DX LISTENING DIGEST 8-059, May 11, 2008 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 2008 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1407 Mon 0300 WBCQ 9330-CLSB [irregular, time varies] Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 [time varies] Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 Tue 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 1130 WRMI 9955 Wed 2300 WBCQ 17495-CUSB [or 15420 by then?] Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org ** ALBANIA. Reception of Radio Tirana broadcasts in English continues to be good at 1430 on 13640 and at 2000 on 13600. These are received better than the transmissions to Europe. Best Wishes (Chris Lewis, Norton Shifnal, England, to and via Drito Çiço, R. Tirana Monitoring, DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 15345, RAE, 2148-2207, May 9. The 1600 miles between Glenn and me makes a big difference in our reception on the same day and time (DXLD 8-058: Morocco). Heard in German with LA ballads, fair with a het from very weak R. Marocaine (presumed), 2155 loop of IS and "RAE Argentina" IDs, het ended with Morocco sign-off at 2202, into Spanish (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) More like 1300 miles, I think, but still (gh, Enid, DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. Lamentable, muy lamentable y penoso escuchar el espacio de 5 minutos de Radio Austria en Castellano, ayer más concretamente se limitó a una canción de Gloria Stefan antes del cierre abrupto de la emisión. Como dije hace unos días añoramos los buenos tiempos de ORF en nuestro idioma aunque sabemos que no volverán. --- 5945.0, 2055, ORF-Moosbrunn, Mx Gloria Stefan [sic] // 6155, s/off a 20'59'50, 09/05, Esp, 45444. Cordialmente, (Tomás Méndez, QTH: El Prat de Llobregat-Barcelona España, playdx yg via DXLD) ** BHUTAN. 6035, R. Bhutan [sic], Thimphu, 10 May 0017, Meditate music with monks, fair, same frequency Guaviare Colombia, 33222. Perseus, Diff. Antennas. Gr (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 3390.1 tentative, Emisoras Camargo 0010 to 0030 weak signal, espanol. 9 May. Seems following an irregular schedule. 5580.19 tentative, Radio San José. San José de Chiquitos, 0130 to 0145, música with fair signal 10 May (Robert L Wilkner, Pómpano Beach, South Florida, US, NRD 535D; Icom 746Pro, Drake R7, May 10, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. R. Santa Cruz, 6134.8, must be the best bet for Bolivia in North America, at least in our evenings. Once República and jamming are done at 0000, the frequency happens to be open, with nothing even on 6135.0 to het it. After noticing a pious het from another Bolivian on 5952.4 which had no chance against WYFR on 5950, I tuned to 6134.8 at 0008 May 11 and there was Andean music, with brief announcements at 0011 and 0020, ``buena música``; seemed to be interviewing kids at 0025, but mostly music, still at 0035, and at 0055 when applause was heard, so may have been a live event. For something so exotic it was a good signal, but otherwise it was very tough copy, partly due to some distortion, but mostly due to heavy T-storm static from Missouri and Arkansas, if not closer. I later learned tornados hit Picher and Haywood OK. Never heard an ID, but no doubt this is it, due to frequency offset and other reports, which have had it closing at 0108. Maybe those were not UT Sunday, because this time it kept on going at 0113 and 0123 checks, but nothing heard at 0130, altho the carrier was still detectable, and that went off at 0134* Surprisingly, RHC 6140 was not much of a problem until after 0100 when a weak station on 6130 also came on, squeezing RSC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. Danzas DE BOLIVIA Y DE NINGUN LADO MAS (Videos Flakita27) 9:35 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeq3DT7brlA (Robert L Wilkner, Mosquito Coast DX News, Pompano Beach, South Florida, US, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 9504.97, R. Record. Obviously a futebol match highlights replay at 2300 May 4 with excited M in Portuguese screaming "Goooooooaaaaal" several times. Weak but there and the first time heard in a long time (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, May 10, Cumbre DX via DXLD) 11829.91, R. Anhanguera, surprised to find this here at 1829 10 May with ad block including ID promo. Still there at 1857. Not really strong, but readable. Heard on new E-1 receiver with T2FD antenna (Dave Valko, PA, HCDX via DXLD) ** BURMA [and non]. INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING AND THE AFTERMATH OF BURMA'S CYCLONE. "Only yesterday, though, when we started to hear from friends and acquaintances, and to listen to the BBC World Service, did we realize how widespread the destruction was." MSNBC, 9 May 2008. "At a temple in Mandalay, a group of three Burmese men gathered to listen to the BBC World Service as an alternative source of information to state-run media." Jeerawat Na Thalang, The Nation (Bangkok), 10 May 2008. "With many here able to listen to foreign news bulletins on short-wave radio, stories of the junta's refusal to allow foreign aid experts into the country have infuriated the population." AFP, 11 May 2008. "The people in villages and towns of the Irrawaddy delta are looking up at the sky waiting for relief supplies, local sources told The Irrawaddy. It started after shortwave radio broadcasts said the US navy was ready to help supply aid." The Irrawaddy, 9 May 2008." Tobias Grote-Beverborg, managing editor of Asia programs, Deutsche Welle, Bonn, Germany: "The cyclone has upset the dictatorship's plans. The planned referendum … was supposed to be passed in the manner typical of a dictatorship, tacitly and closed off from the rest of the world. But now the eyes of the world are on Burma and foreign aid workers may end up as unwelcome election observers." USA Today Opinionline, 9 May 2008. "CNN correspondent Dan Rivers has returned from Myanmar where he was one of the very few international journalists reporting on the devastation from Cyclone Nargis. He talked with CNN International about evading the military government so he could continue filing reports." mediabistro.com, 9 May 2008. "Witnesses in Burma have been contacting RFA Burmese service staff with heartbreaking accounts of devastation, death, and a major humanitarian crisis." Radio Free Asia, 8 May 2008. See also RFA Unplugged blog. "Access to satellite television was limited and getting worse. On Jan.1, without warning, the government had raised the tax on satellite dishes from $6 a year to $780 — three times the average annual income. There were computers available, but access to the Internet was slow and users had to ply proxy servers to subvert the government’s firewall and reach e-mail providers. Even the telephones were finicky and said to be bugged. Those with televisions, computers and telephones were never guaranteed electrical power." Stephen Morison Jr, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 11 May 2008. See previous post about same subject. Posted: 11 May 2008 (kimandrewelliott.com see http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=3979 for linx, via DXLD) see also MYANMAR ** CANADA. RNW relay in Dutch via Sackville southwards, 9525, May 10 at 2341 was very undermodulated with extraneous clix added, unlike // 11970 Bonaire which was VG and running about a second ahead of 9525, which was still degraded later in the hour, tho I think I tuned across it earlier in the 2300 hour and it was OK (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Re 8-058: ``Yes, but 7310 and 7325 have already been used for RCI, 7310 in B and 7325 now in A, and I suppose 7345 is going to be; not CBCNQ which has been stuck on the single frequency 9625 for decades`` And thus now these CRTC proceedings: Obviously the CBC is so far not authorized to use any other frequency than 9625 for this domestic service (= CKCX), but now they want to do so. Especially interesting of course in light of my suspicion that the real target audience of RCIplus on shortwave are immigrants in Canada rather than listeners in the USA, which they still pretend to be the target area for obvious reasons (i.e. to avoid licencing RCIplus as domestic service). (Kai Ludwig, Germany, May 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I really don`t think that `CKCX` applies only to CBC domestic SW, but to the entire Sackville plant including RCI; and I would be extremely surprised if the 7 MHz frequencies are ever used for CBCNQ (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** CANADA. Re Vintage RCI TV promo: I posted the RCI clip to the Southern Ontario Western NY Radio Board. http://www.sowny.ca The consensus guess seems to be Russ Germaine. It certainly sounds like him (Fred Waterer, Ont., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. I Hear Music, on CBC Radio 2, May 10 ending at 1759 UT on Mountain zone feed, said the last program would be May 24, altho the host will still be on CBC. This episode was a good show about fantasy music from Sleeping Beauty to The Day the Earth Stood Still (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CRTC approves new adult contemporary FM station for Peterborough, also allows CKRU to move to FM --- Oldies station must satisfy technical requirements before it can switch over to FM Posted By FIONA ISAACSON/Examiner Staff Writer From Peterborough Examiner May 9th 2008: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1019896&auth=FIONA+ISAACSON%2fExaminer+Staff+Writer The radio war is over. Peterborough is getting a brand new radio station and while 980 CKRU isn’t moving right away, it has been approved to flip to the FM band. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission awarded 96.7 FM to Pineridge Broadcasting Inc. in a decision released Thursday after public hearings were held in London in December. Pineridge, which operates Star 93.3 and 107.9 The Breeze in Cobourg, “best meets the needs of the market,” the CRTC stated in its decision. Corus Entertainment Inc., which owns 980 CKRU, and The Wolf 101.5 FM, first applied for the frequency in January 2007 to get the oldies station on the FM dial. But when the CRTC later opened up applications, seven other companies applied. While Corus didn’t get its call sign, CKRU can move to an FM frequency once a suitable station can be found, the CRTC ruled. “We’re very pleased,” CKRU afternoon host Gord Gibb told The Examiner last night. Corus technical staff will have to find a “suitable frequency” for the move, he said, and the CRTC and the federal government will have to approve the application. Gibb said he didn’t know how long that would take. “I’m sure this was foreseen as a potential outcome and now that we’re looking at this particular option, that we’ll determine where we’re going to go fairly quickly,” he said. In its decision, the CRTC wrote that Pineridge “would provide it with the best potential to compete with the established (markets) ... thus enhancing the competitive state of the Peterborough market,” because it already competes with both Corus and CTV, in Cobourg. The report also states Pineridge’s proposal would “augment the diversity of radio and news voices in the market and provide significant local reflection.” Don Conway, president of Pineridge Broadcasting Inc. in Cobourg, told The Examiner last November that he wanted to create an adult contemporary format station to be called Home 96.7 FM (via Andy Reid, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** CANADA. Re 8-058, ``nested`` FM rebroadcasters approved for both CBE-1550 and CBEF-540 Windsor ON --- Thanks, Deane, Having lived on the Detroit side of the Detroit-Windsor border for the last 29 years, and seeing the trend of Canadian MW stations going to FM, I've often wondered when this announcement was going to be made. I've lost count, but I would say probably 7-8 new FM stations have started up on the Canadian side in just the last two years. I have to review my log sheet for details, but I can think of at least one high power FM station within 50-60 miles of Windsor. Then with Detroit and Windsor nestled so closely to the Great Lakes, tropospheric ducting occurs somewhat frequently during the spring and summer months, sometimes to the point where the distant station will overpower the local station. It will be interesting to see how this will work. 73 de (Joe, Troy, MI, Miller, IRCA via DXLD) ** CANADA. RADIO STATION PLANNED FOR NATIVE YOUTH [Winnipeg] By Alexandra Paul, Mon May 05 2008 NCI FM radio boss David McLeod is racing visitors through a breakneck tour of Hot Country's studios, filling in details on 105.5 FM's expansion plans for a twin station as he goes. NCI is Winnipeg's aboriginal radio station and McLeod is it's CEO. He's convinced the city needs a radio station just for aboriginal youth and who better to launch it that the province's only aboriginal station? "NCI wants to provide a radio station that will grow with the youth population," he says. If the CRTC gives it a green light this spring, NCI's second station would be unique in on the city's airwaves . . . http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/local/story/4169205p-4757191c.html (via Doug Copeland, MB, DXLD) ** CANADA. Phil, Are there any plans afoot in Canada to install an IBOC-like system there? Or are Canadian broadcasters mainly just giving up on AM altogether? I hope not; some of my favorite nighttime stations are Canadians: 660 Calgary, 690 CBC Vancouver, "Classic Country 1060" Calgary, and News 1130 Vancouver. 1060 in particular sends a very strong night signal into Seattle, I believe in AM stereo; not sure since my only AMS receiver is a little Sony pocket radio (Keith Beesley, Seattle WA, ABDX via DXLD) CBU 690 is doomed (gh) The idea of IBOC is no longer "illegal" in Canada - the CRTC seems open to it for FM and AM. Industry Canada I suspect is a little less enthusiastic. I must admit - if I had a powerful AM station, IBOC might be tempting by day. I would not rule it out for daytime (Phil Rafuse, PEI, ibid.) FM stations in Canada can operate IBOC, but only if they obtain an experimental authorization. The number that have done so thus far is: zero (except for some tests that were run in Toronto in 2006). AM IBOC operation is not currently permitted at all. There was talk a while back of running some tests of AM IBOC and DRM on a Canadian AM station, but the plans were scrapped. As far as I can tell, there is currently no interest whatsoever in either system from Canadian AM broadcasters. They've already seen (with Eureka DAB) that offering a digital simulcast of their analog service generates no interest from the listening public (Barry McLarnon VE3JF Ottawa, ON, ibid.) ** CHINA. Haixia zhi Sheng-Voice of Strait, Now sked News Channel in Chinese (incl. English at 0550-0600/daily and 0500- 0530, 0800-0830/Sun.) 2225-2400 4940 kHz 0000-1200 9505 kHz (New) Off air 0400-0955/Wed 1200-1700 4940 kHz Life and Entertainment Channel in Chinese 2225-2400 5050 kHz 0000-1200 7280 kHz Off air 0400-1000/Wed 1200-1700 5050 kHz Minnan Dialect Channel in Amoy 2225-2400 4900 kHz 0000-1200 6115 kHz Off air 0400-1000/Wed 1200-1700 4900 kHz --- de S. Aoki (S. Hasegawa, NDXC, Japan, May 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. A08 Sound of Hope official sked: Chinese: 0900-1100 Sa.Su. 9540 11760 1100-1300 7280 1300-1400 7310 1400-1600 9450 1400-1700 Mo.-Sa. 9930 via KWHR 1600-1700 11765 2200-2300 7105 9635 2200-2400 F.Sa. 6280 2300-2400 7310 SOH Korean 0900-1000 11750 de Hiroshi (S. Hasegawa, NDXC, May 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) And the unofficial sked: additional frequencies of SOH, sure to draw jamming if on, in the May 11 Aoki list, 1 kW available 24 h in most cases: 21900 18320 18180 17230 15260 14410 13970 13365 13345 12260 10250 9290 7330 And of course new far OOB frequencies could pop up at any time, most likely found first by Firedrake (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. For scarce three minutes, I won't be relating this. 2157 UT, Guápiles ELCOR was back for a Saturday May 10 test after two and half weeks absent, with what else? Maná in Concert, just not to lose their costume. This has been the earliest testing I have heard from that still anonymous 5954. Surely may started this one at 2100, as they never go beyond 60 minutes on the air. Anyone out there was "lucky" this time? 73 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. REE relay still off-frequency on 11814, May 10 at 2217 check, also hetting weaker signal on 11815. Per http://telefonica.net/web2/radioescuchadx/reea08.pdf this is currently scheduled: 11815 25 m 110º * 1600-2300 Español Sábado 11815 25 m 110º * 1200-2300 Español Domingo 11815 25 m 110º * 1800-2000 Español Lunes a Viernes (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Another off: MOROCCO ** CROATIA. 3984.84, HRT, 0110-0214, May 10, Croatian talk. Local music. English Voice of Croatia at 0200-0214. Very weak with ham QRM. Very good on // 9925, 7285 - via Germany. Announced they would be broadcasting on both 7285 & 9925 until May 15 because of poor reception in North America (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, TenTec RX-340, 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CROATIA [non]. There has been contradictory info about how long the extra V. of Croatia relay frequency via Germany, 7285, would last. Registrations showed until May 10, while Brian Alexander heard them early UT May 10 saying it would last until May 15. However, 9925 was quite good, and 7285 was missing when I checked later May 10, at 2338 and 2435. So we can only hope 9925 will now hold up, but I would not count on it with solar flux about as low as it can go (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. RHC anomalies, during monitoring session May 10-11: At 2308, 11750 in English ``news``, Ed Newman repeatedly referring to ex-CIA agent Valerie Flame --- yes, he was saying Flame, not Plame. Reception much better here than on the scheduled English frequency at this hour, 9550. 11750 went on for some time, but when I rechecked at 2330 as DXers Unlimited was starting, it had vanished. This edition of DXUL was identified as ``Mit-Week``, apparently repeat of a few days ago, ``the only fully integrated radio hobby program``. No, what I heard matches the script he has just posted for the weekend of May 10-11. 13760 at 2333 was in Portuguese, introducing the program for this date, 10 May. Website schedule http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/frecuencia/frecuencias-espanol.htm shows this now in use at 2300-2400 to SAm, if this is how one is supposed to interpret the / in this single-line entry: 17705 / 13760 16 / 22 22 – 22:30 - 23 – 23:30/ 23 – 24 [sic] And 17705 at 2335 was in one of the Indian languages, VG signal this time, and definitely not on 15340 as in WRTH Update, talking about what else, the ``cinco héroes`` which is apparently untranslatable into scheduled Guarani. And after 0000, 17705 also in Portuguese. 11680 in Spanish, May 11 at 0047 had audio cutting out every few seconds, unlike // 11760; there was a slight echo between them with 11760 leading, You can have a bunch of high power transmitters and a big array of antennas, but still not manage to get the modulation for them reliably from the studio to the transmitters. Weakest link syndrome. May 11 at 1322, and still at 1335 recheck, found the CRI relay frequency 9570 on the air with carrier only, no modulation. At 1400, VG 13750 was starting up the Aló Presidente service, but kept dumping off the air briefly every few seconds during the attempted frequency announcement, then starting Mundo 7 runup show; I listened no longer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. WRMI, 9955, Sat May 10 at 2343 had an exile show in Spanish, but no jamming audible; unlike Martí 9565 where béisbol was heavily jammed. Per WRMI grid, this is Voz de Coordinadora, which is sneakily sandwiched in between two English programs until 2330 and after 2345 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 5009.76, R. Cristal, Santo Domingo, 9 May 2324, strong signal, with nice music, audio a little poor. Good for 45 min.+ to listening, 32222. RX: Perseus, Diff. Antennas. Gr (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. HCJB Kulina service, 11920, May 10 at 2245 just finishing intro in Portuguese with ID as A Voz dos Andes. Then preacher started chanting in Kulina, 2248 with address in Curitiba, more singing, cross-fading at 2250 to talk referring to Matthew XXIV, which was mentioned several times, and then into Matthew XXV. Made my teeth gnash. I never hear verse numbers given. He was faded out at 2259:30 for ID and into Portuguese service. I would not be surprised if he just keeps going on original recording, like the Spanish Bible readings on WWCR, where the programming cuts off abruptly when the time is up, perhaps by operators or automation who do not understand the language and know where to make a clean break (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. Radiodifusión de Guinea Ecuatorial, Malabo on 6250 has prolonged transmission to 2200 (WRTHmonitor May 8 via DXLD) 6 May 2008, 5005 kHz, 2140 to 2203 UT, in Spanish. "Radio Nacional Radio Bata" ID at 2203 followed by official communications. SINPO 33443. 73s (Giovanni Carboni, QTH Rome Italy. Receiver FRG-7 with 2.5 m external whip, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ERITREA. Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea uses now four frequencies for their evening transmissions until 1800: 5100, 7100, 7175 and 7999.4 kHz. Frequencies are variable to avoid Ethiopian jamming at certain times (WRTHmonitor May 8 via DXLD) ** ERITREA. 7100, VOBME, program 1, *0357-0410, May 10, IS. Talk & Horn of Africa music after 0359. Very weak. 7175, VOBME, program 2, *0357-0420, May 10, IS. Talk & Horn of Africa music after 0359. Weak under Radio Liberty. Unidentified station popped on at 0402 on 7175.13v, drifting down to 7175.09v with talk in unidentified language. About as strong as Radio Liberty (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, TenTec RX-340, 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. 9704.19, Radio Ethiopia, 0353-0410, May 10, Amharic talk. Horn of Africa music. Good. // 7110-good. // 5990-very weak (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, TenTec RX-340, 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE. Littoral AM on 1593 kHz has the following schedule: AM transmissions from Saturday 0550 to Sunday 1605, DRM Mon-Fri 0450-1805 and overnight between Wed-Thu. Programmes consist mostly of music with announcements in French, Breton, English (WRTHmonitor May 8 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. 6005, 10.5 1300, Radio 700 med ett trevligt program från en radioträff i Tyskland. Musik och intervjuer med tyska DXare och med representanter från Radio Taiwan International. 4 CB (Christer Brunström, Sweden, SW Bulletin via DXLD) 6005, 5.5 0525, Radio 700, den nya tysken hördes riktigt dåligt! ”Musik aus Europa” stod på programmet. S 2-3. BEFF (Björn Fransson, ibid.) ** GERMANY [non]. DW Amharic via Rwanda, 15650, which started April 26, fair May 10 at 1406, but with lite echo, possibly dual long/short path; no jamming audible. DW Russian on 15620 at 1407 May 10, and unsynchronized on 15420. 15620 is Kigali, a somewhat roundabout way to get from Germany to Russia; but at least 1 second quicker than 15420 which is via Ramphisam, UK (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Relays on MW of RUSSIA: q.v. ** INDIA. 4970, AIR Shillong, 1245-1258, May 10, in English, woman DJ with "This is the North Eastern Service of All India Radio with our Western music program broadcasting from Shillong", playing pop songs in English, fair to poor. This program has been in this time slot from at least 2006 (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. Dear Friends, Very recently I visited All India Radio stations at Alappuzha and Kochi. The articles on these visits are available in the following links [illustrated]: 1. http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/art/Alappuzha.pdf 2. http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/art/Kochi.pdf 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, dx_india via DXLD) The address of the station is All India Radio, Pathirapally, Alappuzha 688521, Kerala. Its email id is airalpy @ rediffmail.com verifications copy: http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/qsls/allapuzha.jpg The map of AIR stations in Kerala showing Alappuzha is available at: http://www.airtvm.com/stations.html (Jose Jacob-IND VU2JOS, DXindia / dxld May 9) Kalavoor Patirapally 7.5 kilometers north of Alappuzha-Alleppey Kerala 576/200 kW. 1 tall MW mast, 20 [former] SW mast poles visible at 09 33 25.21 N 76 19 34.49 E Unfortunately Yahoo maps and MS Virtual Earth images hidden under clouds (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Visit to AIR Pune --- Just came across this detailed article of interest of some student's industrial visit to AIR Pune available at: http://www.geocities.com/mitwec_aets/air.doc 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, May 11, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** IRAN. I’ve received schedules from Radio Havana and VOR, RTI and Radio Korea, and one of my regulars, IRIB. This time it was a magazine, “Mahiubah – the Islamic Family Magazine,” and the back ad was “Congratulations on the Occasion of the Birth Anniversary of Prophet Jesus (Isa, as he’s called in Islam) to all Muslims and Christians.” Go figure. Iran has a lot of human rights issues but my correspondence with IRIB, in letters and phone calls, doesn’t show the same face of Islam that we’re always hearing about (Sue Hickey, NL, CIDX Forum, May Messenger via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. Via Kuwait, 5860, Radio Farda, 0055-0110, May 10, listed Farsi. Mid-east pop music. IDs at 0100 & possible news. Back to pop music at 0102. Poor in t-storm static (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, TenTec RX-340, 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. On the DXLD website, I saw the posting of the Kol Israel snippet from "Click!, May ODXA Listening In". Two comments there: A) "Reka (the news presented in English or Russian, apparently)" REKA (it's an acronym) is the domestic Immigrant's Network. Currently, Israel Radio International is just a relay of REKA with only one exception. 1-1.5 hours a day Persian is broadcast on IRI, instead of the Russian which is on the REKA network at that time. That is, REKA is much more than just English and Russian. The schedule is on the left side of the page. One side of me wasn't going to call IRI a "relay" of anything, besides for Persian; but, remember it is still broadcast via satellite - if only to the Middle East. That is, is a relay of a radio station onto the Internet only, still called a relay? Also interesting to note, last I checked a few weeks ago, the live webstream of IRI is stereo, while the live webstream of REKA was monaural. Again, besides 1-1.5 hours a day, they have the same programming. B) http://www.intkolisrael.com works on my US version of Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2. I would recommend anyone having problems, should email webmaster @ iba.org.il and supply what version of which web browser is being used (Doni Rosenzweig, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KARAKALPAKSTAN. Makings of a new radio country? UZBEKISTÁN: VIENTOS DE INDEPENDENCIA EN KARAKALPAKSTÁN, Por Kuban Abdymen BISHKEK, may (IPS) - Al igual que las de otras regiones de Asia central y Europa, existe un movimiento independentista en el territorio autónomo de Karakalpakstán, en el noroccidente de Uzbekistán. . . http://ipsnoticias.net/nota.asp?idnews=88299 (via Arnaldo Slaen, condiglist yg, original story found by gh for DXLD; seems no English version) ** KOREA NORTH [and non]. P`yongyang not bad on 9665, May 10 at 1248 with music, and the ``rushing noise`` accompanying which some think is jamming but I think is coming out of same defective transmitter. Then checked 11710 for imminent VOK NAm service, at 1256 finding low het between VOK`s open carrier which must be slightly off-frequency, and some Firedrake. But Commies vs Commies didn`t last; at 1300 the Firedrake went off, leaving VOK in clear with IS, ID, program summary, news, which by law must always start with the activities of Kim Jung- Il, preceded by some of his numerous official titles. I would have had enough, but was obliged to see if the spurs were making it thru. Yes! 11644 was barely audible, along with noise, but soon faded, and barely audible a het on 11776 against Anguilla, but Firedrake there was more of a problem. The fundamental wasn`t nearly as strong as the previous log when 11644 was easily audible. So what attracted the Firedrakes? Per Aoki: Taiwan on 11710 until 1300; All India Radio in Tibetan on 11775 until 1330 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. Voice of Free Radio in Korean changed sked: 1600-1630 11640 kHz (ex. 1100-1130 15755 kHz) via Yerevan (S. Hasegawa, Japan, May 10, NDXC, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. CLANDESTINE, 7530, Free North Korea Radio via ERV [ARMENIA], 2045-2100, May 10, Korean, very long talk by female, s/off at 21 UT, 24342. CLANDESTINE, 9950, Open Radio for North Korea via ERV, 2101-2107, May 10, Korean, bulletin news in Korean by female, music, announcement by male, talk by female, 24442 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH. KBS Hwaseong has stopped operation on 3930 kHz (WRTHmonitor May 8 via DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH [non]. KBSWR, 9650 via Sackville, Sat May at 1242 during Worldwide Friendship show, review of the week`s Korean lessons; SAH and increasing CCI, from P`yongyang, which coincidentally is in Japanese at this hour, per Aoki: 9650 Voice of Korea 1100-1250 1234567 Japanese 200 109 Kujang KRE 12505E 4005N VOK a08 I don`t really know which came first, but KBS should find a better frequency, as it doesn`t even make it halfway across North America without colliding with their archrivals. I have been saying this for a long time, but they ignore my advice. VOK is aiming at Japan after all, so how could it be a problem in OK?? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LEBANON. FIGHTING SILENCES REGIONAL BROADCASTER --- Militants allied with the opposition on Friday forced the shutdown of all media operations belonging to the family of majority leader and billionaire tycoon Saad Hariri." This includes Future Television, "one of the leading Arab satellite stations gathering the highest audience ratings in the Gulf, Egypt and the Levant." Also Radio Orient, based in Paris, which "focuses on news from and about the Arab world, and Lebanon in particular, broadcasting in English and French as well as Arabic." The Daily Star (Beirut), 10 May 2008. (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Checking 11 May at 1500 UT, the Future TV website http://www.futuretvnetwork.com/ is not opening. At the Radio Orient website, http://www.radioorient.com this message: "Radio Orient informe ses auditeurs qu'un risque de perturbations et de coupure de l'écoute des émissions sur internet peut avoir lieu ces quelques jours. Vous pourrez continuer à nous écouter et visiter notre site web sur http://www.radio-orient.org Nous vous demandons de nous en excuser." So, add a hyphen to the URL to receive Radio Orient. Posted: 11 May 2008 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** LIBERIA [non]. Via Ascension, 9525, Star Radio, 0710-0800*, May 9, English "Liberia Today" news program. IDs. Personal messages to friends & family. "Cotton Tree News" to Sierra Leone at 0730 with news in English. "CTN" IDs. Into local languages at 0737 to 0800*. Abrupt sign off. Poor to fair (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, TenTec RX-340, 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MAURITANIA. 4845 kHz, 2204, 7 May, Radio Mauritania, usual excellent signal. Local music and talks. Some audio clips on http://www.televideo.ws/audio.html 73s (Giovanni Carboni, QTH Rome Italy. Receiver FRG-7 with 2.5 m external whip, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Don`t you find the modulation deficient? (gh, DXLD) 4845 the only decent non-North-American signal on 60m, May 10 at 0610- 0624, monotonous undermodulated chanting as always around this time -- - or rather there are several tones, but not that many. This is ideally soporific for us, tho it`s wake-up time in West Africa, a bit of a mismatch (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. XEXQ, 6045, audible May 10 at 1227 with string classical music, poor at brief peak. Have not seen many reports of this, so just keeping track of when it can be confirmed as active. Possibly there may be an evening time when it comes thru better, QRM permitting. Comparing XEXQ to R. Mil, 6010, a bit further from here, but usually with better signal, tho never outstanding with its low power too --- May 10 at 1230 string of Núcleo Radio Mil promos, giving phone number (toll-free?) for calls from USA and Canada, plug for ``Buenos Días, México`` show M-F at 10 am to 1 pm local = 1500-1800 UT, and perpetual slogan ``donde vive la música de México``, finally back to axual music at 1232 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6044.97, R. Universidad, San Luís Potosí 11 May 0126, Spanish talks, too poor to hear any ID (250 watt). RX: Perseus, Diff. Antennas. Gr (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No sign here of XEXQ 6045 in the 0030-0130 period May 11. XEPPM 6185 mixing with SERBIA: q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Campeche to S. Texas on FM: 5/10 GULF Tropo, 1830 [CDT?] 101.9, XHCAM Campeche, Campeche; 620 miles, "KISS-MIX", "con los mejores DJ's", Spanish rock music full ID with mention of // 1280, mention of 10 kW. 73 de (Steve/AB5GP Wiseblood, South Padre Island, TX Degen DE-1102, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MOROCCO. Re 8-058: Tonight Maroc seems to be back on 594 after a temporary visit to 595. (I've always wondered why so many transmitters seem to jump an integer number of kHz off channel - can they be tuned in 1 kHz steps?) 73 (Steve Whitt, UK, May 9, MWC via DXLD) And why should a MW transmitter be tunable at all? They should be designed for a fixed frequency, except in very unusual cases (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** MYANMAR. Re 8-058: ``I`d say there is something a bit more evil here than ``a lack of incentive to be competitive``. The junta is obviously scared to death that this disaster could lead to the regime`s own downfall.`` Commentary on the website of German ARD TV news: "This regime no longer deserves to be considered as legitimate representative of the Burmese nation" and "the United Nations will lose not only their reputation but also their right to exist if they are unable to agree on comprehensive rescue action after such a disaster". Bravo! http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/birmakommentar2.html (Kai Ludwig, Germany, May 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR. Myanmar has recently taken an additional transmitter into operation on 5915 kHz, but all transmissions have been off since the cyclone hitting Yangon area on 4th May, now returning on limited schedule (WRTHmonitor May 8 via DXLD) ** MYANMAR/BURMA. 5985, Myanma Radio, random listening from 1301 to 1533, May 10, back to their usual format of mostly music (mixture of pop, rap, ballads and indigenous songs) plus some segments of talking. 1500-1530 played all indigenous songs, into the "English program of Myanma Radio". Glenn is correct; QRM from 5980 at 1400 is a very strong BBC Thailand signing-on in English. 5770, Myanmar Defense Forces BC (presumed) via Taunggyi, 1335-1356, May 10, in vernacular, pop Asian songs heard well, but the talking portion had low audio (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks to tips from Mauno and Victor in DXplorer: 10 May 2008- Yes, noted 5770 here at 1507 tune in until s/off around 1530. 5985 station played mostly local songs at the same time (1507). At around 1530 I guess they started English news and after that around 1542 the usual western pop songs, starting with "Nothing's gonna change my love for you" (Jari Savolainen, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Has anybody already discussed why this station was off air at all? It is located (or believed to be located?) at Taunggyi, Shan State. Was the transmitter site near Rangoon really unable to transmit for some days? Or could it be that the silence had other reasons, in light of a station 400 km inland being off air as well? http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/burma_pol_96.jpg (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) Re: Lately noted on 5040, 5915, 5985, 7185, and 9731 (Wolfgang Bueschel, ibid.) What was the frequency at 0755-0900? 9731? (gh, DXLD) No, noted 7185 8-9 UT lately. Maybe 7185 antenna is in perfect shape now, after the disaster (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, May 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Referring to monitoring by Goonetilleke, SL (gh) Some comments on the Media Network blog, continuing from 8-058: Mark Fahey May 10th, 2008 - 0:16 UTC The radio webstream has been unavailable as well. However after some days of trying my AE Internet Radio did connect to the stream for 30 seconds or so last night. I’m not sure if the problem relates to infrastructure damage or the server not being able to handle the large number of listeners that may be requesting the stream at the moment. The Reciva system has dropped the stream from their directory; this happens automatically when their stream testing robot can`t connect to the stream for a number of days. I guess the stream availability will become more reliable in a few days as things start to settle down. 6 Keith Perron May 10th, 2008 - 7:34 UTC I have been able to pick up a few broadcasts from Burma in the last 2 days on shortwave. But because when I tuned into 4835 kHz right in the middle the signal went dead and returned 2 mins later. [??? 4835 is not a known Burma frequency. Keith has worked for RCI, RHC and CRI; where is he now? gh] 7 Kai Ludwig May 10th, 2008 - 12:07 UTC Andy, if you bother to enquire about this, I would have another one from history: Did RNW use the official name Kampuchea when it was in force or always stuck with Cambodia? Info about the policy of other media would of course be of interest as well. I know only that GDR (a.k.a. East Germany) media used Kampuchea but FRG (a.k.a. West Germany) media Cambodia. 8 Andy May 10th, 2008 - 12:27 UTC The problem about asking historical questions is that most people at RNW weren’t around then. I doubt I’ll have time next week to check as I am only in the office three days, and for two of those I am on current (as opposed to historical) affairs But it’s an interesting question. It does seem odd, though, that RNW and NOS are using different names for Burma/Myanmar. I can tell you that when I was editor of WRTH, I decided to stick firmly with the names recognised internationally by the UN. I did this after receiving a very nasty letter from the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation because in one edition I had listed “the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” as a separate country. In subsequent editions I listed it under Cyprus with the subheading ‘Northern Cyprus”, and if anyone asked I told them it was a geographical term, not a political one. My own opinion is that in the digital era we need consistency of names used within each language, otherwise searches don’t always produce the desired results. It’s bad enough with British/American English, when keywords are spelled differently. And don’t get me started on spelling errors - there are millions of Web pages that hardly get looked at because one of the keywords is misspelled (Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) Have a peek at this story for more information about the Myanmar-Burma controversy: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/un/burma-myanmar.html 73 (Olle Alm, Sweden, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also BURMA! ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 9450 at 0037 May 11, VG signal with rock song. What`s this? PWBR ``2008``, which I keep by the radios to consult while the computer is off, no help. O yes, it`s R. Nederland, Bonaire in Spanish, as group soon shouted ID. Also // 6165 but about one second behind it in deliberate delay to even out power consumption. Music still not banned on Spanish SW service of RN; it`s La Fonoteca per http://www.informarn.nl/horariosyfrecuencias/sabados-y-domingos I can remember when The Concertgebouw Orchestra was on RN shortwave every Sunday, but you won`t hear classical music concerts on any SW language service of RN now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CANADA; DIGITAL BROADCASTING ** NIGERIA. 4770 kHz, 2139 7 May, Radio Nigeria. Excellent. Repetitive music and apologies for the broken Kaduna transmitter. Audio clip on http://www.televideo.ws/audio.html 73s (Giovanni Carboni, QTH Rome Italy. Receiver FRG-7 with 2.5 m external whip, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. The disdain toward classical music, especially opera, held by the new management of KOSU comes out in a promo we have heard for the Saturday afternoon schedule being ``better`` now that The Metropolitan Opera is gone (and not coming back next season), e.g. Weekend America at 18-20 UT. BTW the Friday and Saturday night jazz blox don`t break for news on the hour, at least not past local midnight when I am used to hearing it before retiring. If classical music could be programmed to accommodate such breaks, so can jazz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA: Senator Coburn vs VOA ** OKLAHOMA. Checking OKC IBOC stations, Sat afternoon May 10: For first time in a long time, WWLS-640 was lacking IBOC, at 2210 check. No, it was not due to live silly ballgame coverage, as it was in usual silly sportstalk. At first I wasn`t sure whether off or masked by T- storm noise level. Unfortunately the latter prevented any extended groundwave on 630 or 650 from being audible. The other one, KTOK-1000, which a few days earlier also had IBOC turned off, had it back on blocking 990 and 1010 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3315, R. Manus (presumed), 1301-1317, May 11, Anthem, relay of NBC, with news in English, DJ in English playing pop songs in English, weak, // 3335, continued on after 3335 signed off. 3335, R. East Sepik (presumed), 1301-1310*, May 11, Anthem, relay of NBC, with news in English, DJ in English playing pop songs in English, weak, // 3315. May 10 also noted 1310* 3385, R East New Britain (presumed), 1248-1324, May 11, DJ in Tok Pisin playing pop songs, not a relay of NBC (not // 3315 & 3335), weak (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 4789.64, Radio Nueva Atlántida [tuning] LSB to avoid het from Radio Visión also on 0100. 10 May. 5460.1, Radio Bolívar, Cd. Bolívar, 0110 to 0130 OA music, fair to good signal 10 May. 5470.40, Radio San Nicolás, 0120 to 0140 with music and locutor, 10 May. 5486.7, Radio Reyna de la Selva, 1100 to 1120 one clear ID by locutor, 9 May (Robert L Wilkner, Pompano Beach, South Florida, US, NRD 535D; Icom 746Pro, Drake R7, May 10, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** PERU. 6047.17, R. Santa Rosa, Lima, 11 May 0109, Spanish music and news info by male, noisy 32222. RX: Perseus, Diff. Antennas. Gr (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. Radio Ollantay 9 aniversario ..Port Graf [?] Peru http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxrZzOeav0A (Robert L Wilkner, Mosquito Coast DX News, Pompano Beach, South Florida, US, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. 15190, 3.5 1730, Radio Pilipinas på Pilipin med ID och körsånger. S 2-3. BEFF (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin via DXLD) Hmm, this could collide with or be confused with R. Africa, Equatorial Guinea during activity spurts; RP at 1730-1930, Tagalog but with some English (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** RUSSIA [and non]. RHC usually has 12000 to itself, but May 10 at 1359-1400* was hearing SAH of about 3 Hz, and VOR IS. Per Aoki this is Chinese via Khabarovsk at 220 degrees, just ending. Commies vs Post- Commies! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Re 8-058, Samara: Who can tell how many listeners there are in Tatarstan itself, or elsewhere for that matter, but I hear 9690 and 11925 regularly here. The transmission is worth listening to for the exotic music played - usually during the last half hour. Hopefully some other site will carry it instead of Samara. A one-hop service into Tatarstan would, I suppose, be preferable, but it isn't absolutely necessary via shortwave. And it looks like there are several hops involved to some of the locations that Wolfy indicates already (Noel R. Green (NW England), May 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Certainly a lot, since the program is on FM and 252 kHz*) there. The shortwave transmissions are meant for listeners elsewhere. In a hurry I can't find exactly when they started, but perhaps at a time when costs for audio circuits were still an issue (this very issue brought an end to Radio Vilnius via Jülich and Radio Belarus via Brovary), thus it was only logical to use Samara. Nowadays things are different, it should be no big problem to arrange something else, with Novosibirsk being a possible option for the target of the 0810-0900 slot. *) http://victorcity.dxing.ru/Foto/kazan252.jpg http://victorcity.dxing.ru/Foto/kazan252_1.jpg To the left what I think is a sloping wire antenna for 1521 kHz, often confused with CRI via Urumqi, even leading to wrong assumptions that CRI on 1521 was relayed via Russia, just because Mayak was heard on this frequency as well (Kai Ludwig, Germany, May 10, ibid.) Enclosed a quick run-down of Samara's current schedule. Peak usage appears to be not less than ten frequencies on air simultaneously, so obviously no equipment has been retired there so far. For a long time Samara was associated with rather poor audio quality, apparently with the audio circuits to the station being the primary cause. However, obviously the old links are no longer in use also here. As an example I checked out the VOR transmissions after 1700, and they were not bad. Lots of bass, which could result in a thump appearance of the audio, but the upper-mid range is there as well. Only very mild background noises noted, a Samovar-like one on 9795 while 12010 had a slight buzz. 12010 (summer only) is an old standard for German from Moscow. In the nineties it had been handed over to Radio Maryja from Poland which was on air via Russian shortwave transmitters until yearend 2003. Around or shortly after 2000y the Samara shortwave plant was already off air and/or on a restricted schedule for some time, the problem had been explained as something with the power supply if I recall correct. No transmissions were missing, the Tbilisskaya plant had taken over a lot of them, including Radio Maryja. I think this lasted quite some time, so it was not even a matter of course that finally the operations revived for another couple of years. 0410-0500 15110 GTRK Tatarstan 0610-0700 9690 GTRK Tatarstan 0810-0900 11925 GTRK Tatarstan 0900-1000 15455 VOR German 1200-1400 15510 VOR Pashto/Dari 1200-1600 9875 VOR Sodruzhestvo 1400-1430 17875 R. Xoriyo Ogadenia; Tue/Sat only 1400-1500 11635 VOR Turkish 1400-1500 12055 Family R. Telugu 1400-1500 12075 Family R. Kannada 1400-1500 13590 Family R. Gujarati 1400-1600 9735 VOR Persian 1400-1600 9850 Family R. Punjabi 1400-1700 9450 Family R., various 1400-1900 9480 VOR Sodruzhestvo 1500-1600 9865 VOR Sodruzhestvo 1500-1700 12055 VOR Russian/English 1500-1800 9795 VOR German 1600-1630 11955 TWR Pashto/Dari 1600-1700 17875 EOTC R. (Mon) / Addis Dimts R. (Sun) 1600-1800 12010 VOR German 1600-2100 9890 VOR English 1700-1800 9615 VOR Polish 1700-1800 12120 R. Democracy Shorayee; Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun 1800-1900 9615 Family R. Polish 1800-2000 7240 Family R. English/Arabic 1830-1900 9490 VOR Serbocroatian 1900-1930 9840 IBRA R. Arabic 1900-2000 7320 Family R. German 1900-2000 9470 VOR Bulgarian 2030-2130 7320 CRI French Btw, Lyngsat shows for Express AM1 at 40 deg. East, transponder 6 on 3.675 GHz, not less than six audio channels for VOR (some under RMR) and one for Deutsche Welle. Looks like a possible audio source for CIS transmitter sites (Kai Ludwig, Germany, May 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The historic part of Samara broadcasting facilities (the so-called Object #15) was shut three years earlier. It went on the air for the last time on May 9, Russia's Victory Day. The underground (!) radio center was built in only nine months after the War began. It's a little known fact that in 1941 the Soviet capital was informally moved to what was then Kuibyshev (today Samara). Government, embassies, mass media - everything had to be evacuated there. Kuibyshev radio center was constructed under secret police supervision within 9 months. Forced labor was used. The center went on the air with test broadcasts in May 1942. The regular broadcasting started that summer. The "Object #15" was used for all-USSR and worldwide broadcasting, including N. America. Supposedly, it was the most powerful radio center in the world at that time. There's a great article about its history: http://retro.samnet.ru/zapstolica/rvs/index.htm Unfortunately it's all in Russian but there are nice pics taken right after the shutdown. Now the local Samara government talks about possibly making a radio museum there. But according to the article, the whole facility is in a very sad state today; most historical objects are gone. Samara's SW facility (the radio center #3) is about to go, too. It has 264 hectares (650 acres) of land. It's a federal government property but the local authorities want to convert it to private ownership. The land is currently valued at U$400 mln. The developers are standing by. According to local press, some transmitters should be moved to Saint Petersburg, Khabarovsk, Krasnodar and other sites. It is expected to take two years for that. GTRK Tatarstan broadcasts for Europe have been heard in Moscow with a near perfect quality for many years now. VOR Sodruzhestvo for Central/ Eastern Europe is heard very well, too. I don't know if Krasnodar has antennas to cover the European part of the former USSR with the same signal. Perhaps, in the near future Sodruzhestvo/Tatarstan will be be outsourced to Germany. It seems like Russian and German radio specialists are enjoying very close working relations these days. Russians consider Germany the second most friendly nation in the world. China is #1, Belarus #3. BTW, GTRK Tatarstans don't start on the hour because it is required to carry R. Rossii news bulletins from Moscow and Tatarstan doesn't want to pay for RR's SW relay (Sergei Sosedkin, IL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also TATARSTAN Exact time of the final close-down at Novosemeykino (i.e. the Obyekt No. 15 plant) was 1:00 local time on May 10 2005. Transmissions on 873 kHz have since been moved to another site called Mekhsavod, using "only" 100 kW anymore: http://maps.google.de/?ie=UTF8&ll=53.304172,50.285014&spn=0.004674,0.010042&t=h&z=17 It should be quite safe to assume that Novosemeykino had the most powerful broadcasting transmitter of the world when it opened. I'm not aware of another one of 1200 kW or even more at this time. Also not VOA's longwave transmitter at Erching near Munich, which was considered the world's biggest broadcasting outlet upon opening. But not so, it had "just" 1000 kW. GTRK Tatarstan to European Russia: A possible alternative, now that Yekaterinburg is gone as well (when did this happen? the shut-down can be confined to not before spring 2005 and not after spring 2007), would be Novosibirsk (the old site, as opposed to Oyash). It has antennas for this direction, used for RNW just a few years ago if I recall correctly. And the start of Russian broadcasting via Germany dates back decades, when the Wiederau transmitter south of Leipzig started to relay Radio Moscow programming on 1322/1323 kHz. In 1963 a 100 kW transmitter, made by Funkwerk Köpenick, had been installed for this purpose there. http://www.janbalzer.gmxhome.de/wiederau/mittel.htm In 1989 it was replaced by a new facility at the Wachenbrunn station near Themar, south of Suhl, consisting of two Komintern Leningrad transmitters of 1000 and 150 kW, respectively, and a four mast antenna system. After 1990 you could see in publications mentions of this facility "still" relaying Radio Moscow. But the expected if not demanded close-down did not take place; instead the facility was finally upgraded with a new 1000 kW Transradio solid-state transmitter, installed in a building originally meant for the antenna tuning system only, thus making a long feed line (about 1 km) from the main transmitter site to the remote four mast system unnecessary. There is even a direct relation of Wachenbrunn and Novosemeykino: Until the mid-nineties an SSB feed for 1323 was on air as stand-by to the audio circuit (which, btw, by then was of not really good quality; it suffered from quite a lot of non-linear distortion), and information from that time suggested Novosemeykino as site of this feeder transmitter, since it was described as "Samara, but not the regular shortwave plant". In the past a postal office facility at Beelitz near Berlin was responsible for picking up this feeder, also to provide an off-air signal of Radio-1 to Radio Volga at Potsdam), but by 1994 the whole set-up for the feeder on the German side consisted of an EKD receiver which sat on the control console at Wachenbrunn. I was told that the reception of the feeder signal was usually quite good, but according to Murphy's law not when the audio circuit from Moscow really suffered a disruption. Later Deutsche Telekom offered Voice of Russia the possibility to use a Berlin city transmitter, even later also some shortwave relays via Jülich and now Wertachtal were arranged. Then in April 2003 the obscure Megaradio went bankrupt, leaving a number of brand-new mediumwave transmitters behind (of course Deutsche Telekom made long-term contracts after investing into this new equipment, but this did not help them under these circumstances anymore). These transmitters would be complete write-offs, but Voice of Russia could be attracted to them. Thus 630 (a genuinely West German frequency and transmitter site, so absolutely no GDR relic), 1431 and 1575 are now on air besides 1323, in the latter case enabling DRM experiments by a commercial station (Oldiestar). Most recent development was the replacement of the power-limited Berlin city outlet on 603 by the 250 kW on 693 which is a Megaradio relic as well. I mentioned Radio Volga: This was the Soviet/Russian forces station in Germany, which broadcast from studios in this building: http://home.arcor.de/aerbe/dt/rfk/bilder_menzelstr.html In 1945 the Soviet military administration ordered the construction of a 100 kW longwave transmitter for both Radio Volga and Berliner Rundfunk purposes. It was a joint project of the Telefunken and Lorenz companies and installed in Königs Wusterhausen. During the sixties the Königs Wusterhausen transmitter was replaced by a Tesla DRV 200 at Burg near Magdeburg. Here is an identical one (except for being 2 x 200 kW) at Topolná: http://www.sweb.cz/stredni.vlny/Tesla/DRV400_topolna_cz.html The Tesla transmitter at Burg was replaced by a new unit in 1996 (which is idle since 2001). The old transmitter at Königs Wusterhausen was kept as aux and on air for the last time in March 1999. Radio Volga also relayed the noon programme of Radio Moscow German service until 1992, then they started to lease airtime to the commercial station Radioropa which also took over the 261 kHz frequency after Radio Volga had closed down in July 1994. In October 1991 Radio Volga also started own German programs, "way too late" as somebody from Radio Volga later said. An unfortunate characteristic of Radio Volga was a poor audio quality with lots of non-linear distortion. It differed somewhat between the different audio sources (during the final years studio live for Russian programmes, tape play-out for German programmes, Gorizont satellite for Radio Rossii relays, Kopernikus DSR satellite for Radioropa relays; Radio Rossii was really bad, maybe because they used a receiver which could not properly handle the proprietary compander system for analogue subcarrier audio on ex-Soviet satellites), but most of the problem sat somewhere after the audio switching and before the transmitter (Kai Ludwig, Germany, May 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [non]. Re 603 kHz: VOR Spanish 20 kW unit was meant to greater Berlin area, like 100 kilometers around the capital for 4 million people, never meant for SPAIN target. There are few more language broadcasts of various stations in Berlin, like En, Fr, Sp, and of course on FM: Turkish state like invasion community in [Berlin] Moabit and Kreuzberg suburbs (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SERBIA [non]. IRS, still on poorly-chosen 6185 to NAm; UT Sunday May 11 did not hear it at 0000, and at 0050 was enjoying some marimba music from XEPPM, but at 0058 that was mixing with IRS carrier and IS, 0100 opening English, but unreadable with audio level about equal to R. Educación, and splatter from RHC 6180 news sounders. Meanwhile 6190 and 6195 were begging for IRS to occupy their vacancies, altho 6190 would be better in deference to Prague on 6200. At 0130, Mexico City was again in the clear with piano roll music. This encouraged me to bring up the XEEP webcast later, including, yes, in English, ``Ghost Riders in the Sky`` at 0322, ``Mañana is Soon Enough for Me`` at 0324 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SIERRA LEONE [non]. See LIBERIA [non] ** SPAIN [and non]. Re: ``9630, REE via Costa Rica, April 24 at 0540 had some nice folk music involving bagpipes and whistles, on 9630 via CR and better 6055 direct. REE website inaccessible to look up what 24 show that is, Thursday at 07:40 local time HOE.`` Seeing this log of mine published in CIDX Messenger, I am reminded to look this up finally: It`s La Costa de las Tormentas, a 50-minute show in the 0500 UT Thursday hour, so starts either at 0505 or 0510 (who cares about showing axual news times? A footnote on the grid says News on the hour, 10 minutes at 1500 UT, so does that mean all the others are only 5 minutes?). Tormentas has 4 other airings: Thu 1500+ (except on frequencies carrying Africa Hoy) 17595, Sat 0800+, Sun 1000+; Sun 2200+ on 15110 and 17850-CR. And Thu at 0500+ besides 9630-CR there is 3350-CR, and always best audio on 6055 direct --- I`ve just picked the frequencies I know work here, not necessarily the only ones. I had previously noted this program as possibly of interest, but later discounted it as mostly talk rather than music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also COSTA RICA ** TATARSTAN. Those SW broadcasts are targeting the Tatar diaspora since the majority of Russian Tatars live outside of Tatarstan. They are Turkic-speaking people. Unfortunately many Tatars don't speak Tatar any more; that's why "Na volne Tatarstana" has some Russian segments. Tatarstan is a wealthy republic (oil money). I won't be surprised if they continue with SW broadcasting. Perhaps it's a good chance for Deutsche Telekom to offer its SW relay services (Sergei Sosedkin, IL, ibid.) See also RUSSIA for much more ** THAILAND. Still absolutely no sign of R. Thailand on 12120 at 0050 check May 11, under all that RTTY. This 0030-0100 was supposed to be English to North America, as it was in B-season on 12095 --- but now the target is E Africa! And the following hour in Thai at 0100-0200 on 12120 is now targeted at Middle East --- but this doesn`t make sense not only because it`s in the middle of the night there, but also because it`s supposedly still aimed at 6 degrees from Udorn, the original trans-polar path designed for ENAm, nowhere hear the azimuth for EAf/ME. Furthermore there is no change in parameters at 0100 tho the target areas supposedly change. I am beginning to wonder if this has morphed into an imaginary service. It might as well be. How about the WNAm service at 0200-0330 on 15275. Is anyone hearing that anywhere now? It`s still supposedly at 38 degrees, the azimuth for WNAm, but the target area is Malaysia and Indonesia except New Guinea, again nowhere near the appropriate direxion. What`s going on here? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKMENISTAN. Jerry Johansson: Hej! Har fått QSL från Turkmen Radio-4930. Land nr 227. V/s Akatowa Aika svarade med email på rapport från mars 2007. Hon är redaktör för det engelska nyhetsprogrammet, som sedan oktober 2007 endast sänds på FM, 101,3 MHz. Hon vill ha kommentarer till programmet, men det lär nog bli svårt för lyssnare utomlands. Sammanför information i email som Enar Lindkvist och jag fått från henne. Turkmen Radio. Information from Ms Akatowa Aika, News editor, English programs: "Now I would like to inform you some some changes concerning our program. In October 2007 another new channel called "Owaz" was set up and the English programs in "Char Tarapdan" and "Watan" were stopped. Now the programs in English are broadcast only in one channel "Qwaz". At the local time it is at every three hours, beginning from 2.00 p.m., and so on. The shortwave [sic] of the program is 101.3 MHz. In total we have four radio channels, but only one of them has Turkmen news in English" (SW Bulletin May 11 via DXLD) ** U S A. SENATOR COBURN VERSUS VOA: THE STORY THAT WILL NOT GO AWAY A five page letter from Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) to national security advisor Stephen Hadley is posted at the MountainRunner blog, 2 May 2008. It details his complaints, reported in this previous post, about VOA broadcasts to Iran and about the Broadcasting Board of Governors. -- "Let me get this straight: We sponsor VOA because Iran doesn't have a free media that can criticize its own government; Congress is mad because VOA is criticizing the U.S. government, and VOA is mad that its employees are criticizing management." Sharon Weinberger, Wired Danger Room blog, 5 May 2008. (see http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=3960 for linx, via DXLD) Senator Coburn writes that members of the BBG lack accountability because they "report to no one, not even to each other." He recommends three people "qualified in strategic communication" for appointment to the Board. They are Cliff May, president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy; Scott Carpenter of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy; and Enders Wimbush, senior vice president of the Hudson Institute. The International Broadcasting Act of 1994 created the bipartisan BBG, giving its members fixed and staggered terms, *precisely* to prevent to the type of interference in the content of U.S. international broadcasting now being attempted by Senator Coburn. Senator Coburn calls for U.S. international broadcasting to be used for "democracy promotion" in Iran. Democracy involves the people making choices about their nations. Those choices are informed by a free press. Yet Senator Coburn mocks the concept of international broadcasting citing multiple points of view to "let the Iranians decide for themselves." Instead, Senator Coburn writes: "The U.S. taxpayers should not subsidize content presenting a balance between the truth and the regime's malicious propaganda. U.S. broadcasts should *be* the balance by the regime and others." In other words, U.S. international broadcasting should be all pro-U.S., all anti-Tehran regime. sort of like Radio Moscow in reverse. But audience research shows that people tune to foreign broadcasts to get the objective, comprehensive, balanced news that they do not get from their state-controlled domestic media. Propaganda cannot be fought with propaganda. Actually, U.S. international broadcasting could thrive under the Senator Coburn's vision. It would transmit the messages that would make the administration and many members of Congress beam with approval. They would respond by maintaining the funds for international broadcasting. The only problem is that almost no one would listen to, or view, such a broadcasting effort. And so Senator Coburn's sustained tirade against U.S. international broadcasting has entertainment value. Here is the champion of fiscal responsibility advocating an international broadcasting strategy that would be an absolute, utter, complete waste of the taxpayers' money. Posted: 09 May 2008 (Kim Andrew Elliott, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** U S A [non non]. SMITH-MUNDT: OBVIATED BY THE INTERNET? "Why is it that the U.S. government still operates its overseas information activities as if the Internet had never been invented? Or actually, it operates them with increasing impunity as if Smith-Mundt, the law that came into being in 1948 and was strengthened during the Vietnam War that separates information aimed at foreigners from information designed for American consumption, had been repealed years ago. Except it wasn’t. This artificial and meaningless firewall – supposedly to keep the executive branch of the U.S. government from 'propagandizing' the American people – should have been repealed once the Internet took hold." http://whirledview.typepad.com/whirledview/2008/05/smith-mundt-is.html (Patricia H. Kushlis, WhirledView blog, 7 May 2008 via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Decades before the internet, shortwave routinely sidestepped Smith- Mundt. Shortwave listeners in the United States could tune in VOA from transmitters in the United States and overseas. In the 1960s, one of my main sources of world news (sparsely reported by U.S. domestic news sources) was VOA's "World Report" at 2100 GMT. Posted: 10 May 2008 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** U S A. RICHARD M. MCCARTHY, 87; WRITER WORKED FOR USIA, VOICE OF AMERICA --- By Matt Schudel Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, May 10, 2008; B06 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/09/AR2008050902940_pf.html Richard M. McCarthy, 87, a longtime writer and official with the U.S. Information Agency and Voice of America who worked in Asia for many years, died April 14 of congestive heart failure at his home in Silver Spring. Mr. McCarthy spent more than 50 years with the federal government, beginning in World War II, when he served in the Navy and participated in the invasion of Okinawa. After the war, he had his first overseas assignment with the Foreign Service in 1947 as vice consul in Beijing. He was one of the last U.S. officials in China, forced to leave in 1950, when the consulate was closed by the newly formed Chinese communist government. Mr. McCarthy then moved to Hong Kong from 1950 to 1957 and helped establish a worldwide reporting program about China. He spoke fluent Mandarin Chinese and became known among colleagues as an "old China hand." He became the USIA country director in Bangkok in 1957 and taught a course in American literature at a Thai university. From 1959 to 1962, he was USIA director in Taiwan and was the ghostwriter of a work on Chinese painting, "Brush and Ink." In 1962, Mr. McCarthy had his first prolonged assignment in Washington as chief of the Far East Division of the Voice of America. He went back to Asia in 1965 and 1966 as assistant director of the Joint U.S. Public Affairs Office in Saigon, coordinating information and psychological warfare programs throughout South Vietnam. Mr. McCarthy left USIA in 1968 to work for the Salk Institute, a New York scientific research organization. He returned to Washington in 1971 as a consultant with University Associates, an education consulting firm. In the late 1970s, he became a scriptwriter in the Special English Program for Voice of America, writing about American language and culture for broadcasts in Asia. He later became chief of the Thai and Vietnamese Language Services at Voice of America, where he worked until his retirement in 2003. His scripts on American idioms were published in China and are still used in Voice of America broadcasts in Asia. Mr. McCarthy was born in Ames, Iowa, and was a graduate of the University of Iowa. He was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and attended the famed Iowa Writers Workshop. He did graduate work at the University of Southern California. In Silver Spring, where he lived for many years, he participated in senior track-and-field events and enjoyed playing tennis. He also mentored many young people interested in journalism and international affairs. His marriage to Rachel Anspach McCarthy ended in divorce. A son from that marriage, Richard K. McCarthy, died in 2003. Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Helen Sze McCarthy of Silver Spring; four daughters from his first marriage, Deborah McCarthy of Kailua, Hawaii, Sarah B. McCarthy of Walnut Creek, Calif., Carrell McCarthy of San Francisco and Kate McCarthy of San Diego; two daughters from his second marriage, Karen McCarthy-Chow and Mary T. McCarthy, both of Silver Spring; three stepchildren, Gloria Yeager and Rose Thach, both of Alhambra, Calif., and Michael Thach of Clarksville; and 16 grandchildren (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) OBIT ** U S A. The Crap with AJ has been cut; instead of that in the 0000 UT Sunday May 11 hour on WBCQ 7415, we heard George Zeller in the foreground and Allan Weiner in the background discussing, what else? pirate radio, probably something from the Winterfest, at 0035. Cut the Crap with AJ [not named, but presumed from the time] recently got a scathing review from a listener in DXLD, but who knows if it is really gone? Still on the online schedule. 0100 into Marion`s Attic as usual (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WEWN, 11520, May 11 at 0048 in English, VG signal here for a change tho aimed at 40 degrees from Alabama, YL talk, presumably M. Angelica herself on an old tape --- accompanied by continuous squeal of slightly varying pitch as is the wont of at least one WEWN transmitter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 17775 KVOH: I have been hearing this one during the day with no problem. But in checking today, they were untraced. I'm wondering if they are perhaps off weekends. I'd be grateful for anyone else who is able to check and see if they are untraced at their QTH as well. Just checked at 1735 May 10 (Hans Johnson, Naples, FL, Kaito KA- 1102 whip antenna, Cumbre DX via DXLD) No sign of them here at 1748 May 10. You are closer to their boresight, and certainly beyond their skip zone, unlike me. My impression has been that they are quite irregular, no particular days of week, but maybe they have been on and not propagating here (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, ibid.) When I do hear them it is usually later in the afternoon when the MUF/skip zone are a bit more cooperative (gh) Thanks, Glenn. Checked today and they came on at 1500 on 17775. Good reception (Hans Johnson, Naples FL, May 11, ibid.) ** U S A. This is a checklist to keep track of what`s on in the second dekaday of the May Orgy. MUCH more detailed background info and playlists at http://www.whrb.org/pg/MayJun2008.pdf which is in local time and days of UT -4 UT SATURDAY MAY 10 1700-2300 THE SPORTS ORGY --- Harvard teams 2300-2400 THE TEAMS RAPPIN’ ORGY --- mainstream cooption of hip-hop UT SUNDAY MAY 11 0000-0200 THE TEAMS RAPPIN’ ORGY 0200-0900 THE NEXT STEPFATHER: PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS hip hop duo 0900-1500 CECIL TAYLOR ORGY (cont.) 1630-1730 CONVERSATIONS WITH WHRB SENIORS 1730-2400 THE OLIVIER MESSIAEN ORGY UT MONDAY MAY 12 0000-0400 THE OLIVIER MESSIAEN ORGY 0400-0900 THE SMELL: SOUNDS OF THE CONTEMPORARY LOS ANGELES UNDERGROUND (cont.) 0900-2400 THE OLIVIER MESSIAEN ORGY (cont.) UT TUESDAY MAY 13 0000-0200 THE OLIVIER MESSIAEN ORGY (cont.) 0200-0900 THE SMELL: SOUNDS OF THE CONTEMPORARY LOS ANGELES UNDERGROUND (cont.) 0900-1700 ETHIOPIQUES – golden age of Ethiopian music until 1974, then exiles 1700-2400 THE OLIVIER MESSIAEN ORGY (cont.) UT WEDNESDAY MAY 14 0000-0200 THE OLIVIER MESSIAEN ORGY (cont.) 0200-0900 THE SMELL: SOUNDS OF THE CONTEMPORARY LOS ANGELES UNDERGROUND (cont.) 0900-1300 ETHIOPIQUES (cont.) 1300-1700 THE FATS WALLER ORGY 1700-2400 THE MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH ORGY cellist & conductor UT THURSDAY MAY 15 0000-0400 THE MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH ORGY cellist & conductor 0400-0900 THE SMELL: SOUNDS OF THE CONTEMPORARY LOS ANGELES UNDERGROUND (cont.) 0900-1600 THE FATS WALLER ORGY (cont.) 1600-2400 THE ROSTROPOVICH ORGY (cont.) UT FRIDAY MAY 16 0000-0200 THE ROSTROPOVICH ORGY (cont.) 0200-1100 THE SMELL: SOUNDS OF THE CONTEMPORARY LOS ANGELES UNDERGROUND (cont.) 1100-1600 THE ONE AND ONLY MRS. SWING: MILDRED BAILEY 1600-2400 THE ROSTROPOVICH ORGY (cont.) UT SATURDAY MAY 17 0000-0200 THE ROSTROPOVICH ORGY (cont.) 0200-0900 THE SMELL: SOUNDS OF THE CONTEMPORARY LOS ANGELES UNDERGROUND (cont.) 1700-2400 THE ROSTROPOVICH ORGY (cont.) UT SUNDAY MAY 18 0000-0100 THE ROSTROPOVICH ORGY (cont.) 0100-1000 THE SMELL: SOUNDS OF THE CONTEMPORARY LOS ANGELES UNDERGROUND (cont.) 1000-1500 LIVE IN PARIS --- jazz 1630-2000 LIVE IN PARIS (cont.) 2000-2100 ORIGINAL RADIO PLAY 2100-2400 THE RETURN OF THE SUPERMAN ORGY UT MONDAY MAY 19 0000-0400 THE RETURN OF THE SUPERMAN ORGY 0400-0900 DECONSTRUCTING DOOMSDAY --- He came to destroy rap. Daniel Dumile 0900-1600 LIVE IN PARIS (cont.) 1600-2400 MASTERPIECES OF THE FRENCH BAROQUE UT TUESDAY MAY 20 0000-0200 MASTERPIECES OF THE FRENCH BAROQUE 0200- THE WU-TANG ORGY --- hip-hop [TO BE CONTINUED] Streaming linx at http://www.whrb.org/ (Glenn Hauser, OK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also for easy reference in MONITORING REMINDERS CALENDAR, http://www.worldofradio.com/calendar.html ** VATICAN. 9650 with VR IS May 11 at 0039, Latin ID at 0040 and into S Asian music; only poor, but it seems we can hear VR no matter where it is aimed. Hetless Vietnamese was also audible on 9600 during the previous hour. 9650 is ex-5915, presumably to avoid Burmyanmar (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM. 4740, Radio Son La (presumed), 1220-1245, May 11, sounded like Vietnamese, indigenous chanting/singing, phone conversations, fair, still here at 1326 (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. Via Madagascar, 11610, Radio Voice of the People, 0405-0456*, May 10, vernacular talk. "Radio VOP" IDs. Short breaks of African music. English programming at 0438-0456* with news, commentary. Gave Zimbabwe address & e-mail address. Poor to fair. No sign of any jamming (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, TenTec RX- 340, 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. SHORTWAVE TO ZIMBABWE "JAMMED OUT OF EXISTENCE"? A Zimbabwean writes: "We no longer have SW [short wave] radio (which told us everything that was happening) because the government jammed it out of existence ..if we had reporters here, they would have an absolute field day." . . . http://tinyurl.com/6pt9el (By Roderic Pratt, 10.MAY.08, Letter from Zimbabwe, Famagusta Gazette (Nicosia), 10 May 2008 via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) exaggerated If foreign stations transmit on several frequencies from several sites, the jamming can usually be overcome on at least one frequency. The opposition stations, which tend to transmit on only one frequency, are easy pickings for jammers. BBC and VOA are becoming easier to jam as they cut back on shortwave frequencies and transmitting sites. Posted: 10 May 2008 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 3175.37, harmonic, 0010; 0900 with strong signal, reported less strong Panhandle of Florida. 5-9 May (Robert L Wilkner, Pómpano Beach, South Florida, US, NRD 535D; Icom 746Pro, Drake R7, May 10, NASWA yg via DXLD) If you know it`s a harmonic, any idea of what? It could not, of course, be a MW frequency ending in zero (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Numbers station, Spanish speaking women [?] 17435 kHz, 1720 UT 5/10/08, sinpo 45555, Good signal into Cincinnati. FT2000, IC- R-70, 260 ft windom, 2 ele quad at 50 ft, alfa delta sloper (Tim McGraw, N8YI, WPE8KHZ Cincinnati, OH, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Still going at 1740, also very strong here, seems a smidgin on the hi side toward 17435.1. At 1746 recheck, just open carrier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ RFE/RL CLOSES ITS "NEWSLINE." "RFE/RL announces with regret that due to financial constraints, this will be the last issue of 'RFE/RL Newsline.' In late June, RFE/RL will launch a redesigned English-language website http://www.rferl.org that will continue to cover developments in our broadcast region." RFE/RL Newsline, 9 May 2008. "Yesterday, the president of RFE/RL informed the analysts there that because of budgetary shortfalls, he had no choice but to fire them and thus end what has been the journal of record for developments in a part of the world that remains vitally important however much some may believe we can safely ignore it." Paul Goble, Window on Eurasia, 8 May 2008. "I've linked several times to the outstanding work done by RFE/RL analyst Daniel Kimmage on al-Qaeda's internet operations, including his definitive study of Iraqi insurgent media (with Kathleen Ridolfo) and his more recent report on al-Qaeda's internet media production network. There are very few people inside or outside the government who have worked harder or thought more deeply about how jihadists use online media, drawing on the original Arabic sources rather than from second and third-hand conjecture. ... So imagine my surprise to learn yesterday that ... Kimmage [has] been given notice.' Marc Lynch, Abu Aardvark, 9 May 2008 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) The latest edition of the very good RFE/RL Media Matters newsletter, 7 May 2008, does not have a similar closure announcement, so apparently it will continue. Posted: 10 May 2008 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid., see http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=3972 for linx, via DXLD) GREAT CIRCLE HELP Can anyone direct me to a site where I can calculate great circle paths based on azimuth from the point of transmission? There are tons (and tonnes!) of ways to find the great circle and distances from point A to point B, but that is not exactly what I am looking for. Many thanks for any help (Bob Coomler, Cloverdale, CA, NASWA yg via DXLD) Try the QRP ARCI website and go to the Miles per watt award calculation sheet. 73 and good dx (Larry, K5ZRK Jones, ibid.) Chris Smolinski's DX Tool Box http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/dxtoolbox.html would do what you want; it's free to try. So would VOAAREA, part of the VOACAP package available from Greg Hand, who continues to maintain it after his retirement from NTIA's Institute for Telecommunication Sciences. See http://www.greg-hand.com/hfwin32.html (DanFerguson, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING IBOC: see also CANADA; OKLAHOMA ++++++++++++++++++++ DRM: CANADA; FRANCE; RUSSIA DRM CUTBACK AT RNW Escuchando el programa de Radio Nederland Cartas @ RN, me han llamado mucho la atención un par de cuestiones comentadas en el espacio: Ante la pregunta de un oyente sobre la suspensión de emisiones en DRM para América en Castellano (J. Báguena comenta que solo quedan dos emisiones para Europa en Holandés), según parece la razón de la suspensión tiene que ver con problemas presupuestarios y de falta de personal en la estación de Bonaire a la hora de la emisión, también comenta Jaime que según su opinión mientras no exista una colaboración por parte de los fabricantes de receptores el sistema tiene muchas posibilidades de fracasar en O.C. y tal vez pueda tener alguna continuidad en O.M. y O.L. Como digo este texto es una transcripción abreviada del diálogo escuchado directamente del programa. También comenta que del tema de los famosos 500 receptores para Cuba, en estos momentos siguen en un almacén de Holanda a buen recaudo y a la espera de alguna oportunidad para resolver la cuestión. Cordialmente, (Tomás Méndez, El Prat de Llobregat-Barcelona España, logsderadio yg via DXLD) THE BIG SWITCH, COUNTDOWN TO DTV: http://www.kfor.com/Global/story.asp?S=7227420 (via Glenn Hauser, Enid, DXLD) Re: DTV Musings from Stan Jones, DX Listening Digest 8-058 ``About KTWO's bad-mouthing the notion of subchannels: the whole notion of SD subchannels somehow "degrading" the HDTV channel mystifies me.`` I believe that this arises from FM, where in the current hybrid mode, use of multiple subchannels can indeed cause degradation of quality. ``One of the pernicious myths perpetrated about the transition is that most people should be able to just hook up a DTV receiver to whatever antenna they were using for analog and get the same stations just as consistently -- horse hockey.`` And I predict that this issue is going to ultimately (after stations get up to their permanent DTV facilities later in 2009 or beyond) could either force power increases all around for DTV's. Of course at least with an antenna upgrade you spend only once as opposed to a monthly fee for satellite or cable (Russ Edmunds, WB2BJH, Blue Bell, PA, WTFDA via DXLD) Oh, it is very possible for excessive use of subchannels to degrade the DTV signal. WNPT here in Nashville did it by bit-starving their 8- 2 subchannel in favor of the main 8-1. (indeed, I've never observed excessive use of subchannels to degrade a HD *radio* signal! - even during music programs, on our local NPR station WPLN-HD2 or -HD3. Doesn't mean I don't think it's *possible* though.) It may be worthy of note that only particular specific values of bandwidth are possible for HD Radio subchannels. For DTV, engineers may assign any amount of bandwidth they want, as long as it all adds up to 19.2 MBps (so there are a lot more opportunities to screw up (grin)). ``And I predict that this issue is going to ultimately (after stations get up to their permanent DTV facilities later in 2009 or beyond) could either force power increases all around for DTV's. Of course at least with an antenna upgrade you spend only once as opposed to a monthly fee for satellite or cable`` Among stations there is a certain amount of apathy towards this situation. Imagine you're General Manager of WKEF-TV Dayton, Ohio. You're licensed for 138 kW DTV power on channel 51. That's probably enough to cover the core counties of Clark, Greene, Miami, and Montgomery - but maybe not enough to reliably reach the other eight counties in the Dayton market. It's going to cost a few hundred thousand dollars to upgrade to 1000 kW (assuming the FCC lets you do it). Let's look at the numbers. 72% of the population in the Dayton market lives in the four core counties. The power increase won't help them - won't affect 72% of your audience. What about the other 28%? Well, cable/satellite penetration in the Dayton market is 82%. Those people won't have any trouble receiving WKEF either. When you do all the math, you find that **95%** of the TV households in the Dayton market either have cable/satellite, or live in the four core counties near the tower where reception is reliable even at 138 kW. To be perfectly honest, I think you're going to spend your few hundred thousand dollars on studio equipment to produce your local news in HD, or something like that, rather than on trying to reach 5% of your market. Law of diminishing returns. ======================= Of course, there are a TON of variables here: - Cable penetration varies greatly from market to market. I think the 66% figure in Fairbanks, Alaska is probably the lowest, though almost nobody lives outside the city so that's probably a moot point! Probably the lowest penetration in the Lower 48 is 68% in Harlingen, Texas. Probably the highest is 95.5% in both NYC and West Palm Beach. Higher cable penetration means OTA DTV coverage is less important. (as long as you're reaching all the headends, though fiber may be more economical than RF power as a way of doing that) - Concentration of population varies greatly from market to market. A relatively low-powered transmitter in Rochester, NY or Boise, ID or Jacksonville, FL is going to reach almost all the audience. There may be a fair amount of unserved land but almost nobody lives there. (compared to the total population of the market) (Fairbanks is probably the best example of this!) On the other hand, a low-powered transmitter in LaCrosse, Wis. is going to miss the other half of the population, in Eau Claire. A small DTV in Mobile, Ala. won't reach Pensacola, Fla.. One in L.A. will do no good in Riverside/San Bernardino. - Cable penetration is uneven throughout the market? (are people near the towers also more likely to have cable? Or vice-versa?) - Is the unserved audience sellable? Unfortunately, a viewer with an annual income of $200,000 is a lot more valuable than one with an annual income of $30,000 - and you can often predict income geographically. – (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) The eventual demise of free OTA TV? Interesting comments in 8-058 on the possible eventual demise of free OTA TV. Of course, such predictions have been made many times in the past, and never come to pass. I recall a friend of mine who, back when cable and satellite was just starting to really boom, predicted that eventually the traditional broadcast networks would all be distributed via satellite, with terrestrial TV becoming all lower-power, narrowcasting channels serving more focused community and ethnic needs. (Not quite the same notion as being bandied about now, but shows you that the general concept isn't new.) I don’t think OTA is in any danger of disappearing anytime soon. There are still too many congresscritters who represent poor districts who would cry foul, and probably frame it in racial terms (with so many of the poor folks being African-American or Hispanic). In fact, that was a big impetus behind the whole converter box program: the argument that TV performs a public service that should not be denied to those who cannot afford cable, satellite, or a new TV. The government to some extent had to be cajoled and shamed into the coupon program – it was certainly not something that was planned or foreseen when the notion of moving from analog to digital was being formulated. But then again, I’m not sure how much longer the “think of the poor” argument will resonate in a country where the government’s policies do little or nothing to help their plight, and indeed have exacerbated it to an extent. (Not to mention adding to the numbers of those in financial distress.) And don’t think for a second that changing the party label of those in power will dramatically change that attitude – outside of a long overdue and “too little, too late” rise in the minimum wage, it hasn’t happened with a Democratic controlled Congress, and while some think that a Democrat in the White House may or may not help to some extent, it is certainly not a cure-all. Remember – politicians are politicians first, and public servants (a distant) second. You want to know what their policies and priorities are? “Follow the money.” And, actually, one could make an argument that access to public information (news, safety, weather) need not have a visual component to be effective, and given the limited extent to which television fulfills those goals, maybe poor people would be better (and more cheaply) served by distributing inexpensive AM/FM/WB crank radios. After all, there really is no “right” to be entertained, which is the primary goal of television (and which constitutes the vast majority of their program schedule). One might argue that everyone needs to have critical news (especially local), weather, and other public interest information available, but is there a need or right for everyone to be able to watch “Jerry Springer” or “American Idol?” So, my take is that rumors of the end of OTA are greatly exaggerated, premature, and probably about as accurate as those who predicted that by now we would all be driving flying cars and living in climate- controlled bubble cities. (Notions that largely came from a generation watching too many “Jetsons” cartoons.) But given the direction of the country, ya never know. And we’d better not talk about this too loudly – I’d bet the guvmint would have neon dollar signs dancing in front of their eyes thinking about how much they could rake in if they vacated and auctioned off ALL of the remaining (ch. 2-51) TV spectrum. We don’t want to give them any ideas (Stan Jones, Orlando FL, May 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DENVER DTV CHANNELS As of this morning, Sunday May 11th, all of the Lookout Mountain stations mentioned previously (4, 7, 9, & 20) finally got to turn on their signals from the new tower. All are still on reduced power, but viewers in northern Colorado and central Colorado (as far out as 60 miles), are reporting on the AVS Forum being able to see all of the dtv Denver network channels for the first time ever. It will only get better when they're able to increase their power (Jim Thomas, wdx0fbu, Milliken, Colorado, (40 miles N of Denver), May 11, WTFDA via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ CENTENARIO DE MAX GRUNDIG Casi inadvertidamente, este 7 de mayo se acaban de cumplir los 100 años del nacimiento de Max Grundig, genial empresario alemán, creador de la empresa que llevó su apellido. Empresa que produjo, aparte de numerosos y excelentes productos electrónicos, algunos de los mejores receptores portátiles para onda corta de las décadas del 60 al 80. ¿Quién no soñaba en esos tiempos con poseer una Grundig Satellit? No solamente su performance sino la calidad de sonido se asociaban indisolublemente al sello Grundig. Pero todo eso ya es historia. Quebrada la empresa en 2003, hoy la marca Grundig se la reparten un holding turco y una empresa norteamericana, que produce los receptores en China. El viejo Max se ha de estar retorciendo en su tumba (Moisés Knochen, Montevideo, Uruguay, May 9, condiglist yg via DXLD) --NRD 545-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=defaXLMf4w0 (Robert L Wilkner, Mosquito Coast DX News, Pompano Beach, South Florida, US, NASWA yg via DXLD) Re: OTHR WITHIN THE 30M BAND --- From CYPRUS? (gh) see a l s o OHR news in: Dear friends, dear colleagues, the IARUMS Region 1 Newsletter for April 2008, this Newsletter is also available on http://www.iarums-r1.org http://www.iarums-r1.org/iarums/news2008/news0804.pdf Best regards from Wolf, DK2OM; May 10 (via wwdxc BC-DX via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ DEPRESSED? BLAME THE HEAVENS Scientists have long laughed at astrology`s underlying premise --- that celestial events can influence human emotions and behavior. But a series of new studies has produced evidence that at least one kind of astronomical event --- solar flares --- may, in fact, affect human beings. Periodically, the sun erupts with large storms that hurl waves of electromagnetically charged particles into space, altering Earth`s own magnetic field. Several recent studies have found a connexion between changes in that magnetic field and depression and suicide rates. One of those studies found that suicide rates in a Russian city closely matched patterns of geomagnetic activity, and a South African study found a similar correlation between solar flare-ups and clinical depression. In 1994, a British study noticed that rates of hospital admissions for depression rose by more than 36 percent just after geomagnetic storms. The pineal gland, which regulates melatonin produxion and circadian rhythms, is known to be sensitive to magnetic fields, psychiatrist Kelly Posner tells New Scientist. It appears that alterations in the field disrupt our internal body clox, making the release of mood hormones more erratic --- leading to depression. While the findings may seem surprising, the brains of other creatures are known to respond to magnetic fields: Birds, sea turtles and other animals migrate and navigate based on these fields, which they somehow can sense (with tan background, Health & Science, The Week May 9 via DXLD) WAVES - THE ART OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SOCIETY EXHIBITS DORTMUND.- Wireless communication is, in this day and age, a given in all realms of society. Yet what manner of artistic potential is presented by the electromagnetic waves perpetually enveloping us today? And how might these influence our psyche? From 10 May through 29 June 2008 the Hartware MedienKunstVerein Dortmund (HMKV) is presenting – in cooperation with the Ars Electronica, Linz (European Capital of Culture 2009) and with RIXC, Riga – the exhibition Waves – The Art of the Electromagnetic Society in the PHOENIX Halle Dortmund. Electromagnetic Waves as Artistic Material . . . [illustrated] http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=24155 (via Kim Andrew Elliott, DXLD) ###