DX LISTENING DIGEST 8-083, July 20, 2008
	Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING
	edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com

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NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1417
Mon 0415 WBCQ   7415 [time varies]
Tue 1100 WRMI   9955
Tue 1530 WRMI   9955
Wed 0530 WRMI   9955
Wed 1130 WRMI   9955

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and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: 
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WRN ON DEMAND:
http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24

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or http://wor.worldofradio.org

** ALASKA. Re 8-082, the DRM story from nextgov, ALASKAN COMPANY TO 
TEST NEW SHORTWAVE TECHNOLOGY 

The original story screamed "Do some Google/Yahoo searches before you 
believe a word!", and I did. The result is the strong smell of rotting 
fish. There is no web site for "Digital Aurora Radio Technologies," 
and, with one exception, the only web pages returned are those 
carrying a variation of the story below from Inside Radio, NextGov, 
26mhz.us, etc. The one exception is a goodie, as follows: 
http://earmarks.omb.gov/2008-earmarks/earmark_344309.html

Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska is certainly no stranger to earmarks for 
his pet projects, as this link illustrates:
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/08/stevens-north-pole/

I also did Google and Yahoo searches for "Joint Electromagnetic 
Technologies" and "Joint Electromagnetic Technologies Program," but 
came up empty-handed. I also searched for that term at the main 
Department of Defense web site http://www.defenselink.mil and found 
nothing, so either the program is very, very new or a figment of 
someone's imagination.

Searches for "Delta Mine Training Center" and "Whit Hicks" were more 
productive. The web site for Delta Mine Training Center is interesting 
--- would you like to be a "certified prospector"?? --- but has 
absolutely nothing to do with radio communications:
http://www.dmtcalaska.org/

And --- by remarkable coincidence!! --- it turns out Delta Mine 
Training Center is another recipient of earmarks from the generous 
Senator Stevens:
http://earmarks.omb.gov/earmarks/earmark_225460.html

In fact, it turns out 100% of Delta Mine Training Center's funding 
comes from federal contracts; note also that it is organized as a tax 
exempt, non-profit organization: 
http://www.fedspending.org/fpds/fpds.php?parent_id=79795&detail=-1
http://www.taxexemptworld.com/organization.asp?tn=1472155

I'm sure there are many more juicy details to be unearthed --- 
especially if one examined the entire public record for Delta Mine 
Training Center --- but it seems clear the "Digital Aurora Radio 
Technologies" DRM tests are nothing more than another example of Ted 
Stevens squandering federal money on behalf of his constituents, 
namely Delta Mine Training Center and its employees. 

And since when did shortwave propagation of digital radio signals 
become a matter of interest to a non-profit organization that 
supposedly exists to train people in the latest mining technologies? 
When millions of federal dollars are dumped in its lap, of course! Ah, 
your tax dollars at work. . . . . . . . (Harry Helms W5HLH, Corpus 
Christi, TX EL17http://harryhelmsblog.blogspot.com/ ABDX via DXLD)

** ALASKA. Re 8-082: KDLG & WEATHER REPORTS
 
Having worked in Alaska bush radio, specifically at KNOM 780 in Nome, 
although admittedly a long time ago in 1974-75, I'd like to comment on 
the issue of Alaska radio stations and weather reporting.

Weather in Alaska, especially of course in the long winter, is a life 
and death issue, and the radio stations play a vital role in reporting 
any potentially harmful weather. Those that live in tornado or 
hurricane prone areas I'm sure can relate to this.

When I was at KNOM, we would receive and broadcast a marine weather 
forecast from the National Weather Service that was updated every 12 
hours. I'm pretty sure they still do this. I'm certain they still 
provide weather forecasts for the broadcasting coverage area every 
hour unless they're in special programming. They certainly were when I 
last visited there in 1992.

KDLG conceivably could stream a weather message such as: "Gale warning 
for Cape Newhenham to Dall Point for tonight," which could potentially 
be life saving information for boats and ships in that region.

In November 1974, the Nome area was hit with a severe wind storm which 
damaged much of the town. As this storm was building, the National 
Weather Service fed us a special alert that we (and KICY) broadcast 
warning people to get away from the shore and to higher ground. 
Probably due to that alert no one was killed or, I believe, even 
seriously injured by this storm, even though there was considerable 
property damage.

I still have the headline and article from the Spokane, WA, newspaper 
that my mother sent me about this storm. I also have a recording of 
the Mutual News hourly newscast that mentioned the storm. KNOM was a 
Mutual affiliate in 1974.

On a related note, I can confirm that both KNOM and KICY 850 have 
transmitter sites separated from their studios and connected via STLs.

Their transmitter sites are 3 miles east of Nome and not far from the 
Bering Sea. During the 1974 storm the road to the transmitter was 
flooded and our engineer was unable to get to the transmitter to check 
on it and the power generator. The city power was knocked out but, 
luckily, the transmitter and generator kept working properly (Stan 
Weisbeck, Spokane, WA, July 18, IRCA via DXLD)

** ALBANIA. 7425, R. Tirana OM in English with tx [here it must mean 
talx rather than transmitter] re new government in Macedonia, and into 
mailbag show reading letters that ALL sounded like reception reports. 
And -- hey they actually had some lively ethnic music during the 
broadcast, did someone tell them about keeping people awake during 
their transmissions? It wasn't half bad! SINPO 45443+ 0340-0400 9 Jul 
(Kenneth Vito Zichi, MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD)

** ANGOLA. Re 8-081, What I have in my files for VORGAN:
1990: 
1800-2215 on 7100.

1993:
0445-0835 on 6045, 7290, 9700;
1045-1435 on 7290, 11830;
1645-2345 on 4880, 7100.

1996: 
Back to a single transmitter only; 0450-0900 on 9755, 1650-2100 on 
7100 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** AUSTRALIA. This news posted by Geoff Wolfe in the MWOZ Yahoo forum:

1611 in Sydney is no longer R. Italia but now calling itself "Goanna" 
with a C&W format. This station is also being relayed on the recently 
re-activated 1701 kHz also here in Sydney. Talk about a waste in watts 
- having a station on two frequencies within the same service area 
(Geoff Wolfe - St Marys NSW Australia, via David Onley, The Hague - 
Holland, July 19, MWC via DXLD)

** AZERBAIJAN. I have just been in Aserbajdsjan for a two week summer 
vacation together with my teenage-children - without a shortwave radio 
- so I can't tell any radio related news from the Kaukasus area. I 
tried one day though to find the location for Voice of Azerbaijan / 
Radio Dädä Qorqud - but in vain. The area in Baku was not hard to find 
but despite asking the way four times we didn't manage to find the 
radio building (Stig Hartvig Nielsen, Denmark, SW Bulletin July 20, 
translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BHUTAN. 6035.01, Bhutan B.S., Jun 29 1407-1419, 33433-32432, 
English, News, ID at 1415 (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium July 
20 via DXLD)

** BRAZIL. Re ``*R. Voz Missionária, Florianópolis, Brasil on 5870 
heard 2045/2255 but is it on all-night? Still no reports from outside 
S America`` [WOR 1417 summary]

Glenn, I am hearing this station from around 0200 fade in and its 
still there as I type this at 0600 UT on 19 July. Mainly talkback with 
callers phoning in, but today there have been some contemporary 
Christian vocals (eg across the hour at 0500) and short periods of 
evangelistic preaching (à la Radio Victoria, Perú). A comprehensive 
identification was heard at 0256 a few days ago. Have heard 
identifications as Radio Missionária and Voz Missionária (Bryan Clark, 
Mangawhai - NZ, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BURKINA FASO. 5030, Radio Burkina (presumed); 2334-2401:35*, 14/15-
July; M in French with long commentaries and Afro bumpers; went into 
Afro-pop after promo at 2354. EZL tune at 2400, but not anthem-like. 
Never heard an ID or mention of Burkina. SIO=322+, need USB to 
suppress 5025 Radio Rebelde (presumed) in Spanish (Harold Frodge, MI, 
MARE Tipsheet via DXLD)

** CAMEROON [non]. GERMANY, 9655, V. of Gospel via DTK: Jun 24 *1830-
1836 35433 Fulfulde, 1830 sign on with IS, ID, Opening announce, Sound 
of the guitar, Talk. Also:

Jun 25 *1830-1840, 35433, Fulfulde, 1830 sign on with IS, ID, Opening 
announce, Music, Talk.

Jun 26 *1829-1836, 35433, Fulfulde, 1829 sign on with IS, ID, Opening 
announce, Local music, Talk.

Jun 29 *1830-1840, 35433, Fulfulde, 1830 sign on with IS, ID, Opening 
announce, Talk.

Jul 10 *1830-1840, 35433, Fulfulde, 1830 sign on with IS, ID, Opening 
announce, Drums, Talk (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium July 20 
via DXLD)

** CANADA. KUDOS TO RADIO SHALOM/CJRS ON 1650 

Good evening (GMT evening, that is!). This is probably one of the 
best-kept secrets in the Montreal area, but there's a station in the 
mediumwave band (actually in the newer "X-band" portion of the MW 
band)that broadcasts Jewish flavored programs, talkshows, music, etc., 
24 hours a day in English, Jewish French, and the sacred language of 
Hebrew -- but, oddly enough, NOT in Yiddish or Ladino!!!

Of course, since we are Messianic Jews we really enjoy listening to
Radio Shalom from time to time and we really dig the features about
Jewish culture, the beautiful and the beautiful haunting Jewish
melodies in all styles, ranging from Jewish traditional songs to
cantorial singing to the very latest in Yerushalaim Pop/Rock music.
Also, we enjoy the Jewish-oriented talkshows.

By the way, some of the announcers' names will already familiar to
most Radio in Montreal members. They include Stanley Asher (who used
to host a weekly early-evening program ("Montreal Jewish Magazine" for
many years on CKUT/Radio McGill (90.3/FM, another very nice station to
listen to at times), Howard Silverberg (formerly a board operator --
or should I write "a bored operator"? at super-somniferous radio
station CJAD, probably still on 800 kHz after short-lived stints on
1410 and 990 kHz during the imfamous Ice Storm that took place in
'98), and the Moroccan accented guy who reads the news in French on
Kol Yisrael.

So, I'm quite sure anyone -- Jewish or non-Jewish -- who is interested
in Judeo-Christian thought, philosophy, music, and culture will enjoy
listening to Radio Shalom.

Despite the fact that all X-band stations (including CJRS/Radio
Shalom) are limited to a maximum power output of 1 kW, it puts out an
excellent signal here in D.D.O. The same, unfortunately, can't be
said of the French and Spanish station broadcasting on 1610 kHz.
While CJRS always has a beautiful signal on all of my many receivers,
only the most sensitive ones will pick up CPAM/1610 (which, despite
its BOLIVIAN call letters, is located in Montreal!) barely makes it
through the speakers or headphones.

Incidentally, since the Canadian CRTC will still not allow fulltime
on-air "religious" radio stations to operate on Canadian soil (except
for old Newfoundland licenses it decided to honor when Newfoundlanders
went for Ottawa's "Baby Bonus" and become the tenth province of our
British colony), CJRS (which the CRTC considers a "religious" station
despite its fairly high content of secular programming) is forced by
the CRTC to allow other groups to use its frequency while Radio Shalom
is off-air on the Sabbath and on Biblical Holy Days (Passover,
Shavuoth, Yom Kippur, Hannukah, etc.) 

Fortunately, though, Radio Shalom, through its representatives, Les 
Communications Michel Matthieu, has chosen to make the frequency 
available to various Christian groups, and as everyone knows 
Evangelical Christians, for some 2,000 years, have always been -- and 
shall always be -- the Jews' staunchest allies.

So, do give Radio Shalom (Hebrew for "Peace") a listen. I'm sure
you'll like it. Oops, I almost forgot to mention that the very first
time radio was mentioned, it was in the Talmud, and the Hebrew
original went like this: "Radio, a great voice that can be heard all
over the world!" (No kidding! This is absolutely for real, believe
it or not.

Have yourselves a super Dominion Day -- whatever's left of it, that 
is. (Tasmanian Cannibal, July 1, radioinmontreal yg via DXLD) 

a.k.a. Peter Jason Miller, Dollard des Ormeaux, P.Q., --- someone who 
axually filled in his Yahoo Profile: 
http://profiles.yahoo.com/tasmaniacannibal (gh)

It's great that CJRS has such huge reach. The x-band stations can be 
surprises. I'm not sure exactly why 1610 has such a pathetically weak 
signal. I'll guess it's the location of their antenna on Pie-IX blvd. 
Also, their call sign is CJWI, not CPAM. The CPAM is part of their 
name. 

While I realize that for some people, July 1 is still called Dominion 
Day out of force of habit, it's been officially called Canada Day 
since 1982 (Marc Guerard, ibid.)

Hello to all Radio in Montreal members! Thanks, Marc, for your 
comments re my comments about the relative signal strengths of 
Montreal's two X-band stations, as received here in D.D.O.

My opinion (with tongue firmly planted in cheek), is that Radio Shalom
probably uses a better-maintained antenna system, coupled with a
better antenna location than CJWI/1610 does.

Strangely enough, CJWI (a.k.a. "CPAM") used to put on a very decent
signal into D.D.O. To be sure, they never were as strong as CFMB's
signal on 1280 kHz, one of only two signals that consistently pin all
of my S-meters' needles during daylight hours -- the other one being
CFRA/580 kHz, in the Nation's Capital, Ottawa-Hull (oops! I meant to
write "Gatineau" since the P.Q.'s forced mergers in that area resulted
in a nice historical city name disappearing from the Quebec map. Oh 
well!

So, I guess that CJWI's antenna atop their broadcasting building in
Ville St. Michel, on Jarry East near Pie IX Blvd, where the old Miron
quarries used to be located, is far from ideal due to the fact that
rocky locations are not particularly desirable for locating broadcast
towers. Also, there are now two Toronto stations that are co-channel
on 1610 kHz, and unless you, like me, have access to very specialized
radio equipment (directional loops, phasers, bandwidth filters,
speech/music enhancers, etc), reception on 1610 kHz -- ezpecially
nighttime reception! -- is likely to leave somewhat to be desired.

Finally, re my referring to July 1 as "Dominion Day", it was done
purposely. Even though I was born Down Under (in the city of
Launceston in the Australian state of Tasmania -- pronounced Tazm eye
n'yer) -- I've been a Montrealer at heart ever since I first visited
Expo67. I then moved here for good, got married, established my
company, etc. in Quebec. However, even though more than 50% of
Australians today do favor quitting being a British colony, like
Canada or New Zealand (for instance), dropping their membership in the
Commonwealth, dropping the Queen -- or God forbid! -- King Charles,
and become truly independent like the U.S. and other countries.
However, since Australia as well as my adopted country, Canada, are
still British Dominions and still share Queen Elizabeth as a common
Head of State, I think "Dominion Day" is still acceptable an
appellation -- at least for me! Oh, by the way, we Tasmanians (and I
guess Tasmanian-Canadians) do encline more toward independence than
British colonialism.

But all the foregoing is strictly my personal opinion, and quite
honestly it has nothing to do with the wonderful [world?] of radio. Or 
does it? Anyway, I'd rather live in arch-conservative Canada than in
Socialist "Austr eye l'yer". By the way, in Australia's first-ever
published book, "Botany Bay Leaves" (a reference to the penal colony
of Botany Bay (the English criminals' alternative to the noose in
their own country), we find that "Australia" is rhymed with "Failure"
in addition to this unforgettable line: "True patriots we are
indeed: we left our country for our country's good".

Anyway, I do trust this little humor has proven a relief from the
occasionally staid posts one finds on the Radio in Montreal site.
As usual, the Tasmanian Cannibal hopes you'll have a lot of fun
listening to the radio waves that can be picked in Montreal, whether
mediumwave, short wave, the various FM bands, TV, amateur radio,
lowfers, CB, aero bands, cellphones (very boring!), pirates, the
police and other public services, etc. All this radio/TV world is
yours if you have the right equipment and know how to use it.

Peace and good listening to all from (Peter J. Miller, the Tasmanian
Cannibal, ibid.)

I think the problems with the signal of the CJWI 1610 station are more
about the sound than the signal. It sounds to me to be more about the
transmitter and the audio processor quality than anything else. The 
1000 watt signal using the single-stick pole antenna should be
efficient enough to cover the Montreal region adequately. I believe
the antenna set up for Radio Shalom to be similar, if not the same.

The difference in the two signals is most definitely in the audio
quality, at least at my location, and not so much about signal 
strength. Tinkering and tweaking the right knobs, or at least having 
someone who knows how to do that, can make all the difference (Sheldon 
Harvey, July 9, ibid.)

Hullo, Sheldon! I read with interest your comments about CJWI, and 
you're indubitably right about the wonders that audio-tweaking, etc., 
can do -- both at the transmitting and at the receiving ends.

As regards the 1610 weak and somewhat muffled signal, that problem did
NOT exist at first. As a matter of fact, here in d.D.O., I was
originally able to pick them up with a fairly decent signal both
during their mandatory testing period and for the first six months or
so after their getting airborne. The audio, while not truly
outstanding even then, was fully intelligible and definitely not
muffled at all. And I had no problem separating them from other 1610
stations, mainly TIS's with sporadic schedules at best.

Nowadays, however, with the proliferation of QRP Travelers'
Information Service stations, the advent of two Toronto area stations
that are co-channel with CJWI, my 4-foot loop and phaser units are
musts for nighttime copying of CJWI. Also, the lousy, down-in-the-mud
audio doesn't help any either. During daylight hours, the signal
strength is only a tad stronger, but the audio is still hard to 
decipher. Peace and good listening! (The Tasmanian Cannibal, Peter J. 
Miller, July 15, ibid.)

** CANADA. [Cf. MEXICO] The Canadian analog-6s will still be on 
(actually so will the rest in Mexico but XETV is probably the only one 
with significant coverage in the U.S. and of course the only Mexican 
analog-6 broadcasting in English.)

I count nine Canadian analog-6s that should have coverage in the U.S.:

- CBAT-TV-1 (CBC) Bon Accord, N.B. 
(should reach the Houlton and Presque Isle, Maine areas)

- CBMT (CBC) Montreal
(reaches the Plattsburgh, N.Y. and Burlington, Vt. areas)

- CIII-TV-6 (Global) Ottawa
(might reach parts of upstate N.Y., subject to interference 
from CBMT and CJOH-TV-6)

- CJOH-TV-6 (CTV) Deseronto, Ont.
(Watertown, possibly Syracuse and Rochester, N.Y.)

- CIII-TV (Global) Paris
(Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland?)

- CBWT (CBC) Winnipeg
(northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota)

- CKCK-TV-2 (CTV) Willow Bunch, Sask.
(Scobey & Plentywood, Mont.)

- CHAT-TV (CBC, switching to E! in September) Medicine Hat, Alta.
(Havre & Chinook, Mont.)

- CHEK-TV (E!) Victoria, B.C.
(Seattle & Bellingham, Wash.)
(Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHAD. 7120, R. N'Djamena, Ndjamena. July 19, French, 2108 OM talks, 
hilife music, 2113 OM talks, 2116-2121 African style music. Strong QRM 
underneath presumed from BBC, 32433 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP 
Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING 
DIGEST)

** CHINA. Unusual propagation, July 20 at 1325 when Firedrake was 
audible on 17705, once again vs nothing listed unless it`s running 
late against AIR Chinese via Bangalore at 1145 ending at 1315 per 
Aoki. While 17680, CVC Chile, normally VG, was JBA (Glenn Hauser, OK, 
DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [and non]. "We must be getting close to the Olympics" --- and 
thus security guys in China are meanwhile so clever to disrupt a live 
broadcast of a foreign TV station that had been approved by Beijing 
and was sheer promotion for China. This happened a few days ago on 
German TV ZDF. It was in the morning magazine, and it should be 
available online, but I have no time to dig it out (if somebody wants 
to do this: Mediathek is the place on the ZDF website to go to). So 
much for China ensuring reporting by foreign journalists.

Concerning the Eutelsat story: Spare traveling-wave tubes aboard a
satellite do not help when the power supply is the problem. This just
as a general note, I still have to check out the W5 matter in detail
(Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** COLOMBIA. 6010, LV de tu Conciencia: "Pray that we will be able to 
get our most important radio station (The Voice of Your Conscience on 
6010 short wave) back on the air. After many years of faithful service 
all three of the expensive 5000 watt tubes in the transmitter came to 
the end of their service life and burned out. The bill to fix the 
transmitter will be ten thousand US." (Russell & Marina Stendal, 
"Colombia Para Cristo" NL, via DXplorer via DXLD) 

5910, Marfíl Estéreo, Lomalinda. July 20, Spanish, 0823 Roberto Carlos 
music in Spanish, 0826 ID by OM, Mexican style music, 0831 YL 
anouncements " ondas de paz..." , long local pop music, 0836 YL anmts, 
ID "está sintonizando Marfil Estéreo...", near salsa music till 0841. 
34333. 73 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - 
dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

So Marfil still running on 5910. But wait: here`s a report that 6010 
is really on too (gh)

6010, 19/7 0420 R. Mil - Mexico D.F., Spanish, mx messicana under 
predica colombiana insuf/suff (Roberto Pavanello, Vercelli - Italia, 
via Roberto Scalgione, bclnews.it yg via DXLD)

** CUBA [non]. Ran across a broadcaster IDing as "Radio República" on 
9640 from 0120 to 0145 UT in Spanish. Several ID's, just a man 
speaking moderately fast. Several mentions of "Cuba". A Google search 
on "Radio Republica" came up with the following, from 
clandestineradio.com:

Organization: Cuban Democratic Directorate (Directorio), a non-profit 
organization that works for democracy in Cuba by way of a civic, 
nonviolent struggle. 
Location: WRMI, Miami, Florida; unknown site
Languages: Spanish
Identification: (Spanish) Radio República
Active: Aug 2005 - present
Contact: Directorio Democrático Cubano
P. O. Box 110235
Hialeah, Florida 33011 USA
Tel +1-305-279-4416
E-mail: info @ radiorepublica.org

I got rid of the blank spaces in their e-mail address, and my 
reception report was undeliverable! Do you think I ought to waste 
postage on a hardcopy reception report on this one? Thanks! (Dave 
Askine, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Dave, There has been lots of info about R. República in DXLD, 
including their latest schedule changes to this frequency, probably 
from a UK site. Some of their broadcasts (on 9955) are via WRMI, but 
not this one. Otherwise I would suggest you email report to WRMI as 
they do QSL for some of the programs on that station.

Clandestsineradio.com info has not been updated for years. I don`t
recall seeing reports of hard-copy QSLs from RR, but don`t track that
closely (Glenn to Dave via DXLD)

Jeff, Someone heard R República on 9640 and wants to QSL it. info@ 
address bounced. I assume you would not proxy QSL for them on that 
frequency, or would you? Or would you even QSL RR for 9955 broadcasts?
What do you know about their QSL policy. Do they ever do so direct by 
e- or p-mail?

Also looking at website, I am wondering what the connexion with Norway 
is?? If you know perhaps you can enlighten me and save me from 
listening to this 38-part series:
http://www.radiorepublica.org/todopornoruega/index.php
Tnx, (Glenn to Jeff White, WRMI, via DXLD)

Glenn: I think they still give the PO Box on the air [as above]. The 
best idea might be a postal reception report to that address for 
reports on 9640 or other frequencies except 9955. I believe they were 
QSLing reports some time ago, but have no idea what the current 
situation is. We regularly QSL reports of RR on 9955.

Regarding the Todo Por Noruega series, I'm not sure if this is 
currently on the air. But even if not, it might be repeated from time 
to time. I think this is about the Norwegian resistance movement 
during World War II. It's very well done, and is kind of unique as one 
of the few (maybe only?) radio dramas produced recently specifically 
for shortwave radio. It was produced by RR in their studios with their 
personnel (Jeff White, WRMI, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

RR homepage still shows long outdated schedule including abandoned 
frequencies 5910, 6135, 6155, 9735. Can`t tip off the DentroCuban 
Jamming Command! Or the would-be listeners. No p-mail address shown 
there (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** DENMARK. Back in Denmark - I can tell you that the transmissions 
from Ilskov at Karup on 5815 have come to an end due to illness. The 
absolute last broadcast from here was June 15. I don't know yet if the 
transmitter will be relocated to another place in Denmark or sold 
abroad (Stig Hartvig Nielsen, Denmark, SW Bulletin July 20, translated 
by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ECUADOR. 4909.32, R. Chaskis, 0906-0922, July 17, Spanish. Nice mix 
of Quecha ballads with IDs between selexions, all different, by M, 
fair, clear signal --- the best I've ever logged Chaskis with here 
(Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH-USA, R8, R75, MKIIB 8600, 
CLR/DSP, 200' Bevs, MLB1, 60m Dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ECUADOR. TAKEOVERS CAPTIVATE ECUADOR -- GOVERNMENT LINKS ITS 
SEIZURE OF TV STATIONS TO CORRUPTION CASE --- By Joshua Partlow, 
Washington Post Foreign Service, Saturday, July 19, 2008; A08

QUITO, Ecuador, July 18 -- The tip came to the old journalist at
midnight about the decision at the presidential palace: The police 
were on their way.

Lolo Echeverría in turn called his colleagues at Gamavisión, one of
Ecuador's prominent television stations, who drove to the studio
through the deserted streets of Quito under the looming mass of an
Andean volcano. They were in time to see police scale the white metal
fence, break locks and force their way into the offices, the beginning
of a swift government takeover of more than 190 businesses this month
that has captivated this small and volatile nation.

Gamavisión went blank briefly on the morning of the takeover,
Echeverría said. In one of his last acts as vice president of news, he
ordered that the word "censored" appear on the screen. Within a few
seconds, he said, the warning disappeared.

"We've had dictatorships, governments of ultra-right and ultra-left,"
said Echeverría, who spent 32 years at two television stations before
resigning July 8. "But there has never been a problem between the
government and the media like with this administration."

The government of President Rafael Correa has characterized the
takeover of those companies, including television stations watched by
about 40 percent of the news audience, as a long-overdue strike for
justice against corrupt businessmen who owe Ecuador millions. It is a
move consistent with the rhetoric of the "citizens` revolution" 
declared by Correa, a former economy minister who refused to move out 
of his home in a middle-class neighborhood when elected president, and 
who aligns himself with left-leaning governments in Venezuela and 
Bolivia.

In Ecuador, "economic power has always prevailed over political 
power," said Julio César Trujillo, a constitutional law professor in 
Quito. "In this moment, political power is taking revenge."

Government officials said the companies are all part of the Isaías
Group, run by brothers and former Ecuadoran bankers Roberto and 
William Isaías, who now live in Coral Gables, Fla., and are accused of 
owing $661 million to the Ecuadoran state and to the customers of 
Filanbanco, which crashed as part of Ecuador's financial collapse a 
decade ago.

Attempts to prosecute the brothers on embezzlement charges have 
dragged on for years, amid charges of judicial corruption and 
malfeasance. For many in Ecuador, the Isaías brothers have become a 
symbol of why this country remains mired in poverty.

The government, which wants the United States to extradite the
brothers, intends not to nationalize the companies but instead to sell
them off to recoup losses, said Fernando Bustamante, Ecuador's 
minister of government.

"We believe that justice requires that all those people who have
defrauded their clients and the state answer with their assets,"
Bustamante said. "We are defending those who have been robbed.

"For nine years, the Isaías family has had an enormous control over 
the politics, the authorities, over the judges," Bustamante added. 
"And this has prevented us from acting until very recently."

Not everyone has gone along happily. There were protests at some
companies, as well as claims that the Isaías Group did not actually 
own some of the businesses. Finance Minister Fausto Ortiz refused to 
sign off on the takeovers and resigned during a late-night meeting in 
the presidential palace on July 8, hours before police mobilized to 
seize the companies, according to government officials.

Still, polls suggest that a majority of Ecuadorans approve of the
seizures. "I think that this is something that Ecuador was demanding 
for about 10 years, and basically no one had the guts to do it," said 
Ana María Correa, a political analyst and newspaper columnist in 
Quito. "The Isaías family had the justice system taken over basically 
through mafia-type actions."

The Isaías brothers, who could not be reached for comment, have
previously denied wrongdoing and claimed they have become political
scapegoats for the dire economic conditions in Ecuador in the late
1990s, during which many banks failed.

Another relative, Estéfano Isaías, has sought asylum in the United
States following the seizures of the companies. "We are living in a 
dictatorship," he told the Associated Press.

For many Ecuadorans, the takeovers are difficult to separate from what
is happening 160 miles west and nearly 9,000 feet below Quito, in the
low hills along the humid Pacific coast. In Montecristi, a town best
known for making Panamá hats, the 130-member national assembly is in
the final days of writing a new constitution for Ecuador, a major
initiative for Correa. Several political observers have said the
president seized the companies to further his political agenda and
ensure the passage of the new constitution in a September referendum.

"The timing is very clear, because the government was going down in 
the polls. There's no doubt this was used politically," said Pablo 
Lucio Paredes, a former government minister who is a member of the 
assembly. "For the government, to have the yes [vote] in the 
referendum is basic, basic, basic. They will do anything to have the 
yes."

If approved, the new constitution could allow Correa to be elected to
two consecutive four-year terms -- in addition to the 18 months he has
completed -- for a potential 10-year run in a country that has had
eight presidents in a decade and currently gives them no more than 
four consecutive years. Correa's opponents believe a new constitution 
would lead to more state control of the economy, redistribution of 
land and greater presidential control, while scaring away investment. 
His supporters say that it will lead to stronger regulation to control
corruption and greater attention to the environment and the poor.

"The fact is that there are two [television] channels of national 
reach that are in the hands of the state, and that are administered by
managers designated by the state, and they are probably going to be
very open to the public propaganda in these months before the
referendum," said Adrián Bonilla, a political analyst and the director
of FLACSO, a Latin American graduate school and think tank based in
Quito. "I don't think they'll sell them before the referendum."

Many Ecuadorans noted that El Telégrafo, one of the country's oldest
newspapers, was taken over by the government last year and still has
not been sold. Today, it tends to deliver a pro-government message.

Government officials said they have no intention of influencing the
content of the seized television stations. "There is a lot of 
uncertainty and tension," said Jorge Rendón, a news anchor in the 
coastal city of Guayaquil with TC Televisión, another channel seized 
by the government this month. "Even though the state is guaranteeing 
stability, we know that the state doesn't manage anything well."

The Constitutional Assembly, which has served as the national
legislature since last year, took the controversial step of passing a
mandate that effectively prevents the Isaías brothers from having a
legal defense in Ecuador. One Ecuadoran government official said the
takeover and the subsequent law limiting the family's appeal was
justified in the context of a weak judicial system that hasn't been
able to prosecute the Isaías brothers for years.

"There is never an ideal moment to take such a huge step as we did,"
said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "It is a
situation of not trying to only change one family but the whole
structure of how the elites have all the power and how justice is
handled in the country."

Staff researcher Robert E. Thomason in Washington contributed to this
report. (c) 2008 The Washington Post Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD)

** ETHIOPIA. 9560.02, R. Ethiopia, Jul 03 1456-1500*, 33433-32432, 
Arabic, Talk and music, ID at 1459, 1500 sign off.

9560.02, V. of Democratic Alliance via R. Ethiopia, Jul 03 *1500-1506, 
32432, Tigrigna, 1500 sign on with IS, ID, Opening announce, Talk.

9560.00V, R. Ethiopia, Jul 05 1434-1500*, 34343-32432, Arabic,
Ethiopian pops music and talk, ID at 1500, 1500 sign off.

9560.00V, V. of Democratic Alliance via R. Ethiopia, Jul 05 *1500-
1505, 32432, Tigrigna, 1500 sign on with IS, ID, Opening announce, 
Talk.

9560.00, R. Ethiopia, Jul 06 1357-1408, 35433-34433, Afar and Arabic,
Ethiopian pops music, ID and IS at 1359, Opening announce, 1400 Three 
gongs, Talk.

9559.60, R. Ethiopia, Jul 11 1358-1410, 34333-34433, Afar and Arabic, 
ID at 1358, 1359 IS, Opening announce, 1400 Three gongs, Talk and 
Ethiopian pops (all: Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium July 20 via 
DXLD) gh reorganized by date/time rather than frequency variation 

9704.2, Radio Ethiopia. July 13 at 2040-2100* in Amharic. Music 
program with local pops till 2057, then news in brief(?). Closing 
announcement was heard at 2058, signed off after national anthem
(Iwao Nagatani, Japan, ibid.)

** GABON. ANO, 17630, July 20 at 1326, S9+15 on the FRG-7 meter, but 
quite undermodulated, which is fine since it was rap in French (Glenn 
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GERMANY. EMR RELAY & INTERNET REPEAT TIMES

Sunday 20th July 2008 to Europe
At 1200–1230 UT (with Paul Graham’s oldie programme) on 6140 from 
Wertachtal in Germany with 100 kw. The above programme is repeated on 
the EMR internet service at the following times:
Sunday 20th July 2008: 1400 – 1700 – 2000 UT
Monday 21st July 2008: 1200 - 1400 – 1700 – 2000 UT
Good Listening 73s (Tom Taylor, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) & in 
advance on the dxldyg 

** GUATEMALA [and non]. There seems some cooperation between México 
and Guatemala on the shared frequencies below:

4799.8, Guatemala, Radio Buenas Nuevas, 1023 "Radio Buenas Nuevas" ID 
by OM followed by stations telephone number on 19 July. No XERTA.

4800, México, XERTA, 1040 to 1100 male vocalist who has listened to 
Bob Dylan with Dylan like songs in español. 18 July. No Radio Buenas 
Nuevas. Have not heard the two stations on at the same time in 
monitoring for last week. This confirmed by Florida club members
(Robert Wilkner, FL, July 19, NASWA yg via DXLD) But try at 1200 (gh)

** INDONESIA. 7289.87, RRI-Nabire, Jun 24 0726-0806, 25332-35333 
Indonesian, Music and talk, ID at 0800, RPK, Jakarta news relay
(Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium July 20 via DXLD)

** INDONESIA. VOI, 11785.97, July 20th, 1600-2100 UT. Sundays never? 
No Audio Stream or Realtime Audio either today 
http://en.voi.co.id/realtime/
 
But a weak S=3 [of max S=9+60 dB] signal on 11785.97 kHz. Warm-Up and 
test tone at 1544-1600 UT. At 1601 UT started news in Indonesian. 
1630-1700 UT in Hindi language. wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg 
via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

The audio stream is working, Wolfgang; I'm listening to their Arabic 
broadcast (1710 UT this Sunday). (Jean-Michel Aubier, France, ibid.)

Were audible, poorly on 9526 at 1300 July 20 in English (gh, OK, DXLD)

** ISRAEL. IBA Satellite and domestic Arabic changes

On the IBA's reception website (Hebrew), they mention a few changes.
http://www.iba.org.il/reception/

A) (Posted July 15, 2008) As of July 30, 2008, the IBA broadcasts will 
be changing to the following frequency on Amos 3 (digital): 11647 MHz

The rest of the parameters remain the same.
•  W4 Vertical
• FEC 3/4 
• Symbol Rate 8,518 kSps4

B) Temporary Arabic changes (|Posted July 9, 2008):
This is a translation from Arabic, via Google:

Declaration: stop broadcasting Voice of Israel on medium wave, until 
further notice 

Draw the attention of audiences of the Voice of Israel in Arabic that 
you're getting pick in the Beer Sheva and the south-wave 88.8-FM 
informed that the broadcast was interrupted on medium wave Hrts 1026 
kilometers or 292 meters and a wave Hrts 1206 kilometers, or 249 
meters, with effect from July 1 2008 until further notice. 
==
In the Hebrew text it says that the Kol Israel AM transmitters for 
Reshet Dalet have ceased to work [although someone told me 1026 and 
1206 were both transmitting on Friday - AFTER this was posted on the 
IBA's website. DR]. They are working on getting new transmitters 
in the upcoming months. They then list the FM Frequencies:

 99.3  in the North, the Golan and part of the Eastern Galilee.
 92.4  North, mostly Haifa
 88.8  North, mostly Nazereth
104.8  East Jerusalem and the Old City [of Jerusalem]
 90.3  Dead Sea and part of Jericho
 94.4  Beer Sheva
 93.3  The Negev

They also said that it can be received via HOT cable, YES direct 
broadcast satellite, or regular satellite.  Interestingly, they don't 
mention the Internet, where it is also available live:
http://www.iba.org.il/arabil      http://www.iba.org.il/media

===
While I'm here:
http://www.iba.org.il/reka/index.asp?classto=RekaInner&entity_code=449114&lang=English

ERIC SILVER, 73, VETERAN JOURNALIST

Veteran journalist Eric Silver is being buried Thursday morning at 
Jerusalem's Har Hamenuhot cemetery. Silver, aged 73, died Wednesday at 
Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, after recently being 
diagnosed with cancer. 

Silver reported from Israel for leading British newspapers including 
the Guardian and the Observer. He also wrote for the Jerusalem Report 
and the British Jewish Chronicle. 

Eric Silver was born in Leeds in 1935, studied at Oxford, and was 
first sent to report from Israel in 1967. He is the author of a number 
of books including, "Begin: The Haunted Prophet" and "The Book of the 
Just," about righteous gentiles. 

He was also an active member of the Foreign Press Association. Silver 
is survived by his wife Bridget and 3 daughters Rachel, Sharon and 
Dinah. 17.07.2008 10:36 (all via Doni Rosenzweig, July 19, dxldyg via 
DXLD)

** KOREA NORTH [non]. UNIDIENTIFIED. 6518, 1114-1120, July 20, Korean, 
News or talk by male & female, 24432 ¿what is this? ¿R. Pyongyang 
local service? (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, dxldyg via DX LISTENING 
DIGEST)

As in recent DXLDs, should be same as your next log and // to it (gh, 
DXLD)

CLANDESTINE FOR NORTH KOREA, 6600, Voice of the People, Gimpo, South 
Korea, 1102-1106, July 20, Korean, news by female, 22432-jammed-.

CLANDESTINE FOR NORTH KOREA, 6003, Echo of Hope, Gimpo, South Korea, 
1108-1112, July 20, Korean, news by male & female, 24433 // 6348 kHz 
with 22442 (jammed) (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, ibid.)

** LAOS [non]. TAIWAN, 11655, Suab Xaa Moo Zoo via Taiwan:

Jul 05 [UT Sat] *2330-2340, 35433, Hmong, 2330 sign on with opening 
music, Opening announce, Song, Talk.

Jul 10 [UT Thu] *2330-2336, 35433, Hmong, 2330 sign on with opening 
music, Opening announce, Song, Talk. 

Jul 11 [UT Fri] *2330-2342, 35333, Hmong, 2330 sign on with opening 
music, Opening announce, Talk and music (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan 
Premium July 20 via DXLD)

** MAURITANIA. 4845, R. Mauritanie, 0121-0137, July 18, Arabic. On 
late with talk by M thru BoH, lots of reverb, possibly "live"?, Arabic 
music at 0134, fair with occasional static crash and het from presumed 
Brazil-4845.2 (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH-USA, R8, R75, 
MKIIB 8600, CLR/DSP, 200' Bevs, MLB1, 60m Dipole, dxldyg via DX 
LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO [and non]. There seems some cooperation between México and 
Guatemala on the shared frequencies below:

4799.8, Guatemala, Radio Buenas Nuevas, 1023 "Radio Buenas Nuevas" ID 
by OM followed by stations telephone number on 19 July. No XERTA.

4800, México, XERTA, 1040 to 1100 male vocalist who has listened to 
Bob Dylan with Dylan like songs in español. 18 July. No Radio Buenas 
Nuevas. Have not heard the two stations on at the same time in 
monitoring for last week. This confirmed by Florida club members
(Robert Wilkner, FL, July 19, NASWA yg via DXLD) But try at 1200 (gh)

** MEXICO [and non]. XETV TO BE CW NETWORK ON AUGUST 1
Thursday, July 3, 2008 by SDRadio.
Logo: http://sdradio.net/__oneclick_uploads/2008/07/sd6_aug1_a.jpg

On August 1st, 2008 XETV Channel 6 becomes “San Diego 6 The CW” and 
the proud new home of The CW Television Network. “We believe that The 
CW’s new fall line-up, with the new 90210 joining the critically 
acclaimed Gossip Girl, will be a very exciting and promotable schedule 
that will fit perfectly with the #1 local station in San Diego. We are 
looking forward to a great new partnership,” said VP/General Manager, 
Richard Doutré Jones.

The station logo and prime time programming will change, but the rest 
of the program schedule will remain the same. “We will continue our 
popular 5 a.m.-9 a.m. morning newscast, and 9-10 a.m. San Diego 
Living, as well as our full hour of news at 10:00 p.m. We also have 
our top-rated syndicated programs including The Simpsons, That 70’s 
Show, South Park and Seinfeld.

Viewers will wake up with San Diego 6 in the Morning anchors Marc 
Bailey, Lynda Martin and man about town Ruben Galvan weekdays 5-9 a.m. 
San Diego 6 News at 10:00 p.m. will continue to bring balanced news 
coverage to San Diego, with anchors Jim Patton, Heather Myers, 
meteorologist Aloha Taylor and C.S. Keys on sports.

According to the May ’08 Nielson Media Research rating survey, our 10 
p.m. and morning newscasts were rated number 1 among adults 18-54,” 
said Jones “XETV has been serving San Diego for over 55 years. We will 
continue to bring viewers the balanced news they trust and the great 
entertainment programming they love”.

The CW fall 2008 prime time schedule lineup includes returning hits 
America’s Next Top Model, Smallville, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, and 
this year’s wildly-anticipated new show, 90210.

“We are thrilled to be affiliated with XETV, the number one station in 
San Diego,” said John Maatta, Chief Operating Officer, The CW. “This 
station has a huge local identity, which perfectly complements The CW 
Network. The combination of XETV and The CW will be an explosive one 
which will rock the San Diego market. This vibrant and happening West 
Coast market now has a vibrant and happening combination with the 
hook-up of The CW and XETV. This will be a great thing for the 
station, the network and most importantly, the viewers in San Diego.”

XETV signed on the air in January, 1953 as San Diego’s second 
television station. From 1956 to 1972 XETV operated as an ABC 
affiliate. The station became independent in 1972 and was one the 
first stations to affiliate with the fledgling FOX network in 1986. 

Today’s FCC Public Notices showed the renewal of XETV’s permit to send 
programming across the border. The notice specifically says the 
programming is to be in English (SDRadio.net via DXLD)

Is this only about analog-6 which won`t have to go off next Feb? 
(Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

No. Fox moves on August 1 to KSWB 69/DT 17 San Diego. KSWB's owner, 
Tribune, made Fox an offer it couldn't refuse.

So both XETV 6 analog and XETV-DT 23 will go to CW. It's not commonly 
known (they don't promote it, and I learned about this only through a 
visit to the Mexican transmitter site this past April) that the analog 
channel 6 signal pre-empts the programming coming from the US side for 
the required broadcasts of Mexican presidential addresses - but most 
San Diegans never see that, because they don't preempt XETV-DT's 
signal or the fiber feed to US cable companies for El Presidente.

At least initially, XETV 6 analog will continue to carry the "San 
Diego 6" CW feed when US analog goes away next February. That may 
change down the road, since analog OTA penetration in the San Diego 
market is vanishingly small. There may be espanol on analog 6 aimed at 
Mexican viewers, eventually. s (Scott Fybush, NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 
see also CANADA

Confirmed - the station is heavily promoting the switch. It had been 
reported about 3 months ago that Fox preferred to have its affiliate 
on this side of the border, and thus was dumping XETV in favor of 
channel 69 in san Diego (KSWB? I'm not sure)y which was airing the CW 
network at the time. About 2 months later, XETV announced they had 
signed up with CW. 

Two other changes happened about the time of this second announcement: 
Morning personality Chrissy Russo left XETV to assume a similar role 
on the new Fox affiliate. Also, XETV replaced its long-running old 
Mexican government PSAs, which were in broken "dictionary English" 
mostly promoting tourism or touting the performance of individual 
government ministries, with Spanish language messages sporting an 
edgier, more Socialist tone. One recent spot, loosely translated, said 
"it's our oil, we'll defend it," referring to the recent controversy 
over US citizens being turned away at Tijuana gas stations (gas sells 
for under $3/gallon across the border). 73 (Tim Hall, Near San Diego, 
ABDX via DXLD)

** NEWFOUNDLAND. Answering the question about whether CHVO is still 
active on 560 ---

Recorded 520 to 1320 kHz for a change, over the toth at 0300 and 0400, 
279 degree beverage. Newfoundland stations in abundance around 0300. 

560, CHVO, Spaniard’s Bay NL; country, ID 103.9 FM Kixx Country” F, 
0300 11/7 (Martin A. Hall, Clashmore, Scotland. Perseus SDR, NRD-545, 
RPA-1 preamp, MFJ-1026 phaser (modified), beverage 500m at 279 
degrees, terminated http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/clashmoreradio/ MWC via 
DXLD)

** NORWAY [non]. Todo por Noruega --- see CUBA [non]; historical drama 
series produced by the unlikely Radio República clandestine, audible

** OKLAHOMA. The maneuvering to do this was discussed at some length 
last year in DXLD, as Enid loses another FM signal, but yet another is 
to replace it (gh). Thread from: 
http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,104059.0.html

99.7 GETS CP TO MOVE INTO OKLAHOMA CITY 

Alva licenced 99.7 KNID has been granted a construction permit to 
downgrade to a C2 and move to Mustang and serve the OKC market (Rich 
Rose, July 13, radio-info.com OK board via DXLD)  
 
Great. Doctor Evil wins. Just what OKC needs. Another station for him 
to rent out. I guess the current translator on 99.7 will have to go 
away soon (OKC Radioguy, ibid.)

I guess we now know why Champlin bought another CP at auction for the 
Enid area. I'm guessing he's going to either put KNID on the new 
frequency or do another shuffle with KXLS, moving it to the new 
frequency and KNID to 95.7. It's kind of funny that KNID may end up 
moving into Oklahoma City on two different frequencies as it was 
originally on 96.9.  

By the way, the idea of moving 99.7 into Oklahoma City isn't new. 
Ralph Tyler, who owned KTSH 99.7 in Tishomingo, had this idea a few 
years ago. However, he ended up losing his license to the station. I 
believe the FCC decided he lied to them about something or other and 
made him forfeit the station and the CP and sell his other licenses   
(Kent, ibid.)
 
The Tyler bunch got screwed out of the frequency because they checked 
a box on a FCC form incorrectly. It was because the CP for a non-
commercial that was to replace the Tish station had to be on the air 
within days due to an expiring CP of that station. They opted to just 
turn off the commercial Tish station and put the non-comm on in its 
place to keep from losing the non-comm and the ability to move the 
commercial Tish station. They simply checked "antenna failure" as a 
reason. The FCC nailed them for it. 

Doctor Evil and some of his pals in southern Okiehoma figured out this 
little bit of information and, with Doctor Evil's political stroke, 
got Ralph declared an unfit broadcaster and the frequency jerked out 
from under him. Now Doctor Evil is getting the frequency to use for 
himself. The reason Doctor Evil was involved in the first place was 
because he had to move off 99.7 with his station in order to clear it 
to move into the City. When he was contacted by the Tyler bunch he 
huffed up and wanted his part of the take. He didn't get his way with 
them so he set himself out to hose them out of it. He's an oilman... 
Go figure. Forced pooling, slant drilling, destroying someone's house 
from drilling under it, etc. etc.. This is just another "great biz 
day" for someone like Doctor Evil (OKCRadioGuy, ibid.)
 
KNID in Alva, KLOR in Ponca City, and KHOZ in Harrison, Arkansas may 
all be moving to more crowded markets --- Oklahoma City, Wichita, and 
Springfield, respectively --- at a time when only small-market 
stations are making money (Ben Tehelenbach, July 14, ibid.)    
 
All right, there are so many scumbags in the industry, you're going to 
have to specify for me who Dr. Evil is! (hello4, ibid.)
 
Go pull up the application on the FCC website. I think you'll find 
your answer there. LOL! (OKCRadioGuy, ibid.)
 
From looking at the coverage map on Radio Locator.com, 99.7 move to 
Mustang will have a fairly good coverage over the OKC. 

The question is, will Champlin sell the station or will he compete 
against the other stations in OKC? Anyone think Tyler will try to by 
it again? If Russell Perry were smart he would buy 99.7 and move 
KVSP's format on that frequency from 103.5 and the station will have a 
little bit more "Power" to compete because I think 99.7 is going to be 
his last hope as far as a signal in OKC that covers the market well 
and let the KOCD's 103.7's Smooth Jazz format simulcast on 103.5 IMO. 
(X-Man, July, ibid.)
 
That would be nice if that were to happen, but I just don't see it. I 
would personally like to see Champlin change the format to urban ac as 
we don't have a true urban ac (other than am 1140) in OKC (j1203, 
ibid.)

** OKLAHOMA. KLOR 99.3 Ponca City to 99.5 Wichita --- KLOR has filed 
to leave Ponca City to 99.5C1 Cheney KS, putting it in the Wichita 
market this week. Coverage of the proposed facilities: 
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=FM1185552.html 
(txchipk, July 10, radio-info.com OK board via DXLD)  Cheney is west 
of Wichita, and does not even cover PC or reach past OK border (gh)
 
Holy Crap, a 100K upgrade. I wonder if 99.1 KTLI will protest or keep 
this from happening. I remember when 99.3 was a pretty good local 
station in the late 70's-early 80's when it was "Super Station" KLOR. 
I was going to NOC in Tonkawa then. But it went down the toilet when 
the local economy hit the skids (billyg, July 12, op. cit.)

** OKLAHOMA [and non]. Are there any frequencies open in OKC on the FM 
side that could possibly squeeze in another station? I have been told 
that we are crowded but I feel that we could get a few more stations 
in (j1203, July 2, radio-info.com OK board via DXLD) 
 
To get a REAL answer to that question, you write a check with at least 
4 significant digits to a consulting engineer to do a search.

The practical answer for ANY metropolitan area seems to be no. If they 
opened a window for 100 watt LPFM community stations, it does not 
appear you could squeeze one in. (I didn't check all the suburban 
areas for that possibility.)

Watching FM applications for Construction Permits is like watching two 
chess masters going at it. One buys a rim-shot or further out existing 
FM station, moves it around, changes to directional antenna, then 
takes an existing station in the city which they already own and 
change frequency, swap with some edge-of-town license and create a new 
opening.

If you or I who do not currently own anything in the markets look, 
there is no vacant frequency. You almost have to own an existing 
channel which your are willing to modify, swap or some other hocus-
pocus if you want to add to the station count.  

I haven't been to OKC for years so I can't speak to your market, but 
most cities already have more channels than anyone can find creative, 
unique programming for. Why do we need more channels. We need 
operators with the guts to give up an existing bland format for 
something new, something daring, something worthwhile. For that, you 
need to be able to write a check with significantly more than 4 
significant digits (Goat Rodeo Cowboy, ibid.)
 
** OKLAHOMA. 1650, KYHN, AR, Fort Smith - Has applied for a ‘silent’ 
STA. Their application states: “Due to heavy spring rains, localized 
flooding of a nearby waterway placed the transmitter site [in 
OKLAHOMA], and the transmitter itself under several feet of water. 
Access to the site to determine damage has only recently been allowed, 
and a casual inspection has revealed tremendous amounts of damage. In 
order to be allowed time to decide how to best proceeded with this 
facility, the licensee requests special temporary authority to remain 
silent for up to 1 year.” (AM Switch, NRC DX News July 21 via DXLD)

** OMAN. 15140, R. Sultanate of Oman:
Jun 29 1425-1435 35333 English, Music, Gongs and ID at 1430, News.
Jun 30 1427-1439 35433 English, Music, Gongs at 1429, ID at 1430 and 
1437, News.
Jul 03 1423-1436 35433 English, Music, Gongs and ID at 1430, News
(Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium July 20 via DXLD)

** PERU. Peru logged in Florida  July 2008 -------
A Logged 1000 to 1130     B Logged 2330 to 0200
I Irregular             XXX Off the air

3329.7,  Ondas del Huallaga, Huánuco                           A B
4484.91, Radio Frecuencia VH                                     B
4746.9,  Radio Huanta 2000 Huanta, Ayacucho                    A B
4774.9,  Radio Tarma, Tarma                                    A B
4789.7   Radio Nueva Atlántida                                 XXX
4790.1,  Radio Visión, Chiclayo                                A B
4824.4,  La Voz de la Selva, Iquitos                           A B
4826.4,  Radio Sicuani, Sicuani                                A B
4835.6,  Radio Marañón, Jaen                                   A B
4857.4,  Radio La Hora, Cusco                                  I
4949.9,  Radio Madre de Dios, Puerto Maldonado                 A only
4955,    Radio Cultural Amauta, Huanta                         A B
4974.8,  Radio del Pacífico, Lima                              A B
4990.8,  Radio Manantial, Huancayo                 A, B more often
5014.5,  Radio Altura, Cerro de Pasco                            B
5039.2,  Radio Libertad Junín                      A only; never B
5120.4,  Ondas del Suroriente, Quillabamba                     A B
5460.1,  Radio Bolívar, Bolívar                                A B
5470.8,  Radio San Nicolás, San Nicolás, Rodríguez de Mendoza  A B
5486.7,  Radio Reyna de la Selva, Chachapoyas                  A B

With Cooperation from DXers in the US, Brasil, Denmark, Colombia, 
Bolivia and Argentina. 73s de Bob (Robert Wilkner, Pompano Beach,
South Florida, US, July 19, NASWA yg, reformatted by gh for DXLD)

** PUERTO RICO. Re  8-082: RE: FCC Puerto Rico pirate radio raids, and 
Patrick Griffith´s "fear for his safety"

Glenn, as a former reporter with The San Juan Star, I can recall two 
instances during the 1990s when the FCC carried out high-profile raids 
on pirate radio stations in Puerto Rico. In August 1994, the FCC 
issued a seize [sic] and desist order against Domingo Sadurní, a 
millionaire developer and board member of the National Cuban-American 
Foundation, for a clandestine radio station he set up on his ranch 
near Salinas, Puerto Rico. The station was called Frente Nacional 
Cubana and was reportedly broadcasting on the 41 mb. Authorities 
didn’t confiscate his equipment, but warned him to shut it down. The 
agency was apparently acting on a complaint filed by the Cuban 
government. I wrote about this in the Star and it was later reported 
in Monitoring Times. 

Twelve years later, fellow Cuban exile Antonio “Toñin” Llama opened a 
can of worms when he told El Nuevo Herald that Sadurní was one of the 
masterminds behind the 1997 foiled plot to assassinate Fidel Castro 
during a summit meeting in Margarita Island, Venezuela. Llama had been 
arrested by the Coast Guard along with others on a boat heading to 
Margarita. Charged by federal authorities, they had denied they were 
involved in any plot and were later acquitted by a jury in US District 
Court in San Juan. But in an interview Llama gave El Nuevo Herald in 
June 2006, he admitted to the plot and said he was suing Sarduní and 
others because they owe him money for organizing the secret mission.

The second FCC raid came in 1998 when air traffic controllers at the 
Luis Muñoz International Airport in San Juan complained that a pirate 
FM transmitter was interfering with the tower’s communications. The 
transmitter belong to Héctor Guerra, of Bahía Vistamar, Carolina, 
Puerto Rico, and was operating on 98.1 MHz, according to an FCC press 
release dated 6 February 1998. The FBI confiscated his equipment after 
he failed to shut down his station.

I am sorry, but I can’t help but think that Patrick Griffith is 
exaggerating when he says he says he “feared for his safety” in Puerto 
Rico where he was sent as part of a federal team to help in the 
recovery efforts after Hurricane Georges in 1998. 

Glenn, as you know I am not Puerto Rican nor do I have family ties to 
the island but I too was in the middle of it all, working 12 years as 
a journalist for The San Juan Star. I think Patrick failed to put 
things into context here. 

Hurricane Georges hit Puerto Rico just two months before the pro-
statehood island government was preparing to hold a controversial 
plebiscite that was being pushed through by the then-pro-statehood 
administration of Governor Pedro Rosselló. His government held a prior 
referendum on the island’s status in 1993, in which the statehood 
option lost. The referendum was rejected by the US Congress because 
lawmakers in Washington had not approved it. The plebiscite was also 
considered non-binding and Rosselló had been told this, but he 
insisted on holding it. 

After the hurricane hit, which by the way was once of the worst in 40 
years, the then-opposition (those who were in favour of the current 
status quo as a US commonwealth and the smaller number of independence 
supporters) accused Rosselló of using the $1.5 billion-plus in federal 
relief emergency money to push the statehood campaign by trying to 
persuade voters that Washington would have handed out more if the 
territory had been a full-fledged state. The opposition also accused 
Rosselló of spending public money frivolously on the non-binding 
plebiscite at a time when the island was in shambles. 

Yes, it was a big political controversy at the time, but never did it 
reach a point to where any stateside relief workers were threatened or 
harassed. The San Juan Star definitely would have heard about it and 
reported it. I do remember quite well how the stateside emergency 
workers, especially the public utility people from Florida who helped 
the already burdened local Electrical Authority switch power back on, 
were welcomed with opened arms by storm weary Puerto Ricans.

Though passionate about their politics as well as their standings in 
international sports competitions, Puerto Ricans are not violent 
people (Marty Delfín, Madrid, Spain, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SINGAPORE. 6120, presumed RSI, 1055-1106, July 18, listed Malay. W 
talking and ballad, 1100 presumed ID into news, pretty much the same 
as my last log of this one --- poor and too weak for positive ID. I'll 
miss targeting RSI during the upcoming ECNA winter mornings (Scott R. 
Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH-USA, R8, R75, MKIIB 8600, CLR/DSP, 200' 
Bevs, MLB1, 60m Dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SINT MAARTEN. Recorded 520 to 1320 kHz for a change, over the toth 
at 0300 and 0400, 279 degree beverage. Delighted to catch PJD2 at 
0400, only the second time I've heard this one.

1300, PJD2, Voice of St Maarten, Philipsburg; report on the St Maarten 
carnival, “The Commissioner told PJD2 Radio …”, phone interview, 
Caribbean-accented speakers; in and out of the noise, with fair peaks, 
0358 11/7 (Martin A. Hall, Clashmore, Scotland. Perseus SDR, NRD-545, 
RPA-1 preamp, MFJ-1026 phaser (modified), beverage 500m at 279 
degrees, terminated http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/clashmoreradio/ MWC via 
DXLD)

** SRI LANKA. SRI LANKA BROADCASTING CORPORATION TO SHED EXCESS 
EMPLOYEES

The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) will shed up to 400 
excess employees by giving them a million rupee [approx US$9300] 
severance package senior officials said, while the broadcaster was 
reeling under mounting losses. SLBC Chairman Hudson Samarasinghe said 
employees who had worked for more than 10 years and are below the age 
of 52 could apply for the voluntary retirement scheme.

If 400 persons take up the offer, SLBC would need 400 million rupees 
to finance the severance scheme. SLBC Director general Samantha 
Weliweriya said the Treasury is expected to finance the scheme. SLBC’s 
current wage bill is 24 million rupees a month, and after excess 
employees are shed the broadcaster is hoping to make a profit of 15 
million rupees.

At the moment it has 1,068 employees and most of the excess is in the 
transport and security divisions, officials said.  Most Sri Lankan 
state institutions are over-staffed due to politicians stuffing them 
with their supporters over decades.

In recent years, wholesale recruitement to the government has seen 
nearly 300,000 new workers added to the state sector, a senior 
minister has said. State salaries and pensions ate up 55 cents out of 
every tax rupee in 2007. State workers get tax-free salaries.
(Source: Lanka Business Online) Related story: Report recommends 
changes to make SLBC financially viable (July 20th, 2008 - 10:38 UTC 
by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD)

** SUDAN [non]. SLOVAKIA, 15650, Miraya FM via Slovakia:
Jul 03 1506-1514, 35333, English, News, ID at 1512 and 1513.
Jul 05 1505-1515, 35333, English and Arabic, News, ID at 1511 and 1512
(Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium July 20 via DXLD)

** SWEDEN [non]. Sveriges Radio via Sackville, 15240, July 20 at 1318 
had a YL cabaret singer in English, and more of same a few minutes 
later after break for some talk in Swedish. How often do we hear any 
music on R. Sweden`s English service other than to fill out the half 
hour? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SYRIA. Dear Mr. Hauser, Hello Glenn, I started a new Radio Damascus 
Listeners Club on Yahoo Groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/radio_damascus/
I also made a direct link to it via : 
http://www.radio-damascus-listeners-club.tk
I would be grateful if you can mention it on the DX Listening Digest. 
All the best from Belgium! (Kris Janssen, July 20, DX LISTENING 
DIGEST)

The posts on the group are open to non-members. Kris also sent a pdf 
attachment, which concludes with an uncopyable program schedule grid.

About Radio Damascus :
Radio Damascus is the external service from the Syrian Radio. They
are transmitting their programs daily to the rest of the world on
short-wave and satellite. It is an excellent source of information to
learn about the culture, politics, history, literature and music of
Syria and the region. Their daily transmission start always with the
news, followed by press reviews and commentaries.

How to contact Radio Damascus? 
Radio Damascus
P. O. Box 4702
Damascus
Syrian Arab Republic

Times and frequencies of Radio Damascus :
1600-1700 UTC/GMT Turkish daily 9330 Khz and satellite
1700-1800 UTC/GMT Russian daily 9330 Khz and satellite
1800-1900 UTC/GMT German  daily 9330 Khz and satellite
1900-2000 UTC/GMT French  daily 9330 Khz and satellite
2000-2100 UTC/GMT English daily on satellite
2100-2200 UTC/GMT English daily 9330 Khz and satellite
2200-2300 UTC/GMT Spanish daily 9330 Khz and satellite

783 Khz Mediumwave :
1500 - 1730 UTC/GMT Hebrew
1730 - 1800 UTC/GMT Russian

If you are having difficulties listening to Radio Damascus on
short-wave, you can tune in on satellite with excellent audio quality.
Radio Damascus can be heard on satellite on the Radio Sout Al-
Sha'ab (Voice of the People) channel during the evenings.
Hot Bird 3 at 13.0 E : 12380 Mhz
Nilesat 101 at 7.0 W : 11823 Mhz
Badr 4     at 26.0 E : 12054 Mhz

The Program Schedule of Radio Damascus :
The daily transmission start always with the news, followed by press
reviews and commentaries. . . (via Janssen, DXLD)

Message number one continues:
The strength of Radio Damascus lies in its editorial working ---
reporting about Syria FROM Syria. Offering the Syrian view as a
counterweight to the often biased views from other media.

Syria is a wonderful country with wonderful people. Unfortunately,
people who have never visited Syria do sometimes get wrong ideas by
watching and listening to their local media. Radio Damascus is trying
to get the right message to the world and is doing this in a most
varied and interesting way.

The Radio Damascus staff does highly value when you write to them with
your commentaries about the programs or reception reports about the
transmissions and you will get in return a nice postcard to confirm 
the reception (QSL_card) and a program schedule (via DXLD)

** U S A. TAKE FUNDS FROM AL HURRA AND RADIO SAWA

DATELINE: Washington, 07/09/08. VOA employees, sickened by the 
continuing bad decisions made by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, 
demand that the BBG take funding from the wasteful and ineffective Al 
Hurra and Radio Sawa in order to keep valuable Voice of America radio 
services on the air and reestablish the VOA Arabic Service. The BBG 
claims to have a "kind of agreement" with the Congress to eliminate by 
September 30th the radio broadcasts of VOA Ukrainian, Serbian, 
Bosnian, Georgian, Hindi, and Macedonian services. The "agreement" 
would also eliminate almost half of the Portuguese-to-Africa radio 
broadcasts and would eliminate not only the radio broadcasts of the 
Russian service but the TV broadcasts as well.The BBG has reportedly 
squandered thousands, if not millions of dollars, on ghost employees 
at Al Hurra but now wants to throw U.S. citizens performing a valuable 
service at the Voice of America out of work.

The BBG uses the same old tired excuses in explaining these cuts.  A 
BBG spokesperson even resorted to the old "diminished audience" 
argument regarding the VOA Russian radio broadcasts but failed to 
mention that the audience was probably  measured only after the BBG 
cut frequencies and transmitters and that there is no real accurate 
way to measure a shortwave audience in Russia.

DIRECTOR AUSTIN'S "TOUR OF DOOM - 2008"

DATELINE: Washington, D.C. 07/03/08: As we were preparing to celebrate 
this country's independence from tyranny, VOA Director Dan Austin, 
accompanied by an entourage that included Managing Editor Steve 
Redisch, IBB Senior Advisor Barbara Brady and at times John Lennon, 
Associate Director for Language Programming, visited various language 
services on July 1st and 2nd to announce a series of sharp cuts. These 
are cuts that had been fully restored under the FY 2008 budget passed 
by Congress and signed by President Bush.

Despite the will of Congress to reverse the BBG's proposed cuts, the 
Broadcasting Board of Governors through Director Austin's "Tour of 
Doom, 2008" said that the Georgian service will be shut down, all 
radio broadcasting will be eliminated in the Ukrainian, Serbian, 
Hindi, Macedonian and Bosnian services, radio broadcasting in the 
Portuguese to Africa service will be reduced from its current weekly 
schedule of 14 hours to 9 hours and both radio and television 
broadcasting in Russian will be eliminated, leaving the Internet as 
its only method of distributing programming.  

The Croatian, Albanian, Greek, Uzbek, Cantonese, Tibetan, Thai and 
Worldwide English services were spared from the chopping block - this 
time. We should note that the BBG, in its 2009 budget request, seeks 
to greatly reduce or eliminate altogether these services.

What can you do to stop this systematic destruction of the Voice of 
America? Contact your Representative and Senators and let them know of 
the value and worth to the American taxpayer of these vital, effective 
and relatively inexpensive tools of U.S. Public Diplomacy and that 
these services remain in serious jeopardy. Please review the sample 
letter that can be found on the RIF page of this website and tailor it 
to your specific situation (AFGE Local 1812 via DXLD)

** U S A. HEY, IF YOU'LL BUY THE NICKY BUTLER MULTIGEMSTONE STERLING 
SILVER SQUARE RING ON HOME SHOPPING NETWORK, YOU'LL BUY THIS: 
U.S. INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING ON U.S. CABLE 

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) "is set to introduce a bill seeking to 
reorganize the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), a congressional 
aide told Inside the Pentagon on condition of anonymity. ... Under the 
proposed legislation, the BBG may begin to negotiate licenses with 
American cable television systems to broadcast its programs in the 
United States, he explained. The legislation also 'consolidates 
overlapping bureaucracies' and appoints a director of international 
broadcasting instead of leaving the task to the board itself, the 
congressional aide said." InsideDefense.com, 18 July 2008. 
(kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD)

Consolidating overlapping bureaucracies makes sense, but little else 
in this strange story which, alas, to access, you must give up your 
billing details. We might want to wait for a second source, in any 
case.

This is the Ileana Ros-Lehtinenn who thinks that U.S. international 
broadcasting should be for the purpose of advocating administration 
policies, and she scoffs at the notion of providing the straight news 
that is the reason most people tune to international broadcasts. (See 
previous post.)

And what U.S. international broadcasting would U.S. cable television 
systems take? VOA has a 24-hour English television channel, sort of, 
consisting largely of acquired programs, many of which VOA would not 
contractually be allowed to transmit within the United States. 
The domestic dissemination prohibition, just one part of the Smith-
Mundt Act of 1948, is mainly a nuisance, because it's unenforceable 
and because it prevents U.S. shortwave listeners from receiving a VOA 
program schedule.

But Ros-Lehtinen's legislation will put shivers up spines, reminding 
people of the thinking that led to the domestic dissemination 
exclusion in 1948. This attempt to eliminate it will probably enshrine 
it into perpetuity.

If there is to be a rewrite of Smith-Mundt, it should once and for all 
disentangle U.S. public diplomacy and U.S. international broadcasting. 
The former explains and advocates U.S. policies, officially, on behalf 
of the U.S. Government, the only entity qualified to engage in U.S. 
public diplomacy. The latter provides the comprehensive, reliable, 
credible news that is lacking in its audience's home countries. To 
achieve the necessary credibility, U.S. international broadcasting 
must be independent. It must not be like Senators Smith and Mundt 
envisioned it. 

As for domestic dissemination, a Smith-Mundt rewrite should 
acknowledge the ability and the right of Americans to see what the 
U.S. public diplomacy and U.S. international broadcasting are 
transmitting to the world. But here, a distinction should be made 
between voluntary and involuntary means of doing this. 

If an American wants to go to a website, or write to the State 
Department to get a transcript, or purchase a video through the 
Government Printing Office, no problem. But if the U.S. government 
starts to promote its policies using channels on your cable system, or 
commercials inserted within your favorite television program, or on 
billboards visible during your morning commute, questions should be 
asked.

It does happen: armed forces recruiting, Smokey Bear, your deposit in 
insured by FDIC, etc. But administrations advocating their policy 
goals on your television, or on signs along the freeway? For a taste 
of that, visit Cuba. Oops, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen wouldn't like that very 
much. Posted: 19 Jul 2008 Permalink (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.)

RFA GETS NEW EQUIPMENT TO HELP IT COMPETE WITH CROSSTOWN RIVAL VOA. 

"Radio Free Asia will install Axia Audio consoles and IP-Audio 
networking equipment as part of news studios at its Washington 
facility. ... The manufacturer said the project will encompass 35 
studios." Radio World, 18 July 2008. (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD)

Meanwhile, a few blocks away at VOA headquarters, many studios are 
idle as VOA drops language services or shifts to television. RFA has 
the stringers and news agency subscriptions for very good coverage of 
East Asia. VOA has the capability to cover world news (also of 
interest to East Asian audiences) and U.S. news. VOA has the 
television capabilities that RFA is lacking. RFA has some good 
shortwave transmitter leases, while VOA has choice medium wave 
transmitters and access to relays in Thailand and the Philippines. The 
situation screams for a merger. Posted: 19 Jul 2008 (Kim Andrew 
Elliott, ibid.)

** U S A. Re 8-082: Glenn: Tuned to 15590 at about 1620 UT today to 
find a preacher extolling the virtues of the new medium he has access 
to (I am assuming it is Dr. Mawire on WRNO, but did not hear the 
beginning of the broadcast). Sigs were pretty good to the Boston area, 
S5-S7 and no QRM. Signal went off the air at about 1640. I recorded 
this on tape. 73, (W1DAN, Dan Brown, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

It was a few minutes later at 1657 when I checked 15590, nothing, nor 
on occasional later chex. No doubt sporadic in testing period, and not 
yet heard on 7505 at random day and night chex. Could be they will 
test 7505 during weekday working hours rather than at night when it 
will be scheduled. Those sitting on one frequency or the other are 
bound to hear it eventually (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

7505, presumed WRNO, 2237-2302, July 19, English. Presumed the one 
testing here with continuous C&W music, several songs repeated or cut 
short. No ID or announcements noted, fair-good (Scott R. Barbour Jr., 
Intervale, NH, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

WRNO New Orleans, LA Presumed. 7505.000 kc. 2230-2305 UT [July 19]. 
SIO 444. No ID or talk, continuous C&W music by George Strait, poor 
audio quality, abrupt S/O[ff] (Thomas Giella, KN4LF Lakeland, FL. Rig 
Icom IC-746 Pro. Antenna, 90-11 meter doublet up at 35 feet, July 20, 
dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

This is kinda cool, Tom. Last QSL I got from them was in 1982. It`s 
awesome to see an HF broadcaster come on the air when so many are 
going off (Kevin Redding, TN, ABDX via DXLD)

Not so cool & awesome when you hear their crappy gospel-huxtering (gh, 
DXLD)

Made my checking at 2252 to hear Country Rock, followed by a more C&W 
tune. Don't know if they are testing a rotatable too, at 2300 from one 
song to the next one, signal faded off almost completely to recover in 
the following five minutes. Looks like testings ended by 2310. No 
announcers at all. 73 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX 
LISTENING DIGEST)

Missed it again; nothing on 7505 when I got this and checked at 2336 
(gh, OK, DXLD)

Glenn: Did WRNO move the transmitter antenna location???? I visited 
the old site a few years ago and the main lobe was pointed into a BIG 
subdivision!!!! LESS THAN 100 feet. Regards (David Frantz, TN, WWRB, 
July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Dan, Got this inquiry from Dave Frantz at WWRB. I haven`t heard of any 
change, and my impression is that it is the same site as before. What 
say you? Tnx for the monitoring reports. 73, (Glenn to Dan Brown, via 
DXLD)

Hi Glenn: I do not think so. When I saw the TCI Log Periodic antenna 
at WRNO's transmitter site near New Orleans about a year and a half 
ago the feedpoint was at the rear of the property, right near (within 
a few hundred feet) where a new subdivision had grown up since they 
went off the air years ago. The wide open part of the Log was toward 
the street aimed towards a large group of trees across the street. 

This site is near the WWL AM transmitter site across and down the 
street a ways. My guess is Larry the engineer will be passing a lot of 
ferrite RFI filters out and there may even be vandalism to the 
transmitter building or antenna due to the interference. This is why 
they wanted to put up a new fence around the property before going on 
the air. The direction of the antenna will have little effect on the 
blanket of RFI that will be created in the area anyway. 

I think it'd be very hard to physically move the antenna and am 
guessing the FCC historical records of direction angle should indicate 
it is probably still always where it has been. My guess is the TCI LP 
is still where it was originally built, I believe aimed to the 
northeast and thus "the Middle East" over the North Pole as I 
distantly remember. 

But then I have not been there in a year and a half and maybe they had
some weird reason to move it, which would require a total dismantling
and re-erection of the antenna after the towers were moved.

The transmitter building is the same old building. The transmitter is 
a new Elcor 50 kW (old style plate modulated class C, not PDM or high
efficiency) rig. Doesn't sound bad though. I emailed Janet Mawire and
told her I heard the station and asked for a QSL if possible. Hope 
this helps. Thanks! 73, (W1DAN, Dan Brown, CBTE, CBNT, WBZ-TV/DT, 
WSBK-TV/DT Engineering, Boston, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Tonight on QSO our guests will be:
 
Joel Kleinman, N1BKE, is QST Managing Editor and Editorial Team 
Supervisor. In his 25 years of service to ARRL, Joel has been QST 
Features Editor and Assistant Managing Editor. From 1988 until being 
named to his present position in March 2001, he supervised the Book 
Team -- the group of editors who write and edit ARRL books.

As Managing Editor, he plans each month's issue and works with authors 
and editors to be sure everything comes together on schedule. The to-
printer date is set a year or more in advance, and must be met if the 
magazine is to be printed and mailed on schedule. He decides--based on 
reader surveys, member feedback, available space and editorial 
judgment -- just what balance of material will appear in each issue. 

N1BKE is Past President and Past Vice President of the Newington 
Amateur Radio League W1OKY, an ARRL Special Service Club. His favorite 
ham activities are Field Day and (believe it or not) attending the 
Dayton Hamvention.

Also, Dr. Michel Barrett N4ECW. Dr. Barrett is the owner of the 
TWAntenna company. For those who don’t know about Doc Barret, a little 
background.

Dennis M. Barrett, J.D., Ph.D. is an engineering and management 
consultant. His clients include the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
Tennessee Technological University, University of Central Florida, 
ARC-Diversified, Premier Micronutrient Corporation, PrePak Systems, 
Inc., MediaMail, Inc., I-Net Strategies, Inc., and Tri-State 
Distribution.

Along with his business partner, Kevin Bowling, he owns the 
Cookeville, TN based high technology firm, TechWerks, LLC; the digital 
transcription company, DigitalScript, LLC; the physician and 
documentation training firm, CBE,LLC; and the marketing firm, 
Econogenesys, LLC.

QSO Radio Show
http://www.tedrandall.com
WBCQ 7415 kilohertz
Monticello Maine

Saturday nights
11PM EDT, 10PM CDT, 9PM MDT, 8PM PDT, 0300 UT [Sundays].

615-469-0702

Past Chapter Chairman
Society Of Broadcast Engineers Chapter 103
Nashville, TN
615-517-2194
http://www.sbe.org
(Ted Randall, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

TWAntenna is a sponsor, and on a previous show it was hard to tell 
what was a commercial and what not. Posted in advance on the dxldyg; 
and presumably to be available ondemand (gh, DXLD)

** U S A. 910, WSUI, IA, Iowa City. Was forced off the air on 6/13 due 
to flooding of the transmitter site when the Iowa River overflowed its 
banks. The station was back on the air by 6/18 after the river 
receded, but only at low power. As of 7/11 the WSUI website was still 
reporting that the station was operating at low power, and that it was 
continuing efforts to bring the signal up to full power. (Ed.-WI)

1450, KMRY, IA, Cedar Rapids. This station was forced to abandon its 
transmitter site near the Cedar River on or about 6/11 during the 
terrible flooding that hit Cedar Rapids. The station managed to stay 
on the air at reduced power by using its Harris MW-1 auxiliary 
transmitter located at its studio, plus its auxiliary tower that most 
of the time serves as its studio-to-transmitter microwave link. KMRY 
is not currently broadcasting in IBOC because its HD equipment was
destroyed in the flood, according to the station’s website. KMRY has 
posted some dramatic pictures of its flooded transmitter site and 
temporary equipment at http://www.kmryradio.com/snapshots.htm 
Thanks go to Upper Midwest Broadcasting for posting info on this 
station’s status and redirecting us to the station’s website (Bill 
Dvorak, WI, ed. DDXD-West, NRC DX News July 21 via DXLD) m/b Catholic

** U S A. 680, WPTF, Raleigh NC with most unusual call-in show, Dr 
Reynolds taking calls on quantum mechanics, relativity and advances in 
theoretical physics. SIO 444 0250-0300 1 July. Wow -- a call in show 
that was both intelligent, and had callers with more than three 
synapses firing at the same time. I almost couldn't take it! What an 
unusual thing --- I want this here too! (Kenneth Vito Zichi, MI, 
visiting FL, MARE Tipsheet July 19 via DXLD)

That would be Monday night at 10:50 pm EDT. On station schedule it`s 
the locally-originated Tom Kearney show, who is surely not a DJ, M-F 
10-11 pm, http://www.wptf.com/showdj.asp?DJID=15932
and he does have some other Doctorly guests coming up, seemingly for 
thinking listeners:

Monday, July 21st -    Dr Mike Walden On The Economy
Tuesday, July 22nd -   Dr Jim Crisp, NC State History Professor
Wednesday, July 23rd - Attorney John Narron on On The Importance Of 
                       Making A Will
Thursday, July 24th -  Paul Harris, NC Board of Funeral Service
Friday, July 25th -    Movie Trivia Night, Your Funniest Movie?

But does WPTF webcast? Apparently not: nothing about LISTEN found 
anywhere on the home or other pages, but why not, with a talk format? 
It is 50 kW, night pattern with a big lobe to the south, little lobe 
to the north, and forget about it east/west. BTW, WPTF was a WORLD OF 
RADIO affiliate for a while many years ago, in the nightmiddle (Glenn 
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. PAUL HARVEY RETURNS

Bowing to a growing chorus of questions from affiliates and the 
press, ABC Radio announced a partial comeback Thursday for 
Chicago-based premier radio showman Paul Harvey.

"Beginning this Saturday, Paul Harvey will begin doing the 15-minute 
midday 'News and Comment' again, part-time at first, working up to 
every day," ABC Radio Networks vice president John McConnell told 
affiliates.

Harvey has been fairly elusive for months since he was out on medical 
leave and then out on personal leave after the death of his wife, 
Lynne "Angel" Harvey.

Harvey's son, Paul Harvey Jr., will continue to deliver at least 
three of the morning 'News and Comment' segments each week until his 
father is ready to resume those as well.

Still mourning the loss of his partner, the 89-year-old broadcast 
legend told listeners: "I will do my best with what remains, but it 
will be something less" (Chicago Sun-Times via Pete Kemp, NRC-AM via 
DXLD)

** U S A. Creeping commercialism at PBS --- I usually watch Washington 
Week in Review, but even in non-pledge weeks when it is further 
shortened, the body of the program keeps shrinking to accommodate more 
and more `underwriting` announcements at the start and finish. 
Skipping the billboard teaser at the very beginning, the body of the 
July 18 program, from Gwen`s hello to goodbye timed just 22:10, which 
in the good old days was about the length of a commercial network show 
minus ads. Why does it take all this underwriting, foundation grants, 
etc. to keep a talking-heads show going? Produxion costs must be 
minimal, so that leaves one explanation: the moderator and/or 
participants are drawing big bux (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING 
DIGEST)

** U S A. Call letter domain names are highly prized by broadcasters.  
This makes life easier for those trying to find a web page.

Our sister, TV broadcasters, are getting pretty nervous about the 
possible loss of their domain names. I have posted part of the 
article and the web page for the complete story.

I can't help but wonder if, down the road, the same situation could 
happen to AM stations. I realize they wouldn't want a .TV suffix but 
the principle is the same. 73, (Pete Kemp, NRC-AM via DXLD)

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/7/prweb1121114.htm

INTERNET DOMAIN AUCTION THREATENS 285 U.S. TV STATIONS

Domain names using the call letters of 285 U.S. TV stations -- 
including major affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX -- will be 
auctioned to the public by GoDaddy.com over the next few days, 
according to an investigative report released by AndyPurdy.com.

Denver (PRWEB) July 18, 2008 -- Highly-prized 4-letter domain names 
using the call letters of 285 U.S. TV stations -- including major 
affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX -- will be auctioned to the 
public by GoDaddy.com between Saturday, July 19, and Wednesday, July 
23, according to an investigative report released today by 
AndyPurdy.com.

The TV call-letter domain auction is the largest ever of its kind. 
Releasing the domains to anonymous bidders around the world may have a 
serious impact on how American broadcasters maintain their online 
identity, particularly in light of the upcoming switch to digital 
broadcast.

The call-letter domains represent some of the most successful 
broadcast stations in the country, including 2 NBC owned-and-operated 
stations -- WCAU-TV Philadelphia and WTVJ-TV Miami -- and 3 CBS owned-
and-operated stations -- KPIX-TV San Francisco, KTVT-TV Dallas/Ft. 
Worth, and KCCO-TV Minneapolis/St. Paul. [sic – it`s WCCO, numbskulls, 
and the -TV suffix does not apply when TV is already in the 4-letter 
calls ---gh]

All of the domains for public auction use the .TV top-level domain, 
so auction winners will lay claim to domains such as WTTW.TV (using 
the call letters of the famous PBS station in Chicago), WXIA.TV (the 
NBC station in Atlanta), and WDIV.TV (the NBC affiliate in Detroit).

Up for grabs are the call letters for 88 existing ABC stations, 78 
CBS stations, 59 NBC stations (including a station that is no longer 
active), 56 FOX stations, 1 PBS station, 1 CW affiliate, 1 MyNet 
affiliate, and 1 low power station in Washington, DC.

The auction list of TV station domains includes nearly 100 broadcast 
stations in the top 100 TV markets. Featured throughout are stations 
owned by such media giants as Gannett Company, Sinclair Broadcast 
Group, Tribune Company, Media General, Allbritton Communications 
Company, The E.W. Scripps Company, and LIN TV Corporation.

For several of the broadcast companies, this would not be the first 
time they face losing control over online call-letter branding. Over 
the years, LIN Television, CBS, Capital Broadcasting, Viacom, 
Paramount, and others have filed complaints with the World 
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to claim domains registered 
by unrelated parties.

All 285 domains are currently registered under the name of a Florida 
resident who has no apparent ties to the broadcasting industry. The 
domains are now set to expire later this month, most likely because 
the registrant failed to pay the annual $39.99 renewal fee for each 
of the domains.  .... (via Pete Kemp, NRC-AM via DXLD)

What`s the big deal? If .tv is not available, they can still use .com 
or whatever they already have. Internauts should be smart enough to 
know when they`ve reached the real station (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)

** U S A. LOCALISM IN BROADCASTING
 
NEWS
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D. C. 20554

This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of 
the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.
See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov  TTY: 1-888-835-5322

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
December 18, 2007 Mary Diamond (202) 418-2388

FCC ADOPTS LOCALISM PROPOSALS TO ENSURE PROGRAMMING IS RESPONSIVE TO 
NEEDS OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Washington, DC – The Federal Communications Commission (the 
“Commission”) today took measures to help ensure that broadcast 
stations offer programming responsive to the needs and interests 
of the communities that they are licensed to serve. The Report on 
Broadcast Localism and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (the “Report”) 
adopted today sets forth proposals to increase local programming 
content and diversity in communities across America. In its review of 
these issues, the Commission accrued over 83,000 written comments and 
heard the testimony of 500 panelists offered during the six field 
hearings on localism conducted throughout the country.

The Report makes tentative conclusions regarding the following 
proposals, for which it seeks comment:

  Qualified LPTV stations should be granted Class A status, which 
requires them to provide 3 hours per week of locally-produced 
programming;

  Licensees should establish permanent advisory boards (including 
representatives of underserved community segments) in each station 
community of license with which to consult periodically on community 
needs and issues; and

  Commission adoption of renewal application processing guidelines 
that will ensure that all broadcasters provide some locally-oriented 
programming The Report also states that the Commission will:

  Better educate members of the public as to the obligations of 
broadcasters and the Commission’s procedures so that viewers and 
listeners can become more actively involved in ensuring that stations 
offer locally oriented programming; and.

  Investigate other ways to assist prospective radio licensees to 
identify suitable available commercial FM spectrum in the communities 
in which they wish to broadcast, including authorizing the development 
of software to do so.

The Report notes that, as temporary trustees of the public’s airwaves, 
broadcasters are obligated to operate their stations to serve the 
public interest, including their airing of programming responsive to 
the needs and issues of their station communities of license. The 
actions and proposals contained in the Report are intended to ensure 
that the nations’ broadcasters will meet this responsibility 

Action by the Commission December 18, 2007, by Report and Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 07-218). Chairman Martin and Commissioner 
Tate, with Commissioners Copps and Adelstein concurringand dissenting 
in part, and Commissioner McDowell approving and concurring in part. 
Separate statements issued by Chairman Martin, Commissioners Copps, 
Adelstein, Tate, and McDowell. Media Bureau contact: William D. 
Freedman (202) 418-1415 -FCC (via Pete Kemp, July 18, 2008, NRC-AM via 
DXLD)

Yeah, right. So how do we explain all the stations currently 
saturating the airwaves with the same fare, be it demagogue preachers, 
talk show hosts in love with their own voice, inane sports commentary 
(it's only a GAME, right?), and/or so-called reality programs? I guess 
they were all grandfathered in before the FCC decided to enforce the 
"public interest" part? Ha! (Paul Swearingen, Topeka, NRC-AM via DXLD)

IF this should happen to be approved without major changes, I wouldn't 
count on it being enforced. It'll just be another one of those 
regulations they haven't got the resources to enforce. And I suspect 
they all know that, and this is mostly posturing (Russ Edmunds, Blue 
Bell, PA ( 360' ASL ), ibid.)

I wonder if Russ`s elevation has some influence on his opinions? (gh)

** VATICAN. Re gh`s question: CELP is a family of speech codecs for 
telcom purposes. Code-Excited Linear Predictive 
See http://www-mobile.ecs.soton.ac.uk/speech_codecs/hybrid.html
(Kai Ludwig, July 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VENEZUELA [non]. It was reported that ``Aló, Presidente`` had been 
suspended indefinitely as HCF is too busy to do it, so I was wondering 
whether Cuba would continue to broadcast that block from 1400 UT 
Sundays. Yes, July 20 at 1403 check in progress with intro, and 1404 
RHC`s Mundo Siete program, best by far on 13750, // 13680, 11875, 
11670. 13680 and 11670 were weakest and not synchronized. This 
programming is separate, not // daily RHC frequencies such as 9550, 
11760, 11805, 12000, 15370. Recheck at 1631, all the former bunch 
still on in same relative positions, but not Chávez speaking. Re2check 
at 1901, all STILL on, and now it does sound like a live speech by 
Chávez, with applause. By now the fifth frequency 17750 was just 
barely audible, and 11670 had a 4 Hz SAH, probably DW in Arabic via 
Sines, Portugal at 100 degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VIETNAM. 4739.56, RTV Son La, Jun 30 1258-1308, 35343, Vietnamese,
Song and talk, ID at 1301.
4739.58, RTV Son La, Jun 29 1155-1208, 35343, Vietnamese, IS, Opening 
music, ID, Opening announce, Talk (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan 
Premium July 20 via DXLD)

** VIETNAM [non]. 15655, Que Huong R.: Jun 24 *1200-1206, 35333-34332, 
Vietnamese, Opening music, ID, Opening announce, Talk.

Jul 01 *1200-1210, 35433-34433, Vietnamese, 1200 sign on with opening 
music, ID, Opening announce, Talk.

Jul 11 1203-1213, 35433-35333, Vietnamese, Talk, ID at 1201 (Kouji 
Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium July 20 via DXLD)

Frequency jumps around but these three logs on same 15655, a Tuesday, 
Tuesday and Friday respectively (gh, DXLD)

** ZIMBABWE. MUGABE’S POST-ELECTION MEDIA BLITZ --- Zimbabwean leader 
appears desperate to shore up support at home in the face of mounting 
criticism abroad. === By Hativagone Mushonga in Harare

In the face of growing condemnation from the international community,
President Robert Mugabe is appealing to the Zimbabwean public for
support as he battles for legitimacy. In what amounts to an after-the-
fact election campaign, the state-owned media have gone into overdrive 
to try to salvage Mugabe’s battered image after the second-round 
presidential election held on June 27.

The run-up to the ballot was one of the most violent election periods
the country has seen, with the opposition Movement for Democratic
Change, MDC, saying 113 of its supporters were killed and thousands of
others beaten, tortured and displaced.

The election had been conceived as a run-off between Mugabe and the 
MDC candidate Morgan Tsvangirai – who won more votes than the 
incumbent in the first round on March 29, but according to the 
official returns, not the majority required to be elected outright. 
However, Mugabe ended up as the sole candidate when his rival withdrew 
from the contest, citing fears that more MDC supporters would suffer 
acts of violence.

Advertisements now being aired on public radio every 20 minutes or so
feature Mugabe thanking the nation for voting for him and for their
“faith and confidence” in him. “I feel honoured and humbled,” he says.
“Our challenge today and in the years ahead is to move forward in 
unity, regardless of our diverse political affiliations, united by the 
sense of a common vision and destiny for a prosperous Zimbabwe.”

Full-page advertisements in state-run newspapers feature a younger-
looking, smiling Mugabe, saying, “The people of Zimbabwe have spoken. 
Let us therefore continue rebuilding our nation. Thank you for 
rejecting recolonisation of our precious Zimbabwe by the western 
powers. I know you believe and I believe that all good things are 
possible. God bless Zimbabwe. Thank you for voting for me – thank you 
for voting in peace.” 

The advertisements portray Mugabe as the champion of the Zimbabwean 
people, someone who has fought relentlessly for their sovereignty and 
has once again won a mandate to govern them.

However, despite this media blitz, observers say Zimbabweans will not
easily forgive the president for masterminding the bloodletting in the
run-up to the polls, or for the humiliation he inflicted on the
electorate.

A veteran Zimbabwean journalist, who requested anonymity, told IWPR 
that Mugabe appeared desperate to win the legitimacy the international
community, including some former allies in Africa, have refused him
after what is widely seen as a sham election. “The main aim of the
advert is to prop up and polish Mugabe’s image. He seems desperate for
acceptance from Zimbabweans and for them to recognise him as the
legitimate president. This is the first time Mugabe has shown himself 
so desperate for public support,” said the journalist.

Aside from the violence, the prospect of continuing hardship is a 
major concern for the electorate. With no resolution to the political 
crisis in sight, the government looks unlikely to find any way out of 
the country’s deep-set economic problems.

Alex Mukaka, who comes from the southern province of Masvingo but is
currently in the capital Harare recovering from wounds he sustained
during the violence, said people in the countryside would never again
fully accept Mugabe because of the violence perpetrated by his 
security forces and youth militias. “We were stripped of our dignity 
during the run-up to the election and also on election day itself. We 
were driven like beasts into torture bases every day. We spent whole 
nights in the mountains where we were intimidated and humiliated by 
mere youths who were not born at the time of the [1970s] liberation 
war. On voting day, we were herded like sheep into the polling booths 
where we voted against our will,” he said. “We are people who think to 
be treated like animals was very insulting.”

The president’s desire for public approval comes against a backdrop of
crumbling support from African leaders formerly sympathetic to his
robust defiance of external criticism. That includes countries in the
immediate neighbourhood, which are members of the Southern African
Development Community, SADC. One of these, Botswana, has refused to
accept the results of the election, and is urging its neighbours not 
to recognise Mugabe as president and to suspend Zimbabwe from both the 
SADC and the African Union. 

“As a country that practises democracy and the rule of law, Botswana 
does not... recognise the outcome of the presidential run-off 
election, and would expect other SADC member states to do the same," 
Foreign Minister Phandu Sekelemani said on July 4. The Zimbabwean 
authorities, he said, should not be allowed to participate in SADC 
meetings “until such time as they demonstrate their commitment to 
strictly adhere to the organisation's principles”.

Hativagone Mushonga is the pseudonym of a reporter in Harare. Zimbabwe 
Crisis Reports No. 155, Jul 18, 2008 Copyright (c) 2008 The Institute 
for War & Peace Reporting (via Dr Hansjoerg Biener, DXLD)

UNIDENTIFIED. Re 8-082: Thanks Jerry, Glenn and Ron for the help to ID 
3985 (1000-1032). Both transmissions on 3912 and 3985 (almost same 
time around 1000-1030), went off at July-18, 19. Today I didn`t check. 
73 (Lucio Otavio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil, July 20, dxldyg via DX 
LISTENING DIGEST)  If 3985 and 3912 were //, evidence it really was 
from V. of People (gh, DXLD)

UNIDENTIFIED. On rite now 0212 GMT 20 July 2008: 5.300 Mc or area. AM. 
Commercial for power supplies at above time. I caught the station 2 
minutes before. Station ID at 0218 area, "CB Radio" (approximate name 
surrounded by uncopyable numbers. Still listening at 0227. Still 
listening at 0235 GMT. Serious sounding announcing in between records. 
This part of the program is a tribute to Wolfman Jack. "CB Radio" is a 
middle part of a longer identification. 0243: "WBC Radio box 24" 
(Fredric Jodry, UT July 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) North American 
pirate, no doubt, 5300 kHz (gh)  

UNIDENTIFIED. 9500, the sweep tones again as heard a couple days 
previously, July 19 at 1253; recheck at 1301 and it was off, with WHRI 
dominating from 9495 instead with ``How Great Thou Art`` in unknown 
language, and then English.

9500, sweep tones again running Sunday July 20 at 1250 check, and this 
time continued past 1300, still at 1307 until off about 1330. There 
are three tones, mid-hi-lo, and then an upward sweep, repeating and 
repeating, but not the same audio frequencies in consecutive 
iterations. This time I noticed that the transmission was spreading 
weakly as far down as 9465 and as far up as 9526, where different 
sounding sweeps could be heard weakly interfering with Indonesia 
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: ALASKA; DTV: MEXICO; IBOC: USA KMRY
++++++++++++++++++++

RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM
+++++++++++++++++++++

THE SONY M37 HAS BEEN UPDATED

Hi Glenn: Many of us have wondered what Sony would do with their last 
Walkman digital radio as February 17 approaches. Happily they have 
come out with the new model M37W. Wal-Mart has them, same package but 
now in white and blue. Same set, but without the VHF TV channels. FM 
still begins at 87.5 or so. Same price as the M37V was, ~ $29. 
Probably the same IC, minus a jumper. It's not that this set is That 
good, it's just the very last of the Walkman series, along with the 
SRF-59. No one else even makes this type of set anymore. Regards (Ron 
Smith, July 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

PROPAGATION
+++++++++++

BRACING FOR A SOLAR SUPERSTORM

The August 2008 issue of Scientific American has an interesting
article concerning solar and geomagnetic activity titled ''Bracing
for a Solar Superstorm''. It begins with a narrative describing a
huge space weather event on August 28, 1859, one hundred years prior
to twentieth century's cycle 19. This was the fiercest ever
recorded, and resulted in shutdown of telegraph traffic and aurora
observed in the Caribbean.

The article says a storm of this magnitude comes along every 500
years or so, but reconstructs events and imagines the impact on
current technology infrastructure. There are wonderful graphics and
numerous sidebars. Included are some web links I wasn't previously
aware of, such as http://solarstorms.org

Within that site at http://solarstorms.org/SRefStorms.html is a
history of great solar events, a short primer at
http://solarstorms.org/SPrimer.html 
and at http://solarstorms.org/S23rdCycle.html downloadable PDFs of the
book, ''The 23rd Cycle: Learning to live with a stormy star'' (QST de 
W1AW, Propagation Forecast Bulletin 30 ARLP030, From Tad Cook, K7RA, 
Seattle, WA July 18, 2008, To all radio amateurs, via Dave Raycroft, 
ODXA yg via DXLD) ###