am wondering whether there has been an actual decrease of Firedrake broadcasting? I am also interested in whether the Sound of Hope and Voice of Tibet have reduced their shortwave broadcasts which might explain a reduction in Firedrake use. I am interested in what others have noticed and your thoughts (S, Jan 12, NASWA yg via DXLD) Hi Steve, It all depends on what time you listen for Firedrake. SOH currently is mostly active during their morning. Here is a recent sample of a scan I did on Jan 2 from 0230 to 0250: 9200 fair-poor 12230 good 12300 good 13130 good 13850 good 13920 fair 13970 good 14400 good 15900 good 16120 good 16700 good 16980 good – all of the above against SOH 17730 poor – against RFA (Ron Howard, San Francisco, Calif., ibid.) Hi Ron, What about during the 1100-1600 GMT time slot, what has your experience been recently? (Steve, ibid.) Hi Steve, That would be their evening (7 to 12 in Beijing), which seems to have very little SOH activity, hence little or no Firedrake jamming observed. SOH is predominantly broadcasting now during their mornings. Do not know about other times (Ron Howard, ibid.) HI ALL - re: Steve's query, I have seen a dramatic decrease in FD activity during what would be the evening hours in Asia/ morning USA. I had been supplying some 411 on Firedrake activity during hours not usually reported here, such as between 1000-1100. I haven't heard any activity during bandscans there for several weeks. scanning over my own logs, the last time I show multiple Firedrakes between 1000-1500 UT would have been back in late October. The most recent logs I show here for Firedrakes in the USA morning hours, is on Dec. 12 (on 13725 at 1645, and 9905 after 1830) and on Nov. 18 (on 9200 after 1030 UT). 73 and Good Listening! (Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, Jan 13, NASWA yg via DXLD) Firedrake Jan 13: finally heard one, only one: 9200, very poor at 1322; none higher up to 18 MHz by 1335. Firedrake Jan 14: 11500, fair with flutter at 1453; was lining up BFO for check of pirate supposedly coming up at 1501 on 15500, see INTERNATIONAL, but this encouraged me to search again for more FD: none found 9-17 MHz. Firedrake January 16: 9200, good at 1352 but heavy flutter, like all Chinese signals today 13130, very poor at 1355; no others up to 16 MHz by 1400. Neither of these were audible at 1425, 1449 rechex respectively (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Have Firedrake music very very strong right now on 9355, // 9455. Found them on random bandscan with Realistic DX-160; verified frequencies with R-8 before reporting (Rick Barton, El Mirage, Arizona, Realistic DX-160, outdoor Slinky, 1735 UT Jan 16, NASWA yg via DXLD) Hi Rick, The FD you heard were directed against Radio Free Asia in Chinese on both 9355 and 9455, per Aoki database (Ron Howard, San Francisco, Calif., ibid.) EAST JAMMERTSTAN: 11945, Crash & Bang Chinese Opera Music Jammer; 1904, 16-Jan; // 9905, 9455 & 9355; all strong & no other audio heard (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CONGO DR. 5066.3, 0435-0445, 13.01 R Télé Candip, Bunia (presumed), vernacular talk, 25121. 5066.32, 1800-1810 16.01, R Télé Candip, Bunia, vernacular talk, very weak signal, 15111 (Anker Petersen, done on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** CONGO DR [and non]. QSL: Nice friendly email from Radio Okapi program, from Georges Schleger, Chief of Technical Unit, Public Information Division of the UN Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo. Says transmitters in Kinshasa (FM 25 kW) and total of 65 FM transmitters elsewhere in DRCongo, and in South Africa (SW, 75 kW). In ``winter`` (in the Congo??) not on 6 and 9 MHz, only 11690 and 11795. But I believe that 11795, that I heard and reported, is via ABU, not Meyerton, S. Af. So Georges` reply doesn`t seem currently correct (Don Jensen, WI, Jan 13, NASWA yg via DXLD) 11795 16-17 ** CUBA. Re: [IRCA] 1000 Hz het on 670 --- As Glenn mentioned, it's Cuba. Sounds a great deal like intentional jamming, in fact. The underlying station it's masking can in most cases and locations be picked out with AM Sync receivers like the Sat 800 Millennium, et al. (Joe Rotello, 12 January, IRCA via DXLD) ** CUBA. 9810, Jan 13 at 0540, RHC S9+20 but quite undermodulated in Spanish. 11760, Jan 13 at 1326, a bit surprised to hear some lo-fi bits of the Guatemalan national anthem (as heard better nightly and completely on R. Verdad 4005 after 0600 except UT Mondays), here from RHC. It was a feature about José Joaquín Palma, the Cuban credited with writing its words if not the music too. Today`s anomaly at RHC: 13670 missing Jan 16 at 1448 check. [and non]. 13670, Jan 17 at 1351, RHC in talk about Habana Radio, with heavy CCI, almost as strong from CRI English making a SAH, // 13790. Both the CRI signals are from Kashgar, EAST TURKISTAN during this hour, Commies vs Commies! At 1441, unlike yesterday, RHC is still going on 13670, and now it has mutual ACI with CRI English via Sackville 13675, Commies vs Commies! Great frequency management, Arnie (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS TURKISH. [Northern Occupied Zone by Turkey], 6150.037 kHz. Dear Sir, Good afternoon to you there at Radio Bayrak. I am the WRTH contributor to the famous handbook which comes out next February the next issue [update]. I have been monitoring the frequency the past 10 days as I wasn`t DXing or doing any monitoring for the past 6 months. \\ Frequency 6150. I don't hear Radio Bayrak on the air. Is the station off and only audible via FM or MW? If you would be so kind to inform me then I would pass the message to my Editor. Thanking you for your time, Yours faithfully, Costa Constantinides. P. O. Box 54592. Limassol, 3725, Cyprus. Dxer SWL \\ World Radio Television Handbook contributor for Cyprus. (Costa Constantinides-CYP, Jan 6, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 18 via DXLD) Dear Mr. Costantinide, Thank you for your e-mail message. Radio Bayrak International on HF is being upgraded with a new antenna system. Financial limitations have caused the work to be extended. It is expected to be on the air by the beginning of March, 2012, hopefully with a better antenna system. The transmitter is actually on the air with reduced power (a mere 4 kW) and I have recent reception reports from Douglas-Massachusets (06 Dec. 2011), New York (04 Jan 2012) and Wyomissing - Pensilvania (13 Dec. 2011), all reporting 6150 kHz. Best Regards, Mustafa TOSUN, Dept. Head, Xmissions, BRT Corp. tel. +90 392 225 25 09 fax. +90 392 225 60 61 (Costa Constantinides, Cyprus, Jan 11, via Büschel, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, ibid.) Radio Bayrak - Fussprint ist zum Faeden schauen: 6150.037 kHz. Entscheidend ist die Belegung auch der Nebenkanaele bei einem 4 kW Senderchen. Normalerweise sollte hier in D. 16-18 gehen, aber da ist das 49 mb voll belegt. Die Empfaenge in Florida und Ontario waren 22 bis 03 UT (Wolfgang Büschel, Jan 12, ibid.) ** DJIBOUTI. 4780, 1927-1934* 16.01, Rdif. TV de Djibouti, Arta, Afar (presumed) interview, but was abruptly cut off and did not come back by 1945. At earlier checks at 0550 and 1800, same day, it was also off the air. The station is very irregular and is heard with much lower signal strength than before its technical problems in Sep 2011! 25232 (Anker Petersen, done on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) 4780.00, RTV Djibouti (presumed), at 1437 tune in with no audio in terrible CODAR QRM. By 1525, detected some audio, possibly Arabic singing music. Talking in language(?) after 1530, with possible singing at 1542. Still here at 1558, but nothing distinguishable. Signal was fair after 1520, but CODAR just too strong for much detail. 1/17 (Jim Young, WPC6JY, Inspiration Point (7 miles west of Wrightwood), CA, ICOM IC-706 + 60-M inverted Vee, NASWA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) I am currently hearing a tentative Djibouti on 4780 with talk in unidentified language at 0318-0327+. Poor to fair in noisy conditions. I will continue listening and see what other program details I can catch (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, UT Jan 19, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Brian: DJIBUTI: Noted at 0340 UT tunein with music by group and singing (sounds like Stevie Wonder), JBA on 4780 on the Grundig YB500 Receiver. Some noise noted during monitoring. OM announcing what sounded like the intro to the song which followed. Fair To JBA at my QTH. 73's and Thanks for this tip! (Noble West, Clinton TN, NWM&M, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. 4918.98, La Voz de Quito [sic], 0056 tune in with Latin flavor music and singing. Followed on/off all evening with outstanding signal. Mostly area music, but some pop/rock music and lite ballads as well. Heard full ID at 0453 as, "La Voz de Quito, ...Capital". Many mentions of 'Radio Quito" as well. Seemingly 5 pips (TS) 9 seconds before the TOH. 1/12 (Jim Young, WPC6JY, Wrightwood and Inspiration Point (10 miles west of town), CA ICOM IC-706, 756 ProIII and Grundig Satellite 800, 60-M vertical, 60-M inverted Vee, 80-M inverted Vee, 40-M yagi, NASWA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) ** ECUADOR. Anoche había relativa buena propagación en tropicales (todos son tentativos): Bandas 75 y 60 metros 0250-0305: 4919.5, R. Quito (reactivada! !!!) Un abrazo (Miguel Castellino, Argentina, UT Jan 12, condiglist yg via DXLD) 4918.97 - Radio Quito, noted on the air this morning, 1058 UT, with national anthem to OM at TOH with ID's and opening announcements. Intro to YL with news at 1102. Fair reception with only moderate noise. Signal strength was only S3/4 at best. One announcement mentioned "onda corta" specifically (Stephen Wood, Harwich, Mass., Perseus SDR with 25 x 50 Superloop antenna, Jan 12, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Typically fires up only for one or three days every few months, so get it while you can (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) Hi Glenn, Greetings again from Guatemala. This time, I want to report that on January the 12th while scanning, I caught a bad modulated but strong signal (+20dB) on 4917.9 kHz. I had to tune in up and down from 4922 to 4915.8 kHz in order to get a better but never well modulated signal. Perhaps the transmitter was adjusted while tuning in. The best and more stable result was on 4917.9 kHz. The broadcast show was popular music and some oldies in Spanish. To my surprise, there were some ID´s: “R Quito, la voz en vivo de la Capital, 760AM” and there were some time announcements, too. On the other hand, R Quito has been reported as inactive and irregular. I tuned in this station from 0358 to 0446 UT and I am enclosing a one minute audio clip for you. There, you will hear the end of a song in Spanish and then “dijo Blaise Pascal: el pasado y el presente son los medios, nuestra meta es el porvenir, el tiempo amortigua las pesadumbres y las desaveniencias, porque en el cambiamos y nos convertimos en ciertos ?? en otras personas. En Radio Quito, la voz en vivo de la Capital, son las 23 horas 30.`` Then, there starts another song. Finally, after hearing your show 1600, I am glad that a SWL in California caught R Quito the same date. 73, (Julio Pineda, Icom IC- R71A, Alpha Delta DX SWL sloper, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. January 1 - 2012: 12100, HCJB, Quito, Ecuador, 1614, 33333, Spanish 6050, HCJB, Quito, Ecuador, 2246, 33433, Spanish (DXSPACEMASTER, ALFREDO BENJAMIN CAÑOTE BUENO, Pucallpa, Perú, RECEIVER: GRUNDIG YB400PE, condiglist yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) So 12100 = 2 x 6050 harmonic; never heard it here or maybe anywhere till now. Look also for 18150, 24200 (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) ** ECUADOR. ECUADOR TO START RADIO BROADCASTS IN AMAZONIAN LANGUAGES Starting today, the Ecuadorian government will install antennas and test radios and frequency bands distributed so far to broadcast through the Network of Radios of the Nationalities to help some 200,000 Amazonian indigenous peoples to preserve their native languages. Broadcasts for the fourteen nationalities registered - Achuar, Andoa, Awa, Chachi, Cofan, Kichwas, Zapara, Shiwiar, Shuar, Siona, Tsachila, Waorani, and the Association of Indigenous Communities of Arajuno - will help develop their culture and boost exchange among people in the protected region. Jeanneth Sosa, Communication Consultant from the Secretariat of People, said all antennas must be installed in the first semester of the year. She added that local youth are being trained to work on the project. (Source: Prensa Latina) Andy Sennitt comments: This looks an interesting project, but I cannot find much about it on the Internet. Do any of our Spanish-speaking readers have more information details on this? (January 16th, 2012 - 18:01 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) And dare we hope that shortwave could be involved? (gh, DXLD) ** EGYPT. 6270, Jan 12 at 0626, typical R. Cairo emission from Abis with undermodulated, distorted Arabic music and talk, whine past 0632, but gone at next check 0650. This frequency is supposed to close at 0430 after 5.5 hours to NAm in English and Arabic, which follow another 7 hours in Urdu and European languages starting at 1600. Try to outdo WBCQ with overruns? 6270, Jan 14 at 0705-0706* whiny carrier, just like heard normally from R. Cairo, and this frequency was also on air past 0632 Jan 12 as previously reported, so presumed same source altho no other modulation this time, and it`s past 9 am in Abu Zaabal. 6270 is supposed to close at 0430 after lengthy broadcasts to Europe and North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [and non]. 5950 kHz, R Taiwan Int., 0345 UT 16-Ene-12, 44534, señal muy fuerte por emitir desde Okeechobee USA, locutoras mencionan a Obama, luego programa musical. Emisión termina abruptamente a las 0400. 5950 kHz, V of Tigray Revolution, 0401 UT 16-Ene-12, 22432, desde Addis Ababa-(Etiopia) Locutor en lengua Tigrinya alterna con música tipica. Señal débil aunque clara pese a interferencia de otra emisora en la misma frecuencia, propagación inestable. 5950 kHz, BIBLE VOICE BROADCASTING, 0402 UT 16-Ene-12, 34533, desde Wertachtal (Alemania), Locutor en lengua luri hace anuncios, luego música lenta y muy repetitiva. Señal clara y superior en calidad frente a la emisora que comparte la frecuencia (V of Tigray Revolution). 0440 la mala propagacion hace muy inestables las señales aparece ruido. 73 y Buenos DX (Jose Luis de Vicente T. - HK3ORT, Colombia, Rx: Sangean ATS-909 modif., Ant.: Loop Magnetico "in house", condiglist yg via DXLD) ** EUROPE. Radio Waves International's back --- We are on the air this weekend on 6985 kHz --- Peter HILLS & Philippe. PS: we wil be back in Nashville from Feb 1çth [sic] until March 4th 2012 joining the CRS Country Radio Seminar, meeting friends & artists (via Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, Jan 14, shortwave yg via DXLD) ** EUROPE. 15515, Jan 15 at 1503, no signal on the frequency Borderhunter Radio said it would be using this Sunday at 1501, like it turned out to be using Jan 14 instead of the promised 15500. 15500, checked at 1531, here it is now on the opposite frequency instead of 15515, rock music, slightly unstable carrier but good modulation. 1537 in English mentions free radio, Borderhunter Radio, more music with heavy beat. 1541 polka, mixed with announcement of 15.500, more talk-overs. Signal has some slow deep fades from steady S9+5. No QRM. 1543, mentions Borderhunter, free radio, 15.500, e-mail address. 1544 ``the secret sounds from Europe``. 1545 I compare the frequency to WWV 2500, and BHR is very slightly on the low side of 15500. 1549 the only song we recognize, ``Radar Love``. 1550, ``more music all the time --- Borderhunter Radio``, ``music over three decades``, borderhunterradio@hotmail.com, more mentions of free radio. 1551 DJ acknowledges a report from Florida, ``OK, this is Borderhunter Radio, calling CQ DX on 15-500``, more unknown music; 1557 multiple IDs. *1559.5 blown away by Sudan Radio Service opening 15500 at S9+15. Brian Alexander reported BHR then QSYed to 15515, but checked around 1610 could not hear it vs noise around the frequency. He will not QSL via e-mail per info at http://www.hkdx2.blogspot.com/ but only reports by p-mail (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [Later:] I e-mailed above report to them anyway, but no reply. I have also noticed some DX editors skipped publishing my report, perhaps because it was *too* detailed (gh) Radio Borderhunter currently heard on 15500 at 1515-1525+ Jan 15, Pop mx. Polka style music. IDs. Fair to good on peaks. Radio Borderhunter now on 15515 at 1606 with pop music. IDs. Fair to good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) PIRATE. HOLLAND. 15500, Radio Borderhunter, 1515-1550, pop music. Some polka style music. IDs. Gave email address: borderhunter_radio@hotmail.com_ (mailto:radio@hotmail.com) [sic]. Pop music by Chuck Berry, Elvis, Golden Earring plus others. Fair to good on peaks. Sudan Radio Service on this frequency at 1600. Jan 15 15515, Radio Borderhunter, 1606-1658*, Moved to 15515 to avoid Sudan Radio Service 15500 which came on the air at 1600. Pop music. IDs. “Free Music Radio…Borderhunter Radio”. Fair to good. Jan 15 (Brian Alexander, PA, dxldyg via DX Listening Digest) Borderhunter on 15500 at 1536 with fair signal, English station IDs with email address. Now on 15515 at 1626 with good strength (Al Muick Whitehall PA, ibid.) Sudan Radio service on the same frequency from 1600 in G-language, steady level (David Crawford, FL, 1608 UT, ibid.) G? (gh, DXLD) Now, 1633, no signal in 15515 of Borderhunter. 15500 15/Jan 1634 UNITED KINGDOM, Sudan Radio Service, in Arabic. OM talk. At 1636 African music. 35433. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana BA - Brasil, 12 14´S 38 58´W, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Borderhunter was also heard in Seattle this morning. Not noted at all until appx 1543, and started to build during "Radar Love". I caught a couple mentions of their email address and a report from Florida, then more music 1550. More IDs & email address 1557. Blown away 1559:30 by signon for Sudan Radio Service, which had the strongest signal in the 19 m band according to the Excalibur's display (it was about 10 db better than WWV). (Bruce Portzer, WA, Jan 15, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Pirate radio day logs for Jan 15th for the global pirate HF weekend. http://zlgr.multiply.com/journal/item/420 21805, YL and OM talking in E S2 echoed 25322 12257, for WRI on 0724 with a poor carrier trace in SSB mode Later on 0803 with a rock song. A recording is here: http://www.mediafire.com/?i47f4c904o3ffxq 18950, on 0735 with a marginal signal and pop music. A recording here http://www.mediafire.com/?c932a82hf289yng With on 0746 with ID Suppose Baltic Sea 21500, Baltic Sea? 0956 with song el cumbachero and sub marginal signal. Recording here http://www.mediafire.com/?71ffrs02qgignt1 Recorded on 0959 with an ID too also on Japanese! http://www.mediafire.com/?oot7bfdvqvttqb5 15040 something has been heard there with a very poor carrier in the SSB mode. NO recording (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, DX LISTENIN DIGEST) ** FINLAND. Re: SWR returns 13-14 January --- SWR on 11720 kHz audible at present (1220 UT) - first time heard this weekend, conditions not brilliant. Clear channel but noisy and lot of fading SINPO 15322. Not a trace last night when tried around 2200-0000 on either their 25 or 49 metreband channels (Alan Pennington, Caversham, UK, AOR 7030plus / ALA1530, Jan 14, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) 11690, Scandinavian Weekend Radio, Virrat, 0740-0747, 14-01, male, identification: "Scandinavian Weekend Radio", music and comments. Weak. 14321. Also 11690, 1615-1620, 14-01, pop music and comments by male. Weak. Parallel with 5890. 13221. And 5890 [sic], 1616-1621, 14-01, pop music and comments. 14321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Wire antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I assume he meant 5980, where it has been before and still on the website (gh, DXLD) 6170, 1210-1515 Sat 14.01, Scandinavian Weekend R, Virrat, English show with Tricky Trev and new studio hosts playing pop music e.g. "Born in the U.S.A." and "Never wash up" 25333 improving to 35444 11720, 1210-1305 Sat 14.01, Scandinavian Weekend R, Virrat, English show with Tricky Trev and new studio hosts 45434 // 6170. QRM *1259- 1428* by VOIRI in Urdu (Anker Petersen, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** FRANCE. Sign the Petition, Save RFI --- RFI Russia, through social media, is requesting its listeners to sign a petition in defense of the station: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/rfi-non-%C3%A0-la-fusion-destruction.html It's in French, though (Sergei S., Jan 13, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE. Once again, RFI will be affected by an indefinite strike from Monday 16th, against the merger with France 24 and the move from Paris to Issy-les-Moulineaux. More at http://www.la-croix.com/Culture-Loisirs/Medias/Info-medias/Les-salaries-de-RFI-de-nouveau-en-greve-_NG_-2012-01-13-757434 (JM Aubier, France, Jan 14, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) In announcing the indefinite strike, beginning at midnight Sunday night, unions also issued an open letter to Prime Minister François Fillon, a letter written "because you don't have the time to see us." "A drastic reduction in our audience has been orchestrated with the cutting of shortwave: For several months, the cutting of a peak listening hour in Chinese (without the editors being told) and, since January 1, the ending of 32 hours of shortwave broadcasting, notably in Spanish towards Cuba and Central America, in English and in Portuguese to Africa, notably towards Angola. The aim of the maneuver, according to Alain de Pouzilhac, head of Audiovisual Exterior of France: "to save 1.5 million Euros" per year. "One-point-five million Euros of economy" for millions fewer listeners," the letter says, noting that a million Euros was paid to departing Director General Christine Ockrent, and $24.5 million will be spent to move RFI to the Paris suburbs (Mike Cooper, GA, Jan 14, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A French court has suspended the merger of RFI and France 24, ruling that it is illegal, unions said Monday. RFI staff were called to a meeting on Tuesday afternoon to decide their next steps (Mike Cooper, Jan 17, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) This could actually be bad news for the future of RFI. Without the economies of scale to keep the costs of both radio and TV down, we might see even deeper cuts to the RFI shortwave output. When it comes to choosing one or the other, TV and internet distribution is probably going to win out over SW. I still think we will have to wait until after the French presidential elections to get a good idea of the long term future of RFI. Whoever is elected will face the same financial issues (Steve Luce, Houston, Texas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Rfi Riposte --- Le blog des salariés de RFI CARTA EN ESPANOL, janvier 17, 2012 par RFI Riposte Buenos días, le transmitimos una petición de apoyo al personal de Radio France Internationale (RFI) que en su mayoría rechaza la fusión con el canal de televisión France 24 impuesta por la dirección de la empresa. La situación es grave para nuestra radio: es el futuro de RFI lo que está hoy en juego. El gobierno ha querido reunir RFI, la televisión France 24 y TV 5 en una única estructura jurídica, pero la fusión con F 24 se hará en menoscabo de RFI. El riesgo que se perfila es quitar a unos para dar a otros. Los medios de RFI han sido ya reducidos. El año pasado un primer plan de reestructuración suprimió 206 puestos de trabajo, es decir 20% del personal, casi un empleo de cada cinco... y un nuevo plan está programado para los meses venideros, que amputará aún más la calidad de nuestro trabajo. Nuestra dirección olvida los 40 millones de oyentes de RFI en el mundo, sobretodo en Africa, pero también en Asia y, claro está, en América Latina. Desde El Cairo hasta Nueva York, pasando por Kinshasa, Pekín, Teherán, México, Bogotá, Buenos Aires y Moscú, RFI informa cada día y les da la palabra. La próxima etapa es la fusión de la redacción de RFI con la de la televisión France 24. Nuestra dirección nos habla de "trans-media", con periodistas que trabajarán al mismo tiempo para la radio, la televisión e Internet, en resumen, periodistas "multiusos". En estas circunstancias ¿cómo conservar nuestro rigor, nuestra especialización? En RFI sabemos que contamos con un público exigente, que espera una información precisa y honesta. Queremos seguir informando y no ser simples copistas o traductores de las agencias de prensa. Nuestra credibilidad está en tela de juicio. Es por ello que pedimos a las autoridades francesas que interrumpan este proceso de fusión y reflexionen sobre un proyecto ambicioso para mantener una información de calidad en RFI. Agradeciéndoles su compresión y su solidaridad, con un simple mail que confirma su apoyo en respuesta a journalist97339 @ gmail.com Los periodistas y técnicos de RFI (via Mike Cooper, Jan 17, DXLD) RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONAL HIT BY NEW STRIKE The RFI website says: “RFI’s broadcast and website may be disrupted by a strike, starting Monday 16 January. The stoppage is in opposition to the fusion [merger] of RFI with France 24 television.” Meanwhile, the RFI staff have launched a blog and a petition against the merger. http://rfiriposte.wordpress.com/petition/ The English version is here: http://rfiriposte.wordpress.com/worl/english/ (January 16th, 2012 - 11:00 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** FRANCE. Radio France International, 11705 Issoudun. Jan 10, 2012, Tuesday. *1759-2000* French. Signed on at 1759, once again 1 hour later than listed 1700 (HFCC, EiBi). ID and several RFI jingles heard. Cut off at 2000*, one hour before listed sign off of 2100*. Good. Jo'burg sunset 1706. Jan 11, 2012, Wednesday. 1915-2000* French. Cut off at 2000*, one hour before listed sign off of 2100*. Good. Jo'burg sunset 1706. Jan 15, 2012, Sunday. 1825-2000* French talk, this must be the special transmission to DRC. RFI jingles at 1830, 1840 and then at 1900 followed by news. At 1910, id "Service a Congo", with several mentions of "Katanga" and "Congo" over the next 20 minutes. RFI jingle and id "Radio France Internationale" at 1930, then more African news. After 1940 several more mentions of "Katanga". These all bring back childhood memories of cross-border drives in the mid to late 1950's (from Luanshya in then Northern Rhodesia to Sakania in Katanga. At that time, before Congo's independence in 1960 and the subsequent massacres, petrol was so cheap in Katanga that it was worth the occasional 100 mile or so round trip to Sakania to fill up, and to have a Sunday out in a pretty little Belgian-Congo border town. Sakania was the border post for road and rail, in fact the only rail access from the copperbelt in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) to Benguela and Lobito Bay in Angola, used for copper exports. The Angolan section of the line was subsequently destroyed during the Angolan civil war, and the Congolese section has fallen apart since independence. However, I have just bought a new world atlas and it shows that a new railway line has been built, running direct from Lubumbashi (pre-independence, Elisabethville) in Katanga to Mufulira on the copperbelt. At least part of the old line from Lubumbashi through Sakania has apparently gone. I guess this saves about a hundred miles of rail transport for towns on the western copperbelt, but it will have little effect on the eastern towns. Reminiscences aside, RFI cut off at 2000*. Fair - good. Jo'burg sunset 1705 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. 3995, 1005-1100, R 700, Kall-Krekel German ann, pop songs, ID, deep fades, also heard at 1315-1330; different programme from 6005 25222 AP-DNK 3995, 1800-1920, HCJB, via Kall-Krekel German ann, religious hymns, 1900 "Rock Solid" in English with ID and pop music 45444 AP-DNK [no dates on above logs, but others in the same report ranged from 11 to 14 Jan --- gh] 6005, 1010-1100, 11.01, R 700, Kall-Krekel German ann, German pop songs, 1055 news 35333 AP-DNK 6085, 1015-1100, 11.01 R 700 (tentative), Kall-Krekel German ann, hard rock, poor modulation, also heard at 1315-1335 35332 not // 3995 or 6005. 3995, 1320-1350 16.01, R 700, Kall-Krekel German, non-stop German and English popsongs, 1331 and 1346 IDs: "Radio Sieben Hundert" 35343 (Anker Petersen, done on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Panoramio Images: Berlin-Britz SW site -- Newish images: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/31954514.jpg http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/53696290.jpg (Ian Baxter. SWsites yg via DXLD) Here are some almost recent (from 2010) photos of the 6190 kHz transmitter, plus some views of the 990/855 kHz equipment: http://www.oldradioworld.de/rias.htm And this QSL card features a studio photo from Berlin, not related to shortwave anymore but just pointed out to me because it's in such a nice way unstaged: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uUIQNxlum2o/TCjMD9xw4mI/AAAAAAAAAGc/bqaj6XzE90U/s1600/001.JPG (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 15, ibid.) ** GERMANY. Radio Liberty broadcasting transmission of RL Lampertheim 12025 kHz [12x!] harmonic on 144.300 MHz in 16 kilometers distance. Uzbek 14-15 UT and Russian 15-16 UT programmes. Von der BNetzA / DARC Bandwacht - Was es nicht alles gibt... Ich haette nur mal gerne gewusst, ob es sich um den franzoesischen Sender in Lampertheim handelt. Der Techniker in Lampertheim erzaehlte uns bei der Besichtigung vor 6 Jahren, dass sie sehr zufrieden mit den 8 amerikanischen CONTINENTAL Sendern seien, -- aaaaber der einzige franzoesische Thomcast-Thales Sender ein rechtes Zicklein waere, dass man bei Unterbelegung am besten gar nicht auf Sendung hochfahre. Alle Sender liegen mit einer ganz geringen Leistung dauernd an, meist werden sie 20 Sekunden vor Sendebeginn automatisch an die Antennenmatrix usw. geschaltet, nachgestimmt und auf volle Leistung hochgefahren. 10 Sekunden vor diesem Vorgang habe ich das geringe Signal aus Lampertheim oder Biblis schon hier in Degerloch wahrgenommen, vor allem wenn die Kosovo/Bosnien/Sudan Antenne im Einsatz ist (Wolfgang Büschel, Jan 15, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 18 via DXLD) Re: Rundfunksender auf 144.300 --- VIELEN HERZLICHEN DANK! Zum einen fuer die Beseitigung der Stoerung, zum anderen fuer das gute Gefuehl das was getan wird, wenn es sein muss. Zunaechst besten Dank an Herrn Bonath fuer seine ausfuehrliche Antwort! Die Stoerung auf 144.300 MHz ist beseitigt. Es handelte sich um die 12025 kHz x 12 = 144.300 MHz. Programm : RFE/RL. Sender: Lampertheim. (Das gleiche Programm wird auch auf 9595 kHz, allerdings vom Senderstandort Wertachtal ausgestrahlt.) Die Techniker am Sender Lampertheim haben den KW-Sender kurz ausgeschaltet. Der Abschaltversuch war eindeutig. Wir kontrollierten die 144.3 MHz \\ mit unserer abgesetzten Peilanlage in Darmstadt. Der RFE/RL Sender wurde gegen einen anderen getauscht, danach waren trotz Aussendungen auf 12025 kHz keine Stoerungen mehr auf 144.300 MHz vorhanden. Damit ist das Problem geloest. [...] Ich war vom 1.-7. Jan. in unserem Funk Club in Worms. In dieser Zeit haben wir an einem Wettbewerb teilgenommen, und da die Frequenz 144.300 MHz die 2mb Anruffrequenz ist, ist die Stoerung natuerlich massiv aufgefallen. Sendebeginn war der 2. Jan. 2012 um Punkt 15.00 h MEZ, und zwar jeden Tag bis zum 07. Das Sendeende war variabel, zw. 17.00 und 18.00h MEZ. Aber immer genauso ploetzlich wie es angefangen hat. Das Signal taucht also nicht langsam auf oder ab. Da ich sowieso am Filmen war, habe ich einige kurze Clips gemacht die das Ereignis besser dokumentieren als viel Text. Sie finden alles hier: 3 videos Zusammen mit einem OM aus Darmstadt der die Stoerung ebenfalls hoeren konnte haben wir Lampertheim als Ausgangspunkt ausgemacht und dort faellt mir natuerlich RadioFreeEurope/Radio Liberty ein, oder wie der Nachfolger aktuell auch immer heisst. Ich bin in Sachen Intruder absoluter Laie, denn sowas kenne ich nur von der Kurzen Welle und da kann man dann weiterdrehen, denn da ist viel Platz. Mitten im Contest hat es das arbeiten auf 2mb sehr erschwert. Mit freundlichen Gruessen Michael Bonath DO3MIB (DARC Bandwatch, Jan 12, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 18 via DXLD) ** GREECE. 7450, Jan 14 at 2217 nice guitar music and more variety unannounced but // 9420; finally 2243 YL mentions ``deftera programma`` (second program), 2245 more music still //. At 2249, 7450 splits away for ``Edho Thessaloniki`` ID, which is the trito programma (third program), ``kalimera`` and NA, 2250.5 open carrier with lite hum to 2252*. *2255, 7475 open carrier comes on, 2256 joins // 9420. So the normally separate ERT program 3 until 2250 on 7450 was relaying ERA program 2 from Athens except for the local ID at sign-off. And ERA5, the external service V. of Greece was relaying the mostly-music (but not classical) ERA2 domestic net (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM. 13362(USB), AFRTS, Barrigada, 2202-2212. Man and woman with NPR programming. Very poor signal in lots of noise made readability difficult. AFRTS from Saddlebunch Key noted 5446.5, 7811, and 12133.5 with similar programming, but not in parallel with 13362. 1/10/2012 (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, RX-340, IC-R75, ALA100M Loop, Random Wire (90'), Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** GUAM. 15660, Jan 16 at 1439, poor-to-very poor, YL talk in Burmese, with its distinctive rising-pitches at the end of most sentences, which chex as KSDA, 100 kW, 285 degrees from Agat at 1430-1500 daily (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUIANA FRENCH GUIANA. Remaining Montsinery relay site schedule 5930 0000-0100 12,14 500 215 151 Eng YFR MBR 5930 0200-0300 12,14 500 215 151 Eng YFR MBR 5980 0000-0100 12,14 500 215 151 Eng YFR MBR 6100 0200-0300 12,14 500 215 151 Eng YFR MBR 7360 2200-0100 12,13,15 500 170 151 PorEng YFR MBR 9465 2300-2400 12,14 500 215 151 Spa YFR MBR 9830 0100-0200 11 250 306 216 Hap YFR MBR 9935 2200-2300 12,14 500 215 151 Spa YFR MBR 9935 2300-2400 12,14 500 215 151 Spa YFR MBR 17755 2000-2100 6,7,8 100 311 216 Eng DRM TDP TDP 21690 1200-1300 37,46 500 75 217 Fra RFI TDF 21690 1700-2000 37,46 500 75 211 Fra RFI TDF Deleted RFI Spanish and Meteo. 7375 1000-1030 7S,8S,10E,11 250 305 216 Spa RFI TDF 9825 1000-1030 7S,8S,10E,11 250 305 216 Spa RFI TDF 13640 1130-1200 07E,08,09SW,10E 250 320 156 Mul RFI TDF 15515 1200-1230 10E,11 250 295 156 Spa RFI TDF 17630 2100-2130 7S,8S,10,11,12N 250 295 156 Spa RFI TDF 17690 1400-1430 7,8,10E,11,12N 250 305 216 Spa RFI TDF 17690 1600-1630 7,8,10E,11,12N 250 305 216 Spa RFI TDF also V of Russia relay deleted. 11995 0200-0300 14,16 500 195 216 Spa NEW TDF (BC-DX 18 Jan via DXLD) No, the 11995 at 02-03 was R. Taiwan International, and I was still hearing it January 4 as in DXLD 12-01, unrechecked lately (gh, DXLD) ** GUYANA. 3290, Voice of Guyana – Sparendaam, 0956, in English. End of a religious program with a preacher, hymn, closing announcement, 1000 ID, news – much of it local, start of the morning show – “Good morning” Fair. 1/12/12 (Mark Taylor, Madison WI, WinRadio g313e, Eton e1, Grundig G5& 800; EWE, Flextenna, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) 3290, Voice of Guyana, Sparendaam, 0634-0640. Talk in English by man, apparently BBC programming. Poor signal with fading and lots of static making it difficult to understand the subject discussed. 1/13/2012 (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, RX-340, IC-R75, ALA100M Loop, Random Wire (90'), Cumbre DX via DXLD) 3290, Voice of Guyana, 0628 English. BBC programming, too weak to identify programming but definite mentions of BBC at 0629 and 0630, with BBC theme music, 0632 tune-out. Very poor. Jan 16 (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening from my car with the Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna. Editor of World English Survey and Target Listening, available at http://www.odxa.on.ca dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. 4821.11, AIR Kolkata here at 0048 tune-in, but drifted down to 4820.99 at 0100 and 4820.90 at 0112 to fade out around 0126. Then heard at 1257 on 4820.82 through 1603. Does not follow the AIR network feed at 1515 and beyond. Indian instrumental music and singing at 1538, and has strongest signal and audio of all AIR regionals during fade-out of the band. 1/12 (Jim Young, WPC6JY, Wrightwood and Inspiration Point (10 miles west of town), CA ICOM IC-706, 756 ProIII and Grundig Satellite 800, 60-M vertical, 60-M inverted Vee, 80-M inverted Vee, 40-M yagi, NASWA yg via DXLD) 4820.00, AIR Kolkata (presumed), 1218 tune in with SAH on Tibet. Nothing heard in the 4820.8 area. Tibet dominate, however, bits of audio under. Additional checks at 1411, then later at 1510. As reported earlier, not // other AIR regionals after 1515. Indian mx / singing mixing with Chinese talking at 1525. SAH about 6-8 Hz. In this case, AM reception is best, but agree with Howard's use of SSB for most listening periods. No TS at BOH, with local music program still under Chinese music, which was still dominant after 1533. 1/12 NOTES: AIR Imphal (4775.0), and Madagascar (5010.0 USB) still on their respective frequencies as recently noted; 1538-1541 checks. (Jim Young, WPC6JY, Wrightwood, California, ICOM IC-756 ProIII + 80-M inverted Vee + 40-M yagi, NASWA yg via DXLD) AIR Kolkata 4820 split --- On 15 Jan at 1415 noted AIR Kolkata off the nominal, around 4820.85 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4820.86, 1430-1440 15.01, AIR Kolkata, Bengali (presumed) talk, best in USB due to QRM from Xizang PBS 4820 33443 (Anker Petersen, done on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 4820.85, AIR Kolkata, 1346 tune in with voice in language by F. Difficult with Tibet splatter from 4820. Strange noise bursts here often (heard on 60-M more and more often on many frequencies in this band). M and F voices at 1356, followed by short music interlude, and more talking after 1400 TOH. (Was on 4820.00 at 0044 check last evening). Discussion of sorts after 1409. Further check at 1524 had singing, but much stronger. Brief announcement at 1530, then short ad, into more Indian music with M/F singers to past 1539. This is becoming the strongest Indian station on 60-M for WCNA around 1500+. 1/15 (Jim Young, WPC6JY, Wrightwood, California, ICOM IC-756 ProIII + 80-M inverted Vee, 40-M yagi, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. 7 MHz interference from All India Radio ceases Southgate January 18, 2012 http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2012/7_mhz_interference_from_all_india_radio_ceases.htm On the IARU Region 1 site DK2OM reports that the interference to the amateur radio 7 MHz band from All India Radio has ceased. He writes: On Dec. 1st 2011 HB9CET and DK2OM found white noise like disturbations on 7000 – 7040 kHz. Further analysis showed, that the noise was transmitted from 6960 – 7040 and also on 7820 kHz every evening. Calculation by DK2OM: 7820 kHz – 7000 kHz = 820 kHz. The center of the spurious emissisons was expected on the center QRG 7410 kHz. The German PTT and DK2OM took more measurements and bearings. Indeed, All India Radio on 7410 kHz caused these terrible emissions. The German PTT (BNetzA) and the Swiss PTT (BAKOM) sent official complaints to the Indian authority. VU2GMN assisted by a personal complaint. Many thanks to DJ9KR, PA2GRU, HB9CET for observations. On January 13th 2012 the transmitter (close to New Delhi) was repaired, and our band was free again! IARU Region 1 http://www.iaru-r1.org/ Please log reports of intruders in the amateur bands online at http://peditio.net/intruder/bluechat.cgi (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** INDIA. AIR stations on 4760, 4775, 4800, 4810, 4820.82, 4835, 4840, 4870.02, 4880, 4895, 4920, 4940, 4965, 4970, 5010, 5040, and 5050 all detected; 4820.82, 4840, 4880, 4920, 4970.02, 5010, 5040 all good to very good from 1340 to 1500, but most of these went down hill after 1500. Noticed that AIR's TS at 1430 was 2 pips (second longer) on 4840 and the same for 4920 at 1530! Victor/Jose, can you confirm AIR TOH (IST) TS on regionals has changed from their past 6 pips? (Jim Young, WPC6JY, Inspiration Point (7 miles west of Wrightwood), CA, ICOM IC- 706 + 60-M inverted Vee, NASWA yg via DXLD) No date on this item Jim, not noted on your AIR list, 5015 Delhi (Kingsway). On days when 5010 Thiruvananthapuram is better than normal, circa 1300, I have had what seemed an AIR station on 5015 which I have been presuming was AIR Delhi, rather than Ashkhabad (Asgabat), but I certainly am not sure of that. 5015 has been significantly weaker than 5010. Any thoughts on this? Have you heard AIR on 5015?? (Don Jensen, Kenosha WI, ibid.) Ah, ha! Jimmy missed one on his log! Thanks for pointing it out, Don. Yes, indeed, 5015 was there in its normal glory, with audio, and just about equal to 5010. And additionally, 4775 and 5040 frequently are off during my scans. I come back and they`re back on. Seems like transmitter problems. 4840 is about the best of the lot as of late. 4920 was exceptionally good, as Tibet was very weak on both 4905 and 4920 (Jim Young, ibid.) Thanks, Jim. I appreciate these regular updates on the AIRs. Here in the midwest, I have a very limited season to hunt the 60 mb AIRs, generally just December and January, and then, most usually, far inferior signals to what is noted in California. So I can use all the help I can get! (Don Jensen, ibid.) ** INDIA. 9425, All India Radio National Channel, Bengaluru, 2249- 2255. Non-stop Hindi music. Moderate signal strength with atmospheric noise and occasional deep fades. Weaker but less noisy parallel heard on 9470 (Aligarh). 1/10/2012 9470, All India Radio National Channel, Aligarh, 2249-2255. Non-stop Hindi music. Poor to moderate signal strength with only minor fading. Stronger but noisy parallel noted on 9425 (Bengaluru). 1/10/2012 (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, RX-340, IC-R75, ALA100M Loop, Random Wire (90'), Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** INDIA. AIR ESD sending their own QSL cards --- All India Radio, External services division is now sending QSL cards directly to overseas listeners, during our (along with Anker Petersen & T. R. Rajeesh) visit to AIR ESD in 2010, the Deputy Director and English service presenters said that they are planning to have their own card due to large number of requests received from overseas listeners. Here's a QSL card received by Mikhail Timofeyev in Russia for DRM transmission on 9950 during Nov 2011 : http://dxcorner.narod.ru/photo232.jpg (Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, Jan 12, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. Delphi's DRM car radio --- A car radio receiving Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) signals was put for public display at Auto Expo India held in New Delhi (5-11th Jan 2012). Developed by Delphi which is a leading global supplier of electronics and technologies for automotives, the new device can do Analogue AM and FM, as well DRM Digital radio. The receiver uses the NXP processor which recently added DRM capability. Delphi has a history of developing other Digital Radio Platforms (HD, DAB) and is offering solutions tailored to individual OEM requirements. The device is simulcast compatible and also package protected for DRM+ with a DRM compatible receiver antenna (short stub wide band). It should be available for the market by Q4 2012. (Source : DRM Newsletter, Jan 2012) DRM initiative enables mass-market in-car digital radio By: Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Consortium, Thursday, January 12, 2012 Picture this: an emerging market of over a billion people, in which the national public radio broadcaster can access over 99% of the population. Imagine the same country soon using just over 70 updated medium wave transmitters to cover 70% of its area digitally through the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) standard. Then imagine travelling from the administrative to the commercial capital whilst listening to uninterrupted news, sport and music. That country is India, and the new digital audio standard is DRM. Read the full story at : http://www.automotiveworld.com/news/suppliers/91433-drm-initiative-enables-mass-market-in-car-digital-radio (both via Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. Voice of Indonesia regular terrestrial transmission is still off the air. They are in talk for re-transmission using Babcock system. For details please see here: http://tinyurl.com/7pe5k5o (Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, Jan 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9526-, Jan 15 at 1439 no signal here or on 9525 during VOI Indonesian hour, nor for the past few days. Swopan Chakroborty, India, explains Jan 13 from his blog as above: ``Jan. 9: Voice of Indonesia (VOI) external service is off the air last few days. This is because of technical fault in the transmitter. VOI is in search of correct spares from the original equipment manufacturer. But it is not so easy for such old transmitter and expensive too. We hope VOI will be back on the air very shortly. (VOI transmitter which is presently down: photo by the author) Update 12.1.2012 - VOI is still off the air. Facing difficulty getting the spares. Talks are on for re-transmission of VOI programme using Babcock systems.`` That`s certainly a hopeful sign!! Atsunori Ishida, http://rri.jpn.org/ confirms as of Jan 18, VOI has been off since last log Jan 9: Jan 09 9526 kHz *0954-1710- (No signal at 1755) Unstable. 0954 (EE), 1059 CC, 1158 JJ. Carrier at -1255-1710-`` BTW, if you hear Indonesian on 9525 between 2200 and 2330, it`s R. Australia via UAE, as Jim Evans, TN logged Jan 10 around 2300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Swopan, Thanks for this. Since you have been to Cimanggis to take the photo of the transmitter, can you tell us whether there is another one they have used? We supposed that they had at least two different ones, since for months at a time the frequency would be 9526-, and then 9525- -- different frequencies. If so, it looks like both of them are broken (Glenn to Swopan Chakroborty, Jan 16, via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I went to V of Indonesia from Dec 3 to 10, winning a contest of free trip from VOI. I saw the transmitter site as well as VOI HQ in Jakarta. I went to RRI Mataram also. There are 3 transmitter side by side in the site. But due to high electricity expenses they run only one. You perhaps have noticed that they announce 3 frequency, 11785, 15150 & 9525 kHz but use only one. Did you check my photos in the profile? Here it is: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/105380817212213049468/albums/5688585197159411937 Thanks, (Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, Jan 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) It is interesting to note that the 2012 WRTH says that at Jakarta Cimanggis there are 2 X 50 kW, 3 X 100 kW and 9 X 250 kW shortwave transmitters. The TDP listing shows the following at Jakarta Cimanggis: A series of 50/100 kW transmitters installed between 1950-1974 and now believed withdrawn from service. Then there are these: 3 X 100 kW Harris of 1982 1 X 250 kW THO of 1983 (ordered/or in service) 4 X 250 kW MAR of 1992 3 X 250 kW MAR of 1995 plus: 5 X 250 kW MAR of 1996 (ordered/or in service) at Bontosongu 1 X 250 kW THO of 1983 (ordered/or in service) at Padang Cermin As far as I'm aware, 9680 is regularly on air with a domestic RRI programme, but now the 9525/6 transmitter is short of spares. So what happened to all of the other transmitters? Were they installed at all - and which of them is used on 9525/6? Maybe all the cannibalising that can be done to keep it on air is why there is only one transmitter left for the FS? (Noel R. Green (NW England), Jan 16, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. Winter B-11 schedule of BABCOCK Relays. Part 3 of 3: FEBA Radio 2145-2215 11985 ASC 250 kW / 027 deg WeAf Pulaar Thu-Tue 1830-1845 15250 ASC 250 kW / 070 deg WCAf French 1600-1630 12125 ERV 300 kW / 192 deg EaAf Amharic Thu-Sun 1600-1630 12125 ERV 300 kW / 192 deg EaAf Guragena Mon-Wed 1630-1700 12125 ERV 300 kW / 192 deg EaAf Amharic 1600-1630 11875 KIG 250 kW / 030 deg EaAf Afar 1630-1700 9850 DHA 250 kW / 230 deg EaAf Tigrinya Sun-Wed 1630-1700 9850 DHA 250 kW / 230 deg EaAf Amharic Thu-Sat 1700-1800 9595 KIG 250 kW / 030 deg EaAf Orominya/Tigrinya 1700-1730 6180 DHA 250 kW / 215 deg EaAf Somali 1730-1800 7510 ERV 300 kW / 192 deg EaAf Silte 0800-0830 15220 MOS 300 kW / 115 deg N/ME Arabic 1800-1930 9550 KIG 250 kW / 030 deg N/ME Arabic 0200-0230 6125 DHA 250 kW / 045 deg WeAs Pashto 0230-0300 6125 DHA 250 kW / 045 deg WeAs Dari (Radio Sadaye Zindagi) 0300-0315 6125 DHA 250 kW / 045 deg WeAs Mixed langs 1500-1530 9400 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg WeAs Dari (Radio Sadaye Zindagi) 1530-1600 9400 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg WeAs Pashto 1400-1445 7230 NVS 250 kW / 195 deg SoAs Urdu/Balti 0000-0030 7485 TAC 100 kW / 131 deg SoAs Bangla 0030-0045 7485 TAC 100 kW / 131 deg SoAs Hindi Sun/Wed 0030-0045 7485 TAC 100 kW / 131 deg SoAs Mixed langs Mon/Tue 0030-0045 7485 TAC 100 kW / 131 deg SoAs Bangla Thu-Sat 0045-0100 7485 TAC 100 kW / 131 deg SoAs Hindi 1500-1530 7485 TAC 100 kW / 131 deg SoAs Bangla 0200-0230 7315 DHA 250 kW / 060 deg SoAs Urdu Sun 0200-0215 7315 DHA 250 kW / 060 deg SoAs Urdu Mon-Sat 0215-0230 7315 DHA 250 kW / 060 deg SoAs Mixed langs Mon-Sat 0800-0830 15205 DHA 250 kW / 060 deg SoAs Urdu 1200-1230 15215 DHA 250 kW / 085 deg SoAs Tibetan 1430-1445 9650 DHA 250 kW / 070 deg SoAs Urdu/Punjabi 1445-1500 9650 DHA 250 kW / 070 deg SoAs Kashmiri/Punjabi Wed-Sat 1445-1500 9650 DHA 250 kW / 070 deg SoAs Punjabi Sun-Tue Radio Australia 0100-0130 11780 SNG 100 kW / 340 deg SEAs Burmese 0500-0530 11700 SNG 100 kW / 140 deg SEAs Indonesian 1100-1300 6140 SNG 100 kW / 013 deg SEAs English 1600-1630 9580 SNG 100 kW / 340 deg SEAs Burmese 0400-0430 17840 HBN 100 kW / 270 deg SEAs Indonesian via T8WH Angel 4 1300-1430 9965 HBN 100 kW / 318 deg EaAs Chinese via T8WH Angel 4 0000-0030 9490 DHA 250 kW / 105 deg SEAs Indonesian 2200-2330 9525 DHA 250 kW / 105 deg SEAs Indonesian 2200-2400 9855 DHA 250 kW / 090 deg SEAs English 2300-2330 5955 DHA 250 kW / 085 deg SEAs Burmese WYFR 1700-1800 9430 WOF 250 kW / 107 deg SEEu Turkish 1800-1900 9885 WOF 250 kW / 105 deg SEEu Turkish 1700-1800 9530 SKN 300 kW / 110 deg N&ME Arabic 1800-1900 9660 WOF 250 kW / 140 deg NoAf Arabic 1900-2000 9685 DHA 250 kW / 260 deg WeAf Hausa 1800-1900 11875 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg WCAf Igbo 1900-2000 11665 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg WCAf Yoruba 1900-2000 9705 MEY 250 kW / 340 deg WCAf English 2000-2100 15520 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg WCAf English 2000-2200 15195 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg WCAf English 1600-1800 17545 ASC 250 kW / 085 deg CeAf English 1830-1930 17660 ASC 250 kW / 085 deg CeAf French 1700-1800 6045 DHA 250 kW / 225 deg EaAf Amharic 1700-1800 11975 WOF 250 kW / 128 deg EaAf Somali 1800-1900 9895 DHA 250 kW / 230 deg EaAf English 1900-2000 9805 DHA 250 kW / 210 deg EaAf Swahili, ex MEY 1600-1700 6175 MEY 250 kW / 076 deg SEAf Malagasy 1700-1800 5925 MEY 100 kW / 076 deg SEAf French 1500-1600 21840 ASC 250 kW / 115 deg SoAf English 1800-1900 5890 MEY 100 kW / 015 deg SoAf English 1900-2000 3230 MEY 100 kW / 005 deg SoAf English 1900-2000 5850 MEY 100 kW / 005 deg SoAf English 1900-2000 9885 MEY 250 kW / 340 deg SoAf English 1900-2000 3955 MEY 100 kW / 076 deg SoAf Portuguese 1900-2000 5935 MEY 100 kW / 335 deg SoAf Portuguese 1300-1400 17735 DHA 250 kW / 100 deg SoAs Kannada, 1300-1500 17810 DHA 250 kW / 100 deg SoAs Telugu/Tamil 1400-1500 9855 DHA 250 kW / 105 deg SoAs Marathi 1400-1500 15520 DHA 250 kW / 090 deg SoAs Hindi 1500-1600 11610 DHA 250 kW / 100 deg SoAs English 1500-1600 11995 DHA 250 kW / 090 deg SoAs English 1600-1700 11740 DHA 250 kW / 090 deg SoAs English 1000-1200 9955 HBN 100 kW / 345 deg EaAS Korean 1200-1300 17880 DHA 250 kW / 095 deg EaAs Thai (DX Mix News 13 January via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. It`s the `Global Pirate HF Weekend` so Sat Jan 14 from before 14 past 15 UT I check all the frequency/ranges which were shown the night before at http://www.hkdx2.blogspot.com but nothing at all is heard. Rechecking later Jan 14, there have been lots of changes and additions, including R. Borderhunter on 15515 instead of 15500 where I was looking for it at 1501 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Global Pirate HF-Weekend schedule for 14th & 15th Jan 2012 has now been posted at Harri's blog : http://hkdx2.blogspot.com/2012/01/global-pirate-hf-weekend-14-1512012.html (Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, India, 1804 UT Jan 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) For results see EUROPE ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. Hello Glenn. I hope all is well with you. Thanks as always for the use of your excellent program. I am happy to inform you that there will now be two airings of WOR on Geneva Community Radio. I have decided to relay WRN's North American service on GCR during the overnight hours (Midnight to 6:00 a.m. in this case). As a result, we are now carrying World of Radio Sunday mornings at 4:30 a.m. Eastern. This is in addition to your original time of Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The website for Geneva Community Radio remains: http://genevaradio.blogspot.com Kind regards, (Jake Longwell, Geneva Community Radio, Jan 12, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. What will 2012 bring? I often like to gaze into my totally fallible crystal ball as we approach January 1st to envision what international broadcasting and shortwave listening will be like in the new year. I expect the move away from shortwave and towards mobile device-optimized access will continue, and I also expect many broadcasters to find themselves confronting budgetary challenges throughout the year. Europe’s fiscal woes keep the pressure on As countries across Europe deal with financial reform and deficit pressures, they’ll be looking to cut expenditures across many programs traditionally held as sacred; I’m expecting State-funded international broadcasters to be particularly squeezed. The United Kingdom went through this process in 2010 and 2011; the restructuring of funding for the BBC World Service, with the resulting job losses and transmission cuts, will likely be a harbinger across the continent. Europe has always been particularly well-represented in the signals that reach eastern North America, and further reductions by broadcasters based in Europe will certainly reduce their presence on our shortwave radios. Even Internet and satellite platforms will be under threat given these budget pressures, as we’ve already seen Deutsche Welle scale back its programming and Internet offerings, with Radio Netherlands likely to do so this year as well. Shortwave usage – to developed regions – will continue to erode It’s no secret that shortwave transmitters and transmissions are the most difficult for broadcasters to defend when their budget minders and policy chiefs are putting pressure on them. Transmitters – particularly those at relay sites that serve Africa and North America – frequently are powered by diesel generators, and getting diesel fuel to these remote locations isn’t cheap. Also, the audience for shortwave broadcasts is difficult to assess, as broadcasters must find some way to survey audiences. Without quantitative data in hand, programmers find it difficult to characterize their audiences and determine if they’re reaching the people they want to reach. By comparison, Internet use leaves a very digestible trail in its wake. A broadcaster can see where its listeners are based, when they’re connecting, and how long they’re listening…only those listeners who must use some type of proxy connection (i.e. listeners in Iran, China, and the like) do not leave a trail that’s easy to follow. One reads of “Big Data” in IT journals, as enterprises try to figure out how to use all the transaction logs and system logs created by their web presence and by our use of electronic communications and transactions; broadcasters, too, now have a lot of data to work with, versus a paucity. Since all this data can be measured and tracked, it’s a lot easier for broadcasters to show their managers how well they’re doing…or how poorly. Increased Internet portability drives an emphasis to mobile devices When Internet radio first started being used in the mid- to late- 1990s, a big stumbling block was portability: You had to be sitting at a computer, which was then connected to the Internet via a phone line, in order to use this newfangled concept. Nowadays, with WiFi access and 3G / 4G smartphones pervasive in urban and suburban areas, an untethered handheld device makes it easy to connect with an audio source (which might even be a radio station!) and listen away. Broadcasters are continuing to develop and enhance their own smartphone programs (“apps”), and there also is a range of third parties that aggregate audio providers. By comparison to video usage, radio usage won’t rapidly deplete one’s allotment of data: a 2 GB monthly data plan would allow you to listen to a 64 kbps station more than two hours per day, every day, over a month’s time, let alone those times when that smartphone is connected to the broadcaster via a WiFi network. Also keep in mind that countries in developing areas will leapfrog other communications technologies – while the peoples of Upper Freedonia might not have access to decent telephone “land lines”, you can bet their cellular networks will be top notch, since it’s cheaper to establish cellular infrastructure than wired infrastructure if you’re starting with a green field. You can expect broadcasters to continue to find ways to get their content on mobile devices, even if it’s print and not audio…I read an interesting New York Times article that shows how CNBC and the Wall Street Journal – two media efforts traditionally using two divergent platforms – now compete. This means you won’t be “listening” to radio, you’ll be “reading” it. It just doesn’t “feel” like radio This phenomenon is likely the toughest hurdle we shortwave enthusiasts have to confront. It’s a lot different to sit in front of a box with knobs, dials, and frequencies than it is to push a virtual button on a smartphone. I’ll admit – even as someone who has largely embraced this shift in technology – that there’s no substitute to sitting down with my ‘2010 or my ‘E-1 and seeing what’s on. Conversely, as I look at my own children and how they interact with the world around them, they wouldn’t dream of sitting down in a stationary place with a radio…they wouldn’t have the patience to consult a program and frequency schedule and arrange their day around what’s on and when. They expect to listen to what they want, where they want, and when they want. It’s a different way of interacting with the world around them, and broadcasters – who want to keep attracting new audiences as their listeners and viewers age – have had to adapt as well. There’s still an awful lot of good “stuff” out there Despite these morose observations, there is a lot to listen to out there, especially when you consider the five international domestic English-language public service broadcasters that now make their programming available over the internet: ABC’s Radio National, New Zealand National Radio, BBC Radio 4, Ireland’s RTE Radio 1, and Canada’s CBC Radio One. While some of this programming is provided in the international services of these broadcasters, much is not. Further, while you might not want to think of US public radio in the same class as traditional “shortwave radio”, it’s worth reflecting on how much the US public radio scene has matured since 1970; there is a lot of interesting analysis and documentary programming available from domestic sources that can be as compelling as what you’ll find from these international sources. 73 DE (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, January NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. SPEAK SOFTLY AND CARRY A USB STICK Western governments are investing millions to keep human rights activists online in countries like Syria, Iran and China. They’re giving citizen journalists the technology to skirt the surveillance and disruption of data traffic by repressive regimes. But despite this aid, Europe and the US are accused of hypocrisy on internet freedom. Read Robert Chesal’s story on the RNW website http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/speak-softly-and-carry-a-usb-stick (January 15th, 2012 - 20:59 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) 1 Comment on “Speak softly and carry a USB stick” #1 Radio Session on Jan 17th, 2012 at 10:57 I know this may sound a tad paranoid but I always think of my online communications as public. I’m of little interest to the government but frankly citizens should not have to think about such things. I am cheered by the news that German hackers are thinking of launching a satellite to ensure uncensored internet http://www.infowars.com/german-hackers-building-diy-satellite-their-own-uncensored-internet-into-space (MN blog comment via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. KOREA’S ARIRANG RADIO LAUNCHES SERVICES IN US Korea’s English-language radio station Arirang Radio will start airing its programs in all US states, the company announced. According to the [South] Korea International Broadcasting Foundation, the operator of the Arirang Radio, the English-language radio service will begin at midnight on Thursday (US eastern time) for listeners in all 50 US states through SiriusXM Radio, America’s satellite radio company. The radio’s seven regular programmes on Korean culture and tourism will become available for 11 hours a day on “Korea Today,” the 144th channel of SiriusXM, the company said. SiriusXM broadcasts some 200 satellite radio channels to its 22.5 million paid subscribers. “Korea Today” will be the first channel whose programmes comprise content from a specific Asian country,” a representative of SiriusXM said. SOURCE: ABU NEWS: http://www.abu.org.my/Latest_News-@-Koreas_Arirang_Radio_launches_services_in_US.aspx (Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) ** IRAN. 9685, Jan 17 at 1528, piano music sounds // 9730, but could not get a match in time on two receivers, before 1529 when they differ. 9685 goes off at 1530*. That was the Russian service of VIRI, while 9730 is the Bengali service; sites Ahwaz and Kamalabad respectively, poor signals (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. AN ISRAELI DOMESTIC PROGRAM SERVICE IS IN PERIL 16 January 2012 @1005[ET], Greetings, Glenn: FYI, Just caught this editorial on the website of the Israeli daily newspaper Ha'aretz. 73, (Jim Gershman, K1JJJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Mon, January 16, 2012 Tevet 21, 5772, Ha'aretz Latest update 02:47 16.01.12 Netanyahu, save the Voice of Music --- The minister responsible for the IBA, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, save its archival treasures that are now at risk, and continue to document the cultural- musical achievements here and bring them to every home. Haaretz Editorial In a public statement released by employees of Israel Radio's classical music station the Voice of Music - in contravention of civil service regulations - they issued a call to save the station. According to the workers, the Israel Broadcasting Authority is determined to eliminate it, and the appointment of a new director, Arieh Yass, who has no musical background, is a clear step in this direction. The workers described Yass' appointment earlier this month as "a stinging slap in the face, extremely unreasonable, and a trampling of all professional values and integrity." Given that concerts by the Eretz Israel Symphony Orchestra were being broadcast live as early as the 1930s and 1940s, and that the Israel Broadcasting Authority Law demands "the broadcasting of programs in the fields of culture and art ... and to promote Hebrew and Israeli creative works," one would think that the tradition of classical music broadcasting would need no advocates. The Voice of Music - which is not just a classical music station as many people think, but also broadcasts jazz, non-Western classical music, skits and other programs - has ratings of 9 percent (among the highest in the world for a station of its kind ). It is also represents a clear implementation of the IBA Law, by preserving and reviving musical traditions, both ancient and contemporary, western and ethnic. Yet despite this, it remains at risk of extinction. In two years the station will mark its 30th anniversary. Two years is about the amount of time the station's program editors give it, since five of the eight who remain (out of the 20 editors the station started with ) are already over 65, as is Yass. Past efforts to close down the station failed, due to protests from listeners representing all sectors of the population. So instead of closure, its operators have apparently decided to choke it slowly to death, which is liable to blunt the protest. Action on this must come from above: The minister responsible for the IBA, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, must retract Yass' appointment and replace him with a worthy music expert who will fill the positions at the station, save its archival treasures that are now at risk, and continue to document the cultural-musical achievements here and bring them to every home (via K1JJJ, DXLD) ** ITALY. Re [12-02]: ``It appears that `Notturno Italiano`, the programme produced by Rai International and broadcast nightly over Radio 1 on 657 Naples, 900 Milan and 1107 Rome, may have made its final broadcast overnight on 30/31 Dec 2011 [...] at time of editing it seems that other Rai domestic programming is now heard overnight on 657, 900 and 1107 kHz`` That's just Radiouno, as carried on these frequencies between 6 AM and midnight local time. Until now Radiouno was between midnight and 6 AM on FM only; seems to me that at some point after 1990 it broke away from Notturno Italiano, the traditional overnight service introduced in 1952, turning it into an international special. And now RAI apparently terminated all international services, the ones left after international radio on shortwave went away in 2007, cf. http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=2415 Here is a report about the TV side, for which it remains unclear to me where the mentioned special international services have been distributed at all; in Europe, via the Hotbird system, RAI just sends out its regular TV fare unencrypted since 2008 as far as I understand the matter: http://www.corrieretandem.com/viewstory.php?storyid=11790 Another question: What is the transmission power currently used on 900 kHz? This page suggests that it has been raised to the still listed 600 kW only for Notturno Italiano anymore: http://www.project208.com/italy-lacchiarella-stazioneradio.html The photo shows two Harris DX-50 transmitters and a unit labelled "DXD 100" which I assume is a combiner, so this is a 100 kW facility? Or is one of the transmitters used for the 693 DRM, leaving only the other DX-50 and thus a mere 50 kW for 900? The linked Mediasuk page does not make that clear either, it just shows the left one of the two DX-50. Perhaps the 600 kW operation at night continued until a certain point with an elder tube transmitter, the different sounding modulation I recall from some time ago would support such an assumption. But apparently this does not take place anymore. Tonight co-channel Saudi- Arabia at times almost overrides the Siziano signal. Hard to imagine that this could be more than 100 kW. Not to speak about the 1200 kW on 846, meanwhile a decade has passed since its operation had been banned. And the later DRM test on this frequency has meanwhile ceased again, so the whole transmitter site is dark now. http://www.mediasuk.org/archive/palomba_e.html ... just as the shortwave site. And at least dark, if not even already dismantled. http://www.mediasuk.org/archive/prato/pratoe.htm 1107, which replaced 846 for Notturno Italiano, is just a 6 kW Rome city outlet: http://www.mediasuk.org/archive/mciocci.html ... and 657 a 120 kW: http://www.mediasuk.org/archive/napoli.html (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY. ITALIAN LOCAL MEDIUM WAVE: THE ADVENTURE IS OVER? January 19, 2012 The news of the temporary deactivation of broadcasts on medium wave BroadcastItalia AMitaliana was confirmed to me by one of the leaders. The event was billed, but the issuer intends to act to be given all their rights. Who knows what this episode does not open the way for final approval of the use of medium wave and regulation of the local stations that have been activated over time and especially in these last two or three years. Several months have passed since my last reports from local broadcasters Italian active on medium wave (521-1611 kHz) a spectrum virtually completely forgotten by the public served by the modulation frequency. In Italy Radio RAI has long been dismantled plants repeating Radio 2 and Radio 3, leaving standing only a network of broadcasters "OM" on Radio 1. In 2011 in particular there was a hive of commercial initiatives, many of which are experimental. All these initiatives have in common a kind of "formal defect" on medium wave, apart from the RAI station can not be considered official because there is no licensing in this band of radio frequencies. In practice it is as if these stations have taken the time machine and go back to the seventies were, or at least to the period before the famous Mammi Law. In this group there were two semi-pirate broadcasters have been able to consolidate their programming: Challenger Radio and Broadcastitalia / Amitaliana , operating, respectively, from the areas of Padua and Rome. Or should I say worked because this morning on the news channels operated by Bclnews.it, much followed by the Italian community of listeners hobbies, sensational news appeared: plants BroadcastItalia of 1485 kHz were closed by the authorities (not news about Challenger Radio I have, but I think hearing it on air recently). A seizure that - if it is confirmed - striking but not surprising at all: in recent months have come to the attention of ministerial notifications received several managers of stations that simply are not "provided" by the current regulations. I imagine that many already know my position on the alleged obsolescence of the medium wave. It is certainly true that it has lost meaning the use of these frequencies to cover a large pool of listening, national or even regional scale. There are no more the technical and economic conditions to continue to use transmitters that are progressively disabled in fact across Europe. Completely different is the use of medium wave on very local scales with very low power levels and business objectives and non-profit, but above all social, educational, community. I understand that in the absence of precise rules for the authorities to consider it appropriate to intervene with such severity. But I would hope that this episode (if confirmed, I stress) may be just the first step towards full regulation - on the British model, and American - of low-power medium wave and amplitude modulation, in Italy and maybe in the whole range the European Union (Andrea Lawendel`s blog, http://radiolawendel.blogspot.com/2012/01/onde-medie-locali-allitaliana.html via Antonello Romaniello, bclnews.it yg, Google translation via DXLD) ** JAPAN. 9595, Jan 16 at 1424, Japanese pop song // better 6055 even at this late hour, so R. Nikkei is still on 9595, contrary to a report by some downunderite, tho propagation not favorable today. Could not hear it when checked earlier around 0700 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN [non]. 15720, Jan 17 at 1514, NHK in S Asian language closing, ``Namaskar``, 1515 `Sakura` and reopening, but then cut off abruptly at 1515.5. This is when they transition from Hindi to Urdu, the latter supposed to be on 9515 via Tashkent, while Hindi at 1430 on 15720 is via MADAGASCAR (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KASHMIR. Radio Kashmir Leh which was on 4747.6 for many weeks instead of 4760 was not heard there last night or even this morning. However some suspected carrier was noted by Victor Goonetilleke and myself last night drifting up and down near 4720 around 1615 to past 1630. Its schedule is: 0213-0400/0413/Sun 0430 1130-1630 Photo of Leh QSL is in http://qsl.net/vu2jos/qsls/Leh_6000.jpg http://qsl.net/vu2jos/qsls/AIR_Leh.jpg [later] I have spoken to the Station Engineer at Radio Kashmir, Leh today and informed him of 4760 frequency variation problem. He told me that his SW tx is having problems and they are attending to it. Email is not working well there. He also informed that it is heavily snowing there now. Weather foreast for Leh today is Maximum Minus 16 degrees Centigrade and Minimum is Minus 18 degrees Centigrade according to one website! (http://www.theweatherinindia.com/weather/Jammu_and_Kashmir/Leh) The transmitter power is now about 7 kw More info on Leh is in: http://leh.nic.in/ 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Raj Bhavan Road, Hyderabad 500082, India, Jan 17-18, dx_india yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) 4747.60, AIR Leh was absent from this reported frequency from 1336 to 1606 checks. Victor Goonetilleke reported it was on 4724.2, but I found nothing in frequent scans during the morning, 1/17 (Jim Young, WPC6JY, Inspiration Point (7 miles west of Wrightwood), CA, ICOM IC- 706 + 60-M inverted Vee, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** KASHMIR [non]. INDIA, 4870.01, AIR Delhi, Voice of Kashmir, *1420 with considerable hum at sign-on, along with transmitter problems. Muffled/distorted M voice came on at 1432, soon followed by Indian singing/chanting music. F with news(?) at 1445, but transmitter on/off frequently for 1/4 to 1 second till past 1503. No audio heard after 1527, and finally off at 1530* 1/12 (Jim Young, WPC6JY, Wrightwood and Inspiration Point (10 miles west of town), CA ICOM IC-706, 756 ProIII and Grundig Satellite 800, 60-M vertical, 60-M inverted Vee, 80-M inverted Vee, 40-M yagi, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. 2350, (KCBS). 1455 1/6/12. Very weak signal. 2850, 1500 1/6/12. Threshold audio, notice lately huge drop in signal here. Past seasons signal would be S-9 plus. 3320, 1504 1/6/12. Good carrier, no audio (DENNIS VROOM, Kalama WA, DXing with JRC NRD 545, Sky wire loop 753’, Long-wire 225'. 50' SW EWE, IRCA DX Monitor Jan 14 via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. 7220, Jan 14 at 0702, NA and VOK R. Pyongyang service opening in Korean, but transmitter is totally out of whack, very rapidly cutting on and off, estimated 20 times per second, while the modulation was at normal level. Tuning around at 0704 found similar pulsing circa 7180 without modulation, but then it stopped, and going back to 7220, it had also stopped at 0705, back in whack (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This station is also radiating symmetrical spurs of 15245 on 15185 and 15305. I could hear the spurs today (Jan. 15) at 0645 in Russian when the fundamental was blocked by CRI's German programme. All three frequencies were audible after 0700 (Noel R. Green (N.W.England), DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH. KOREA D.P.R., Two heavy North Korean jammers with different 'sound' against foreign or opposition radio noted at 1615 UT on 5990 to 6013 kHz range, also around 5985.866 kHz against SHIOKAZE (Sea-breeze) earlier the day. Latter jamming hit CRI Swahili program on even 5985 with West African dance music! 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Jan 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 5985, Jan 13 at 1405, Shiokaze with YL in Japanese, plus piano and het from Myanmar; via JSR Tokyo/Yamata, JAPAN. Still no English resumed on Fridays. 5985, Jan 17 at 1343, Shiokaze YL in slow Chinese with piano music, het from Myanmar. Seems to be using Chinese more than before, and English less, besides main languages Korean and Japanese. Poor signal today from JSR Tokyo/Yamata, JAPAN (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH [non]. KBS gets another frequency: see CANADA ** KURDISTAN. 3929.50v, 0315-0430*, CLANDESTINE, 11+13.01, R Voice of Kurdistan, via Sulaimaniya, Iraq Farsi talk, people shouting, song by children's choir, two clear IDs: "Im Radyo Sedaye Kordestane", drifting to 3929.05, heavily jammed by Iran 42442. NB: The frequency in WRTH 2012 of 3965v is wrong! 3960.00, 0320-0428*, CLANDESTINE, 11+13.01, Voice of Iranian Kurdistan, via Salah Al-Din, Iraq Kurdish talk and songs by chorus, 0400 ID: "... Kurdistana Iranê", Farsi ann and talk, closes with a song, heavily jammed by Iran, 32332 // 4869.95, but not syncronized and with very distorted audio. Not // 3929.50! (Anker Petersen, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) ** LIBYA. 11600, Radio Télévision Libye - Radio Libye, *1714-1805*, abrupt sign on at approximately 1714 with French talk. Some French pop ballads. Lite instrumental music. IDs. Late sign on today. Fair to good signal. Jan 14 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** LUXEMBOURG. [Re 12-02:] RTL Radio on 1440 is currently heard thruout the day with ``die besten Hits aller Zeiten``. Had previously been off between 0800 and 1700 And been used only as frame for the programming from the missionaries that Radio Luxemburg (no o missing here) carries on 1440 already for a half century or so. It's actually a mystery why they now run the transmitter throughout the day. It will close down for good in less than three years anyway, and 1440 is still no longer shown as listening option at http://rtlradio.de/Frequenzen.15-3.html (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 1440 Schedule is now: LUX - RTL Radio - Die Grössten Oldies/China Radio International/KBS World, Marnach (300/600*) - RTL Radio: 0400- 1900; China Radio Int'l: 1900-2100 German, 2100-2200 French, 2200-2400 English; KBS: 0000-0100 English, 0700-0730 German; religious px: 0400- 0500 (Mo-Fr), 0500-0630 (Su), 1830-1900; *: power options for 300 and 600 kW. For CRI 600kW is used after dark (which can be 1900, 2000 or 2100). Three antenna options: UK, Germany and omnidirectional; transmitter site will be dismantled end 2014 (EMWG by Herman Boel, Jan Mediumwave News via DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. 5010.00 (USB), noted at *1439, with sign-on music, into music program, and overriding AIR on same frequency. First noted by Ron Howard on 1/11. Talking in vernacular at 1606 1/12 (Jim Young, WPC6JY, Wrightwood and Inspiration Point (10 miles west of town), CA ICOM IC-706, 756 ProIII and Grundig Satellite 800, 60-M vertical, 60-M inverted Vee, 80-M inverted Vee, 40-M yagi, NASWA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) 5010.00, Radio Madagasikara, 0238-0300, carrier + USB. Local African music. Rooster crows. Malagasy talk. Poor to fair in noisy conditions. Jan 13. Thanks to Ron Howard tip (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) R. Madagasikara on Jan 13. Had almost fair reception on 5010.0 in USB + carrier and heard past 1500; heard clearly // with 6135.18 which went off at 1458; it has been a while now since I last confirmed being //. Thanks to Jim Young and Brian Alexander for both confirming this change from ex: 5010.2 (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5010.00, Radio Madagasikara, *0222-0255, sign on with local choral music. 25 second IS at 0226 followed by choral National Anthem. Opening ID announcements at 0229. Malagasy talk. Local African music. Weak. Poor in noisy conditions. Carrier + USB. Jan 14 (Brian Alexander, PA, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX Listening Digest) 5010.00, 1850-1926* 16.01, R Nasionaly Malagasy, Ambohidrano Malagasy songs, 1859 ann in Malagasy, mentioning "...Malagasy...", jingle, 1900 prolonged broadcast with talk mentioning "... Madagascar...", report from a big crowd listening to a speech, 1908 comments in Malagasy and then in French, talk in Malagasy, 1920 comment in French about Canada and Madagascar. No closing procedure. Best heard in USB, 35343 (Anker Petersen, done on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. QSL trasmissione test Radio Netherlands --- Arrivata dopo 48 giorni la conferma d'ascolto della trasmissione test di Radio Netherlands dal Madagascar effettuata lo scorso novembre sui 21480 kHz. Ricevuta la cartolina QSL in 3D ed una penna a sfera. Inviato rapporto via e-mail con allegato file audio mp3. Immagine della QSL a questo link: http://diarioradio.blogspot.com/2012/01/qsl-della-trasmissione-test-di-radio.html (Roberto Rizzardi, SWL I/0216/GR, Porto S. Stefano (GR) Italy, Jan 14, playdx yg via DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. Freut Euch auf neue QSLs vom KNLS Ableger, in einigen Wochen werden die drei Continentals aus der Fabrik auf dem Weg von USA nach Madagascar sein, die WCB Station MWV und die Antennen stehen schon. Anvisiert und fertig waren die TXs schon zur HFCC Konferenz in Texas im September 2011. ;25-MAR-2011: additional: MWV Madagascar World Voice, MDG, 15 43 S 46 26 E Angedachter Sendeplan, Richtung Indian subcontinent, nach NE/ME, nach dem Krisengebiet zwischen EGY und SOM/KEN, nach West Afrika, und sogar nach Sued-Amerika in Richtung 250 und 265 Grad. Klangfarbe religioes wie KNLS Alaska ... 9320 0400-0500 MWV 100 295 ENG MDG WCB 9320 1800-1900 MWV 100 295 ENG MDG WCB 9365 1900-2000 MWV 100 340 ARA MDG WCB 9365 2000-2100 MWV 100 340 ARA MDG WCB 9980 1800-1900 MWV 100 355 ARA MDG WCB 11520 1800-1900 MWV 100 355 RUS MDG WCB 11520 1900-2000 MWV 100 355 RUS MDG WCB 11720 0100-0200 MWV 100 250 SPN MDG WCB 11720 0200-0300 MWV 100 265 SPN MDG WCB 13630 0200-0300 MWV 100 40 ENG MDG WCB 13830 1400-1500 MWV 100 40 ENG MDG WCB 15485 1300-1400 MWV 100 55 CMA MDG WCB 15735 1500-1600 MWV 100 55 CMA MDG WCB (Wolfgang Büschel, Jan 15, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 18 via DXLD) Have one, two or three of the transmitters that we saw during HFCC visit been shipped yet from the Continental factory in Dallas? They had registered another test schedule for B-11 just in case starting Feb 1. This currently appears in the Winter 2011 Update (whenever that mean) at http://www.worldchristian.org/Updates/LatestNews/updates.php --- ``STATION MWV FROM MADAGASCAR IS ALMOST READY TO BROADCAST Greetings from Kevin and Nancy Chambers and our team who are finishing construction and making things ready for the three 100,000-watt transmitters soon to be delivered from Houston. A fourth container is also going to be shipped housing security cameras and equipment to complete the testing of the station. When the new station begins broadcasting, as many as 30 to 37 hours of daily programming from five antennas will blanket the globe with the gospel seven days a week. Our programs in English, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, and English for Africa will introduce an additional millions of people to Jesus Christ`` (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. 5995, RTVM, 0725-0800*, continuous vernacular talk. Flute IS and closing French announcements at 0759. Fair, but co-channel QRM from Radio Australia at their 0758 sign on. Jan 13. 9635, RTVM, *0800:25-0855, sign on with vernacular talk. Some local tribal music. Local marimba music. Fair. Jan 13. (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) Same dates and times, almost: 5995, R. Mali, Bamako. January 13 0750-0756 non stop female in vernacular talks. Checked 9635 at 0753 was silent, het; from 0756, 5990 kHz R. Senado blocked Mali, 33533. 9635, R. Mali, Bamako. January, 13 0803-0812 non stop female in Vernacular talks. Better than 5995, 34533. 73’s (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil (23 39’S-46 53’W), SW40 - Dipoles and Longwire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MAURITANIA. 7245, Jan 12 at 0641, IGIM is on and chanting, good signal tonight (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7245, 0440-0450, Fri 13.01, R Mauritanie, Nouakchott Arabic talk - early broadcast 45343 (Anker Petersen, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 7245, Friday Jan 13 at 0533, IGIM is already on with YL in Arabic; 0634 chanting (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7245, IGIM, *0647-0720, abrupt sign on with Arabic talk. Short breaks of Arabic music. Indigenous vocals. Good. Late sign on tonight. Jan 15 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 7245, Jan 16 at 0620, IGIM is still not on the air. 7245, Jan 18 at 0624, IGIM is on and chanting. (In my reports you don`t have to hunt around in the middle or at the end for the date of reception: I normally put it at the top right next to the time, and am baffled why others think it should be anywhere else.) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Pan-American DX: 790, XERPC Chihuahua, Chih. DEC 3 1115 - Noted with U.S. and Mexican dance music. Frequent time checks followed by "Escuchar Estereo Fiesta" with the 'escuchar' spoken by a man and the rest sung by women. ID announcement at 1135, "Escuche XHRPC 99.3 FM y XERPC 790 AM, Estéreo Fiesta, Estéreo Fiesta... en centro Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México..." Still with Grupo Radiorama but it appears 'Radio Ranchito' slogan is history. Fair with fades to poor in LSB to get away from partially-phased local 800 XEROK. [Vance-TX] 790, XERC México, DF DEC 4 0021 - Noticias programs, sports program Palco Deportivo, ads for new Christmas movie 'Operación Regalo'; plenty of "Formato Veinte-uno" slogan ID's, full ID on the hour, "...XERC, Formato 21, está sintonía [sic] noticias, siete-noventa AM; transmite desde Constituyentes número 1154, Colonia Lomas... una emisora de Grupo Radio Central [sic]..." followed by more news programming. Once it faded in it varied good to poor but was pretty much dominant until the presumed power reduction and/or the fade-up of XENT. 790, XENT La Paz, BCS DEC 4 0115 - R. Fórmula news program, ID for XERM Primer Cadena at 0022, with local ID at 0023, "Radio Fórmula, La Paz... XENT, a potencia diez mil wats..." then back into news program, faded out around 0140. Mixing and above fading XERC, overall fair- poor. [Vance-TX] 810, XESB Hidalgo del Parral, Chih. DEC 4 2341 - Noted with Grupo Radiofónico network ID which included XEHPC Radio Mil (1000 kHz), XESB Radio Mexicana, XEHHI La Número Uno (640 kHz), and XEHB Radio Viva Villa (730 kHz). For XEHHI, there was a "Radio..." slogan announced but it did not sound like "Radio Uno"; it sounded more like "Radio Buncon" phonetically; however, it could have been my ears playing tricks. [Vance-TX] 810, XEFW Tampico, Tamps. DEC 5 0011 - First noted fading up with a balada followed by some announcements then an ID, "...cincuenta mil wats de potencia, XEFW, ochocientos-diez, AM," followed by more baladas. Same ID was heard again about 10 minutes later. Also caught a live ID, "otra vez de la XEFW Estrella... Tampico..." Poor-to-fair in USB with interference de XESN and other unID's. Local 800 XEROK semi- phased. [Vance-TX] 830, XELN Linares, NL DEC 3 1227 - Poor in mix with norteñas, numerous "La Caliente" slogan ID's, time check and ID with call letters at 1300 UT. [Vance-TX] 830, XELK Zacatecas, Zac. DEC 8 0010 - ID by woman, "...Zacatecas, Digital ciento-seis punto cinco (106.5) FM... Grupo Radiofónico Zer..." Fair-poor mixing with at least another XE. [Vance-TX] 920, XECQ Culiacán, Sin. DEC 5 0555 - Faded up during announcement into ID, "...ciento-cuatro punto uno (104.1) FM y 920 AM... cinco mil wats... XHECQ... de Culiacán... Grupo Promomedios, Sur Centro Sinaloa..." into a ranchera. While up it was fair-good with fading with interference de XEQD and others. [Vance-TX] 920, XEQD Chihuahua, Chih. DEC 5 0606 - Caught ID anmt "...XEQD, XEQD, Radio Noticias 920...cerca en Chihuahua... Radio Noticias, 920..." into baladas. Fair while it was up. [Vance-TX] 930, XEQS Buena Vista de Riviera, Zac. DEC 17 2330 - Faded up with baladas and other música romántica. Frequent use of "Romántica 90.3" slogan and announced it was part of Grupo Radiofónico. Poor in USB with local 920 KQBU phased; started getting competition around 0030. [Vance-TX] 940, XEYJ Nueva Rosita, Coah. DEC 17 2345 - In with various conjuntos. ID by man and woman just after the hour, "Mix nueve- cuarenta... XEYJ, XEYJ... la Nueva Rosita, Coahuila..." Frequent "Mix Nueve-Cuarenta" slogan ID's by a man between songs. Also caught a Grupo M Radio network ID just before the top of the hour. Fair-to-poor and dominant on this frequency at this time. [Vance-TX] 990, XEER Cd. Cuauhtémoc, Chih. DEC 25 0200 - Now with música romántica and baladas, ID at 0203 "...escuchando XEER, Radio Romance, novecientos-noventa kilohertz en la banda de AM; con cinco mil wats de potencia... Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, México. E-R, Radio Romance, una estación más de Grupo de M Radio," and back into music. Dominant signal at this time on LSB with local 1000 XEFV looped. [Vance-TX] 990, XET Monterrey, NL DEC 25 1220 - In with a variety of Mexican music. "La T Grande de Monterrey" slogans every now and then. Decent in splatter from looped local 1000 XEFV until 1300 when it was pretty much covered by XEER and another unID XE. [Vance-TX] 1060, XETF Veracruz, Ver. DEC 29 0015 - In and out with ESPN Deportes Radio. Finally caught singing ID at 0100, "Radio... Fórmula, Radio... Fórmula, por ESPN Deportes Radio," then back into ESPN Deportes. In the ID there was a word between 'Radio' and 'Fórmula' that I couldn't quite make out. A check of ESPN Deportes Radio - México stations website, 1060 showed XETF as a Cadena 3a station. Since I never heard any call letters I can only presume it was XETF, unless somebody out there can offer some additional insight. Fair-poor with fades and sometimes mixing with another Spanish signal. [Vance-TX] 1090, XEAU Guadalupe, NL DEC 26 1234 - Up through the pileup with ID, "Escuche XEAU, Milenio, 1090 AM..." into announcement by a man, then news. Poor in mix with KMXA and an unID XE. [Vance-TX] 1130, XETOL Ixtlahuaca, Edo. Mex. DEC 31 0247 - Baladas and música romántica. Top of the hour news followed by ads, then ID, "Escuche XETOL, once-treinta AM... desde Paseo Tollocan trescientos, Colonia Universidad, Toluca, Estado de México. Diez mil wats de potencia, estacion de Grupo ACIR...", then back into music. Fading fair-poor in phase of 1130 KWKH, with XEYZ lurking underneath (Robert Vance, El Paso TX; WiNRADiO G303e/PD, 12 x 9-ft unterminated corner-fed north- south loop, 3 sq meter amplified air loop, NRC International DX Digest Jan 13 via DXLD) ** MYANMAR. 9590: No chance to get a signal of Myanmar radio yet, on new frequency, as reported by Victor recently, logged Jan 11 between at 0138 and 0243 UT, interference by 9590 CRI Spanish from Kashi-CHN, 9730 Voice of Korea in Mongolian (Wolfgang Büschel, Jan 11, wwdxc BC- DX TopNews Jan 18 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 9810, Jan 12 at 1210, Spanish report from Cuban correspondent about the Damas en Blanco and likely protests to be attempted during papal visit in March. Faked me out, thought I was listening to Vatican`s broadcast at this time, but on to Dutch stuff past 1215, i.e. RNW via BONAIRE at 1200-1227. VR previously had Spanish at 1130-1215 via Sackville in the 9.8s, and I heard it Dec 16 at 1145 on 9865 with QRDRM from NZ 9865-9870-9875. Now it`s in B-11 HFCC as daily 1130-1200 only, but missing from WRTH and some other contradictory schedules, so is this service extant or not? And is it really on 21680, direct to SAm, or not? [later: 9865 Vatican reconfirmed] As for RNW in Spanish, Wim Janssen, head of the LA department, confirmed at the Colombo-Venezuelan DX Encuentro that the SW service will be cancelled later this year (but still on the web and via affiliates) --- despite the new mandate of RNW on its drastically reduced budget only to serve countries lacking press freedom, like Cuba, where nothing on SW will drastically reduce their audience! And the Bonaire relay is likely to close for lack of enough relay business other than RNW to keep it viable. If Greenville were to close, as previously planned, Bonaire might survive (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) It seems that Wim Janssen was not at the CVDXE, but his comments were read by Sergio Acosta via video-conferencing, just to clarify, per this account by Rafael Rodríguez: see CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES: ``Al día siguiente vinieron las otras conferencias y videoconferencias que tuvieron lugar en el encuentro, así vino la participación de Radio Nederland en cabeza de Sergio Acosta quien leyó el discurso preparado por Win Jansen [sic], director del servicio latinoamericano; con aspectos sobre el futuro de la emisora y del servicio mismo que a mi entender se verán enfocados a la producción para emisoras afiliadas`` (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEWFOUNDLAND. OZ FM, 94.7 FM in St. Johns, NL and quite a few translators, has flipped formats as of January 2nd. "The Rock of the Rock" classic rock is now "Today's Best Music" with a contemporary hits format leaning towards currents. OZ FM is owned by Stirling Communications International home of NTV and The Newfoundland Herald, a weekly magazine. A TV commercial on NTV for The Herald plugs a story in their current issue about the format change calling it "a bold move." You can listen live at: http://ozfm.com/mediaplayer.php (Karl Zuk, N2KZ, Jan 10, WTFDA via DXLD) OZ FM - The last station(s) you hear as you fly East from North America (Bill Nollman, ibid.) ** NEW ZEALAND. 5950, Jan 18 at 1353, poor signal from RNZI, distinctive voice and tagline of Garrison Keillor. Suspect this is not `World in Sport` as in RNZI`s own program grid for Wednesday 1330-1400 http://www.rnzi.com/pages/schedules.php I`ll bet they are instead relaying RNZ National: yep, that schedule http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/schedules/20120119 for Thursday Jan 19 at 2:05-3 am local shows ``Garrison Keillor's Radio Show (PHP)``, i.e. 1305-1400 UT Wednesdays during DST of UT +13. It`s a one-hour version of `Prairie Home Companion` for syndication abroad. I`m sure many other RNZI schedule entries are also wrong, replaced by DS relays during summer holidays --- but why didn`t RNZI put up an accurate program grid for Dec & Jan? `Mailbox` is admittedly on vacation until resuming fortnightly from next Monday Jan 23 at 1330v, etc. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also NETHERLANDS [non], VATICAN [non] ** NEW ZEALAND. QSL: ZWAK, Auckland Radio (VOLMET), 6679 USB, f/d letter in 25 days for English airmail report and 2 IRCs. Very friendly verifier. V/s not legible (Al Muick, Whitehall PA USA, Jan 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. [Pirate]. 6925 USB, Radio Junk, 0100-0130, pop music. IDs. CW IDs. Audio clips. Obama clips. Poor in noisy conditions. Jan 11 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC- 7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6925-, Jan 14 at 2159, ``Alice`s Restaurant`` playing at S9+12, slightly on low side of AM frequency; 2202 ID as Radio Ronin Shortwave and off at 2203* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6925 pirate: "Dr. Benway" is running a 20th anniversary transmission now in FM; earlier in USB. 2323 UT Sunday, January 15. The same guy is now IDing as "Undercover Radio". (Des Preston, KB8UYJ, Sent from my iPhone, 2331 UT Jan 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. [Pirate]. 6925.11, Liquid Radio, 0600-0620, electroninc dance music. IDs. Weak. Poor. Jan 15 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6925/AM, 2049-2100+, 14-Jan; Non-Top-40 pop tunes; ID just before ToH. SIO=444 w/buzz burst (Frodge-MI) 6925/AM; 2136-2140+, 15-Jan; "Radio Ronin Shortwave playing classic music"; non-Top-40 stuff. SIO=4+54- (Frodge-MI) 6945/AM, 2221-2241:03*, 15-Jan; (yes 6945, not 6925) Long version of Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant with ID before & at s/off. QSL via radioroninshortwave @ gmail.com or Belfast. SIO=4+33+ with buzz bursts plus continuous buzz which LSB took out -- buzz continued after s/off (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. Amateur Shortwave Broadcaster - Is it time, yet? 30 years ago, at ANARC '82 in Montreal, several of us sat around in the bar after the banquet and talked radio. One idea that came out of that impromptu round table was a desire to have a special radio license - an Amateur Broadcaster license. This would not have been a legalization of pirate broadcasting but rather a new form of community programming on an international basis. Perhaps, with the amount of countries abandoning shortwave, it is time to ressurrect this idea and seriously look at the possibilities (Mark Coady, Editor, Your Reports, Listening In, Ontario DX Association, Jan 13, Cumbre DX yg via DXLD) You fellows should come to the Winter SWL Fest in March! We had a group there last year--the Prometheus Radio Project--that already has had considerable success in doing just what Mark and those people in his roundtable proposed! It's called community radio and its licensing has already been approved by Congress with the FCC planning to issue licenses soon. http://www.prometheusradio.org They are coming to the Fest again this year and will have a table as well as a forum on the program (John Figliozzi, 2012 Winter SWL Fest Co-Organizer, NASWA yg via DXLD) Keep in mind that, in the USA, one would have to change laws for this to be possible -- private SW broadcasting is legal only if the target area is not in the USA. As far as I know, all USA private SW broadcasters use directional antennas to target "Western Europe", "Southeastern Canada", and the like. It is a fortuitous coincidence (yeah, right) that we can hear these broadcasters in the USA. Now perhaps Mr. Coady, up in Canada, faces fewer restrictions -- though I believe Canada's licensed SW broadcasters (e.g. CFRX) are grandfathered from days before any analogous CRTC regulations were put in place. Sure, it's possible...so is getting the BBC on shortwave to North America possible... One could say that the Prometheus Radio Project -- empowering local voices on FM radio via new LPFM stations -- has Mr. Coady's vision in mind. You can google that term to find out more; they joined us in Kulp - er, Plymouth Meeting for the SWL Fest last year, and will join us again in 2012 (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.) What we discussed in Montreal was a kind of broadcaster who would be a benefit to the listener - possibly doing things that public broadcasters can't anymore due to budget constraints or government interference - rather than just playing music and weird sound effects as many pirates currently do. If any pirates would want to become legit, under such a licensing system, then they would have to adapt their programming. There would also have to be power limits and, perhaps, a version of the HFCC to coordinate schedules. Still, being able to discuss this rather than just dismiss it, offhand, means that we have come to the point that, for shortwave radio to succeed, we all need to get involved (Mark Coady, NASWA yg via DXLD) Speaking of Prometheus and pirate / "community" radio comes this item in today's New York Times: AIRWAVES CLEAR SLIGHTLY FOR COMMUNITY RADIO http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/01/16/us/AP-US-Community-Radio-Push.html?src=ISMR_AP_LI_MST_FB (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.) Interesting story, and issue! Community radio exists with low power FM, and regardless of the outcome of the recent arrest cited in the NYT, likely will continue and even expand. But expansion onto shortwaves, in my view, remains a politically and diplomatically impossible dream, because of the possibilities of really long distance reception and foreign audiences (Don Jensen, ibid.) Why does everything need supervision? Are you an adult? Do you need supervision? Supervision on this scale implies governments, probably the UN and they are worse than any amateur. Why can't the community set up a code of ethics and police itself? Is it because you don't trust your brother? The people I deal with are pretty decent folks. (Louis Boutet, ODXA yg via DXLD) Louis: Because even a cursory look at human behaviour over time shows that in general, when given free rein to do as we please, all too often our behaviour declines into some degree of chaos without some type of organizational process. It has little to do with being an adult. There are plenty of adults that act like juveniles. Just look at what happened to the CB band after it's initial introduction and the early "feel good" period where (most) everyone behaved themselves, and what happened when the "supervisors" gave up on them. Even amateur radio operators, who historically have policed themselves with some degree of success, need some sort of supervision when things get out of hand. Most hams are adults, but you will hear no shortage of infantile behaviour on the ham bands. It may sound all warm and fuzzy to think amateur SW broadcasters will trust their brothers and behave themselves. Maybe most operators will, but how would you stop someone from setting up shop in some lawless country from getting on the air and wreaking havoc? How do you deal with those who have little or no technical savvy from ruining it for others? Even now, with all the various forms of supervision out there, it's pretty hard to deal with these types of situations as it is. It's more about being realistic rather than trusting. The people you personally know may very well be decent folk, but how does that logically follow that the other six billion or so other folks out there that you don't know are also going to be decent? Just watching the news every day at six demonstrates the contrary. Also, given that governments and corporate concerns have their hooks in the RF spectrum I doubt they're going to just give a bunch of amateurs broadcasters the right to get on the air and play radio. I could be wrong but I doubt it's going to be that easy. It was hard enough to convince the powers that be to give hams a tiny sliver of the LF/VLF spectrum to experiment with, and that was under supervision. Having said that I like the idea of amateur SW broadcasting. I just don't know how you're going to make it work so it doesn't decay into chaos. Maybe it can work. There are enough hams or other technically qualified people in most countries to set up such a station and return to the air all those countries that have disappeared from the SWBC bands. From a technical standpoint it wouldn't take much for some interested parties to get some of the "rare ones" back on the air. I can only hope so. Cheers, (John, ODXA yg via DXLD) WA0RCR is almost there http://www.wa0rcr.com/ 73 (Jim - KC8RKV, ibid.) As a ham station that broadcasts, 1860 (gh) ** PAKISTAN. VOA REPORTER KILLED IN PAKISTAN Washington, D.C. — January 17, 2012 — Voice of America condemns the killing of one of its reporters in Northwest Pakistan’s lawless tribal region today and urges local authorities to do more to protect journalists. Mukarram Khan Aatif, a reporter for VOA’s Deewa Radio, was taking part in evening prayers at a local mosque near his home in the town of Shabqadar when he was shot by unidentified gunmen. Mr. Aatif, who along with other Deewa journalists faced repeated threats from militants in the region, died of his wounds late Tuesday after being taken to a hospital in the city of Peshawar. A spokesman for the Taliban claimed responsibility for the killing. VOA Director David Ensor paid tribute to Mr. Aatif, who was in his 40s and had been working for Deewa Radio since 2006. “Mr. Aatif risked his life on a daily basis to provide his audience with fair and balanced news from this critical region and we mourn the loss of our colleague. We call on authorities in Pakistan to do more to protect all journalists working there and bring his killers to justice,” Ensor said. Walter Isaacson, the Chairman of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors, said, “On behalf of the entire Board of Governors, we condemn the murder of this courageous reporter in the strongest possible terms. The targeted assassination of Mr. Aatif is a tragic reminder of the dangers facing our journalists on a daily basis.” Aatif’s VOA colleagues are mourning the loss of their co-worker, who also reported for local TV stations in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Area, a stronghold of Taliban and al Qaida militants who are blamed for the deaths of more than two dozen journalists since 2004. Colleagues say Mr. Aatif had been threatened many times but continued to report on militant attacks, military operations, and social issues. Witnesses say one of the attackers waited outside the mosque on a motorcycle while another masked gunman entered the building and fired several shots at Mr. Aatif, who was struck in the head. Journalists and colleagues from Pakistan’s tribal regions rushed to the hospital where he died. In an interview with Deewa Radio, Selab Mehsud, a leading member of the Tribal Union of Journalists demanded the government investigate the killing and punish those responsible. For the past two years, Reporters Without Borders has named Pakistan as the world’s deadliest country for journalists. VOA’s Pashto language Deewa Radio, which recently began broadcasting on satellite television, is one of the leading sources of news in Northwest Pakistan’s tribal area. For more information about this release contact Kyle King at VOA Public Relations in Washington at kking @ voanews.com For more information about any of VOA’s programs visit our main website at http://www.voanews.com (VOA press release, also via Dr Hansjoerg Biener, via DXLD) More about this: http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=12665 (via gh, DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3204.95, NBC Sandaun, 1152-1312*, Jan 15. Clearly lower in frequency than last heard; in Tok Pisin; variety of music (pop with Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, pop island songs and for the first time I heard some truly indigenous chanting/singing with drums); 1258 their usual nice full ID with many “N-B-C Sandaun”; better than normal. Edited MP3 audio at http://www.box.com/s/zav7ujjrzo0oh18jkr6k Outstanding PNG propagation, but considerable QRN! 3315, NBC Manus, 1315-1403*, Jan 15. In Tok Pisin playing all C&W; 1402 ID; children singing Anthem; bird calls and off; poor with QRN. 3325, NBC Bougainville, 1046-1140, Jan 15 (Sunday). The best reception so far here, but still tough to copy with QRM from RRI Palangkaraya and QRN; playing variety of music from pop island songs to religious Christian songs in English; ID at 1102 sounded like “N-B-C Bougainville” and list of frequencies; “time in Bougainville is 9 o’clock”. Thanks to Ian Baxter (Australia) for indicating that the word “Buka” in an ID here would be incorrect, so I gladly defer to his expertise with this station. It also helped today to have a more distinctive ID given. Also thanks to Mauno Ritola (Finland) for his insightful comments about this station. Thanks fellows! Edited MP3: http://www.box.com/s/0gfi47v24jludftzb3l2 Very nice to be hearing this semi-regularly now! 3385, NBC East New Britain, off the air Jan 15 (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7324.95, Wantok Radio Light, 1412-1428, Jan 13. Several weeks ago I came across a unique window of opportunity from about 1400 to 1430 to hear this not often reported station, without the powerhouse stations that are normally blocking it. Reception varies a lot from day to day; originally heard this with very faint Christian music, but subsequent checks were unusable until today. Slightly better than poor reception today with a few clear English announcements: “Your inspirational station” and “Christian radio 24 hours a day . . Christian radio message Wantok Radio” (could not make out “Light”); program entirely of EZL music and Christian songs; some adjacent light QRM, but decent reception overall. Edited MP3 audio http://www.box.com/s/ecpj37qb8m82cij5iht6 (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) HI Ron, WHAT A GREAT CATCH !!! one I would dearly like to get. There has been something weak on the frequency in our mornings, Noel pointed it out to me but we get DRM which soon wipes out any chance in this sector. You are amongst them !! Keep the recording coming, fantastic to listen to. All the best and good DX (Mark Davies, Anglesey, Wales, ibid.) 7324.95, Wantok Radio Light, 1421, Jan 14, praise songs blocked by co- channel CRI Filipino 1430, then in the clear again for one minute or so 1457 CRI off and back on again 1458 for English opening 1500. Also, Vat Radio DRM 7320 is sometimes switched on early for German 1500. On top of that there is some constant UNID spattering noise on this frequency which you can only get rid of in LSB, as if some neighbouring transmitter is malfunctioning? So even when WRL is the only occupant reception is far from easy. Have been monitoring them occasionally around this time since last November. Cf. recent postings by Mark Davies and Ron Howard and also Nils Schiffhauer in DXLD 11-52 (Martien Groot, Schoorl, Netherlands (TenTec RX340, 25m. longwire), dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Footprint was x.954 on Perseus browser on Friday: 7324.954, Wantok Radio Light, Port Moresby in English at 2020 UT Jan 13. Poor signal monitored on remote receiver network in Japan (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 13 via DXLD) 7324.95, Wantok Radio Light. The one PNG station that was not doing well Jan 15; 1405 soft EZL music; otherwise unusable (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non] 7325-, Jan 16 at 1402, weak signal altho registering S9+15 on the generous FRG-7 meter, with hymn on piano, 1404 talkover in unknown language, vocal hymn; lite QRM from ute beeps on lo side, but not from any 7325 broadcaster. Faded down by 1410, not much audible, 1418 carrier still detectable with bits of audio. Tnx to Ron Howard tip from California that there is now a half-hour window for Wantok Radio Light to be heard. Aoki and HFCC show CRI Japanese finished as 1357, and CRI Filipino starts at 1430 on 7325. Japanese service always has a bigsig here, aimed 59 degrees from Jinhua and consequently also USward. At *1429, CRI carrier comes back on blowing it away, 1430 IS and sign on in Filipino, 145 degrees from Xi`an, which must increase the QRM level in PNG. WRL was very slightly on the lo side compared to 9325 VOK. My log of Christian music matches what Ron Howard was hearing on Jan 13, 50 Hz on the low side of 7325, with a 2:45 clip at http://www.box.com/s/ecpj37qb8m82cij5iht6 Sounds like there is some oscillating jamming in the background, unheard here. HFCC also shows DRM from VOR Kaliningrad until 1500, but no sign of that here, and maybe really quits at 1400 too as in Aoki, which means WRL could also make it to northern Europe during this window. WRL has been a much-sought catch ever since it went on the air in mid- 2005 on 7120, later 7325. There weren`t many reports of it until 2007. You really have to hunt for the 7325 info on page 301 of the WRTH 2012, as it`s not in the frequency lists. Says 1 kW, no schedule for it altho 24h on satellite and presumably various FM outlets. Aoki agrees it`s 1 kW, non-direxional from Port Moresby, M-F at 2000-1700, Sat 2030-1500, and Sun 2100-1100, so nothing to be heard during this window on that day [not so: Ron Howard heard it on Sunday Jan 15, above]. However EiBi just shows 7325 as 24 hours; and of course not in HFCC. We marvel that they have stayed on 7325, which is `shared` with 500 kW CRI transmitters most of the local evenings and part of the mornings. A few years ago there were reports they were looking for a new frequency. I suspect they consider the SW only a secondary fill-in to their FM relays, not that important. See http://www.wantokradio.org where they are still celebrating their ninth anniversary as of January 14, 2010, so now they have just passed their eleventh. Wait a minute: ``We are proud to be celebrating our 9th anniversary since the launching of the ministry in January 14th 2002`` --- that would have been in 2011, not 2010! Can`t they count? Launching of the ministry does not necessarily coincide with first broadcasts, on FM, let alone SW. Also, it seems time flows backwards for them: ``The celebrations will begin on Wednesday 13th January 2010, and will continue through to Tuesday – the official birthday date – and end on Friday. During these days we will be having an Open Station Day. . .`` ?? I guess they meant Thursday instead of Tuesday, those days matching January 2010, not 2011. Also linx to QSL info, available by e- or p-mail with r.p. I need a few more details first, after this presumed log, and will certainly try again, but reception will probably deteriorate as our sunrise earlies. BTW, the name Wantok is the Tok Pisin rendering of ``One Talk``, sometimes misspelt by DXers `Wontok`, perhaps influenced by `wonton`, a quite different thing? Also we sometimes see the order of the three words of the name mixed up. 7325, Jan 17 I am on Wantok Radio Light`s frequency at 1357 just as CRI Japanese is going off, but T-storm noise level from Louisiana and/or the Ohio Valley is a bad omen, even affecting the 7 MHz band here: only a JBA carrier detectable during next semihour; also overshadowed by *1359 on 7330, CRI Russian, WNW from Xi`an. WRL`s program schedule, maybe not updated for years, shows nothing but ``Music Automation`` from 1130 to 1900 UT except `PM`s Prayer and National Anthem` around midnight = 1400 UT. IIRC, WRL uses an NVIS (near vertical incidence skywave) antenna, which means even less of the 1 kW signal goes horizontally to the DX world. But I can`t find anything about this on their current website, where they claim ``short wave on 7325 kHz (throughout PNG and overseas)`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. January 3 - 2012: 1610, Inka Puno, Perú, 0130-0200, 21211, Spanish 1640, Calicanto, Cusco, Perú, 0220, Spanish January 4 - 2012: 4824, Voz de la Selva, Iquitos, 2344, 34412, super low mod! Spanish 4975, R. Del Pacífico, Lima, 2346, 24411, super low mod! Spanish January 3 - 2012 6060, Aroma Café, Pichanaki, 1221, 44434, Spanish January 4 - 2012 6060, Aroma Café, Pichanaki, 2354, 44423, Spanish (DXSPACEMASTER, ALFREDO BENJAMIN CAÑOTE BUENO, Pucallpa, Perú, RECEIVER: GRUNDIG YB400PE, condiglist yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) ** PERU. La voz de la Selva, 4824.47, 2330 UT 17-Ene-12, 43433, Programa musical, anuncio comercial y convocatoria a remover alcalde desde la emisora. Señal clara, tono heterodino de emisoras brasileras en 4825, propagación irregular. Así se escuchó: http://www.goear.com/listen/f2b1876/la-voz-de-la-selva-482447-hk3ort (José Luis de Vicente T. - HK3ORT, Colombia, condiglist yg via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. 9760, Jan 16 at 1459, I start monitoring for VOA to start up, as it usually comes on late, and so it does today: not until *1501:30, with news in progress, in fact 30% of the 5-minute English cast missed, as the schedulers in Washington expect Tinang-2 to make the switch from 9555 Korean service in nothing flat. At least modulation and strength were OK today once it came on (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PORTUGAL. PORTUGAL INICIA LA DESCONEXIÓN DE LA TELEVISIÓN ANALÓGICA SOURCE: SatCesc.com http://bit.ly/yI4qmW (via Yimber Gaviria, DXLD) ** QATAR. Qatar? Easy for you to say... http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57359444-10391709/qatar-easy-for-you-to-say../?tag=contentBody;listingLeadStories (69 Minutes Overtime January 15, 2012 6:50 PM via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** ROMANIA. Re: ``17530 // stronger 15460, Jan 9 at 1330, RRI Tiganeshti in German, again with strange modulation artifacts, sort of a ringing sound on each sideband, which can be reduced by tighter bandwidth, or heard individually with BFO sidetuning. I wish Kai Ludwig in Germany could hear and explain this`` Something that depends not only on an occasion on which I have time to check, as it is the case right now. At 1250 both 15460 and 17530, at this time on air with English, are just faint carriers here. Propagation completely disturbed? Let's tune down: 15380 has BSKSA, weakish as well but at least sufficient for recognizing the programming as Arabic. 15375 has agitated programming in Chinese, as one expects from CNR nowadays. Ah-yes, RFA in Tibetan is scheduled for this frequency, so it's indeed CNR what can be heard here as almost always in this case. 15350 has Voice of Turkey, pretty weak too, so indeed the propagation from this direction appears to be attenuated. And there is again the bad ca. 1 kHz het, indicating that the pointless operation of the Nador transmitter on ca. 15349 continues. And while I type this it is 1300 and 15460 is supposed to switch to another antenna type although still with the same 307 degrees azimuth, from 8/4/1.0 to 4/2/0.3, I suspect by just disconnecting three fourths of the large curtain (must look for photos, since these must be impressive beasts). But it made no difference, it is still just a carrier in the local noise here, just as 17530 is. And so I can't say anything about a possible transmitter malfunction before going to lunch now, to be followed by a ironic farewell visit of a large supermarket that will close down in two days, marking the end of the "shopping town without parking taxes" (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Checked the Romanians at 1325-1340 UT today, no malfunction of the TX or antennas discovered. German 1300-1356 15460T 17530T Romanian 1300-1456 15170G 17820G approx. 1300-1356 7420S Saftica transmission opens earlier or later too ... sometimes 1252 UT, or late at 1306 UT ... Discovered only: - Saftica has different sound, seems the 100 kW tx instead with limited bandwidth up to 8 kHz, but the 250/300 kW txs beasts at Tiganesti and Galbeni used to have a bandwidth of at least 9.5 kHz instead. Both Galbeni outlets some 25 degrees less at 285 degr across Atlantic ocean, Latin America back via South Asia, had markable BOTH ECHOES ! See screenshots 73 wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) And today after 1340: 15460 comes in strong but 17530 again skips over Germany, being just a faint carrier here. Yes, 16 metres is no doubt a too high frequency; the suitable range would be from 31 metres up to not higher than 19 metres. [and non] Not so much else audible on 16 metres here, too. Found nothing below 17530, and the next signal up from it is Spain on 17595, weak outside the beam. It is followed by Saudi-Arabia on three frequencies in a row, similarly weak on 17625, only a little bit stronger on 17705 which is on the right 310 deg. beam and very faint on 17820. And that's the whole affair on this band here (Kai Ludwig, Germany, 1354 UT Jan 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15460 & 17530, Jan 13 at 1334, RRI in German again with the strange audio artifacts on the modulation, not as bad as before. Kai Ludwig in target area Germany tried to monitor this Jan 12 at 1300, but the signals were too weak, while they inboom to deep N America. It seems RRI is really overshooting its target with this transmission; should be on lower frequencies for closer Germany. 15460, Jan 17 at 1354, RRI German again with annoying audio artifacts, especially on the sidebands, about to sign off, but no signal on // 17530, off the air? Propagation from the area seemed to be funxional on 16 mb (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. Re BULGARIA, Steve Luce: ``I'm afraid their neighbor to the north, Radio Romania International, will be the next to go, despite the transmitter upgrades of a few years ago.`` I don't know what will be the future of the Radio Romania International, but I can tell you that the recently approved 2012 budget of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company (SRR) is 12,89% less than in 2011. The fact that there are almost 2 million Romanians living and working in Europe may help RRI continuing its operations, although very few of those people ever heard (or cared) about shortwave radio. In another world this should've been a golden opportunity for SRR to launch a 24h SW station for expats living in Europe and Middle East. In any case, so far in Romania there has not been any public discussion regarding RRI cuts (Tudor Vedeanu, (Gura Humorului, Romania), Jan 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I'm not so sure about Radio Romania International. With the cessation of shortwave how does Radio Romania International explain the new transmitters? Probably the new transmitters were financed and are used for other, probably clandestine/propaganda broadcasting. It might be RRI doesn't have the overhead of other broadcasters. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, ibid.) Very interesting news and comments, Tudor. Here's a link to a news story in Romanian, effectively translated with Google http://bit.ly/zUvEOW You're perfectly right, and living in country where workers from Romania and Moldavia are abundant, I agree there would be plenty of opportunities for audio content in their language, whether on shortwave or (if Italian awful regulations in this matter would allow that) via local FM relays. Here's a perfect case for a medium whose alleged "obsolescence" is purely artificial. Given the low unit cost and high reliability of a Chinese made SW portable, any public or even commercial venture could nicely give such devices away for free to their listeners while leveraging on subsidies, donations and advertising for support. In a different world, that is. 73, (Andy Lawendel in Milan, home to a thriving Romanian speaking community, ibid.) Here it must be considered how it came to the installation of these transmitters. Basically within a project under which all broadcasting transmitters in Romania have been replaced 1:1, all FM, MW, LW, SW equipment likewise. This included keeping the whole MW transmitter network, something that has been done nowhere else in Europe. And I would put keeping the whole SW transmitter network and replacing all the old transmitters by new gear, specifically all transmitters that at this point were still there (some very old equipment at Galbeni, during the nineties for some time used by Radio Moldova International, is apparently gone already for more than a decade), into this context as well. For further assessing this aspect one would need to know who pushed ahead this project, apparently contracted in a whole to Harris, and who paid for it. I have an impression that Harris was simply told "replace it all" and, of course, happily did so. The main question in the context here is whether binding contracts between SRR and the organization operating the transmitters, called Radiocom, are in place (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) Both SRR and Radiocom are state-owned organizations, so the contracts should not be an issue here. They are simply moving money from one pocket to another. Both entities need each other to exist. If SRR goes down, Radiocom goes down too. And one more thing regarding Romania vs. Bulgaria. The Bulgarian equivalent of Radiocom (called NURTS in Bulgaria) was privatized in 2008, being sold to an Austrian company. As I said, Radiocom is still state-owned. That explains why in Romania the costs of broadcasting do not matter that much yet, while in Bulgaria they are forced to cut them down (Tudor Vedeanu, Romania, ibid.) See also BULGARIA! The time to save Radio Romania is now --- First of all, there are no rumors that Radio Romania is leaving. Yet... However, the time to save stations like them IS NOW!!! Don't wait until they put out a notice they are cancelling transmissions. Go listen to them (and others like them), and actually listen to the programs.. Then, without begging for QSL cards and such, email (or better yet WRITE THEM) a detailed report about what you listened to and how the reception was in clear english (not SINPO or SIO). The reason I state is this few broadcasters actually get much correspondence until they make the decision to shut down. So if we want stations like Romania to continue, the time to save those stations is now (Pat Blakely, SC, Jan 18, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I strongly support this Idea, we DXers often write once or twice to many stations and that is Reception report for QSLs, but to keep them alive we should make them feel that we are really litening, and in this era of internet sending you mail doesn't costs much or don't take much effort!!! (Partha Sarathi Goswami Siliguri, West Bengal, India, ibid.) ** ROMANIA. [Cf BELARUS, new frequency 11730] From 1430 to 1500, 11730 is occupied by powerful RRI Russian (supposedly for Russia's Far East) - a hopeless frequency choice for the Russian service of R. Belarus at that time. RRI Russian is re-running its New Year call-in special. I'm pleasantly surprised with a number of phone calls from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. It's refreshing to hear the regular listeners on the air speaking at length without being constant interrupted by a rude host. Some callers are quite profound, a few of them recited poetry. And sure enough, there's a new competition - Targu Mures in History and In Our Times: http://www.rri.ro/art.shtml?lang=1&sec=16&art=207232 Two Grand Prizes are 7-night trips but you have to pay for your own airfare to get to Romania. RRI Arabic on 11730 from 1500 (Sergei S., Jan 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also LANGUAGE LESSONS ** RUSSIA [non]. 15-16 UT, Königslutter 630, Oranienburg 693 und Dresden 1431 haben das neue KURDISH Programm auf Downlink, \\ 5945 7210 kHz. Seemingly three Telekom txs in Germany relaying the KURDISH service of VoRussia at 15-16 UT now! Still a puzzle, should be monitored again - tomorrow. There is the largest Kurdish community in W Europe, settled in Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and France. Kurdistan is occupied by new Turkey since collapse of the Osman- Turkish empire in 1921... and Kurdish nationals wait for a treaty and erection of its own Kurdish state since Lausanne SUI peace treaty in 1923. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [and non]. CONTACTING STATIONS AND YOUR PRIVACY I brought this issue up a few years ago when Radio Korea (KBS) published email addresses of their competition winners online. If I'm not mistaken, the Voice of Indonesia used to announce all listeners' mailing addresses in its SW broadcasts. Russia's national broadcaster, Radio Mayak, went a step further when it posted online a full picture of the reception report from a Japanese DXer Yoshiki Yoshida http://twitpic.com/5krd3k And here's a higher resolution version http://twitpic.com/5krd3k/full The letter includes Yoshiki Yoshida's home address. The reception report was published back on July 3, 2011 by Xenia Tsvetkova (Twitter account @zvetkova) who apparently works at Listeners' Relations Dept. of R.Mayak. Xenia was excited about the fact that the DXer was from Fukushima area. In a personal note I asked Xenia how would she feel if her home address was revealed online. She never responded. I also requested her to take down the picture or edit out personal information. But as you can see, it's still up there. The good news is that Radio Mayak apparently sends out QSLs to those who write in. (You can see it on the picture.) The bad news is that your letter can be posted online in its entirety. That's something to keep in mind when you write overseas. 73, (Sergei S., Jan 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. VOICE OF RUSSIA KEEPS ON TRUCKING --- While each month seems to bring new news of an international broadcaster decreasing shortwave usage or scaling back services due to funding cuts or an emphasis on TV, the Voice of Russia – as noted a few months back – has been revamping its programming, adopting a more youthful sound, and increasing access to its services. Taking a page from China Radio International, the Voice of Russia now has 24/7 English language programming on mediumwave stations in the NYC and Washington areas. It will be interesting to see how the Voice of Russia handles the dissent that has followed the recent Russian parliamentary elections; initially these protests were not mentioned on newscasts; we’ll see if their persistence is ultimately recognized by the Voice of Russia. Rushing For Success One of the new programs is “Rushing For Success”, a program about expats now living in Russia and the ways in which they have adapted to Russia’s challenges to thrive in their new adopted home. In some ways this series parallels the long-established CRI series “Voices From Other Lands”. A recent edition of “Rushing For Success” featured an interview with Steven Brown, an American who came to Russia in 2000 with the Peace Corps after obtaining his MBA. My initial expectation was that the program would be more of a cultural perspectives program, like, say, “Living In Germany”, but the program focused more on Brown’s business perspectives and growth opportunities. Nonetheless, it was an interesting perspective on doing business in Russia. Unfortunately, it appears “Rushing For Success” doesn’t air on shortwave during the time block (2200-0600) when the Voice of Russia airs on shortwave to North America. If you’re lucky enough to listen in Washington or New York, or via the live webcast, you can catch “Rushing For Success” after the news at 1300 on Saturdays and Sundays, and at 2100 on Sundays and Mondays. You can also download the audio or stream it from the Voice of Russia website, http://www.english.ruvr.ru click on and then look for the program on the left side of the page. The program doesn’t show up on the list of podcasts (see along the top menu bar of the website). 73 DE (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, January NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. 5900, VOR, Jan 13. Fair strength open carrier at tune-in at 1332; test tones before ToH; sign on at 1400, assume was scheduled VOR in Urdu (sounded like it). Here in Calif., Bhutan [q.v.] BBS would have a hard time going up against this from 1400 to 1500, if they decide to move here (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Pregunta sobre Radio Rossii --- Saludos amigos de Conexión Digital: De nuestro grupo en facebook: Frecuencia Al Día Estimados miembros del grupo, una vez más acudo a ustedes. Ya va un par de días que estoy escuchando una emisión en ruso pasadas las 03 UT, en 7320 KHz. Según datos consultados debería ser Radio Rossii emitiendo desde antena de Magadan. ¿Alguno ha contactado exitosamente a Radio Rossii, o en su defecto tiene alguna dirección de la planta de GRTK en Magadan? Gracias de antemano (Dino Bloise, FL, condiglist yg via DXLD) Buenos días Dino y amigos condiglisteros: Yo le he escrito infinidad de veces a Radio Rossii para verificar diferentes transmisores pero advierto que nunca confirmé el de Magadán. En la mayoria de las ocasiones han sido muy amables y me han confirmado incluso directamente desde los diferentes sitios GTRK. Coméntale al colega que tal vez lo más recomendable sería que le escriba consultando su inquietud al colega ruso Anatoly Klepov, quien es el Jefe Editor de RusDX. Su correo electronico lo puede buscar en el sitio http://rusdx.narod.ru 73 (Eduardo Esteban Peñailillo Barra, ibid.) ** RUSSIA. 9840, Jan 16 at 0624, no signal from R. Rossii, Taldom site near Moskva per Aoki, tho I can hear RWM binary signal on 9996, also Taldom per WRTH. So I must conclude that 9840 is off the air again. 9840, Jan 17 at 0628, poor signal in Russian with some reverb, i.e. R. Rossii from Taldom site near Moskva, and also RWM 9996 Taldom binary bits audible, unlike 24 hours earlier when there was no 9840 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Der Zeitplan mit dem VOR russischen Dienst 1. Januar 2012 0000-0200 9750 Suedamerika 0000-0300 7260 Centr.+Sued. Amerika 0100-0200 6135 Suedamerika 0100-0300 7225 Nahen und Mittleren Osten, dem Kaukasus (GUS-Staaten) 0200-0600 12070 Zentralasien (GUS-Staaten) 0500-0700 9680 Europa, Ukraine, Moldawien (GUS), Baltikum. 0600-1000 11635 Europa, den baltischen Staaten (DRM-Format MIDI - Kanal 2) 0800-1000 7325 Europe (DRM-Format MIDI - Kanal 2) 1000-1200 7325 Europe (DRM-Format MIDI - Kanal 1) 1200-1400 7325 Europe (DRM-Format MIDI - Kanal 2) 1200-1400 9450 Zentral-Asien, Australien, Neuseeland 1200-1400 9840 WestAsia (CIS), Zentrum fuer Asien, Australien, Neuseeland 1200-1500 5945 Nahen und Mittleren Osten, Zentralasien (GUS) + Kaukasus 1300-1500 9470 Ukraine, Moldawien, Weissrussland (CIS), dem Nahen und Mittleren Osten 1300-1500 9675 Europe (DRM-Format MIDI - Kanal 2) 1300-1500 12055 Zentralasien (GUS-Staaten) 1400-1600 6140 Nahen und Mittleren Osten Kaukasus Ukraine, Moldawien (CIS) 1400-1700 5940 Ukraine, Moldawien, Weissrussland (CIS) Europa Baltikum 1500-1600 5900 Nahen und Mittleren Osten und Zentralasien Mi 1500-1600 7215 Nahen und Mittleren Osten Kaukasus Ukraine, Moldawien (CIS) 1500-1600 9480 Europe 1500-1600 11985 im Nahen Osten 1500-1700 9865 Europe 1600-1700 5900 Nahen und Mittleren Osten und Zentralasien Mi 1600-1700 7215 Nahen und Mittleren Osten Kaukasus (GUS-Staaten) 1600-1700 7240 Zentralasien 1600-1900 7230 Europe 1800-2000 5940 Ukraine, Moldawien, Weissrussland (CIS) Europa Baltikum 1800-2000 5995 Mi-Kaukasus-Asien Naher und Mittlerer Osten Europas Ukraine, Moldawien 1900-2000 11985 im Nahen Osten 1900-2100 7300 Europe 2100-2200 6040 Europe (DRM-Format MIDI - Kanal 2) 2200-0000 7430 Zentralamerika 2200-2300 9750 Suedamerika 2300-0000 7260 Zentralamerika 2300-0000 7430 Suedamerika Von der "Radiopanorama" (Ausgabe vom 14. Januar 2012) Basierend auf Materialien aus den Dienstleistungen fuer die Verbreitung von "Voice of Russia". (DXing.ru Vadim Alexeew-RUS, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 14 via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) CHANGES IN THE SCHEDULE, "VOICE OF RUSSIA". In connection with the load optimization of technical means of powerful HF radio and CB programs to FGBU WGD "Voice of Russia" in the autumn-winter 2011-2012 year, from January 1, 2012 broadcast in Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, the Baltic States, Europe, the Caucasus, Central and South America, as well as Belarus, Ukraine and Moldavia changed. Broadcasting in the Atlantic was withdrawn in accordance with the program schedule. Schedule in other areas (which is North America, Australia and New Zealand) remains unchanged. I noticed from the significant changes note the following: - Programs in Arabic shifted forward one hour, and now on the air in 1600-2100, and 2200-2300 UT abolished; - Added the morning hour of broadcasting in Kurdish 0500-0600 UT - 1314 kHz, the evening moved back one hour at 1500 UT - on MW 1314 kHz + and 5945 kHz shortwave, 7215 kHz; - Significantly enhanced broadcasting in Turkish: added a morning block of 0100-0500 UT (the first two hours in 1314 kHz, then 1350 kHz), a three-hour evening block has been added hour at 1300 UT on the above two frequencies, NE; - There is a change in the schedule and broadcast in English, in particular the increased broadcasting to Bl. East {Far East, Alaska, WeNOAM from Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky sites ?} - added units 0100-0500 UT, 1200-1300 UT and 2100-2200 UT. In some cases, change the frequency of broadcasts on shortwave. All changes can be viewed in the Russian DX Portal under Voice of Russia (changes must be made within the next couple of days). In broadcasting in Russian focus on the HF schedule, which now are broadcasting 24 hours a day, instead of 23 last year. It seems to me, and the number of frequencies a bit grown up. Here is the schedule with the Russian service January 1, 2012 [as above] From the "Radiopanorama" (issue of 14 January 2012) Based on materials from the Services for the dissemination of "Voice of Russia" (DXing.ru Vadim Alexeew-RUS, Jan 14 via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 18 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. B-11 schedule of Voice of Russia, Vers. 2 from Jan 1st, 2012 Unfortunately Vadim of VoRussia could send me the Russian Cyrillic alfabet version only. I mixed all data to a single file together, both - Russian and Foreign langs too. After an automatic Google translator translation I updated/replaced the VoRUS Oct 30 file by new data, it took a lot of hours much stress to arrange the new file... vy73 de Wolfy RUSSIA [ARMENIA/BELARUS/CHINA/GERMANY/MOLDOVA/SWITZERLAND/TAJIKISTAN] Winter B-11 schedule of Voice of Russia Moscow. Foreign languages Service schedule B-11 UTC language kHz TX location kW target area remarks 0000-0100 English 7250 Armavir Tbilisskaya 500 NoAM CeAM 7290 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 NoAM CeAM Russian (GR) 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus (Chechen/Russian) 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 CIS-CeAS 7260 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 CeAM SoAM 9750 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 SoAM Spanish 6135 St.Petersburg 800 SoAM 7210 Moscow 500 SoAM 7430 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 CeAM 9865 Samara 500 SoAM 0100-0200 English 972 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 AS/CIS-CeAS/NE/ME 1503 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS/CIS-CeAS/NE/ME 7250 Armavir Tbilisskaya 500 NoAM, CeAM 7290 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 NoAM, CeAM Russian (GR) 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 CIS-CeAS, NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 Caucasus 6135 St.Petersburg 800 SoAM 7225 Samara 250 NE/ME, Caucasus 7260 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 CeAM, SoAM 9750 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 SoAM Spanish 7210 Moscow 500 SoAM 7430 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 CeAM 9475 Dushanbe-TJK 500 SoAM 9865 Samara 500 SoAM Turkish 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 0200-0300 English 648 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 AS/CIS-CeAS/NE/ME 972 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 AS/CIS-CeAS/NE/ME 1377 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 1503 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 AS/CIS-CeAS/NE/ME 7250 Armavir Tbilisskaya 500 NoAM, CeAM 7290 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 NoAM, CeAM 12030 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 Western NoAM, ALS, CAN 13665 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 Western NoAM, ALS, CAN 13735 Vladivostok 250 Western NoAM, ALS, CAN Russian (GR) 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 CIS-CeAS, NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 Caucasus 7225 Samara 250 NE/ME, Caucasus 7260 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 CeAM, SoAM 12070 Moscow 250 CIS-CeAS Spanish 6135 St.Petersburg 800 SoAM 7210 Moscow 500 SoAM 7430 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 CeAM 9475 Dushanbe-TJK 500 SoAM 9750 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 SoAM Turkish 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 0300-0400 English 648 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 AS/CIS-CeAS/NE/ME 972 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 AS/CIS-CeAS/NE/ME 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 1377 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 1503 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS/CIS-CeAS/NE/ME 7250 Armavir Tbilisskaya 500 NoAM, CeAM 7290 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 NoAM, CeAM 12030 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 Western NoAM, ALS, CAN 13665 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 Western NoAM, ALS, CAN 13735 Vladivostok 250 Western NoAM, ALS, CAN Russian (GR) 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 CIS-CeAS, NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 Caucasus 12070 Moscow 250 CIS-CeAS Spanish 7210 Moscow 500 SoAM 7430 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 CeAM 9475 Dushanbe-TJK 500 SoAM 9750 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 SoAM Turkish 1350 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 0400-0500 English 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus Russian (GR) 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 EUR, UKR/MDA 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 CIS-CeAS, NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 Caucasus 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 1000 UKR/MDA 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 12070 Moscow 250 CIS-CeAS Spanish 7210 Moscow 7210 500 SoAM 7440 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 CeAM 9475 Dushanbe-TJK 500 SoAM 9765 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 SoAM Turkish 1350 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 0400-0600 English 9840 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 Western NoAM, ALS, CAN 12030 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 Western NoAM, ALS, CAN 0500-0600 Chechen 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus English 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR Kurdish 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus Russian (GR) 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 EUR, UKR/MDA 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 CIS-CeAS 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 Caucasus 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 1000 UKR/MDA 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 9680 Samara 250 EUR, CIS, UKR, MDA 12070 Moscow 250 CIS-CeAS 0600-0700 English 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 11635 DRM ch#1 Moscow 40 EUR 17805 Irkutsk 250 AUS/NZL/PAC 21805 Novosibirsk 250 AUS/NZL/PAC Russian (GR) 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 UKR/MDA 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 1000 UKR/MDA 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 9680 Samara 250 EUR, CIS, UKR/MDA, Baltics, Belarus 11635 DRM ch#2 Moscow 40 EUR, Baltics 0600-1200 Russian (GR) 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 CIS-CeAS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 Caucasus 0700-0800 English 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 11635 DRM ch#1 Moscow 40 EUR 17805 Irkutsk 250 AUS/NZL/PAC 21805 Novosibirsk 250 AUS/NZL/PAC Russian (GR) 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 EUR, UKR/MDA 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 1000 UKR/MDA 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 11635 DRM ch#2 Moscow 40 EUR, Baltics 0800-0900 English 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 7325 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 11635 DRM ch#1 Moscow 40 EUR, Baltics 17805 Irkutsk 250 AS/AUS/NZL/PAC 21805 Novosibirsk 250 AS/AUS/NZL/PAC Russian (GR) 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 EUR, UKR/MDA 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 7325 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 11635 DRM ch#2 Moscow 40 EUR, Baltics 0900-1000 German 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 9720 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 120 EUR English 7205 Chita 500 AS/SoEaAS 7325 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 11635 DRM ch#1 Moscow 40 EUR 17805 Irkutsk 250 AS/AUS/NZL/PAC 21805 Novosibirsk 250 AS/AUS/NZL/PAC Russian (GR) 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 UKR/MDA 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 UKR/MDA 7325 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 11635 DRM ch#2 Moscow 40 EUR, Baltics 1000-1100 Chinese 648 Ussuriisk 500 AS 5965 Vladivostok 100 AS 7305 Irkutsk 250 AS English 7205 Chita 500 AS/SoEaAS 7260 Vladivostok 500 AS/SoEaAS German 558 Mt.Ceneri Cima di Dentro SUI 200 EUR 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 7325 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR Russian (GR) 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 UKR/MDA 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 UKR/MDA 7325 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 1100-1200 Chinese 648 Ussuriisk 500 AS 1251 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS 5965 Vladivostok 100 AS 7305 Irkutsk 250 AS 12000 DRM ch#2 Novosibirsk 50 AS English 7205 Chita 500 AS/SoEaAS 7260 Vladivostok 500 AS/SoEaAS 7350 Chita 500 AS 9560 Irkutsk 250 AS/SoEaAS 9670 Samara 250 AS 12000 DRM ch#1 Novosibirsk 50 AS German 558 Mt.Ceneri Cima di Dentro SUI 200 EUR 630 Braunschweig Germany 100 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 250 EUR 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 1000 EUR 1431 Dresden Germany 250 EUR 7325 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR Russian (GR) 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 UKR/MDA 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 UKR/MDA 7325 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 1200-1300 Chechen 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus Chinese 648 Ussuriisk 500 AS 801 Chita 600 AS 1080 Irkutsk 500 AS 1251 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS 5965 Vladivostok 100 AS 7305 Irkutsk 250 AS English 972 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 AS, CIS-CeAS, NE/ME/CIS 7325 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 7340 DRM ch#1 Irkutsk 15 AS 7350 Chita 500 AS 9560 Irkutsk 250 AS/SoEaAS 11660 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS 12000 DRM ch#1 Novosibirsk 50 AS Japanese 720 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 1000 AS 6085 Irkutsk 250 AS 6180 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 AS Russian (GR) 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 UKR/MDA 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 CIS-CeAS 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 UKR/MDA 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 CIS/Caucasus, NE/ME 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 5945 Novosibirsk 250 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 7325 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 7340 DRM ch#2 Irkutsk 15 AS 9450 Irkutsk 250 CeAS, AUS/NZL/PAC 9840 Moscow 250 CeAS, CIS-CeAS, AUS/NZL/PAC 12000 DRM ch#2 Novosibirsk 50 AS Vietnamese 603 Dongfang Hainan Isl-CHN 600 AS 7205 Chita 500 AS/SoEaAS 7260 Ussuriisk 500 AS/SoEaAS 1200-1400 Pashto 648 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 NE/ME/CIS 1503 Dushanbe-TJK 500 NE/ME/CIS 4975 Dushanbe-TJK 100 NE/ME/CIS 9575 Samara 250 NE/ME/CIS 1300-1330 Mongolian 801 Chita 600 AS 1080 Irkutsk 500 AS 5965 Vladivostok 100 AS 1300-1400 Chinese 648 Ussuriisk 500 AS 1251 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS 7305 Irkutsk 250 AS English 7205 Chita 500 AS/SoEaAS 7260 Vladivostok 500 AS/SoEaAS 7325 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 9560 Irkutsk 250 AS/SoEaAS 9675 DRM ch#1 Moscow 40 EUR Hindi 972 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 AS, CIS-CeAS, NE/ME/CIS 7340 DRM ch#2 Irkutsk 15 AS 7350 Chita 500 AS 9885 Dushanbe-TJK 100 AS 11660 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS Japanese 720 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 1000 AS 6085 Irkutsk 250 AS 6180 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 AS Russian (GR) 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 UKR/MDA 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 NE/ME, CIS/Caucasus 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 5945 Novosibirsk 250 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 7325 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 9450 Irkutsk 250 CeAS, AUS/NZL/PAC 9470 Moscow 500 NE/ME, Belarus, UKR/MDA 9675 DRM ch#2 Moscow 40 EUR 9840 Moscow 250 CeAS, CIS, AUS/NZL/PAC 12055 Moscow 250 CIS-CeAS Turkish 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 1350 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 1330-1400 Mongolian 801 Chita 600 AS 1080 Irkutsk 500 AS 5965 Vladivostok 100 AS 1400-1500 English 648 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 AS, CIS-CeAS, NE/ME/CIS 1251 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS, CIS-CeAS, NE/ME/CIS 4975 Dushanbe-TJK 100 AS, CIS-CeAS, NE/ME/CIS 7260 Vladivostok 500 AS/SoEaAS 7310 Novosibirsk 250 AS/SoEaAS 7350 Chita 500 AS 9675 DRM ch#1 Moscow 40 EUR 11660 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS Russian (GR) 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 EUR, UKR/MDA 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME, CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 Caucasus 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 1000 UKR/MDA 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 5940 Samara 250 EUR, CIS, UKR/MDA, Baltics, Belarus 5945 Novosibirsk 250 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS, Caucasus 6140 Moscow 200 EUR, CIS, ME, UKR/MDA, Caucasus 7215 St.Petersburg 200 EUR, CIS, ME, UKR/MDA, Caucasus 9470 Moscow 500 NE/ME, UKR/MDA, Baltics, Belarus 9675 DRM ch#2 Moscow 40 EUR 12055 Moscow 250 CIS-CeAS Turkish 1170 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 1350 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 5985 St.Petersburg 200 ME [ ? Moscow 250 kW 190deg NE/ME] 6005 Armavir Tbilisskaya 100 NE/ME 7270 Moscow 250 NE/ME Urdu 972 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 AS 1503 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS 5900 Samara 250 AS 7340 DRM ch#2 Irkutsk 15 AS 9885 Dushanbe-TJK 100 AS 1500-1600 English 1251 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS, NE/ME 1503 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS, NE/ME 4975 Dushanbe-TJK 100 AS, NE/ME 9470 Moscow 500 NE/ME 9660 Xian-CHN 150 SoEaAS 9880 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 AS/SoEaAS German 558 Mt.Ceneri Cima di Dentro SUI 200 EUR 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 6040 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 7220 Samara 250 EUR 9675 DRM ch#1 Moscow 40 EUR Hindi 972 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 AS 7310 Novosibirsk 250 AS 7340 DRM ch#2 Irkutsk 15 AS 9885 Dushanbe-TJK 100 AS Kurdish 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 5945 Novosibirsk 250 AS, NE/ME/CIS 7215 St.Petersburg 200 NE/ME/CIS Persian 648 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 NE/ME/CIS 1377 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 5935 St.Petersburg 400 ME 7205 St.Petersburg 400 ME 7345 Dushanbe-TJK 100 ME Russian (GR) 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 621 Grigoriopol-MDA 150 UKR/MDA 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS, NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1026 Novosibirsk 500 CIS-CeAS 1089 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 NE/ME, CIS/Caucasus, UKR/MDA 1143 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 150 EUR, Baltics, Belarus 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 Caucasus 5900 Samara 250 CeAS, NE/ME, CIS 5940 Samara 250 EUR, CIS, UKR/MDA, Baltics, Belarus 6140 Moscow 200 EUR, CIS, NE/ME, UKR/MDA, Caucasus 9480 Moscow 250 EUR 9865 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 11985 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 NE/ME Turkish 1170 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 TUR/CYP/NE/ME/CIS/Caucasus 5985 St.Petersburg 200 ME [ ? Moscow 250 kW 190deg NE/ME] 6005 Armavir Tbilisskaya 100 ME 7270 Moscow 250 ME 1500-1700 English 9470 Moscow 500 AF Serbian 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 6000 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 60 EUR 6040 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 9675 DRM ch#2 Moscow 40 EUR 1600-1700 Arabian 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 5945 Novosibirsk 250 AS, AF, NE/ME 6005 Armavir Tbilisskaya 100 AF, NE/ME 9410 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AF, NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 9480 Moscow 250 AF 9825 St.Petersburg 200 NoWeAF English 1251 Dushanbe-TJK 500 CeAS, NE/ME 4975 Dushanbe-TJK 100 CeAS, NE/ME 6180 DRM ch#1 Novosibirsk 50 AS 7300 DRM ch#1 Armavir Tbilisskaya 30 EUR 9470 Moscow 500 ME 9880 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 AS/SoEaAS French 6130 Moscow 200 EUR 7295 Chita 500 AF 7330 Moscow 250 EUR 9745 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 AF 11655 Moscow 250 EUR, AF 11985 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 AF German 558 Mt.Ceneri Cima di Dentro SUI 200 EUR 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 6040 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 7220 Samara 250 EUR 9675 DRM ch#1 Moscow 40 EUR Persian 648 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 NE/ME/CIS 1377 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 5935 St.Petersburg 400 ME 7345 Dushanbe-TJK 100 ME Russian (GR) 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AS, NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1026 Novosibirsk 500 CIS-CeAS 1089 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 NE/ME, CIS/Caucasus, UKR/MDA 1143 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 150 EUR, Baltics, Belarus 1170 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 Caucasus 5900 Samara 250 CeAS, NE/ME, CIS 5940 Samara 250 EUR, CIS, UKR/MDA, Baltics, Belarus 7215 St.Petersburg 200 NE/ME, Caucasus 7230 Moscow 250 EUR 7240 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 CeAS/AS 9865 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 1700-1800 Arabian 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 5935 St.Petersburg 400 NE/ME 6020 Armavir Tbilisskaya 100 NE/ME 7345 Dushanbe-TJK 100 NE/ME 9410 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AF, NE/ME 9825 St.Petersburg 200 NoWeAF English 648 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 NE/ME 1215 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 1200 EUR 1251 Dushanbe-TJK 500 CeAS, NE/ME 1269 Xuanwei Yunnan-CHN 600 CeAS 1503 Dushanbe-TJK 500 CeAS, NE/ME 4975 Dushanbe-TJK 100 CeAS, NE/ME 7240 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 AS 7270 Moscow 250 EUR, AF, NE/ME 7300 DRM ch#1 Armavir Tbilisskaya 30 EUR 7330 Moscow 250 EUR 9880 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 CeAS/AS French 6130 Moscow 200 EUR, AF 7295 Chita 500 AF 9745 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 AF 11655 Moscow 250 EUR, AF 11985 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 AF 12060 Moscow 250 EUR, AF German 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 6040 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 6145 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR Italian 558 Mt.Ceneri Cima di Dentro SUI 200 EUR 6040 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 6145 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 6165 Armavir Tbilisskaya 100 EUR 9480 Moscow 250 EUR Polish 693 Oranienburg Germany 250 EUR 1143 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 150 EUR 5940 Samara 250 EUR Russian (GR) 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 648 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1026 Novosibirsk 500 CIS-CeAS 1089 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 NE/ME, CIS/Caucasus, UKR/MDA 1170 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 NE/ME/CIS 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 Caucasus 1494 St.Petersburg 600 Baltics, EUR 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 1000 UKR/MDA 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 7230 Moscow 250 EUR 1800-1900 Arabian 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 5975 Novosibirsk 250 AF, NE/ME 6020 Armavir Tbilisskaya 100 NE/ME 7345 Dushanbe-TJK 100 NE/ME 9410 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AF, NE/ME 9825 St.Petersburg 200 NoWeAF English 648 Dushanbe-TJK 1000 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 1215 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 1200 EUR 1503 Dushanbe-TJK 500 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 4975 Dushanbe-TJK 100 NE/ME 6145 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 7270 Moscow 250 AF [!] 7270 Samara 250 ME [!] 7300 DRM ch#1 Armavir Tbilisskaya 30 EUR 7330 Moscow 250 EUR 11985 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 AF, NE/ME 12060 Moscow 250 EUR French 6120 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 120 EUR 6130 Moscow 200 EUR, AF 6145 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 9745 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 AF 11655 Moscow 250 EUR, AF German 558 Mt.Ceneri Cima di Dentro SUI 200 EUR 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 7310 Samara 250 EUR Russian (GR) 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1026 Novosibirsk 500 CIS-CeAS 1089 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 NE/ME, UKR/MDA, CIS/Caucasus 1143 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 150 EUR, Baltics 1170 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 NE/ME/CIS 1170 Mogilev-BLR 700 UKR/MDA, EUR, Baltics, Belarus 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME, Caucasus 1413 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1494 St.Petersburg 600 EUR, Baltics 5940 Samara 250 EUR, CIS, UKR/MDA, Baltics, Belarus 5995 Irkutsk 250 ME, EUR, CIS-CeAS, UKR/MDA, Caucasus 7230 Moscow 250 EUR 1900-2000 Arabian 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 5975 Novosibirsk 250 AF, ME 7345 Dushanbe-TJK 100 NE/ME 9410 Dushanbe-TJK 500 AF, NE/ME 9825 St.Petersburg 200 NoWeAF English 1215 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 1200 EUR 7330 Moscow 250 EUR French 558 Mt.Ceneri Cima di Dentro SUI 200 EUR 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 6120 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 120 EUR 6130 Moscow 200 EUR 9745 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 AF 11655 Moscow 250 EUR, AF 12060 Moscow 250 EUR, AF Russian (GR) 171 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 CIS/Caucasus 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 1026 Novosibirsk 500 CIS-CeAS 1089 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 NE/ME, UKR/MDA, CIS/Caucasus 1143 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 150 EUR, Baltics, Belarus 1170 Mogilev-BLR 700 UKR/MDA, EUR, Baltics, Belarus 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME, Caucasus 1413 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 5940 Samara 250 EUR, CIS, UKR/MDA, Baltics, Belarus 5995 Irkutsk 250 ME, EUR, CIS-CeAS, UKR/MDA, Caucasus 7300 Moscow 250 EUR 11985 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 NE/ME 2000-2100 Arabian 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME/CIS 5975 Novosibirsk 250 AF, ME 9825 St.Petersburg 200 NoWeAF Chechen 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus English 1215 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 1200 EUR 6040 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR 7330 Moscow 250 EUR French 558 Mt.Ceneri Cima di Dentro SUI 200 EUR 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 1000 EUR 6040 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR, AF 6130 Moscow 200 EUR 9745 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 AF 11655 Moscow 250 EUR, AF 12060 Moscow 250 EUR, AF Russian (GR) 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 1026 Novosibirsk 500 CIS-CeAS 1143 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 150 EUR, Baltics, Belarus 1170 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 NE/ME/CIS 1170 Mogilev-BLR 700 EUR, Baltics, Belarus, UKR/MDA 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 NE/ME, CIS/Caucasus 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 7300 Moscow 250 EUR Spanish 5940 Samara 250 EUR 6090 Armavir Tbilisskaya 200 EUR 6120 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 120 EUR 2000-2130 Serbian 1548 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 6030 Samara 250 EUR 2100-2200 English 1314 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 1000 NE/ME, CIS/Caucasus 6040 DRM ch#1 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR, AF Portuguese 5940 Samara 250 EUR 6090 Armavir Tbilisskaya 200 EUR 6120 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 120 EUR Russian (GR) 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1170 Armavir Tbilisskaya 1200 NE/ME/CIS 1170 Mogilev-BLR 700 EUR, Baltics, Belarus, UKR/MDA 1323 Wachenbrunn Germany 500 EUR 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 NE/ME, CIS/Caucasus 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 6040 DRM ch#2 Kaliningrad Bolshakovo 15 EUR, AF 2130-2230 1548 Italian Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR 2200-2300 English 7250 Armavir Tbilisskaya 500 NoAM, CeAM, EUR 11830 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 250 Western NoAM, ALS, CAN Portuguese 9750 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 SoAM Russian (GR) 630 Braunschweig Germany 50 EUR 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 693 Oranienburg Germany 125 EUR 801 Dushanbe-TJK 500 NE/ME, CIS-CeAS 999 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 EUR, UKR/MDA 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 NE/ME, CIS/Caucasus 1431 Dresden Germany 125 EUR 7430 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 CeAM 9750 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 CeAM, SoAM 2300-2400 English 7250 Armavir Tbilisskaya 500 NoAM, CeAM, EUR 7290 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 NoAM, CeAM, EUR Portuguese 9750 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 SoAM 9865 Samara 250 SoAM Russian (GR) 657 Grozniy 50 Caucasus 1395 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 NE/ME, CIS/Caucasus 7260 Grigoriopol-MDA 500 CeAM 7430 Yerevan Gavar-ARM 500 CeAM, SoAM Voice of Russia Moscow, Russian sce Voice of Russia Moscow, all languages excluding Russian: International Russian radio (Voice of Russia, via Vadim Alexeew-RUS, transformed from xls to txt file format and adapted by wb to wwdxc BC-DX TopNews, Jan 14 WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) ** RUSSIA. From a B-11 VOR English program schedule grid sent Jan 18 to Costa Constantinides, Cyprus, via Wolfgang Büschel, I see that VOR`s ``London Calling`` show (not to be confused with the BBC) is scheduled: Fri 1600-1630, Sat 1600-1630, 2230-2300, Sun 2200-2230. But there`s more, ``Broadcast from London``: daily 0730-0800 & 0930- 1000, M-F 2130-2200 (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) R Rossii 7260 // 7430, 0015 Spanish, not Russian Jan 17 --- The above time and frequencies have been in Russian to the Americas. Punch-up error or schedule change? 73 de (Anne Fanelli in semi-wintry Elma NY, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) You probably mean Golos Rossii, the Voice of Russia (not Radio Rossii, a national domestic broadcaster). You are right, at 0000, 7260 should be used for VoR Russian - 500 kW out of Transdniestria towards S. America, in parallel with 9750 (500 kW from Armenia). At the same time, VoR Spanish formally broadcasts on 7430 (500 kW from Armenia towards Central America). Other frequencies towards S. America for this transmission are 9865 (500 kW from Samara), 7210 (500 kW from Moscow), 6135 (supposedly 800 kW from St. Pete). (Sergei S., ibid.) Thanks for the correction, Sergei, but I listen most local evenings to 7260 and until last night, it was // 7430 in Russian. 73 de (Anne Fanelli, ibid.) Gavar Armenia 7430 is OFF tonight on 0013 UT Jan 18, heard Burmese from Iranawila instead. All others on air, also very ODD Spanish service from Moscow site on 7210.730 kHz !!! 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** SAINT HELENA. CAMPAIGN TO CONNECT ST HELENA TO CABLE BROADBAND http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/campaign-to-connect-st-helena-to-cable-broadband St Helena is a small island in the South Atlantic Ocean, one of the most remote ones in the world. It is a British overseas territory with a population of 4,000 people, who are dependent on budgetary aids from the United Kingdom (currently more than £11.5 million per year) and from the European Union (currently € 3.1 million per year through the 10th European Development Fund) as the island has a very weak economy. The average salary is £4,500 per year while food and fuel cost more than in the UK. Due to a lack of economic prospects 20% of the island’s population have already emigrated during the last ten years. In order to strengthen the local economy the government intends to establish and promote tourism on the island. A starting point is the imminent construction of an airport. Today St Helena’s only link to the outside world is a Royal Mail Ship that travels 5 days to Cape Town, South Africa and supplies all goods for the island’s community. The only internet connection of the island isn’t fast either: 4,000 people share a satellite link of 10 MBit/s. This compares to an average bandwidth of 5.2 MBit/s of a single UK household. As a result internet access is not only very slow but also very expensive. On top of that this satellite link is unreliable due to frequent sun outages which are likely to occur even more frequently due to expected increasing solar flares. Also with local and international telephone calls costing £0.10 and £1.00 per minute, respectively, telephone service is prohibitively expensive and, like internet access, unreliable. As a consequence the people of St Helena are practically excluded from any benefits associated with today’s information society. Establishing tourism with such telecommunication infrastructure will face serious difficulties. One IT expert believes he has found a solution and has set up a website to explain the proposal. Christian von der Ropp, an independent IT-consultant from Germany, who has never been to St Helena but nevertheless became fascinated by this beautiful remote island and its small population - through information found on the internet. He became aware of St Helena’s problematic telecommunication infrastructure by a friend, Thomas Fledrich, a German space scientist who had lived on St Helena for a year during 2009. When coincidentally learning about the plans for the South Atlantic Express cable he realized the opportunities a landing of the cable could bring to this isolated island and decided to campaign for it. Christian quickly found support from A Human Right, a UN-supported NGO dedicated to closing the digital divide by connecting those 5 billion deprived people without internet access. During 2012 one of the world’s fastest submarine optic fibre cables called South Atlantic Express (SAex) will be laid from South Africa to Brazil providing 12.8 TBit/s of total bandwidth. Since this cable and the WASACE South cable, which will unfortunately run far north from St Helena, are expected to saturate bandwidth demand on the South Atlantic route for the next decades, this cable is a unique opportunity to bring enormous internet bandwidth to St Helena. Routing the South Atlantic Express cable via St Helena would probably increase cable length by just some 50km and would even provide technical benefits for the cable operator as St Helena could feed-in electric power to the cable’s repeaters required every 100km. Furthermore a landing point at St Helena would allow laying a future branch to São Paulo, Brazil’s economic centre, so the cable operator could offer the shortest route from the São Paulo region to Angola and South Africa while also having a redundant route from São Paulo via St Helena to Fortaleza. I encourage all of you to promote this campaign, and help the people of this beautiful island in the South Atlantic to keep in touch with their family and friends around the world, and to have all the online benefits most of us take for granted nowadays. The campaign website has some suggestions about how you can help (January 18th, 2012 - 14:43 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) Apparently this was written by Andy Sennitt, himself, unlike most MN items from other sources. See original for linx (gh, DXLD) ** SARAWAK [non]. RADIO FREE SARAWAK GETS READY FOR ELECTION FMT Staff | January 17, 2012 In the Sarawak election last year, Radio Free Sarawak's Iban broadcasts gave the opposition much leverage. KUCHING: Lone wolf broadcaster Radio Free Sarawak (RFS) kicks off this evening with a new format and the state’s “best known” Iban-speaking presenter Christina Suntai. [caption; she looks like an Anglo] RFS is a small outfit, broadcasting out of the United Kingdom in defiance of Sarawak’s licensing authorities Broadcasting over shortwave 15420 kHz from 6 pm this evening, RFS will also boast three more high-profile personalities on air – Michael Ngau, Stanley Rentap and Kaka Burung Tiong. Together with the station’s pioneer deejay Peter John Jaban, they will be offering more interactive dialogue session with listeners. Said RFS London-based founder Clare Rewcastle Brown: “The station is limbering into ‘election gear’ with a new emphasis on interactive dialogue with listeners. “It is important, particularly during an election period, for listeners to the show to be able to contact us directly with their problems and issues and to give us their views and opinions.” According to Rewcastle [correct] Brown, the most important part of the station’s remit is its commitment to airing the voices of the people themselves. “There are, of course, the interviews and debates with politicians and experts, but each day the show takes care to try and reach out to locals facing the issues on the ground. “It is important that these people feel empowered to speak out and become part of the national debate,” she said, adding that it was also important for listeners to realise that people like them also have a voice that ought to be listened to. Launched early last year, RFS has been credited for the historic wins by the opposition in the state’s April 2011 election. RFS popular with opposition The opposition won an unprecedented 16 seats in the State Legislative Assembly. DAP won 13 seats while PKR wrested three. Previously, the opposition had held eight seats against BN’s 63. But, more importantly, the opposition had made startling inroads into Iban turf, once considered sacred to BN. Although the BN coalition held onto its crucial two-thirds majority, some observers opined that it was the most crucial test for the BN since the 2008 general election when the opposition seized a third of parliamentary seats and threatened the BNs half-century grip on power. Rewcastle Brown, who is also the founder-editor of an online investigative portal Sarawak Report which incidentally blew open the lid on Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s billions of US-dollars worth of wealth and business networks, said the RFS had been and is an important vehicle for the opposition parties who were largely ignored by the BN-biased local media. “For the past 30 years and more, Sarawak has been run by a corrupt political elite, who was only thinking of lining its own pockets. “The indigenous peoples have been left behind on health, education and basic amenities of life. “They have received no benefits from the deforestation of their lands and the destruction of the environment to grow oil palm. These issues deserved to be raised and not hidden by pro-government broadcasts,” Rewcastle Brown said in a statement. SOURCE: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2012/01/17/radio-free-sarawak-gets-ready-for-election/ Radio Free Sarawak 1000-1200 UT, SW 15420 kHz daily Website: http://radiofreesarawak.org/ Facebook: http://facebook.com/radiofreesarawak Twitter: http://twitter.com/radiosarawak (Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, Jan 17, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) Hi Glenn, Thanks to a NASWAyg posting by Bob Wilkner [= above], went to the Radio Free Sarawak website and found it was updated today. “RFS changes its look today with two extra presenters and a whole new style for the show.” On a new frequency of 15420 kHz., with their usual time of 1000 to 1200 UT. http://radiofreesarawak.org/2012/01/monday-16012012/ Also see http://radiofreesarawak.org/ (Ron Howard, San Francisco, Calif. Jan 18, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST TAJIKISTAN [sic]. 15420, Jan. 18, 1000 - 1200: Radio Free Sarawak in Iban language, weak signal during the first hour of the program, growing strongly later. OM, YL talk, phone interviews, music. Last couple of minutes before signing off (including a station ID) can be heard at http://youtu.be/iohmZKCMg6s (Tudor Vedeanu, (Gura Humorului, Romania), dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15420, 18/Jan 1005, TADJIKISTAN, R Free Sarawak, in Iban (listed). OM and YL talk, instrumental background music. At 1008 local pop rock. At 1013 end music and OM and YL talk. It seems that OM interview YL. At 1026 OM interviewing a man on the phone 25432. Sorry the electrical noise, http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006/12067067/ 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, Degen 1103 - All listening in mode of filter Narrow the 6 kHz. Dipole antenna, 16 meters - east/west, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15420 of RFS which I can receive from Jan. 16 seems to be Palau (via T8WH), very good reception in Japan (S. Hasegawa, Japan, ibid.) Interesting. Are you sure is Palau? Both Aoki and EiBi schedules specify Dushanbe-Yangiyul as the location of the transmitter for Radio Free Sarawak (EiBi has the old frequency, 17560 kHz). On the other hand HFCC schedules list World Radio Network from Palau on that frequency between 1000 and 1200 UT. Is RFS affiliated to WRN? 73s, (Tudor Vedeanu, (Gura Humorului, Romania), ibid.) Yes. I think there was similar confusion during previous activity as to site; may have started with Tajikistan. WRTH 2012 shows Dushanbe. Aoki toward end of A-11, October, had it on 17560 via Tajikistan (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA. 15225, Jan 13 at 1505, big buzz mixing with and no doubt emanating from BSKSA transmitter in Arabic, // much better unbuzzed 15435. Still the same at 1550, both from Riyadh, 295 and 320 degrees respectively. Wolfgang Büschel reports some new SW transmitters are being installed which we hope will get rid of this 15435, Jan 17 at 1508, BSKSA Arabic narration and music with a beat; constant crackle in modulation superimposed. New transmitters being installed at Jeddah may compensate for this once activated in A-12 season; Wolfgang Büschel thinx these were the source of tone and Balkan music tests last summer. They plan to put English at 16-21, already on the domestic service, onto three SW frequencies, unfortunately unsuitably too low for North America in the summer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The UNID {Serbo-Croatian music} station heard May-July 2011 is Jeddah site. In A-12 from March 25, the new 250 kW Continental (and co- operation RIZ Zagreb? too) transmitters will be on regular service from Jeddah Al Khumra site. Latter site totally refurbished on old curtain antenna arrays, we heard a lot of Serbian-Croatian folk music and 1000 Hertz tones in May/June/July 2011 on various SW meter bands. 31 transmitter hours daily on new 250 kW units at Jeddah 7300 2100 2300 28S,39N JED 250 340 0 216 ARABIC ARS 7430 1600 2100 27,28,37N JED 250 310 0 216 ENGLISH ARS 9580 0300 0600 38E,39,48W JED 50 0 0 925 ARABIC ARS 9580 1700 2200 38E,39,48W JED 50 0 0 925 ARABIC ARS 9710 1600 2100 47,52 JED 250 220 0 216 ENGLISH ARS 9840 1600 2100 47,52 JED 250 220 0 216 ENGLISH ARS 11855 0600 1700 38E,39,48NW JED 50 0 0 925 ARABIC ARS 15330 1400 1600 47 JED 250 260 0 216 FRENCH ARS 15510 1400 1600 27,28,37N JED 250 310 0 216 FRENCH ARS 17610 1000 1300 48,47 JED 250 230 0 216 ENGLISH ARS 21530 1000 1300 37,38 JED 250 300 0 216 ENGLISH ARS 21660 0800 1000 37,38 JED 250 300 0 216 FRENCH ARS 21670 0800 1000 46,48,47 JED 250 270 0 216 FRENCH ARS (Wolfgang Büschel, Jan 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Note the projected English broadcast at 1600-2100, which will be very welcome. There has long been a domestic service in English at those hours. However, none of the frequencies will be of much use in the NAm summer. The only one aimed at Europe, and thus us, 7430, is far too low (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 31 tx hours daily on new 250 kW units at Jeddah [probably DRM mode?] (Wolfgang Büschel, Jan 13, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 18 via DXLD) HISTORY. DRM: Al Khumra site - more details. Not so long ago we announced via the Continental Electronics website: 06-28-2010. Continental to Deliver four 250 kW DRM HF Transmitters to Saudi Arabia at the Al Khumra site. And that it would be ready by Mid 2011. Then: The DRM website announced in April: DRM station ready in Saudi Arabia. DRM member Continental Electronics has announced that a new shortwave DRM capable station is now ready in Saudi Arabia. Three 300 kW SW transmitters, fully DRM ready, and a number of curtain antennas complete this station, and are part of a comprehensive digitisation plan in the country. It would be nice if confirmed facts were known?? Probably 300 kW SW 419G transmitters fitted with Continental DRM Exciters? (Ian Baxter- AUS, SW TXsite May 28, 2011) (via BC-DX Jan 18, 2012 via DXLD) I am still not convinced we can connect the Balkan music/tone tests to Jeddah; why would RIZ be cooperating with competitor Continental? Maybe RIZ makes antennas while Continental does not? (gh, DXLD) ** SPAIN. Special 75th anniversary transmission for R Nacional de Espana --- I assume by a private party, offering special QSL. Extremely low power, 150 milliwatts on 7500, Thu Jan 19 at 06-20, in FM, best detected with SDR, as described (gh, dxldyg Jan 18 via DXLD) From: RNE RNE Subject: 75 Aniversario de RNE (19-Ene-12) Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 1:43 AM Coincidiendo con el 75º aniversario de la creación de Radio Nacional de España, nacida en Salamanca el 19 de Enero de 1937, se emitirá una señal conmemorativa en 7500 KHz, la misma frecuencia que usó el cercano transmisor de Onda Corta auxiliar situado en el barrio de Pizarrales y que complementó al emisor principal de Onda Media ubicado en el antiguo frontón San Bernardo. La señal se emitirá entre las 06 y las 20 UTC del próximo Jueves 19 de Enero y será de muy baja potencia (150 mW), con una modulación de frecuencia muy lenta (60 s) y estrecha (±5 Hz). En la práctica lo que se vería en un receptor SDR o en uno analógico (conectando la salida de audio al PC y usando un visualizador QRSS como el ARGO, Spectran o SpectrumLab en modo 10 s/dot) serían pantallas como las que se adjuntan. Los informes de recepción (datos + captura de pantalla) se pueden mandar a rne_75 (at) yahoo.com y se contestarán de la misma forma, con una tarjeta QSL electrónica réplica de la original de Radio Nacional en 1937 (via DXLD) Alguien que prefiere no identificarse indica que : [as above] Ojalá muchos colegas puedan ver la señal. Saludos. (Juan Antonio Arranz Sanz, http://jaarranzs.blogspot.com/ http://www.jaarranzs.com/ via Dario Monferini, Jan 17, playdx yg via DXLD) ** SUDAN. 15535, 15/Jan 1640 Strong signal without modulation, only a signal of 1 kHz. Still on the air at 1729. End of transmission at 1731. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, Degen 1103 - All listening in mode of filter Narrow the 6 kHz. Dipole antenna, 16 meters - east/west, Escutas (listening, my blog): http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006 dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Is Sudanese jammer against R. Dabanga, which ended at 1627 (gh, DXLD) 15535, I was also listening 1644z onwards. Tone on 15535, 1644 tune in; 1730 off air. Regards (Alokesh Gupta, india, ibid.) Same 1000 Hz tone jammer from Sudan noted regularly on 11940 kHz in our mornings against Radio Tamazuj MDG 0400 til 0430 UT, and against Radio Dabanga ISS 0430 til 0557 UT (Wolfgang Büschel, Jan 12, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 18 via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. 15500, Jan 15 at *1559.5, S9+15 music suddenly overrides europirate Borderhunter Radio and sign-on by Sudan Radio Service in Arabish except for its name pronounced in English, and address srs @ edc.org. Mentioned kHz, MHz a couple times, sounded like ``Talata`` too but surely not referring to the Madagascar relay site; percussive music along with this, 1602 apparent live talk as program begins. HFCC shows this as one of BaBcoCk`s ``non-specific`` broadcasts, 300 kW, 140 degrees via Woofferton UK, 16-17 daily since Jan 1, i.e. the SRS Darfur service daily except Fridays, separate from the simultaneous SRS South Sudan service at 15-17 on 17745 via Skelton (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) After listening to Radio Bountyhunter [sic] in the static, Sudan Radio Service started booming in on 15500 at 1600 UT. Excellent signal. SINPO=54555. Alinco DX-R8T with vertical delta loop (Thomas Witherspoon, http://swling.com/blog cumbredx via DXLD) ** SUDAN SOUTH [and non]. Radio for a New Nation [not shortwave] CREDIT: STUART LEIGH, REAL WORLD PRODUCTIONS [caption] A teacher at Torit East Primary School in Torit, Eastern Equatoria state, South Sudan, holds a solar-powered, wind-up radio as she gives her students a lesson using South Sudan Interactive Radio Instruction. For decades, radio waves have been the primary vehicle to disseminate information in Sudan, as in many places where literacy is low, electricity is inconsistent or uneven, and media options are few. But until eight years ago, most people in South Sudan did not have access to radio or any type of independent media. In 2003, when Sudan was still embroiled in civil war, Sudan Radio Service,the country’s first independent broadcaster of news and information, was launched with USAID assistance. In the early days, broadcasts took place on shortwave from Nairobi for just one hour per day. Since then, the Agency's support for the platform has helped educate and inform millions of people. In addition to Sudan Radio Service, USAID also supported the establishment of six community radio stations between 2005 and 2011 in southern Sudan and in northern Sudan’s Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states. The Agency also supplied over 200,000 solar and crank-powered radios throughout the south and the Three Areas (Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan, and Abyei), increasing access to the broadcasts. When the 22-year civil war ended with the landmark Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, radio was the most efficient and effective way to inform citizens about the agreement and their rights and responsibilities under it. These rights and responsibilities included participating in a nationwide census, voting in nationwide elections in 2010—the first voting opportunity for many Sudanese—and the referendum on self-determination for southern Sudan, which led to the creation of the new nation of the Republic of South Sudan in July 2011. “USAID recognized that it was important to support radio that provided an independent source of reliable information in Sudan, to support the peace process and help mitigate conflicts that could undermine the CPA,” said Donna Kerner, a USAID democracy specialist who helped establish the community radio network in South Sudan in the years before the country’s independence. “Community radio is particularly important in ethnically diverse, multilingual areas that are vulnerable to conflict to provide an accessible community forum for diverse views,” she added. Particularly in remote areas of South Sudan outside the capital of Juba, radio is often the only source of information available. Due to the legacy of war, there is a lack of electricity except in a few major towns, a dearth of print media, exceedingly low rates of Internet access, and high levels of illiteracy. Approximately 73 percent of South Sudanese adults cannot read. Warrap state, for example, which borders the Abyei Area that is disputed by Sudan and South Sudan, has three radio stations—a government-run station in the state capital, Kwajok; a Catholic Radio Network station in Tonj; and Mayardit FM in Turalei, Twic County, run by the NGO Internews and funded by USAID. “The radio stations are a great source of information for the citizens of Warrap,” said Eric Kessler, a U.S. Government representative based in Warrap state and part of a team helping to build relationships between the U.S. Government and local government officials in South Sudan. “Without the radio stations, people wouldn’t know where to get information on a daily basis.” Resources for the Displaced Many displaced persons who fled fighting that erupted in the disputed Abyei Area in May are sheltering in Twic County and need assistance with food, medical care, water, and sanitation. Twic County is also hosting a substantial number of South Sudanese who recently returned from living in Sudan; many of them lived there for decades after fleeing war in the south. They have returned to their areas of origin to resettle and restart their lives, and many need assistance. “There’s a coordinated effort between the USAID-supported radio station and the NGOs so they can help people identify where resources are and connect lost family members,” Kessler explained. “So it’s a useful resource in a time of crisis.” USAID funding currently supports three other community FM radio stations run by Internews—in Upper Nile, Unity, and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states—which together with the Twic station broadcast to more than 2 million people, nearly a quarter of South Sudan’s population. The stations broadcast news and information on topics including agriculture, adult literacy, health, hygiene, peace building, and cultural tolerance. In Juba, Sudan Radio Service — managed by the Boston-based Education Development Center with USAID funding — launched 98.6 SRS FM in December 2010, and currently broadcasts 12 hours per day on FM and 6 hours on shortwave, reaching 1.1 million people. The station has begun generating advertising revenue, which will help make the service sustainable over time. It has also established a partnership with Juba University that offers a certificate in broadcast journalism. Educational Tool Radio is not only the most important way to reach the broadest audience in South Sudan with news and information. It is also a critical tool for teaching both young students and adults who have had limited education opportunities, and is helping to build teachers’ skills. Since 2004, USAID has supported the South Sudan Interactive Radio Instruction project, which provides educational radio programs for primary school classes on topics such as English and math, English language lessons for adults, and programs for teacher training. Since 2004, the broadcasts have reached more than 473,000 primary school students and more than 842,000 South Sudanese with English language radio programming for adults. The programs reach all of South Sudan’s 10 states through radio broadcasts used in classrooms and other settings, helping to increase the low literacy levels and enlighten South Sudanese on their roles and responsibilities as citizens. As the South Sudan Interactive Radio Instruction Teacher’s Guide to “The Learning Village” program for primary school students states: “Citizens who cannot read and write with ease cannot fully participate in society.” “In this new nation where English is the official language, but many children and teachers do not speak or understand English well, and there is a lack of instructional materials, South Sudan Interactive Radio Instruction provides a standardized way to give teachers a roadmap for lessons, and to teach students in engaging ways, including with songs and games that help them learn English,” said William Osafo, USAID/South Sudan’s education team leader. USAID support for radio has helped inform millions of South Sudanese about democracy and their rights and roles as citizens as well as everyday topics such as health and hygiene, and has provided a forum for teaching people of all ages. USAID’s successful radio programs are a tribute to the dedication of John Granville, a USAID democracy officer who was managing the programs when he and his driver, Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama, were killed by terrorists in Khartoum in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2008. [SIDEBAR1:] Radio Rules In the first public opinion poll conducted in South Sudan, supported by USAID, 61 percent of South Sudanese interviewed said that radio is their primary source of news and information. The next most common source was “word of mouth” (16 percent). The nationwide poll of adults age 18 and over was conducted in September 2011 by Pechter Polls for USAID partner International Republican Institute. [SIDEBAR2]: Engaging the World’s Newest Nation To support the world’s newest nation as it unveiled its vision for development and economic growth priorities, the U.S. Government hosted the International Engagement Conference for South Sudan Dec. 14-15, 2011, in Washington, D.C. The conference focused on management of oil revenue and natural resources; social services delivery; investments in education, health, and agriculture; human capital and institutional capacity development; promotion of women, youth, and respect for diversity; and coordination of international assistance. The conference brought together government ministers and leaders of international, private sector, and civil society organizations to discuss opportunities for collaboration and investment in South Sudan. Conference co-sponsors included the governments of the United Kingdom, Norway, and Turkey as well as the European Union, African Union, United Nations, World Bank, International Finance Corporation, Corporate Council on Africa, and InterAction. “This conference is about sending a message: that South Sudan does not travel on this path alone. We have a significant responsibility and exciting opportunity to help the people of South Sudan to achieve development by engaging in honest efforts,” said USAID Administer Rajiv Shah. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit emphasized his government’s commitment to promote a climate conducive to attracting and retaining new investment, including taking specific legislative actions and encouraging regional and international trade. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton noted the U.S. commitment to partnering with South Sudan as it works to develop its economy and strengthen its governmental institutions. “We have come together in the past through decades of war; we have come now to raise up a generation of South Sudanese who will not know war. That is our pledge and our promise,” she said. SOURCE: http://www.usaid.gov/press/frontlines/fl_jan12/FL_jan12_DRG_SUDAN_RADIO.html (Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) ** SYRIA. 12084.834, R. Damascus, 1643. Presumed the one here. Fair signal but no detectable audio modulation. 10 Jan (Jerry Strawman, Des Moines IA, Perseus SDR, Wellbrook 330S 1.1 Meter Loop, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) Not even the carrier has been reported for a long time, just the other frequency 9330, supposedly in Turkish during this hour. However, HFCC shows IBB SAIPAN is on 12085 at 1600-1700 in Uyghur, but only on Saturdays, and this was a Tuesday. However, ChiCom jammer standing by could also explain this (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** TAIWAN. 17450, QSL Sound of Hope. Eine schoene QSL-Karte und Infos fuer Sound of Hope kamen von: Trevor Piper* *Manager - Inside China Today SOH Network Mobile: + 44 (0) 7852 759332 5 Tage nach der Mail kam der Brief aus England. Gehoert hatte ich die Station Anfang Januar gegen 0830 UT auf 17450 kHz (Dieter Buschau, Germany, A-DX Jan 17, BC-DX 18 Jan via DXLD) ** TAIWAN [non]. 6875, Jan 13 at 0544, RTI via WYFR is still in wrong language, Chinese instead of English; and after 0600 still in German instead of Spanish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) and thruout the following week ** TURKEY. 12035, Jan 14 at 1425, TRT IS is still playing at end of 1330 English broadcast, fair signal with flutter, so I stay tuned to find out whether they will wake up at Emirler and turn off 12035 in time to change to the next frequency and language before 1430? No! 1428 starts interspersing IDs in unknown language, 1430 accurate timesignal, and ID sounds like `Govorit ---`, but surely not Russian. Keeps going with program until cut off abruptly at 1431:45*. According to WRTH 2012, the only language starting at 1430 is Kazakh on 9785, altho Russian is running 14-15 on 9410. Slipshod (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [and non]. BABCOCK WINS CONTRACT WITH BBC WORLD SERVICE Babcock International Group (Babcock) has won a 10-year contract to continue providing services relating to the transmission and distribution of radio and television for the BBC World Service. http://www.babcock.co.uk/media-centre/babcock-wins-contract-with-bbc-world-service/ (via Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, India, Jan 12, dxldyg via DXLD) The above press release leading to: http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/01/world-service-awards-200m-tx-contract/ World Service awards £200m TX contract Babcock International Group has won a 10-year contract to continue providing radio and TV transmission and distribution services to the BBC's World Service. The deal sees the firm manage more than 150 FM relays around the world as well as 180,000 hours of shortwave broadcasts each year. The contract kicks in on 1 April and is worth around £200m over the 10 years. Babcock says it will build on the work they've been doing with the BBC over the last 15 years to ensure the corporation 'provides a reliable and resilient service to its global audience'. Babcock Director Bryan Coombes said: "Our history of working in partnership with the BBC shows that we can deliver value for money and unprecedented levels of performance. We know and understand the BBC and the broadcasting industry and are committed to finding the right solutions to the challenges the broadcaster faces over the next ten years. We will achieve this through offering innovative ideas that drive efficiencies over the life of the contract." Nigel Fry, Head of Distribution BBC Global News, added: "The new contract with Babcock builds on the success of the last 15 years. It will provide us with clarity of costs over the coming years, and significant savings that are critical in the current economic climate. Importantly, these savings will not affect the quality of service that our global audience expects." The contract includes: * Scheduling and co-ordination of all BBC World Service shortwave broadcasts across the globe. In the first year of the new contract Babcock will co-ordinate a total of 180,335 hours of transmissions for the BBC. * Operating and maintaining the BBC's six high power sites and a power station to ensure global coverage. This includes the BBC key target areas of Africa and the Middle East, the Indian Sub-Continent and South East Asia. * Monitoring of high frequency broadcast performance (using independent data). The BBC is committed to offering the best quality of service to its worldwide audience and Babcock's monitoring ensures the best possible audio quality is achieved in the desired target areas. * Managing the satellite network contracts and support of the satellite distribution systems including 1,300 receivers worldwide in over 650 locations in 128 countries. * Maintaining the BBC World Service's FM Relay network. In addition to the satellite receiver maintenance, Babcock will support the equipment of more than 150 FM relay sites around the world. This will underpin the resilience of the service offered by the BBC. Published on Thursday, January 12th, 2012 at 12:02 pm (Radio Today via Zacharias Liangas, DXLD) I suspect Babcock priced this contract so they wouldn't lose the business; even though the PR claims it was competitively bid. While reading an article about the BBC and Babcock I came across this additional article describing Babcock's role in creating the new BBCWS Network Operations Center. http://www.theengineer.co.uk/in-depth/analysis/broadcasting-the-bbc-world-service-to-a-growing-audience/1006874.article (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ODXA yg via DXLD) All well and good, maybe, but one thing about this report from Radio Today (which is clearly based on a press release) puzzles me: ``* Operating and maintaining the BBC's six high power sites and a power station to ensure global coverage. This includes the BBC key target areas of Africa and the Middle East, the Indian Sub-Continent and South East Asia.`` I'm confused here by the use of "operating". So who now actually OWNS the BBC World Service transmitters? Is it the BBC itself or, at least until 2014, effectively the Foreign and Commonwealth Office while they pay a grant-in-aid to pay for the service? If so, that means they are in public ownership really. Yet I always thought that when the whole of the BBC's Transmission Department was privatised back in 1996, the assets of the WS transmission service, chiefly the transmitters both in the UK- e.g the doomed Rampisham and other UK HF sites as well as overseas ones, were sold off to the new purchaser. The company has of course been through several changes of ownership and name since then, but I seem to recall it started out as Crown Castle (or was it Merlin...?). The only exception to this, as I understood it, was the Ascension Island Relay, which remained wholly owned by the BBC along with, presumably, the power station and indeed essential facilities for the families of staff working on the island, including a school- a rare case of the BBC also being an education authority! While I'm sure Babcock, a long established name in the world of international engineering, do a good job, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who thought it was an almost criminal sale of the family silver when both domestic and international transmission were privatised. But maybe Babcock only operate the transmitters, but don't own them? Does anybody actually know? This whole area seems to have become something of an international labyrinth of transmission brokerage now! (Mark Savage, Jan 14, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) Mark raises some good questions, this is the situation as I understand it: The four UK ex BBCWS transmitter sites (Woofferton, Skelton, Rampisham & Orfordness) are owned and operated by Babcock (ex Merlin/VT). However all the BBCWS overseas SW sites (Ascension, Cyprus, Seychelles, Singapore, etc.) still belong to the BBC, but are operated by Babcock (ex Merlin/VT) on behalf of the BBC. Even though staffed by Babcock employees, they are still BBC-owned transmitters and have the BBC name on the gate. The ownership of overseas sites remains with the BBC because the original agreement to set up these foreign sites was between the UK government/BBC and the foreign host country. Similarly with overseas FM relays, any licensing or bilateral agreement for the BBC to broadcast on FM is between the BBC and the foreign broadcaster/ transmission company, with Babcock contracted to provide the satellite feed. Presumably the licence to broadcast is with the actual programme provider, i.e. BBC, but who actually operates the various FM sites overseas will vary from country to country - usually the state broadcaster or telecom company I presume. Arqiva (ex National Grid Wireless ex Crown Castle) has only ever had the contract for the BBC`s domestic transmitter network, not the SW sites. 73s (Dave Kenny, England, Jan 15, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) I think that, for practical purposes, Dave's explanation is correct. However, I also believe that, technically, the overseas shortwave sites (with the exception of Ascension) are owned by the FCO, though they have always been referred to as "BBC relay stations". This was (and is) because the host countries were more comfortable in signing government-to- government agreements, rather than ones with the BBC. As Mark points out, Ascension is the exception, having always been a fully BBC-owned station (though, since 1997, operated by a private contractor). As Ascension is British territory, the complication of dealing with a foreign government never arose. The FM relays are in a different category as they are always (?or nearly always?) just BBC (or Babcock) transmitters hosted at someone else's site and using the host's premises, power supplies, masts, etc. I have visited BBC FM relays in Ghana and Kenya. The one just outside Accra is at a large GBC transmitting station that handles a variety of FM and TV transmissions for various clients. In a large hall, overshadowed by all sorts of other equipment, there was a not-very- large FM transmitter (basically, just a box) with a not-very-large cheap sticker on it saying "BBC relay station Accra" (or similar), which struck me as amusing, as one thinks of a relay station as being something that covers hundreds of acres! (Chris Greenway, England, Jan 15, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** U K. BBC WORLD SERVICE: “OUTLOOK” REMAINS A STAPLE Back when the BBC World Service was in the midst of shifting to a heavier focus on news, there was some talk that the weekday personality interview program, “Outlook”, would be cut from the schedule. However this did not happen – rather, “Outlook” continues strong, as a platform for interviews of interesting people. The program sometimes will take the road – a series in December originated in Delhi, India. Some other interesting recent programs include these examples: * Interview with an astronaut who spent 18 months in a space capsule in Russia as part of a simulated mission to Mars – how would a person fare when confined in this way? * An interview with a former Libyan prisoner who witnessed a massacre, and a real “Slumdog Millionaire” from India * A Pakistani barber who reunites missing children with their parents In some ways, this program somewhat resembles the CBC program "As It Happens" in that interviews emphasize the unusual and not necessarily the newsworthy, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Online archives can be played on-demand dating from June 2009, though in some instances you’ll have to listen to a program to ascertain its subject matter – the subject matter isn’t listed in the program archive. When you think about that, it’s quite an archive – representing 621 individual programs, or roughly 279 hours of programming available for consumption! The best way to find the program is to navigate to the main BBC World Service website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice , and enter “outlook” in the search box in the upper right corner of the page. 73 DE (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, January NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** U K. [Re 12-02] OBITUARY: BOB HOLNESS, INTERACTIVE INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTER BEFORE INTERACTIVE WAS COOL. Posted: 15 Jan 2012 BBC News, 6 Jan 2012: "Bob Holness, former host of daytime quiz show Blockbusters, has died at 83. ... he remains best known for hosting ITV gameshow Blockbusters, from 1983 to 1993, complete with its hexagonal board, gold runs and the classic double entendre contestant request: 'Can I have a P please, Bob?' ... He also presented the BBC World Service request show Anything Goes - a show purported to be a favourite of Aung San Suu Kyi while under house arrest - bringing him a new legion of international fans." The Telegraph, 6 Jan 2012: "He enjoyed the intimacy of [Anything Goes] show, with requests 'ranging from a recording of a cuckoo for a Surrey gentleman in Swaziland to Fats Domino for a lady in Australia'." Famagusta Gazette, 6 Jan 2012: "Holness ... was also well known in Cyprus for his request programme 'Anything Goes' on the BBC World Service, which ran until 1998. In an age when Cyprus boasted only CyBC Radio, BFBS and the BBC World Service, Holness' programme attracted huge audiences on the island, with correspondents writing in for comedy clips, music requests, poetry and oddities." -- Heard via the BBCWS medium wave relay on Cyprus (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) "Anything Goes" was the quintessential international radio program, and a reminder of of the global reach of BBC World Service. Listeners, by hearing requests from other listeners throughout the world, were reminded that they were part of a global community. I don't know why "Anything Goes" was dropped from the World Service schedule, but perhaps it had something to do with World Service, along with the rest of Britain, trying to become more "cool." See previous posts on 21 Feb 2007 and 9 July 2011 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** U S A. 15016-USB, Jan 15 at 1448, phonetic words in coded broadcast, but distorted and splattering, until ``Andrews, out`` at 1448.5 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) USAF ** U S A. VOA EXPANDS BROADCASTS TO IRAN Washington, D.C. — January 13, 2012 — Iranians will soon have more television news options. VOA’s Persian Service rolls out a dynamic new TV lineup starting Monday January 16th, with new programs that deliver the day’s vital news, examine crucial social issues in Iran, and bring the audience the views of leading newsmakers. VOA Executive Editor Steve Redisch says the informative and entertaining program lineup will expand VOA Persian’s prime time footprint to six hours a day, from 6pm to 12 midnight Tehran time, focusing on the issues Iranians care about. “These shows build on VOA’s already successful programs offering audiences information and viewpoints that are otherwise unavailable or kept from them.” Redisch says. Newshour will be VOA Persian’s flagship news program, airing Saturday through Wednesday at 9:00 pm, tackling the top stories with its team of journalists around the world and in-depth reports from the VOA newsroom in Washington. Anchored by a rotating cast of VOA anchors, Newshour will also give viewers a full dose of sports with host Ali Emadi. Professor Ehsan Yarshater, one of the greatest living scholars of Persian history and literature, is profiled in the premier of Portraits on Wednesday at 7:30 pm. Every other week, Portraits will paint a video portrait of a prominent Iranian, using his or her own words. The weekly show Streets of Life will examine social issues and help audiences with day-to-day decisions. Hamideh Aramideh anchors Streets of Life Thursday at 9:00 pm. Last Page will highlight the newsmakers of the week, delving into who they are, what they said and why it is important. Mehdi Falahati anchors the lively half-hour program that will include field reports, video clips and studio guests on Friday at 8:30 pm. Setareh Derakhshesh, one of VOA’s most recognizable personalities, interviews leading newsmakers to extract their personal perspectives on the most interesting issues of our time. Perspectives with Setareh Derakhshesh airs Saturday at 8:00 pm. Later in January, two other programs make their debut: Inside USA will bring Iranian audiences in touch with Americans. Inside USA will report on American values and institutions. Inside USA airs every other Wednesday at 7:30 pm. And, Bijan Kian, former member of the Export-Import Bank Board of Directors, hosts a discussion program that looks at Iran’s place in the world economy. Checks and Balances will air Thursday at 7:30 pm starting January 26. The new VOA Persian lineup is bookended with live editions of Tonight’s News, bringing Iranian audiences the first and last word about in the day’s news. Other changes include the expansion of the popular talk show Horizon to 60 minutes, four days a week at 8:00 pm, bringing Iranian audiences an extra half hour of intelligent discussion about the events of the day. Straight Talk expands to 60 minutes Monday – Friday at 10:00 pm, giving audiences in Iran more opportunity to voice their opinions about hot topics of the day through email, social media and phone calls. VOA’s Persian Service programs are delivered on satellite, mobile and Internet platforms, including proxy servers designed to circumvent Iranian government efforts to block outside sources of news. Voice of America | 330 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington DC 20237 (VOA PR via Dr Hansjoerg Biener, DXLD) Press Release here http://www.insidevoa.com/media-relations/press-releases/VOA-Expands-Broadcasts-to-Iran------137305203.html Refers to TV but no doubt radio very much in mind as well (Mike Terry, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) No doubt radio hardly in mind. That single hour of radio broadcasts in Farsi VOA still maintains looks too much like a token, kept for plain internal reasons, for still avoiding a ban over radio production in Farsi in favour of RFE/RL (Radio Farda) as it happened in the case of Arabic which VOA had to stop in favour of the newly created MBN. Just a result of the nonsensical way US international broadcasting is organized. By the way, the "Internet platforms, including proxy servers designed to circumvent Iranian government efforts to block outside sources" could soon be worth nothing if reports are true about Iran disconnecting from the Internet and replacing the access to it by a country-wide Intranet. It may still provide access to certain websites abroad through proxies, but I do not see circumvention possibilities if these gateways no longer block certain connections but instead the other way round enable only certain, defined connections. I already foresee the press releases about the bosses of BBG/BBC/DW screaming out their utter condemnations (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. BBG CONDEMNS SIGNAL INTERFERENCE AS RIGHTS THREAT Washington, D.C., January 13, 2012 – The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) condemned the purposeful interference with broadcast transmissions to Iran as a threat to human rights and cited new evidence that jamming signals are now emanating from Syria. “Recent interference with the Eutelsat satellite originates from near Damascus, Syria,” said André Mendes, Director of Technology, Services and Innovation of the International Broadcasting Bureau – the engineering arm of the BBG. “The Persian broadcasts of the Voice of America are impacted as well as the BBC.” “The notion that the locus of some jamming of our broadcasts into Iran is from Syria is something that people should know,” observed BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson. In addition, interference with the Arabsat satellite has affected Alhurra TV, Radio Sawa, RFE/RL’s Radio Farda and several VOA services according to Mendes. In a resolution passed at its January 13 meeting in Washington, the BBG called on delegates to the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva and the satellite industry to “repudiate this illegal behavior.” “The BBG strongly supports the United States Government’s position that interference with free media and the free flow of information and ideas constitutes a threat to human rights and freedom and to the principles stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” the resolution said. Last month, international broadcasters - VOA, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Deutsche Welle (DW), Audiovisuel Extérieur de la France (AEF) and Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) – also spoke out against the practice of signal interference. The meeting, which began at 2:00 p.m., was webcasted live. On Demand Links will be available soon (BBG PR Jan 13 via Dr Hansjoerg Biener, DXLD) Btw, I'm sceptical about the claim from the BBG that recent uplink jamming against satellite muxes with programming for Iran originated from Syria. They quote Eutelsat as source for that. But Eutelsat would have a reason to pretend that it's not their own customer or at least an organization closely associated with its own customer IRIB (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. BBG Calls for Agency Restructuring http://www.bbg.gov/pressroom/press-releases/BBG_Calls_for_Agency_Restructuring_.html Washington, D.C., January 18, 2012 – The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) announced its intention to restructure U.S. international broadcasting. It will seek legislation that would include establishing a Chief Executive Officer to manage the enterprise. In addition, the Board called for a plan to consolidate the agency’s three non-federal broadcast networks: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. “The Board is ready to strengthen U.S. international broadcasting in part by freeing up resources locked up in inefficient and duplicative administrative structures and reinvesting in programming,” said BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson. “This is a historic agreement by the Board to streamline international broadcasting into one great organization focused on quality journalism with many brands and many divisions but unified as one organization.” In a resolution passed at its January 13 meeting in Washington, the Board announced its intention to restructure international broadcasting in accordance with its recently released 2012-2016 Strategic Plan. The Board outlined proposed reforms and its intent to develop a draft legislative package to be called the International Broadcasting Innovation Act of 2012 (the “IBIA”). It would establish a CEO who would report to the Board and provide day-to-day executive leadership. In addition the proposed package calls for a new organization that would reflect the optimal mix of federal and non- federal assets in support of international broadcasting; repeals the domestic dissemination ban in the Smith-Mundt Act; and renames the agency to reflect the mission of a unified structure. The restructuring package would be subject to appropriate administration approval and Congressional consideration. “While there is a compelling case for streamlining the BBG’s complex structure and leveraging the highly professional newsgathering activities of our independent broadcast services, any reform plan will retain and celebrate the individual and historic brands and their journalistic mission,” said Isaacson in summarizing the Board’s recommendations. “We look forward to working with internal and external stakeholders and experts as well as with the Administration and Congress on these proposals.” During its strategic review process, the Board engaged the services of management consultant Deloitte and external counsel Baker and Mackenzie to gain a detailed understanding of the costs, benefits and legal issues involved. The resulting studies indicated a compelling case and potential substantial savings over five years from eliminating duplicative management and administrative functions and affirmed the legal feasibility of a merger. Further details of the Board’s Record of Decisions and previous discussions can be found below: Record of Decisions http://media.voanews.com/documents/RecordofDecisions1132012.pdf 2011 Grantee Consolidation Assessment (Redacted) http://media.voanews.com/documents/Deloitte+Grantee+Consolidation+AssessmentRedacted.pdf Broadcasting Board of Governors Grantee Merger Assessment, executive summary http://media.voanews.com/documents/Grantee+Consolidation+Assessment+20111110_Executive+Summary.pdf Minutes of November 18, 2011 BBG Meeting http://media.voanews.com/documents/Minutes+of+November2011.doc (via Clara Listensprechen, dxldyg; via Dr Hansjoerg Biener, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT --- 2012 Challenges and Opportunities in the Five-Year Strategic Plan for U.S. International Broadcasting --- American Diplomacy, By Alan L. Heil Jr. As the Voice of America marks its 70th anniversary, what lies ahead for all of the world’s publicly-funded overseas networks in the year ahead? For Western broadcasters collectively, 2011 was the most potentially devastating year in more than eight decades on the air. Now, because of fiscal uncertainties in their host countries and rapidly evolving competition from both traditional and new media, they face huge cuts in airtime and operations. Can America step up to help fill the gap? A new strategic plan for U.S.-funded overseas broadcasting charts a possible path. Over the years, the government networks in Europe and North America have offered a window on the world and a beacon of hope for hundreds of millions of information-denied or impoverished people on the planet. They have done so by offering accurate, in-depth, credible news, ideas, educational and cultural fare, consistent with Western journalistic norms and the free flow of information enshrined in the 1948 U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. The broadcasts have enhanced America’s security, and even saved lives. They helped foster a largely peaceful end to the Cold War. Consider, then, the events of the year past: ---The BBC World Service, because of resource cuts, has lost five language services (Albanian, English to the Caribbean, Macedonian, Portuguese to Africa and Serbian). Seven more services, including Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Spanish to Cuba, have ended all radio programming, focusing instead, as appropriate, on mobile, television and on-line content and distribution. Over the next five years, World Service projections are a loss of 30 million of its 180 million radio listeners and a reduction of about a quarter of its professional staff. This is the result of a cut in grant-in-aid funding by the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. ---Germany’s Deutsche Welle (DW) is also facing substantial reductions. DW discontinued shortwave radio broadcasts in German, Indonesian, Persian and Russian. Chinese will be halved from two hours to an hour daily. As 2012 dawned, Deutsche Welle scheduled reductions in its shortwave broadcasts from 260 to 55 hours each day. It remains on the air on shortwave in English only to Africa. ---Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) is an award-winning network distinguished for its documentary and in-depth cultural and public service broadcasting in English and other languages. But now, RNW funding is being cut 80 percent, effectively silencing one of the West’s most attractive voices of reason to audiences everywhere. ---France’s overseas services, Radio France Internationale (RFI), France 24, and TV5, also are in the throes of an existential crisis. RFI and France 24 merger action has resulted in protest demonstrations by staff members affected. Finance ministry auditors in Paris have recommended ending all shortwave and AM radio programming of RFI worldwide to save money. Beginning January 1, shortwave is due to be cut from 102 to 60 hours daily after talks between RFI and TDF, the agency that has managed transmissions for RFI. ---The Voice of America ended its broadcasts in Croatian last November 23. Earlier in the year, the Voice’s oversight Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) had announced plans to abolish ten hours daily of VOA Chinese Mandarin shortwave broadcasts and an hour daily of TV as well as the Cantonese Service, while investing more in VOA new media services to the PRC. But that decision was wisely modified in the wake of the Arab awakening and expressions of Congressional concern. VOA Director David Ensor and BBG member Victor Ashe recently informed their Chinese Branch colleagues of a commitment to retain a multimedia VOA service to the PRC. Earlier reports were that they would retain some radio and double their TV programming to two hours a day to enter the growing satellite TV market in the PRC. New multimedia tools, such as a VOA Chinese language iPhone app, also are being developed. Until a few months ago, the West’s publicly-funded international broadcasters --- including those of the United States --- together reached at least a third of a billion adults around the world each week. Now, they face the prospect of losing tens of millions in audience share, even with the explosion of social media. All this, as Radio China International (RCI), Radio Russia, Iran’s Press TV, and Qatar’s Al Jazeera, significantly expand their operations. China, for example, spends two billion dollars a year on external media, about triple the outlay for all five publicly-funded U.S. overseas networks. Ironically, Beijing, Moscow, Tehran and Doha have all ramped up transmissions in English, just as the BBC and VOA have cut theirs back. In December, the five directors of the Western networks meeting in London noted increased jamming of international satellite TV programming in 2011, especially by Iran. They called on the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva to take up the issue at an upcoming meeting. The director generals also appealed to satellite operators and service providers “to recognize the importance of the role they play in ensuring the free flow of information.” MEETING THE CHALLENGES Given this background, does the United States have a more pressing national and global security responsibility to enhance its overseas media services and the content of those services, given the decline of its Western partners on the world’s airwaves? Most assuredly, yes. Can U.S. international broadcasting, using the framework of its newly- announced five year strategic plan, successfully meet and master the challenges? Hopefully, yes. The challenges are: 1) Saving money in times of fiscal austerity affecting all the Western government networks 2) Modernizing and coordinating delivery systems amid the rapid changes each year in the way people receive and share information in a digital age 3) Creating compelling, competitive program content and robust dialogues with influential civil society actors in the increasingly crowded electronic marketplace of traditional and new media 4) Retaining a multi-regional presence in VOA English, our own mother tongue and indisputably, the primary world language of commerce, diplomacy, and the Internet. The relatively new U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors unveiled a landmark strategic plan last November 1. BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson recently told the Congressional Quarterly Weekly that the plan aims “to consolidate, integrate and streamline” the complex U.S. overseas broadcasting establishment. In addition to VOA, the only full service global network offering a mix of world, U.S. and regional news, there are four other smaller, distinctly separate regionally-targeted networks: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), the Middle East Broadcasting Network (Alhurra and Radio Sawa) and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio-TV Marti in Spanish). Kim Andrew Elliott, a pre-eminent Arlington, Virginia, observer and international broadcast research analyst, posed the question as early as 1989: “Too many Voices of America?” A nine-member part-time bipartisan Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) was created in 1994 to oversee this conglomerate. It consists of four Democrats and four Republicans, and the Secretary of State as an ex-officio member, usually represented at monthly Board meetings by an Undersecretary for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy. On July 29, 2010, an entirely new BBG convened behind closed doors the day after being formally installed at a public session. It was a defining moment. One of the nine governors recalls: “We looked at each other, and everyone agreed: ‘This isn’t going to work’.” They had done their homework and concluded that the five separate networks, each with a distinct “tribal culture,” had no day-to-day coordinated central management. Moreover, they operated in different institutional frameworks: ---two of them are federal agencies, operating under U.S. government civil service or foreign service rules: VOA, the Martis, and the support agency for both, the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB). VOA’s Charter (PLs 94-350 and 103-415) requires it to be an accurate and objective source of news about America and the world as well as a conveyor of major U.S. thought, institutions and policies and discussion of these. ---three of the networks are privately-incorporated but fully U.S. government-funded grantees, chartered to be alternative free surrogate media in regions they reach: RFE/RL, RFA, and the Middle East Broadcasting Network Inc. (MBN, like VOA, does provide a mix of area, world, and U.S. news and content to its viewers and listeners). The International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) is co-located with VOA and the Board offices in southwest Washington, DC. It provides technical distribution, marketing, and program placement services for all the networks. IBB also operates other vital services (human resources, program evaluation, security, contracting, IT) for the federal entities. That makes managing VOA and OCB much more difficult than it was 20 years ago under the now-abolished United States Information Agency. Then the VOA director had under his or her aegis all functions, including that of budgetary and human resources control (now part of the BBG or IBB superstructures). A MANSION OF MANY MISSIONS? How did this cumbersome 21st century broadcasting bureaucracy come about? The late Mark Hopkins, a VOA correspondent in Moscow, Belgrade, Munich and Beijing in the 1970s and 1980s, said that over the years, various parties and constituencies felt compelled to add “a cupola here, a porch there” to meet what they saw as national strategic needs of the moment. It was helter skelter. Some steps were taken in the Executive Branch, others by individual members of Congress, and some even by individual networks determined to extend their mandate. The result: 22 of VOA’s language services have been duplicated in other networks since 1950 (although most of the grantees and VOA also broadcast in unique languages of their own). Perhaps the single most devastating loss for VOA, critics say, was the loss of its half century old Arabic Service in 2002. An earlier BBG removed it from the Voice and privatized it two years later under the latest cupola added in 2004, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks Inc. The Board, on the other hand, points to research indicating substantial viewership of MBN’s Alhurra. Lately, there has been something of a convergence in the increasingly sophisticated content mix of VOA and the grantees, crucial to their credibility. By and large, however, distinct content continues to reflect distinct missions. THE ROAD AHEAD This was the situation inherited by the new oversight Broadcasting Board at its inaugural gathering in the summer of 2010. At that session, the seeds were sown for its new strategic plan, “Impact through Innovation and Integration.” The six and a half page document incorporated the views of more than 70 outside specialists. It is based, as well, on a more comprehensive annual BBG language service review. The 2012-2016 strategic forecast calls for: ---Appointment of a day-to-day chief executive officer for all five networks. This role is now filled on an interim basis by the director of the International Broadcasting Bureau, Dick Lobo. He is a federal officer, and the grantees are private corporations, limiting his mandate. But he has improved coordination among the networks and is overseeing a merger of their overseas news bureaus. There have been more joint programming ventures among the five in the past year since Lobo assumed office than in the 70 previous years of U.S. overseas broadcasting --- particularly in coverage of the Arab awakening. ---Combining the BBG and IBB bureaucracies, which had operated somewhat independently since the Board was established in 1994. The cost of the two organizations in the Administration’s current annual budget proposal is more than a third of the $767,030,000 requested for all of U.S. international broadcasting. Appropriators in both the House and Senate prescribed substantial cuts in the IBB in separate reports approved last summer. One way to achieve this would be by consolidating the BBG and IBB support staffs. The merger became official on January 15, 2012 and consolidated various BBG/IBB operations to create units for Communications and External Relations, Strategy and Development, and Digital and Design Innovation. ---Consolidating administrative support for the privately-incorporated grantees (RFE/RL, RFA, and MBN). Deloitte, a consulting agency hired to examine the feasibility of the strategic plan, says that combining the financial management, technical staffs, and purchasing power pools for equipment and services of the three entities might yield annual savings of between $9,000,000 and $14,000,000. These savings, the consultant adds, “could be redeployed toward journalistic initiatives that advance the Board’s strategic vision.” Deloitte quoted grantee executives as conceding that the present structure was haphazardly built over time, and “would not be the logical approach if one were starting fresh.” Deloitte agreed. It endorsed the concept of grantee administrative consolidation. ---De-federalizing the government agencies: VOA, IBB, and the Martis. The advantage of privatizing the three departments is that they would be on the same basis, administratively, as the three grantees. This could pave the way for streamlined, common, presumably cost saving procedures across all of U. S. international broadcasting. A single consolidated, publicly-funded, private corporation likely would be easier to manage. Its output might be perceived by users as less subject to U.S. government interference, although journalistic content “firewall” procedures have been pretty effectively enforced by successive Boards since 1995. Deloitte, while endorsing the Board’s proposal to merge the grantees, is still looking at de-federalization of VOA and Martis. The consultant suggests that a feasibility study include: 1) Partial integration in 2012 of a few VOA and Marti administrative operations with those of the grantees, short of full-scale privatization that would require new legislation, and 2) A longer term look into the feasibility of full-scale de-federalization of those two networks and IBB, including benefits, risks, and financial impact. De- federalization, however, faces opposition by those in Congress who view the flagship VOA and its support organization as vital to the nation’s security. ---Repealing the clause of the 1948 Smith-Mundt Act that prohibits the dissemination of BBG materials within the United States. Congress is actively considering repeal, led by Representatives Mac Thornberry (R- Texas) and Adam Smith (D-Washington). For the first time, both the State Department and the BBG have actively supported a change in the old law and proposed language to abolish the prohibition. (The original legislation was passed shortly after World War II to prevent any sitting administration from using U.S. government media to influence the American public. But in the 21st century, all five overseas networks have websites and content easily accessible to millions of Americans, making the original legislation outdated). ---Abolishing duplicated language services in the five networks. Advocates of ending overlap among VOA on one hand and RFE/RL, RFA, MBN and the Martis on the other, say it is high time to trim the many “voices of America.” Yet a spot check of their respective websites shows surprisingly little content duplication on any given day. VOA and MBN cover world, regional and U.S. news. RFE/RL, RFA and the Martis focus largely on events in regions they reach. Influential users of all ages likely channel surf a combination of the U.S media over time, finding them for most part complementary in the news, information and ideas they seek and share. Rationalizing which languages to cut in U.S. international broadcasting at which networks likely will be the most contentious issue confronting the Board in 2012 and 2013. Many services have champions on Capitol Hill. Services broadcasting the U.N. official languages and several key strategic ones such as Persian and the Afghan languages should have both full service content and full service distribution in today’s highly competitive 21st century communications environment. Sufficient staffs are required to build new and social media platforms in these languages for the burgeoning younger generation around the globe inspired by the Arab pro-democracy uprisings. Better to cut bulging support bureaucracies than frontline journalists, editors, video producers, and webmasters. As one knowledgeable professional international broadcaster put it: “Heavens, yes.” In key languages particularly, cross-streaming of content is essential across platforms (radio, television, and a variety of social media channels). BBC Director General Mark Thompson told a London conference shortly after the massive BBC World Service cuts were announced: “The future of news and information is intrinsically multi-platform, multi- device and multi-media. No one medium, neither TV, nor radio, nor print, nor even the web are sufficient in themselves.” Those players with multiple platforms, he added, “are capturing the highest amount of news consumption.” ---Creation of a Global News Network (GNN) pooling the best journalism and on-scene reporting of all five U.S-funded overseas networks. This may be essential to meet the most ambitious goal of the BBG’s strategic plan: expansion of the networks’ combined reach from 165 million in 2010 to 216 million in 2016. The GNN, expected to take shape soon, will draw on the reportorial resources of VOA, RFE/RL, RFA, MBN and the Martis. Collectively, they have hundreds of correspondents and contract reporters filing in 58 languages around the world. Pilot prototypes of the GNN have already been produced, and skeletal approximation of a future combined news roundup appears daily on the main page at the BBG website, www.bbg.gov . A logical site for assembling a more robust GNN is the VOA newsroom in southwest Washington, where space is adequate, English scripts are produced and where the Board’s and IBB headquarters are located. A logical state of the art distribution system is used by RFE/RL in Prague. It is now being installed at the other networks to ease transfer among them of audio, video and website content. GNN, the BBG strategic plan has said, will retain the well-established brand names by the originating networks, as warranted --- an indispensable asset... See the rest of the article at http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/rev_item/2012/0106/ca/heil_quiet.html (Alan L. Heil Jr. is a former deputy director of VOA. The views expressed are his own). (via Mike Cooper, DXLD; via Mike Terry, Jan 18, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. QSL: As announced earlier, the new direct VOA card from Greenville was received in about a month for a snail mail report. Very nice, colorful card with all detail (Don Jensen, WI, Jan 13, NASWA yg via DXLD) VOA Greenville Transmitting Station, 5890, beautiful f/d curtain antenna and logo card in 30 days for direct report to Greenville as requested recently. I hope they got a lot of international reports so they can use them in showing the station's effectiveness and usefulness (Al Muick, Whitehall PA USA, Jan 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. With a sense of foreboding, I start going thru the logs published in DSWCI SW News for January, in frequency order, from which all details I so generously and laboriously provide, except language, have been stripped. This time 23 of my logs from Nov-Dec have been chosen, and only one has been infected with incorrect info inserted by the editor: ``11930,0 1343- USA 22.11 Radio Marti, Delano ^ GH-USA`` Who is apparently unaware that Delano has been closed for years, and all RM transmissions come from Greenville, or Sackville (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. January 1 - 2012, 5840 VOA, USA, 2200, 55525, English (DXSPACEMASTER, ALFREDO BENJAMIN CAÑOTE BUENO, Pucallpa, Perú, RECEIVER: GRUNDIG YB400PE, condiglist yg via DXLD) Due west from Tinang, Philippines, Sun-Thu at 22-23, daily 23-24 per HFCC. So it`s arriving from his east (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1599 monitoring: first broadcast confirmed on WRMI webcast, UT Thursday Dec 12 at 0430; only jamming audible on 9955, tnx a lot, Arnie! Remaining 9955 airings: Sat 0900, 1600, 1830, Sun 0900, 1630, 1830, Mon 1230; plus many more webcasts: see http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html On WTWW: Thu 2200 on 9479, UT Sun 0500 on 5755 On WBCQ: Thu 2230 on 7490, UT Mon 0330v on 5110v-CUSB Area 51 On WWRB: UT Fri 0430 on 3195 On HLR, Germany: Tue 1030 on 5980 WORLD OF RADIO 1599 monitoring: confirmed Thursday Jan 12 at 2200 on WTWW 9479, and at 2230 on WBCQ 7415. And on WWRB 3195, UT Friday Jan 13 at 0430:40, after a respectful 70-second pause following the SC preacher until 0429:30. Earlier that evening, there were reports it was playing jazz music instead of regular programming. More SW airings of WOR: WRMI 9955: Sat 0900, 1600, 1830, Sun 0900, 1630, 1830, Mon 1230. WTWW 5755: UT Sun 0500. WBCQ 5110v-CUSB on Area 51: UT Mon 0330v, probably (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, hearing World of Radio on 3195 kHz on WWRB with an excellent signal at 0430 UT (Gilles Letourneau, Montreal, Canada, UT Fri Jan 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF RADIO 1599: Remaining SW airings this weekend: On WRMI 9955, Sat 1830, Sun 0900, 1630, 1830; On WTWW 5755: UT Sunday 0500; on WBCQ Area 51 5110v-CUSB: confirmed on this week`s schedule at 0330v UT Monday. WORLD OF RADIO 1599 monitoring: confirmed after 0500 UT Sunday Jan 15 on WTWW 5755; remaining repeats are Sun 1830, Monday 1230 on WRMI 9955; UT Monday 0330v on WBCQ Area 51 5110v-CUSB (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Glenn, I'm listening to WOR now at 1630 via WRMI on 9955 kHz. Reception is in the clear, with moderate noise. Thank you for all the listening tips, Glenn. 73's, (Ed Insinger, NJ, Sunday Jan 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5110v-CUSB, UT Monday Jan 16 at 0330, music from WBCQ Area 51, still at 0332, but WORLD OF RADIO 1599 was in progress later on webcast, starting a few minutes late, ending around 0405. If present pattern holds, will skip a week and be back on Jan 29 with #1601 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 7490, Jan 12 at 0622, WBCQ is again on far past its nominal 0500*, but this time not with Brother Scare, instead with rock music. At first it sounded gospelish, but couldn`t make out the lyrix. Not // BS on 5890, 3185. VG signal on 7490, maybe testing, or avoiding freezing the equipment, but no signal on 9330-CUSB, which usually makes it here overnight. MUF/northern paths may have been down, as 9370 WTJC was weakish but still audible as was 9955 WRMI with Channel Africa. 7490 still running music at 0633 check, but I enjoy the music from Tunisia 7335 more, so it`s not until 0647 that I rerecheck 7490, and by then WBCQ is gone. ** U S A. 7490, Jan 13 at 0531, WBCQ is not on the air for a change, previously heard running unscheduled more than an hour later. And unlike last night, 9330-CUSB is on and propagating at 0631 with hard- sell preacher. Seems like there is more of that and less soft-sell from Good Friends Radio Network lately, but I hasten to tune away no matter what (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Good shows are the best reception. Just a little note, Glenn, that Behavior Night and Marion`s Attic have been airing shows so good lately that I`ve been buying fresh CDs. Behavior Night made a show a while ago called "Raggy Time Music" that left me realizing (that`s learning) that Irving Berlin lived so long ago that he composed minstrel music, and the same show had Anna Chandler making kisses into the recording horn. Marion`s Attic had a Berliner Records show that had some prehistoric laughing records as well as J. K. Emmett`s lullaby from the Broadway and travelling show, "Fritz Our Cousin German". I`m waiting for the Lullaby from Erminie to appear. The Victorian times had shows and other music as punful (and funfull) as, "Sex Against Sex", "He`s An Old Man Before His Time", and "Davy Crockett" (more than 50 verses). (Fred Jodry, Jan 13, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) These two are on WBCQ 7490 at 2200-2300 Friday and Sunday respectively; I often enjoy them too (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, ibid.) Hi Glenn, Time for state of the station. All is well at WBCQ. Listenership is up on all bands, mostly due to fewer programs available on the shortwaves. New listeners find WBCQ every day and call us a "breath of fresh air". New programs have arrived due to our Free Speech Special. Including "The Alan Sane Show" Tuesdays, 7-8 pm E [UT Wed 00-01] on 7490. Speaking of 7490, that frequency has worked out splendid since we left 7415 which was taken over by the communist Chinese. Also the numbers of new shortwave radios available today is almost staggering. For little money a good portable can be obtained. This has helped so much to swell the ranks of listeners. Shortwave will never die. As the government takes over the internet. The one transmitter to an unlimited number of receivers platform will be with us for a long time to come. Cheers and thanks for all you do, (Allan Weiner, WBCQ, Jan 18, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WWRB 3195, playing jazz instead of their regular programming: Last couple of nights, I've noticed this. They are playing jazz on 3195 kHz instead of their regular programing. Does anyone know what is going on? No explanation from them on their broadcast or website on this (Pat Blakely, SC, 0246 UT Jan 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Big band music, perhaps? Dave Frantz` favorite filler besides barker loops. 3195 is WWCR until 0200, and WWRB from 0200 to 0500. Let`s hope they are back to regular programming by 0430 when WORLD OF RADIO is scheduled. Whatever confused online listings may say, just remember that the two exchange 3215 and 3195 at 0200 (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) At the end of WORLD OF RADIO 1599, Jan 13 at 0459, Dave Frantz made an announcement that since Jan 1, WWRB has been broadcasting the original KJV Bible of 1611y, six hours a day to Latin America on 5050; and wants donations to expand it to 24 hours (which would require a different daytime frequency, maybe previously tested 15795?). (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WTWW, Murfreesboro [sic], TN, 9479, f/d e-QSL card in 138 days for English report via first class mail and follow-up via email. QSL arrived three hours after follow-up to george (at) wtww (dot) us V/S George McClintock, Owner. I followed up on WTWW before I became aware of the pending test from them, so this was an indeed fortuitous time to contact them. George did not mention if they had even received my first report, although, it having been mailed from home here in PA, I am sure it must have arrived. There has been a real dearth of mail from outside the US so far this year, yet I am still hopeful that this new year will bring a lot of the outstanding QSLs, without having to follow-up further. Having said that, I wonder what is an acceptable time period to actually just give up on the response? I have seen an instance where a QSL was finally obtained 11 years later, but this is rather on the extreme end of the spectrum. 73s (Al Muick, Whitehall PA USA, Jan 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Al, I never give up. I just try again in a few years to get that QSL. That has worked many times for me. With MW, some station owners have been very anti QSL, but stations sell and the next owner or engineer may be QSL friendly. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, KGED QSL Manager, HCDX via DXLD) Glenn, WTWW-2 will run a test this Saturday [Jan 14] from about 4 pm to 6 CENTRAL [22-24 UT] on 9990. 6 pm to 10 [00-04 UT Jan 15] on 5085. Ted Randall will take phone calls from the listeners live on air. Some final adjustments will be made during this test. Continental Electronics Co. will make some additional adjustments later this month (George McClintock, WTWW, Jan 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Due to some scheduling problems, Ted will not be doing a call in show this week. He is scheduled for next Saturday, Jan 21. Same time. I will have the transmitter on doing some testing and adjustments with Peters audio (George McClintock, 1838 UT Jan 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) And immediately distributed this to same lists as the notice of the test, ahead of time (gh) 9990, Jan 14 at 2355, WTWW-2 is testing with PPP audio // WTWW-1 on 9479; No specific spurs at 12-13 kHz multiples, but instead a noise field detectable out to 32 kHz above and below, along with whine. Part of the problem could be the crummy modulation on the program feed from SFAW. 0000 Jan 15 switched to 5085, and similar there, but noise field not detectable so far out, just 10-15 kHz vs WBCQ on 5110v and WWCR on 5070. The 6-hour test of WTWW-2 with Ted Randall taking phone calls was postponed a week until Jan 21-22 at 22-04 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nothing heard from WTWW-2 on 9990 here in Houston during checks at 2250 and 2325 UT Jan 14, although WTWW-1 and 3 on 9479 and 12105 were putting in solid signals. However at a 2355 check 9990 was on with a solid signal and Peters programming. No slopover on WWV at my QTH. Transmitter cut off during frequency change announcement at 2359, reappearing on 5085 around a minute later. Signal on 5085 slightly better than 5755 (but not as good as 9990) and equal to co-state and co-band WWRB on 5050 (Steve Luce, Houston, Texas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) George McClintock tells me that the WTWW website has been updated to include some video tours of the transmitters: http://wtww.us/pages/transmitters.php Also video of some National Religious Broadcasters sessions on the homepage http://wtww.us and more will be added from this year`s Feb 19-21 convention in Nashville (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 7465, WWCR Nashville TN (presumed); 2114-2120+, 15-Jan; English, Yahweh huxter without a kind word for anything or anybody; ragging on MLK Day & Lee Jackson Day. (Who?) S35 signal with weak co- channel-English (studio bleed?) & CW! Weak 7480.6 spur there but no copyable audio; 7449.4, if there, too close to strong 7450 Greece (presumed). (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! DX LISTENING DIGEST) Current schedule for 7465 Sunday at 2100 shows: The Remnant Ministry, Philip Glover (gh, DXLD) 15825, Jan 16 at 1356, `Ask WWCR` is ending, mentioning that they have been testing on 6875 in the 21-23 UT period. That`s when #4 transmitter is available in an hiatus after 2100 a couple days per week. They also tried it at 10-12 UT instead of 7465. Apparently thinking of using 6875 instead of 7465, 7520 frequencies from WWCR-1 in A-season. This was recorded before A-12 HFCC at Kuala Lumpur, so next biweekly edition should have a report on that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 15385, KJES God's [sic] Ranch, Vado NM (presumed); 2021, 11- Jan; Robo kids in Spanish. On about 15384.93; SIO=3+33- with trill QRM (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15385, 14/Jan 2032, KJES Radio, (PRESUMED) in Spanish. Gospel music, at 2034 YL talk. Very weak signal and degrading (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brasil, condiglist yg via DXLD) 15385.2, Jan 15 at 2055, KJES is on but only poor signal with fading, mostly skipping over here, singing, 2059 overlapping kid IDs in Spanish, off at 2100:20*. Previously measured as high as 15385.4, beyond FCC tolerance of plus/minus .0015% or 231 Hz. Now it is no more than 200 Hz off, so all is well! Another check Jan 16 at 2027: better signal, and now it`s slightly on the low side, by 40-50 Hz under 15385-. 11715.1, Jan 17 at 1430, KJES ID in English amid choral singing, undermodulated yet strong and steady at S9+20. Now it`s off-frequency to the high side instead of previous 11714.8 area, but within FCC tolerance following Notice of Violation. Nothing on 11715.0 to het it, so the variation is not obvious (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 13570, Jan 14 at 1356, WINB on usual wobbly carrier, with full canned ID with contact info, ``He Leadeth Me`` on piano, 1359 some black gospel music and cut to black-accented preachers discussing I Corinthians 1:10, in progress, no program greeting or name given. For some months WINB has been active in the mornings only on Sundays, and I haven`t consulted their program schedule for a while, so what does it show now? New one dated Jan 8 http://www.winb.com/schedule.htm says Sat from *1400 with mouthful `The Way of God Church of the Lord Jesus`; Sundays from *1300; Mon/Thu/Fri from *1730; Tue from *1700; Thu from *1745. Still switches to wobbly 9265 at 2200 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. QSL: WLW, Cincinnati, Ohio, 700, f/d Blaw-Knox Antenna and historical marker card in 19 days as well as two station decals for English report via first class mail and FC stamp return postage. V/s. Ted Ryan, Chief Engineer. tedryan (at) clearchannel (dot) com (Al Muick, Whitehall PA USA, Jan 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 760, Jan 13 as I tune across at 1346 UT, full ID for KMTL in Arkansas, ad for Golden Corral in N Little Rock, gospel music. Made fast SAH of 15-20 Hz with nullable preaching KCCV Kansas City area, about 90 degrees away. KMTL COL is Sherwood AR, a NE LR suburb, 10 kW daytimer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. KCEG-780 tested this afternoon --- FYI, KCEG-780 Fountain, CO was noted on the air this afternoon (1/14) about 2 PM MST [21 UT] with "The Ranch" ID's and classic C&W music, hadn't heard them testing since December 2010. They were turning their transmitter off and on (heard 'clicks') and periods of open carrier and a strange electrical noise so obviously still testing. Also had some ads for businesses in Lakewood and Denver. KJME-890 not noted on though, just 780. I've actually never even heard 890 testing here yet (Robert Wien, Colorado Springs, CO, IRCA via DXLD) 1.9 kW Day, 720 W Night; 6 towers full time. The license holder is Timothy Cutforth, a broadcast engineer. He was the guy who had a permit for 540 in Pine Bluffs, WY and actually started building it, had steel in the air, when the FCC rescinded the license (Paul B Walker, Jr., ibid.) Per radio-locator.com, KCEG's transmitter is right along I-25, about 5 miles south of Fountain, just opposite of the road from Fort Carson. The next closest transmitter would be KREL-1580's which is off of Mesa Ridge Parkway and I-25 in Fountain (Security-Widefield), about 5 miles south of Colorado Springs. I'll have to drive by the transmitter some time, right along South Meridian Road. Anyone know what's happening with KJME-890's construction permit? It looks like KJME and KCEG both at least diplex from one (or several?) of the towers, as KJME's is in the same location. KCEG is licensed to Pueblo, KJME is licensed to Fountain (Robert Wien, Colorado Springs, CO, ibid.) ** U S A. Re: ``1190, Jan 7 at 2137 UT on the caradio with nondirexional vertical antenna, skywave is in with muddle of stations, but generally atop is ``all-new country 11-90, K#QZ``, which NRC AM Log shows as KQQZ ``Killer Country`` in Desoto MO (COL Fairview Heights IL, address in Belleville, i.e. near St Louis), 10 kW U4 with application for 25. I was looking for the new 25 kW station in White Hall AR, KJJI which may not be on the air yet (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` I have heard through the grapevine that KJJI has done some testing. I don't *think* it's on regular schedule yet, but I don't have solid information on that part (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, Jan 11, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. KRSN DX test scheduled --- The KRSN DX test is on! KRSN, 1490 kHz, Los Alamos NM, DX test is scheduled for early Saturday and Sunday mornings, Jan 21 and 22 at midnight mountain time. The test will run for 10 minutes each time [0700-0710 and 0700-0710 UT]. Included are sweep tones, 20 WPM Morse code at 700 Hz, telephone "off hook" signal, and vocal IDs & announcements provided by Paul Walker (Thanks, Paul!). Also included is 20 WPM Morse code at 5 kHz, so those of you with the equipment can try to detect it as CW at 1485 or 1495 kHz. The transmitter is a Harris DAX-1 at 1000 Watts into a 3-wire folded monopole antenna located at N35 53'37.6", W106 17'36.8" http://maps.google.com/maps?q=N35%C2%B0+53%2737.6%22,+W106%C2%B0+17%2736.8%22&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=35.893778,-106.293551&spn=0.007892,0.013593&sll=35.892779,-106.29266&sspn=0.007892,0.013593&vpsrc=0&t=h&z=17 Preferred reception report method is via email to DXTEST @ KRSNAM1490.COM Attach an audio clip of what you heard if you can. At least give a good description of what you heard. If you simply must use snail-mail, send your report (and a CD or cassette, if you can) to: DX Test C/O David Sutton 3801 Arkansas Ave, Ste. E. Los Alamos, NM, 87544 (Mike Westfall, Los Alamos, NM http://mesamike.org http://www.facebook.com/mesamike http://twitter.com/mesa_mike Jan 12, ABDX via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) ** U S A. FORT MYERS LOSES COMMUNITY RADIO STATION UNTIL NEW LAW TAKES EFFECT --- by Tracie Powell, Published Jan. 11, 2012 12:02 pm, Updated Jan. 11, 2012 9:49 pm http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/159110/fort-myers-man-faces-5-years-in-prison-for-illegal-radio-station/ Fort Myers police arrested Albert Knighten last month. Charged with a felony, the 20-year military veteran now faces five years in prison, for operating an illegal radio station. For two years Knighten’s low power FM radio station, 107.5 FM, broadcast classic soul, gospel and news six hours a day during the week and 12 hours on weekends for and about the Dunbar community, a mostly black South Florida neighborhood that is often ignored by local media. “Unless that is, the news is crime-related,” said Knighten who grew up in Dunbar public housing. The Federal Communications Commission created low power FM radio service more than a decade ago for non-commercial, educational broadcasting purposes only. The stations operate with 100 watts and thus only broadcast within a 3.5 mile range. After overwhelming demand for access to the stations, the U.S. Congress soon limited the service and the FCC’s authority to issue licenses. But in 2011 President Barack Obama signed into law the Local Community Radio Act, which directs the FCC to allow more low power stations access to the FM radio dial. The law is supposed to result in an increase in the number of community stations, which would lead to more coverage of local issues such as school board meetings, high school football games, health, education, local music, and literacy campaigns. It is also touted as a path to more in-depth discussions rather than the sound bites on most commercial radio. Churches, schools, governments, public safety organizations and community groups – individuals are not eligible to own the stations – operate about 800 low power stations currently broadcasting in the country, said Brandy Doyle, Policy Director of the Prometheus Radio Project, an organization of radio activists who successfully worked to repeal Congress’s decision to limit access to low power FM radio. Once the new law takes effect, the number of low power FM stations is expected to double, Doyle said. “Most low power community stations air public affairs programming that isn’t being done elsewhere on the dial,” Doyle added. “They cover school board meetings, elections, host candidate debates and report on nonprofits in ways that don’t get more than a sound bite in other local media.” For two years, Albert Knighten operated a low power FM radio station, 107.5 FM, that broadcast classic soul, gospel and news. Photo courtesy of Brian Hirten/news-press.com [caption] In other words, the stations air exactly the type of programming Knighten broadcast to the Dunbar community. But because the FCC hasn’t started taking applications yet (that is expected to begin in the fall), his station was shut down. The Ft. Myers News-Press reported that the station is the apparent victim of a political foe who did not like that the station opposed a local ballot initiative to make the police chief an elected office. Knighten said he researched getting an FCC license shortly after he retired from the Navy and returned home to Dunbar, but that red tape and cost prevented him from doing so. “I quickly learned that FCC licenses go to the highest bidder,” he said. Knighten’s station was a source that local police used to help solve crimes, while other residents turned to it to find out who would cook church dinner after Sunday services. 107.5 FM even featured a show called “Counter Strike.” Hosted by an African American conservative Muslim, the show discussed public affairs topics including politics, elections, crime, and teen pregnancy. (Knighten ran a disclaimer that the host’s views, which he described as sometimes ‘extreme,’ were his own, not necessarily that of the station). Even if they disagreed with the “Counter Strike” host, Dunbar residents still tuned in. They listened not only for opinion, but also to hear news developments that impacted their community, Knighten said. “We keyed in on local news and issues and discussed how it affected Dunbar. The local newspaper never really talks about what people were voting for,” said Knighten, known as ‘Fat Albert’ on the airwaves. One way his station made a difference, he explained, is when it came to enlightening Dunbar residents about the way city officials used federal grants. “When the (federal) government gave money to the local government, local officials would always explain how the money would help the Dunbar community, but then turn around and use the money to refurbish something in more affluent parts of town,” he said. “In other words, they used us to get the federal money, but we never received the benefit of any of it.” 107.5 FM began reporting on these discrepancies. “We started holding city and county officials more accountable to the needs of the community,” he said. “We had nothing to do with the Obama stimulus package, but we raised enough awareness about it that roads in Dunbar that had been messed up for years were suddenly fixed.” Knighten said the station was about to embark on another public service project when police, federal regulators and a detective paid him a visit before Christmas. They confiscated the transmitter, flash drives, and professional microphones, as well as other equipment totaling about $4,000 purchased with donations, he said. When low power FM radio stations resume populating airwaves across the country next year, Knighten will be ineligible to apply because there is a provision in the law against granting licenses to unlicensed broadcasters, formerly or otherwise. “Dunbar still needs a voice,” said Prometheus’ Doyle, “and we certainly hope the community finds a way to build a community radio station. “These stations are small but they meet the needs of communities and nonprofits. Groups that have been historically disenfranchised from media ownership because of barriers to entry such as cost and red tape,” she continued. Dunbar Community Radio is missed, according to the local newspaper report. One elderly woman, used to listening to the channel all day, cried when the station went off the air. It had been her connection to the rest of the community, Knighten said. Since his arrest, Knighten said he’s been receiving phone calls from people wanting to help Dunbar start another radio station. “People understand that there is a need for what we do,” he said. “The station became a source of pride for Dunbar.” Right now though, Knighten is worried about his future. “My goal was to create something positive for the community,” he said. “The last thing I need is a felony against me, for not hurting anyone” (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) This is a sad day in this country when people try to help their community but the letter of the law gets in the way of the spirit of the law to criminalize them. I personally think it is WRONG and UNETHICAL that the LPFM provisions specifically exclude individuals from getting a license, even if they are perfectly qualified and apt to run a station properly. Ever wonder why there are so many 'pirates'? There wouldn't be so many if the rules allowed for individuals to run very low power licensed community stations within *realistically* established guidelines - You don't need 100 watts to cover three and a half miles. You only need maybe 5 max with a height of 20 feet on level terrain. And on the other hand, certainly not 100 milliwatts to 'die out' over 100 feet or so. Something IN BETWEEN that. There should be an amateur broadcast band, a small chunk at one of the ends of the AM and the FM bands exclusively for low-power, licensed broadcasting with power restrictions, etc, and the allowance for individuals and very small nonprofits to obtain licenses to operate them. Many communities don't need a 100 watt FM or AM - they might only need 5 watts to do the trick (Darwin Long, Buras, LA, ibid.) Also what about communities within communities? For example in San Diego there are various local areas like Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa, etc, that are local communities, but all of them get their mail addressed to San Diego. I'm in an unincorporated community called Mt. Helix, but I get my mail to El Cajón. (I happen to be a few hundred feet from a La Mesa zip code as well.) Would there be a possible way to get the FCC to license stations to such communities? I also agree with the idea of setting aside parts of the band for low power operations. As for AM, though, I'm torn as to which end of the band I want it to be. Should it be the high end of the band, where you can use a shorter antenna and still be efficient, but your signal dies out much faster due to the more severe ground losses? Or should it be the low end (almost into the longwave spectrum, like 300 to 500 kHz or so), where you might need a larger antenna, but due to the better groundwave propagation you could use less power? As for FM I would pick something like 64 to 88 MHz, as the SiLabs chips can already tune down there and there are radios available with those chips to tune that region. Even for unlicensed operation, I would like to see the rules relaxed somewhat (stephenpianoplayer88key, ibid.) As with so many FCC things: it depends. For full-power stations, the relevant rules are loosely summed up as a "Tuck analysis." It's late and I've been spending the last couple of days at the hospital with my wife, who's recuperating from four hours of surgery yesterday, so I'll defer to Google to provide some helpful explanatory links here: http://radiomagonline.com/fcc/fcc_modifies_movein_policies_0411/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_license In a nutshell, a licensee has to demonstrate that several things exist to justify something as a "community of license" deserving of its own full-power facility - but the key issues for the San Diego-area communities you cite would be the independence of the suburban community. There's a test that came out of the "Tuck" decision in 1988 that looks at whether the "independent" community has its own separate government, its own zip code, its own phone book, its own local media, businesses using the community's name, and so on, and you have to show that a majority of those factors are met to qualify. Generally speaking, a neighborhood that's part of a larger incorporated city won't qualify - so "Kearny Mesa" doesn't work, for instance; likewise "Hollywood" (part of Los Angeles) or "Jamaica Plain" (part of Boston). Also generally speaking, any incorporated community can qualify, though there are some new rules imposed last year that come into play when a station wants to move from a community outside an urban area to a new city of license within an urbanized area. So you couldn't easily, for instance, move a station from Temécula to La Jolla, even if you could qualify La Jolla as a community for allocations purposes. And having said all that, the FCC is less restrictive when it comes to COLs for "secondary" services like translators and class D noncomm FMs and LPFMs. Because they're not considered primary service, they're not required to show any sort of minimum coverage of their communities of license...and so the FCC isn't as concerned about how those communities are designated. If you could find an LPFM frequency to serve the area around Mount Helix, the FCC doesn't much care whether you list the COL as "San Diego" or "El Cajon" or "La Mesa," as best I can tell. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) However, if a pirate runs a clean signal, responsibly airs material to their community, doesn't pump out hundreds of watts, put out a bunch of harmonics, or interfere with other licensed or unlicensed stations intentionally nor unintentionally (after all, they probably want a clean, clear channel to themselves to transmit on and be heard), they certainly don't deserve to be taking hits from the law. We have bigger problems in this country than low-powered stations while some professional broadcast groups seem to use every NAL'ed pirate - including those that are non-aggressive and innocently experimenting or trying to serve their community - as a lynching subject to jeer at publicly. There are exceptions, such as pirates that jam a licensed station with a bunch of power, and airing profanity or reckless, offensive programming - but that is normally an exception to the rule. Much of the problem stems from the FCC not offering a low-power licensing option (very low power - 1 to 10 watts) to individuals or families at a reasonable cost, or with reasonable operation parameters, allowing them to, with a required level of responsibility, program their own low-power neighborhood noncommercial radio station. Again, you don't need 100 watts to serve 3 1/2 miles. You only need 1 to 5 (or less). (Darwin Long, Buras, LA, ibid.) Regardless of how clean a pirate signal may be, the legal stations will still see it as competition and report that pirate station to the FCC so that it gets shut down. I remember reading about an FM pirate in Texas that a station engineer told the FCC about and it was shut down within 2 or 3 days. What a waste!! If the FCC ever considers allowing another round of LPFM stations to be licensed I hope that they let individuals apply for a license. If they did then I'd apply for 92.5; however Radio Locater also shows 95.1, 93.3, 99.5, 101.5 & 101.7 to be useable in the Houston area. Just give me 1000 watts on either 92.5 or 95.1 & I'd very happy. Here is a page about the pirate station bust in Austin. http://kutnews.org/post/fcc-busts-austin-pirate-radio-station And here is video of the bust. http://kaosradioaustin.org/node/32295 I remember reading about MicroKind in San Marcos getting busted a few years ago. Also there was a community pirate station in the Acres Homes area of Northwest Houston on 95.1 that was busted awhile back. Really sad (Robert M. Bratcher, Jr., ibid.) So true; but on the flipside, the commercial station invested lots of time and money for a license granting them the privilege to run tens of kilowatts. The FCC shouldn't be in the demographics and economics business (e.g. trying to determine what constitutes a 'community that needs to be served' by a station). This is America - the people will determine (just as in capitalism) what entity is serving their community, and how they would prefer it to do so. The FCC ought to strictly be in the technical regulation business (regulation of frequency allocation, technical parameters of radio/ TV/ communications station operations, specifications of electronic equipment, the censorship of GROSS profanity and indecency, regulation of the telecommunications industry, and minimization of interference within all radio-based services). That's it. When you start getting into demographics and other measurements of the U.S. population that have absolutely nothing to do with the operational side of a radio or TV facility, that's another deal altogether, and should not be the responsibility of the FCC whatsoever. I am not trying to preaching politics here - I am a Demo, so don't buy into necessarily downsizing government across the board - but the FCC is clearly being saddled with a bit too wide of a mission objective than should be the responsibility of that agency. And it's partially responsible for destroying the quality of radio. Let the people of a community decide if a radio station is what the community wants or needs - not the FCC. If the community doesn't want it, they won't listen, and the station will get that message clearly when advertisers stop paying for spots, or if it's a noncommercial license, donations stop coming in during pledge time. Simple (Darwin Long, Buras, LA, ibid.) ** U S A. OF PIRATES AND LEGALS --- I won't mention who and where, but I worked in a town where a pirate was originally operating on 1610. The owner would broadcast with a friend, and their content included music and talk, generously peppered with four-letter words and skits that wouldn't be considered family-friendly. A colleague and I tracked him down by following his negligible harmonic until it became a barn-burner of a signal on 3220 kHz. We never approached him directly, though, not knowing what kind of a person we were dealing with, especially since we felt the on-air talk sometimes sounded a bit angry. A few months later he got bolder and decided to gradually tune his transmitter downward, resting for about 15 minutes on our station's frequency, right in the middle of American Top 40. I received one complaint from an offended parent who was expecting Shadoe Stevens and getting hard rock and obscenities. We documented all of this stuff to our boss, urging him to take action; after all, on our frequency the pirate's content could make some folks think it was ours, and someone could complain to the FCC, thinking it was us. Nope, the boss decided not to even notify the Feds. He was ultimately worried that he might get an FCC visit, too, and if they found anything, he'd be worse off. Fortunately, as far as I know, throughout the rest of my tenure there the pirate didn't park on our frequency again. I met him later in a record store, and he expressed great admiration of my on-air work. I wonder if he knew about my detective trip to find his transmitter. I decided to keep my lips sealed. After all, he'd stopped transmitting altogether by then, maybe permanently, so no need to make him feel that important or embolden him further (Rick Lewis, Jan 13, ABDX via DXLD) ** URUGUAY. Uruguay SW DX news --- Hola, DX friends, Here again enjoying my vacation days in the Atlantic coast of Uruguay at Barra de Valizas, Rocha, Uruguay, as I usually do on summer every year. I am carrying my Kenwood R600, 100 m of cable as a longwire, extended in "comma" shape, for space restrictions towards Europe, and at the moment with unterminated resistor, mostly on bushes. The highlight in the SW side of my DXing here is, as for these couple of days, the log of 6074 CXA3 LV de Artigas, Uruguay. 6074, CXA3, LV de Artigas, Artigas. 1219-1234 on Jan 11. Talks by man about political issues in Uruguay, ads in long strings, with many of them of local origin, also ID as "CX118 La Voz de Artigas". Relays MW 1180. QRK 2/3. Heard also on Jan 12, always at midday hours. QSB, local QRN and mostly low signal. He grabado audio que publicaré a mi regreso. Grata sorpresa después de añares de no escucharla. -- 73 & DX de (Horacio Nigro, Barra de Valizas, Rocha, URUGUAY, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DX LISTENING DIGEST) These low-power Uruguayans tend to activate only in the local daytime if at all. In Uruguay even domestic SW outlets are DX (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) ** UZBEKISTAN. 7510, Jan 13 at 1310, open carrier with flutter. What will it become? 1319 recheck in undermodulated talk, unknown language. 1330 continues with bits of music, talk; 1358 keeps going past 1400 with no discernible ID. Uplooked later in HFCC, it`s TWR to S Asia at 13-16, 100 kW, 131 degrees from Tashkent. Aoki shows it`s really on the air from 1315 to 1615 in Hindi and a variety of Indian languages, starting with Dogri M-F at 1315-1330, Hindi Sat & Sun 1315-1430. On this Friday the next language was Hindi at 1330-1415. BTW, Aoki shows another strange entry on 7510, VOA, 316 degrees via Thailand at 1930-1945 in Croatian! Until Nov 23 and now off the air. That certainly makes no sense (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VANUATU. 3945, R. Vanuatu, 1146-1217*, Jan 12. Poor, but well above normal reception; in vernacular with variety of songs; Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers “Islands in the Stream”, etc.; 1215 Radio Vanuatu ID and list of frequencies; “Tomorrow morning half past five”; instrumental National Anthem (“Yumi, Yumi, Yumi”). MP3 audio of sign off announcement and NA posted at http://www.box.com/s/vo1fod69fn04fmp8tg1x (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN [non non]. Contrary to assertion by some downunderite that the low-power transmitter inside Vatican itself is only 3975 at certain hours, HFCC shows 3975, when used, is now 100 kW from SMG, while the 10 kW is now only on 7250: 0540-0630 at 340 degrees, and 1730-2030 at 10 degrees. On a very good night, I heard it once before 0628 when SMG takes over the frequency; preferably also when Mauritania is not yet on 7245 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN [non]. 9955, Sat Jan 14 at 1417, R. Vaticano/a in Spanish via WRMI is more or less atop pulse jamming with Xmas show, a bit outdated, with carols, 1420 greeting from R. Santa Rosa in Lima, Perú (where else?), 1422 cuts to dead air which I quit monitoring after two minutes. Checking WRMI`s Jan 1 program grid later, 1400-1430 Sat is supposed to be `En Camino` so maybe stopped since was wrong playback. RV is on the schedule only at 0500-0530 Mon, 1100-1130 Sat. VR in English is on the WRN NAm schedule daily at 0730-0745 and 1715-1730, which means it`s also on 9955 at 0730 M-F, 1715 Sat & Sun (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN [non]. 9865, Jan 18 at 1153 check, VG signal in Spanish, something about ``el reino de dios según el burro`` ?? --- so this confirms the 1130-1200 Spanish from R. Vaticano is still being relayed by Sackville, CANADA, as in latest HFCC, despite missing from WRTH 2012, and even from VR`s own schedule http://www.radiovaticana.org/spa/sched_ame.asp which shows it only on 21680 direct to region R = eastern S America (and locally on MW 1260). During slight fades could hear QRDRM noise from New Zealand on 9865- 9870-9875, which was a bigger problem when last logged in December. I notified RNZI they were causing this QRM to analog VR in its own target area (well, almost: 227 degrees to CIRAF 8, 10 and 11). HFCC says RV is in Spanish plus English, but the English used to be tacked on at 1200-1215 --- or not, as they were playing back the 45-minute Spanish broadcast of the night before (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See NETHERLANDS [non] ** VENEZUELA. ... Daniel Peralta, director del Canal Internacional de Radio Nacional de Venezuela, lo que fue para mí la más interesante presentación, ya que dió a conocer la visión del Estado venezolano sobre la onda corta y el por qué de la puesta en el desarrollo de un centro transmisor propio; de acá rescato un par cosas. Por un lado la falta del avance en la obra civil y problemas con el servicio de fluido eléctrico han producido el retraso en la instalación de equipos y antenas que ya se tienen adquiridos. Quieren tener un mayor contacto con los oyentes y diexistas por esto de su participación en el evento que en el corto y mediano plazo redundará en beneficio del contacto con los mismos (Rafael Rodríguez reporting on the Colombo-Venezuelan DX Meeting, see CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES, via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [non]. Tho making a comeback after seven months, last Sunday Jan 8, no `Aló, Presidente` frequencies from RHC to be found, not even carriers, Jan 15 at 1442: no 11690, 13680, 13750, 15370 or 17750. RHC had been putting 13750 on every Sunday with its own programming anyway. RHC still going at 1442 on 11750 an echo apart from 11760, 11840, 13670, 13780, 15230 and 15380. But other RHC frequencies normally on, were missing: 9850 and 9540. Still no A,P frequencies on air at 1603. Around 1630 I check the AP website http://www.alopresidente.gob.ve/ which says: ``"Aló, Presidente" cede su espacio al programa especial Misión Cumplida 2011. El programa "Aló, Presidente", en su emisión Nº 377, que modera el jefe de Estado, Hugo Chávez Frías, cederá su espacio, este domingo 15 de enero, a la transmisión del programa especial Misión Cumplida 2011, en el que participarán todos los Ministros. Este programa comenzará a ... [blank]`` --- so presumably RHC will not broadcast this substitute? HCF has ``ceded his space`` on Jan 15 to this ``Mission Accomplished`` show. No, at 1654, some of the AP frequencies are finally on the air: 15370 with someone else in Spanish quite undermodulated, and // 17750 just barely modulated. While normally modulated bigsig on 13750 is now on, but with music instead --- just like last Sunday when it did not manage to join the other frequencies until 1830? Still no signals on 11690 or 13680. No, at next check 1733, 13750 has joined the talk programming mixed with some music, even bits of ``New York, New York`` by Sinatra at 1735! O, at 1740 outro credits say this was a produxion of Radio Habana Cuba, so I guess they are just filling stuff instead of RNV relay (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. At daytime, due to the short distance to Venezuela, many stations are audible with good reception quality. On the 2nd of December all stations from Venezuela I could hear, were carrying a live transmission of the summit of Latin American and Caribbean States taking place in Venezuela. Long speeches were heard by President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. The WRTH indicates that in 2009, The Venezuelan authorities announced the closure of some 240 AM and FM stations for failure to comply with licensing requirements. At time of editing the WRTH 2012, these measurements have still not been carried out. Those stations known to have closed are marked in the WRTH under Venezuela with an *. Indeed, I noticed 820 Radio Guadalupana, Coro already off the air in 2009. While in 2009 I heard the also in Europe often reported 1470 CBN Valencia with good strength, now in December 2011, the station was off the air. Often in local afternoons many stations carry the same program of Radio Nacional de Venezuela and often referring to “el comandante” Hugo Chávez. Also programs or slogans of stations often refer to the government. Examples are 1070 Mundial Zulia ("Mundial Zulia revolución con impacto social de la mano con el pueblo") and 1280 Radio Trujillo ("Trujillo socialista en la calle"). While listening to stations from Venezuela you may hear the announcement of a classification of the following program, like “El siguiente programa recreativo informativo contiene elementos de lenguaje, tipo A elementos de salud tipo A, elementos sexuales tipo A, elementos de violencia tipo A y B que pueden ser escuchados por niños, niñas y adolescentes sin la supervisión de sus madres, padres, representantes o responsables”. In this case the program can be heard by children, adolescents without the supervision of parents, representatives or those who are responsible. Call signs are less often heard than in the past. Station identifications can often be heard during the programs, not especially at Venezuelan top of the hour (xx+30). Because of the many stations from Venezuela that are occupying the frequencies, hearing stations from other countries needs some more efforts. Identifying Venezuela is easy due to the local time of UT minus 4 and half hours while Colombia has UT -5 hours. Also FM reception from Venezuela is possible on the ABC islands; especially stations from Coro are heard daily. The Venezuelan Rumbera Network has its own station on Curaçao on 107.9 FM. Every time I was on the islands I hoped for Sporadic E FM reception, but I never had luck (from a much longer illustrated article, LISTENING ON CURACAU, Tuning in from a new radio country, with Max van Arnhem, January Mediumwave News via DXLD) On page 29 of latest MWN there is a report of likely closure of this station at end of 2011. Vibración was still on last night; ID heard at 0057 4th January. 73s (Steve Whitt, MW Circle yg via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. South Africa. SW Radio Africa, 4880 Meyerton. Jan 12, 2012, Thursday. 1810-1817. "The Heart of the Matter". At 1814 id "SW Radio Africa". Very good - good. Jo'burg sunset 1706. South Africa. Voice of America relay. 9885 Meyerton. Jan 12, 2012, Thursday. 0615-0618. YL talking about genocide in Rwanda, then on to the Zimbabwean constitution. Very poor, barely readable. Jo'burg sunset 1706. South Africa. Zimbabwe Community Radio (Radio Dialogue), 5890 Meyerton. Jan 13, 2012, Friday. 1620-1636. N'debele. Choir singing and OM's talking. Good, on its new frequency to replace 4895 (DX Mix News). And it will hopefully improve as sunset gets earlier by the day from now on. To Zimbabwe. Jo'burg sunset 1706 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Silent carrier 1038.5 --- Just before our transmitter on 1035 is reactivated, which may be the case tomorrow, if the repair runs as planned, could someone, please, check 1038.5 kHz? This was first observed back on 12 Nov, then 26 Dec, on 10 Jan, and yesterday, 11th, at around 2300. On 26/12, the signal went off at 2317; yesterday, 10th, they were still on at 2322. No program heard, just an empty carrier, coming from N/NE. The SINPO quality of the signal down here is typically 34433 translated into 34443--3 in the SINPFEMO code. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, 1856 UT Jan 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 1190 HET --- Last night I heard what sounded like a 40 to 60 Hz Het on 1190, with a Beverage pointing SW from Minneapolis. Has anyone heard this? (Mark Durenberger, Jan 10, NRC-AM via DXLD) Yesterday I checked via Colorado remote receiver at 0000, and there was a fairly strong carrier on 1189.97 kHz, but not strong enough for any audio. KVCU on 1190 kHz exact dropped to night power at 0001, so at least it wasn't that. Also the long time mystery carrier on 1189.85 kHz heard earlier with Latin music, it signed off at 0014. Today via Minnesota receiver at 1230 there was a third carrier on 1189.945 kHz, probably the one you meant? So at least three mysteries now clearly below nominal. Best regards, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, Jan 11, ibid.) I am still sometimes able to get weak Latin music from 1189.85 and it comes in on both the south and west antennas. This remains a mystery. Any chance that KJJI [new station in Arkansas] when testing is about 150 Hz low and running Spanish music? 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL/WI, Jan 11, ibid.) I doubt it, Neil; the guy who owns it is planning to program gospel and religious talks. He owns 1560 in Milwaukee (Paul B Walker, Jr, PA, ibid.) Could it be this? (gh) 1190, KNUV Tolleson AZ; Spanish talk, announcements Spanish/English ID “Están escuchando Onda 11-90 AM… Antonio con 5000 watios de potencia. … 11-90 AM … en internet www.onda1190am.com”; Fair peaks, 0900 24/12, personal first; thanks to Odd-Jorgen Sagdahl for the tip; also Fpks 0900 21/12 and F/G 0858 27/12 (Martin A. Hall, Clashmore, Scotland, Martin Hall, Clashmore, Sutherland. Perseus SDR, RPA-1 preamp, beverages: 550m at 338 degrees, 506m at 279 degrees, both terminated. Total Recorder, January Mediumwave News via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Audio on 1620, 13-1: On my site at http://zlgr.multiply.com/journal/item/418 I have posted an 11 minute audio from a Spanish language station on 1620 kHz at 0449-0501. If someone can identify this station, please let me know! (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, Jan 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Zach, Wish you had recorded a little longer past 0501 as they might have talked some more with clues. Just before the end, they do mention ``un nuevo dia`` indicating it`s midnight local time, i.e. UT -5 zone, i.e. most likely Cuba. Two R. Rebelde outlets are listed there, but I did not recognize it as Rebelde for sure. You should have tried // to 5025. The music is rather like what you hear on 5025 that time of night. Did you get any other replies? 73, (Glenn to Zach, via DXLD) 3 more replies indicating Rebelde, one with link to a youtube video Thanks! An extremely rare catch (Zacharias Liangas, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Hi Zacharias, the voices on the record have Cuban accent (Spanish); usually I hear on this frequency Radio Rebelde (Cuba) and Radio Martí from Miami (USA) both at same time, same frequency because political matter. In your recording a female sends a message maybe to relatives on the island, also music, etc. 73 and Good DX (José Luis de Vicente T. - HK3ORT, Colombia, playdx yg via DXLD) If R. Martí were really on 1620, that would be a relay by WDHP in the USVI (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Things that go Beep in the Night / Weirdness: 2800, 3000, 3075, 3450 kHz - UNID "Dash" 0348 UT 1/11/2012 - One second long dashes spaced about 5 seconds apart with fading, also reported on the west coast at the same time, ruling out any local noise sources. Ended at 0251 UT. Returned at 0355 but shifted frequencies: 2325, 2725, 2925, 3050, 3150, 5475. Doesn't fit the characteristic of a "pirate beacon". Not heard in Europe when checking remote receivers (Tim Tromp, Muskegon MI, MARE Tipsheet Jan 13, via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 5980, Jan 14 at 2211, open carrier on and off briefly, as I was checking weaker 5985 signal with choral music, English, which turned out to be only WYFR aimed south. 5980 could be Turkey running over past 2200, or BBC Oman tuning up for 2300 broadcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 7200, Jan 13 at 0533, weak Horn of Africa music, and a SAH between two stations, presumably Sudan and Ethiopia and/or Eritrea. I`ve been fooled before with seeming `HoA` music coming from Sudan, or services to Sudan (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED [and non]. 9585v, Jan 12 at 1525 I am hearing a lo but audible het between two weak stations, one of them off-frequency. Before I could decide which side, the het went off at 1526:10* while the other continued on 9585.0, talk in unID language. Checking WRTH, EiBi, Aoki and HFCC, the one going off would have been TWR SWAZILAND in Malagasy as scheduled until 1525 (except French on Saturdays), and well-known to be a frequency-misser; but nothing else is scheduled during this hour on 9585 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 9690, 15 jan 2012 2215-2245: This station played Afro- pop music. First noted at 2215; suddenly disappeared at 2245. Didn't notice if there were any voice announcements. Nigeria?? No matches in the usual databases. QRM with Family Radio in English. I tuned in again today - Jan. 16 - to 9690 kHz. At 2159 Family Radio came on the air, in English. But no sign of the unID station heard yesterday. As I type this it is 2218. (Bruce Fisher, Lexington MA, Palstar R30CC, 70 ft. longwire), dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Bruce, This peculiar scheduling smax of Cyprus BC, which is 2215-2245 on Fri/Sat/Sun only on 6135, 7220, 9760. Any chance the music was more like Greek/Cypriot? Maybe on 9690 by mistake instead of 9760. To be checked out next weekend if still unheard the rest of this week (Glenn Hauser, Jan 16, ibid.) Glenn, Thanks for the info about Cyprus BC. It's impressive that you know these schedules. I'll make a note to check again this weekend hopefully. The music was more Afro-pop than Greek style, tho (Bruce Fisher, ibid.) Bruce, If you search the entire HFCC file on 2215 2245, you only get the three hits on Cyprus, which is what I meant by peculiar. Of course there would be hundreds of hits if searching on a more conventional time span. And you first noted it at 2215, but 9690 might really have been on earlier? (Glenn, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 15335 14/Jan 1722, seems to be in Arabic. OM speak emphatically. Strong QRM from R Martí on 15330. At 1728 Another OM talks, at 1729 which seems to be a religious hymn. On a remote radio in South Africa I hear with a regular signal. At 1737 gospel music or pop music? Signal improving. Nothing in Aoki, Eibi, HFCC. Constant cuts in the modulation, typical of the transmissions of CVC(??). 1745, follows the sequence of music. 1746, in remote radio signal is degrading. At 1749 OM talk in English with ID, but I did not understand. I hear talk about God and Jesus. The 1750 OM with religious sermon in English. Recorded on my blog. Still in the air, 1813, with very weak signal, YL Talk (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, Degen 1103 - All listening in mode of filter Narrow the 6 kHz. Dipole antenna, 16 meters - east/west. Escutas (listening, my blog): http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006 dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Dxers, Jorge, The language spoken here is not Arabic, it is pretty close to horn of Africa, my guess it is Somali. They gave a URL but as the recording is a bit low I can't get it. Best regards (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, 1854 UT Jan 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thank you, Tarek. The signal was with strong QRM from R Martí in 15330. Near the end they disclose the ID in English, but I do not understand. I also heard on a radio remote in South Africa, with better signal. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006/12047812/ 73 (Jorge Freitas, ibid.) Jorge, I can make out some of the English. Address is mail@biblevoice.org ``...Borders, East African Radio Outreach``... It looks like this matches the schedule for 13810 via Issoudun at: http://www.biblevoice.org/listings/east-africa But most of their broadcasts are via Germany, so could be one of those sites too. Your clips are very low audio level. Can`t you record them or encode them louder? We have to use headphones and increase the volume as much as possible. Ipernity is also annoying in that when you try to back up the clip to hear again, the volume also is turned down. 73, (Glenn, ibid.) Thank you, Glenn, I'm trying to see if I improve the audio. I avoid doing audio editing. I'll see if I record with highest signal (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana BA - Brasil , ibid.) Maybe a propagation test of A-12 summer season frequency, from March 30? 15335 1600-1830 38S,39S,47,48 ISS 100kW 131deg F MBR B9--code ! similar code seen on 13810 kHz entry in B-11: 13810 1630-1800 38S,39S,47,48 ISS 100 131 vy73 de wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) 15335, 15/Jan 1650, FRANCE, Bible Voice, (PRESUMED) in Somali(???). OM talk, At 1652 Somali(?) gospel music. QRM from 15330 R Martí. Still on the air, at 1658. 23432 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, ibid.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACKNOWLEDGED ON WORLD OF RADIO 1600: Glenn, I wish I could give you more money. Our 5 month old, now 3 and a half years old, listens to your show because it`s some of the only good talking around. Bill and Judy liked too (Fred Jodry, New Rochelle NY, with an MO to P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702) TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED ON SUBSEQUENT PROGRAMS: Thanks to a check in the mail marked ``confidential`` with a postit ``Keep up the great work``, to P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702 Thanks to Jack Smith, Newport NC, for an MO in the mail to P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702. Hi Glenn: Thanks for another year of WOR - a great source of info! All the best for 2012! Regards, (Mike Beu, KD5DSQ, Austin, Texas, with a contribution via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com) Thanks for a contribution from Chuck Ermatinger, MO (gh) Hi, Glenn, Been quite a while! About 20+ years since I last contacted you with SW news; from Minneapolis, I believe. The first time I called you was for my logging of Radio Grønlands on 3999 kHz, which had been reactivated. I think that was 1985 or 86' via the old fashioned way, telephone! I'm usually in the wrong place at the right time to listen to WOR via SW like I used to. So, I just go to your website; much more convenient for me. I've also donated to WOR via PayPal. Keep up the good work, Glenn! (Terry Palmersheim, KT7DX, Helena, MT 59602) Thanks for the weekly show which I used to listen to on WRN but now usually via your webstream (Andrew Rogers, Worcester, England, with a contribution in US$ via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com) Oh Man! You been out here forever, God Bless Ya :) I love your QSLs & please know I did sign it. You are so beautiful with this subject. I really hope they keep it on! All blessings, (Robin Springer, San Francisco, CA USA, Jan 16) Referring to Bulgarian petition, I assume Hi Glenn, Greetings again from Guatemala. A Happy and Healthy New Year for you and family. Congratulations for your show 1600; I consider World of Radio a sort of “foundation of stone” to all of us the SWLs around the world. 73, (Julio Pineda, Icom IC-R71A, Alpha Delta DX SWL sloper) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ DSWCI - Latest issues of SWN and DXW for free download The homepage of the Danish Shortwave Club International http://www.dswci.org has been updated as follows: A present to our not-yet-members: The latest issues of Shortwave News (January 2012) and DX Window (No. 445) can be downloaded for free as sample issues at: http://www.dswci.org/try Best 73 (Rolf Wernli, Danish Shortwave Club International) or these direct links : SWN Jan 2012 http://www.dswci.org/try/swn/201201/index.html DXW 445 http://www.dswci.org/try/dxw/dxw445.pdf (via Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, dxldyg via DXLD) FREE RADIO NORTH AMERICA forum An invitation to the free radio community: Free Radio North America is a forum for the discussion of free radio, focusing on but not limited to unlicensed broadcasting in the high frequency (shortwave) spectrum. Other related topics of general interest to the North American free radio community are welcome. This is designed to be a place where people can feel free to post reception reports of any type they feel might be useful to share. http://groups.google.com/groups/free-radio-north-america (From Larry Will, Free Radio Weekly Jan 14 via DXLD) Got a 404 on Jan 18; due to special observances? (gh, DXLD) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ ROMANIAN WITHOUT TEARS This DXLD sexion seldom deals literally with real broadcast language lessons, but these are, and also available with visual aids, episodes to hear on demand: http://www.rri.ro/cat.shtml?lang=1&sec=592 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DX-PEDITIONS ++++++++++++ JANUARY 7, 2012 CMMC DXPEDITION - CHATHAM, CAPE COD, MA Bruce Conti has posted the report of last week's DXpedition at Weather cooperated for the group and DX conditions weren't too bad either (Mark Connelly, WA1ION, Jan 13, NRC-AM via DXLD) I like how you added mannequins to make it seem like you were a crowd (Jim Renfrew, ibid.) Oh, yeah baby! That female in the Navy uniform was smokin'! (Marc DeLorenzo, South Dennis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts., ibid.) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ RESEÑA II ENCUENTRO DIEXISTA COLOMBO VENEZOLANO, SAN CRISTÓBAL, VENEZUELA Hola Colegas, En mi blog he publicado una nueva entrada, la primera de este año 2012; corresponde a una reseña sobre el II encuentro diexista colombo venezolano, en el cual tuve la oportunidad de participar y el cual quiero compartir a todos. http://dxdesdecolom bia.blogspot.com/2012/01/ii-encuentro-diexista-colombo.html Buenos DX (Rafael Rodríguez R., Bogotá D.C. - COLOMBIA, Jan 13, condiglist yg via DXLD) WINTERFEST 2012, JAN 28, near St Louis MO Your Editor-in-Chief is inviting all IRCA members in the Midwest to Winterfest 2012, sponsored by the St. Louis and Suburban Radio Club. The hamfest will take place on Saturday, January 28 at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville, IL (you may use the IL 157 exit of I-55/70 or the Horseshoe Lake Road exit off I-255). Hamfests are generally great places to find good deals on new and used receivers, materials for an antenna project, or other radio-related needs. Information can be found at http://www.slsrc.org (Eric Bueneman, IRCA DX Monitor Jan 21 via DXLD) 25TH (!) WINTER SWL FESTIVAL, MARCH 1-3, PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA The 25th (!) Annual Winter SWL Festival will be March 1st - 3rd in Plymouth Meeting, PA. We've updated the Fest website to facilitate online registration for the Fest along with a link to hotel reservations at the hotel; see below for the link. You might know the Fest as "Kulpsville", but this will be our second year at a new location, just 10 miles away in the Philadelphia suburb of Plymouth Meeting. Information on past Fests is also available at the Fest website, if you aren't familiar with the events that take place over that weekend. We hope to see many of you there! Best regards, (Richard Cuff, John Figliozzi, Co-chairs, http://www.swlfest.com Jan 16, Swprograms mailing list via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) SWL Fest website now fully live You can now register for the Fest online, and you can also reserve your hotel room as well, or you can print out a registration form and mail it in, if you're "old school". This year we'll be having 3 days of forums, hospitality, and plenty of opportunities to "sit around and just talk radio"! For more details, check out the registration form in the back of the January NASWA Journal, or visit the Fest website at http://www.swlfest.com Hope to see many NASWA members there! (Richard Cuff, John Figliozzi, Co-chairs, NASWA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM See ARGENTINA; BULGARIA; GUIANA FRENCH; ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INDIA; ITALY; NETHERLANDS [non]; NEW ZEALAND; PAPUA NEW GUINEA; RUSSIA; SAUDI ARABIA; VATICAN [non] DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- IBOC +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WHO and IBOC Gang, I can, for the first time in I am not sure how long, hear stations on either side of WHO [1040 Des Moines IA]. I stayed away from them for a long time as the IBOC splatter was so bad. Am I hallucinating or did they turn off IBOC. I had a huge discussion about IBOC with Van Hardin of WHO a couple of years ago. He was all for it and I could not talk him out of it. I no longer hear the ads for HDRadio on WHO (Stephen Hawkins NG0G, ng0g @ mchsi.com 73 49 111 01001001, 16 Jan, IRCA via DXLD) And guess what, Steve, for the 4th night in a row, KFAB [1110 Omaha NE] has ITS IBOC off, too!? Can stations be getting the hint?? Is the fire starting to spread?? Maybe WLW [700 OH] and KOA [850 CO] will be the next ones to ditch it?? *crosses fingers and hopes* 73, (Rick Dau, South Omaha, Nebraska, Jan 16, ibid.) IBOC came back on KFAB but not WHO so far (gh) Steve, KEX 1190 [Portland] has had theirs off too. It has been off at least a week now. There is hope (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) Gang, I am almost ready to celebrate. I am listening again to make sure it was not a fluke. I can hear 1050 CHUM "TSN 1050 Toronto" and on 1030 WBZ in Boston. Under 1050 I can hear a faint Spanish. When WHO had their IBOC on I could hear nothing on either of these frequencies but IBOC hiss. Yaaaaaaaaaahooooooo! (Stephen Hawkins, NG0G 1135 UT 18 Jan, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DTV See CANADA [and non]; PORTUGAL ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ NPR LAUNCHES "CONNECTED CAR" MOBILE APP FOR FORDS Ford dashboard [caption] Imagine yourself traveling out of state, but still able to hear KGOU on a car audio system. It's no longer merely a dream for the future: NPR has become the first major news organization to integrate its content, along with audio streams of local stations, into an emerging fleet of Internet-enabled cars. NPR has collaborated with Ford Motor Company on a new mobile application that will enable drivers to listen to public radio stations and programs via a voice-controlled mobile device in the dashboard of new Ford automobiles. NPR CEO Gary Knell and Ford executives made the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas. MotorTrend magazine has a write-up, http://wot.motortrend.com/2012-ces-npr-launches-ford-sync-applink-news-app-first-for-major-news-outlet-155847.html as well as NPR.org's blog The Two-Way. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/01/10/144931528/news-from-ces-some-ford-vehicles-will-give-drivers-voice-control-of-nprs-app See how it works in this video demonstration. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GAdY_uFY70&feature=youtu.be (KGOU e-Newsletter - The future is here! Jan 12 via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ STAR POWER --- What we don’t know about the sun may kill us --- or erase our iPods. By Gregg Easterbrook NASA/solar dynamics observatory/Getty Images [caption] This past fall, solar flares --- large jolts of energy from the sun -- - were forecast to interrupt communication and GPS devices. Nothing happened. In 2006, U.S. government researchers predicted that the next cycle of sunspots, the magnetic regions on the sun that appear as dark spots, would be as much as 50 percent stronger than the previous one, citing a “newly developed [computer] model” boasting “more than 98 percent accuracy.” Instead, that sunspot cycle, in progress now, is on track to be the weakest in nearly a century. Recently, a scientist told CNN that storms on the sun could “bring down satellites … interrupt our power grid,” and cause “trillions of dollars” in damage. Perhaps, but the ponies may be a better wager. And here’s a really scary prediction to worry about: London’s Telegraph newspaper warned in 2010 that solar activity could erase your iPod! . . . http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/01/star-power/8855/ (via Gerald T Pollard, NC, DXLD) Czech Propagation Interested Group Bulletin 110115 [sic means 120115?] Solar activity will remain about present level until first third of February, followed by enhancement about mid of February. Geomagnetic field will be quiet on January 18 - 21, 28, 31 and February 1 and 10, mostly quiet on January 22 - 24 and February 4, quiet to unsettled on January 15, 25 - 27, 30, February 3 - 7 and 9, quiet to active on January 17, 29 and February 8, from quiet to minor storm levels on Feb 2. High probability of changes in solar wind which may caused changes in magnetosphere and ionosphere is expected about January 15, 17 - 18, 20, 21, 25, 30 and February 2 and 6. Shortwave propagation conditions will mostly remain on present level, improvement in positive storm phase is possible about February 2, followed by worse irregular development. Higher MUF values are expected after January 20 and especially in second half of February. F. K. Janda, OK1HH, Czech Propagation Interested Group e-mail: ok1hh(at)rsys.cz (via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) Geomagnetic field activity was at mostly quiet levels during 09 - 12 January. Activity increased to quiet to unsettled levels on 13 January due to a coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS). Field activity decreased to quiet levels on 14 - 15 January. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 18 JANUARY-13 FEBRUARY 2012 Solar activity is expected to be at low levels with a chance for isolated M-class activity from Region 1401, 1402 (N27, L=215, class/area Dho/270 on 15 January) and old Region 1389 (S23, L=087), which is expected to return to the visible disk on 21 January. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal flux levels during 18 January - 03 February. Normal to moderate levels are expected from 04 - 07 February following a CH HSS. Normal levels are expected for the remainder of the period. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be quiet on 18 January. Conditions are expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels with a chance for isolated active periods on 19 - 20 January due to a CME observed early on 16 January. Mostly quiet conditions are expected to return from 21 January - 01 February. Quiet to unsettled conditions are expected from 02 - 04 February due to a recurrent CH HSS. Predominately quiet conditions are expected from 05 - 08 February. A second CH HSS is expected to become geoeffective on 09 February bringing quiet to unsettled conditions. Mostly quiet conditions are expected on 10 - 11 February before becoming quiet to unsettled for the duration of the period due to a third CH HSS. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2012 Jan 17 1552 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 2012-01-17 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2012 Jan 18 150 5 2 2012 Jan 19 155 6 2 2012 Jan 20 155 8 3 2012 Jan 21 155 5 2 2012 Jan 22 160 5 2 2012 Jan 23 160 5 2 2012 Jan 24 160 5 2 2012 Jan 25 165 5 2 2012 Jan 26 165 5 2 2012 Jan 27 165 5 2 2012 Jan 28 160 5 2 2012 Jan 29 155 5 2 2012 Jan 30 150 5 2 2012 Jan 31 145 5 2 2012 Feb 01 145 5 2 2012 Feb 02 145 6 2 2012 Feb 03 145 6 2 2012 Feb 04 140 6 2 2012 Feb 05 140 5 2 2012 Feb 06 140 5 2 2012 Feb 07 140 5 2 2012 Feb 08 140 5 2 2012 Feb 09 145 8 3 2012 Feb 10 150 5 2 2012 Feb 11 155 5 2 2012 Feb 12 155 8 3 2012 Feb 13 155 8 3 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1600, DXLD) ###