DX LISTENING DIGEST 12-15, April 11, 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 2012 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html For restrixions and searchable 2011 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid1.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 1612 HEADLINES: *DX and station news about: Australia, Belarus, Belgium non, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Cyprus, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, International Waters non, Kuwait, Mali, Nigeria, North America, Pakistan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tibet non, Turkey, USA, Vatican, Western Sahara non, Zimbabwe non SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1612, April 12-18, 2012 Thu 0330 WRMI 9955 Thu 2100 WTWW 9479 [confirmed] Fri 0329v WWRB 5050 Sat 0130v WBCQ 5110v-CUSB Area 51 [nominal time now; confirmed 0133] Sat 0800 WRMI 9955 Sat 1500 WRMI 9955 Sat 1730 WRMI 9955 Sun 0400 WTWW 5755 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1530 WRMI 9955 Sun 1730 WRMI 9955 Mon 0500 WRMI 9955 Mon 1130 WRMI 9955 Tue 0930 HLR 5980 Hamburger Lokal Radio Thu 0330 WRMI 9955 [or maybe 1613 if ready in time] 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://www.wrn.org/listeners/#world-of-radio WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/customize-panel/addToPlaylist/98/09:00:00UTC/English OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org DAY-BY-DAY ARCHIVE OF GLENN HAUSER`S LOG REPORTS: Unedited, uncondensed, unchanged from original version, many of them too complex, minutely researched, multi-frequency, opinionated, inconsequential, off-topic, or lengthy for some log editors to manage; and also ahead of their availability in these weekly issues: http://www.hard-core-dx.com/index.php?topic=Hauser 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/ ** ARGENTINA. 15345, RAE, 2202 29/3 with ID carousel in many langs, S4, 24422 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki Greece, Standard rig : ICOM R75 / 2x16 V, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA. 1350, Observing the schedules of VOR, TWR, VOA I think in Gavar Armenia there are 2 new transmitters. In 2010 they used 3 x 1000 KW and 1 x 150 and now 4 x 1000 and 1 x 500 on the frequencies 864 / 1350, 1350, 1314, 1377, 1395 kHz (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria,, April 9 wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) see also GEORGIA etc. ** ARMENIA. New schedule of Brother Stair TOM via Yerevan from April 6 0702-1002 on 15750 ERV 300 kW / 192 deg EaAf Sat from Apr 7, confirmed 1602-1702 NF 15425 ERV 300 kW / 125 deg SEAs, ex 1202-1402 on 15650 1802-2202 NF 9400 ERV 100 kW / 305 deg WeEu, ex 1902-2102 on 9465 [deleted:] 1502-1702 on 11590 ERV 100 kW / 305 deg WeEu, till Apr 2 and cancelled 1802-2202 on 7590 ERV 300 kW / 192 deg EaAf Sat not confirmed & deleted. All frequencies are not registered in HFCC database. 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, 1149 UT April 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) USA [non] 9400. The Overcomer Ministry with Brother Stair was heard 4 April and today 8 April in progress around 2030 tune-in each day (I didn't check 5-7 April) on unlisted 9400. Not shown yet in AOKI/EiBi or HFCC. However, between 4 April and today, the http://www.overcomerministry.org/ site has been updated to show TOM from 1800-2200 to Europe on 9490. No indication of which site though (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, April 8, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) TOM Website shows still 9400 kHz, logged also still on 9400 kHz tonight, on S=9+10 to +25dB level on various countries here in Europe. I assume Brothe Roar rent time on Spaceline Ltd. in Gavar transmitter site. All these frequencies on TOM website mentioned already belonging to Gavar Armenia site, by Bulgarien Ivo Ivanov recently. 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, April 8, ibid.) ** AUSTRALIA. VL8K: 2485 kHz, 1130 UT --- Good signal into Central Iowa this morning, with pop music and the familiar Radio Australia news bulletin music at the bottom of the hour. Stories included reports from Syria and a reporter in Port Moresby. More pop music after the news, including Creem's Free. Signal quickly faded as the sun began to appear over the horizon. By comparison with the other Australian domestic shortwave transmitters, There was no trace of VL8A on 2310, while VL8T on 2325 was extremely faint. Definitely parallel to 2485 though. SIO 434 (Tim Bowman, Receiver: JRC NRD-525, Antenna: 65' sloping long wire, April 10, Cumbre dx via DXLD) VL8K, 2485 kHz, April 12, 2012 at 1130 UTC SIO 455 --- As you have probably guessed by now, I check for the VL8 Australian domestic stations just about every local AM. This morning, I was rewarded with a beautiful signal coming out of the Northern Territory from VL8K on 2485. No straining to make out bits of intelligible dialog here, this was not only audible but enjoyable, pulling an S7 on the signal meter of the JRC. What better way to celebrate Glenn Hauser's birthday? News at the bottom of the hour from a female announcer who sounds a lot like the woman on the Asia-Pacific service of Radio Australia, but definitely not parallel to 9580. Weather followed afterwards, and wrapped up with a request for the Beach Boy's Good Vibrations. Apparently the announcer bought a cassette with this song on it when she visited America some years ago, although she admitted she no longer has a tape player. Next came a male DJ with program of animal songs, including a song about cow liberation and revolution, and the Kinks Ape Man. The signal had degraded substantially by 1210 UTC, but I could still make out the Beatles Hey Bulldog without any problem. By 1230 they'd disappeared into the static. I won't bother to report these again as they are becoming rather 'garden variety', but if you live in the Midwest US, you owe it to yourself to try and tune in (Tim Rahto/Bowman, JRC NRD-525, 65' end- fed sloping long wire, April 12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 15340, April 7 at 1507, S. Asian music, no doubt HCJB Kununurra, long path? Now scheduled 1145-1530, and blocked by RHC at 1300-1500. At least Morocco is sticking to 15349.1v avoiding both of them. HFCC uncharacteristically shows all the language details for HCJB: 1500-1515 on Saturdays it`s Nepali, but all other days in English, as well as every day at 1515-1530*, 100 kW, 307 degrees. No English on 15340 before 1300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BAHRAIN. 9745, Radio Bahrain, 0010-0025, carrier + USB. Arabic talk. Local Middle-Eastern style music. Weak, but readable. April 7 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** BANGLADESH [and non]. CHINA/BANGLADESH, 4750, Two stations hit each other at 1415 UT April 10. Chinese CNR1 Hailar eastern China on even frequency. Little stronger S=9+5dB heard on SDR network at Nagoya-JPN. But UNDERNEATH muslim like sung of Radio Bangladesh Betar from Shavar, logged at 1420 UT April 10, in Bengali language on ODD 4749.989 kHz, poor S=6 level (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) ** BELARUS. Radiostation Belarus: [external service] 1100-2300: 11730 Kolodishchi 150 kW-246 degrees. 1705-2300: 7255 Kolodishchi 250 kW-252 deg. 1600-1800: 1170 Sosnovy 700 kW-244 deg Belarusian Radio: [domestic relay] 0400-0700: 11930 Kolodishchi 250 kW-72 deg. 0400-0700: 1170 Sosnovy 700 kW 64 deg. 1500-1700: 7255 Kolodishchi 250 kW-72 deg. 1500-2100: 6080 Kolodishchi 150 kW-127 deg. (Alexander Mazgo, Belarus, Rus DX via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) English 20-22 except 2000-2020 Sundays in Spanish (EiBi via DXLD) ** BELARUS [non]. 6005, 3/4 0630, Radio Belarus, via Kall, Germany, German program, news, then Belarussian songs, weak/fair fading (Giampiero Bernardini, in Bocca di Magra, Italy, with Dario Monferini, Few images on http://radiodxsw.blogspot.it/ dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELGIUM [non]. 17870-17875-17880, April 8 at 2001, DRM is now here ex-17750-17755-17760 for `The Disco Palace`, via GUIANA FRENCH, due to RHC moving strong AM signal onto 17750 last Sunday, as I also suggested to Ludo Maes he move away to avoid Spain on 17755 as well (Sat & Sun only during this hour). Arnie Coro, the bully, has a record of forcing others to compensate for his mistakes, and now without lifting a finger, RHC also benefits from escaping the QRDRM. See COSTA RICA; CUBA (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BHUTAN. UNIDENTIFIED. 6035.04, UNID, 1817, April 9, seemed westernized ballads with possibly a SE Asian flavour. Frequency was clear but signal much too poor to be more specific. Did not notice any announcements, still there at 1943 tune-out, no drift. Anyone else hearing this? (Martien Groot, Schoorl, Netherlands (TenTec RX340, 25m. longwire) dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Normally Bhutan don't transmit that long but now at 11 UT I see BBS is back on 6035 kHz with cochannel interference and noisy audio - seems bad modulation, and signal seems the 50 kW transmitter running in 35 kW or so low power (Partha Sarathi Goswami Siliguri, West Bengal, India, April 10, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, ibid.) At remote receiver unit in Nagoya Japan I see a carrier on the browser on 6035.039 kHz next to PBS Yunnan in Vietnamese on even 6035 kHz, at 1132 UT April 10. 73 wb df5sx (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) 6035.04, Bhutan BS, Thimpu, 1755, April 10, non-stop songs again but overall reception definitely better than yesterday. Must be very recent reactivation, presumably some kind of test? Frequency is exactly the same as the one they were on last December. Tnx to Mauno Ritola for helping to ID this (Martien Groot, Schoorl, Netherlands, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Pretty strong here // to live streaming at http://www.bbs.bt/news/radio-wan.html (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, 1858 UT, ibid.) Thanks to Martien's (DXLD) tip, Bhutan 6035 coming in weak/fair and // to web stream for perhaps last 3/4 hour with local music. Excellent, after years never had them on this frequency. Recording at moment will post clip. Thanks also to Noel for local "Heads up" Much better in AM than trying with SSB (Mark Davies, Anglesey, Wales, 2021 UT April 10, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, ibid.) Also a weak signal on 6035.004 kHz at 2030. Is that a spurious of some other station? Too early for LV del Guaviare. 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, ibid.) Maybe Bhutan checks its faulty tx NOW 24 hrs on air! Exact frequency at 2130 UT is 6035.040; is your keyboard slip? Bhutan was 6035.039 at noon. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, ibid.) No, I said "also" meaning that there was another carrier/station nearer to nominal. It had disappeared after 2130, so probably a spur from Europe. Bhutan yesterday as you say, today a bit higher, on 6035.043-4 kHz. 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, April 11, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BBS English transmission 15~16 UT 6035 kHz now English music with phone-in program - just ended "Love Me" by Justin Bieber -- Thanks & Regards, (Partha Sarathi Goswami, Siliguri, Dist. Darjeeling, West Bengal, INDIA, April 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6035, Bhutan Broadcasting Service coming in now and parallel to web stream as below http://www.bbs.bt/news/radio-wan.html (Mark Davies, Anglesey, 1909 UT Apr 11, BDXC-UK yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) Tonight again // webstream, much more noise tonight (Mark Davies, Wales, Ynys Mon, 2022 April 11, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BBS is back on 6035 kHz: Observed Bhutan Broadcasting Service had been back on air for the first time in many weeks on its usual shortwave frequency during my aircheck on 6035 kHz from 0544 to 0600 UT on April 10th. There was English songs with a host introducing the songs, etc., closing announcements plus music, then announcements about a new language service transmission beginning around 0600. The signal strength was satisfactory and overall reception was good no QRM as such observed. The two audio files that I recorded around 0547 & 0557 will be forwarded later. And later in the afternoon, BBS English was also heard with News, public announcements & English songs on air on 6035 kHz from 0805 onwards up to 0817 UT or so as per my monitoring. 73 & 55 Gautam Kumar Sharma(GK), Abhayapuri, Assam, India (via Alokesh Gupta, dx_sasia yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) Bhutan was on AIR last night 2130+ UT, 6035 // to their web stream; at 2230 they were off air. Thanks & Regards, (Partha Sarathi Goswami, Siliguri, Dist. Darjeeling, West Bengal, INDIA, April 11, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) At 2310 UT April 11 on 6035.046 kHz. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** BOLIVIA. 6134.8, 2/4 0002 Radio Santa Cruz, Bolivia, sport, weak. Better on 5/4 at 0030 with talks & songs (Giampiero Bernardini, in Bocca di Magra, Italy, with Dario Monferini, Few images on http://radiodxsw.blogspot.it/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 4879.22v, Rádio Roraima, 0310-0357*, Portuguese pop music. Portuguese announcements. ID. Sign off with National Anthem. Poor to fair in thunderstorm static. Still with a wobbly, unstable signal and slightly distorted. Varying between 4879.19-4879.25. April 7 (Brian Alexander, PA, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX Listening Digest) 4879.8, heard on 9 (as S2 only at 0350) and 10/4 (as S7 on 0305 and 0355) with music but on 10/4 they signed off at 0358 with national hymn. Partial ID heard as Roraima Brazil so can I suppose R difusora? (ex 4875.6 as I found in DBS 7??) as the timing is the same??? (Zacharias Liangs, Greece, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Caros amigos, Seguem os dados das últimas confirmações recebidas: 4855 [sic] - Rádio Clube do Pará - Belém/PA - B - Recebido carta de agradecimento, cartões postais, flâmula e broche comemorativo dos 80 anos da emissora. 37 dias. V/S: Camilo Centeno (Diretor Geral). QTH: Avenida Almirante Barroso 2190, Belém/PA, CEP 66095-000 O broche enviado pela Rádio Clube do Pará, apesar de singelo é um dos brindes mais bonitos que já recebi de uma emissor. As imagens das confirmações estarão disponíveis em breve em meu blog. 73 (Ivan Dias Jr. - Sorocaba/SP, http://ivandias.wordpress.com radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 6120, Super Rádio Deus é Amor, 0720-0735, Portuguese preacher. Portuguese inspirational music. Announcements. Sound effects. Weak. Better on // 6059.98, 9564.97, 11764.98. April 8 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** BRAZIL. Mercoledì 4 aprile 2012: 0735!!! - 11765 kHz, SRDA - Curitiba (Brasile), Portoghese, sermone OM. Segnale sufficiente- insufficiente 0741!!! - 11815 kHz, RADIO BRASIL CENTRAL - Goiânia, Canzone melodica YL e annunci OM. Segnale buono!!!-insufficiente Giovedì 5 aprile 2012: 0610 - 9819.5 kHz, RADIO 9 DE JULHO - São Paulo (Brasile), Portoghese, tk OM e mx religiosa. Segnale sufficiente-insufficiente, Sync-U PL-660 agganciata! 0614 - 9675 kHz, R. CANÇÃO NOVA - Cachoeira Paulista (Brasile) Portoghese, Rosario. Segnale buono-sufficiente 0616 - 9665 kHz, VOZ MISSIONARIA - Camboriú (Brasile), Portoghese, sermone cantato. Segnale sufficiente-insufficiente (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 9674.990, Canção Nova, Cachoeira Paulista SP in Portuguese very weak. But Rádio Bandeirantes on 11925.053 kHz fair S=4-5 signal. At 0623 UT on April 6th. 9819.552, Very odd signal. Radio (9) Nove de Julho, São Paulo, SP, Rádio Católica, in Portuguese, 0255 UT Apr 10, S=7-8 fair. 9565.051, Super R Deus é Amor, Curitiba PR, fluttery Portuguese sermon, noted at 0247 UT Apr 10, fair S=8-9 fluttery. Interference by BBC Zyyi Cyprus in Persian on even 9565 kHz. 11764.969, Super R Deus é Amor, Curitiba PR, Portuguese language sermon, weak S=7 signal. 0310 UT April 10 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC- DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 9820, tentative Radio 9 de Julho, 0025 carrier noted, 0026 male speaker, 0030 sounded like sign-on announcements, 0031 sounding like religious programming, quite sure was Portuguese. Poor, carrier was good but audio was low and muffled. Apr 6 (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening lakeside from my car with 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) Quite a strange time to be signing on. Was it really on the low side? Some of Harold`s logs do show split frequencies one digit after the decimal (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 9819.7, April 9 at 0547, music, very poor signal with fading, but presumed R. 9 de Julho on its characteristic off-frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 11780, RN da Amazônia with Portuguese IDs as "Madrugada Nacional" and up-beat vocal and instrumental music (is that the programme name?) including a snippet of "Tequila". VERY peppy! Transmitter cut out at :15 for a bit more than a minute, and then again at :17 for 30 seconds or so -- again at :18 for a minute or so, and then back for a while. Into News at :25 with many mentions of Brasília and 'rádio nacional' and then cut out again (for several minutes) at :32. I gave up at :35 and they were still off the air at that point -- they must be having issues! 454+44 0310-0332 31/Mar (Kenneth Vito Zichi, MI, MARE Tipsheet April 6 via DXLD) That was probably intentional closedown time on a non-UT Sunday (gh, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 15190, Radio Inconfidencia, Belo Horizonte, 0658-0720, 05- 04, male, Portuguese, identification: "Onda Media, 880 kHz, ondas curtas 49 metros, 6010 kHz, ondas curtas 19 metros, 15190 kHz, Rede Inconfidência de Rádio, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil", "Bom dia, são 4 horas, Trem Caipira, Trem Caipira, com Múcio Bolívar". 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Lugo, Sony ICF SW 7600 G, cable antenna, 10 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Live-blogging of the CBC Town Hall on Wednesday 04 April 2012: From http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2012/04/04/cbc-budget-cuts.html [ Manitoba? That's where Google.ca/news covers the CBC ] A live-blog (probably semi-official) of the CBC Town Hall meeting with Lacroix On Tuesday, another townhall meeting. [Hmm, praying for an Easter miracle?] *** To be read in reverse order, newest at the top 10:29 to 11:59 *** "Welcome to our live coverage of the CBC town hall meeting with employees. We will bring you updates here as CBC President and CEO Hubert T. Lacroix presents details to employees. CBC News 10:29 AM" Lacroix ends by saying more information will be coming forward. by Mark Gollom 11:59 AM Question asked about adding ads to CBC Radio One. Lacroix says to preserve the integrity, decided against it, in part beacause it's a talk radio format, as opposed to music. by Mark Gollom 11:53 AM Asked about dollar value of cuts to doc unit and CBC News. Stewart says those figures not available today but should be on Tuesday at another townhall meeting. by Mark Gollom 11:51 AM Also asked about cutting in-house documentary programming. Stewart says unfortunately it's a requirement to make up for the budget shortfall. by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 11:49 AM The president of Canadian Media Guild asks about whether CBC is pushing back or making its case. Lacroix says when Quebecor launched its campaign against CBC, they pushed back to make sure the facts reached the public. As for the government, it has decided to make the cuts and it's time to move forward. by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 11:47 AM Question again about French services taking more of a hit than English services. Lalande says number of employees is equivalent. by Mark Gollom 11:40 AM What if CRTC does not agree with request to add ads to CBC Radio 2 and Espace Musique. Lacroix says it's a hypothetical question. by Mark Gollom 11:37 AM Lacroix asked why is there not more defiance to the budget cuts from CBC. Lacroix says they did inform the government of the value of CBC but government still decided to cut. by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 11:36 AM Question if French sector being hit harder. Lacroix says not at all. Number of people who will leave in both networks is proportional. by Mark Gollom 11:33 AM Question asked about employees paying larger share of pension. Lacroix says this is not covered by collective bargaining agreement. by Mark Gollom 11:33 AM Lacroix asked if he is thinking of a retirement plan. Says no incentive retirement plan because cuts are not proportional, they're surgical. by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 11:31 AM Stewart says some people have already been made aware. by Mark Gollom 11:29 AM When will we know if our positions are safe? Have started information sessions with unions, Lacroix says. by Mark Gollom 11:28 AM Lacroix asked what premiums will be cut from upper managers. Lacroix says he has no plan to cut premiums that are connected to objectives met. by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 11:27 AM Lacroix asked if he will ask the government to review the CBC mandate. Lacroix says he has done that but no interest from the government. by Mark Gollom 11:23 AM Question about number of managers cut. Lacroix says 10 per cent. by Mark Gollom 11:23 AM Question to panel - Will CBC be closing the plant in Sackville. Lacroix says yes. by Mark Gollom 11:22 AM Need to show Canadians we can overcome hard times again, he says. by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 11:18 AM "It is bad news but we can't get lost in it," he says. by Mark Gollom 11:16 AM Lacroix says these measures are not proportional across the corporation. by Mark Gollom 11:16 AM reduce sports budget and no sports digital channel by Mark Gollom 11:14 AM Radio also being asked to reduced costs by Mark Gollom 11:13 AM News and current affairs need to transform production methods by Mark Gollom 11:12 AM Espace Musique will cut budget ... budgets also cut on certain TV programs, regional music libraries closed, he says. by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 11:11 AM searching for new revenue streams by Mark Gollom 11:09 AM changes to RCI announcing today are a step forward. Not abandoning mandate but must fill it differently, he says. by Mark Gollom 11:08 AM Louis Lalande, executive Vice-President, French Services, says 243 full-time positions to be eliminated. by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 11:07 AM "Slow down initiatives, say goodbye to treasured friends." by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 11:05 AM "Can't tell you how much it pains me to be talking about reductions." by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 11:05 AM reduction of in-house documentary productions by Mark Gollom 11:02 AM Estimated programming reductions $43 million; television will take brunt; more repeats by Mark Gollom 11:01 AM Every revenue dollar CBC makes is a cut they don't have to make, she says by Mark Gollom 11:00 AM Says they rejected idea of putting ads on Radio One. by Mark Gollom 10:59 AM programming will need to be reduced by Mark Gollom 10:59 AM Kirstine Stewart, executive vice-president, English Services, says English Services facing $86 million in reductions over next 3 years. by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 10:58 AM Says 60 per cent of budget goes toward salary and that it would be impossible to take a hit of this magnitude and not affect jobs. by Mark Gollom 10:54 AM 215 English jobs cut in first year, up to 256 by third. 153 French job cuts in first year, up to 243 by year three. by Mark Gollom edited by CBC News 10:53 AM CBC will cut 475 jobs this fiscal year. by Mark Gollom edited by CBC News 10:51 AM Will eliminate 650 jobs over three years by Mark Gollom 10:51 AM Will sell CBC Bold. by Mark Gollom edited by CBC News 10:50 AM Won't have a kids digital channel or sports channel. by Mark Gollom edited by CBC News 10:49 AM Employee paid pension contributions will increase to 40 per cent from 34 per cent over 2 years by Mark Gollom edited by CBC News 10:45 AM Will accelerate shutdown of analog transmitters at a savings of $10 million. by Mark Gollom edited by CBC News 10:44 AM CBC will shutdown shortwave transmission. by Mark Gollom 10:42 AM Will lease more space at the broadcasting centre in Toronto. by Mark Gollom edited by CBC News 10:42 AM Ads will now be placed on CBC Radio 2 and Espace Musique. by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 10:40 AM Plans to increase revenue include increasing digital revenue by Mark Gollom 10:40 AM We've made "gut-wrenching choices," he says. by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 10:39 AM Says cost increases means the CBC actually faces financial pressures of $200 million. by Mark Gollom 10:38 AM Says he will let Canadians decide if the $115 million cut over three years is a "fair cut." by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 10:35 AM Lacroix: "This was a long and drawn-out process. Almost unending." by Mark Gollom edited by Christine Boyd 10:33 AM Welcome to our live coverage of the CBC town hall meeting with employees. We will bring you updates here as CBC President and CEO Hubert T. Lacroix presents details to employees. by CBC News 10:29 AM (via Dan Say, BC, alt.radio.networks.cbc April 4, via Mike Cooper, April 11, DXLD) A quick report and rewrite in La Presse. No more overnight Radio One (French) broadcasts, Cut in Espace Musique (Radio 2 French) budget, small as it is now. ----------- machine translation (via Dan Say, BC, April 4, alt.radio.networks.cbc via Mike Cooper, April 11, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) Since the machine translation got the very headline wrong, making ``postes`` mean stations, rather than jobs, ``CBC-Radio-Canada: 650 stations will be eliminated`` --- I preferred to search out the original article in French. Also note that in this context, ``CBC`` means English networx; which starts: Publié le 04 avril 2012 à 11h23 | Mis à jour le 05 avril 2012 à 07h45 CBC-Radio-Canada: 650 postes seront éliminés En trois ans, 256 emplois devraient être abolis du côté anglais, 243 du côté français et 151 dans le secteur «institutionnel». En 2012 seulement, 153 postes seront supprimés à Radio-Canada et 215 à CBC. Hugo de Grandpré, La Presse (Ottawa) CBC/Radio-Canada prévoit abolir 650 postes en trois ans, dont 475 cette année, en raison des coupes de 115 millions de dollars annoncées dans le budget fédéral la semaine dernière. . . http://www.cyberpresse.ca/arts/medias/201204/04/01-4512458-cbc-radio-canada-650-postes-seront-elimines.php (via gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. Sabato 7 aprile 2012 0547 - 9625 kHz, Sackville (Canada) ancora acceso!!! A volte si nota la portante muta fino oltre le 07-08. Non si lamentino allora se *dopo* sono costretti a chiudere l'impianto per mancanza di fondi, quando *prima* si 'dimenticano' (!?) di staccare 'appena' 100 kW per qualche ora. (OT) Va bé che anche noi abbiamo le incompiute con le luci accese giorno e notte (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) ** CANADA. It was also learned today, in a response to a question by Avrom Shtern of Montreal to Radio Canada International, that the CBC Northern Service, presently transmitted on shortwave on 9625 kHz, will be shut off by the end of October 2012 (April CIDX Messenger via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) Radio Canada International Action Committee (RCI Action Committee) 10 hours ago. Our first media interview about the RCI budget cuts with Montreal radio station CKUT this morning (April 8). I talk to hosts Sheldon Harvey and Janice, of the station’s “International Radio Report”, had a lot of good questions. They were ...also shocked by the enormity of the RCI budget cut. You can hear our conversation in the show’s archives: http://ckut.ca/cgi-bin/ckut-grid-new.pl?show=0%2C10%3A30&action=showaudio (once you’re there click on the April 8, 2012 audio file) FB group of "International Radio Report" - http://www.facebook.com/groups/188158277887350/ FB page of the RCI Action Committee - http://www.facebook.com/pages/MASALA-CANADA-with-Wojtek-Gwiazda/301072453256 RCI Action Committee blog - http://rciaction.org/blog See More — with Wojtek RciAction and Janice. See http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radio-Canada-International-Action-Committee-RCI-Action-Committee/111166015613472?ref=mf See http://www.friends.ca As we shared with you yesterday, Stephen Harper has begun to implement his vindictive agenda for CBC. Because of a $200 million budget cut, the public broadcaster has been forced to cut 800 staff positions and start placing ads on Radio 2. For a glimpse of what this might sound like, see these videos. For supporters of the CBC, this is a sad day. But as you mourn the cuts and how they will affect our cherished CBC, or nurse your anger about Harper’s punitive action, I want to tell you that you are not alone in your concern for our national public broadcaster. In your community, in your neighbourhood, among your friends and relatives, there are other passionate supporters of the CBC and public broadcasting. You are not alone. That’s the good news. As supporters of public broadcasting, our great challenge is to come together in the shared mission to hold Harper and his government to account. That is what FRIENDS intends to do in the weeks and months to come. I invite you to join us. These cuts are much worse than advertised, and will reach their full impact only in the year leading up to the 2015 general election. This presents the tens of millions of Canadians who care about public broadcasting a great opportunity to hold Harper accountable for what he did Thursday. And working together we can do that. Here’s an agenda for immediate action: First, MPs of all political stripes must know immediately that these cuts are strongly opposed by constituents. Please send a message to your MP by clicking here. Your message will be cc'd to the Prime Minister and opposition party leaders. Second, Canadians need to know what ads on CBC Radio will sound like. Please view these videos and share them with your friends. Third, we must assemble the best ideas for future action. We have many in hand but I would be grateful to hear your bright ideas. Please send them to me via email. This is the darkest hour our national public broadcaster has faced in 20 years but remember, there will be a brighter tomorrow if we stand together. Regards, Ian Morrison, Spokesperson, FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting (via April CIDX Messenger via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) ** CANADA [and non]. And a blessed Easter to you as well, as to our other friends at Radio Tirana! It is a sad day here in Canada these days, as our increasingly vindictive government, the Conservative Party under the leadership of Stephen Harper, is striking out at our public broadcaster. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will see more than 650 jobs gone, and Radio Canada International, our shortwave service, is being cut as well. It is really not an intention to save money, as government claims, because it is planning to spend more than $20 billion in Canadian dollars on military jets. The Prime Minister has had not much time for CBC because of its intelligent, critical nature and programming that he claims is elitist! Take care, Sue Hickey --- Feel free to cc this to any friends or acquaintances! (Sue Hickey, national coordinator, Amnesty International (CS/ES), North/South Korea, Japan, via Drita Çiço, R. Tirana, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CONSERVATIVES, TOTALITARIAN REGIMES: SOMETHING IN COMMON Our non-Canadian friends may not know much about the new federal budget recently unveiled by the Conservative government of Stephen Harper. Harper doesn’t like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation because it can be critical of his government. I wrote a piece on it for the newspaper I work for, and here’s an altered version. How many cutbacks can government make, including to development agencies, Old Age Security and the CBC? But let’s look at the budget a little differently. Here’s a little list: Canada, China, North Korea, Iran, the Russian Federation, Syria and Saudi Arabia. “Can you tell which thing is not like the others?” If you said “Canada,” you’re wrong. All of these countries have something in common – and it’s not a very pleasant something. It’s either a history of, or current desire, to suppress the media, because they don’t like being criticized, and in some countries, they fear the media could be used as a tool to encourage people to call for human rights and control their own destinies. In countries like North Korea, that can be taken to the extreme. Countries with national broadcasters often have shortwave radio stations, and North Korea is no exception. It controls its broadcaster, Voice of Korea, big-time. The station itself is a Stalinist holdover, with military-style sign-ons, programs about “The Dear Leader” inspecting some factory or another, planting a seed at some farm, officially opening a museum. You won’t hear anything about the famine, a result of politics more than weather, with more than nine million starving. You won’t hear about the ongoing public executions. And you won’t hear about the plants where grass is turned into “food supplements.” If you’re in Iran and you’re a radio broadcaster who dares to criticize the government by running a piece on Cyrus the Great, King of Persia (another name for Iran), who was known for his benevolence towards all peoples, including the Jews – in 535 B.C., get ready for the secret police to visit you with their torture toys. Or in Russia, where journalists have been killed recently; some of them were also critical of the current regime and the KGB. One publicly sad example was that of Alexander Livinenko, a former Russian officer with the KGB and other government security services, who wrote books daring to accuse his government of staging terrorist acts to bring current president Vladimir Putin to power. Someone poisoned Livinenko at a restaurant in London where they slipped a deadly radioactive element, polonium, into his tea. He died seven weeks later in great pain and suffering. But among his final words were “you may succeed in silencing one man, but the howl of protest from around the world will reverberate … in your ears for the rest of your life.” Incidentally, the Voice of Russia shortwave service, who I’ve written freelance articles for in the past, is also undergoing cutbacks. They’ve also broadcast provocative pieces subtly critical of their own government. The Canadian Conservatives are entering dangerous territory when they whittle away at their national broadcaster, claiming they are too elitist or artsy, which ordinary Canadians supposedly don’t like. Prime Minister Harper and company, you’re less mature than the audiences Sesame Street targets. If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen! But leave the radio on! 73. (Sue Hickey, NL, CIDX Forum, April CIDX Messenger via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) The CBC has an annual budget well in excess of $1.5 BILLION dollars. The Budget cut was a mere $115 MILLION dollars. This is not a massive cut. The CBC propaganda machine has decided to retaliate with the scare tactics of threatened massive cuts to all services. I will also be sorry to see RCI blacked out instead of cutting the massive growing bureaucracy in that corporation. In fact there is a growing number of Canadians who are calling for the privatization of the CBC and eliminating the 1.5 billion dollar handout each year. 73 (Charles Hunter, April 5, ODXA yg via DXLD) So let me get this right. Harper is going to blow $25 billion on new toys for the RCAF, not to mention that his government apparently misled the voters before the last election but it's not right to fully fund the CBC to do all that it is mandated to do and to keep it alive and well (Bill Leal, Windsor, Ontario, ibid.) No! The CBC has nothing to do with the military funding. The military is a completely different issue and I believe that if Canadians and our politicians studied the waste in the CBC as closely as the RCAF fighters, more cuts would be coming. My point is that the CBC is a bloated over staffed, managed and over funded bureaucracy and wastes government money. For example the recent Toronto $70,000.00 birthday party for Strombo. Those are the kind of cuts I want to see, not cuts in service (Charles Hunter, ibid.) ** CANADA. A Diminished Canada | The Mark http://www.themarknews.com/articles/8372-a-diminished-canada CBC's announcement that it is withdrawing from foreign-language broadcasting in two of the four BRIC countries is just another nail in the coffin for Canadian internationalism. Over the past few days, there has been some commentary in the mainstream and electronic media about the hard reality of this country’s ever-diminishing place in the world. Still, such observations have not produced the groundswell of resistance that they warrant among Canadians. For reasons that I tried to assess earlier, this is not entirely surprising. Moreover, a considerable part of this inattention might be attributed to the sideswiping of any detailed analysis of last week’s budget by the Apr. 3 release of the auditor-general’s bombshell report detailing the epic mismanagement of the F-35 fighter procurement file. The auditor-general has exposed vastly more wastage of public funds on that misbegotten project than the total amount that will be saved as a result of all of the new cuts being imposed upon the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).The reverberations associated with the widening F-35 scandal also effectively scuttled all but a trickle of meaningful coverage of the release of the government’s final report on Canada’s (disastrous) engagement in Afghanistan. No amount of bureaucratic whitewashing will ever be sufficient to clean the bloodstains from that tragic experience. It is perhaps worth pausing to reflect on these disturbing realities for a few moments. Among other things, that is what happens when international policy and priorities become militarized, and when defence dominates over diplomacy and development. Meanwhile, as the lion’s share of international-policy resources continue to be poured into the Department of National Defence, not a word is said about the desperate need for national debate on defence policy. Today’s news brings more of the same sad tidings, but – for supporters of Canadian internationalism – the latest blows are in some respects even worse. Allow me to quote at some length from an article by Kristen Shane, appearing in today’s Embassy Update, titled “CBC’s international arm to phase out some transmissions”: After six and a half decades, the CBC is pulling its international broadcasting service’s shortwave transmission, as well as shutting down Radio Canada International’s Russian and Brazilian departments. [...] The Crown corporation’s management plans to save $10 million a year by 2013-14 by phasing out Radio Canada International’s shortwave and satellite services, leaving it to focus on “webcasting.”[...] Radio Canada International currently broadcasts online, by satellite, analog and digital shortwave, and through a network of public, private, community, and university radio stations in a number of countries. It has links to public broadcasters in countries including Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and Australia. The broadcaster will also stop producing news bulletins, but keep other programs. It now produces and broadcasts daily and weekly programs in one or more of seven languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Arabic, and Portuguese. Some of its reports and interviews air on its partner stations in most of these languages. It will close its Russian and Portuguese departments, keeping the others “to help audiences discover and especially understand democratic and cultural life and values in Canada,” said CBC president Hubert Lacroix ... That passage might be worth rereading. Canada is withdrawing from foreign-language broadcasting in two of the four BRIC countries. Think about it. What about power shift? We are talking here about pulling the plug on Canada’s voice in two of the major poles in an emerging heteropolar world order. This amounts to no less than shooting yourself in the foot when you are in a race. And all for what? To save a paltry few million dollars? That is such a small amount by federal-government standards that it would not even register on a bar graph. Related: The Incredible Shrinking Canada For anyone who believes that Canada should be doing more, rather than less, in the world, this is devastating news. The wreckage of Canadian public diplomacy in recent years has been well enough documented. This is yet another nail in the coffin of Canadian internationalism. Diplomacy, development, and public broadcasting get whacked, while the generals snicker, corporate tax rates are lowered further, and inequality festers. This is a wealthy country with strong public finances, yet it has come to be regarded as an ever-shrinking Canada. It does not have to be this way (via Kevin Redding, April 5, ABDX via DXLD) Re: RCI - "All shortwave broadcasts will cease" According to a post on swling.com, which references an interview with "The Link" producer Levon Sevunts, the last day for RCI on shortwave will be June 26. The RCI page on Wikipedia also gives this date, but no attribution (Steve Luce, Houston, Texas, april 6, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RCI's Russian Service has also announced today that short wave will be dropped on June 26. Russian service will be eliminated the same day.. (Aleksandr Diadischev, Ukraine, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) From today`s Russian RCI broadcast: We remind our listeners that the Russian team RCI has existed since 1951 year, in the past year we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the champagne. The history of our the section was rather interesting, were outstanding people, people from another the first emigration, such as a Prince Livin, which, between other, took an interview with Kerensky, it was the scandalous interview, in 1967, and then the Soviet government protested to Canada. Recently our listener Vladimir Gudzenko from the suburbs wrote a letter where he remembered the old leading Dmitry Alexandrovich Lebedev and Elena Bregvadze Leberovskaya, they were viewing letters. It was our teachers, we Yuri work for the past 33 years of 60 that there is a section. But what do you do all when something comes to an end... Generally the reduction of the RCI began in 1977, when were the first large reductions. It was a very large organization, there were many languages, was a lot of employees, 7 floors were occupied by employees. Then gradually more and more reduced. After 91-th year cut back all of the Eastern European section - the Czech, Slovak and other. German and then got under reduction. The consequences of this reduction will not have to wait long - literally on the next year the Ministry of tourism reported decreased why the number of tourists from Germany and Japan - because of reduced these two sections. And in Japan and in Germany, and in those years in Germany short the waves were very popular, the receivers were just in cars, people listened to Canada. This saving in fact, it halfpenny with regard to Portuguese and Russian sections. Now, when the conservative government says that need to move away from dependence on trade with the United States and to develop trade with the countries of the BRIX, including Brazil and Russia, and the close of the service, this is a little bewilderment. In General, the decision is made and it is unlikely that they will be changed. So far we are still in the air, will broadcast to 26 June, and then we goodbye to our audience" (Alexander ???????, Ukraine / "open_dx" via RusDX via DXLD) So the end for this part will come even a month before 31 July, the apparent deadline for the package of cost-cutting measures announced on Wednesday. I'm really curious what the partners of RCI, presumably hit unexpected by this news, will do in the remaining 11 weeks if they do not take this as an opportunity to simply have done with the affected services. A certain office in Cologne comes to mind first... From http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/site/budget/en/ I note also that on 31 July (or will that become 26 June as well?) the CBC will shut down *all* analogue TV transmitters and keep only its existing 17 ATSC/DTV outlets. Outside their reach there will simply be no terrestrial TV service anymore. Interesting, because such a scenario was considered also for the sparsely populated regions in eastern Germany but half- heartedly some DVB-T transmitters have finally been put on the transmitter sites still operating for FM radio anyway, apparently rather for political reasons than for real viewers, simply to avoid losing these frequencies to telcom services (LTE) permanently. Some other notes: Advertisements will be placed on the classical music stations Radio 2 and Espace musique, the CBC declares that this does not signal any intentions for other changes to these services. Première Chaîne will offer no overnight service anymore (no explanation what this will mean in practice, AM transmitters off air and open carriers on FM or what?). Slots for the regional studios on Espace musique will be cut by half. Own music productions will be cut, rather substantially I gather from the Orwellian newspeak of the CBC's presentation. Parts of the CBC tower in Montreal will be abandoned (most RCI offices and studios will indeed no longer be needed...), parts of the CBC complex in Toronto be leased out to third parties. Current CBC facilities in Halifax, Calgary, Rimouski, Sydney, Cornerbrook and Saint John will be abandoned, in Halifax the reprlacement will not provide for TV production studios anymore. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, ibid.) Glenn, When will RCI turn off Sackville N.B.? Article: http://blog.fagstein.com/2012/04/05/cbc-cuts-airwaves/ (Artie Bigley, OH, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Above includes comment by Sheldon-somebody: Sheldon says: April 7, 2012 at 11:31 pm In a response received from RCI Audience Relations the CBC Northern Service, currently available on shortwave, is apparently going to disappear from shortwave in October. As for the transmitter site at Sackville, with RCI no longer having shortwave transmissions (apparently the last broadcasts will be on June 26th) they will have no further need for the transmitter site. However, there are currently transmitter time agreements with several foreign broadcasters. They use the Sackville site to broadcast into various target areas. It is not clear at this time what the termination date is for those contracts. It could be possible that some other foreign broadcaster could be interested in the site, or perhaps one of several private firms who currently run shortwave transmitter sites in other locations. The Sackville site is in a very good location and performs very efficiently. It will be interesting to see what happens to it. Sheldon says: April 7, 2012 at 11:34 pm One other thing. The foreign broadcasters using the Sackville transmitter site are not necessarily paying for it. Many of them simply have transmitter time-sharing agreements with Radio Canada International. They get time on the RCI transmitters and RCI, in turn, received time on their sites, all without money changing hands. Radio Canada International was actually one of the first international broadcasters to implement this time-sharing system; another way that RCI was finding ways to do more with less (via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) Glenn, RCI is very good about giving tours of the tower site at Sackville. N.B. Next three links: http://new-brunswick.net/new-brunswick/sackville/sackville.html http://www.hammondmuseumofradio.org/cba.html http://www.mds975.co.uk/masts/sackville.html (Artie Bigley, DX LISTENING DIGEST) N.B. RADIO-CANADA TOWERS TO BE FEATURED IN FILM http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/04/07/nb-towers-film.html CBC News The Radio-Canada shortwave broadcast towers near Moncton will soon be shut down. The Radio-Canada shortwave broadcast towers near Moncton will soon be shut down. (Google Street View) A Moncton artist is now working against the clock to film the Radio- Canada International shortwave towers in her latest film project. Budget cuts at CBC announced last week mean the towers, near Sackville, N.B., will soon be shut down, but it's not known exactly what will happen to the towers themselves. Amanda Dawn Christie said she remembers coming and going from Moncton and the towers signifying that she was almost home. "Whenever I would drive in, I would just be filled with this exhilaration and I don't know if it's the high voltage. Like, some people get headaches and nauseous; I would get exhilarated," she said. "So I don't know if it was my interest or if it was the high voltage, but I definitely had this sense of 'wow.'" She said she's heard similar stories as she's started interviewing people for her feature film. Christie's been studying the towers for years. She even created a sculpture on the marsh near the towers — a kitchen sink designed to catch radio waves — a phenomenon often reported by locals. Now she's collecting stories of people who call the towers their landmark, or a tightrope school because of the wires, or the connection to Africa or the Arctic. Christie said she's particularly fond of the sight at dawn and dusk. "The sky's kind of pink and blue, and the lights are on but you can still see all the towers and the wires. It's very magical," she said. "If you don't know what it is, you're filled with wonder. And the thing is, if you do know what it is, you're still filled with wonder." Instead of the shortwave towers, RCI will broadcast internationally online (via Artie Bigley, DXLD; also via Wade Smith, dxldyg via DXLD) Sad news about the closure although not unexpected given current trends. Had my first opportunity to visit the site last August on the way back from Nova Scotia. It was a Sunday and nobody was answering the doorbell (Wade Smith, NB, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Back a number of years ago, they had some very interesting tours of the place, so perhaps that's all history now. Very sad, indeed, as it's an excellent site in every respect! (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria, BC, ibid.) RCI: RAWHIDE SALUTES THE SHORTWAVE SERVICE In February 1945, the "Voice of Canada" spoke to the world for the first time. The CBC International Service was founded to broadcast to Canadian Forces overseas in the Second World War. At war's end the radio service focused on telling the world about Canada in over a dozen languages. Despite budget cuts and critics who accused it of employing communists or operating as a government mouthpiece, the service now called Radio Canada International has persevered. CBC Archives looks back on RCI's six decades on shortwave. How does a boss find people willing to work at CBC International Service's isolated transmitting station in Sackville, N.B.? The manager tells reporter Larry Lovelace the place is ideal for people who are tired of living. "I meet potential suicide cases who just can't get up the nerve...they figure it's a good compromise," he says. But it's all in jest as CBC Radio funnyman Max Ferguson celebrates the service's 15th anniversary on his show Rawhide http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/arts-entertainment/media/radio-canada-international-canadas-voice-to-the-world/rawhide-salutes-the-shortwave-service.html (CBC Digital Archives via Artie Bigley, DXLD) This was linked from the above story; looks like a video, but it`s all black, an audio lasting 20 minutes (gh, DXLD) RCI CUTS DISCUSSED ON CKUT LINK Must listening: this week`s International Radio Report with guest Wojtek Gwiazda of RCI and the RCI Action Committee: http://archives.ckut.ca/128/20120408.10.30-11.00.mp3 (Glenn Hauser, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Assume subsequent programs will have linx with 0415, 0422 in them (gh) ** CANADA [non]. 15125, April 8 at 1543, RCI with a very sad tone, reading letters from listeners referring to RCI in the past tense. Sounded like the announcer had a lump in his throat. `Maple Leaf Mailbag` should be a must-hear this week, following news of RCI`s imminent demise. This transmission with poor reception was 500 kW, 212 degrees via Wulumuchi, EAST TURKISTAN. We may expect much better via Sackville at 20-21 on 17735 (after Tunisia cuts off circa 2008), 15330 and 15235. Or if further east, try the 18-19 broadcast on 9530 via Kashgar, East Turkistan, 11765 and 17810 via Skelton UK. 17810 is often well-heard in North America, too. [later:] 15330 // 15235 and 17735, all Sackville, April 8 at 2003 after quick news summary, RCI playing song ``O Happy Day`` this being Easter, and Buddha`s birthday, says Terry Haig. (Only in Japan; see http://buddhism.about.com/od/buddhistholidays/tp/whenisbuddhasbirthday.htm showing different countries and sects observe it mostly on various lunar-influenced dates in May; rather like JC`s variable holidates) Happy Day? A bit of irony, ``a bittersweet day, since RCI is going off the air on June 26``, he says. Terry Haig is a frequent substitute host for Ian Jones on `MLM`, who is now recovering from hip surgery. Here`s one little thumbnail of Terry I found on the website: http://www.rcinet.ca/english/illustration/chronicle/thumbs2/N1Cg82_PvUhCK_wDgWBY_TerryHaig.jpg First half of the show avoids the subject, but occasional songs are on the sad side. At 2028 down to business; Terry says he is not going to comment, as he is ``losing his job and has an ax to grind``, but he doesn`t have to, reading numerous distraught messages from listeners. But first he reads the death notice from the RCI website. A web presence will be maintained in five languages, but not including news. I do recognize several of the names mentioned, but many more I do not: a good sign that there are lots of lurking listeners out there not known to us active SWL hobbyists. The ones I know or know of: Tim Breyel in Malaysia; Edward Kusalik, Alberta; John Figliozzi, NY; Rog Parsons, England; KV Zichi, Michigan; Peter Q. George, northeast US. Terry also referred several times to the Cambodian woman who guested last week, and urges everyone never to frown even if you`re unhappy, because your smile will always affect others positively. (Not the way she put it, but you get the idea: I need to remember that.) See last week`s webpage pixuring her: http://www.rcinet.ca/english/program/the-maple-leaf-mailbag/archives/episode/17-39_2012-03-30-/ ``Kuy Chheng Treng, the lovely Cambodian student currently in Canada participating in a global leadership course whom Terry met two weeks ago as they waited for a bus.`` I don`t see an audio archive yet for this week`s show, and you can`t guess the URL, as the xx-xx numbers before the date are unpredictable (time of day when recorded, maybe?). Latest is here, with RSS: http://www.rcinet.ca/english/program/the-maple-leaf-mailbag/home/ If you missed the SW broadcast and are even one of those who swears they ``won`t listen to radio on the computer``, I suggest you make an exception and hear this one! (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Reading the full statement from CBC and translating it from silly- speak (has this person spent holidays with George W B?) it would seem yet another broadcaster is, amongst other things, sacrificing a radio broadcast system which can be heard on very cheap radios miles away from civilisation in the icy wastes to the hot dry deserts with no wires, ironically in favour of a telephone wire system which at least needs a subscription and so called 'wireless' broadband hot spots in a town or city. How will this help CBC 'pursue its mission of disseminating Canadian democratic values abroad' I wonder? Again the well paid in city offices decide to lop-off a whole section of poorer, less well supported listeners to suit their balance sheet blinkered bosses. One of the finest principals of Short Wave broadcasting is its reception availability and Radio Canada is one of the best examples as it is - if it ain't bust don't fix it. I though CBC was more realistic, shame (Rog Parsons (BDXC 782) Hinckley, Leics., BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) Most of this was read out on the April 8 `Maple Leaf Mailbag` (gh, DXLD) CUTS AT THE CBC --- BUDGET SLASHED 80%, SHORTWAVE AND NEWSROOMS CUT http://rciaction.org/blog/2012/04/04/budget-slashed-shortwave-and-newsrooms-to-be-eliminated/ Filed under UPDATE by Admin RCI Action on April 4, 2012 at 21:12 no comments RCI Director Hélène Parent informs staff of the impact of the huge cut to RCI's budget and services, April 4, 2012. Sad day at Radio Canada International today (April 4, 2012) as Canada`s national public radio and television broadcaster CBC/Radio- Canada announced the impact of budget cutbacks on RCI. The main points: Radio Canada International`s $12.2 million dollar budget will be slashed by 10 million, leaving only $2.2 million. [Revised April 5: $12.3 and $2.3 million] Two thirds of staff will be eliminated, leaving maybe 16, 20 perhaps 25 people. Newscasts and newsrooms will be eliminated. Shortwave broadcasting will be dropped, our work will now be limited to the web site. The Russian service and the Brazilian program eliminated. It`s being billed as a ``transformation``. I think we would use other words. More details soon. Suggestions, comments, questions welcome at: rciaction @ yahoo.ca We are working on an action plan; should be able to provide details within a few days. Thanks for your support! (via Dan Say, BC, April 8, Swprograms mailing list via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) If the site is closed down (the term used in the CBC announcements) then these broadcasters would need to find other ways to reach North America, and that list obviously isn't what it used to be; it would include the domestic USA broadcasters, Montsinery, Skelton, Wertachtal, Pridnestrovie, Plovdiv (not sure if the site is being shut down since RBI itself has shut down), Noblejas. That list strikes me as the list of sites that used to be (or still are) used to reliably reach North America. I am sure there are enough transmitter-hours available at those sites to reach North America when NHK, KBS, or others would want to use them. It is, though, scary to think about what's been lost, or will be soon lost: Bonaire, Antigua, Quito (Pifo), Flevo, Horby, Bethany, Rampisham and others. I would still think someone like the major transmitter operators - Babcock, TDF, DTK come to mind - would be interested in the site, along with CRI, or perhaps AWR or TWR (Richard Cuff, PA, April 8, swprograms via DXLD) Romania also puts very good signals into NAm (gh, DXLD) Another possibility for relays would be to use WYFR in Okeechobee. Their transmitter sked is shell of what it used to be and they now have plenty of transmitter time available (GEORGE THURMAN, TX, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Very depressing news re. losing R. Canada Int'l and, for godsake, the Sackville relays. I'm really beyond words re. the global abandonment of SW broadcasting. It is a brain-dead occurrence. Do they all really think we're going to huddle around our computers to listen to the world? Internet broadcasting is interesting enough, but it's telephony, not radio (Chuck Ermatinger, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No news bulletins? This indicates that RCI embracing more completely its latter day mission of serving Canadian immigrants rather than audiences abroad. No news, coupled with "disseminating Canadian democratic values abroad" suggests a flat-out propaganda operation. "To help audiences discover and especially understand democratic and cultural life and values in Canada" points more towards an educational function. Presumably, the parent CBC, despite its large budget cut, will remain a formidable news operation. RCI could provide a valuable international service by translating much of this news into its languages and posting that news on its website (Kim Andrew Elliott, April 7, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) I can't say I'm surprised that RCI's SW facility is being shut down. Some years ago the target audience for RCI went from being the world in general to simply being aimed at potential immigrants to Canada. You can't get a much more narrow target audience than that. This was basically an effort to keep RCI from being shut down completely. You're quite correct, all through the 80s & 90s it was just one budget cut after another every few years. This culminated in 1991 with the massive budget cut that RCI had which cut just about every aspect of RCI in half. That's when I took early retirement. All the programs that I had spent almost a quarter century producing ceased to exist on Black Friday, March 22, 1991, so the RCI that I knew and was proud to work for also ceased to exist. It really has been a sad commentary on what was Canada's most effective voice to the world. Canada's government obviously no longer has any interest in reaching out to listeners in third world countries, since they were the ones, along with a lot of other people who listened on SW. With RCI soon to be available only via the Internet it will shut Canada off from many of their former listeners who don't have computers or access to the Internet. It's a very sad end to a once great international broadcaster. As you may not be aware, in the recent federal budget the govt. cut the budget for the CBC, which is Canada's public broadcasting system & the parent of RCI, by some $115 million. One result of this budget cut was the changes at RCI. I would not be all that surprised if a lot of other international broadcasters go the same route as RCI. Cheers for now & all the best. Ian McFarland (to Artie Bigley, OH, via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi, Glenn. How are things these days. I meant every word of what I wrote to Artie. You might also be interested in reading the blog that follows. I can't recall the name of the person who does this blog but he did at one time work for CBC among other broadcasting outfits. It deals mainly with the domestic CBC operation. I tend to agree with the writer's comments about the lack of fight on the part of the CBC president. The basic budget cut that the CBC received is just that, a base. By the time all the extra costs of laying off hundreds of people the eventual cut will be around $200 million, the figure mentioned in the article following. Cheers (Ian McFarland, April 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) further below Hello again, Glenn. Just a few more thoughts on the subject of the RCI changes. And you can quote me! From what I have read about the upcoming changes at RCI there will no longer be any news on the broadcasts (via the Internet). During all the time I worked at RCI a newscast at the start of each transmission was an essential and unassailable part of each broadcast. It was also very important that the news be put in the proper context for RCI listeners, so the newscasts were prepared by the RCI News Dept. rather than by one of the CBC's domestic newsrooms. I was extremely surprised and taken aback when I read that the news part of RCI's broadcasts was to be dropped. The news component had suddenly gone from being the backbone of RCI transmissions, almost a sacred cow if you will, to having so little importance that it was being discontinued. Even the massive RCI budget cut back in 1991 didn't result in the removal of news from RCI broadcasts. It really is amazing how principles have been compromised, or in this case have disappeared completely, in this latest round in the long, slow death of RCI through budget cuts. I can't help but wonder how long it will be before RCI disappears altogether. It is a sad time for this Canadian. Cheers (Ian McFarland, BC, April 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Medium Close Up http://hlbtoo.wordpress.com/ CBC: Failure at the top Posted: 08 Apr 2012 01:21 PM PDT It is all too clear that no matter what you think of the cuts to the CBC in last week’s budget, the people who run the Corpse have been missing in action in the process. Sure they will tell you how hard they have been working behind closed doors in offices and boardrooms across the country for the past while to figure out how to cut $200 million from their budgets over the next three years. The problem is that the real work they should have been doing was never done. It seems, and this is according to CBC President Hubert Lacroix, that the government came to them a few weeks ago and asked them how they would cut 5% or 10% of their budget. I want to first say that this should be none of the government’s business. Yes, they can cut the CBC’s stipend any way and any amount they want to, but there is supposed to be an arms-length relationship between the national broadcaster and the government. The purpose of this is to make certain that there’s no political interference in the running of the CBC. By asking the Corpse how they would make the cuts the Finance Ministry and the Heritage Ministry crossed a line that should never be crossed for the protection of all Canadians. Just as important though, the President of the CBC should not have provided the government with the answers they asked for. This was the time for Hubert Lacroix to take a stand, in fact many stands, against a government that recognizes no rules unless it suits them. The first thing the CBC president should have said to the government was that the CBC could not deal with any cuts at all. The broadcaster is already underfunded and cannot do the job it has been mandated to do with the money it is already getting. I don’t know whether this is true or not, but it doesn’t matter. Lacroix is there to protect the CBC’s budget and mandate not to give it away whenever the government comes calling. Certainly the Harperites would have cut anyway, but at least Lacroix should not have made it easy for them. Second, Lacroix and company should have appealed publicly to all Canadians. He should have held a media conference to say that the Tories were planning to cut the CBC budget. He should have explained the consequences to his organization and to all Canadians. In other words, he should have put up a fight. It’s his job to make it difficult to hurt the organization he runs, not to make it easy. Third, Lacroix should have told the government it is none of their business how he will make any cuts if they are forced on him and the CBC. Once again, that’s his job, to protect the CBC not to help the Finance Minister balance his budget. In the end Lacroix committed the biggest crime of all. He told CBC staff and all Canadians that CBC could not only absorb the cuts, but that his 2015 plan would still be able to go ahead. He made the cuts look like it was no big deal to the average Canadian. He gave Canadians no reason to protest, no reason to care. If you don’t believe me, just check out what the Heritage Minister, James Moore, said when he was questioned about the cuts in question period. He said: “I would encourage my honourable colleague to look at the speech that was given by Hubert Lacroix, president of the CBC, that outlines it in greater detail, and as a matter of fact the member opposite has it exactly wrong,” he said. Moore then used his time to explain that the budget allows for the “funds necessary for the CBC to fulfill their obligations under the Broadcasting Act.” The network will still be able to fulfill its 2015 plan which, he said, includes maintaining coverage in all areas, maintaining its official language “footprint,” more “digitization,” and to become “leaner”. The plan “serves the interest not only of the cultural communities but also of taxpayers.” Talk about an easy out. Thank you very much Hubert Lacroix! From the performance I have seen over the past week from CBC brass I find it near impossible not to believe that Lacroix, Kirsten Stewart and French V.P. Louis Lalonde appear to be far more interested in keeping their jobs by making the government like them, then they seem to care about the future of the CBC. It’s too bad really, just when the CBC needs strong leadership most, it becomes obvious that the folks running the corporation are petty bureaucrats whose only interest is self-preservation. Past CBC presidents have resigned their posts over far less. As far as the actual cuts are concerned, there is little specific information available at this time. Lacroix and his hench-people promised more information soon. What is clear is that $43 million is going to be cut from English programming. Kirsten Stewart refuses to say, at this time, whether that will come from entertainment, sports, or news. We do know that the doc unit is gone, at least as far as making documentaries is concerned. CBC will basically become a buyer of docs in the future. We were also told that 10% of managers will be cut. We were not told whether this referred to salary or numbers. CBC is still massively over managed. Few managers have been cut over the years. I, and almost anyone who has ever worked for more than one network in Canada, am amazed that CBC honchos can’t cut far more from management to protect programming and the people who actually make the shows. Lacroix estimates that 81% of the cuts will come from the networks (French and English) and 19% from the regions. All-in-all a sad time for the national broadcaster: unloved by government and un-led by its bosses. If there is any justice in the world, Lacroix will not have his contract renewed. Nobody likes a suck up, not even the folks he’s sucking up to. About the Author: Howard Bernstein is a former TV producer. He has worked at CBC, CTV, Global and has produced shows for most Canadian channels as an independent producer (via Ian McFarland, DXLD) More details of the CBC budget cuts The radio program 'Dispatches' and all radio drama will close as well as two foreign news bureaus: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/04/10/cbc-budget-programs.html (Andy Reid, Ont., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dispatches, with host Rick MacInnes-Rae, is one of my favourites. I listen to the podcast weekly. Here's what the CBC Radio website says about the program: Dispatches was launched as a pilot in 2001, created by Rick MacInnes- Rae and Michael Finlay. The objective was to see how much of an appetite Canadians have for strong international coverage beyond what CBC Radio News and the CBC Radio One network programs were already providing. The mail and audience ratings showed that there's an enormous appetite. Since then, Dispatches has become a brand. And listeners have certain expectations. They expect our documentaries to take them to distant places where change is happening. They expect us to put them "in the room" with people living amid the tension and change brought by shifting international events. They expect our interviews to feature those who have been to those places, those who have been witnesses to the lives of the people in those situations. They expect us to turn the interviewee into a storyteller who leavens the larger picture with rich personal anecdotes. They expect us to display a sense of history. And they expect us to turn a phrase. This is a program for writers with something to say, and powerful ways of saying it. Dispatches is broad in tone, ranging from the serious to the whimsical. And it also incorporates stories of arts which can offer insight into cultural change (Harold Sellers, BC, Editor of World English Survey and Target Listening, available at http://www.odxa.on.ca ibid.) CBC CANCELS SHOWS, SLASHES 88 NEWS JOBS - ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT - CBC News --- Connect, Dispatches among programs lost to budget cuts CBC News Posted: Apr 10, 2012 3:46 PM ET Last Updated: Apr 10, 2012 8:29 PM ET CBC English Services will cut $86 million of its budget, including $43 million worth of programming and 256 full-time jobs. CBC English Services will cut $86 million of its budget, including $43 million worth of programming and 256 full-time jobs. ((Mark Blinch/Reuters)) The one-hour TV news program Connect with Mark Kelley, the radio show Dispatches and drama programming on Radio One will be eliminated as part of cost-cutting measures to CBC English Services to cope with planned budget cuts, the public broadcaster announced Tuesday. There will be six fewer series on the CBC television network, meaning 175 fewer hours produced, the network announced, but no specific programs were mentioned as decisions are still being made. The result of the cuts will mean more repeats in primetime and fewer specials. In last month's budget, the federal government announced that the CBC would lose $115 million in funding over three years. Last week, the CBC announced 650 positions in total would be cut throughout its English- and French-language programming over the next three years, after a drop in funding from the federal government. Kirstine Stewart, executive vice-president, English Services, said $86 million of the English Services budget would have to be cut, including $43 million in programming and 256 full-time jobs. On Tuesday, it was announced that CBC News will cut $10 million from its budget and eliminate 88 news jobs. Along with the cancellation of Connect, which airs on CBC News Network, and the radio show Dispatches, which will take effect in June, documentaries will be reduced and the South American and Africa bureaus will be closed. "There's no real way to sugar coat the impact of the cuts," said CBC News editor in chief Jennifer McGuire. "These are great programs we are losing. The sad truth is we had to go there to meet the number." CBC Radio faces a $3-million funding cut and the loss of 18 jobs. The number of live music recordings will be cut along with all drama programming from Radio One. CBC Sports will also take a $4-million hit, with Sports Weekend becoming a seasonal program and reduced amateur sports programming on the weekends. CBC Kids will also see a reduction of four hours to their programming. "It's not a good day for CBC," said Marc-Philippe Laurin, president of the Canadian Media Guild's CBC branch. "Canadians are really going to see a difference on the TV screen and hear a difference on CBC Radio." Heritage minister on CBC cuts Heritage Minister James Moore discussed the cuts to the CBC, the federal budget, Canadian content, arts and culture, and more in an exclusive interview, which will air at 11:05 p.m. (11:35 p.m. NT) on CBC Television's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. Heritage Minister James Moore discussed the cuts in an interview with CBC Television's George Stroumboulopous Tonight. "I think that the talent that CBC has and the way that you're going to be able to absorb these cuts over three years is going to, I don't think, at the end of the day, affect the quality of programming the CBC has," Moore said in the interview, which airs Tuesday night. "I think CBC will be fine. It won't be easy but I think CBC will continue to do well." With files from The Canadian Press (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Latest on CBC budget cuts / SOWNY http://members2.boardhost.com/scrapbook/msg/1334093163.html (via Tom Sanders, April 11, DXLD) or displaying the whole thread: http://members2.boardhost.com/scrapbook/thread/1334093163.html (GH, DXLD) EFFECT OF BUDGET CUTS ON CBC In this Toronto Star article Tony Burman worries about the impact federal budget cuts will have on the CBC. In this 21st century, as a threatening new world takes shape, why should a publicly funded CBC exist? What does it offer Canadians during these momentous times? Why should it matter anymore? When the CBC was created in the mid-1930s, I suspect no one then assumed it would last forever. Or should. But it was felt at the time that Canada needed a non-commercial, publicly owned broadcaster to help Canadians understand their evolving place in the world and counter the overwhelming influence of its southern American neighbour. Over the years, it has done just that through the work of legendary journalists from the CBC and Radio-Canada, radio and television. . . http://thenetwork.thestar.com/expert-opinion/cuts-threaten-to-close-window-on-the-world/20120403/ (via Robert Catt, alt.radio.networks.cbc via Mike Cooper, April 8, DXLD) ** CANADA [non]. 17495, April 7 at 1433, gospel huxter screaming about Jesus, not Brother Scare who is no longer scheduled here or on 17485. Aoki shows it`s Bible Voice via Wertachtal, GERMANY, 1430-1500 Sat, 1400-1500 Sun, off weekdays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHAD. 6165, 2130-2230* Sunday 08.04, Rdif. Nationale Tchadienne, N'Djaména, French and vernacular ann, light music, native African song, 22322, splashes from 6175. From 2230 only CNR-6 audible. 73, (Anker Petersen in Skvolunde, Denmark, loggings on the AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. Mercoledì 4 aprile 2012 0715 - 15900 // 16920 kHz FIREDRAKE vs. SO HOPE TAIWAN, Segnale sufficiente- insufficiente. SO Hope Taiwan non ascoltata (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) Various Sound of Hope, Taiwan on air. 11969.914 S=6 in JPN at 0830 UT, 13665.005, 13880.096, 13969.923, 14399.956, and accompanied Firedrake music + 50 Hertz BUZZ on 13849.950, 14699.883 + 120 Hertz offset BUZZ at 0845 UT, S=8 in JPN. (Wolfgang Büschel, April 6, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake April 6, before and after 1300: 12600, very poor at 1253 12980, good at 1253 14950, very poor at 1249; none in the 16s, 17s, 14s, 13s, 11s 15450, fair at 1244, about equal level with V. of Turkey, in English! which was starting a ``Balkan`` show, unusable; het on lo side, presumably V. of Tibet causing this collision by using 15447 via Tajikistan, as per Aoki at 1238-1303. The ChiCom jamming could just as well (or even better) have been on 15445. 15485, fair at 1304, moved up from 15450 around 1300, het on hi side, i.e. VOT on 15487 via Tajikistan, at 1300-1312 per Aoki 15900, fair at 1249 Before 1400: 11500, poor at 1340, // 12980, mixing with carrier, hum = VOR Tajikistan, failing to modulate 12980, good at 1338 15495, fair at 1332, het on hi side, i.e. VOT/Tajikistan 15497 at 1327-1338 per Aoki 15900, good at 1333 16920, fair at 1334; unusual spot: only previous report was from Ron Howard, Jan 25, 2012 around 1230 After 1400: 17560, fair with flutter, vs. V. of Tibet via Madagascar (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sabato 7 aprile 2012, 0523 - 13850 kHz, FIREDRAKE per SOUND OF HOPE TAIWAN, Segnale sufficiente-nullo. SOH non ascoltata. Sabato 7 aprile 2012, 1435 - 15870 // 15800 kHz, FIREDRAKE per SOUND OF HOPE TAIWAN, Segnale sufficiente. SOH non ascoltata (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) Firedrake April 7, before 1300: 12980, fair at 1257. Did not have time for a full bandscan. After 1300: 13795, good at 1303: target is RFA Tibetan via Kuwait at 12-14 15795, very poor at 1305, under AIR Chinese service; but within China? After 1400: 15615, good at 1414 with heavy flutter, hets on both sides, from VOT 12980, good at 1419 Before 1500: 15940, fair at 1436; none in the 16s, 17s. 15940 is in Aoki as one of countless 100-watt nuisance transmitters of SOH Taiwan, along with others in this area: 15800, 15870, 15900, 15970, 16100 15870, very good at 1436 15800, very good at 1436 Then distracted by and concentrating on 15250 pirate rest of the hour+, see NORTH AMERICA. Firedrake April 8, after 1300: 15485, fair at 1313 but off at 1315 15540, fair at 1315, was already on before 15485 went off 16100, very good with flutter at 1317 17450, very good at 1317 After 1330: 15495, good at 1336 15560, good at 1336 15870, good at 1336 16100, very good at 1337 17450, very good at 1339 After 1400: 15615, good at 1412 17570, fair at 1412, frequency of the day for V. of Tibet, Madagascar (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Here are the last two days logs for Firedrake. Sorry I haven't had time to send more but things are crazy busy here -Steve Handler: 11500, excellent 1156 and fair signal at 1348 on 4/7/12. Also heard 1349 Fair on 4/8/12 11970, 1425 Fair on 4/8/12. 12230, 1157 poor 4/7/12. 12300, 1348 w/good signal on 4/7/12 12500, 1227, 1240 with a poor signal. 4/7/12. 12980, good signal, and at 1242 and 1349 w/excellent signal on 4/7/12. 13795, 1240 w/Good signal, and 1350 w/excellent signal. 4/7/12. 13850 1223 GMT with a poor signal, and at 1243 with an excellent signal on 4/7/12. 13970, 1225 and 1244 GMT with a Fair signal. 4/7/12 14700, 1351 Poor on 4/8/12 15490, 1351 on 4/7/12 15560, 1352 w/Good signal on 4/7/12. Also heard 1352 Excellent on 4/8/12 15615, 1425 w/Excellent signal. 4/8/12. 15870, Good signal 1426 and 1454 w/Excellent signal. 4/8/12 16100, 1353 w/Good signal on 4/7/12. Also heard 1353 Excellent signal on 4/8/12 17450, 1355 Good signal on 4/8/12. (Steve Handler, IL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 8.4, 15870, Firedrake, 1437, S3 on the 16 H antenna (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, ICOM R75 / 2x16 V / m@h40 heads Sennheiser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake April 9, after 1300: 15485, fair at 1304 with het on hi side from VOT 15540, fair from *1305 with het on lo side from VOT Before 1400: 17450, good at 1341 16100, JBA at 1343 15940, very good at 1344 15560, good at 1345 15490, good at 1345, het on hi side from VOT 14700, good at 1348 13970, good at 1349 13920, poor at 1349 with ute QRM as often on this channel 12500, good at 1351 After 1400: 15615, very good at 1406, reliably at this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Below is today`s first sweep for Firedrake this AM April 10. Nothing above or below what I listed. 11500, 1217 excellent 11970, 1219 excellent 12230, 1220 good 12980, 1221 excellent 13680, 1221 good 13850, 1222 good 13920, 1222 excellent (Steve Handler, IL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake April 10, before 1300: 12230, very poor at 1240; none in the 14s 12980, very good at 1239 13680, very good at 1238 13850, very good at 1238 13920, very good at 1238 but with ute QRM 13970, very good at 1239 15445, good at 1240 with VOT het on hi side, and QRMing Turkey 15450 Before 1400: 13920, very good at 1358; none in the 12s 13970, very good at 1358 15490, good at 1353 15560, good at 1353 15970, very good at 1354 16100, very poor at 1354; none in the 17s After 1400: 17570, fair at 1429-1430* off with a tone; vs V. of Tibet, Madagascar Firedrake April 11, before 1300: 13680, fair at 1246; none in the 12s, 14s 15435, poor with het on hi side at 1235-1236*. Then I found a het had just hit Turkey 15450, from 15447, no doubt V. of Tibet, Tajikistan, jumping around, but not yet followed by Firedrake 15900, JBA at 1235, but very good at 1249; I wonder what changed? 16100, poor at 1249 16200, JBA at 1249; none in the 17s (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Crash & Bang Chinese Opera Music Jammer, a.k.a. Firedrake, a.k.a. Chinese Opera Music Jammer From 2012 posted logs (various sources); during the UT hours noted. All broadcasts originate from East Jammerstan. Transmissions will typically change frequency and time often, as the jammer's target moves. * Not reported on this frequency during 2011. 7525* 15 7595* 13 9200 02, 09, 12, 13 9315 14 9355 17, 19 9450 14 9455 17, 19 9725 16 9905 16, 17, 19 9930* 14 9935* 14 9980* 14 11500 00, 09, 11, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23 11545 12 11790 18 11945 18, 19 11970* 11, 13, 14, 15 11980 11, 14 12130* 14 12230 00, 02, 11, 12, 13, 14 12300 00, 02, 12, 13, 14 12500 12, 13, 14 12600 00, 11, 12, 13, 14 12650* 12 12670 12, 13, 14 12980 00, 12, 13, 14, 23 13130 02, 11, 12, 13, 14 13670* 12, 18 13680 12, 13, 14, 23 13850 00, 02, 12, 13, 14, 23 13920 02, 09, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23 13970 02, 09, 12, 13, 14, 22 14400 02, 22, 23 14700 00, 11, 12, 13, 22, 23 14950 13, 16, 17, 23 14970 00, 12, 13, 14, 23 15290* 13 15295* 13 15375* 13 15390* 13 15395* 13 15425* 13 15445 12, 14 15450* 12 15455 13 15485* 12, 13 15490* 13 15495 13 15500* 12, 13 15505* 13 15535 13 15540 13 15545 12, 13 15550 12, 13 15555 13 15560 13 15565 13 15570 12, 13 15590* 13 15595* 13 15600* 13 15605* 13, 14 15615* 13, 14 15775 13 15800 00, 09, 14 15870* 01, 12, 13, 14 15900 02, 08, 12, 13 15940* 12, 13 15970 12, 13 16100 00, 12, 13, 22, 23 16120 02 16700 00, 02, 12, 13 16920* 12 16980 00, 02, 12, 13 17250* 12, 13, 14 17450 13 17560 14 17570 14 17730 02 --Updated 10-April-12 (Harold Frodge, MI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. What happened to the way out of band frequencies 7620 and 9170 from China? These were CNR5 and CNR6 respectively, and comparing Aoki B-11 and A-12, the replacements are, still from Beijing 491 site: 7410 at 0900-1705 CNR5 (also 7415 at 2055-2400) 9420 at 0900-1605 CNR6 (also 2155-0100) [not a log but for future reference] Checking out the new inband (or less out-of-band) frequencies for CNR5 and CNR6 as scheduled in my previous report: 9420, April 7 at 1229, instrumental music, YL in Chinese, poor signal but no QRM with voluntary curtailment of Greece --- no CCI, that is, but some second ACI from 9430 FEBC Chinese splash. Could barely make it // weaker 6165, the only other CNR6 SW frequency on at this time; ex-9170. CNR6 service is partly in Hakka and Amoy, but Mandarin now. 7410, April 7 at 1242, Chinese talk, just barely //able to weaker 9410 and 5925, the only other CNR5 frequencies on at this time; ex-7620. 9410 suffers from the WEWN 9390 squishy spur circa 9408. So CNR 5 and 6 are conveniently right next to each other now on 31m. The next thing to check out, if possible as late as 1358-1400 now, is whether the CRI Nepali service from 1400 is still preceded by the REE IS from Spain mistakenly on the Kunming transmitters, as it had been thruout in B-11 and B-10, at least. Now in A-12 the listed frequencies are 7415, 7445 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CONGO. Hi Everyone, From last night 6115, R Congo Brazzaville up to 1826 when ended after song. Previous to that its was two OMs in French. I`ve put as presumed as cannot find ID. If anyone can help with what is being said or if there is a hint of an ID it would be appreciated. http://www.box.com/s/fe751e4cedd3c0584f5b (Mark Davies, Anglesey, Wales, April 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Mark, Definitely African French announcer who possibly says "Radio Congolaise"(?) 31 seconds into your recording. Also similar close time to heard here last Friday (6 April) on 6115 (around 1835 UT) but with no positive ID then (Alan Pennington, Caversham, UK, AOR 7030+ / longwire, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. 17850, again this Sunday April 8 when REE relay extends past 2000, I expect to hear at least some of the octet of spurs captured April 1 from below 17800 to above 17900. But now some of them are blocked by QRDRM from TDP which has just moved to 17870-17875- 17880 to escape CubaRM from 17750 to 17750-17755-17760. At least Cariari is splattering modulation spixe between 17800 and 17900, at no specific frequencies (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. I think you, or some other source, mentioned that Cuban Radio Enciclopedia was missing from 530. Well, this may have been true, but, last night, they were booming in, an excellent signal here in Huntsville, with their "easy listening" music, and ID (Tim Hendel, AL, April 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 530, Radio Rebelde, unknown site, western Cuba. 1840 April 8, 2012. Able to isolate alone this by nulling the big Enciclopedia signal. Weak 620, Radio Rebelde, Colón, Matanzas. 1846 April 8, 2012. Surprised this one is audible with a very tight null on local WDAE, St. Petersburg, their twin towers about 14.5 miles NNE of this reception location. 730, Radio Progreso, la Fe, Isla de la Juventud. 1801 April 8, 2012. Big, sloppy overdriven and somewhat FMing audio phasing cycles on the audio. Excellent, sadly. 850, Radio Reloj, Nueva Gerona, Isla de la Juventud. 1757 April 8, 2012. Fair and running the pleasant Sunday chimes instead of the RR's. Fair. 880, Radio Progreso, Pinar del Río, Pinar del Río. 1755 April 8, 2012. Radio novela in progress, better than 890 parallel. 1060, Radio 26, Jovellanos, Matanzas. 1751 April 8, 2012. Very good with man and woman chatter (Terry Krueger, Sangean PR-D5 from Ft. DeSoto Park, Mullet Key, FL local mid-day, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. QSLs: Publicado por Mauricio Molano, domingo 8 de abril de 2012: CMNL - 1620 kHz - "CMKX Radio Bayamo" - Bayamo, Granma En 1620 kHz es difícil captar otra cosa que no sea alguno de los transmisores que difunden la programación de Radio Rebelde. A mediados del año pasado, nuestros colegas del norte de Europa empezaron a recibir la señal de Radio Bayamo desde un transmisor no incluido en la lista de RadioCuba (del 2009). Me ha resultado un tanto esquivo durante estos meses, hasta que ¡por fin! me llegó al amanecer del pasado día 30. Durante algunos minutos alrededor de las 0600z lo pude escuchar, incluyendo su identificación completa. En 23 horas me ha respondido el Sr. Armando Yero La O, Editor Jefe de la Redacción Digital. A mi pregunta sobre dónde está situado este emisor de Radio Bayamo, me responde: "Nuestro centro transmisor por los 1620 kHz está ubicado en la ciudad de Bayamo, la capital de la provincia oriental de Granma, donde además radica nuestra emisora CMKX Radio Bayamo." Pues ¡una duda resuelta! ¡Muchas gracias D. Armando! Por otra parte, esta es otra emisora con un indicativo histórico y bien unido a ella ("CMKX") que se resiste a cambiar por el nuevo CMNL asignado ya desde hace bastante tiempo. Y es que, practicamente todas las emisoras cubanas han recibido un nuevo indicativo, en el que la tercera letra identifica la provincia. Se los han cambiado, al parecer, sin tener en cuenta razones históricas o el apego que sintieran las emisoras con el de toda la vida. Las emisoras jóvenes abrazan el nuevo sin problemas (no han tenido otro) pero las antiguas se resisten al cambio. web http://www.radiobayamo.icrt.cu/ email reception report to cmkx @ rbayamo.icrt.cu CMKX Radio Bayamo, Paseo General García # 156 Bayamo, Granma, Cuba. CP 85100 Publicado por Mauricio Molano, jueves 15 de marzo de 2012 CMBF - 590 kHz - Radio Musical Nacional - La Julia (CUB) - QSL Hoy he sumado a mi colección de emisoras cubanas a Radio Musical Nacional, una emisora que sólo cuenta con dos transmisores en onda media, los de La Julia en 590 (sirve a La Habana) y Villa Clara en 1140 kHz. Este último figura en la lista de RadioCuba como asignado a Radio Rebelde, pero en la web de Radio Musical Nacional aparece como propio. Capté la señal de los 590 kHz el 21NOV2009, en las condiciones que cualquiera que conozca el estado del dial en España, se puede imaginar: 585 RNE-Madrid y 594 RR desde Portugal. Al segundo intento he recibido una confirmación perfecta de su Jefe de Información, el Sr. Ignacio Cruz Ortega. Muchas gracias. Idcruz @ enet.cu Publicado por Mauricio Molano miércoles 14 de marzo de 2012 Publicado por Mauricio Molano lunes 12 de marzo de 2012 CMIP - 1140 kHz - Radio Surco - Morón, Ciego de Ávila (CUB) - QSL Recibida confirmación por correo-e de esta emisora provincial cubana, después de algún intento infructuoso. Y es que no hay nada como dar con la persona oportuna en cada estación. En Radio Surco, es Caridad Picart Trujillo; una de las periodistas de la emisora y una de las personas más amables y simpáticas que me he encontrado al otro lado de los buzones de correo-e. En pocos minutos me ha enviado un extenso mensaje confirmando la escucha y contándome mil cosas sobre ella, Cuba y la emisora. ¡Muchísimas gracias, Caridad! Si lográis captar la señal de Radio Surco, esta es su dirección de correo-e: isyr @ surco.icrt.cu 73s (Mauricio Molano, Salamanca, ESPANA - SPAIN http://moladx.blogspot.com/ RX site: Aldea del Cano, Cáceres. LAT: 39º17'09.70 N, LONG: 6º19'00 W RX: PERSEUS. ANT: WELLBROOK ALA1530S+ mwdx yg via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** CUBA [and non]. Always anomalies at RHC: 9810, April 6 at 0515, Spanish is still running and colliding with Vatican Radio`s Scandinavian service, but RHC clear after 0520, and still on at final check 0536. I don`t know whether 9810 stayed on until 0600 as in the schedule, unlike all the other frequencies which are off by 0500, including 5040, 6120. Other nights, 9810 has also been off by 0500. Bands above 10 MHz were dead. Before 1400 April 6, 17580 and 17730 are both on; 17580 with CCI, so I monitor 17730 for the frequency announcement, at 1401, after the credit list for `Despertar con Cuba` just ended. It`s not always clear which frequency the times mentioned refers to, but I use the */* method to indicate sign on/off times: ``17730, 17580 -15* 15230, -15*, *13-15* 15340 13780, *13-15* 11760, 11860, 11690 -15*, *13- 11750 -15* 9540, -15*, -13* 9550, 9850 6150, -13*`` Contrary to the above, when I check 17580 at 1403, it`s off, uncovering some S Asian talk, i.e. YFR Bengali via Wertachtal 13-15. Furthermore, 17730 is hit by a SAH at 1400, and weak talk underneath RHC. That`s VOA Tibetan via Lampertheim, GERMANY, also must attract ChiCom jamming. Way to go Arnie! Plenty of open frequencies elsewhere on 16m. 6150 also had heavy QRM from the Taiwan/China radio war. About the worst 49m channel Arnie could have picked to keep. 17750, April 6 at 1938, RHC is still here in French to ``Europe``, VG signal to CNAm 90 degrees off. *1958:45 hit by QRDRM from 17755, The Disco Palace via Guiana French, 2000 RHC IS, opening in Portuguese without any frequency given, but the date. Lacking any reply or action from the bully Arnie Coro, Ludo Maes of TDP tells me he will be shifting the TDP DRM hour to 17875 ASAP. 17875 has been used previously for special DRM broadcasts from GUF, but not currently HFCC registered. Its nearest neighbor will be: 17885 at 1930-2030, BBC Hausa, 250 kW, 55 degrees via Ascension. BTW in the seconds before DRM cut on, I was hearing a weak tone on RHC 17750, both sides of center carrier, not a het; originating from GUF? 11760, April 6 until 2029* RHC in French; on the first Sunday of their new schedule, April 1, it continued after 2030 with Esperanto, but still does not appear as such on schedule; assumed but not for certain to have replaced 2230 on 15370. Need to check both April 8. 9810, April 7 at 0513, RHC is off again, clearing frequency for Vatican in Finnish [Mondays & Saturdays per Aoki]. And RHC 5040, 6120 were also off, presumably around 0500*. Could be that when 9810 stays on later, like last night, it`s a different transmitter operator believing the schedule with -0600 typo in it; or just normal slipshoddiness. 17580, April 7 at 1417, RHC absent, but still on 17730, tho both are supposed to be on until 1500 per own new schedule. Same thing used to happen with ex-13670. 17750, April 7 at 1929, RHC is on with open carrier, allowing 17755 Spain to be heard, and still so at 1933 when French should have started. Next check at 1936, French has started, blasting away REE. TDP DRM from GUF at 20-21 is still on 17750-17755-17760 at 2034 check, heavy noise upon RHC Arabic. TDP`s change to 17870-17875-17880 is ASAP, maybe Monday if not Sunday once it goes thru the bureaucratic chain. 9810, April 8 at 0500, RHC is still on just because `Sonido Cubano` runs a bit late, program outro, an echo apart from 11840. But 11760 has already cut off at 0459*. As 9810 is starting to mix with ScandinaVatican, RHC cuts off after first four notes of IS, and 11840 a few sex later. So it appears the intention is to close all Spanish frequencies around 0500 rather than one hour later on 9810 as in own schedule. More dead air from the Cuban Commies: 15340, April 8 at 1312 OC with hum, but music is on at 1314. At 1321 it`s back to dead air, along with // dead air on 13780. I kept monitoring 15340 and at 1330 sharp, modulation resumed in progress, fortunately in time for first airing of `En Contacto` #15 of 2012y, starting a few sex before 1335 at its new DST timing. 17580 absent again after 1400 April 8 instead of -1500, while 17730 remained on at 1412. Checking RHC April 8: 17750 starting at 1930 to `Europe` is now clear of QRDRM at 20-21, as Ludo Maes has moved `The Disco Palace` via Guiana French from 17755 to 17875; see BELGIUM [non]. Even tho it was Arnie at RHC who caused the problem by picking 17750 for A-12 ex-13640 in B-11, ignoring what was already on 17750-17760. I was listening to RCI most of the hour, but at 2057 found RHC was off 17750; antenna change? 2058, sign-on announcement on 17705 for the 21-23 broadcast: 17705 for N/C/SAm; 9710 Antillas; 9810 CAm; 11840 & 17705 SAm; 17750 Europe; tropical 5040. Once this was done, checked 17750 again at 2100 and it`s back on. Already from 2057 on 17745 the RRI IS, adjacent in Spanish at 21-22, 300 kW, 247 degrees from Tiganeshti to CIRAF 14 = northern Argentina, and parts of all neighboring countries; why only parts? Only ITU knows. They need not be adjacent with all the empty 16m channels. At 2102, tried 11840 and heard dead air, then fading in RHC Spanish audio, while BaBcoCk music was playing! Zero-beat so sounded like from same transmitter, but must have been CCI from another. Both were still heard at 2113 [see VIETNAM [non]]. At 2105, RHC was on 9810, but missing from 9710. At 2112, 9710 now with open carrier and hum, maybe about to modulate? Meanwhile I look for harmonix of these, after having heard the CRI relay in the morning on 19140 = 2 x 9570. At 2111 I get a JBA carrier on 19620, maybe 2 x 9810; at 2112, also a JBA carrier on 19420, maybe 2 x 9710. Will need a bit more signal to be sure of these, like by matching // audio. At 2113, nothing on 23680 = 2 x 11840. Esperanto? Back at 2037 a quick check of 11760 found it off the air, unlike last Sunday when they were playing Esperanto from 2030. So is it still at 2230 on 15370? Yes, confirmed, opening with schedule including a `new time`, but I wasn`t taping to be sure I heard the numbers correctly. The latest 8 April audio is already available: http://www.radiohc.cu/eo/audio/mp3/Esperanto-08-04-12.mp3 And they are still announcing, Sundays UT: N/C/SAm 1500 11760 San Francisco, Usono: 0700 6010 SAm 2230 15370 ``nova horo`` But it`s *not* a new time; would have been if they kept 2030 on 11760! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 19140, April 8 at 1320, CRI English reaching S9+5 and readable, = 2 x 9570. Don`t think I`ve ever heard this particular harmonic before; no 2 x RHC found elsewhere above 18 MHz. Searching DXLD, there is one hit on 19140, in http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld8026.txt when ITU monitoring station in France was hearing an unID here during the CRI hours, 12-14 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. Chance for CRI to stop screwing up RA While I am saddened by the fact that Sackville will be leaving us this year, it also means many frequencies will be opened up. Readers to DXLD will know I have been complaining for some time about the Cuban mess that emanates from 9570 12-14 UT relaying CRI. It ruins reception here of RA's long time 9580 and 9560. Heck, sometimes it does a number on 9590 too. At times they have gotten the problem under control but lately it has been as bad as ever. Should RCI shut down, this would free up 9625 and especially 9650. If this comes to pass, CRI PLEASE CONSIDER USING ONE OF THESE FREQUENICIES INSTEAD OF 9570 kHz (Andy Reid, Ont., April 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS. 5925 NF, Cyprus Broadcasting Corp, 2215-2220, ex-6135. Open carrier on at 2215 and off at approximately 2220. Open carrier only. No programming heard. Same heard on // 7220, 9760. April 7. (Brian Alexander, PA, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX Listening Digest) Re CBC-CYBC weekend shortwave transmission "Radiofoniko Idrima Kyprou" Fri/Sat/Sun only at 2210-2245 UT on 5925 7220 9760 kHz missed, since March 25th? YES sure, I noted also that cutting after 5 minutes CARRIER ONLY outlet during few last weeks now! Has something to do with connection to new CONTROL ROOM location by Babcock - out of Bush House London?? Maybe they never connected CYBC audio feed line via new Babcock control room to Zyyi-Cyprus relay site in recent weeks? Some DXer sent this information: There has been some money problems here at station CYBC 1st program by the radio and TV workers. Sometimes in dispute for their money issues the TV news was PURPOSELY delayed by 10 minutes and music was played. Now the wages have been promised, but no one knows for how long. Then last Wednesday {April 4th} we had no electricity for 6 hours. Please send them a letter with your questions. I haven't a answer from them for my request for more English in the CYBC service over the weekends (Wolfgang Büschel, April 8, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) ** DJIBOUTI. 4780, Radio Djibouti, *0318-0335, abrupt sign on with Arabic talk. Indigenous vocals. Poor to fair. April 8 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** EAST TURKISTAN [and non]. 13670, April 9 at 1350 Chinese opera with music, then spoken-only drama, fair signal with flutter. Certainly not CNR1, audible on countless jamming frequencies; eventually found equally fair // on 9855 at 1354. Both are in Aoki as CRI Chinese service, 13670 from Kashgar, and 9855 from Beijing site. 15445 strong // weaker 15665, April 10 at 0454, with CRI Russian, both off before 0500. Unlike many nightmiddles recently, 19m was hopping with signals from Asia, Pacific, Africa at least. Since K index at 03 was 3, and solar flux only 95, I was not expected anything. By 0600, K was down to 2. Both of these were, you guessed it, 308 degrees from Kashgar (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. Amigos. A seção portuguesa da Rádio Cairo está com um link de rádio online através do facebook. No momento é experimental, mas solicito aos amigos que acompanhem a programação e enviem seus comentários. Em breve o programa estará disponível no mesmo horário das transmissões. Contribuam para que a Rádio Cairo chegue bem até nós também através do rádio. Segue o link: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=268661506557823&oid=211335278967585&saved 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, April 9, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi everyone, Radio Cairo in English with better than usual modulation tonight; could still be a little stronger but, it's enough to understand tonight. Better than the distorted audio of a couple weeks ago. English program just starting on 9315 at 0200 UT (Gilles Letourneau, Montreal, Canada, UT April 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 5005, R. Nacional, Bata in unID language and presumed Spanish, 1852-1948 afropop with M unclear announcement at 1856; unclear talk presumed by man (1902-1903:39); afropop songs with unclear brief talking at times; long mostly unclear talk; from 1932 afropop with brief talks at times; at 1940 M unclear talk in possible Spanish and continuing music program (pop song and afropop); heard better in LSB with Nir 12, RX inter audio filter & notch filter to muffle strong RTTY; strong statics crackles; improving audio after 1930; very poor/ poor. April 3 (Giovanni Serra, Roma, Italy. Equipment: JRC NRD 525; Alpha Delta DX- SWL Sloper-S; RG 8 mini coaxial cable; JPS NIR 12 Noise & Interference Reducer-Dual DSP outboard audio filter; Intek PS-35 5 ampere feeder; JRC – NVA 319 external loudspeaker unit; Yaesu YH – 77 STA stereo headphones; Zoom Corp. H2 handy digital recorder MP3 & WAV files; Oregon Scientific Radio controlled clock; Toshiba Laptop PC Windows XP2 offline (for loggings); Interkart framed wall board political world map (1: 46,400,000); the DX Edge-Xantek Inc. (daylight-darkness desk world map), WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5005, Radio Nac - Bata, No sign of Equatorial Guinea tonight during frequent checks between 0445-0620. April 8 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 15190, April 6 at 1940, American English sermon, flutter, and frequency wavers slightly, hard to zero-beat; is it Doppler or transmitted that way? 1953 outro `Let the Bible Speak`, mailing address repeated in US but couldn`t tell where, ``till the same time next week``; no 5-minute pause this time but 1955 right into next show! opening with small female group singing ``Jesus Saves``, and `Gospel Tidings` to endure 30 minutes. 15190, April 7 at 1929, no signal from R. Africa, an hour when it is usually active (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190, Radio Africa. 1737 April 9, 2012. Presumed the one, low modulation with English man and woman gospel talk. Difficult copy with low modulation and local hash noise (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL QTH with NRD-535, ICOM IC-R75 and Sangean PR-D5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190, April 10 at 2048, R. Africa is on with American gospel huxter: sounds rather like ``Tony Alámo``, whom others have reported reactivated here despite serving 175 years in prison, convicted of child sexual abuse, etc.; but I`m not sure it`s him at this time. Usual ACI from 15195 YFR Ascension during this hour, worst during music. Rechecked shortly after 2100, 15190 was gone. 15190, April 11 at 1853, R. Africa, with YL gospel huxter, and CCI making a SAH --- likely Philippines which is also on 15190 at 1730- 1930, but not usually audible here. Still the same at 1901. By next check 1953, guess who? Tony Alámo! The arrested, tried, convicted, sentenced and imprisoned for 175 years child molester. It`s been a while since we`ve heard him on SW, dropped even by WWCR, but only once he was convicted. I believe he was still on R. Africa when it went silent over a year ago. Other listeners have also been reporting him again on this station at other times. We remember his low-key ramblings, belying his monstrosity. Soon became clear his talk was in the form of a prayer, mentioning residing in Valencia near Los Angeles, and then his favorite subject, reminding Him that of course it`s wrong to have sexual relations with children - -- unless you marry them! So says the Bible. Amens by some YL-sounding psychophants/wives. 1958 into a solo hymn, and holding its own against YFR/Ascension 15195 ACI from just before *2000. At 2002 Alamo continues, unknown for how long as that was all I could take, tho reception today unfortunately attained R5 completely readable level. Presumably they dredge up old recordings to perpetuate him, not dead yet (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA. 7175, Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea - program 2, *0256-0310, sign on with IS. Vernacular talk at 0300. Horn of Africa music. Poor to fair with HAM QRM. April 7. 7205, Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea - program 1, *0256-0310, sign on with IS. Vernacular talk at 0301. Horn of Africa music. Fair to good. April 7 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. MOLDOVA, 17870, Radio Xoriyo via Grigoriopol Maiac- MDA, 17870 in Somali at 1600 to 1630 UT, April 2. Men talking and Horn-of-Africa music, mostly on what sounded like an accordion, with two Radio Xoriyo IDs at 1609:30 UT. Good signal (Wendel Craighead, KS- USA, DXplorer April 5 via BC-DX April1 11 via DXLD) ** EUROPE. PIRATE. 6295, Radio Spaceman, 2315-2330+, pop music. Country music. ID. Weak, but fair on peaks. April 6. PIRATE. 6295, Radio Spaceman, 2315-0043*, wide variety of pop music, country music, dance music, rock music, local folk music. Mentioned from The Netherlands. Shoutouts. IDs. Fair to good signal. April 6-7 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) PIRATE. 6305, 2300-2315+, pop music. Rock music. ID. Weak in noisy conditions. Fair on peaks. April 7 PIRATE. 6305, Radio Spaceman, 2300-2320, pop music. Rock music. ID. Weak in noisy conditions. Fair on peaks. April 7 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) PIRATE. 6290, Radio Spaceman, 2305-2310+ PIRATE. 6300, Crazy Wave Radio, 2245-2310+ Both stations weak but readable. Fair on peaks. April 8. PIRATE. 6290, Radio Spaceman, 2305-0015, pop music. Rock music. ID. Shoutouts. Weak but readable. Fair on peaks. April 8-9 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 6290, EUROPIRATE, Spaceman Radio. 0142 April 9, 2012. Beatles block with “Yellow Submarine,” “Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds,” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand” then accented male with Spaceman Radio ID 0205, Dire Straits “Sultans Of Swing” with DJ IDing and talking atop the song. Fair-good. (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL QTH with NRD-535, ICOM IC-R75 and Sangean PR-D5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. PIRATE. 6300, Crazy Wave Radio, 2245-0015, pop music. Oldies pop music. Rock music. Pop music by Tina Turner - Proud Mary and Dionne Warwick - That’s What Friends Are For. IDs. Weak but readable. Fair on peaks. Improved to a surprisingly good signal by 2340. April 8-9 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 6300, EUROPIRATE, Crazy Wave Radio. 0125-0321 April 9, 2012. Excellent copy with great, obscure 60's pop and rock, frequent IDs by male DJ, email shortwave @ gmx.de (received a reply from Andy (& Chris Ise) at 1111 GMT, thanking me for my reception report while they were on air). Big Ben chimes, a track by Scaffold (“... half brother of Paul McCartney, Mike McGear... from 1974...”). Yeah, I have this album, EMI, UK pressing, cutout (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL QTH with NRD-535, ICOM IC-R75 and Sangean PR-D5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. 6775, presumed Serbian pirate with only Slavic dance music 1659 till 1710 and again retune 1735 and 1830 3 April. Didn`t find any frequency on 1600-1800, 2x242 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, ICOM R75 / 2x16 V / m@h40 heads Sennheiser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As in possible fourth harmonic ** FALKLAND ISLANDS. FIRS en 530 kHz --- Debido a que por lo menos ayer de madrugada La Voz de Las Madres, Buenos Aires, seguía inactiva, pude escuchar a la Falkland Islands Radio Service, Port Stanley, Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas, con señal estable y poco QSB o ninguno. Relay constante del Servicio Mundial de la BBC, sin identificación local. La señal decayó después de 0600 UT y no pude llegar a escuchar la programación propia, que según el sitio web de la emisora http://www.firs.co.fk/ dice empezar a las 0800. http://youtu.be/--ubwnrlOJI 73 de CX2ABP (Rodolfo Tizzi, Uruguay, April 8, condiglist yg via DXLD) Excelente, Rodolfo; era habitual escucharla en Neuquén, hasta que LU5 en 600 kHz se puso a emitir espúreas y nos barre desde 450 hasta 750 kHz. También la escuhamos muy bien en la provincia de Buenos Aires en el Irene dxcamp (búscalo en youtube) usando una antena K9AY, la cual le configuramos el nulo para evitar la Radio de las Madres. La que es realmente difícil es la otra de Malvinas, la de 550 kHz, dado que Colonia es muy fuerte en la misma frecuencia. También logramos escuchar la 530 de Malvinas de día con muy baja señal en el Irene dxcamp (para tu ubicación cerca de Tres Arroyos) usando la K9AY y un phaser para sacar la parte residual de la Radio de las Madres que entraba, teniendo en cuenta que desde la panza sur de la provincia de Buenos Aires, la mayor parte del camino es por mar y eso ayuda mucho. Felicitacines, Rodolfo por la escucha! (Jose A. Kucher, Argentina, ibid.) Muy buenas captaciones, Rodolfo! E interesante esto de las acampadas DX de los colegas del otro lado "del charco" [sic]. Ninguno de los que hemos reportado a la emisora de Malvinas en 530 kHz la hemos escuchado con programación diferente a la que retransmiten del BBCWS. En cuanto a los 550 kHz, como bien señala José, es una frecuencia casi imposible, dado la excelente recepción de CW1. No obstante ello, alejándose de Colonia [Uruguay], se ha reportado a la emisora de las Islas Turcos y Caicos en los 555 kHz. Enviado desde mi BlackBerry de Personal (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, ibid.) Revisando unos registros del 2009 confirmo que pude escuchar FIRS con programación propia estando en Cuchilla Alta el 1 de mayo de ese año a eso de 2218 UT (bastante temprano para lo habitual). Según mi registro se identificaron como "Falklands Radio". Sé que tengo grabaciones en alguna parte; cuando las encuentre, las subo. [luego] Aquí va el link a una porción del audio escuchado el 1 de mayo de 2009 en 530 kHz a las 2218 UT. Aparentemente se escucha programación de BBC, a los 20 segundos se corta y se escucha ID "Falklands Radio" seguido por lo que parece ser un informe meteorológico. Indica la hora como "18 minutes past 6" lo cual correspondería a UT -4. Lo que se escucha de fondo seguramente es La Voz de las Madres. http://www.goear.com/listen/d8dc780/falklands-radio-530-khz-01052009-falklands-radio Saludos, 73, (Moisés Knochen, Montevideo, Uruguay, ibid.) ** FINLAND. 11720, SW Radio, 2135 with OM saying Scandinavian Weekend Radio, man aaking in a rock songs (mentioning Tom Jones), 2144 ID again. Somehow overmodded, S7, 34444 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, ICOM R75 / 2x16 V / m@h40 heads Sennheiser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sabato 7 aprile 2012 0532 - 11690 kHz, SCANDINAVIAN WEEKEND RADIO - Virrat (Finlandia), Finlandese, musica dance e IDs OM. Segnale sufficiente-insufficiente, Solo il 1 sabato del mese (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) 5980, 0550-0600 Sat 07.04, Scandinavian Weekend R, Virrat, (0.1 kW) Finnish songs, 35333. No other frequencies heard here at this hour 6170, 0930-0940 Sat 07.04 Scandinavian Weekend R, Virrat, Finnish ann, pop music, 25212, deep fades, // 11720 AP-DNK 11720, 0930-0940 Sat 07.04, Scandinavian Weekend R, Virrat, Finnish ann, pop music 15211 // 6170. Best 73, (Anker Petersen in Skvolunde, Denmark, loggings on the AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 11720, SWRadio, 2135 6 April with OM saying Scandinavian Weekend Radio, man aaking [?sic] in a rock songs (mentioning Tom Jones), 2144 ID again. Somehow overmodded, S7, 34444 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE [non]. All the lists have France from GUF going off 21690 at 2000, but they're staying on to 2200. You have any info as to if it's stiff GUF past 2000? (Harold Frodge, MI, 2225 UT April 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No, but I`d say it`s very likely. Seems we need to monitor at 2000 whether there is any break or change in strength (Glenn to Harold, via DXLD) That is my next project; wasn't here at that time yesterday or today (Frodge, April 9, ibid.) FRENCH GUIANA: 21690, Radio France International; 1939...2157*, 6, 7, 9, 10-Apr; 2042-2047+, 6-Apr; Peppy M in French with French & English pop tunes, mentioning Gabon & Côte D'Ivoire. SIO=2+53. Hoped to catch an ID the next day, but they went off abruptly at 2157. 2047-2101+, 9- Apr; Finally caught an ID. Chit-chatty M&W in French withy wide variety of tunes; Afro, Cajun, English & French pop. B.P. addy & International Radio (du?) France [France is feminine --- gh] after ToH into French news. SIO=353-. 1939-2002+, 10-Apr; French feature on Mali with remote interviews; 1959+ promos & B.P. addy into French news. All the lists show them going off at 2000 from French Guiana, including EiBi's 4-9 & Aoki's 4-10 updates. No noticeable change in sig strength or quality at 2000, so assume still from French Guiana (Harold Frodge, MI, April 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 21690, April 10 at 2036, RFI is still running past A-12 registered 2000* via GUIANA FRENCH, with music; at 2100 into `Journal en français facile`, starting with Syrie, Santorum: clearly enunciated `easy French` news, but not as slow as VOA`s Spe-cial Eng-lish. Maybe the vocabulary is simplified too? Not sure, but I had little trouble following it. Tnx to Harold Frodge who had been noticing this frequency on late. Last summer A-11 they were registered and running until 2200. He has been hearing it until 2157*. After 2100 I found it started having some deep fades. Presumed still this relay site for extension. He also heard nothing change at 2000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GEORGIA. Re: ``[ABKHAZIA] ARMENIA, 1350, Radio Republic Abkhazia ("Apsua Radio" in Russian and Abkhazian) on 1350 kHz was noted 15 March with news in Abkhazian followed by local songs. It disappeared at 0430 UT and then V. of Russia via Armenia was heard in Turkish (with ID and old pop songs in English) until 0500 UT, IS and ID in Russian and close down at 0501 UT. In the afternoons, Renovira[*-see below -] is audible until 1615-1625 UT (most likely a local FM station in Sukhumi broadcasting only in Russian and announcing 107.9 MHz, which is listed for Radio Soma in WRTH 2012). No rumbling sound from two transmitters, if one is on odd frequency (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, 17 March, MW Report, April BrDXC-UK Communication magazine via dxld)`` Victor Rutkovsky showed that on 101.9 MHz at Sukhumi. * Radio Rio Rita - relay, FM station at Sukhumi, started on 18 May 2010. That's a 'private radio relay' via MW 1350 kHz. vy73 Wolfy wwdxc (Wolfgang Büschel, April 7, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) GEORGIA [Abkhazia], 1350: About the station broadcasting in Feb & Mar on MW 1350 and heard by me as radio Reunion or Renovira etc. I got a message from Radio Soma, Soukhumi that they are on FM 107.9 and on 101.9 is Radio Rio-Ritha. But from March 31st in times between 1500 and 1700 UT it was replaced by Avtoradio Soukhumi, which is known from 9535 kHz. In Apr 1-5 on 1350 kHz was observed: till 1500 UT V of Russia in Turkish, from 1500 Avtoradio on same tx irr (on Apr 2 till 1702 UT, on Apr 3 till 1625 UT) till 1657 UT. By the way, Mauno Ritola is absolutely right - the tx in Abkhazia is on odd frequency cause at 1655 UT when is its s/on the strong rumbling sound there is. At 1700 is IS of Apsua Radio and news in Abkhazian usually until close/down at 1720 UT. On Mar 30 on 9535 kHz at 0700- 0740 UT was heard only Avtoradio in Russian, but OM Apr 2 & 6 at 0700- 0800 UT Apsua Radio in Abkhazian only. Great thanks to Wolfgang, Mauno, Victor and radio Soma who help me to find the real name of the {1350 Sukhumi} station {program}! (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, April 9, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Next MW transmitter demolished: Rodgau-Weiskirchen The two antenna masts of the Rodgau-Weiskirchen 594 kHz transmitter have been demolished today at 12:30 local time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He-XBjXb008 The transmitter was off since 1 Jan 2010, 00:05 local time. Due to a programming change it so happened that the last thing ever heard from Weiskirchen was the introduction of ARD-Nachtkonzert, a programme that has to my knowledge never been regularly transmited on mediumwave. http://home.arcor.de/maximilian.bux/rww/594_kHz_HR-Info_31_12_09_Abschaltung.mp3 -----Original Message----- Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:49:17 +0200 Subject: [A-DX] Sprengung HR Sender Weiskirchen From: Wolfgang Thiele To: liste@a-dx.at Hallo allerseits, die Offenbach-Post aus der der gleichnamigen hessischen Metropole berichtet über die für heute angesetzte Sprengung des Mittelwellensenders (die 594 kHz) des Hessischen Rundfunks in Weiskirchen: oder: http://is.gd/K9sF1R Mittlerweile hat die Sprengung tatsächlich stattgefunden, der entsprechende Wikipedia-Artikel wurde aktualisiert: Zitat: "Am Mittwoch, dem 11. April 2012, wurden um 12:30 Uhr die Spannseile der Antennen durch Sprengungen gekappt. Dadurch fielen die beiden Masten, welche das Landschaftsbild Jahrzehnte lang prägten, kontrolliert ihrem endgültigen Ende entgegen." Gruß, Wolfgang Thiele ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- - Diese Mail wurde ueber die A-DX Mailing-Liste gesendet. Admin: Christoph Ratzer, OE2CRM http://www.ratzer.at ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- - Private Verwendung der A-DX Meldungen fuer Hobbyzwecke ist gestattet, jede kommerzielle Verwendung bedarf der Zustimmung des A-DX Listenbetreibers (via Kai Ludwig, shortwave[sic]sites yg via DXLD) ** GERMANY. 6085, 3/4 0650 Pur Radio 1, via Kall, Germany, nice no stop songs (at 0652 Adele with "Make you feel your love", then the old Bronski Beat's "Smalltown boy"), 2 minutes news at 0700, many ids at 0703, fair. See also BELARUS [non] 6150, 3/4 0710, Radio Seagull, reported via Kall, Germany, songs, also at 0714 "Gold on the ceiling" by The Black Keys, some ids also in English, fair with fading (Giampiero Bernardini, in Bocca di Magra, Italy, with Dario Monferini, Few images on http://radiodxsw.blogspot.it/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Sabato 7 aprile 2012. 1629 - 6005 kHz, R. FREUNDES DIENST - Kall Krekel (Germania). Tedesco, riflessioni bibliche OM. Segnale sufficiente-insufficiente. Co-ch VOIRI Farsi e leggero battimento con Echo of Hope 6003 kHz (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) ** GERMANY. HH Lokalradio, Saxionia [sic], MV Baltic and Atlantic 2000 are on the air this weekend [April 8-9] Station Name UT Time Slots Channels station emails Sunday: HH Lokalradio 0700 to 0800 7265 m.kittner @ freenet.de Radio Saxionia 0800 to 0900 9480 radiosaxonia @ web.de MV Baltic Radio 0900 to 1000 9480 info @ mvbalticradio.de Atlantic 2000 1000 to 1100 9480 atlantic2000international@gmail.com Radio Saxionia 1100 to 1200 9480 radiosaxonia @ web.de HH Lokalradio 1200 onwards 7265 m.kittner @ freenet.de Monday: Radio Saxionia 0800 to 0900 9480 radiosaxonia @ web.de All stations are relayed via MV Baltic Radio from Göhren in Germany. Good Listening 73s (Tom Taylor, April 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Heute April 8th um 1100-1115 UT Situation im 49 mb hier in Stuttgart. Intermodulationen an den suedlichen Quadrant-Antennen in Wertachtal. 5945 / 6095 Differenz 150 kHz, der 250 kW Sender Wertachtal, S=9+35dB. 5795 Programm von 6095 kHz, "Mighty KBC Radio" pop mx. 6245 Programm von 5945 kHz, "Missionswerk Arche", S=6-7, staerker als 5795. Programm vom Suendenfall und Teufel. 6004.998, R 700 Kall Eifel schwindsuechtig duennes S=4-5 minus 105dB Signal auf dem Perseus Browser. 6150, Radio 6150, S=9+15dB, ein hit wonder um 1116 UT, "I can't wait" aus 1986. 6189.990, DLF Berlin Britz, wie ueblich gutes S=9+35 dB mindestens Signal im Suedwesten. Gleiche Staerke wie WER 6095 kHz. (Wolfgang Büschel, April 8, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) 7265, Hamburger Lokal Radio, *0700-0800*, 08-04, male, German, identification: "Hamburger Lokal Radio", songs, male and female comments. 34433. (Méndez) 9480, Radio Saxonia, *0800-0900*, 08-04, music, identification in German and English, pop music and comments in German. 34433. (Méndez) 9480, MV Baltic Radio, *0900-0920, 08-04, tuning music, identification en English and German: "MV Baltic Radio", comments in German and pop music. 34433. (Méndez) 9480, Atlantic 2000, *1000-1015, 08-04, identification in various languages: "Atlantic 2000 International", comments in French, music. 34333. (Méndez) 9480, Radio Saxonia, *1100-1105, 08-04, music, identification in German and English, pop music. 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Lugo, Sony ICF SW 7600 G, cable antenna, 10 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. 3995, Radio 700, Kall. 0058 April 9, 2012. Presume the 1 kW source with definite German male talk, way too weak for any ID, somewhat low modulation. Slight ARO interference (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL QTH with NRD-535, ICOM IC-R75 and Sangean PR-D5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. 3995, 0315-0325 10.04, R 700, Kall-Krekel German songs - All Night Service! 45444 AP-DNK 7265, 1110-1225 Sunday 08.04, Hamburger Lokalradio, Göhren (1 kW) German songs and talk about radioactive isotops 45344 Audible in AM and USB (best), but not in LSB! Also heard at 0945-1050 Monday 09.04 German conversation about democracy 45444 AP-DNK 9480, 1110-1120 Sunday 08.04, R Saxonia, Göhren (1 kW) German talk, 15121, best in USB (Anker Petersen in Skvolunde, Denmark, loggings on the AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Weitere Details zu Radio 700 unter Die Ausstrahlung wird ermoeglicht durch den grossartigen Radio 700 Kurzwellendienst: (hier werden auch eventuelle Aenderungen im Sendeplan bekanntgegeben) The sixth edition of NordAM will be broadcasted next Saturday 14 April 2012 1400-1500 UT 6005 kHz 2000-2100 UT 3995 kHz [WORLD OF RADIO 1612] We use Radio 700's transmitters in Kall-Krekel, Germany (with 1000 Watts). Furthermore, we can be heard on Radio 700's online live streaming. Just go to and select the frequency we are currently broadcasting on. These streams and frequencies normally carry the broadcasts of Radio 700. Once again, we will bring you some current (Indie) pop and rock music from all over the world and hope to bring you 60 minutes of entertainment and joy. Furthermore, we have a short listener's mailbox-program and invite you to send us again your comments and reception reports. Detailed and correct reports will be verified with our new QSL card (by regular mail or email). Please send all your letters and reports to: We would like to thank all listeners for writing and sending reports regarding our previous transmission. Some of you may not have received our QSL yet, but your reception reports are not forgotten. We simply run out of QSL cards and have to design & print some new ones. But be sure that everyone who sends in a correct and detailed report will get his or her deserved QSL. ;-) Of course we are also glad to hear from you what you think about our choice of music or if you have any advice for us regarding new bands etc. [frequencies, or music groups?] We are excited to read where our little "student-radio-project" can be received. Feel free to forward these information to your DXing friends. Let's meet in the 49 and 75 metre-band next Saturday! All the best, Torben & Daniel P.S: More details about Radio 700: Our transmission is made possible thanks to (see this page for technical details and schedule updates!). (BC-DX April 11 via DXLD) ** GERMANY [non]. 9850, April 11 at 0514, DW English via RWANDA, weaker than // 9800, the difference being that 9850 is 250 kW non- direxional, and 9800 is 250 kW at 295 degrees USward. 9850 also has a weak SAH [subaudible heterodyne = regular fading caused by beat between slightly different frequencies] from CCI [which means co- channel interference, i.e. almost the same frequency, while ACI means adjacent channel QRM, 5 kHz away on SW]. HFCC shows also on 9850 at this time are the XIN site of CNR in Tibetan, and the CK2 site of Vietnam, each 50 kW. HFCC key to site abbr`s, saved from last July shows: CK2 Xuanmai VTN 20N43 105E33 [why the number 2 in it? unusual] XIN Xining CHN 36N38 101E36 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. Please notice that Natasa has changed the item to North America that was on the Excel Schedule as 00.00-03.00 to 00.00-02.00 which now agrees with Voice of Greece's sign-off time. John Babbis http://www.ert.gr/voiceofgreece/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=59&Itemid=161 FREQUENCIES Written by NATASA VISSARIONOS "THE VOICE OF GREECE" Period from 25.03.12 to 28.10.12 The listed times are Universal Time - UTC FOR EUROPE: 0000-0200 9420 and 7475 1400-1900 9420 1900-2400 9420 and 15630 TO Tashkent: 1400-1600 9420 TO: Middle East-INDIAN OCEAN-AUSTRALIA: 1400-1900 15650 0100-0200 15650 TO ATLANTIC OCEAN: 0000-0100 15650 and 7475 0100-0200 9420 and 7475 1900-2400 9420 and 15630 TO South America, PANAMA ZONE & South Atlantic: 2000-2400 15630 FOR S AMERICA-South Atlantic: 2300-0100 15650 TO N AMERICA: 0000-0200 9420 and 7475 2300-2400 9420 and 15630 CONTACT: ERT. SA "THE VOICE OF GREECE", MESOGEION 432, 15342 Agia Paraskevi, ATTICA TEL: (+30) 6895-96 210 606 (+30) -210 to 606 6297-98 Fax (+30) -210 606 6309 Email: era5@ert.gr --- e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need Javascript enabled to view it. (via John Babbis, April 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE [and non]. Free Speech Debate declares we must be free and able to express ourselves, and to receive and impart information and ideas, regardless of frontiers. We defend the internet and all other forms of communication against illegitimate encroachments by kleptocrats. We require and create open, diverse media so we can make well-informed decisions and participate fully in political life. We allow no taboos in the discussion and dissemination of knowledge. Reporters Without Borders has mixed feelings about yesterday's supreme court decision of Rwanda to significantly reduce the long jail sentences being served by two journalists and bloggers, Agnes Uwimana Nkusi, the editor of the privately-owned bimonthly Umurabyo, and Saidat Mukakibibi, one of her reporters, who have been held since July 2010 on charges of inciting civil disobedience, causing divisions and denying the 1994 genocide of the Tutsis. The freakish governments of Rwanda and Greece use charge stacking to persecute dissident bloggers. Charge stacking is the ability to charge a large number of overlapping crimes for a single course of conduct. Combining crimes enables prosecutors to get convictions in cases where there is no misconduct at all. By stacking enough charges, including treason, prosecutors jack up the threat value of a trial against a dissident blogger, even if the government's case is very weak. Charge stacking is terror. The disgusting governments of Rwanda and Greece cannot terrorize the people... [includes a poem, Jailbird for a Night] http://venitism.blogspot.com (Basil Venitis, via bounceoff via Drita Çiço, Albania, DXLD) ** GUIANA FRENCH. 17875, April 11 at 2005, TDP DRM today is very strong, and I can hear the DRM noise gradually diminishing out to 25, maybe 30 kHz above and below, impeded only by AM from REE COSTA RICA 17850 which was still on (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HUNGARY [and non]. "WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO FOMENT UNREST IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY?" A media guide (updated with RFE/RL response). Posted: 10 Apr 2012 Slate, 5 Apr 2012, Brian Palmer: "Iran is often accused of instigating, fomenting, or stirring up violence and anti-Americanism in other countries. How, exactly, does a government go about fomenting violence? With a mixture of videotapes, audio cassettes, and explosives. When U.S. missiles kill Afghan civilians, or U.S. forces commit an affront to Islam, Iran seeks to broadcast the news among the local population. Agents quickly generate and disseminate pieces of audio and video propaganda decrying the indignity and urging civilians to rise up against American forces. Some of these go beyond mere exhortations to violence. In Iraq, U.S. agents claim to have intercepted Iranian-produced tapes that included directions to Iranian-stocked weapons caches and instructions on how to build explosively formed projectiles capable of penetrating U.S. armored vehicles. The tapes are also said to provide detailed descriptions of routes frequented by U.S. troops. The government in Tehran, for its part, denies meddling in Afghanistan or other countries. And the White House says it makes no effort to foment rebellion in Iran, although the United States does acknowledge broadcasting its own take on world and Iranian news into the country via Voice of America radio and television. ... In the past, the U.S. government has tried to foment rebellions abroad by promising financial or military support, or offering tactical advice to local malcontents. In 1956, an American colonel speaking on Radio Free Europe assured Hungarians that the U.S. military would support a rebellion, and a subsequent program offered tips on anti- tank tactics. The CIA-initiated Radio Swan, which broadcast from an island near Cuba beginning in 1960, mixed anti-Castro speeches, exhortations to defect from the military, and pop music. The station also broadcast coded messages to fighters in the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion." Update: Response to Slate from from Martins Zvaners, deputy director of communications, RFE/RL, Inc.: "Concerning Radio Free Europe and the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, to which you refer in today's Explainer -- the tapes of all of the Hungarian Service broadcasts from that time were preserved by chance by the German government. These tapes, along with the findings of several internal and external investigations, refute the charges that RFE incited the revolution, promised Western military assistance, or provoked the Soviet crackdown. What RFE’s programs were most guilty of, according to researcher and former RFE executive Ross Johnson, was 'project[ing] to Hungary the sympathy and moral and humanitarian support of the Western world. In the context of the revolution, this reporting--with few exceptions both accurate and journalistically responsible--inadvertently became a source of false hope.' To read Johnson's "Hoover Review" article on RFE's performance during the Hungarian Revolution, visit http://bit.ly/I9vbQt Johnson examines the issue in more depth in his December 2010 book, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty: The CIA Years and Beyond, while Arch Puddington discussed the question in his May 2000 book, Broadcasting Freedom: The Cold War Triumph of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. (see http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=13068 for linx, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** INDIA. 11735, Very broadband 11 kHz bandwidth signal from AIR Bangalore 500 kW beast in Dari language service at 0308 UT April 10, S=9+10dB here in Germany (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 9526-, April 6 at 1302, VOI English hour this season has lucked into a time when there is no ACI or CCI, but it`s still a loss for lack of modulation. Tho reading S9+22, in program summary, 1302 news, it`s not really readable with the sounds of fading louder than the modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [and non]. Glenn, Several other Titanic special event stations at this link: http://coastradio.intco.biz/maritime/ships/titanic/Titanic-2012.htm FORT PERCH ROCK MARINE RADIO MUSEUM has been given the special callsign of GB100MGY for the 100th anniversary of Titanic's sinking and will be on air from April 6th till April 26th on all amateur bands. Operations will include the 501-to 504khz band using 502kHz between 12th to 18th april 2012. For those who cannot transmit in the 500kHz band, GB100MGY will also be listening on 3566kHz (or 7066kHz if conditions require) for crossband replies. The station will particularly be on 502 khz overnight on the evening/morning of 14th/15th April marking precisely the 100 years since Titanic sent her CQD and SOS signals around the 500kc/s frequency More information about the museum can be found at http://www.fortperchrockmarineradiomuseum.co.uk (Brock Whaley, Afghanistan, April 6, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BBC - Titanic anniversary The BBC's Journey to the bottom of the ocean features a video showing the remains of the radio room in the wreck of the Titanic. See Journey to the bottom of the ocean at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17511820 How radio ham Artie Moore heard SOS http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17582767 'I was there' - an interview with surviving Titanic officer first broadcast November 1, 1936 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17651478 Direct link to BBC archive http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/titanic/5047.shtml Belfast skies light up in Titanic show http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17649916 (via Southgate via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** IRELAND. 6295, Reflections Europe, IRL, 1532-..., 08/4, English, religious propaganda programs; 35432. // 12255. How does this station, a pirate, get away with a regular, long service, every Sunday, without being silenced by the Irish authorities? They seemed to have dropped 3910: it's not being used for many months, and is not announced either (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. 6973, Galei Zahal, 2112 29/3 again here. S5 and songs. 15785, Kol Israel / Galei zahal 1716 is now using AM mode, 3 April. S3 on the inv antenna (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, ICOM R75 / 2x16 V, DX LISTENING DIGEST) GZ, not KI! 6973, 3/4 2253, Galei Zahal, Israel, talks, fading, fair. Very good instead on 4/4 at 2355 (Giampiero Bernardini, in Bocca di Magra, Italy, with Dario Monferini, Few images on http://radiodxsw.blogspot.it/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Venerdì 6 aprile 2012, 2211 - 6973 kHz, GALEI ZAHAL - Lod (Israele), Ebraico, telefonate in diretta. Segnale sufficiente-insufficiente. E' tornata qui, ma la potenza deve essere stata notevolmente ridotta perché il livello del segnale non è più quello del passato (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) 15785, April 7 at 1931, Galei Zahal, poor signal with song in AM mode, 1932 Hebrew announcement. Still here, despite CCI and ACI in the mornings. Meanwhile, ex-15850 beckons for a revival (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: Galei Tzahal --- It seems that we're not going to get a full response from GLZ until after Passover (next week). (Doni Rosenzweig, April 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN [and non]. 15745, April 7 at 1437, very poor signal in S Asian language, I hope Sri Lanka`s 10 kW Ekala transmitter --- but no, that`s only on air in English at 0100-0300 (except Sun 0300-0500 for those who sleep in) per Aoki, while now it`s R. Japan in Hindi via MADAGASCAR at 1430-1515 daily (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6110 via doomed Sackville, CANADA, April 8 at 0510, NHK news in English outroed by Hirokazu Sakamaki, if I copied the syllables correctly this time instead of my previous guess, ``Hirokazu Kazamaki``. Time to look him up on the website. Guess what, no sign of any newscaster names, nor does anything show up by searching, so I listen to the latest NHK news podcast, http://www3.nhk.or.jp/rj/podcast/mp3/english.mp3 where he introduces himself, and now I`m quite sure this laid-back guy is called Hirokazu Sakamaki. True, it`s the news that matters, not the caster, but they could at least acknowledge him somewhere. Names of presenters of various other programs are given, including `Friends Around the World`, Kay Fujimoto and Mick Corliss which followed, but this show is so hokey with their scripted artificial good humor, I just couldn`t keep listening (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. 6020, April 11 at 1330, cannot detect anything from Shiokaze under R. Australia, its last known frequency jump; nothing on previously used 5910, 6010, 6135, but forgot to check 5985. Have they moved again? 6055 Nikkei was poorly audible from nearby site. Other A- 12 HFCC-registered alternatives for `JIC` during this hour are 6120, 6175. 6010 is not registered now with HFCC. Latest Aoki shows only 6020 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KAZAKHSTAN. Consequences of SW closedown: see RUSSIA [non] ** KOREA NORTH. KOREA D.P.R. 14440.014 Harmonic 2 x 7220 kHz of Voice of Korea Kujang-KRE in Chinese, 0845 UT April 6. Scheduled 0700-1257 UT, Ko Ch KoKCBS Ko Ch Ko (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 6, harmonics yg via DXLD) Harmonics of 6003 and 6015 kHz North Korean 24 hrs jamming, noted on remote units in Tokyo JPN at 0700 UT yesterday April 7th. S=6-7 signals, 12003 to 12009 kHz, 12027 to 12033 kHz range (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, on remote SDR units in Tokyo-JPN, Apr 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7580, April 9 at 1247, humbuzz upon choral music, poor signal, 1250 only the humbuzz. This fits for VOK Japanese service at 1200-1250, presumably defective transmitter, or insufficiently isolated from nearby jammers on other frequencies. Aoki also shows that Xing-Xing (Chinese numbers from Taiwan) takes over 7580 from 1300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) When trying for Pyongyang on April 8, I noticed that they still were using their winter fq's, that is, English at 13, 15, 18 and 21 to Europe is on 7570 and 12015 (at 15 mixing with Mongolia). To the Middle East at 16 on 9990 and 11545. In German at 16 and 18 on 6285 and 9325. 73, (Erik Koie, Copenhagen, Denmark, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH [non]. 9650, April 7 at 1250, KBS World Radio via doomed Sackville, Kevin O`Donovan in Farmington is already into his 3- minute `Listening Tips` segment, with new R. Japan schedule in English and S Asian languages; SiriusXM keeps adding services, such as MLB now online, and for phone apps; propagation outlook for April from SWPC (the text part rather than the numerical part I usually cite). Immediately followed by another American contributor, I hadn`t heard before, Jeff Bolognese (sp?) in Baltimore, with Tech Tips, all about what to find on the KBSWR website, and what is most popular per his own poll of listeners --- er, readers: info about KBS `special` programs. I could safely monitor these bits of `Worldwide Friendship` this Saturday, an off-week for Turkey`s simultaneous `DX Corner` (and then found 15450 wasn`t propagating, anyway). What, o what, will KBSWR do without these Sackville relays from the end of June? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN [non?]. 9.4, 4860, Kurdish cland, 0349 YL talks, S6, jammer at -1 kHz (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, ICOM R75 / 2x16 V / m@h40 heads Sennheiser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN [non]. via UKRAINE. 11530, Denge Mezopotamya, *0300-0320, sign on with Kurdistan National Anthem followed by Kurdish talk. Local Kurdish music. Poor. Weak in thunderstorm static. April 7 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** KUWAIT. 15540, April 6 at 1822, R. Kuwait is both on and propagating, good signal with rock music; 1936 check, Today-in-History feature, US into WW I on April 6, 1917. 15540, April 7 at 1930, poor signal from R. Kuwait, but it was better than 15785 Israel, worse than 15630 Greece. 2048 a C&W song about Wichita, not ``Lineman``; 2050 music stops for news in English including: Syrian bloodshed etc., Yemen, Libya, Sudan and South Sudan, Pakistan, Virginia Beach --- finally one item outside the region. 2055 back to scat music, in Arabic? 17550, April 10 at 2037, ME music, fair with flutter, Arabic announcement about Amerikiyah; 2109 still in news, no flutter. This R. Kuwait transmission continues to be missing from A-12 HFCC, but their HFCC info is traditionally incomplete and inaccurate. Missing also from EiBi, but Aoki has it: ``17550 R. KUWAIT 2000-2400 1234567 Arabic 500 350 Sulaibiyah KWT 04745E2910N MOI a12`` Which means it`s almost trans-polar aimed at W & C North America, and it was in HFCC A-11 of a year ago April 8 showing those 6,7 CIRAFs: ``17550 2000 2400 6,7 KBD 500 350 0 216 1234567 270311 301011 D arabic KWT RKW MOI 5866`` This certainly challenges the MUF over such a path, and is not always audible, but on the average should become more reliable as solstice approaches. Compare it to English on 15540 until 2100. As that was playing sign-off anthem, not // 17550, tho if 15540 stay on a bit longer, it might become so. 17550, April 11 at 1854-1904 I was getting a station here, see unID, and SAH traces of another, despite none being listed; I was pre- checking for R. Kuwait`s service which has been showing up on good days lately after 2000. Still nothing then, but recheck at 2003, now it`s come on a bit late, inbooming VG signal, better than English on 15540. Arabic talk sounds reflective, with music background; could be devotional. Mentioned kitab = book, perhaps the only book that matters. This is the 350-degree broadcast especially for us in C & W North America. I wonder how many Kuwaitis around here know about it, let alone Arabic-speaking American SWLs in general? 15540, by 1958, R. Kuwait English service (``Arabic`` per HFCC mis- registrations), has improved to very good level with hard rap, as appropriate for anyone speaking English (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA. 11600, R. Libye, 1750 UT. Few snippets of Arabic talk and music, improving to 1807*, but still too weak for details, 2 April (Jerry Strawman, Des Moines, IA, Drake R8, Perseus SDR, 20' x 7' Loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11600, Radio Télévision Libye - Radio Libye, 1605-1805*, French talk. French ballads. Lite instrumental music. IDs. Weak in noisy conditions. Improved to fair level by 1700. April 8 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LITHUANIA. Radio Baltic Waves International A-12. All times UT. 612 kHz - Vilnius - 100 kW: 0300-0500 - Radio Liberty in Belarusian 1500-2100 - Radio Liberty in Belarusian 2100-2130 - Polish Radio External Service in Belarusian 1386 kHz - Sitkunai - 500 kW: 0330-0400 - NHK World Radio Japan in Russian 1386 kHz - Sitkunai - 150 kW: 1900-2000 - Polish Radio External Service in Belarusian 2000-2100 - Polish Radio External Service in Polish (Rimantas Pleikys, RBWI, via Dmitry Kutuzov, deneb-radio-dx gg via Aleksandr Diadischev, Ukraine, April 10, dxldyg via DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. 5010.18, Radio Madagasikara, 0228-0310, in AM mode. Tune-in to IS at 0228. Choral National Anthem at 0229. Opening announcements at 0231. Malagasy talk. Local choral music. Local African music. Weak. Poor in noisy conditions. Improved to a fair level by 0300. April 8 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** MADEIRA. Glenn, Yesterday, I forgot to comment something you said about Mrs Ritz translating my texts. As a matter of fact, there was just one, about Madeira, that I inadvertently sent her, and it was in Portuguese, but then encouraged her to translate it into English. She's actually taking Portuguese lessons, so that was just another exercise, as she said, from Port. to Danish and then to English. I had to help in the end, but overall she has done it pretty well. Here they are: " Here follows a translation into English of the item from yesterday: 1530, PEF, Poiso, Chão dos Balcões transmitting - since beginnning of this month - with reduced time, 0700-2000, in the effort of reducing costs. As I have mentioned earlier somewhere, PEF switched off modulation, leaving just the carrier on air. It's part of an experiment during March saving energy, but they fear, the old transmitter will suffer a serious breakdown if forced to shut down (at 2000) and restart (at 0700). Along with this information I was told that instead of 3 kW the old HARIIS tx is just at 2 [kW], of a nominal capacity of 10 kW. 1332, Antena 1 Madeira, Senhora do Monte close to F unchal. Already not a news item, but at the beginning of summer 2011 RTP (www.rtp.pt) switched off mediumwave on the island, so silenced the remaining 2 active txs (this one and the Ponta do Pargo 32º 48' 51,49" N 17º 15' 23,53" W, situated far west in the island, operating on 1125 kHz). In Senhora do Monte, 32º 40' 19,74" N 16º 54' 41,41" W, at least part of the folded monopole was dismantled while the VHF-FM antenna were kept on the structure. This station is operating very close to dwellings and schools, so the PEF people added when I contacted their station about what's been reported above. It was precisely from the folded monopole at Monte that, in the Summer of 2011, a part was taken to Açores and installed on the folded monopole at Monte das Cruzes transmitter's monopole, 828 kHz 1 kW, Flores, Açores, 39º 27' 06,05" N 31º 08' 11,53" W, which I think are the coordinates of this Antena 1 Açores transmitter. Best 73, Carlos Gonçalves POR (14/3-2012) Translated by Ydun Ritz, assisted by Carlos (15/3-2012) [originals:] 14/03-2012 MADEIRA, 1530 Posto Emissor do Funchal, Poiso, Chão dos Balcões, a emitir, desde o início deste mês, em horário reduzido, 0700-2000, para contenção de custos. Como noticiado por mim algures, há dias, o PEF deixa a portadora no ar, desligando apenas a modulação: trata-se de uma experiência, a decorrer ao longo de Março, para avaliar a poupança energética, pois receiam que o velho emissor sofra uma avaria grave, se forçado a um regime de corte total (às 2000) e reactivação (às 0700). A par desta informação, fiquei a saber que, em vez dos 3 kW, o velho tx HARRIS está apenas a 2, de uma potência nominal de 10. 1332, Antena 1 Madeira, Sr.ª do Monte, imediações do Funchal. Já não é novidade que, no início do Verão passado, a RTP www.rtp.pt mandou desligar a Onda Média na ilha, silenciando assim os 2 txs restantes activos (este e o da Ponta do Pargo, 32º 48' 51,49" N 17º 15' 23,53" W, situado no extremo ocidental da ilha, a operar em 1125 kHz). Na Sr.ª do Monte, 32º 40' 19,74" N 16º 54! 41,41" W, o monopólo dobrado foi mesmo desmontado, pelo menos parcialmente, mantendo-se, na estrutura, as antenas de VHF-FM; trata-se de uma estação a operar muito perto de residências e escolas, conforme acrescentou o elemento do PEF (v. supra), quando o contactei a propósito do que relatei atrás. Foi justamente do monopólo dobrado, no Monte, que saíu, no Verão de 2011, um componente que foi levado para os Açores, e aplicado no monopólo do tx do Monte das Cruzes, 828 kHz 1 kW, Ilha das Flores, Açores, 39º 27' 06,05" N 31º 08' 11,53" W, coordenadas que julgo serem as deste emissor da Antena 1 Açores. Best 73, Carlos Gonçalves POR (14/3-2012)" (Carlos, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 7295, 1/4 2330, Traxx FM, RTM, Malaysia, songs, talks in English but no IDs! fair. Really good instead at 0000 5/4 with news and songs (also Pacific coast party by Smash Mouth). (Giampiero Bernardini, in Bocca di Magra, Italy, with Dario Monferini, Few images on http://radiodxsw.blogspot.it/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9835, RTM Sarawak FM, Kajang 1049-1102 April 3; Kor'an & occasional W announcer; M announcer in Arabic & W announcer in Malay at 1054; ballad; two pips at ToH & (T) "R-T-M" into W announcer with news; poor in ECCS-USB (Scott R. Barbour Jr., Intervale, N.H. USA, NRD-545, MLB- 1, 200' Beverages, 60m dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9835, RTV Malaysia 1215 UT. Middle eastern vocals reached S3 on peaks, 6 April (Jerry Strawman, Des Moines, IA, Drake R8, Perseus SDR, 20' x 7' Loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) April 9: Domestic radios relay via Kajang site, noted in CA-US around 1200-1245 UT on 5964.702 kHz, more religious muslim chorus at 1223 UT, Klasik Nasional program?, S=8 signal. Around 1240 UT pop music pogram and annmt in Malaysian-like (not Lhasa-Tibet) on 6050.021 kHz. S=8-9+5dB fluttery signal across Pacific Ocean. S=6 fluttery signal on 7295.0, seemingly pop music of RTM Radio 4. S=8 fluttery signal of FM Sarawak radio relay on shortwave Kajang, 9835.0 at 1255 UT. Same program content at 1257 UT also on RTM Kajang 11665.0 kHz, hit by co-channel RTI Tanshui-Taiwan on odd 11664.949 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) ** MALI. 5995, RTVM, 0735-0757*, vernacular talk. Indigenous vocals. Rustic local music. Fair signal strength but weak modulation. April 8. 9635, RTVM, *0758-0810, sign on with guitar IS. Flute IS at 0759 and opening French ID announcements. Local tribal music at 0801 and vernacular talk. Fair to good signal strength but weak modulation. April 8. (Brian Alexander, PA, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX Listening Digest) ** MAURITANIA. 7245, April 9 at 0600, IGIM is on and chanting, but only a poor signal this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 700, XERV Yo FM (XHRVI simulcast), Villahermosa, Tabasco. 1046 April 10, 2012. Spanish talk, fading up over WLW quickly. Mexican anthem at 1057, male canned, “… 106.3 MHz FM, XHRVI… Tabasco, México… Yo FM.” Rooster crows, man, into Mexican vocals from 1106. Faded fast, with another station (same female as yesterday) present, believed to be La Poderosa, Nicaragua. 720, XEAVR, Radio Fórmula, Veracruz, Veracruz. 1058 April 10, 2012. Male canned, “… colonia… Radio Fórmula… Grupo Fórmula…” 939.88, XEQ Bésame, México DF. 1108 April 7, 2012. Soft Spanish ballads, hetting WINZ, Miami sports talk. Good (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL QTH with NRD-535, ICOM IC-R75 and Sangean PR-D5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 1190, April 6 at 1209 UT, ``La Norteña 11-90``, so likely a Mexican, as in US terms the slogan would be ``La Sureña`` [hi], bolstered by the Mexican government PSAs which followed. IRCA Mexican Log 2011 shows the one with this name is XEPZ, R. Norteña, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, 1000/100 watts and it was well before sunrise, but what do you bet they were on day power? {IIRC, this was a station I visited many years ago; at that time it consisted of little but a record changer} (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 1630 kHz cookie monster --- HELLO - any of you out there know who would be playing death metal rock / a.k.a. "angry cookie monster" on 1630? Announcers (both M and F) in Spanish, with references to Ensenada and Mexicali. Am hearing with loop oriented for E/W reception. TQ! 73 & Good Listening! (Rick Barton, El Mirage AZ, Panasonic RF-2200, 0136 UT April 9, ABDX via DXLD) The mentions of Baja cities sure make it sound like XEUT from Tijuana; and the death metal fits with a college radio station, for sure. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) I was just about to report that XEUT's recently-anemic signal (they had been softer than the big CalTrans station on 1620 the past couple years!) was just recently restored to its former blowtorch levels. I'm away from my radio now but would agree this could easily be them. They program a bit of everything, which is a refreshing change from the droning half-truth of left- and right-wing talk formats we have to endure on this side of the border. 73 (Tim Hall, CA, ibid.) ** MONACO [non]. TWR Europe was asked to terminate SW from MCO. The bottom line was that TWR-Europe was the only customer left with not enough transmission hours to sustain the station. TWR-Europe would have preferred to continue to use the MCO site (Bernhard Schraut, TWR Europe, Listeners Notebook, April NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** MOROCCO. 15349.16, 2150 29/3, with many talks. Seems having a poor carrier of same frequency in both sidebands. An ID idaatu wattania 'maghribiya' (unsure as found it little later since the start) (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki Greece, Standard rig : ICOM R75 / 2x16 V, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR. 7110, Kachin Radio 1223 UT. Fair signal with pop music, deteriorating to no audio by 1255 4 April (Jerry Strawman, Des Moines, IA, Drake R8, Perseus SDR, 20' x 7' Loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5985, 4/4 2330 Myanmar Radio, talks and later Burmese pop songs, good. Not in // with 5915 or 7110 7110, 4/4 2335, Myanmar Radio, Rakhine BC, talks and some music, fair/good (Giampiero Bernardini, in Bocca di Magra, Italy, with Dario Monferini, Few images on http://radiodxsw.blogspot.it/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re 12-14: Re: Myanmar spur on 7185.86, same as last year --- Hi Wolfy, Interesting observations for a time period I am unable to hear Myanmar here in Calif. One comment: Believe 5985.0 is thought to be via the Nay Pyi Taw site, whereas the off frequency transmitter (5985.83) is via the Rangoon/Yangon`` see http://www.wwdxc.de/topnews.htm Read comment by Alan Davies under MYANMAR item: that RIZ Zagreb delivered also new 50 kW transmitter gear to older Rangoon broadcast center site. So the even 5985 kHz broadcast are coming from old Rangoon site. ONLY a single antenna installation at Nay Pui Daw for 5915 kHz. 73 wolfy Actually I'm not convinced that an exact HF frequency necessarily means Nay Pyi Taw rather than Yangon. I believe there's at least one modern HF tx in Yangon installed a few years ago, probably the same RIZ type as the one on 5915 kHz in Nay Pyi Taw. In Yangon the three active HF transmitters (the RIZ plus two ancient off- frequency units) seem to be swapped around without much discernible pattern, so a Yangon frequency may be off channel on one occasion if covered by one of the old transmitters, and on another occasion exactly on channel if covered by the RIZ. 5915 kHz is the only Myanmar Radio HF channel that seems to come from Nay Pyi Taw - unless something else has changed recently. All the other Myanmar Radio HF frequencies, whether on-channel or offset, have always had audio in sync with the known Yangon mediumwave or FM channels and with a noticeable delay compared with the Nay Pyi Taw mediumwave channels. [later] ... Note from the page "MRTV-Relocation Project of TV & Radio studio (Phase 2) and 2 SW antennas installation in Yangon and new capital (Nay Pui Daw)has been successfully completed on March 08" So a new, additional SW antenna was installed in Yangon just a few years ago, and at the same time just one antenna was installed at Nay Pyi Taw - agreeing with satellite imagery (via Ron Howard, ibid.) Wolfy, Thank you for the correction of my wrong assumption. Very good to know. This is indeed new information to me. Appreciate hearing from you! (Ron Howard, ibid.) Myanmar R.: was able to receive two stations on 5985 kHz. 5985.84 kHz at -1438* and 5985.0 kHz at *1435- on Apr. 7. (S. Hasegawa, Japan, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) MMR, 7200.099 2345 UT --- Nothing from Myanmar noted on 7100 kHz so far, tonight. Rangoon Radio program, seemingly odd 7200.099 kHz around 2350 UT April 7. Not bad here in Germany tonight. 19-MAR-2012 ADMIN.TXT REFERENCE TABLE 19-Mar-2012: Change Myanmar - BRM to MMR http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/terrestrial/broadcast/hf/refdata/reftables/admin.txt vy73 (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The station listed as Rakhine Broadcasting puts a strong signal into Europe right now (8 April 2012, 2340 UT) on 7110 kHz. Local pop music, female speaker in listed Chin language. No signal on remote Perseus units in Japan and Australia which are in daylight. 73, (Eike Bierwirth, Leipzig / Germany, Perseus SDR + DX-10 Pro, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Now on nighttime at 1120 UT in Nagoya/Tokyo/Brisbane. Handprint of Myanmar Radio channels: 5915.0 5985.845 7109.992 7200.095 kHz But covered of other stations on 6030 and 7345 kHz. 73 wb df5sx (Wolfgang Büschel, April 9, ibid.) And on April 10th at 1110 UT: 7200.104 kHz, Myanmar Radio Rangoon, S=7-8 signal heard in Brisbane Perseus unit. 7109.992, Rakhine Broadcasting with pop singer and phone in music request at 1113 UT ? 5985.846, S=5-6 poor signal from Rangoon site, with some like advertisements and light music at 1115 UT April 10. 5914.982, UNIDENTIFIED Myanmar ? at 1120 UT April 10. Seemingly a reserve transmitter is in use today, very weak signal compared to remaining 5985v, 7110v, and 7200v. Noted on remote units in Brisbane and Nagoya-JPN (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 9/10 via DXLD) Wolfgang, Vielen Gruessen von Tasmanien! 7200v here was terrible last night and did you hear hum plus some audio bleed-over from another source whilst male was speaking. It was weaker than 7110 and the spurs on 7186v were weakly there and seemed to be cutting in and out depending on the modulation. 5985.6 was practically inaudible and the reported station on 5915 was blanketed by the Chinese station. 6030 is also impossible due to a Chinese language station and Radio Martí as is 7345. Time 1315 April 10th. Receiver: Icom R70 to an indoor antenna. Location: Norwood, Tasmania (Robin L. Harwood SWLR-KS001 VK7RH, April 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 9650, monitoring the transition around 1300 UT April 6: Until 1259*, KBS via Sackville, marred by clicking noises until cut off. Immediately replaced by flutterier signal with rock music, then R. Nederland ID in Indonesian! A few sex later, still before 1300, Sackville cuts back on with CRI English, and at 1300, RNW switches to Dutch, as scheduled for relay via Tinang, PHILIPPINES, and the usual big collision continues. China`s favorite azimuth via doomed Sackville is 240, while KBS likes 268, also resuming it for the 14-15 in Korean (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. Holanda: Editor Jefe: AMÉRICA LATINA NO ES UNA PRIORIDAD PARA RADIO NEDERLAND El Editor Jefe de Radio Nederland, Rik Rensen, habla sobre las manifestaciones de los oyentes en Latinoamérica, del nuevo proyecto de RN en español y de cómo está viviendo la reorganización. Después de 65 años produciendo información para todo el mundo en diez idiomas, el modelo tradicional de Radio Nederland va a cambiar por completo. Uno de los responsables de esta reorganización es Rik Rensen, Editor Jefe de Radio Nederland, quien nos recibe en su despacho sentado bajo un cartel que dice ´Free Speech´ (libertad de expresión). Tranquilo y sosegado, sonríe y dice que podemos preguntarle “cualquier cosa” y que va a ser “muy sincero”. Así, comenzamos hablando de las manifestaciones de apoyo que algunos oyentes de RN en español están realizando en Latinoamérica. Su actitud se vuelve más seria, se acerca al micrófono y comienza a hablar en inglés, el idioma acordado para la entrevista. Pregunta: En América Latina, algunos oyentes de Radio Nederland están desarrollando diferentes acciones para apoyar el trabajo de Radio Nederland en Español. ¿Está al tanto de esto? Respuesta: Sí, por supuesto. He leído algunos artículos acerca de esto y he escuchado vuestras producciones de radio. Digamos que estoy orgulloso de que se estén realizando estas acciones pero me pregunto si esto servirá para cambiar nuestra decisión. El presupuesto de RNW ha sido recortado en un 70% y eso significa que tenemos que centrarnos de manera muy estricta en las áreas geográficas donde se viola totalmente la libertad de expresión. Debemos centrarnos ahí porque necesitamos impacto y ver si así tenemos éxito. Además, tenemos que dejar de retransmitir por onda corta porque es demasiado costosa. Eso significa que toda la radio dejará de ser una compañía de transmisión de onda corta y además estará centrada en una audiencia de entre 15 y 30 años. Eso es un gran cambio. Y la explicación para esto es que tenemos que diferenciarnos de otras emisoras internacionales como BBC, Deutsche Welle, Radio France Internacional o Voice of America. Esto significa que si nos centramos en una audiencia muy joven, por ser los potenciales líderes del futuro, el contenido será diferente y también el modo de transmitirlos. Por eso nos centraremos más en Internet que en la onda corta. Así que, como digo, me siento orgulloso de esas acciones de apoyo porque eso quiere decir que nos escucha gente en Latinoamérica. Pero un recorte presupuestario del 70% significa que tenemos que concentrarnos en lo elegido. No lo puedo hacer de otra manera. Entonces, ¿la decisión está tomada y estas manifestaciones no van a cambiar nada? Si te soy sincero, creo que no. Podría intentar agradarte y decir que quizá sirvan de algo pero una reducción de presupuesto tan radical significa que hay que centrarse mucho. El gobierno holandés no nos está diciendo que vayamos a América Latina sino que nos dice que seamos activos en aquellos países donde se viola la libertad de expresión. Nosotros no hemos elegido los países objetivo por nuestra cuenta sino que hemos utilizado el índice que produce Freedom House. Y según este índice, países como Cuba o Venezuela ocupan un lugar muy alto en porque no tienen libertad de expresión. Después tienes una enorme brecha con países de África o con Arabia Saudí. En otros países, como por ejemplo México, la libertad de expresión está coartada y muchos periodistas son asesinados pero no desde el gobierno, sino por las mafias y los cárteles de las drogas. Nosotros tenemos que estar presentes en países donde el gobierno está oprimiendo la libertad de expresión. Entonces tenemos que elegir, y elegir significa que hay poco espacio para compromisos. Uno de nuestros oyentes, el juez costarricense Berny Solano, le ha enviado una carta con varias preguntas. Principalmente le gustaría saber quién, cómo y por qué ha tomado estas decisiones sobre el departamento latinoamericano. ¿Puede responder a esto? [véase abajo, dicen no haberse contestado --- gh] Después de que el gobierno holandés decidiera que RNW va a contar sólo con 14 millones a partir de enero de 2013, tuvimos que preparar a esta compañía y a todos los periodistas para una nueva situación. Tuvimos que hablar con el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, que es quien nos dará el dinero en el futuro. Así que desde el comité de dirección de RNW preparamos todas las decisiones. Este comité tomó todas las decisiones y yo formo parte de él, así que yo también soy uno de los que ha tomado estas decisiones. ¿Piensa contestar personalmente al señor Solano? Bueno, mi español no es muy bueno, por eso estamos haciendo esta entrevista en inglés. Pero estoy seguro de que el director del departamento latinoamericano podrá responder a esas preguntas sin problemas. Y si tiene más preguntas pueden hacérmelas llegar en inglés y después pueden traducirlas. El pasado mes de diciembre, Sergio Acosta le entrevistó a cerca del futuro del departamento latinoamericano. En esa ocasión usted dijo: “las emisiones en español para América Latina seguirán existiendo, las producciones seguirán existiendo. Pueden estar tranquilos, sólo tendremos que hacer una elección más concienzuda”. ¿Qué ha pasado en estos meses para que todo haya cambiado? Lo que ocurre es que, en ese momento, yo tenía la impresión de que con 14 millones podríamos hacer mucho. Pero no. Además hemos tenido una reunión muy importante con el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores donde nos dijeron que todo lo que hagamos en un futuro será evaluado y medido. Tenemos que demostrar que tenemos impacto y probar que somos exitosos. Y 14 millones de euros puede parecer mucho dinero pero para una emisora de radio que quiere hacer producciones periodísticas para todo el mundo, este dinero se gasta muy rápidamente. En el momento que hablé con Sergio, pensé que América Latina también estaría en los planes. Pero con 14 millones no podemos estar en el Mundo Árabe, en China, en África y en América Latina. Tenemos que tomar decisiones y por esa razón decidimos que, al final, tenemos que mantenernos muy centrados. Es más, si de mí dependiera escogería menos países. Y por esta razón, en América Latina hemos elegido Cuba y Venezuela. Pero usted conoce el impacto que Radio Nederland tiene en América Latina… Sí, claro. Pero también tenemos impacto para el 1.3 millones de expatriados que viven en el extranjero y nos siguen a través de la emisión en holandés, y este servicio lo vamos a suprimir totalmente. Y la razón es que tenemos que tener impacto relacionado con la libertad de expresión. Creo que el hecho de que RN en español sea exitosa en muchos países latinoamericanos ha fortalecido el nivel de democracia. El pasado mes de noviembre estuve en Bogotá (Colombia) y soy consciente de que la situación política allí es muy diferente a la que existe en Holanda. Pero existen otros países en el mundo donde esto es más grave, así que tenemos que elegir. Elegir es difícil y mucha gente se enfada, como ocurre en el departamento latinoamericano. Lo entiendo, porque también sé que el departamento está trabajando muy duro y que están muy atados a su trabajo. Lo extraño sería que no se enfadaran. Pero, una vez más, hacer elecciones significa tener que decir no a muchas oportunidades, y decir no es difícil. ¿Y cree que este nuevo proyecto de Radio Nederland en español, centrado en Cuba y Venezuela, será efectivo a la hora de llegar al público objetivo de estos países sólo a través de Internet teniendo en cuenta las dificultades que existen allí para conectarse a la red? Es una buena pregunta. Sí, creo que se podrá llegar a Venezuela porque tanto Internet como Facebook están bastante presentes. Pero diría que va a ser muy difícil llegar a Cuba. Esa es la razón por la que debemos preguntarnos ¿es posible llegar a nuestra audiencia en Cuba? Y podemos hacer dos cosas: o continuar retransmitiendo a través de la onda corta, algo que es posible; o olvidarnos de esto y centrarnos en el 2 ó 3% de gente joven que utiliza internet en Cuba. Estoy convencido de que la situación política de Cuba va a cambiar pronto. Entonces, si os centráis ahora en Cuba y en este porcentaje de gente joven, habréis hecho vuestros deberes. Y la posibilidad de expandirse rápido en Cuba, si la situación política cambia y entonces se consigue mayor acceso a Internet, es muy probable. Usted es Editor Jefe pero también es periodista, ¿cree que la nueva Radio Nederland, centrada en producciones de video e Internet, con menos presupuesto y menos personal, podrá mantener la calidad informativa de los últimos 65 años? Creo que esto sólo es posible si elegimos. Es decir, si seguimos produciendo lo mismo que hasta ahora, en todos los países latinoamericanos o con el servicio holandés, no. Pero al centrarnos en los nuevos objetivos, creo que menos es más. Es decir, si haces menos sí se puede mantener la calidad informativa. Entonces tenemos que dejar de hacer las producciones periodísticas que hemos hecho hasta ahora si no podemos mantener la calidad. Si continuamos con todo, no habrá calidad, pero si hacemos menos sí podremos mantenerla. Por otra parte, el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores nos dijo que ellos no serán los únicos que entreguen subsidios. Nos vamos a convertir en una compañía que hará proyectos periodísticos con otras instituciones financieras u ONG que nos ayuden a producirlos. Esto comenzará en 2013. Siempre en los límites de la libertad de expresión, claro, pero conjugada con temas especiales como por ejemplo derechos de la mujer, derechos de los niños o infancia y drogas, por ejemplo. Somos una organización periodística y podemos sentar discusiones. Si tuviera que hacer toda esta reorganización de nuevo, ¿la haría de la misma forma? Es demasiado pronto para responder a esta pregunta ya que, en estos momentos, estoy en el medio de este proceso de reorganización. Quizá cambiaría pequeñas cosas pero el objetivo principal sería el mismo. Si soy muy sincero contigo, yo habría hecho menos de lo que vamos a hacer en el futuro. Sigo pensando que, por el bien de los trabajadores, por el bien de no dejar escapar a América Latina, estamos haciendo mucho. Así que, si pudiera hacer algo diferente, quizá sería hacer menos. ¿Le está afectando esta reorganización personalmente, ya que, como ha dicho, se encuentra ¨en el medio¨? Sí, es muy duro ver que a causa de una decisión política y financiera hemos tenido un recorte presupuestario del 70%. No se trata de que RNW no haya hecho su trabajo correctamente, ni de que no tengamos éxito, ni de que nuestro contenido sea de mala calidad. De las 350 personas que trabajan aquí, 250 van a ser despedidas. Claro, la gente no lo entiende y se enfada. Algunos me dicen que estoy tomando decisiones equivocadas, aunque otros me apoyan. También me dicen que no hay que hacer estos recortes en el departamento latinoamericano… recibo muchos consejos de gente que está enfadada, decepcionada o triste así que hay mucha confusión en estos momentos en esta compañía. Pero bueno, alguien tiene que tomar las decisiones y yo soy uno de ellos. Y cuando todo esto acabe, ¿le gustaría continuar como Editor Jefe de Radio Nederland? Esta pregunta no la voy a contestar. Es algo que todavía tengo que pensar. FUENTE: http://www.rnw.nl/espanol/article/editor-jefe-am%C3%A9rica-latina-no-es-una-prioridad-para-radio-nederland (Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, April 6, DXLD) He leído con detenimiento la entrevista al editor Jefe de RNW Rik Rensen que has publicado en la lista por la gentileza de Yimber Gaviria. En una parte del articulo indica: ``seamos activos en aquellos países donde se viola la libertad de expresión. Nosotros no hemos elegido los países objetivo por nuestra cuenta sino que hemos utilizado el índice que produce Freedom House. Y según este índice, países como Cuba o Venezuela ocupan un lugar muy alto en porque no tienen libertad de expresión.`` Mi preocupación es que una vez que RN no se encuentre en Onda Corta, ¿cómo los cubanos podrán escuchar las informaciones? Como te expliqué en nuestro contacto, los cubanos no tienen acceso a INTERNET. Los pocos que tienen acceso es a través de INTRANET, un sistema que no permite acceder a páginas web, solo las que las autoridades Castristas autorizan. Publicaciones de la Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba señalan: ``El servicio de acceso a Internet se oferta a personas jurídicas y a personas naturales extranjeras con residencia temporal o permanente en Cuba. Por el momento este servicio no se oferta a las personas naturales cubanas o extranjeras residentes en el exterior que vengan de turismo a la isla (estas deben acudir a las salas de navegación), ni al sector residencial cubano.`` Puedes leer más en el siguiente enlace: http://www.etecsa.cu/?page=internet_conectividad&sub=internet Quería darte mi punto de vista al respecto y veremos que sucederá. 73 (Oscar de Céspedes, FL, via Rubén Guillermo Margenet, condiglist yg via DXLD) ESTA ES LA CARTA QUE LA DIRECTIVA DE RADIO NEDERLAND NO HA RESPONDIDO!!! COLEGAS RADIOESCUCHAS Y DIEXISTAS DEL MUNDO !!! Esta es la Carta enviada por el Juez y Diexista Costarricense Berny Solano a Radio Nederland, la cual lamentablemente - hasta ahora - no ha sido respondida por la Junta Directiva de la emisora mundial holandesa. Haz llegar tu voz de protesta por las medidas tomadas. No dejemos a Berny solo! . Valoremos su esfuerzo!. Dejemos la apatía , mañana puede ser muy tarde, reaccionemos ya !!!! Blog "Salvemos a Radio Nederland". Deja aquì tus comentarios de apoyo!!! http://radionederlandporsiempre.blogspot.com/ Unidos por la Radio Internacional en Ondas Cortas !!! CLUB DIEXISTAS DE LA AMISTAD, Barinas, Venezuela. ---------- Mensaje reenviado ---------- De: Berny Solano Fecha: 26 de marzo de 2012 09:42 Asunto: SOLICITUD DE INFORMACIÓN-AMPARADO A DERECHO DE INFORMACIÓN Para: jan.hoek @ rnw.nl, rik.rensen @ rnw.nl San José, Costa Rica, 26 de marzo de 2012 Señores Jan Hoek, Director General, Rik Rensen, Redactor Jefe Radio Nederland, Emisora Internacional del Reino de Los Países Bajos S. D. Señores: El suscrito Berny Solano Solano, de nacionalidad costarricense, en virtud de que se ha hecho pública la decisión de la dirección de la emisora de finalizar la producción radiofónica general de Radio Nederland, dirigiendo su función únicamente a Cuba y Venezuela, pero solo por internet y excluir a, México, Centroamérica y otros países, lo que incluye a la producción y emisión directa desde Los Países Bajos a través de onda corta e internet y las emisoras afiliadas en la región, en atención a que el trabajo del Departamento Latinoamericano de Radio Nederland se orienta, precisamente, a Latinoamérica como destinatario final y por su condición de funcionario público con el deber de transparencia y de fundamentación de sus actos impuesto por el ordenamiento jurídico del Reino de Los Países Bajos y el sistema internacional de los derechos humanos, en mi condición de latinoamericano y oyente de la emisora, es decir, beneficiario del servicio público de la emisora pública internacional del Reino de Los Países Bajos y en tal condición, con plena legitimación jurídica de tutela de los intereses difusos, generales y colectivos que se me afectan, formalmente solicito se responda dentro del plazo jurídicamente establecido, lo siguiente: 1) Indique clara, expresa y detalladamente cuáles fueron las razones o fundamentación que motivó la decisión de desarrollar, literalmente, el práctico cierre técnico del Departamento Latinoamericano de Radio Nederland. 2) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente cuál fue el estudio o valoración técnica y de campo realizado para medir el impacto de la emisora en Latinoamérica, que haya sustentado la decisión aludida supra. 3) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente, cuál fue el estudio o valoración técnica y de campo que sustentó que en Cuba es pertinente promocionar una difusión de contenidos por internet, estableciendo claramente el estudio de acceso y cobertura de internet en Cuba con el que haya fundamento su decisión. 4) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente, cuál fue el estudio o valoración técnica y de campo que sustentó que en Venezuela, es pertinente promocionar una difusión de contenidos por internet, estableciendo claramente el estudio de acceso y cobertura de internet en Venezuela con el que haya fundamentado su decisión. 5) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente cuál fue el estudio o valoración técnica y de campo que sustentó la decisión de cerrar las transmisiones para México y Centroamérica, detallando claramente cuáles fueron sus fuentes de información, medición y objetivos. 6) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente claramente cuáles son los objetivos generales y específicos de la decisión que tomó en relación con la difusión y trabajo de la emisora hacia Latinoamérica. 7) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente cuál es el fundamento técnico, jurídico y sociológico que sustentó la decisión tomada en relación con el Departamento Latinoamericano, todo ello en función de la interpretación y fundamento jurídico por la desprotección de los derechos humanos de libre expresión, difusión del pensamiento y pluralismo en Latinoamérica que acarrea como contenido y efecto la decisión tomada. 8) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente, cuál fue el sustento técnico y jurídico que fundamenta el cierre de producción radiofónica para las emisoras afiliadas en Latinoamérica, así como los alcances y obligaciones dispuestas con cada una de esas emisoras, eso en tanto afecten la difusión de contenidos de producción radiofónica para los oyentes en Latinoamérica. 9) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente, cuál es el fundamento técnico y jurídico que sustentó la decisión de dejar de transmitir por onda corta para la región latinoamericana, incluyendo a Cuba, Venezuela, México y Centroamérica. 10) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente, cuál es el estudio comparado de impacto, afectación, aprovechamiento y cobertura de audiencia de los distintos departamentos y servicios de la emisora Radio Nederland en el nivel mundial, en que claramente se establezca en qué lugar de ese baremo se ubica el servicio del Departamento de Latinoamericano en relación con los otros departamentos hasta ahora existentes. 11) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente, cuál es el número exacto de emisoras afiliadas y proyectos conjuntos que hasta el momento, desarrolla Radio Nederland en la región latinoamericana. 12) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente, el nombre y cargo de todos los funcionarios públicos de la emisora Radio Nederland que participaron en los actos preparativos y estudios que sirvieron de sustento, total o parcial, a la decisión tomada. 13) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente, cuál fue el objetivo y orientación dada por la Dirección General de la emisora para la contratación de la o las consultorías privadas técnicas y jurídicas que hayan sustentado la decisión tomada. 14) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente, las condiciones y requerimientos planteados para la contratación de las consultorías, asesorías y valoraciones técnicas y jurídicas que se hayan utilizado para sustentar la decisión tomada. 15) Indique clara, detallada y expresamente, el impacto que tiene el desarrollo y funcionamiento del Departamento Latinoamericano en relación con la estructura, presupuesto y logística general de la emisora. Planteo las siguientes consultas de petición de información, sobre la base de intereses difusos y colectivos, amparado al principio de transparencia y libertad de información pública que se derivan del artículo 5 de la Constitución del Reino de Los Países Bajos y los derechos de petición de información establecidos dentro de los distintos instrumentos del Sistema Internacional de Derechos Humanos. Para el caso de que se niegue a otorgar alguna de la información solicitada, indicar el sustento jurídico de la declaratoria de secreto de Estado de dicha información o el fundamento jurídico por el cual la Dirección General de Radio Nederland, que posee un servicio público de difusión internacional a Latinoamérica, no reconoce la tutela de los intereses difusos, colectivos y generales de los latinoamericanos a obtener dicha información. Hago expresa reserva de mi derecho, en protección de los derechos humanos y bajo intereses legítimos directos, intereses difusos, colectivos y generales, a acudir a las instancias nacionales del Reino de Los Países Bajos e internacionales de protección de derechos humanos, respecto de las solicitudes de información aquí planteadas. Señalo como dirección de notificaciones el correo electrónico bsolanos@gmail.com y el apartado postal 582-2200, 11101, San José, Costa Rica, todas las comunicaciones dirigidas al suscrito. Respetuosamente, Berny Solano Solano bsolanos @ gmail.com ARTICULOS Y AUDIOS RELACIONADOS: Editor Jefe: América Latina no es una prioridad para Radio Nederland http://www.rnw.nl/espanol/article/editor-jefe-am%C3%A9rica-latina-no-es-una-prioridad-para-radio-nederland AUDIO DEL PROGRAMA: Cartas @ RN: 65 Aniversario con drástica reorganización 10 Abril 2012 http://www.rnw.nl/espanol/radioshow/cartasrn-65-aniversario-con-dr%C3%A1stica-reorganizaci%C3%B3n "No todo esta perdido en RN, pero..."13 Marzo 2012 http://www.rnw.nl/espanol/radioshow/cartasrn-no-todo-esta-perdido-en-rn-pero (via Santiago San Gil, Venezuela, April 11, DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. EXTRA TEST 6095 kHz --- We are testing again on Wednesday the 11th of April 2012, 1001–1100 UT, http://www.kbcradio.eu/?p=1280 73 (via Harald Kuhl, Germany, 2217 UT April 10, BDXC-UK yg via gh, 0309 UT April 11, dxldyg via DXLD) Now on air on 6095, 1025 UT strong signal in Milan, songs & IDs (Giampiero Bernardini, Italy, April 11, ibid.) ** NICARAGUA. 700, YNMM, La Poderosa, Managua. 1103-1115 fade April 9, 2012. Tentatively the one. Tune-in 1055, just WLW here, then the Mexican anthem popped up at 1057, someone seemingly signing on, not just playing it at the quasi-required time. When I returned at 1103, someone else here now and dominating with rooster crows, female, “Gracias a dios... cristo... palabra... su padre...” then into folk vocal from 1111, faded with my local sunrise. Format fits past logs of this one (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL QTH with NRD-535, ICOM IC- R75 and Sangean PR-D5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGER. 9704.99, LV du Sahel, 2240-2301*, French talk. Indigenous music. Local chants at 2255. Short 12 second flute IS and choral National Anthem at 2259. Ten second test tone at 2301 and off. Poor with weak modulation. April 7 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** NIGERIA. Hi all, Voice of Nigeria is back on air on 15120. Heard on April 6 at 0600 UT in English via old Ikorudu site with buzz audio. 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15115-15120-15125, April 6 at 1939, no doubt that VON is back and in DRM, noise easily heard in tuning AM mode. Ergo it`s the new transmitter, but which in the AM mode was about .13 kHz low in frequency, unlike the old transmitter really on 15120.0. Would that necessarily also apply when they are in DRM, or is there any way to tell exactly where channel center is? There`s something about another digital mode, IBOC, which requires stations to be right on the exact MW frequency, its only redeeming quality. 15120, April 7 at 1929, no signal, DRM or AM from VON, presumably because it`s Saturday. 15120.0, April 8 at 0454, VON is on and audible again, from old Ikorodu site since it`s in AM and not off-frequency, fair signal with national anthem, 0455 sign-on in English. Only a few other signals on 19m, 15400 Dabanga better, 15720 NZ worse. 15120, April 9 at 1938, DRM noise is on from VON Abuja. 15120.0, April 10 at 0456, VON is on and propagating, hum and undermodulated, better but still humming at 0508 with news about cholesterol, carnival in Lagos. Since it`s on-frequency and hummy, still using the old Ikorodu site for this broadcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) According to IBB Radio Monitoring System: Voice of Nigeria in English 1830-2000 on 15120 in DRM mode, ex AM (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, April 11, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. 15115-15120-15125, April 11 at 1852, VON DRM is already running, but always off before 2000. From IBB monitoring, Ivo Ivanov says the DRM switch from the analog English broadcast starting at 1800 is now at 1830. Creeping DRM! See SPAIN for QRM (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. Timtron talks about his Radio Clandestine pirate station in the 80s --- The audio file of the show is here: 2012-0331 radio timtron worldwide radio clandestine.mp3 http://radionewyorkinternational.com/archives/timtron/2012-0331%20radio%20timtron%20worldwide%20radio%20clandestine.mp3 RC was known for operating inside the International SW bands back in the 80s and Timtron explains why he did this (Artie Bigley, OH, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. [Pirates]. 6925 USB, Rave on Radio, 0025-0043*, Bob Dylan music. ID. Poor. Weak. April 7. 6925 USB, Undercover Radio, 0155-0213*, talk by Dr. Benway. IDs. Email address. Rock music. Strong. April 7. 6935 USB, Red Mercury Labs, 0200-0230, rock music. ID. DJ chatter. Poor. Weak. April 7. 6924.85, Captain Morgan Shortwave, 0045-0124*, blues music. IDs. Very good. April 8. 6924.97, Radio Ronin Shortwave, 2300-2325, rock music. ID. Good. April 7. 6925 USB, Northwoods Radio, 0000-0036*, wide variety of pop, rock, oldies and country music. IDs. Shoutouts. Email address. Call of the loon. Very good. April 8. 6925, Undercover Radio, 0220-0245, talk by Dr. Benway. IDs. Email address. Rock music. Shoutouts. Strong. April 8. 6925 USB, KIPM, *0351-0620, Alan Maxwell radio-drama. IDs as KIPM and Voice of the Illuminati. Box 69, Elkorn, Nebraska maildrop. Strong. April 8. 6950 USB, Wolverine Radio, 0140-0220, wide variety of pop, rock, and blues music by U2, The Who, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Pretenders, Aerosmith, The Motels, B.B. King, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart and Bonnie Raitt. IDs. Very good. April 8 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** NORTH AMERICA. Undercover Radio is now active on 6925 USB, from 0223-0230+ 04/07/2012 UT. Good, solid signal here on a Ten-Tec DX- 320D. Some fading, but otherwise easy copy. M with brief comments, then into electronic music (Larry Cunningham, Gahanna, Ohio, 0230 UT April 7, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sabato 7 aprile 2012: 0601 - 6925 USB kHz, Musica tenebrosa, recitazione OMs e s/off 0616. Segnale sufficiente-insufficiente. Forse è una pirata dal Nord America, devo riascoltare con calma la registrazione. Nella notte del 7 aprile alcuni forum in USB riferiscono di Undercover Radio, però è un problema di orari perché sono riportati non in UTC. E' difficile trovare dei logs europei su queste ricezioni (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) Later: UnderCoverRadio 6925 USB kHz identificata! Ho riascoltato la registrazione dell'emittente captata (con la splendida PL-660!!!) il 7 aprile dalle 0602 alle 0617 su 6925 USB kHz e si è sentito due volte l'annuncio di UnderCoverRadio, che è una free radio nordamericana. La seconda, dopo Radio USA di circa...15 anni fa!!! (Luca Botto Fiora, QTH G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) 15250.0, April 7 at 1440 in bandscan I come across something unexpected: sounds like a pirate, boldly RSD in the middle of the 19m legal SWBC band! Yes, he is talking about getting busted, being pursued by a government van, with dramatic music. 1442 ID as ``Undercover Radio, broadcasting from the middle of nowhere``, then rock music. This could not be a clip on `Pirating with Cumbre`, no WHR scheduled here! Peaks to S9+10, but audible only on my longest antenna, the 110` E-W longwire normally in use for the FRG-7. Speech audio is a bit lo- fi, like run thru a telephone mike, but modulation level is good and clear. 1445 ID as ``Undercover Radio, pirate radio`s alternative music station.` And ``this week`s DX bulletin`` from Sept. 18 & 22 some other pirate logs. 1448, says he is in a 1000-watt mobile unit, address undercoverradio at mail.com Or P O Box 294, Merlin, Ont., etc. Says he has been on air for over 20 years, now playing old tapes, also of Progressive Music Radio; with spooky music, talking about his equipment and how things have changed in 20 years, now with instant feedback via internet. Refers to ``tonight`` which leads me to believe this is not live unless he is on the other worldside, unlikely. Likes to experiment with different modes, maybe DRM. Internet hasn`t killed pirate radio, where there is ``complete and total creative freedom`` without worrying about rights to use someone else`s material; just do what you want. Except for possibility of getting caught. ``Legal broadcasting is not for me.`` 1455 ``I`m Dr. Benway``, special 20th anniversary QSL package available. 1457, See also his website http://freewinds.com/undercoverradio I thought he said, but nothing found beyond freewinds.com hoster. Closing with the song he used to play at end of every Progressive Music Radio broadcast, but didn`t catch title or recognize it. ``Thanks for listening, catch you next time``. By now signal has improved to S9+15. After last music, final announcement at 1502 says ``Here`s to free listening, pirate radio fans wherever you are``. And carrier stays on until 1519*, helpful for DFers hustling to find him? BTW, I was not tipped off about this, but discovered it myself. Searching my recent e-mail later, nothing with 15250 in it. Unfortunately, I usually can`t offer real-time tips, with computer necessarily off while DXing. I`ll be interested to see if anyone else caught this, not a place where pirate-chasers would be looking unless tipped. It`s not in Brian Alexander`s latest report. And who knows if Dr Benway will ever use 15250 again? This was a good clear frequency choice; except while modulating I noticed a constant very lite het, which might have been from a local device. After 1500 there was ACI from 15255 I noted as Chinese, but listed as AWR Punjabi via Germany. If there was also YFR Bengali via Germany on 15255 before 1500, I did not notice it. BTW, Dr Benway`s signal was infinitely better than ex-pirate WBCQ which was inaudible on 15420-USB if on the air as scheduled to be on Saturday mornings. Got this reply from Undercover Radio for my 15250 report April 7 at 1440-1500+: ``It's great to hear from you Glenn. You are the only person that reported it. I just decided what the heck, and dropped in on 15250 to see what I could drum up. It was my old classic 20th anniversary show from 2006. Geeze, I guess that means I've been on the air 26 years now. Power was 1000 watts peak. Thanks for the very detailed report and I'd be curious to hear if anyone else reported the show. I suspect being in the middle of the band that more people heard it than reported it. Dr. Benway`` I guess that means the 20th anniversary QSL package is no longer available. Still no other reports have reached here of UR on 15250, nor any posts on the FRN Grapevine (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, April 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6930-USB, PIRATE (USA) Wolverine Radio. 0053-0109* April 9, 2012. Excellent signal with great program of nonstop 1950's Jump Jive blues vocals, canned “Wolverine Radio” (sometimes reverb) occasionally. FFSK video sent from 0107, off. 6954.96, PIRATE (USA), unidentified. 0110-0114* April 9, 2012. Old radio-type audio parody, “The Industrial Revolution began in the 19th Century with the invention of the... It is not the only thing growing...” Abruptly off 0114. AM mode. Very good (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL QTH with NRD-535, ICOM IC-R75 and Sangean PR-D5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. The Performance Oklahoma OK Mozart promo program is now available for a listen online. Links to that and other recent programs can be found here: http://bit.ly/PerformanceOklahoma Please scroll down past upcoming program postings. Best wishes, (Kimberly Powell, Director of Production & Syndication Assistant Director of Programming, Host/Producer Performance Oklahoma Oklahoma's Choice for Classical Music 90.1 KCSC Edmond Oklahoma City, 91.9 KBCW McAlester http://www.kcscfm.com 974.2111, April 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The audios of PO seem to be availablized only for a limited time, so don`t delay. These are very well done, and often include classical music you won`t hear elsewhere, such as a new composition in tribute to aviator Wiley Post. Her program streams originally at 22-24 UT Sundays, when I always try to listen (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. The new Pakistani MW outlet still is not heard (Brock Whaley, Kandahar, Afghanistan, April 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 981 kHz ** PAKISTAN. 6/4, 15290 Pakistan, 1349, als in English, S2 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, ICOM R75 / 2x16 V / m@h40 heads Sennheiser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ``als`` maybe means talks?? Not supposed to be in English at this time. Urdu is scheduled 1330-1530, 250 kW, 282 degrees from API-5 Islamabad. Has a new hidden English segment been discovered, reliably?? (gh, DXLD) Re VATICAN, 17520, below: Yes, R. Pakistan is scheduled and heard on 17520 between 1330 and 1530 and is usually on top of VAT via MDC at my location in NW England, but often with strong QRM too. Aoki is correct in that it is listed as API-6, and EiBi too in that it is listed via 282 degrees in the PAK schedule. My understanding is that it is meant to reach N Africa, as well as other places within this azimuth, despite being listed as 'External Service for Gulf & M.E.' The parallel channel is API-5 via 15290 and at 282 minus 12 = 270 degrees (as shown). (Noel R. Green, England, April 11, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PALAU. 11705, April 8 at 1310, praise music in English, rolling fades: nothing in HFCC, but Aoki has already caught up with this: T8WH has added a 1300-1315 prélude of their own to the NHK relays in Indonesian and Japanese at 1315-1430; why? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. QSL: R. Fly, Kiunga, 3915 kHz, card, form-letter in 150 days after follow up; v/s Kabua J. Momo (Vashek Korinek, South Africa, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. QSL: V. of Croatia relay, 17860 kHz, card in 33 days after follow up; v/s J. Romer (Assistant Program Director). (Vashek Korinek, South Africa, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) Must be one-of-a-kind since the 17860 relay was really from Singapore. At what point did this error creep in? I hope not at Zagreb (gh, DXLD) ** ROMANIA. QSL: R Romania International f/d 'vineyard in the snow' card no v/s for reception on Feb 18 at 2138 on 7380 (6 weeks) for an emailed report through their web form. I've decided to keep sending them reports and comments at least once a month since they appear to be about the ONLY station still broadcasting on SW to N America with anything approaching interesting programming. I'm beginning to think I need to find a Romanian restaurant to try out -- their 'cooking show' is VERY interesting (but too short!) It is also kind of fun to actually get a real paper QSL card now and again! (Kenneth Vito Zichi, MI, MARE Tipsheet April 6 via DXLD) Googling, I do find a few Romanian restaurants in Michigan – not Oklahoma (gh, DXLD) ** ROMANIA. [Re 12-14, Galbeni:] Yes, only 18 masts of formerly 26 remained now. The masts have fallen into disrepair? see image (Wolfgang Büschel, April 5, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA [non]. 9430, Voice of Russia in Russian via Grigoriopol Maiac in Moldova. Faulty BUZZY satellite feed "cracking and croaking ...". Buzz at 50/100/150 ... 550/600 Hertz like a garden fence - either side. At 0238 UT April 10, S=9+10dB here in Germany (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. 13775, April 10 at 0405-0420, VOR with `your program, Moscow Mailbag`, on its only remaining audible frequency, fair reception from Pet/Kam. I had just perused VOR`s new program schedule, tnx to Juan Franco Crespo. Searching for Moscow Mailbag, found only four times for it! all during the North American hours: UT Sat & Wed 0030+, Tue & Thu 0400+. Since there are not so many times and frequencies to keep up with anymore, I`m re-adding it to my DX/SWL/MEDIA PROGRAMS schedule. Hosted by Max Gorbachov [sic], and Tata or Tatya – somebody. Topix included longest word in the Russian language; science fixion authors; oldest street and square in Moscow. First questioner was Carl Zimmerman in New Jersey. Followed 0420 by `Travel Russia`, about Smolensk. [later:] Found the current website for `Moscow Mailbag`, http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/2248880/ which says it is ``Prepared by Olga Troshina and presented by Tata Mnatsakanyan and Max Gorbachyov``. (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 13650. R Rossii noted on 8 April 2012 at 0905 on 13650 instead of 13665. Presumably a punch-up error. Stayed with the station and enjoyed a programme titled (via Google translation) as "Balloon" and presented by Russian rock musician Boris Grebenshchikov. Today featuring songs by The Monkeys. At 0922, someone must have noticed the error, and the programme switched the transmission back to scheduled 13665 (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [non]. PARIS-BASED "VOICE OF ORTHODOXY" DISCONTINUES BROADCASTS ON SW Here is an extract from VOO's letter to Vladimir Pivovarov (Ukraine), which he has quoted in deneb-radio-dx googlegroups: "Thank you for your message. Indeed, the transmitter site in Kazakhstan was closed without any preliminary notice so we have to cancel our agreement with them [their broker; Radio Agency-M (RAM in HFCC)]. It will be very difficult for us to resume broadcasts on short wave due to the slash in our budget". My five cents. It seems that Radio Agency M is a very unreliable organization. In February and March, for some reason, they aired only few VOO's broadcasts and the station has learnt about it only from its listeners. I have only positive feelings towards the Voice of Orthodoxy. The station was founded in Paris in 1979 by Orthodox volunteers, descendants of "emigrés", who left Russia at the revolution of 1917. Despite very limited budget and staff, they have broadcast on short wave for more than 30 years (initially via Portugal, then via Lebanon and Germany). Notably, VOO always used to accurately verify reception reports. VOO still has a studio in St. Petersburg (Russia) and some air time on local station there (Radio Grad Petrov, 73.1 MHz). (Aleksandr Diadischev, Ukraine, April 6, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Was it really them or wasn't it rather Kazteleradio, the transmitter operator who may not have cared anymore, intending to get rid of the shortwave stuff anyway? In the old days it all was just ministry of communications of the USSR, with a chain of command down from Moscow, but this constellation of course has changed substantially since. What I find remarkable is how the vast majority of these "Moscow" placements are on facilities of operators elsewhere in the FSU. Very few transmissions for other broadcasting organizations than Voice of Russia are left on the RTRS facilities in Russia, as an example none at all at the huge Tbilisskaya plant (a.k.a. Krasnodar or Armavir) if I do not overlook something. This although "they" (what was once being referred to as "Titov", i.e. the deceased Anatoly Titov) would not have to deal with foreign organizations in this case. Any explanations for this situation? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) There is still DW at 1430-1500 UT on 13630 kHz (Tbilisskaya, 250 kW, 110 ). I think it's Radio Agency M because irregular transmissions of VOO took place in February (via Kazakhstan's "A-A" site) as well as in March (probably via Gavar, Armenia). Moreover, VOO wasn't informed about numerous retimings of their broadcasts and the closure of A-A. Given all above, VOO has decided to cancel their agreement with Radio Agency M for such bad service (Aleksandr Diadischev, Ukraine, ibid.) ** SAINT HELENA. Radio St Helena: the SW antenna and tower were allowed to be destroyed by the wind and rain. All the transmitting equipment is still in good condition and has been ``rescued`. The professional quality coaxial cable to the antenna and the rotor control cable were partly ``destroyed`` during the expensive ``help`` provided by Cable & Wireless to take down the damaged tower and antenna. The Saint Helena News Media Services, SHNMS, (the ``parent`` company of Radio St. Helena and The St. Helena Herald newspaper) never had any money for or, it would seem, any real interest in the SW broadcasting facility at RSH. Also, and in spite of the kind words by the former Governor of the island during the RSD broadcast in 2009, it is rather evident that the Saint Helena government never had any interest in the SW broadcasts. In addition to all that, I never found any article or letter from a reader in the Herald asking why the SW broadcasts had stopped in 2009 or expressing hope that the broadcasts would continue in future. Many DXers around the world have wonderful memories about the Revival broadcast in November of 2005 and also of the fine broadcasts in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The cherished RSH QSL cards will always be proud parts of many QSL collections. But, that was the end of the show. As far as I can tell, no one will ever again put Radio St. Helena back on the shortwaves with a Radio Saint Helena Day program. Reality can be quite shocking, and no one in the world regrets this situation more than I do. Many thanks to ALL radio friends everywhere for their support of Radio St. Helena over the years (Robert Kipp, Germany [responsible for organizing the event and who even traveled to SH], Listeners Notebook, April NASWA Journal via DXLD) [Re 12-14] Glenn, Robert Kipp in Germany sent me a link to that St. Helena article. I saw the article in the dead tree version of the paper which I have delivered on Sunday mornings so I did not think to look on the net. It is still available. A pretty picture of Jamestown from that article now decorates my computer startup page: http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/travel/st-helena-cursed-rock-of-napoleons-exile.html?scp=1&sq=st%20helena&st=cse (Joe Buch, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx, Joe. It is mainly about Napoleon. Beware, it will come out of your ever-diminishing quota of free NYT articles per month (gh, DXLD) ** SAIPAN. MARIANA NORTH ISLS [Tinian / Saipan] IBB/VOA Tinian, exKYOI now IBB/VOA Agignan Point, and former KFBS-FEBC Saipan station on northern tip. Many bunkers terribly serious war fighting U.S. - Japan in WWII. Saipan exSuper Rock station. Next to hotel resort Agignan Point KFBS-FEBC masts, station decomposed, txs moved to FEBC Manila-PHL (Wolfgang Büschel April 7, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA. 15170, April 10 at 0457 Qur`an from BSKSA, good but fluttery; 0507 has some CCI. Riyadh is A-12 scheduled at 03-06, and CRI at 04-07 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. 576, Radio Veritas, Meyerton; 0100-0300, 06-Apr; New station with 50 kW Nautel transmitter. The official opening day was Easter Sunday but they have been on the air 24x7 already for two weeks before that. Heard in Finland with good signal on April 6th with EWTN Africa network programming ("At Home with Jim & Joy" & Women of Grace"), no local programmes between 1900-0700. 73, (Ilpo Parviainen, Evitskog, Finland, April 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Thanks for the heads-up on Veritas. Just checked (0535- 0550), and yes, Veritas is there with lots of IDs. Must have been quite a feat to receive 576 in Finland, especially with a good signal. Would be interested to hear if it persists. Regards, (Bill Bingham, South Africa, April 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. 11690, April 10 at 0459-0501*, BaBcoCk IS. HFCC shows BAB 0400-0500 in French via Meyerton. Of course it`s really R. Okapi, for the Congo DR, but SENTECH in no hurry to apply this transmitter to another frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA [non]. 9955, April 10 at 0511, Channel Africa with news about South Africa, via WRN via WRMI; with Cuban pulse jamming. Latest WRMI schedule grid has WRN at 0500-0530 Tue-Fri, still with other programs other days: Monday WORLD OF RADIO, Sat Radio Vaticano in Spanish, Sun Studio DX in Italian (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 15700, April 7 at 1501 I can detect the dulcet tones of Brother Scare, on this new Saturday-only frequency for the extended Sabbath service via IRRS via ROMANIA, ex-15190, which continues daily 1300-1500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also ARMENIA ** SPAIN. 17595, April 6 at 1820, REE in Spanish with very good signal direct. Seems this is regular contrary to schedules at this hour, at least on weekdays; or maybe some kind of holiday. EiBi shows only: 17595 1300-1500 Mo-Fr E Radio Exterior España S NAm 17595 2100-2200 Mo-Fr E Radio Exterior España P SAm Open AM carrier from REE Noblejas 15110 already on at 1852, soon to be followed by their mind-numbing IS; at 1901 check during talk programming, this is putting out a spur on about 15119.5, readable thru the QRDRM from NIGERIA, q.v.! And at a 9.5 kHz multiple about 15129, matched on the low side by 15100.5 and 15091 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, You mentioned the Sefardic program from REE. I may have been dozing, but, I thought you said they had gone to 9690 at 04:15 Tue. UT. Well, last night, they were on 9650. I checked 9690, to be sure they were not on two freqs. They were not. Didn't get the chance to check 11790 [11795] at 0115 (Tim Hendel, AL, April 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. 7189.76v, 2/4 0028, Sri Lanka BC, slow songs, few talks, fair (Giampiero Bernardini, in Bocca di Magra, Italy, with Dario Monferini, Few images on http://radiodxsw.blogspot.it/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. 11905, SLBC, 0200 UT. Hindi service with sub-continental vocals. Fair signal on peaks, 4 April (Jerry Strawman, Des Moines, IA, Drake R8, Perseus SDR, 20' x 7' Loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15744.984 \\ 9770.202 SLBC Colombo Ekala, English religious service about believers and bible reading, at 0225 UT April 10, S=6 signal noted in Brisbane, Australia, interference by ute station on 15745.537 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. This April 10th morning around 03-04 UT noted SPURIOUS emission from US Radio Azadi Pashto service from 17670 kHz Iranawila Sri Lanka. Both 17584-17589 kHz and little stronger on upper side 17750-17756 kHz. vy73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, harmonics yg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. Hi all. If you try to connect http://www.biblevoice.org you'll see two (new?) links: http://www.biblevoice.net (Teaching and Christian Insight...) and http://www.bvbroadcasting.net (Radio Broadcasting... but "This site is temporarily down"). But the problem is that there are two different slots indicated from Trincomalee-Sri Lanka on 15270 kHz: one s/on at 1100 (Media Broadcast, Aoki, HFCC), the other at 1405 (the official station schedule .doc got as attached file by e-mail and EiBi April 3rd and 9th). I don't know if there are other sources stating the difference, but on the March 31st I've heard it at 1100 (Luca Botto Fiora, Rapallo (Genova), Italy, April 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. 7315 - Radio Tamazuj - Issoudun - F - Recebido cartão QSL. 34 dias. V/S: Ilegível. QTH: Witte Kruislaan 55, 1217 AM Hilversum, Holanda. A Rádio Tamazuj é uma emissora clandestina para o Sudão. Há anos não confirmava nenhuma emissora do gênero. As imagens das confirmações estarão disponíveis em breve em meu blog. 73 (Ivan Dias Jr. - Sorocaba/SP, http://ivandias.wordpress.com radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** SWAZILAND. 9584.784, TWR Manzini heard with typical nice interval signal around 1453-1455 UT April 10. Followed with ID in Malagasy at 1455 UT, program lasting til 1525 UT. S=8-9 fluttery signal, heard in Tokyo-JPN. But this window is only wide open at 1453-1458 UT slot segment. Then 1459 till 1557, CRI 500 kW beast from Xian-CHN opened Japanese segment from Beijing on even 9585 kHz and covered TWR Manzini broadcast totally (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 10 via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) ** TAIWAN [and non]. R. Taiwan Internationale: frequency change --- From Apr. 12, the French transmission via Dhabbaya will be on 13620 (ex 15360) at 1900-2000. Regards (Jean-Michel Aubier, France, April 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9735, April 11 at *1258, RTI cuts on with pop music, QRMing weaker 9740 BBC Singapore I was listening to; must have been tuned a bit to the lo side, but still a problem center-tuning. 1259 to dead air, 1300 cut on modulation of Japanese service, necessarily also USward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN [and non]. 7105, 2/4 2245, Two Chinese stations, both talking, maybe Voice of Hope Taiwan and CNR. Not Firedrake Music Jammer, Strong signals. (Giampiero Bernardini, in Bocca di Magra, Italy, with Dario Monferini, Few images on http://radiodxsw.blogspot.it/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Venerdì 6 aprile 2012 2217 - 6280 kHz, SOUND OF HOPE TAIWAN + CNR 1 JAMMER. Segnali sufficienti, Firedrake non ascoltato. Sabato 7 aprile 2012 1421 - 17450 kHz, prob. SOUND OF HOPE TAIWAN, Mandarino, parlato YL. Segnale sufficiente-insufficiente. Firedrake non ascoltato (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) See CHINA for when Firedrake was heard ** TAIWAN [and non]. /Mainland CHINA, 15374.983, FHBS Fu Hsing BS Kuanyin in Chinese logged on fair signal level S=5-6 on remote SDR unit in Tokyo-JPN from 0805 UT April 6th onwards. \\ 9410.0 {latter weak BUZZY signal}, 9774.007 kHz. 11605.107, RTI Taiwan in Japanese at 0820 UT April 6th. S=9+25dB in Tokyo-JPN. Chinese-Japanese lessons program in progress. Also various SOH TWN on air. 11969.914 S=6 in JPN at 0830 UT, 13665.005, 13880.096, 13969.923, 14399.956, and accompanied Firedrake music + 50 Hertz BUZZ on 13849.950, 14699.883 + 120 Hertz offset BUZZ at 0845 UT, S=8 in JPN. (Wolfgang Büschel, April 6, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) 6239.979, YFR Family Radio in Chinese language via Bau Jong-TWN, S=9+15dB signal logged on remote SDR unit at Nagoya-JPN, at 1435 UT on April 10. 7379.984, RFI Paris in Vietnamese language, via CBSC relay at Tainan- TWN at 1445 UT on April 10. S=9+15dB signal on backlobe in Japan. 7444.987, RTI CBS Taipei in Chinese, via Bao Chung tx site, at 1450 UT on April 10 (Wolfgang Büschel, April 10, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) ** TAJIKISTAN. 11500, Voice of Russia, Dushanbe. 1151-1203 April 9, 2012. Big but fluttery signal with embarrassingly terrible 50-Hz hum/buzz. End of music program, “Tune in same time next week for Russian music, and take care.” Into promo for VOR on-line, satellite access path, an FM frequency in London etc., ID and news summary. Presumed site (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL QTH with NRD-535, ICOM IC-R75 and Sangean PR-D5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAJIKISTAN [and non]. Re: ``** U S A [non]. 15670, April 9 at 1407, S Asian language, also with noise, jamming? audible 15665-15675. By 1414 less jamming, or is it a defective transmitter? After 1400, YFR in Hindi via Nauen, GERMANY is scheduled, but Aoki and EiBi show before 1400 on 15670 it`s RFA in Tibetan via Tajikistan, so suspect it was leftover ChiCom jamming. However, latest HFCC April 9 does not include the RFA broadcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` Glenn, all IBB transmissions via Tajikistan disappeared from HFCC on 30 March. They were listed publicly only during the first few days of A12. Also all language details disappeared from the IBB entries in HFCC on the same day. IBB, hark the President's words! http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/transparency-and-open-government (Eike Bierwirth, Germany, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Very interesting! Good thing we saved some of the early HFCC A-12 files, altho there are bound to be changes as time goes on. It`s true that a lot of TJK relays are jammed services; and maybe the Tajix are getting jittery about making the info public, even tho the ChiCom are certainly adept at attacking them, with or without help from HFCC lists (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) ** TIBET. 6025, 2/4 2230, PBS Xizang, Lhasa, China, English program, reports about China, good //4905 4920 6130 6050, 1/4 2020, PBS Lhasa, China, great songs non stop, like Hotel California, good //4820 5935 7240 (Giampiero Bernardini, in Bocca di Magra, Italy, with Dario Monferini, Few images on http://radiodxsw.blogspot.it/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TIBET [non]. Sabato 7 aprile 2012, 1425 - 17570 kHz, FIREDRAKE + VOICE OF TIBET. Segnali sufficienti. Evidentemente, a differenza di quelli del Tajikistan, con gli impianti del Madagascar non si possono spostare per fuggire dal jammer (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) ** TURKEY [and non]. 15450, April 6 at 1244 I find Firedrake colliding with VOT English to Europe and by extension, N America. That`s because V. of Tibet is on 15447, weak het not a problem itself but attracting this horrible jamming which would have been more effective on 15445, which moved elsewhere after 1300; see CHINA. At 1305, SE Asian language on 15445 is causing ACI to VOT; KSDA in Kachin (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY [and non]. 15450, April 7 at 1308, VOT is JBA unlike yesterday and quite overshadowed by 15445 with Burmese intonation, i.e. really Kachin from KSDA daily at 1300-1330 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UKRAINE. THE CABINET OF MINISTERS OF UKRAINE OFFERED TO RESUME THE BROADCASTING OF THE LW People's Deputy Yuri Karmazin (NUNS) offers the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to develop and approve the program of preservation and restoration of the state enterprise "radio transmitting center", as well as to restore order on the transfer of the enterprise strength. This follows from the draft of the Resolution "On ensuring information security of Ukraine and the adoption of measures on the state support of the state enterprise "radio transmitting center", text of which has "proIT". The draft resolution also proposes funds for the resumption of the work of the transmitter with a capacity of 500 kW on the frequency 0,207 MHz [207 kHz - LW] to the distribution of air time between the National radio company of Ukraine (NRCU) for the translation of the 1st programme of the National radio and television and radio company "RADA" for the broadcasting of the sessions of the meetings of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. In addition the resolution offers to solve a question of the subordination of the state enterprise "radio transmitting center" the Apparatus of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (from http://proit.com.ua 30.03.2012, sent Sergey Sosedkin) Comment Alexandra Egorova [genitive, not feminine] from Kiev about the prospects for the resumption of LW-broadcasting of the Ukrainian radio: About the resumption of broadcasts by 207 kHz, indeed, in the NRCU again stirred on this topic. Are interested in a glaring example of the long-wave broadcasting abroad. I have them sent to the site EMWG. Nostalgic letters from listeners on 207 kHz is also obvious help - I, too, have shipped in the national radio company of Ukraine. But I doubt that the Verkhovna Rada will help. The deputies of the state broadcasting there is no problem - it and is not necessary, except that if the absolutely to stop live broadcasts from the session of the Verkhovna Rada on UR1. But this is more exciting opposition, and the majority of Parliament these broadcasts in my opinion only harm their image. In fact there is some kind of fever in the NRCU in this issue: we RFE do not respect, and go to the MW, and the MW cast out, and ??????????? old already, almost without lamp transmitter in LW. Though the meaning of this some is"coming elections to the Parliament, so something can be squeezed out on the topic of the necessity of modulation brainwashing the electorate. Now in rural areas almost wired radio has not and old yet available "Spodola" and others., which take LW/MW, almost the whole of Western and Central Ukraine silent - no gear ur in these regions. I don't really hope for the resumption of broadcasting by 207 kHz to 500 kW - very big Finance is required. At least 250 kW pulled. Better yet resumed would broadcast UR1 on the square on the 5970 kHz, which I myself and chose at the time - would have been the day the whole Ukraine and destinations for 100 or even 50 kW boldly. Receivers with a SW and low-cost in the market enough - the more-or you can listen to. The transmitter is the 5970 kHz with my agitation bosses worked from September 2008 to February 2010. But the scornful refers to the SW, because they are the same, the quality of reception of them does not satisfy, and the fact that for the reception of information programs, it is important not only the quality, as the number of received information, for which SW very suitable and there is less domestic and industrial interference that's not a think. But what is interesting is that all of the same brigade RRT at the conference HFCC is present regularly and even every time the year the same frequency on the SW reserve, including 5970 (Sent Sergey Sosedkin, Moscow, Information DX Bulletin, Weekly electronic periodical, Number 783, 03 April 2012, Editor of the current number: Alexander Dementiev via RusDX via DXLD) sic It would be very much appreciated if some bilinguals would summarize these things in good English for us; no need to translate every word properly (gh) ** U K [non]. 7355, 3/4 0643, BBC WS in DRM, reported via Moosbrunn, Austria, reports, sport too, label: "BBC WorlService [sic] DRM from the BBC", SNR 28 dB around, good //5875 DRM from Woofferton UK, good too but with better signal (Giampiero Bernardini, in Bocca di Magra, Italy, with Dario Monferini, Few images on http://radiodxsw.blogspot.it/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15370, April 7 at 1334, Horn-of-Africa music, good with flutter, 1340 talk in presumed Somali, 1344 mentions ``Somali, BBC``; 1411 recheck, silly ballgame coverage in Somali with crowd noises; I just wonder where such games originate, Britain, Somalia, Somaliland, or ??? 1434 found // 17840 synchronized. Both are via CYPRUS: 15370 Saturdays only at 11-16; 17840 daily 13-16, and Saturdays also 11-13. These have often defaulted to English instead. 6135, April 9 at 0551, fair signal with talk about Nigeria in presumed Hausa, mentioned BBC at 0558. HFCC shows ASCENSION at 0529-0600, sandwiched between two French semihours, each at a different northeastward azimuth. There was also a JBA lo het on the lo side: could that be R. Santa Cruz, Bolivia, running late as recently reported by Bryan Clark, NZ? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 6903.5-USB, April 11 at 1315-1325+, Army MARS net discussing digital modes and how to set them up on computers, such as RMS Express. Main speaker and NCS is AAR6CQ, also with AAM6RE who had transmitter problems, his modulation cutting up. This is a Texas Army MARS net, and AAR6CQ is Tom Whiteside per https://www.txarmymars.org/downloads/2011-TxEmergMgmtConf.pdf a.k.a. N5TN, mentioned in this article about Hurricane Dolly: http://www.eham.net/articles/19860 But N5TN is a typo, as that is someone in Missouri, and Tom`s real ham call is N5TW, per ARRL lookup of FCC records, north of Austin: WHITESIDE, TOMMY G, N5TW 228 WIND RIDGE COVE DR GEORGETOWN, TX 78628 Previous call sign: AC5IB Previous license class: Advanced Licensee ID: L01193695 License Class: Extra FRN: 00015517329 Radio Service: HV Issue Date: 09/21/2006 Expire Date: 12/18/2016 Date of Last Change: 01/10/2007 Texas Army MARS website search on AAM6RE leads to Ken Miller, a.k.a. AAR6TB, Region Emergency Officer. One gets a lot more hits searching on that second call, such as this: https://www.txarmymars.org/news/news.php?id=138 concerning Collin Country, which is just north of Dallas near the KAIJ ruins. The net schedule for 0801 CDT April 11 shows AAR6CQ as the Default NCS, and the primary frequency designated as KEG (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The last Texas MARS link Glenn put up on April 10-11 post is Excellent! You need to dig into it a little to get some good time zone/conversion info especially helpful for amateurs. Good links in the NOAA site :) (Robin in SF CA USA, PTSW YG via DXLD) ** U S A. 7302-USB, April 6 at 1354, Air Force MARS net, NCS AFF6AR, calling several stations, many with no reply, asking for ``digital confirmations`` with error rates, of an earlier transmission. Someone replied with an announcement of a dinner at 7 pm June 8, RSVP, at the Texas Land & Cattle Co. (Googling: ``Texas Land & Cattle Steak House has 31 locations throughout Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, New Mexico, Indiana, Missouri and Arkansas.``) At 1354, speaking of eating, not to be outdone, AFF6TX announced a lunch 11 am today at Napoli`s Italian Restaurant in South Denton (TX), an ``interoperability`` meeting with other MARS branches. These stations are, according to: http://region6mars.org/USAF%20MARS%20OFFICIALS%20ROSTER%207-3-11.pdf Lee Bane AFA6LB AFF6AR SMD,AR 5 Mota Lane, Hot Springs Vil, AR 71909 Don Roberson AFA6TH AFF6TX SMD,TX 1027 Broome Road, Bartonville, TX 76226-8207 The calls I heard are the ``off. calls``; the other ones for each are their ``M calls`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. Comparing AFN Florida and Guam, April 7: 5765-USB, Guam, April 7 at 1230, ``AFN News``, PSAs, promo for more AFN News, 1238 Chief of Naval Operations held a luncheon at Jacksonville FL NAS, etc. 7811-USB, Florida, April 7 at 1246, `NPR Weekend Edition Saturday`, interview with Texas book author, as usual repeated a few sex later on KOSU-91.7`s delayed analog channel to match their IBOC noise (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. INVITATION TO THE REDEDICATION OF THE BBG/VOA GREENVILLE SHORTWAVE STATION MENTIONS NEITHER GREENVILLE NOR SHORTWAVE. Posted: 11 Apr 2012 Broadcasting Board of Governors press release, 5 Apr 2012: "Please join the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) for the rededication ceremony in honor of the renowned broadcaster and director of the USIA (1961-1964), Edward R. Murrow, and in recognition of World Press Freedom Day. Speakers will include: Congressman Walter Jones (invited); Victor Ashe, BBG Governor, former Ambassador to Poland and former mayor of Knoxville; Richard M. Lobo, award-winning media executive and journalist and Director of the International Broadcasting Bureau. Edward R. Murrow’s legacy as a journalist and his rich understanding of the importance of press freedom as part of the bedrock of democracy along with the key role of U.S. international broadcasting as a model of a free press will be highlighted in the ceremony to be held in the lead-up to World Press Freedom Day, May 3rd. The transmitting station, a 24/7 broadcast facility, supports the mission of the Broadcasting Board of Governors to 'inform, engage and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy' through about 2,200 hours of transmissions each month. Following the ceremony a tour of the facility will be offered." On 2 May at 10:00 a.m. With link to registration. (kimandrewelliott.com via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) Unmentioned in this press release: the station is usually referred to as Greenville, as in nearby Greenville, North Carolina, and all of its transmitters are of the shortwave persuasion. The BBG FY 2011 budget recommended closing the Greenville station. See previous post (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** U S A [and non]. 17530, April 7 until 1331* strong open carrier, tone before off; also earlier in the hour. No doubt Greenville B tuning up for much later use of 17530, i.e. 1700 in Portuguese; altho São Tomé is coming up at 1400 in English. IBB continues to allow its stations to approach, if not cross the boundary separating church and state. 15580, April 7 at 2041, VOA song about ``Jesus, My Saviour``, outro as sung by Patrick somebody of Rwanda, then a 16-member choral group of genocide survivors (as is just about everybody remaining in Rwanda) with ``You are the Path and the Way`` redundantly, host first reading pro-Jesus lyrix translated, as if the hymn was in English, I could not understand it. Show is `Music Time in Africa`, host Matthew LaVoy. He sure sounds different speaking plain American English than in his other persona in French as Mathieu LaVoie, where he really lays on the hype. MTIA is normally secular so this diversion is obviously inspired by Christian holydays underway. Now: equal time for Animists, Atheists, LDS, and everyfaith? They are certainly entitled to it once you open this religious can of worms, but I suspect IBB will get away with it, no one else really caring. AUSCS (AUFSOCAS?) needs to be sic`d on `em. O, 15580 at this hour is via MADAGASCAR, 250 kW, 305 degrees; latest HFCC shows it unused currently by Greenville at any hour. R. Martí has a reprehensible history of broadcasting Roman Catholic services to Cuba to the exclusion of all other faxions, and maybe still do weekly; it`s hard to find a program schedule. On Easter morning, April 8 at 1306 on 11845, equal to or below the wall-of-noise jamming level, I am hearing a choir and organ, but apparently played from the studio as followed by announcer reading the 23rd Psalm; at least it sounded like a regular announcer rather than a priest. 13820 bore jamming only, 7405 mostly jamming, and 11930 not yet jammed or Martíed (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15590, April 9 at 1305 open carrier still on from VOA Greenville after Spanish until 1300; also for good measure, still audible Cuban pulse jamming underneath. 15580, April 10 at 2055, VOA `The African Beat` is playing catchy tune in French, ``Vive la République Gabonaise``, ``vive la liberté, égalité, fraternité``. If I were tuned 6.000 MHz lower I would think I was hearing Africa Numéro Un. Was it their national day or something? This hour only is 250 kW, 305 degrees via MADAGASCAR. ** U S A [non]. 21710, April 11 at 0508, weak signal in Chinese with occasional peaks; R. Free Asia is scheduled via TINIAN daily, but could be one of those jumparound frequencies to other 13m channels in attempt to avoid ChiCom jamming. Nice to see MUF peaking this hi in the nightmiddle as summer approaches! WWV reported at 0518: SF 93, A 8, K at 03 was 2, no, no. Similar and somewhat stronger programming on 17855, which is RFA Chinese via SAIPAN, but not //, probably due to deliberate non- synchronization. Believe I was really hearing RFA rather than jamming in these cases (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. 4/6, 5050, 0343-0400, WWRB, World of Radio, 34433. I heard the last 15 minutes. Signal was coming in a little weak. The last 2-3 minutes signal was starting to fade out about 0358-0400 (Richard Lewis, Forest, MS, Kaito KA 1103, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF RADIO 1611 monitoring: second SW airing confirmed on WWRB 5050, UT Friday April 6 at 0331. Remaining chances: on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB/LSB, UT Sat 0100v-0135v; on WRMI 9955: Sat 0800, 1500, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730, Mon 0500, 1130. On WTWW 5755, UT Sun 0400. On WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sat & Sun 1730, Sun 0830 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9955, April 7 at 1424, singing hymn(?) with guitar, uncertain language with poor reception, lite Cuban pulse jamming fades up and down vs WRMI fades. 1430 missed any WRMI ID, but then R. Prague in English, with `Czech Lines`, very poor. I don`t think the show before 1430 was `Historias de Radio` as on the WRMI program grid as of March 31. How about WORLD OF RADIO, long scheduled Saturdays at 1500 on WRMI? Yes, confirmed starting then, poor signal with no jamming, but at 1509 some pulse jamming could again be heard, fading independently of WRMI. Remaining repeats are Sun 0800, 1530, 1730, Mon 0500, 1130. The Area 51 WBCQ broadcast of WORLD OF RADIO 1611 started close to 0130 UT Saturday April 7 on 5110v-CUSB/LSB, as monitored on webcast. Next best chance: UT Sunday 0400 on 5755 WTWW. WORLD OF RADIO 1611 monitoring: confirmed after 1530 Sunday April 8 on 9955 WRMI, usual poor signal, but unseemed jammed. Repeats at 1730, Monday 0500, 1130. Also confirmed with excellent signal, UT Sunday April 8 at 0400 on 5755 WTWW. WORLD OF RADIO 1612: produced in time for first SW airing on WRMI 9955, UT Thursday April 12 at 0330; good luck vs jamming. WRMI repeats are Sat 0800, 1500, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730, Mon 0500, 1130. Also: Thursday 2100 on WTWW 9479; UT Friday 0330v on WWRB 5050; UT Saturday 0100v-0135v start on WBCQ Area 51 5110v-CUSB/LSB; UT Sunday 0400 on WTWW 5755 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 7490, WJTB?? 2119 29/3, oldie songs (reminds me somehow Mikey Mouse), OM in English with sometimes laughing. Marginal S1. Also 2255 mixed with BBC when I found a possible ID (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki Greece, Standard rig : ICOM R75 / 2x16 V, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is of course WBCQ. If it were Friday 30/3 instead of Thursday, program would fit as `Behavior Night`. But Thursdays at 2100-2130 it`s `Amos `n` Andy` (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. 9385, April 8 at 0504, Brother Scare is back, as WWRB failed to switch to 3185 a few hours earlier, absent now. Fair with deep fading (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 11715.175, KJES Vado NM in English, single man sung, but MUCH UNDERMODULATED, strong carrier of S=8-9 at 1325 UT Apr 9 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 9, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) In Germany, or on remote receiver? (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. I had backed away from doing much with radios until I purchased a Flex 5000 coil. KJES on 7555.05 kHz but seems like it is way off frequency. Time 0134 04/10/2012 (Tom AC5TM Miller, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 13845, April 9 at 1941, no signal from WWCR, tho 13830 WEWN and 13820 DentroCuban Jamming Command have very good signals, as does WWCR on 12160, and fair on 15825. Therefore 13845 must be off the air; it`s back with PMS at 2003 check (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Sabato 7 aprile 2012, 0553 - 9369.72 kHz, WTJC - Newport-SC (USA) Musica classica e coro religioso YLs. Segnale buono (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) 9372, April 11 at 1311, 18-kHz squishy spur from 9390 WEWN is bothering 9370v WTJC, less than the stronger 9-kHz spur on 9381 is bothering 9385 WWRB. Also audible around 9399; 9408 vs China. These spurs always accompanying the WEWN English transmitter, sometimes also audible at 27 kHz or even further multiples of 9 kHz from center frequency, (and similar on one of the two Spanish frequencies) are apparently caused by failure to install a certain filter to eliminate them from their Continental transmitters, a sorely needed retrofit affecting an AM/FM switch on a control card (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. 15670, April 9 at 1407, S Asian language, also with noise, jamming? audible 15665-15675. By 1414 less jamming, or is it a defective transmitter? After 1400, YFR in Hindi via Nauen, GERMANY is scheduled, but Aoki and EiBi show before 1400 on 15670 it`s RFA in Tibetan via Tajikistan, so suspect it was leftover ChiCom jamming. However, latest HFCC April 9 does not include the RFA broadcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see TAJIKISTAN ** U S A [non]. 11535, TAIWAN, Family Radio, Paochung. 1203 April 9, 2012. “Amazing Grace” in Chinese by gospel choir! Fluttery but otherwise excellent. Listed as Mandarin at this time (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL QTH with NRD-535, ICOM IC-R75 and Sangean PR-D5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. DFW Radio --- The Savage Nation is now on 1190 KFXR, formerly on 570 KLIF. Glenn Beck has been pushed back an hour and now starts at 10 AM on 570 KLIF. Mark Davis is in contract negotiations with WBAP and off the air (they are still saying "The Mark Davis Show"), but he still has slots to guest host for Limbaugh, and still has an op-ed in the Dallas Morning News and TV appearances on KDFW and WFAA. Cumulus is screwing around and screwing up, in my arrogant opinion. KRLD has been news for YEARS, and now they think that KLIF is going to give them a run for their money?? In what universe?? Do these guys know what they are doing? Sorry, rhetorical question. The answer seems to be "of course not." (David R. Block, April 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1690, FLORIDA, (MIS), Pinellas County Emergency Management, Largo. 2301 April 5, 2012. This one is back on with normal audio after months of running just a carrier. Same stale loop consisting of male then female regarding speed reduction in construction zones, fines, US-19 construction and to watch for motorcycles. Signal also audible fair level on April 8 while at Ft. DeSoto. Mullet Key mid-day (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL QTH with NRD-535, ICOM IC-R75 and Sangean PR- D5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1700, FLORIDA “WAMi”, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria Island. 1838 April 8, 2012. Suspect the one, though no audio making it, but a weak sub-audible het against WJCC, Miami Springs. “WAMi” is the Part 15 station I confirmed as active on March 10 (see previously reported log of). Anna Maria Island is just across the shipping channel from this reception location. Florida Low Power Radio Stations: https://sites.google.com/site/floridadxn/florida-low-power-radio-stations (Terry Krueger, Sangean PR-D5 from Ft. DeSoto Park, Mullet Key, FL local mid-day, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. NAVAJO RADIO PLAN GRINDS TO A HALT; MAN ACCUSED OF TAKING FUNDS http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/04/02/20120402navajo-radio-plan-grinds-halt-man-accused-taking-funds.html (via Greg Hardsion, CA, DXLD) and see the comments ** U S A. Rachel Maddow on MSNBC continues to cover the story of the low-power radio station in Benton Harbor MI that the governor- appointed city manager is trying to get rid of. Find the latest video by going to http://rachel.msnbc.com and search on Benton Harbor (not the calls WBHC-LP 96.5), viz.: April 2: Michigan GOP`s War on Democracy Meets Resistance transcript copied as is without caps, grafs: >>> news out of benton harbor, michigan. is a mostly poor city and mostly african-american and the first city in michigan to have the local elected officials stripped of their power. last year by the state. under rick schneiders souped up emergency manager law your vote to who you want to run the town can be overruled. the state said that benton harbor is too broken to be allowed a democratic form of government anymore. governor schneider turned the town over to a single unelected manager who has unilateral power to do whatever he wants, no matter what the voters say. the manager says the elected mayor and the elected commission are not in charge anymore. so they are not in charge anymore. in rick schneider's michigan, democracy is considered part of the problem n places like benton harbor, at least, democracy must go before progress can begin. accordingly what counts as progress in benton harbor is up to the emergency manager guy now. under rick schneider's law, this unelected emergency official can fire the elected officials, can cancel contracts, can dissolve the whole town itself. can sell off the town's assets. benton harbor did not have many public assets, but it did have this, a voice, a pub likely owned radio station broadcast out of city hall. the signal from wbhc 96.5 fm only reaches three miles. it belongs to the town. they broadcast by the town, for the town and about the town. in february exercising his unilateral power under michigan law emergency manager put the whole thing up for sale on ebay for $5,000. you get the cords, microphones and everything included. come and get it. it turns out even if rick schneider's state law says they can auction it off to the last office chair under federal law you can not do that. you can not sell a low-powered radio station that way. you can't sell it on ebay. a broadcast license like benton harbor has can only go to a local nonprofit or government body, not just the highest bidder you find on- line. the emergency manager had to take down the listing on ebay and find a qualified buyer. and now we know who is planning to buy the radio station. provided the fcc agrees to the transfer, the new owner will be the benton area schools. the school district is on the verge of getting the town's radio station so the students can practice on it. benton harbor's emergency manager says the radio station will be better in the schools we believe it will be more useful in their hands than in ours. more useful? more useful than what? what was it used for before? in addition to news and music, it was used for dissent, for expressing dissent about the town being stripped of its democratic rights for instance. when jesse jackson came to benton harbor to protest he sat down at the microphone at the town radio station and spoke his mind. i guess if you happen to be the state appointed czar who's being protested on that radio station that may not seem like a useful use of that station. it may not seem pleasant. we have learned something about about benton harbor, the emergency manager had been making noises about winding down his time there. the restoration of benton harbor's democracy turns out not to be imminent. they said we don't believe we are there yet in benton harbor. later this year he said we are going to work with folks in the community to the talk about the picture that you and have and we have as to what benton harbor's future should look like. local residents have been stripped of their right to have a say so. they have not had a local democracy since last year, since rick schneider took it away. governor schneider and the republicans legislature has done is up end the idea that in america we elect people to represent us. in america, we are governed by a democratic form of government. michigan republicans are ripping that idea out by the roots. if there are problems to be solved we do not do it by democratic means anymore in michigan. we suspend democracy to get things done, indefinitely. and it means you can be stripped of your right to vote for officials to govern your town and state level you may not be allowed to vote in the state legislature. this picture shows michigan house democrats asking for a vote in the legislature and not being allowed one. republicans in the michigan house are being sued in court by their colleagues across the aisle. sued for stopping democrats from voting in the state legislature. the republicans are being sued for that. this is an amazing story. amazing that it has come to this, to one political party suing another for the right to vote. amazing this afternoon the state democrats won an early round in court. a county judge issued a temporary injunction ordering michigan house republicans to allow the minority party to vote and the court put on hold several laws the republicans passed improperly. this order that you can see with the scratch outs and the judges scrolling all over it. this has big inly cases for whether in america we solve problems by voting, by democracy or whether we solve problems by suspending democracy. michigan republicans say they will appeal the voting that they must follow the constitution and that democrats have to be allowed to vote. they are asking it be repealed immediately and michigan you are so epic this year. we are reporting the story fully and we will have the full story in coming days. now it is time for the last word with lawrence o'donnell. Previous video stories about this are also found in the search lineup: Feb 17: deck stacked against benton harbor residents Feb 10: appointed by fiat, town manager puts local radio station on ebay (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Other than TISs, I didn`t know that cities were allowed to own radio stations (Mike Westfall, Lost Almost NM, N6KUY, April 9, ABDX via DXLD) They've always been allowed to own stations, and many did in the early years of radio. The city of Dallas has owned WRR since the 1920s, first on AM (now KTCK 1310) and then WRR-FM 101.1, municipally-owned to this day. The city of New York owned WNYC from 1924 until just a few years ago, when it sold WNYC AM/FM to an independent public broadcasting foundation. (It sold WNYC-TV in 1996.) Now a city agency owns WNYE-FM and WNYE-TV, which used to be owned by the NYC schools. The city of St. Petersburg, Florida owned WSUN radio and TV in the 1950s. And government agencies (including municipalities) are among the only entities that can own LPFMs - it's governments and nonprofits and nobody else, in fact. s (Scott Fybush, Rochester NY, ibid.) WCBE Columbus (OH) was built by, and is still owned and operated by the Columbus Board Of Education, which is what the call sign stands for. WJAX AM/FM Jacksonville (FL) was owned and operated by the City of Jacksonville as a commercial station for many years (Kit W5KAT, ibid.) Speaking of Benton Harbor, enjoy this episode of Chicken Man... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgMOOPxkYVk (KI4SYC, Ira Elbert New, III, Watkinsville, Georgia, Proudly Serving You Since 1964, ibid.) ** U S A. A special edition of Feagler & Friends: Guest 1: Robert Conrad, president, WCLV, Northeast Ohio’s Classical Music Station --- WCLV is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and the man who put the station on the air in 1962 is still at the helm today. The station is a rarity in American radio. It’s one of a handful of classical music stations that’s commercial - supported by advertising. It’s the radio home of the Cleveland Orchestra and is likely to remain so for a long time to come. Conrad refused lucrative offers to sell the station a few years ago to broadcasters who surely would have changed the format. . . http://www.ideastream.org/feagler/entry/46068 (via Artie Bigley, Columbus, DXLD) ** U S A. Little Rock AR "Big Four" Affiliates preempt network programming for UA presser All four of Little Rock's (AR) network affiliates (no O&O stations in the market) preempted network programming during all or part of the 7- 8pm CT hour for a press conference with University of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long. Long read some prepared statements concerning football coach Bobby Petrino then announced public his firing to the media. NBC affiliate KARK carried coverage via its Rogers/Fayetteville AR sister station KNWA and the entire 7-8pm hour was preempted. The regularly scheduled NBC program, "The Biggest Loser" was to be shown after "Jimmy Fallon". KARK-KNWA carried the presser in 4x3 SDTV with pillarbars showing 'Razorback Nation'. KATV (ABC) showed about 10 minutes of the 7pm ABC program before going live to Fayetteville. KATV had the only TV quality (albeit only SDTV) 16x9 video and had obviously sent a uplink truck to Fayetteville. CBS affiliate KTHV broadcast the first half-hour of "NCIS" then the presser in 4x3 web-quality video (actually looked like a Skype feed). The dropped frames were very obvious. KTHV was the first though to return to network programming. KLRT (FOX) carried the first half-hour of "Glee" then broke in after the first ad of the half-hour ad break. KLRT would not return to "Glee" and also stated on their Facebook newsfeed that FOX would not permit KLRT (aka "Fox 16") to rebroadcast the show. Video quality on KLRT of the press conference was Skype-quality but cropped to show faux widescreen(?) for newer TVs (Fritze H. Prentice, Jr, KC5KBV, Star City AR EM43aw, twitter.com/fritzehp April 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN [non]. Risveglio dei 1566 kHz? Questa mattina fra le 05:30 e le 06:00 locali [UT +2] ho ascoltato sui /*1566 kHz */un emissione della *Radio Vaticana*. Canzoni religiose, ID "/Siete all'ascolto della Radio Vaticana/", programma "/Riflessioni sulla settimana Santa/", in lingua italiana. Segnale discreto, variabile con dei picchi buoni, con interferenze da *TWR Benin* e dalle stazioni sui canali adiacenti. Presumo si possa essere trattato di *Challenger Radio*; credo troppo forte il segnale per essere *Radio Kolbe*. Qualche altro controllo? -- (Roberto Rizzardi, SWL I/0216/GR, Porto S. Stefano (GR) Italy, 6 April, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) Later: seems Kolbe 17520, April 10 at 1430, poor signal with S Asian music, flutter, announcements. EiBi shows R. Vaticana in Hindi via Madagascar. I was trying to decide if there were CCI, or just RV mixing music and talk, but EiBi also lists on 17520, R. Pakistan in Urdu to ME at 1330- 1530. This is also in HFCC as 250 kW, 282 degrees from Islamabad in Urdu and English, but PBC makes a lot of wooden registrations. Aoki also has it as API6 in Urdu for A12, but at 312 degrees. So is Pakistan really colliding with Vatican? EiBi shows VR is also on until 1550 in Tamil, Malayalam and 1530 English, and adds Urdu from 1415 on Wed & Sun (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes: see PAKISTAN ** VIETNAM [and non]. 11840, April 8 at 2102 whilst checking out announced and listed RHC frequencies, at first all I hear is the BaBcoCk music loop filler/IS, then RHC fades up its audio; still hearing both at 2113! Per HFCC, BAB is supposed to be broadcasting VOV in Vietnamese to SE Europe and Turkey, via Woofferton UK at 2030-2130; would have been Commies vs Commies! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See unID 11999.850, Voice of Vietnam from Son Tay in Chinese, scheduled 1300- 1330 UT noted at 1318 UT Apr 9 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 11 via DXLD) ** VIETNAM. 8294-USB, Hai Phong Coastal Radio VISHIPEL. 1210 April 9, 2012. Vietnamese female reader. Presumed site per Ron Howard's observations and times. Pretty weak at this hour here (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL QTH with NRD-535, ICOM IC-R75 and Sangean PR- D5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. ALGERIAN Clandestine: 1550, Polisario Front, Rabouni, is starting its evening program in Castilian earlier than 1730. At 1700, the station signs on and immediately goes into prayer as usual (quite a few minutes of the stuff), then the Castilian section opens the program some time before 1730 which is when they use to broadcast the newsbulletin. Today for instance, that program in Castilian started at 1719, and is still running as I write this, 1801 UT. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, April 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. Zimbabwe Community Radio on 12115 kHz --- ZCR on 12115 kHz via Tala Volonondry, MDG good from *1600-. ex. 5890 kHz via Meyerton (S. Hasegawa, Japan, April 7, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. via MADAGASCAR. 9870, Radio Voice of the People, 0415-0457*, vernacular talk. IDs. Into English at 0442 with IDs, English news about Zimbabwe. Schedule given. Contact information. Fair. English difficult to understand due to accents. April 8 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 702, TRANS-PACIFIC 1049 April 10, 2012. Pretty decent carrier smack on 702, but no audio. Probably an aggregate of several of the highest powered ones here (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater FL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 7610, unIDed Chinese program station 1524/8.4 with talks in Chinese. QSY at 1530 on 7620 on a white noise channel of S4 and closed down on 1559 Signal level S9. Sample recording: http://soundcloud.com/greekdx/7610-1557-7-4-chinese-language If anyone knows this station please let me know. Standard rig : ICOM R75 / 2x16 V / m@h40 heads Sennheiser (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 10000, April 6 at 1345, someone is on WWVH`s frequency as she is trying to convey propagation minute, whistling into mike intermittently; some toots sounded like ``-HI`` in Morse. Also suffering from DentroCuban jamming spur sometimes on lo side, sometimes on hi side, pulsing similar to 9955 against WRMI (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. Giovedì 5 aprile 2012, 2147 - 11840 kHz, Spagnolo, molti riferimenti al Venezuela. Niente su EiBi, Aoki ed HFCC scaricati il 4 aprile. Segnale sufficiente-insufficiente (Luca Botto Fiora, G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, playdx yg via DXLD) But 11840 was identified in my reports as: RHC (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 15103.3, spur from 15160, 10 April at 1639 in a Hindi language (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, ICOM R75 / 2x16 V / m@h40 heads Sennheiser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Only thing scheduled on 15160 this hour is YFR in Oromo, 500 kW, 140 degrees via Nauen, Germany across you; not Indian language (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 15110, April 7 at 1412, open carrier with good signal. Nothing is scheduled here 13-15, but could be REE Noblejas tuning up for the *1900 broadcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 15360, April 9 at 1307, American preacher about biblical archaeology circa Turkey, Hittites, fair signal. I was axually mildly interested, but cut off the air abruptly at 1314. Fair signal but with some splatter from the Cuban emisucia on 15340. Only thing scheduled on 15360 this hour is R. Liberty Kazakh via Thailand, unheard. However in subsequent hours, 15360 is used by TWR Swaziland and KSDA Guam. Maybe it`s another AWR anomaly from the latter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 15470, April 10 at 1352-1353* big steady open carrier; nothing scheduled at this hour, but BBC Cyprus and VOA Botswana use 15470 later (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGESTS) UNIDENTIFIED. 15725, April 7 at 1506, 1 kHz tone test. Nothing scheduled now, but until 1500 it was IBB Kuwait, and from 1530 it`s PNW Trincomallee, Sri Lanka, not to mention from 1700 R. Pakistan, all per HFCC. Aoki clarifies what services these really refer to: Kuwait is R. Aap ki Dunyaa; Sri Lanka is R. Dabanga; and no listing for Pakistan after 1104 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 17550, April 11 at 1854, good signal with religious- sounding guitar music (or was it harp?), 1856 talk in tonal African language, hum. Fast SAH of approx. 12 Hz. Talk continued thru ToH 1900, tho there may have been an edit, nothing resembling an ID and the only word recognized was at 1857, ``Geneva``. Away from the computer noise on the porch, figured I`d uplook this easily later and quit listening at 1904. Wrong. Let alone two stations, not even one is listed on 17550 anywhere near 1900, before or after, in HFCC, EiBi or Aoki. Next try at 1952, it was gone. Maybe the SAH had been from Kuwait, ahead of their sign-on around 2000? Unlikely, considering how strong it was then, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Next day *1830 with YFR theme; Ascension (gh) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACKNOWLEDGED ON WORLD OF RADIO 1612: Thanks to Frederick McGavin in Ireland who sent a contribution in Euro via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com (gh) TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED ON FUTURE WORs: Hello, Glenn, I am an SWB listener in New Hampshire, about an hour north of Boston. You provide an incredible amount of SWB information. Keep up the great work! Best regards, (Patrick Jeffery Rye, NH with a contribution in dollars via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com) Thanks to Chuck Ermatinger, St Louis, for a contribution via PayPal Glenn, Attached is my first contribution to support your media news activities. I plan on making more in the future, on a monthly or quarterly basis. Like some other recent contributors, I am working my way back into the hobby after a long absence (Dustin Brann, via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com) Tnx to Will Martin, check in the mail to P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702 And Glenn congrats on 8 years of DXLDyg. A lot of work! (Andy Reid, Ont., April 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ JUST THE FAX! I am pleased to announce that my new book, "JUST THE FAX! A Shortwave Radio Listener's Guide to Weather Facsimile Reception", by Steven Handler is now available. Called by many names including radio facsimile, WEFAX, and radio fax they are used by weather forecasting agencies around the world to broadcast their weather maps, weather charts, satellite photos and forecasts to many users around the globe simultaneously. With a shortwave radio communications receiver, and a computer (PC or MAC) using the proper software you can receive these entertaining broadcasts. This book provides a step by step description of the author's experiences receiving these broadcasts. Beside the technical discussion and the examples of maps, charts and satellite photos, there are two sections filled with extensive data. The first section lists stations by frequency and the second section lists them in time order. This 39-page book was just published in 2012. Price: $14.95 plus shipping. Shipping First Class Mail to the USA & Canada $1.90 Shipping First Class Mail International to Europe, Asia and other locations outside the USA and Canada $3.86 (Certain countries may charge the recipient a customs duty) The book is available from the author at shortwavereport @ yahoo.com with payment by PayPal. It may also be ordered though the mail by sending payment to: Steven Handler, PO Box 11, Lincolnshire, IL 60069- 0011 USA. Additional information or questions may be directed to Steve Handler at shortwavereport @ yahoo.com (Steve Handler, April 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) MUSEA +++++ EARLY SHORTWAVE BROADCASTING ON THE WEST COAST of the USA http://www.theradiohistorian.org/wcsw/wcsw.htm Regards (Ian Baxter, NSW, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ New SDR receiver Elad FDM-S1 tested Ciao, Ho postato sul blog Radio Info http://radiodxinfo.blogspot.it/ alcune note pratiche sul nuovo ricevitore SDR FDM-S1 della Elad. L'ho provato sia sulle HF che sulle VHF. Può ricevere anche le stazioni FM sulla banda 88-108 MHz. Trovate anche diverse immagini. I posted on my blog Radio Info some notes about new SDR Elad FDM-S1. I found this receveiver interesting, it works in the range 0-200 MHz and can receive also WFM on 88-108 MHz band. You can find also some images. If you are interested in it see http://radiodxinfo.blogspot.it/ (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italia, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) INTERESTING JAMMING WEBSITE & MATERIAL Also some interesting & revealing images of current SW BCB TX sites & those former jamming sites. http://www.radiojamming.puslapiai.lt/photo.htm Would be an interesting exercise in determining the coordinates of some of these former jamming only sites. I hope to do some further reading from this website at a later date. 73's (Ian Baxter, April 9, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) FROM SHORT WAVES TO FLASH MOBS Watch out Big Brother. In the digital era, Arab dictators aren’t the only ones who will be thrown on their heels. By Michael Moran|Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2012, at 7:42 AM ET http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2012/04/revolutionary_technology_facebook_twitter_and_wikileaks_pose_a_challenge_to_governments_everywhere_.html or http://slate.me/IeXG21 A bit off-topic but worth a read, given the discussion about the relevance of international broadcasters (specifically RCI) we've been having. What's interesting is the article's title (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, NASWA yg via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM See also BELGIUM [non]; COSTA RICA; CUBA; ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GUIANA FRENCH; NIGERIA; NORTH AMERICA; SPAIN; UK SIGNAL LEVELS FOR DRM RECEPTION? Hello Group, What sort of signal levels are needed for DRM reception? With analog signals if reception isn't optimum you always have an option to "listen through the noise", but with digital it's a "there or not" sort of thing. How strong do DRM signals need to be? Do I need "Sackville" levels? (AC0X, NASWA yg via DXLD) Several years ago at the Winter SWL Fest, in our DRM demonstrations, we generally found that you'd need comparatively good signal levels, though I can't recall what S levels were needed. Interestingly, there were times when signals from Sackville would be strong, but due to fading and other distortion, the signal couldn't be successfully decoded. That was a surprising finding. When DRM did work - from any site - it's intriguing to hear the fidelity (especially over decent speakers) and remember you're listening to a shortwave transmission. Admittedly our listening environment wasn't the best, but we did have a rooftop antenna configuration, and a shielded coax lead-in, somewhat away from the hotel's electronic noise sources. My own opinion follows... For the most part, it appears that broadcasters are increasingly looking at DRM -- at the global level -- in the same way they used to look at backup SSB-based feeds of content to other transmitters; in this day, they look at DRM as a backup way to feed local FM transmitters in remote areas. Other parts of the world are evaluating DRM for more localized needs, but, once again, we in North America are not the likely beneficiaries of DRM development (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- IBOC +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ REVENUE FROM HD RADIO While scanning the trades this week, I came across an item that made me sit up, say 'Wow -- a consultant that GETS it!' and of course made me want to pass along a link to the story in the TipSheet! Check out Radio Magazine's latest take on how a station might actually earn revenue from HD 'second streams': My question is echoed in the comments: Why only do this on second streams? Why not try it on the main channel too! A radio station that is interested in listener service? What a crazy idea ..... :) --kvz (Kenneth Vito Zichi, MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ P.I.G. Bulletin 120408 Solar and flare activity will be low. Solar radio flux (10.7 cm) is expected 100 - 120 f.u. Geomagnetic field will be: Mostly quiet on April 21 - 22 Quiet to unsettled on April 10 - 11 Mostly unsettled on April 16 - 20 Unsettled to active on April 8 - 9, 12 - 15 High probability of changes in solar wind which may caused changes in magnetosphere and ionosphere is expected on April 8 - 9, 13 - 14, 19 - 20 Petr Kolman, OK1MGW, Czech Propagation Interested Group (OK1HH & OK1MGW) e-mail: kolmanp(at)razdva.cz (via Dario Monferini, WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) Geomagnetic field activity was quiet to unsettled during the period, with the sole exception of a single active period between 09-12 UTC on 05 April as the result of sustained southward Bz. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 09 APRIL - 05 MAY 2012 Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels throughout the period. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal to moderate levels from 09-13 April. Flux values are forecast to increase to high levels from 14-18 April, due to CH high speed stream effects. Values should decrease to normal/moderate levels again for 19 April through 05 May. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to begin the period at quiet to unsettled levels, and remain so from 09 April through 15 April, due to the combination of two anticipated CME arrivals from filament eruptions as well as anticipated CH effects. Conditions are expected to recover to mostly quiet levels from 16-22 April, before increasing to unsettled levels on 23-24 April. This increase is forecast as the result of an expected recurrent negative polarity coronal hole. Mostly quiet levels are anticipated from 25 April through the end of the period on 05 May. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2012 Apr 09 1221 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 2012-04-09 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2012 Apr 09 95 8 3 2012 Apr 10 95 8 3 2012 Apr 11 95 8 3 2012 Apr 12 95 8 3 2012 Apr 13 100 10 3 2012 Apr 14 100 10 3 2012 Apr 15 100 8 3 2012 Apr 16 105 5 2 2012 Apr 17 105 5 2 2012 Apr 18 105 5 2 2012 Apr 19 105 5 2 2012 Apr 20 105 5 2 2012 Apr 21 105 5 2 2012 Apr 22 110 5 2 2012 Apr 23 110 10 3 2012 Apr 24 110 10 3 2012 Apr 25 110 5 2 2012 Apr 26 105 5 2 2012 Apr 27 105 5 2 2012 Apr 28 105 5 2 2012 Apr 29 100 8 3 2012 Apr 30 100 5 2 2012 May 01 95 5 2 2012 May 02 95 5 2 2012 May 03 95 5 2 2012 May 04 95 5 2 2012 May 05 95 5 2 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1612, DXLD) The NZ4O Condensed HF/6M (120-11 Meters) Radiowave Propagation Forecast #2012-16 has been published at 0000 UTC on Friday April 13, 2012, valid 0000 UTC Saturday April 14, 2012 through 2359 UTC Friday April 20, 2012. The complete version can be found at http://www.solarcycle24.org and http://www.wcflunatall.com/swprop.htm FORECASTED NORTHERN HEMISPHERE GLOBAL HF CONDITIONS- Low Latitude- Normal Mid Latitude- Normal High Latitude- Normal FORECASTED SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE GLOBAL HF CONDITIONS- Low Latitude- Normal Mid Latitude- Normal High Latitude- Normal NORTHERN HEMISPHERE 80, 60, 40, 30 METERS- East -> West To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good West -> East To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good North -> South To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good South -> North To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE 80, 60, 40, 30 METERS- East -> West To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good West -> East To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good South -> North To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good North -> South To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good NORTHERN HEMISPHERE 20, 17, 15 METERS- East -> West To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good West -> East To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good North -> South To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good South -> North To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE 20, 17, 15 METERS- East -> West To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good West -> East To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good South -> North To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good North -> South To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Good NORTHERN HEMISPHERE 12, 10 METERS- East -> West To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Fair To Poor West -> East To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Fair To Poor North -> South To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Fair To Poor South -> North To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Fair To Poor SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE 12, 10 METERS- East -> West To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Fair To Poor West -> East To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Fair To Poor South -> North To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Fair To Poor North -> South To 2000 Mi/3200 km- Fair To Poor HF Propagation Forecast Scale- Excellent S9+1 Or Better Good S7-S9 Fair S4-S6 Poor S1-S3 None S0 From the Northern Hemisphere- (TA) Trans Atlantic, (TI) Trans Indian, (TP) Trans Pacific and cross Equatorial HF propagation conditions greater than 2000 mi/3200 km will be good on 80, 60, 40 and 30 meters, good on 20, 17, 15 and fair to poor on 12 and 10 meters. From the Southern Hemisphere- (TA) Trans Atlantic, (TI) Trans Indian, (TP) Trans Pacific and cross Equatorial HF propagation conditions greater than 2000 mi/3200 km will be good on 80, 60, 40 and 30 meters, good on 20, 17, 15 and fair to poor on 12 and 10 meters. GLOBAL 50-54 MC (6 meter) PROPAGATION MODES EXPECTED FORECAST- F2- None Sporadic E (Es)- Yes Aurora E High Latitude- Yes Aurora E Mid Latitude- No Troposphere Ducting- Yes Trans Equatorial (TE) F2/F3- Yes Meteor Scatter- Yes, Lyrids peaking on April 20-21, 2012. Meter Band Equivalents Ham SWL 160 90 80 75 60 60 40 49, 41 30 31, 25 20 22, 19 17 16, 15 15 13 (Thomas Giella, April 12, for DXLD) ###