DX LISTENING DIGEST 9-003, January 5, 2009 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2008 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1441 Tue 1200 WRMI 9955 Tue 1630 WRMI 9955 Wed 0630 WRMI 9955 [or new 1442] Wed 1230 WRMI 9955 [or new 1442] WBCQ is also airing recent archive editions of WOR M-F 2000 on 7415; except on Wednesday or Thursday this should be the latest edition. Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD, which seems to be coming out less frequently? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg without delay. When applying, please identify yourself with your real name and location. Those who do not, unless I recognize them, will be prompted once to do so and no action will be taken otherwise. Here`s where to sign up http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** AFGHANISTAN. Re 9-002, harmonix of 1107: Hi Al, I have checked both the harmonic frequencies here in Finland during the last few days but haven't been able to hear it or see a carrier. 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AFGHANISTAN [and non]. Re 9-002: ``For a while, external services were relayed via USSR; was that the case with 15195? (gh, DXLD)`` Re; AFGHANISTAN For a while, external services were relayed via USSR; was that the case with 15195? (gh, DXLD) No, I checked the 1980 Handbook and the external service was on 11805 1630-1700 in Russian and 1730-1930 on 15075 in Arabic, Pushto, Dari, German and English using 100kw transmitters in Afghanistan. Schedule expanded to 6 hours daily in the 1981 Handbook with the additional use of a 50kw transmitter on 6230 1330-1600 in Urdu and English. 15075 now listed as 15077. The 1982 Handbook shows the addition of a Russian transmitter on 9665 at 1730-1930. The 1983 Handbook shows the 6230 transmitter being used 1000-1030 in English and 1230-1430 in Urdu now with two Russian transmitters also being used on 15255 and 21460. The 1700 Arabic broadcast also on 15470 via Russia, 9655 and 11960 via Russia being used for the 1730-1930 transmissions. I don't have the 1976 through 1979 Handbooks. The 1975 one has the same schedule as shown in the article with the addition of Arabic 1000-1030 on 15195, listed as 100 kW from Kabul (Mike Barraclough, England, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi dear Edwin, 15195 kHz noon service frequency was used by Radio Afghanistan approx. 1973 till 1979 before USSR occupation help to the left wing government regime occurred. My QSL's of 1969-1970 were issued on 11790 and 15265 kHz channels, which were in use till approx. 1972/1973. From Kabul site, see AFG Kabul Udkhel Four SW masts in 122 / 302 degr azimuth. 302 degrs towards Europe. Four masts towards Middle East at 230 to 270 degr are like scrap. 34 32'20.78"N 69 20'48.42"E on Google Earth the shortwave mast ruins are visible http://www.panoramio.com/photo/16292525 see both, SW mast ruins and two tall MW masts of 1107 and 1296 site: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/10811002 http://www.panoramio.com/photo/15095671 http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6676765 Unfortunately MW location strip image blocked by a BLACK mask in Goggle [sic] Maps! An intelligence service action ? Various USSR shortwave frequency relays used by R Afghanistan in 1980 till 1991 years. After that in Taliban era only single 9635 and 4775 were in use from old Kabul Yakatut site, see 34 32'24.35"N 69 12'40.35"E http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=34.540097&lon=69.211208&z=17.9&r=0&src=yh http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5544770 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. 15476, LRA36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Esperanza Base, 1912-1930, December 31, Spanish, folk music; announcement & ID as: "si quiere comunicarse con nosotros... si llaman desde el exterior... transmite LRA36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel".- Program "De Esperanza al Mundo", 24322 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ASIA [non]. USA (non) Winter B-08 of Radio Free Asia: BURMESE 0030-0130 on 13710 13815 15700 1230-1330 on 11795 12105 15700 1330-1400 on 9670 11795 13855 1400-1430 on 11795 13855 1630-1730 on 7505 CANTONESE 1400-1500 on 5840 7280 2200-2300 on 9570 11775 KHMER 1230-1330 on 13725 15390 2230-2330 on 9355 11850 KOREAN 1500-1700 on 1350 5860 7210 9385 1700-1900 on 1350 5860 9385 2100-2200 on 1350 7460 9385 12075 LAO 0000-0100 on 11830 15535 1100-1200 on 9355 15120 MANDARIN 0300-0400 on 11980 13710 15150 15665 17880 21495 21540 0400-0600 on 11980 13710 15150 15665 17615 17880 21495 21540 0600-0700 on 11980 13710 15150 15665 17880 21495 1500-1600 on 5810 7445 9440 9905 11945 13670 1600-1700 on 5810 7415 7445 9455 9905 11945 13670 1700-1800 on 5810 7415 7445 9355 9455 9905 11945 13670 1800-1900 on 5810 6095 7385 7415 7445 9355 9455 11790 11945 13670 1900-2000 on 1098 5810 5990 6095 7385 7445 9355 9455 9875 11790 11945 2000-2100 on 1098 5810 5990 6095 7190 7355 9355 9455 9875 11900 11950 2100-2200 on 1098 5810 6095 7190 7355 9355 9455 9875 11945 13745 2300-2400 on 7540 11745 11775 15265 15430 15550 TIBETAN 0100-0300 on 7470 9670 11695 15220 17730 0600-0700 on 17515 17715 21570 21695 1000-1100 on 11605 15140 17750 1100-1200 on 7470 11540 11590 15375 1200-1400 on 7470 11540 11590 13625 15375 1500-1600 on 7470 7550 11500 15145 2200-2300 on 5820 7470 9835 2300-0000 on 6010 7470 7550 9875 UYGHUR 0100-0200 on 7480 9480 9645 9690 13605 1600-1700 on 7470 7510 11720 11730 VIETNAMESE 1400-1430 on 1503 5855 7515 9455 11605 12130 13865 15195 1430-1500 on 5855 7515 9455 11605 12130 13865 15195 2330-0030 on 5855 11580 11605 11965 15135 15565 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 5 via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. The Austrian National Radio Service is still transmitting a 4 minute news service in English. At 0045 UT Kerry Skyring or Murray Hall has been giving the daily news (gcerow, name and location unknown, UT Jan 6, ptsw yg via DXLD) Presumably 7325; also on the Sackville relay 13675 at 1645?? Whaddaya know! (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AZERBAIJAN [and non]. AZERBAIJAN SINCE THE BAN OF FOREIGN RADIO ON FM. Kai Ludwig in Germany notes that the RFE/RL Azerbaijani Service, known as Radio Azadliq, is only using one shortwave frequency, 9485 kHz, at 1600-1700 UTC, according to the RFE/RL transmission schedule http://www.rferl.org/howtolisten/AZ/ondemand.html Kai adds: "This single shortwave transmission had been reintroduced at the beginning of the B08 season [25 October 2008], I suspect as a precaution because the end of the rebroadcasts in Azerbaijan was already looming. I would have expected the amount of shortwave airtime to skyrocket now as well, but as of yesterday still only this lone hour is in use. Were they simply not able to add more until now because everybody is still on vacation?" -- VOA Azerbaijani has three shortwave frequencies, 9625, 9805, and 12025 kHz, at 1830-1900 UT (kimandrrewelliott.com Jan 5 via DXLD) ** BAHAMAS. John, 1540 ZNS is an amazing snag! You should be benefiting from the station's directional array in that Nassau is in the western part of the Bahamas and effort is made to cover to the east and southeast. However, the 50 kW transmitter is in need of repair (transmitting at 8 kW) and there have been problems covering the southeastern and central Bahamas according to this news release in June of 2008. http://tinyurl.com/axtvgq [same as in DXLD 8-073] (Gil Stacy, NN4CW, ultralightdx yg via John Plimmer, South Africa, DXLD) Hi Gil, I wondered why ZNS1 was not as prominent as it used to be some years back. The interesting article mentions the new transmitter being delivered in July and in operation by winter, so maybe it's up and running now???? I wonder if Glenn Hauser has any info on that? It was an amazing catch though seeing as the dominant signal from UAE on 1539 usually makes 1540 impossible until the grayline moves and 1539 fades nearer to sunrise. This was not the case here at 0115z, so I am amazed in this tiny Sony's capabilities and have a new respect for it (the tuning thumbwheel required the slightest of minute adjustment to get away from 1539, but the little fella did it = remarkable!). Regards and thanks for the head up (John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa, via DXLD) John, I don`t have anything lately. The last significant info was in DXLD 8-096 from early Sept. Perhaps Jerry Kiefer can find out the current situation. 73, (Glenn to John, cc to Jerry, via DXLD) Hi Glenn, hope all is well. When I visited the ZNS transmitter site in November, they were running 40 kW with their new Harris DX. The two tower DA was active with a cardioid pattern at about 170 degrees. Work had recently been completed on one of the 200 foot towers (Jerry Kiefer, NM, Jan 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ZNS must be up and running full bore. I am here on the Georgia coast in Savannah and was walking Roscoe and DXing with my Sony 615 right at pre-sunrise, 1130 Z, and heard "1540 a.m., The National Voice of the Bahamas". It's a nifty ID. I'm only about 550-600 miles away, but I always enjoy hearing it in the winter -- I can imagine swinging in a hammock, sitting on the dock of the bay, wasting time. This time of the year, I love to listen out for the Caribbean, particularly sign on time for 780 ZBVI Road Town, Tortola, at about 1030 Z when "God Save the Queen" rings out. WDHP 1620 in Fredriksted, USVI, broadcast one of my favorite moments on a.m. a couple of years ago when I heard a live steel band play "America, the Beautiful." It was on a Sunday afternoon, my local sunset. The little prison radio and most of the Sony fleet of UL's are amazing. 73 (Gil Stacy, via Plimmer, ibid.) Thanks so much for your help, Glenn = much appreciated (John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa, ibid.) ** BANGLADESH. 4750 kHz is off --- As I wondered whether Bangladesh 4750 kHz inaudible from Kolkata, India was a propagation hiccup, I got a prompt reply from the station which puts the controversy to rest: "Senior Engineer, RRC, BB, Dhaka --- Dear Dr Supratik Sanatani, At present 4750 kHz is in trouble. There is no other SW transmission for HS. Please try to reach 693 KHz MW. Thanks" (Supratik Sanatani, India, Jan 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BARBADOS. Trans-Equatorial Propagation: Caros amigos, Primeira escuta de TEP em Sorocaba/SP. Levando a distância pequena que estou de cidades como São Paulo e Campinas, considero a captação bastante impressionante. No Sony ICF-SW7600GR, nada foi sintonizado, o que demonstrou que antena externa pode fazer a diferença, em alguns casos, para tais escutas. Segue o log: 92.9, 06/01 0045, Voice of Barbados, Bridgetown, citação a "Midnight Express", 45444 Equipamento utilizado: Sintonizador Sony XDR-F1HD, Amplificador do Grundig Satellit 2000, Rotor Philips SDW1850/17, Antenna Performance APS-9B. 73 (Ivan Dias - Sorocaba/SP, Membro do DX Clube do Brasil, Junte-se à nossa família http://www.ondascurtas.com radioescutas yg via DXLD) Raro em Janeiro (gh) ** BOLIVIA. 4555, Bolivia, R Virgen de Remedios (presumed), Tupiza. January-03 SS 2306-2330 male talks and religious choral music "la Virgen Maria...", "nuestros pecados...". Short pieces readable, consistent het but, who else is there at this time? Slow enhancement 22222 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Guarujá 5980 kHz com problema de áudio. A rádio Guarujá de Florianópolis, está com o áudio muito baixo a mais de uma semana nos 5980, porém constantemente no ar (Édison Bocorny Jr., Jan 4, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Confirmo o que o Édison coloca. Estive nesta semana em Fpolis e constatei que o áudio dos 5980 lá mesmo está meio naquela de portadora em ordem, mas, áudio lá em baixo e como se fosse saturado. Normalmente onde fico quando vou para lá (São José), o áudio é excelente, tanto em OM como em OC. Desta vez, negativo. Ontem à noite ouvi as OC da Guarujá aqui em São Bernardo, sem dificuldades, inclusive o áudio das OM (1420 kHz) também chegava aqui perfeito. Mas no meio da semana, verifiquei lá que o áudio estava mesmo do jeito como o Édison coloca. 73, rwg (Rudolf Grimm, ibid.) Caro Rudolf, O técnico da Guarujá (se é que existe técnico) coloca o TX de 5980 kHz no ar e não se dá conta de que o áudio está saindo em harmônicos em outra QRG e bastante saturado. O TX liga-se automaticamente todo dia e ninguém faz a escuta para se inteirar como está saindo o sinal.Acontece sempre com as ondas curtas. Poucas emissoras, que têm ondas curtas, prestam atençao a esse modo de transmissão. 73 (Luiz Chaine Neto, Limeira sp, ibid.) ** BRAZIL. Regularmente eu escuto a R. Inconfidência de BH sempre pelas ondas curtas, pois além de manter um rádio de boa qualidade, o faz prestigiando também as esquecidas ondas curtas. Digo isso porque mantenho contato via e-mail com o técnico da emissora ao monitorar as ondas curtas de 49 metros, 6010 kHz, visto que o transmissor desta frequência passa por constantes manutenções, a fim de que não fique fora do ar. O técnico Marcus tem sido atencioso aos meus reportes de recepção. A Inconfidência opera em 6010 kHz em 49 metros com potência ainda reduzida de 5 kw. No término da manutenção passará a atuar com 25 kw como era. É o que há (Luiz Chaine Neto, Limeira -sp-, 4-1-2009, dxclubepr yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. BRASIL, 11765, Radio Tupi, Curitiba PR, 2120-2132, escuchada el 5 de enero en portugués a locutora con comentarios sobre educación, referencias a Brasil, cuñas publicitarias de la emisora, boletín de noticias, música de sintonía, SINPO 34343 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) So did the cuñas still call it R. Tupi, instead of changing to SUPER RADIO DEUS É AMOR as in 9-002? Could be the station remains Tupi while all the programming it carries goes by the SRDEA monicker. And see next item (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) 6060 / 9564.95 / 11765, Rádio Tupi, Curitiba; 0728-0734 4 January, 2009. Brasilian Portuguese preacher. 6060 very good, 9564.95 slightly weaker and 11765 weak. [now renamed; see 9-002] 11925.23, Rádio Bandeirantes, São Paulo; 0736-0744 4 January, 2009. Portuguese gospel vocals. Presume one of the brokered programs via the Bandeirantes transmitter. No other Bandeirantes transmitters audible. Clear but weak (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. A VOZ DO BRASIL: O PROGRAMA FICA COMO ESTÁ --- 30/12/08 No apagar das luzes do ano legislativo, importante decisão da Comissão de Ciência e Tecnologia, Comunicação e Informática (CCTCI) da Câmara dos Deputados, em sessão do dia 17/12, não teve repercussão na grande mídia. O Projeto de Lei 2007/07, que acabava com a exigência da transmissão do programa A Voz do Brasil às 19 horas, foi rejeitado. A proposta tramitava "em caráter conclusivo" e será arquivada. . . http://www.adnews.com.br/destaque.php?id=81802 (via Glenn Hauser, DXLD) Continued squabbling over whether the government radio show should be broadcast at 1900 local or not (gh) ** BRAZIL. Re 9-002, the translated article about digital broadcasting by Hélio Costas appeared in Portuguese at http://www.carosouvintes.org.br/blog/?p=2111 having been picked up from a regional newspaper in his home state of Minas Gerais. And he should have been identified as *Jornalista, senador da República, ministro das Comunicações. That blog should be of interest for further discussion of broadcasting in Brasil (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BURMA [non]. ARMENIA, 9415, Democratic Voice of Burma, Yerevan- Gavar, 1432-1437, escuchada el 4 de enero en birmano a locutor y locutora con comentarios, SINPO 24332 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Hi all, Happy new year and great DX for 2009 to all. Quick post to let you know that I am hearing CHU on 7850 kHz with an amazing signal here in Montreal at 2215 UT on January 4th. Signal booming in on my Grundig G5 portable with telescopic whip (Gilles Letourneau, Montréal, Canada, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CBC NQ, 9625 remained in whack, Jan 4 at 1415, but NHK relay on 11705 was again splattering 11685-11725, especially during music, which is the Sunday subject (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [and non]. 0100-0130, CVC international on 6070. Was looking for CFRX at that time. I found that CFRX was buried under CVC international. You could hear CFRX fade in and out underneath CVC international's Spanish music program (Richard Lewis, Forest, MS, UT Jan 5, Grundig G4000A, Radio Shack noise filter, Helical Antenna (45 feet of wire coiled around a piece of PVC water pipe), dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) And does CFRB care enough to see about a frequency change for one station or the other? Of course not! (gh) ** CANADA [non]. Re: Therefore, other stations, especially stations on the US side, can't ask to adjust patterns where they protect the defunct Canadian AM station in question. I'm sure we can find a host of stations that limit their radiation toward Canada would like to loosen up their patterns (Ron Gitschier, FL, Jan 3, ABDX via DXLD) I had thought this true, also, but have an exception. When I first started DXing from Grand Rapids (Northern Minnesota) in the late 1990s, it was extremely difficult to hear the 630 Hudson, Wisconsin station (about 175 miles south of GR). I believe, at that time, they were still protecting 630 in Winnipeg and putting almost zero signal to the north, even thought CKRC had moved to FM years before. However, a year or two ago, the station suddenly became a strong day and night regular. A check of the Radio Locator pattern shows that they now put almost all of their signal due north with no protection to Winnipeg. Don't know what drove the change but it seems that they are an exception to the "protect Canadians, even tho they aren't there any longer" rule (John Sampson, ibid.) ** CANADA. Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall Jan 16, 1938 via Brian Smith On January 18th, from 7:00 PM until midnight (EST) [0000-0500 UT Jan 19], CFZM AM740 will broadcast the entire Benny Goodman Concert that was played in New York's Carnegie Hall on January 16, 1938. Except for commercial breaks and commentary by Benny Goodman, there will be no other interruptions. For more on the concert, check: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Goodman#Carnegie_Hall_concert You can listen directly on the radio, listen via the web site at http://www.am740.ca/site/lobby.cfm or via the other player at: http://radiotime.com/station/s_31182/AM_740_740.aspx Thanks to host George Jonescu for bringing this wonderful show to the air in its entirely. [appropriate tagline:] To those of you who seek lost objects of history, I wish you the best of luck. They're out there, and they're whispering. - Clive Cussler http://www.doghousecharlie.com (Fred Waterer, Jan 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Speaking of daily musical faves [USA: VOA 15225], how many years has CRI been ending their NA broadcasts with an edit of "Moments in Love" by The Art of Noise? I've been hearing that since the mid 1990s at least (Terry Wilson, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I prefer The East is Red (gh) 04/01/2009, 2210, 6175, CRI via ??, AM, 33333, en inglés, NF?? (Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Via Albania, supposed to be in Portuguese this hour; error? (gh) ** CHINA. 9000, 02/01 0911, TAIWAN, Xi Wang Zhi Sheng SOH, em chines, 1 kW, música folclorica chinesa (sempre música, nunca ouvi locução) 25332 (Jorge Freitas - Feira de Santana BA - Brasil, HCDX via DXLD) Then it WAS NOT Sound of Hope you were hearing but Firedrake jamming, as I have to keep explaining over and over and over and over and over (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) E.g.: 9000, Firedrake jammer; 1013-1014 4 January, 2009. Clear but weak in passing (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake back on 8400, Jan 4 at 1406 check, ex-9000 the day before, ex-8400 the day before that, no doubt mimicking the saults of Sound of Hope (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, it seems something strange is happening, cause this jamming is growing up over more frequencies. Specially on 31 and 25 meters band. Anything special or just feeling? I have heard lots of this kind of music last week in a low noise place (Sarmento Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, Jan 5, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Hi Sarmento, I am not aware of any increase in Firedrake. In fact, since a few months ago most of the Chinese jamming uses the CNR-1 program, often with echoes, instead of Firedrake, which is still used against certain targets such as Sound of Hope. Maybe propagation from China has been better than usual lately? 73 (Glenn to Sarmento, ibid.) ** CHINA. 15000, 02/01 0902, Xian timesignal, beeps de segundo e beep maior do minuto, as 0900 YL Talks e ID, 35333 (Jorge Freitas - Feira de Santana BA, Brasil, 12º 15' 1.57" S 38º 58' 40.30" W, Degen 1103 Antena fio longo com 20 metros e balum 9:1, HCDX via DXLD) ** CHINA. 4940, Voice of Strait, 1513-1525, Jan 4 (Sun.), program "Focus on China" in English (scheduled for 1500-1525); news about China (item about China Central Television [CCTV] broadcasting a special New Year's Eve program in Chinese, English, French and Spanish; story about the Christmas Holiday in China, etc.); this program is only broadcast on Sunday; light QRM from AIR Guwahati. At 1525 into Chinese (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. 10770, Radio Nacional de Colombia, 1907-1945 UT en modo AM, con ruido, programa musical (Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, Jan 4 or 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) His second report of this strange unexplained appearance back on SW of a station off HF for many years. Is anyone else hearing it on this way-out-of-band frequency? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CROATIA [non]. Frequency change for Voice of Croatia: 0600-1000 NF 17655 SNG 100 kW / 135 deg to AUS via VTC from Jan. 1 0600-1000 on 11690 WER 125 kW / 270 deg to AUS via MB till Dec. 31 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 5 via DXLD) as already in DXLD ** CUBA. Still no Aló, Presidente relay of RN Venezuela, Sunday Jan 4; however, one of the frequencies which had been used for that on Sundays only, strong 13750, was on the air with extended RHC programming. At 1520 with weekly Esperanto service supposedly on 11760 only, where // but much weaker and an echo ahead of 13750 feed. 1551 check, 13750 still on with El Mundo de la Filatelia; audio cuts down but not completely out, periodically: wiggle that patchcord! Shortly followed by Por Una Vida Mejor medical show about living to age 120 or more, as if anyone would really want to do that in a police state full of privation; kept running past 1600 but did not pay attention to content; 1701 check, starting replay of Cuba Campesina, which originally airs at 1230. Perhaps they are keeping one transmitter warm for a return of the Cold One. Still on with more music at 1745, 1800 En Contacto, the DX program, but cut off at 1810* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. The resolution on the RHC sites is same like one/two years ago. 15 lower masts, and a tall communication mast visible close to transmitter house at old site Bauta Cuba 22 57'01.00"N 82 32'44.00"W Towers visible on old black & white picture of 1958 ? http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3864010 ex Bejucal site. At Quivican still visible 16 curtains; and two 2 x 4 mast directional MW arrays. 22 49'37.76"N 82 17'29.45"W 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) Hi Wolfgang, Yes the Bauta GE image appears to have changed since I last viewed it ?? Current Image date: Nov 18, 2003 (maybe less trees & clearer?) - still an old image though. I thought I had previously saved former images of this site, but I didn't. Does anyone in the group have images? It certainly seams clear that curtain arrays existed at the site, but have been removed (when?), I certainly don't recall seeing arrays on the older image. You mention that this Bauta is OLD site & certainly QUIVICAN appears to be the prime site. The question beckons: Is the Bauta SW site still an active site? Regards (Ian Baxter, Australia, Jan 2, ibid.) ** CZECHIA. 3333, 31/12 1630, R. Bila Hora - rbh@email.cz Ceco MX, buono. LA LORO WEB HA FOTO DELLO STUDIO http://rbh.czechian.net/ http://rbh.czechian.net/fotky.htm http://rbh.czechian.net/qsl.pdf (Roberto Pavanello, Italy, via Dario Monferini, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DIEGO GARCIA. 4319-USB, AFRTS, 1535-1554, Jan 4, program "51%"; all about issues concerning women; segment "Women in Science" about Dr. "Joe" (Josephine) Baker and her work in NY; fair (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. EGIPTO, 6290, Radio Cairo, Abis, 1850-1853, escuchada el 5 de enero en árabe a locutor y locutora con comentarios, conexión con corresponsal; intuyo comienza emisiones a las 1830, ya que unos minutos antes estaba inactiva, posible adelanto de horario, ya que se anuncia comenzar a las 1900 UT. Referencias a Israel, SINPO 45444 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, Jan 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA ECUATORIAL. 6250, RN Guinea Ecuatorial, Bata, 1832-1845, escuchada el 5 de enero a locutora en dialecto guineano desconocido; utiliza algunas palabras en castellano, “..a nuestro presidente...identidad... medios informativos nacionales”, segmento musical, SINPO 33443 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, Jan 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA [non]. New additional TDP station - Voice of Meselna-Delina in Tigrinya to EaAf: 1730-1800 on 9610 SAM 250 kW / 188 degrees Tue/Thu/Sat (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 5 via DXLD) Is it still also on WHRA Fri 18-19 on 15665 as in WRTH 2009 page 492? (gh, DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. BELGIUM (non) Frequency changes of Ginbot 7 Radio in Amharic to EaAf: 1700-1730 7485 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg Tue/Thu/Sat, ex 9880, re-ex 12120 1700-1730 9610 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg Tue/Thu/Sat, ex 11530, re-ex 15350 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 5 via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. 15195, 29/12 1600, EOTC Holy Synod R. - office in Los Angeles, Amarico talk OM suff (Roberto Pavanello, Italy, via Dario Monferini, ibid., DX LISTENING DIGEST) Per EiBi this is Mondays only, and a companion on Sundays, via Samara: 15195 1600-1700 Su CLA Addis Dimts Radio AH EAf /RUS-s 15195 1600-1700 Mo CLA Eth. Orthodox Church AH EAf /RUS-s (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. SWR is coming in quite well on 11720 kHz at 1422 UT here in Hull (Russ Cummings, England, AOR 7030+, 60 ft long wire, Jan 3, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) During monthly first-Saturday broadcast (gh) ** GERMANY [non]. Frequency changes of Deutsche Welle from January 1, 2009: 0400-0430 NF 6040 SIN 250 kW / 095 deg to ME, ex 6035 Arabic 2000-2100 NF 9690 WOF 250 kW / 160 deg to WCAf, ex 9545 English 2200-2400 NF 9475 DHA 250 kW / 260 deg to SoAm, ex 9545* German 0000-0200 NF 9775 ASC 250 kW / 294 deg to NCAm, ex 9545* German *to avoid Voice of America in Chinese + Music jammer (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 5 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Some Media Broadcast changes: 1700-1800 11835 NAU 125 kW / 145 deg EaAf ELF Amharic W/F/Su, ex 6145 1800-1900 7445*WER 250 kW / 060 deg EaEu WYFR in Russian, ex 7180# 1800-2000 3975 WER 250 kW / non-dir WeEu WYFR in English, additional *co-channel Radio Free Asia in Chinese + Music jammer #to avoid China Radio International in French (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 5 via DXLD) ** GUAM. 9975 again with English preaching after hymn, Sunday Jan 4 at 1411, sounded like Rev. Victor Bornay (sp?), something Gospel Hour, ref. Isaiah LV, about immigration. Like Sat, presumably KTWR extended to daily from M-F only at this hour, and once again, ACI from WWCR 9980 weak at first, but then building steadily (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII. ART OF RADIO HAWAII COMPETITION To celebrate Hawaii's 50 years of statehood in 2009, the Radio Heritage Foundation is running a new competition open worldwide. It's on-line exhibition 'Art of Radio Hawaii' features great art work of letterheads and logos from Hawaiian AM radio stations since the 1930's, and is already amongst the most popular content at http://www.radioheritage.net To enter the competition, simply visit the 'Art of Radio Hawaii' exhibition before February 14 2009, and send an email to info @ radioheritage.net headed 'Art of Radio Hawaii Competition' with the answer to this question: What is the callsign of the Hawaiian AM radio station that began broadcasts in 1957 from the Kaiser Hawaiian Village Hotel in Waikiki? You'll see the art work for this station logo in the exhibition, along with many others in a nostalgic tour of the island state's radio dial. The prize is a brand new copy of the 2009 World Radio TV Handbook that also contains a full list of all 32 AM and 57 FM radio stations on air in Hawaii today. It also includes many website details, so you can listen in to your favorite Hawaiian radio stations wherever you live in the world! Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Entries are only by email and must be received by February 14 2009. As a condition of entry, your email address will be added to a mailing list to receive newsletters and other mailings from the Radio Heritage Foundation. The Radio Heritage Foundation is a registered non-profit organization that connects radio heritage and popular culture across the Pacific. It's volunteer based and welcomes donations of time, skills, memorabilia and funds to continue its projects. Website: http://www.radioheritage.net Email: info @ radioheritage.net To be removed from this list email 'remove me' to info @ radioheritage.net However, we hope you'll enjoy hearing from us from time to time, and our special offers and competitions celebrating radio heritage across the Pacific (David Ricquish, New Zealand, Jan 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. My earlier 4910 AIR log is Jaipur, not Jeypore. 9690, AIR, Bangalore; 1428-1500* 3 January, 2009. Conclusion of tourism feature in English, into modern pop (almost Urban -- scary what we've done to their music). General Overseas Service of AIR ID by woman at 1454, into news by man. Closing ID by woman. Excellent level (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) And the usual hum? (gh, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Re 9-002, monitoring meteor scatter: ``These are scientists and they don`t even tell us the frequency(ies) they are monitoring? By radar, do they mean they are only monitoring bounce-backs of their own emanations? The meteor probably isn`t passing directly *over* the facility (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` The Fence (former NAVSPASUR), 216.98 MHz http://www.k4gfg.us/navspasur/navspasur5.html http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/navspasur.htm http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast22dec98_1.htm Now an Air Force facility (Benn Kobb, DC, Jan 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The NASA story from 10 years ago mentions 216.98 MHz, which is just above TV channel 13; however: (gh, DXLD) IIRC they tuned into pilot carriers from channel 4 TV (maybe the Texas site is different?). What will happen after conversion, with analogs going away and not as many DTV's on 4? Wonder if they thought about that? It did work well as you could hear pings and trains, especially during peak periods (Dave Hascall, IN, WTFDA via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS. Russian Navy --- The frequency (6996 USB) was pretty busy yesterday morning (12/29/2008) with Russian two-way voice traffic around 1330 UT. The fleet that visited down in Cuba and Ven must still be relat[iv]ely close to the US East Coast. Interesting frequency (Larry Van Horn, N5FPW, Brasstown, NC USA, Dec 30, UDXF yg via DXLD) ** IRAN. 01 January 2009, 0400-0430 UT, 3945 kHz, IRIB in Kurdish (Sorrani), SINPO: 43443 (Andy Kesher, Moscow, Russia, Sangean ATS 909, Ant: DE 31MS, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9575, VIRI Russian service is regular here, such as Jan 5 at 1430 after open carrier, ``Golos Irana``, anthem? 1431 into Qur`an; undermodulated and flutter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. I checked for Voice of the Islamic Rep of Iran on 6115 kHz, via Lithuania, but nothing there at 2005 UT, same yesterday. VOIRI propagating well here into West Midlands on 6010 (Chris Lewis, England, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRELAND. WHEN PIRATES CEASED TO RULE THE AIRWAVES Saturday, January 3, 2009 New Year's Eve 1988 marked the end of one of the more fascinating and turbulent periods in Irish broadcasting, writes Patsy McGarry SOME 20 years ago, at about this time of year, Irish radio became altogether less colourful when an estimated 70 pirate stations went off air voluntarily. New Year's Eve 1988 marked the end of one of the more fascinating and turbulent periods in Irish broadcasting. It is a period fondly remembered by many established names of TV and radio today… Compiled by Patsy McGarry This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0103/1230842388623.html (via Alan Pennington, England, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. 6250.4, R. P`yongyang heard 2325 on 04 Jan in Korean program with excited YL & OM talking. Unusual in that the normal placid and calm announcers were almost hysterical and they were 400 Hz off nominal freq. Fair signals with no QRM. 73 de (Al Muick, Kabul, Afghanistan, WinRadio G303e, 200m Longwire/Randomwire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So they were excited about being off-frequency (gh) ** KOREA SOUTH [and non]. Re 9-002, VOA now relayed by HLKX on MW 1188: VoA in Korean language via HLKX Seoul 1188 kHz 100 kW at true north to D.P.R. of Korea. KOR Incheon Bangsan (FEBC) 1188 kHz 100 kW. G.E. at 37 25 13.87 N 126 45 18.78 E In Google Maps In Yahoo Maps (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Comment of the violation of Broadcast law is VOA relay of HLKX in Korea. http://www.cbs.co.kr/nocut/show.asp?idx=1026514 (S. Hasegawa, Japan, NDXC, ibid.) Only in Korean; can Bill Harms or anyone translate, summarize? (Glenn, ibid.) Interesting that one South Korean Christian broadcasting organization (CBS) is reporting such a story about another (FEBC). 73 (Kim Elliott, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I read it over cursorily and my first impression is why the stink over VOA because VOA programs are re-broadcast all over the world on numerous station, and KBS itself also re-broadcasts international broadcast programs from other stations. There has to be more to this. KBS already relays foreign broadcasters from Kimjae on SW and the American Forces broadcast on AM and FM. For some reason they are making a distinction because this is the Voice of America and because it is in Korean and going to the north. I guess they don't want to stir up trouble with their brothers north of the DMZ (Bill Harms, Elkridge MD, ex-ROK, ibid.) Babelfish translation [sic]: VOA this trust discharges lead and FEBC Far East broadcasting (AM 1188kHz) which is a Christian medium of domestic repair propensity they become accomplished, the North Korea resident in the week listening object from every night 10: 30 until midnight they broadcast. From 1st first broadcasting ' World-wide news ' Come `news Fano lamas who treat the Korean Peninsula situation ', expels new year special broadcasting etc., but as much as VOA call cause of death filtration without became discharge from this process. 2 clauses of current broadcasting legal Enforcement Ordinance 61st mourning 3 the foreign nation broadcasting business owner will lead and the domestic synthetic wire radio business owner and the Direct Broadcasting by Satellite business owner will be able to retransmit but there is not provision which is stipulated expressly in the text about the ground group broadcasting business owner. [relNews] [relNewsPaging] Relates with this, `Northeast Asia broadcasting society for the study ' Pak city gate research committee who is a broadcast to the north specialty reception and research community from phone call with Roh cut news " VOA trust discharges which lead a domestic ground group radio broadcasting the violation " which is clear is not to also relevant law provision; Proposed this problem. He also “corresponds to neither the report program individual discharge of case and overseas broadcasting of VOA domestic trust discharges or the retransmission exceptional provision of relay etc. broadcasting legal Enforcement Ordinance within 1st 1 hour,” indicated. The case where VOA domestic trust discharges will be continued, the actual condition legal violation criticism of course the shock wave which will send in the inter-Korean relations which becomes blocked also 100,000,000 is visible with the fact that will not be. Meantime, demands the case new governmental departure after that domestic discharge of domestic civil broadcast to the north and comes but, does not become accomplished with reason of electronic law department broadcasting legal etc. actual condition legal important matter sufficient deficient etc. (via DXLD) Terrible translation! I think it will be a long time before machine translators will replace us professional translators (Bill Harms, ibid.) Bill`s professional translation is coming up. Meanwhile, as a result of the new 1188 kHz relays, the schedule via MONGOLIA 1350 has been adjusted: VOA in Korean reduced to 1200-1330 UT; Radio Free Asia in Korean still at 1500-1900 and 2100-2200 UT (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATVIA. 9290, Rhein-Main Radio Club special broadcast via Ulbroka, Dec 30, 1300-1500. I listened to the full two hours. It was best during the first 20 minutes, fair-good thereafter until it started deteriorating c. 1430, and downright impressive on a couple of peaks, definitely the best I have ever heard from Ulbroka. The first hour was in German, mostly talk about club doings and conversation with Robert Kipp about RSH, plus some IDs (German, French, English) and music ("We Love the Pirate Stations," "Long Time Gone," "I Am the Morning DJ," etc.). The second hour was in English, but it was mostly music ("All I Do Is Dream of You," "I Can't Unlove You," "Ferry Cross the Mersey," "Return to Sender," etc.), with brief English translations of some of the German talk segments. They gave their address (in German) many times during first hour (Rhein-Main Radio Club, P. O. Box 700849, 60558 Frankfurt/Main), but once at most during the second hour. URL http://www.rmrc.de also given often (Jerry Berg, MA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** MEXICO. XEQM 6105 escucha: Después de mas de diez días casi sin rastro de XEQM 6105 kHz, nuevamente la escuché el día de ayer a las 1700 UT en el Puerto de Veracruz, y hoy de regreso a México D.F. a las 1515 UT con un SINPO de 3, programa en lengua maya, música y canto en lengua maya y algunos comerciales en castellano. 73´s (Julián Santiago D. de B., Jan 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Desde las 0230 hasta las 0345 UT he venido escuchando con un SINPO de 3 a XENK "Radio 6-20" a través de XEQM 6105 kHz. La programación ha sido enteramente musical como era hasta hace una década el perfil de "Radio 6-20" que tenía el "slogan" "Radio 6-20 con la música que llegó para quedarse". Lamentablemente de unos años para acá la programación de esta emisora se ha llenado de noticiarios, programas religiosos, de labor social, etc., y aún por alguna hora se escucha el antiguo perfil como en este momento. Recuerdo que la "6-20" emitía con algo así como 20 kW y ahora ha aumentado potencia hasta cerca de 40 kW; no sé si mantiene su transmisión en "AM estéreo" como lo era antes. Habría que investigar, ya que era una de las cinco emisoras que emitía de este modo en la ciudad de México. En cualquier caso es agradable escuchar en onda corta el perfil musical de la "6-20" de la cual éramos muchos los escuchas desde hace varias décadas. Cabe recordar que XEQM 6105 kHz emite desde Mérida, Yucatán -sureste de México- y XENK "La 6-20- lo hace desde México, D.F. 73´s (Julián Santiago Díez de Bonilla, DF, UT Jan 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6105, XEQM "candela" [not any more --- gh] Mérida YUCATAN; 1817-1823 UT música cumbia y salsa, young W in Mayan language mentioning all the baragins in the market square, making her own sound effects "ha-ha- ha.....brrrrooooooom.. broooooooom", apparently imitating the sound of an old jalopy! Also heard at this hour 6010 (DF) & 6045 (SLP) MEXICO (Steven Wiseblood, Boca Chica Beach, TX Jan. 03, 2009, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Since this was posted at 1921 UT Jan 4, I wonder if he meant to say Jan. 04 for the log, i.e. one hour earlier, rather than 25 (gh, DXLD) ** MEXICO. XERF, 1570, dominating the channel at 2150 UT Jan 5, in show ``El Baúl de los Recuerdos`` (The Trunk of Memories), presenting only female singers of the 60s. Ran late so Big-Ben style hourtop 16 chimes did not appear until 2201, `4 en punto`, yeah, sure. Reception was axually worse by then, still an hour before sunset, because other skywave was building up from peanut-power US stations, but there are so many of them! Could not catch axual XERF ID, maybe during fade, but did get `100,000 vatios` and an apparent toll-free 866- number, mention of IMER, the Mexican government agency which runs it (and used to run XERMX); after 2202 into news, ``Última Hora`` (Glenn Hauser, caradio, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONACO. 8728-USB, Monaco Radio 3AC; *0755-0804 4 January, 2009. Carrier, into looping French man with ID, frequencies followed by almost classical orchestral theme (some reports state it's the anthem), then English female, "This is Monaco Radio...VHF..." followed by channel numbers, not all copied, but online lists indicate the non- VHF as 403 (4363 kHz), 804 (8728 kHz), 1224 (13146 kHz), 1607 (17290 kHz) and 2225 (22768 kHz). Back to orchestral song, etc. until 0800 French male Mediterranean weather. Supposedly directly from the Principality, run by a group called Naya. Thanks Ian Cattermole, December NZ DX Times via DXLD (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONGOLIA. According to Chinese DXer Li Wang, Voice of Mongolia have renewed their website since January 2. http://www.vom.mn English http://www.vom.mn/en/ Mongolian http://www.vom.mn/mn Chinese http://www.vom.mn/cn Japanese http://www.vom.mn/jp Russian http://www.vom.mn/ru (Takahito Akabayashi, Japan, Jan 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) English site slow loading but interesting with news stories obscured by falling snowflaxe when tried at 1817 UT Jan 5. Also has two mp3 audio features embedded ready to play, labeled paper review 12-19 and urban mong 12-17, but when I started the first one I heard a song instead. See also KOREA SOUTH (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MOROCCO. 15345V, Jan 5 at 1513, Arabic talk and music, Allah al- akbar; slight motorboating sound and with BFO on could tell transmitter was slightly unstable. Presumed this as now scheduled per Aoki as RTV B08: 15340 RTV MAROCAINE 0900-1500 1234567 Arabic 250 110 Nador 00255W3502N 15345 RTV MAROCAINE 1500-2200 1234567 Arabic 250 110 Nador 00255W3502N (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR. 9730.87, Myanma R., 1451-1512*, Jan 4, their Minorities and Educational Service, non-stop talk by man in vernacular, woman with short sign-off announcement, brief indigenious instrumental music and off. This is the highest frequency I have recorded for them. Recently have noted this drifting up in frequency, originally was 9730.77 (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 15180, CLANDESTINE (Nigeria), Aso Radio International via unknown location, *1600-1658* Jan 2, drum IS followed by sign on ID and announcements followed program in Hausa language. Closed with ID and flute/drum music. Fair to good although slowly deteriorating after 1630 (Rich D'Angelo, 2216 Burkey Drive, Wyomissing, PA 19610, U.S.A. Equipment: Ten-Tec RX-340, Drake R-8B, Eton E1, Lowe HF-150, Eton E5, Alpha Delta DX Sloper, RF Systems Mini-Windom, Datong FL3, JPS ANC-4, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) NOT clandestine, as explained here more than once: it`s a local FM station which has added this SW relay back to the country (gh, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. KEOR, 1120, Catoosa, missing for the third day in a row, Jan 5 at 2100 UT; but I am only making one brief check sometime during the days. Henceforth it will be news if it is back on (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. 6391, Pakistan Naval R. AQP, heard with Morse marker at 2315 on 04 Jan as VVV VVV VVV AQP2/4. Good signals. We have had earthquakes the last two days. Yesterday's (6.2 on the Richter scale) actually threw me out of bed at about 0030 local and this morning's shook the building at 0345 local. I was seated in the chair DXing and I can imagine it must have looked like the old Star Trek series when they got hit with something. The chair shook all over the place. Gotta love this place! Warzone, earthquake zone, and good DX spot all rolled up into one easy-to-reach-by-airplane location, LOL. 73 de (Al Muick, Kabul, Afghanistan, WinRadio G303e, 200m Longwire/Randomwire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. Now that looks like VOA Tinang has left 9345 between 1200-1400, becomes clear the noisy transmitter from Radio Pakistan in Hindi, which ends by 1245. While VOA was on the air, audio from Pakistan was not listenable, but the noise. Heard signing off Monday 5th Jan. 73 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, Jan 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also U S A ** PALESTINE [and non]. Pro-Palestinians open Gaza Holocaust Museum on Second Life. Clips from Israel's Broadcast Signal Intrusions: http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=11373289&ch=4226714&src=news (Terry Wilson, MI, Jan 4, dxldyg via DXLD) MUCH more about this: http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=5576 http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=5569 http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=5564 http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=5559 http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=5550 http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=5549 http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=5528 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. 6170.5 kHz, Philippine Broadcasting Service. Jan. 4, interview with a woman in Tagalog was heard at 0956 and ID in English was heard at 1000 as "...from PBS, Philippine Broadcasting Service..." But closed at 1006. SIO 342. Jan.5, better signal at 0835 with music program with English pops. Signal was sometimes interrupted. ID was heard at 0846 as "...your music...78 DZRM, Radyo Magasin." SIO 343 (Iwao Nagatani, Kobe, Japan, NRD-545, Long wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is a rare one. WRTH 2009 has no info about it besides that the frequency varies, and not recently confirmed. Their 31m outlet is shown as 250 watts on 9619v or 9580, DUR2, 0000-0930v; also not reported in a long time. Aoki only shows this one: 9581 PBS Radio ng Bayan 2300-1100 1234567 Filipino 0.5 ND Quezon City-Marula PHL 12059E 1441N DZFM PWBR `2009` shows 9580v and 9619v but nothing around 6170. I was disappointed to find that Alan Davies` Asiawaves http://www.asiawaves.net/ does not reach as far as the Philippines, except for an FM frequency list (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 9541.525, SIBC, Honiara; 0644-0719 4 January, 2009. Pop vocal, Aussie-ish accented English man, time check, "12 before 6 o'clock [I think]..." into seemingly contemporary Christian vocal, segued into another. Man and woman from 0659, mentioning "...international news..." then SIBC interval theme, into locally- generated news (not parallel Radio Australia 9710), with mentions of governor, labour, Honiara, western province, Pakistan, Ghana elections. At 0708, a nice, clear "This news is coming to you from the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation in Honiara" by the same male presenter. More news items until conclusion at 0715, then local Pidgin English talk by a different man through tune out. Clear and overall good copy. Nothing heard on 5020, if active, due to lots of splatter from Rebelde. Carrier on 7260 at the same time, but no audio and thus no idea if really Vanuatu (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9541.50, SIBC, 0455-0637, Jan 5, started out below threshold level; by 0530 faded in to clearly in English with man with Australian accent talking, but poor; better by 0600 with local TC (5:00); 2+1 pips and into BBC "The World Today" (items about Gaza; report from northern Sri Lanka; gas situation with Ukraine and Russia will affect Europe; etc.); at 0629 local announcements (PSA; ad for "a Solomon Islands company", with phone and fax numbers; TC ["29 minutes to 6"]; into vernacular. After 0600 was close to fair. Thanks to Dan Sheedy for the heads up that this was being heard here in Calif. so early (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. For about a week or so, Meyerton transmitter on 3345 has been putting out rather strong harmonic on 6690. This occurs during the AWR English program 1800-1830 UT. I had a chat with Sentech about this, but the problem seems to continue (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, Jan 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN. REE, 17595, Sunday Jan 4 at 1435 ending one episode of Solo Canciones from Radio Clásica network, with French interpretations of music about Spain, e.g. by Saint-Saëns; and into another episode of same show, this with songs from Cabo Verde, and later Niger. 1459 just started something by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, only to be interrupted at 1500 for time signal and immediate joining of live(?) Tablero [Deportivo] show. Most unprofessional and disrespectful of the music show. I figured this was going to happen as they were starting a half- hour program at :35! Should have skipped the news at 1400 and started part 1 then (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. E-QSL FROM RADIO DABANGA --- Dear Francesco, Please find attached some information about our station. Thanks for your reception report. Kind Regards, Leon Willems, Network Manager, Radio Darfur Network, Press Now +31-6-5140 7703 +31-35-625 4316 Willems@pressnow.nl leonewil@xs4all.nl Witte Kruislaan 55, 1217 AM Hilversum, The Netherlands Van: Radio Dabanga [mailto: radiodabanga @ yahoo.com] Verzonden: maandag 1 december 2008 15:38 Aan: Leon Willems Onderwerp: Fw: RECEPTION REPORT Time to confirm: 1 month. Also received 4 PDF files with info and schedule. All available here: http://blog.libero.it/radioascolto/6231521.html 73's (Francesco Cecconi, Italy, noticiasdx yg via DXLD) ** SYRIA. CIERRE DE PROGRAMAS RADIALES. Como todos los años, por estas fechas se conocen las malas noticias relativas al cierre de emisoras radiales o de algunas de sus emisiones. Al parecer Radio Damasco, de Siria, ha cesado sus emisiones en onda corta. El cierre no ha sido declarado oficialmente, y dado que la señal de esta emisora ha tendido períodos de desaparición, también en ocasiones anteriores, existe aún la esperanza de que el cierre haya sido aplazado. Por Rumen Pankov, Versión en español de Raina Petkova (R. Bulgaria Espacio DXista Jan 4 via Manuel Méndez, Spain, logsderadio yg via DXLD) We have had some recent logs of R. Damascus, so premature to conclude that Syria had closed its SW. And I doubt this was written since Dec 31. BTW, no scripts for Bulgaria`s English DX program have been posted since Dec 19 (Glenn Hauser, OK, UT Jan 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) viz.: 4/01/2009, 2212, 9330, Radio Damasco, AM, 22111, con noticias en español, luego música arabe, mal audio (Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SIRIA, 9330, Radio Damasco, Adra, 1954 [sic; 1854?]-1858, escuchada el 5 de enero en idioma sin identificar, posiblemente en árabe a locutora con comentarios y emisión de música folklórica local, sigue activa a pesar de que en el programa DX de Radio Bulgaria comentaba haber sido cancelada sus emisiones, SINPO 43232 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, Jan 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Pero, vaya par de emisoritas estas de Cairo y Damasco, JM; de las dos no se hace una! La constante de ambas es audio distorsionado y zumbidos, aparte de la pésima señal que por lo menos yo obtengo. Un completo gasto de kW, ¿o será que les sobra la plata? Nunca le he encontrado el chiste en mantener una programación en tales condiciones. Pareciera que sus departamentos técnicos viven en otro planeta. (Pero, no te enojéees...) 73 y Feliz 2009 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.) ** TAJIKISTAN. 05 January 2009, 0100-0125 UT, 4765 kHz, Radio Tajikistan in Tajik, Pop Tajik Music, SINPO 54454 (Andy Kesher, Moscow, Russia, Sangean ATS 909, Ant: DE 31MS, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. No Voice of Turkey yesterday Jan 3rd at 2300 UT on 5960. Best wishes (Chris Lewis, England, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UKRAINE. Hello Glenn, I checked this morning for Radio Ukraine International, at 1030 UT and were not heard on 15635. 9950 was present as usual, as was 7510 kHz at 2000 this evening. 9785 was not on air (Chris Lewis, England, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re 9-002: here`s the same thing without the question marx replacing Cyrillic: In connection with limitation of budgetary financing this year National The radiocompany of Ukraine is compelled to reduce volumes of translations of the again Radio programs. In this connection are made the following changes to work transmitting means: kHz / Programme / Tx / Changes 549 / UR-2 / Nikolaev (Luch) / Reduction of capacity up to 150 kW and Reduction of an operating time up to 0400-2200 549 / UR-2 / Lvov (Krasne) / Reduction of an operating time up to 0400-2200 549 / UR-2 / Kiev (Brovary) / Termination of broadcasting 0400-2200. 810 / UR-1 / Lutsk (Pidgaytsy) / The termination of broadcasting 936 / UR-1 / Lvov (Krasne) / Reduction of capacity up to 600 kW 936 / RUI / Lvov (Krasne) / Termination of broadcasting 2300-0300 1431 / UR-3 / Nikolaev (Luch) / Reduction of an operating time up to 0400-2200 1530 / UR-1 / Vinnitsa (Zarvanty) / The termination of broadcasting 1557 / UR-1 / Putila (Chernovitskaya oblast) / The termination of broadcasting 6020 / UR-2 / Nikolaev (Luch) / Termination of broadcasting 1800-0200 7285 / UR-2 / Nikolaev (Luch) / Termination of broadcasting 0600-1300 9785 / RUI / Nikolaev (Luch) / The termination of broadcasting 15635 / RUI / Lvov (Krasne) / The termination of broadcasting (Alexander Egorov, Kiev, Ukraine / "open_dx" via RusDX via DXLD) ** U A E. Re 9-002, ``Are most of the Al Dhabayya transmitters significantly off-frequency? (gh)`` No, not. Only 1-2 transmitters are odd these days. First noted in Oct 2008, when 6075.18 DWL was odd frequency, also DWL Russian on 5980.xxx etc. Most of the transmitters are on even xxx.00 kHz. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [and non]. Hi, momenteel via DRM: BBC Worldservice in English: 13590 1545z PORTUGAL, Sines 04-01-09 ID: BBC & DW (17.90 kbps EEP AAC+ P[arametric]-Stereo). Nog een kleine aanvulling: DRM uitzendingen van BBC ook op 5790 via Woofferton, UK & 3995 via Skelton, UK, momenteel met zelfde ID: ' BBC & DW ' inclusief Data Journaline, 73 (Marc van Gerwen, Ede Gld., Netherlands, ELEKTOR DRM RECEIVER & ALA 1530, 1608 UT Jan 4, BDX via DXLD) Non-DRM after 1700: 5790, BBC, 1845-1905, escuchada el 4 de enero probablemente en ruso a locutor y locutora con comentarios, música de sintonía que no reconozco, emisión de fragmento de música clásica en concierto en directo, fragmentos en inglés con traducción simultanea al ruso, a las 1900 tonos horarios, titulares y boletín de noticias, muchas referencias a Ucrania, ID “BBC London”, SINPO 45554 * No encuentro listada esta emisora ni en Aoki ni en EiBi, tampoco recuerdo haberla escuchada antes, ¿nuevo servicio o emisión accidental? (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) If accidental it has happened several times now, as previously reported. Probably a recent change the listings have not caught up with, following the schedule DRM on same 1500-1700 (gh, DXLD) Viz.: Frequency change of BBC in Russian from Dec. 22: 1700-2100 NF 5790 RMP 500 kW / 047 deg, ex 5990 (17-18 Daily & 18-21 Sat/Sun) (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 5 via DXLD) Saludos cordiales, adjunto mensaje recibido de parte de Valentín en Tver, Rusia. Donde confirma que la BBC ha cambiado de 5990 a 5790 para evitar QRM, el cambio se realizó el pasado 20 de diciembre. 73 JMR (José Miguel Romero2, Spain, Jan 5, dxldyg via DXLD) Viz.: Caro Jose', En la emission citada por usted los locutores de la BBC anunciaron que la frecuencia 5790 ha sustituido la antigua 5990 kHz para sus emiciones cuotidianas en ruso a partir de 20 de deciembre passado debido al que 5990 tenia muchos QRM. La musica cla'sica era "La Sifonia Solemne de 1812" de Chaikovski. Gracias por sus tips de escuchas, ellos me ayudan en DXismo. Valentin, Tver, Rusia (via JMR, ibid.) Saludos Glenn, curiosamente hoy 5 de enero cuando son las 1820 UT encuentro sin señal al servicio en ruso de la BBC por 5790, tampoco en 5990, ¿problemas técnicos?, emisiones aún en pruebas?? 73 (José Miguel Romero, ibid.) ** U S A. Interesting Question to Obama Admin via Change.gov "What about senior citizens in need who feel able and willing to work but do not get a chance because of their age? For example I'm a Spanish international broadcaster who lost his job with VOA and would like to try again. Thanks for your attention." Luisrafael, Durham, NC Found in the section titled "Open for Questions Round Two" http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/open_for_questions_round_two/ (Clara Listensprechen, Jan 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That`s where citizens may vote on thousands of questions for President Obama to consider (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. Frequency changes of R. Liberty, Voice of America 1200-1300 NF 9320 PHL 250 kW / 021 deg, ex 15190 VOA English 1200-1300 NF 7575 IRA 250 kW / 033 deg, ex 9345 VOA English 1300-1400 NF 7575 TIN 250 kW / 279 deg, ex 9345 VOA English 1400-1600 NF 7575 UDO 250 kW / 280 deg, ex 7125 VOA English 1600-1630 NF 9465 WER 250 kW / 105 deg, ex 11885 VOA Georgian 1600-1630 NF 9665 BIB 100 kW / 088 deg, ex 11525 VOA Georgian 1700-1800 NF 7435 BIB 100 kW / 063 deg, ex 7305 RL Russian VOA's broadcasts in Ukrainian stopping on SW on December 31, 2008 2100-2130 on 5895 LAM 100 kW / 075 deg and 9715 UDO 250 kW / 316 deg (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 5 via DXLD) As already in DXLD VOA URDU SERVICE DROPPED SW FREQUENCIES Effective 31st December 2008 VOA Urdu service has dropped all SW services to South Asia at 0100-0200 (9520 9820 kHz) and 1400-1500 (7440 9390 kHz) hours. Only MW 972 and 1539 kHz are available at 1400- 0200. There are many listeners in India and Bangladesh who are listening to this Urdu service on SW and many more especially after the closure of VOA Hindi service. Source: http://dxasia.info/news/ (via Dragan Lekic, Serbia, Jan 4, dxldyg via DXLD) That`s Ukrainian, Urdu, and what other languages will come up missing? (gh, DXLD) VOA Urdu shortwave frequencies were dropped on 31 December, though still listed in this VOA schedule http://www.voanews.com/english/about/frequenciesAtoZ_u.cfm VOA Urdu (Radio Aap ki Dunyaa) continues on medium wave (972 and 1539 kHz) and on television (Kim Andrew Elliott, Jan 5, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) See also AZERBAIJAN [and non] The French service of VOA to Africa via Bonaire 15225 is characterized between 1930 to 2000 by the daily presentation of the Big "O", Otis Redding songs. It's got to be a special program dedicated to the acclaimed soul man of Macon Georgia, or is it the favorite of the host? I don't mind because Redding is one of my all time favorites. Remarkable is when some stations play stereo recordings, as was the case this Sunday 4 January, while they played "I've Got Dreams to Remember": the horn section was barely heard in the background while Booker T., who was the session keybordist of Stax Records along with the M.G.s, was in the foreground. 73 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Perhaps they need an RCA-jack Y-splitter to conjoin the L and R audio out leads (Terry Wilson, MI, ibid.) Yes, is incredible how people at some stations don`t know anything about stereo mixdowns (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. I attempted to listen to the Skybird webcast repeat of the music-box edition of Marion`s Attic, Sunday Jan 4 at 2000 UT. Bits did not loop like on WBCQ, but the audio kept jumping around within a selexion or bits of talk popping in here and there. Most distracting, some encoding or decoding problem, apparently. Next week will be from related technology of rolls rather than discs or cylinders (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 0230-0245, WRNO worldwide heard on 7505. In this locality this is practically a local since they are a little over 200 miles from my QTH. They were playing some Christian music and announced one of their teaching and preaching programs at 0300 GMT. I am wondering if WRNO worldwide is starting to get a program schedule up for this time slot? (Richard Lewis, Forest, MS, UT Jan 5, Grundig G4000A, Radio Shack noise filter, Helical Antenna (45 feet of wire coiled around a piece of PVC water pipe), dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not so local in SW skipzone terms. Do you get the constantly loud and clear? (gh) ** U S A. Gene Parrish -- After battling a long illness, longtime Classical KUSC host Gene Parrish has passed away. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. Gene Parrish began his radio career in 1973 at KQED-FM in San Francisco, where he co-produced and hosted five seasons of NPR's national broadcasts of the San Francisco Opera. Between 1979 and 1988, he traveled the world creating great radio broadcasts; six annual visits to Finland for the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, to Holland for an award-winning series on Netherlands/US relations, to Sweden for a chamber music series and documentary on Swedish Midsummer celebrations, and to China as resident producer for the San Francisco Opera's project with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. From 1984 to 1996, Gene was a host and producer on KUSC-FM in Los Angeles, and since then had been the voice of Worldwide Jazz, having produced more than 800 programs. Recent projects also include his documentary commemorating the centenary of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and his tribute to Duke Ellington. For many lovers of vocal music across the country, Gene was known for producing over 400 programs of The First Art, his popular weekly series which aired on many NPR stations for many years (KUSC website Jan 4 via DXLD) OBIT ** U S A. Re 9-002, KWTO-560 in 1950y: A sample for Saturday night; what in the world were the 8 and 9 pm shows about? 8:00 Norman Brokenshire 9:00 The Martinique I Googled Brokenshire and found some info about him here: http://www.radiohistory.org/newsdocs/newsletter/announcers.pdf There are a lot of references to "The Martinique", but I don't know which one specifically is this one, unless it's the notorious New York hotel (Dave Bennett, Aldergrove BC, mwdx yg via DXLD) I didn't hear much of their anniversary goings-on either; what I did manage to hear seemed to be trying to draw a line between what they were in the "old days" (a true old-fashioned "full-service" format) and what they are today: a mostly conservative gab-fest with Limbaugh, Dr.Laura, Dennis Miller, Bruce Williams, Coast to Coast, Bill Cunningham on Sunday nights. The local KWTO staff includes loud, brash standup comic, former co- host of Fox Sports Radio's "Kiley and Booms" and former "Gong Show" [2nd incarnation] host Chuck Booms, who does their morning-drive show. (Their weekday schedule also includes an "Ask the Professionals" block with local doctors, attorneys, etc.) And yes, Bohannon did participate. Here's a link to their website and a page on their anniversary: http://www.radiospringfield.com/page1315648.aspx (Randy Stewart, Springfield MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn: Here in Wichita, KS there was a time when KWTO had a somewhat better signal, when the daytime pattern was omnidirectional, but I'm aware that they relocated their transmitter site some years ago, which also meant going to directional patterns day and night, and I can attest that their daytime signal becomes noticeably stronger if I go north to Newton or south to Wellington, and even in Salina [near KFRM 550] KWTO is the daytime signal on 560 (Jeff Altmann, ABDX via DXLD) ``It looks like not a single US station on 560 is non-direxional at night (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` That's pretty neat that they've taken the time to put that together. Glenn, I can think of one exception. As afar as I know, WQAM in Miami is still 5 kW day, 1 kW, non directional at night (Brian Goodrich, Greensboro, NC, ABDX via DXLD) More than you think; WRDT-560 Monroe, MI is non-directional nights with a whopping fourteen watts. By day their signal comes from Monroe, but by night it moves to the WRIF tower up in Southfield, a good thirty or forty miles north of there. Also on the list include the following: WOOF Dothan, AL - 118 watts nights KVOK Kodiak, AK - 1000 watts nights WQAM Miami, FL - 1000 watts nights WMIK Middlesboro, KY - 88 watts nights WFRB Frostburg, MD - 55 watts nights WRDT Monroe, MI - 14 watts nights Hope this helps (Eric Berger, ABDX via DXLD) Yes, my glance at the map was too cursory; of course if your power is small enough or you are far enough from the others, you can still be non-direxional (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WBAP, 820, with IBOC noise on 830 (too much Kansas City on 810 to tell the other side), Jan 5 at 2147; so they are still running it at least daytimes, nights not checked (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE PURGING AT WTIC AM RADIO By Stan Simpson on January 3, 2009 4:52 AM Just getting back from a Disney vacation, but even in Orlando, Fla. I heard the news about the latest purging at WTIC NewsTalk 1080, my former employer. This is the deal at the CBS-owned station -- and really the only thing to keep in mind: WTIC is hemorrhaging money and it's up for sale. So, management is liquidating its assets -- in this case some of its on-air talent - in order to lighten the financial load for a prospective buyer. The brass there should be upfront with its loyal and intelligent listeners about this. The ousting of Colin McEnroe and Diane Smith was NOT about improving programming. It was about dumping salaries. Talk radio has become dominated with right-wing conservative chatter. Some have noted that the hosts getting canned at WTIC are not right- wingers. I don't know to what degree partisan politics is at play with the purgings. I do know that it was cheaper for the station to expand Jim Vicevich's 10 a.m. to noon show an additional hour than to retain McEnroe or Smith. Again, this is about cutting expenses.. I've never really embraced this notion that politically partisan talk radio is the only genre that sells. There is a mostly untapped market out there looking to be entertained, but also wanting to hear a diversity of opinions and perspectives. The termination of my Saturday show a few weeks ago was disappointing because we were clearly reaching that audience. What I've respected about both Smith and McEnroe is their ability to brand themselves across multi-media platforms. If they still desire a role in media, they'll find one -- or create one. As for the other CBS-owned stations in Farmington, my guess is that the FM side is next for some purging. Stay tuned (Hartford Courant via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. HAPPY NEW YEAR - YOU'RE FIRED! - illustrated, and we suggest you read the original http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2009/090105/nerw.html *Yeah, it looks like 2009 is shaping up to be another one of those years, at least judging by the last moments of destruction that 2008 wreaked on an already fragile radio business. The culprit this time was CBS Radio, both in Hartford, as we'll see in a moment, and in eastern MASSACHUSETTS, where word began spreading during the day on New Year's Eve that more big changes were afoot at the once-mighty WBZ (1030 Boston). While so much of the industry had gone to syndicated programming outside of the major weekday drivetime slots, WBZ long prided itself on - and profited handsomely from - its steadfast determination to remain live and local all night long, with a stellar lineup of hosts in that slot over the years that included Dick Summer, Larry Glick, Bob Raleigh and most recently Steve LeVeille. Well, so much for that tradition. As of the new year, LeVeille - and his local "Steve LeVeille Broadcast," weeknights from midnight to 5 AM - is history at WBZ, as are Saturday night hosts Pat Desmarais and Lovell Dyett, the latter a 37-year veteran of the station. Saturday nights are now occupied by the syndicated Kim Komando computer show - and weeknights on the mighty 50,000 watt voice of Boston will now come from...St. Louis, where Pat Grayson, who's been doing talk for a few years at CBS sister station KMOX (1120), will take his local show semi-national beginning this week. In addition to WBZ and KMOX, Grayson's show will also air on WCCO (830 Minneapolis) and KDKA (1020 Pittsburgh). Enough loss of local flavor for you? Wait, there's more: also gone, as part of the cutbacks, was WBZ's already fairly minimal committment to local news after 8 PM, when its daytime all-news format gives way to talk. While the evening news shift at the station had never been filled on a permanent basis since the death of Darrell Gould back in 1996, a rotating cast of weekenders and part-timers had been doing live hourly news updates during the Dan Rea show, then recording local news to run overnight during LeVeille's broadcast. Now WBZ - the largest commercial radio news operation in New England, mind you - will run only recorded newscasts from 8 until midnight, and no local news at all overnight. Just in case that still wasn't enough, local sports coverage on WBZ has been cut back as well. Tom Cuddy, who'd been at the station since 1985, lost his job just in time for the new year - and that means that in addition to recording the newscasts for the evening shift, afternoon news anchor Diane Stern is reading sports headlines during the afternoon news, too, leaving Gil Santos as the last remaining weekday sports voice at WBZ. NERW's view (continuing on the themes we started exploring in our Year-End Rant last week http://www.fybush.com/nerw-yir2008.html#rant in case you missed it, or our big Year in Review package): http://www.fybush.com/nerw-yir2008.html "Are they planning to sell the station for spare parts?" That was the Hartford Courant last week, commenting on CBS Radio's other New England cutbacks, but the despairing question may as well apply to WBZ, and the answers are just as complex in both markets. Your editor, as has been frequently noted in this space, claims no absence of bias here, being an alumnus of WBZ, and a former colleague of LeVeille, Cuddy, Dyett and the many others who've recently been shown the door on Soldiers Field Road. And in fairness to the local management in Boston, there's no reason to believe that these are cutbacks that anyone in the building wants to be making. It's hard to imagine WBZ's leaders taking any pride in eliminating programming that had become an institution in the community, and if they were free to do so without putting their own jobs at any more risk, they'd surely point the finger up the food chain to the CBS bosses in New York, for whom "WBZ" is just another entry in the ledger books, not an 87-year- long tradition of connection between talented broadcasters and a devoted audience across much of New England. And those executives in their Black Rock offices would tell you, in turn, that "it's just business" - they've got a stock price that needs to be kept from plunging any further into the gutter than it's already gone, and this is simply the way of the world in 2009, paring back everything but the bare essentials in hopes that eventually the decreased costs will catch up with the ever-sinking revenues. Were you to have the temerity to suggest that those revenues are falling as fast as they are because the content has been slashed to ribbons, pumped up by the empty calories of infomercials and leased-time programming, well, there are plenty of fingers to be pointed - the AM audience is aging out of the "sales demographic," and all the money that needs to be made is being made during weekday mornings and afternoons anyway, and...well, you've heard them all plenty of times by now. No blame here, either, should be attached to Jon Grayson of KMOX, who had the class to show up on a regional radio message board last week to introduce himself and talk about the show he's been doing in St. Louis. He'll find, soon enough, that the WBZ nighttime audience doesn't take kindly to "outsiders" - and there will no doubt be plenty of comparisons to the ill-conceived evening programming change back in 1990 that's become part of WBZ lore. You probably know that story: to save money in bad economic times, WBZ sent local evening host David Brudnoy packing, replacing him with Tom Snyder's syndicated show, which was a perfectly good program...just not Brudnoy, and not from Boston. Back then, the listeners spoke, and spoke loudly, and before too long Snyder and his colortinis had been sent packing, with Dr. Brudnoy back in his evening pulpit for what was left of his life. But back then, there was still a shred of accountability left. No, the Westinghouse Broadcasting of 1990 was little more than a shell of the great Group W days of Don McGannon, but it was still a relatively small company - fewer than a dozen AM stations, all of them massive presences in their big markets; a small group of recently-acquired FMs; and a half-dozen legendary TV signals. What happened at WBZ back then was more than just an entry against a huge conglomerate's bottom line. WBZ was part of the foundation of the company, and when it failed to live up to that responsibility, as it did when it swapped Brudnoy for Snyder, there was still a sense that the company had fallen short of a committment it made to New England way back in 1921. What will happen late tonight, when an old woman somewhere in southern New Hampshire can't sleep and turns on her radio? Her friend Steve won't be there, with no explanation or apology (indeed, the http://www.RadioSteve.com website, registered to CBS, simply disappeared when LeVeille was let go, though it lives on at an alternate address) http://www.geocities.com/~radiosteve/ and when she picks up the phone to call 254-1030 (or the old 254-5678, which still worked, too!) to share her dreams or her memories, as New Englanders have been doing all night long for more than half a century, it will ring unanswered, or get forwarded to a control room 1200 miles away where it will be answered by someone who doesn't know Falmouth from Fitchburg, much less what "Glick University" was or who Norm Nathan was. (Worse yet? We're hearing very plausible reports that suggest a prominent WBZ sponsor was prepared to buy out the overnight hours to keep LeVeille in place, but was told the new show was already a done deal.) Who's to blame? Nobody - and everybody. For this is just another sign, really, of the utter breakdown of the compact that broadcasters once made with the public: they'd get stewardship of a scarce, precious resource - in this case, the mighty 50,000-watt signal that blankets New England and the northeast at night - in exchange for the responsibility of using that voice in the public interest. If they slipped in that responsibility - say, by abandoning any pretense of covering the news after 8 at night - there were consequences, in the form of license-renewal hassles. And for taking on that responsibility, they were rewarded in the form of healthy profits, year after year. Now that system is in shambles. With no danger of losing their licenses, and no remaining requirements for anything beyond the most perfunctory public service, the old equation began breaking down. WBZ could, if it wished, run nothing but colon-cleanser infomercials from dusk until dawn - and sadly, it's no longer clear that the leaders, so-called, of CBS - or any of the other big broadcasters - would feel any more or less pride in their product in that case than they do now. (And how sorry is it that we do actually have to give CBS a modicum of credit for not running all-night colon-cleanser ads on WBZ and KDKA and WCCO and KMOX; the new Grayson show may not be able to replace what's been lost, but it's at least better than what might have been, and may yet be.) The audience left us, they'll tell you, if you can even find them to ask. They're listening to their iPods or to streaming audio or texting each other on their phones, they'll say by way of excuse. But until and unless they can come to terms with the reality that they left the audience behind, as well - that they can't replace content with colon- cleaners, abandoning the long heritage of innovation and self- promotion and audience growth and just plain investing in the damn product that once made companies like Group W justly proud of the service - service! - they provided, without that audience inevitably heading off to some other medium that treats them with a little more respect. If that equation doesn't start changing, then the Courant (itself the victim of the same slash-and-burn mentality as newspapers race radio to the bottom of the barrel) may as well be right: it's time to sell the whole thing for spare parts. (Why aren't we quite ready to chuck it all, then? We refer, again, to the Year-End Rant, http://www.fybush.com/yir-2008.html#rant wherein we try to find a few rainbows in what seems like a pretty deep vat of despair these days...and we offer our own new year's resolution to do the best we can in 2009, with our readers' support, of course, http://www.fybush.com/support.html to spotlight the radio people and stations who still understand the relationship between content and audience - and to call 'em as we see 'em where everyone else is concerned.) (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch Jan 5 via DXLD) Also outpointed by Rich Cuff Who knows? Maybe a trend of divestiture will begin as more and more conglomerates realize they've rung all the money they can out of these operations. Then, perhaps there'll be a great culling with fewer licenses available in each market... or at least fewer stations in operation. After the shakeout, maybe we'll see more local ownership that will see fit to run stations more as public trust than private trough and spark something of a mini-revival of locally-based, community-based radio where programming on Boston stations comes from Boston instead of St. Louis, Los Angeles or Mars. Maybe (John Figliozzi, NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dream on I am not sure that simple economics will be good enough. I suspect that it's pretty cheap to deliver an all-satellite formatted station with minimal local content. I am not sure how desperate one of these conglomerates would have to get before a station would change hands back to independent ownership interested in value-added local content. Said new owner would then have to demonstrate to prospective advertisers that local content is worth a higher rate card. If, however, a newly invigorated, Democrat-majority FCC would start asking questions regarding a station's public service remit, well then it becomes a different story. My opinion, worth less than two cents... RDC (Rich Cuff, ibid.) Like, a sesquicent? (gh) ** U S A. IRN USA RADIO NEWS MERGER GIVES LISTENERS 2500+ AIR WAVES OF FLUFF-FREE RADIO: THE TRUTH LISTENERS CRAVE WEBWIRE – Sunday, March 30, 2008 MEMPHIS (March 31, 2008) – “Most journalists simply don’t have a clue.” And the recent merger of Memphis-based Information Radio Network and Dallas-based USA Radio Network – it is hoped – will help to remedy the situation, say corporate officials. “Audiences are not getting the truth from the current uninformed, controlled media who perpetrate a kind of intellectual incest on listeners,” says Dr. Larry Bates, CEO of the Information Radio Network. . . http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=62231 (via gh, DXLD) A bit dated, but explains what has been going on. Beware of the `truth` this network purveys via gospel-huxter and far-right stations. If you are not satisfied with commercial US network radio news, may I recommend NPR, CBC and BBC. One good option around here for the news junkie: instead of CNN or MSNBC on your TV all day, listen to KOSU all day for a good mix of news and information programs --- but do go to MSNBC in the evening (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Liveprayer Show Debuts on WWBA --- Show debuts on WWBA, with other station deals apparently in the works (Tim Kridel, Jan 5, IRCA via DXLD) Viz.: Subject: Daily Devotional (Mon. 1/5/2009) TONIGHT, ONE OF THE KEY PIECES OF THE JONAH PROJECT FALLS INTO PLACE AS WE DEBUT THE LIVEPRAYER PROGRAM ON SECULAR RADIO. WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WWBA AM820, A MAJOR 50,000 WATT NEWS STATION IN THE TAMPA MARKET AND HOME TO NATIONAL PROGRAMS LIKE BILL 'OREILLY, MY FRIEND DAVE RAMSEY, DENNIS MILLER, AND MICHAEL SAVAGE, WILL BE THE FLAGSHIP STATION FOR THE LIVEPRAYER RADIO PROGRAM. WE WILL BE AIRING "LIVE" EVERY MONDAY THRU FRIDAY FROM 11PM-MIDNIGHT EST. WE ARE ALSO MOVING OUR TV PROGRAM CURRENTLY SEEN EXCLUSIVELY ON LIVEPRAYER FROM 10PM-11PM EST TO THE 11PM-MIDNIGHT EST TIME SLOT TO SIMULCAST THE TWO PROGRAMS. IN THE COMING WEEKS WE WILL BE ADDING MAJOR SECULAR RADIO STATIONS AROUND THE NATION THAT WILL CARRY THE LIVEPRAYER RADIO PROGRAM EACH NIGHT. http://www.liveprayer.com/jonah (Bil Keller, prayermanager, Jan 5 via Kridel, ibid.) It's not anything special; they're paying for the time when the station is at its 1 kW/3 tower night signal; which is still good, but nothing compared to the day signal. And the people footing the bill for all this, those donating money to the "ministry". I bet the other "major secular" radio stations will be other brokered time outlets in major or near major cities with similar peanut power (Paul Walker, http://www.onairdj.com ibid.) Typical. Sure, it`s a 50,000 watt station; except, not when they are on it (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** URUGUAY. SW no Uruguay --- Todas inactivas. Se escuchó SODRE 6125 una semana atrás, pero muy débil en Montevideo mismo. 6055, Universo Castillos fue siempre anunciada, desde hace años, mas nunca escuchada. 6155 Banda Oriental dejó de emitir hace unos años (Horacio Nigro, Montevideo, Uruguay, Jan 4, condiglist yg via DXLD) Siendo realistas, creo que es casi imposible que alguna emisora uruguaya vuelva a transmitir en onda corta. Simplemente no necesitan la onda corta, muchas tienen streaming en internet y, siendo emisoras comerciales, simplemente no están interesadas en un público distante. La excepción podría ser tal vez el SODRE (por inercia) y no por mucho tiempo. O tal vez en ocasión de algun evento especial pero sería muy difícil. Simplemente no tiene sentido. Puede ser triste pero creo que es así. Saludos, (Moisés Knochen, Uruguay, ibid.) ** VATICAN. Frequency changes of Vatican Radio: 0200-0320 NF 9545 SMG 250 kW / 086 deg, ex 12070 NVS 250 kW / 180 deg Various* *Hindi/Tamil/Malayalam/English, each x 20 min. 2315-2400 NF 7395 SMG 500 kW / 072 deg, ex 7340 NVS 250 kW / 145 deg Vietnamese (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 5 via DXLD) ** YEMEN. 9780, R. Sana'a (presumed), 2008, 1//4/09. Mixing with VOA French service via São Tomé. Signal P-F was OM in extended Arabic talk (Jerry Strawman, Des Moines, IA, AOR AR7030 Plus, Wellbrook ALA-100 Loop, http://www.radiodx.net/wordpress/ Cumbredx list via DXLD) ** ZAMBIA. 5915, ZNBC, 0345, 01/01/09, Vernacular. Continuous hilife music and some slower hymn-like songs with no announcer chat or IDs noted, including at the hour - perhaps nobody felt like rolling out of bed early on New Year's Day? Finally some talk around 0423 with fading signal. Heard a carrier here in checks around 0000 and 0130, so suspect they may have run all night. Nice clear signal in LSB with minimal splatter from 5920. Fair (Mark Schiefelbein, Springfield, MO, Kenwood R-5000/Wellbrook 330S loop, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** ZAMBIA. 4965, R. Christian Voice/CVC, 0403-0419, Jan 5, news in English; into their morning program with the theme music from "Movin' On Up" from the TV show "The Jeffersons", but with the words "Wakin' On Up with Radio Christian Voice"; woman in English playing religious songs in English; high-life singing and talk in vernacular; fair (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 1680, UT Sun Jan 4 at 0740, found Tom Leykis show in progress discussing the merits of women as sports reporters, not a topic of interest to me, but what station could that be? Talk format does not match any of the 1680 listings in the NRC AM Log 2008-2009, all of which are either Spanish or religion or nostalgia. Closest might be what is now WPRR Ada MI, except that is non-commercial, or is it? And their website linked from Wikipedia goes nowhere: http://www.publicrealityradio.org/ and official(?) show site http://www.blowmeuptom.com/ unseems to have a station list (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Good question, Glenn. Only network I've heard on WPRR is Pacifica and I have [not] seen a station list for Leykis in years (Wayne Heinen, CO, NRC AM Log editor, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WPRR is owned by a commercial entity but programmed by a non commercial entity. It used to be a Radio Disney outlet as I remember (Paul Walker, Ord NE, http://www.onairdj.com IRCA via DXLD) The WPRR schedule is here: http://www.publicrealityradio.org/schedule.php No Leykis, at least none that they admit to... s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) If a station can broadcast ‘’CBS Radio Networks channel 42’’ over and over for hours because of a mistuned and unattended overnight automation system, one could just as easily mis-broadcast Tom Leykis or any other downlinked program. But, Scott, any clues on this at 100,000 watts? 73, (Glenn Hauser, OK, ibid.) It's actually harder to broadcast a satellite show you aren't supposed to then that "CBS Radio Networks 42" announcement and a tone. That announcement and tone is usually heard after a sporting event, I think when the automation system doesn't re-engage. The way I look at it, a station would have to tune its satellite receiver to the wrong [channel] to broadcast the wrong show (Paul Walker, ibid.) Look at the 1680 in Louisiana, I met an engineer visiting the Google Automation Software company in Dallas Texas this summer who, "if memory serves" planned to take that talk. I could be off track --- one of those things where a little birdie is telling me. And, regrettably, I've aired a talk program that I never intended to when some computer gremlins paid me a visit. And fortunately, I catch them before the boss does. Now I use a remote access program for all my computers and control them and and my transmitter from home. All the other places I've worked I've only been able to access the transmitter over the telephone. Technology sure has changed - and it brings its own challenges, too (Ron Gitschier, Palm Coast, FL, ABDX via DXLD) i.e. KJRO Monroe LA --- no website, but certainly in neighborhood (gh) Negative - only six stations listed, and we've already probably ruled out WPRR. I list KGED-CA as Spanish religion, WOKB-FL as black gospel, KRJO-LA as black gospel (and their webstream shows no indication of that rumored format change), WTTM-NJ as Spanish and KNTS-WA as Spanish religious "Radio Luz." Maybe an image or harmonic of something lower on the dial? s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) I checked 23 hours later (24 was just too late), around 0635 UT Mon Jan 5 and definitely heard KJRO Monroe LA with local ads, amid black gospel music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. Re 9-002, 5801: PIRATA, 5801, Playback International, 2248-2315, escuchada el 3 de enero con emisión musical, música de los Beatles “Let it Be”, música pop de los años 60, ID en inglés “Playback International”, SINPO 34343 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A- 108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 5883, CUBA, spy numbers; 0725-0728 4 January, 2009. AM mode, female Spanish five digits. Excellent. 6876 already off when noting this one. Open carrier only on 5883 at 0744 recheck. 6786, CUBA, spy numbers; 0720-0722 4 January, 2009. AM mode, female Spanish five digits. Excellent (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Altho these are rather sure to be in Cuba, I habitually put them under UNID since we don`t know exactly where they are, or what their real ID may be (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. 6040, something here at 0415 on 1/4 in slightly Arabic sounding language with all talk. Mostly M but occasionally a woman. Not very strong. Went off or conveniently faded at 0430. The references give no clues (Gerry Dexter, Lake Geneva, WI, TenTec 340, NRD545, "Mark" (MK-1) antenna, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) It`s DW via Portugal, indeed completely in Arabic, 0400-0430 with 250 kW at 95 degrees, just started Jan 1 (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Re: ``6074, another log of 8GAL V/CQ marker, this time, Jan 3, it started to early before Russia 6075 quite modulated.`` --- I meant to say ``too early before Russia 6075 quit modulating``. Proofread! Try again: 6074, 8GAL, V/CQ marker in CW again overlapping R. Rossii, 6075, before the latter quit modulating at 1400 Jan 5 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 9360-9380, OTH radar pulses perfectly centered on WTJC 9370, and also audible mixing with it on center frequency, Jan 5 at 1425. Or so it seems. Possibly emitted by WTJC itself (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. OTH radar pulses hang around 11000 but exact range varies; Jan 4 at 1413, roughly 10990 to 11020 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 11687.5: Hi Glenn & and a happy new year to you. Thanks for renewing the 11688 RTTY interference topic on WoR. I hear it all day long during daylight. It has been there for many years. If fact there use to be two ute transmissions near each other but one has been gone for some time. I thought I read or heard many years back [possibly in DXLD] that this was the US Navy. If I look in my 8th ed. of Ferrell's Confidential Frequency List, there is an entry for: 11687.5 NAA Cutler, Maine, USN. No, I have no idea if this is the station or not but propagation-ally, it makes sense. Whenever we, as a group, identify the culprit, who do we approach to have them notified? ITU? Regards a (Andy Reid, Ont., Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ It's good to see you're still around after all this time. Always a friend, (Al Muick, Afghanistan, with a generous contribution via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ SUFF Hi Glenn, yes it is correct SUFF in Italian mind SUFFICENTE: QRK 3 73's (DARIO Monferini, Italy, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ TIS Update I noticed that the Information Station Specialists (ISS) web site has recently updated the list of TIS stations installed by them. This very useful list can be found at http://www.theradiosource.com/ The ISS web site also has a very interesting list of National Parks with TIS stations. It shows the very hard to find NTIA issued 3x3 call signs for most of them. An interesting item of note it appears that Yellowstone National Park has about 25 TIS stations each with a separate call sign but all transmitting on 1610 kHz. Also of note for those visiting HI there is a TIS at the USS Arizona memorial. It is listed as KOJ799 on 1670 kHz. The ISS web site is a plethora of interesting information. I have spent many hours looking through it. Check out the main menu on the home page (Patrick Griffith, CBT CBNT CRO, Westminster CO, Jan 5, IRCA via DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2009 SHORTWAVE IS UNDER SEVERE THREAT! Dear shortwave radio user. This is an update from UKQRM the group trying to fight back against Power Line Technologies that are wiping out the radio spectrum. These devices (PLT) are used within a household to set up computer networks using the mains power cables of that house. If you want an example you need only go to our video page http://www.mikeandsniffy.co.uk/UKQRM/videos.htm Probably the main offender here is the Comtrend Power Line Ethernet adaptors supplied as part of BT's Vision package. But there are many other types that have nearly the same potential to destroy our hobbies and way of life. The interference extends up to 500 yards around the house using the devices! The cumulative effect of many hundreds of these devices is so bad that NATO has even raised concerns! Check our news page for more on that http://www.mikeandsniffy.co.uk/UKQRM/newspage.htm Towards the end of 2008 several of our members submitted sample PLT devices (Comtrend, Solwise, Advent) to accredited EMC test houses to see if these devices could possibly meet the legal regulations. In all cases they failed by a very wide margin! The manufactures make claims of certification against non existent standards and when pushed simply say that their devices would not work if they complied with the regulations and as such they have not bothered to!!!!!! They say, its unfair to expect them to comply. Ofcom has investigated a much larger number of cases than their web site indicates and have largely had the offending device removed, however in a number of cases it has not been resolved and the radio users nearby still have no hobby! We have sent the data from our test to Ofcom and several other agencies and despite showing a clear breach of our laws and regulations little has been done! Ofcom seems to be suggesting that a crime is only a crime if its observed! So the key thing for us in the radio world is to bring complaints forward, only by doing this can we hope to stop the march of these dreadful and legally questionable devices. Also we have had some interest from Trading Standards! Make no mistake, as time passes more and more PLT devices will come onto the market if we fail to bring them into check. UKQRM, RSGB, WDXC, BDXC and many radio businesses and users have come together to fight this ridiculous situation. However we still need more support! Can you help? Have you signed the UK Government E-Petition? http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveShortwave/ 3218 have already but we need more, we also need reports of PLT interference and those with technical/legal abilities to join with us and take this fight forward. If we fail now, shortwave radio will be a thing of the past very soon. All the best for 2009 http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/UKQRM/ http://www.ukqrm.org The end of world broadcasting? (Mike, Jan 5, UDXF yg et al., via DXLD) I cannot agree more with Mike's analysis of the crisis facing the 90 year old pastime of radio DX. The situation with power line communications in the UK is only the beginning. The problem has already begun in the USA, with Echostar (DISH Network) recommending use of HomePlug devices for Ethernet access to its satellite video receivers. The HomePlug standard is not as bad as the Comtrends causing most of the trouble in the UK, or at least not until every home in the country has it. Everyone thought access BPL had died in the marketplace, but here's IBM reviving it for a system in rural areas. In other words, escape the city and they'll get you in the country. The craze for rock band video games has people playing many hours a day, and most of these machines also generate noise. In fact, every new consumer electronic device for the home has some detrimental effect on HF, if only from poorly designed PSUs. The RF standards are a joke, and not being enforced. We must unite or lose utility DXing, and probably broadcast. Even ham radio might become hard to do without huge antennas - and their own legal problems (Hugh Stegman, USA, ibid.) I wouldn't be surprised if Ofcom's attitude will be that the adapters will be OK provided they do not interfere with local TV or radio. It would appear that here in New Zealand, powerline adapters have already been tried and the idea tossed out because of leakage. Here is a link to a story in the New Zealand Herald, ignore the date at the top of the page, the story actually ran on March 16 2005. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/working-from-home/news/article.cfm?c_id=367&objectid=10115409 (Paul, NZ, HCDX via DXLD) It`s all gone quite with using power lines, well I haven't seen any more in the news or internet about using this form of technology, here in Australia. Wireless network and wireless cards wipe out the idea of using power lines. The wireless cards are slowly coming down in price, compact etc. Funny how technology say in the year 2000 through to just into 2009 has wiped several threats to shortwave. Technology must be small, compact, portable, and not capital intensive. Further, the capital investment must return a profit, and if no one else is going to send rubbish down the power lines, well your going to lose money. It will frighten any CEO of any power company, especially in the last 3 months. GRIN. Johno (John Wright here in Australia, ibid.) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ KATV TOWER COLLAPSE LEADS TO LAWSUIT By Arkansas Business Staff 1/5/2009 http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=111185.54928.123308&view=all&link=perm How much insurance can one carry on a transmission tower? In the case of the KATV-TV, Channel 7, tower in Redfield that collapsed a year ago, it's more than $4 million. OneBeacon America Insurance Co. of Boston insured the tower, and has paid KATV and its parent company that amount. The insurer is now suing Structural Systems Technology Inc. of McLean, Va., citing multiple counts of negligence, breach of contract and fraud. The court case claims that SST's actions directly caused the fall. It was filed Dec. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. "The tower collapse would not ordinarily occur but for SST's negligence in its work," according to court filings. The 2,000-foot tower collapsed Jan. 11 during the installation and replacement of guy wires. An invoice provided as evidence shows KATV and SST agreed the maintenance would cost $250,000. The collapse resulted in both KATV and KETS-TV, Channel 2, which airs public broadcaster AETN, losing their signals for several days. OneBeacon is requesting a jury trial and has not disclosed how much in damages it's seeking (An article in the online edition of the January 5th Arkansas Business via Fritze H. Prentice, Jr KC5KBV, Star City, AR, WTFDA via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see UK ++++++++++++++++++++ NAVTEX POINTERS When a NAVTEX is broadcasting, you will see 2 spikes on the waveforms. Turn on AFC to get the red lines to match the spikes (you can also drag them over). Then you should see things decode. After a while, I would turn off the AFC so that the software tuner remains on the correct audio frequencies and doesn't move around when a weaker station comes in later. The software will even remember the last settings next time you start up. If you have an RTTY mode on your receiver, try using that with a narrow filter (500 Hz is great). If not and are using SSB instead, then try off-tuning. 518 is used for international broadcasts in English. 490 is for national broadcasts in a second language (for example - French in Eastern Canada). There are a few exceptions, such as Chile, where the second language has yet to move to 490. ID's can be made by looking at the first letter of each group following the ZCZC Example : ZCZC FB22 --- The identifier is " F " which is NMF Boston. Broadcast slots are 10 minutes long, and repeat every 4 hours. 0000Z is time slot A, 0010Z is time slot B, etc. The identifier normally matches the time slot. Identifiers are unique within one area, but are duplicated elsewhere in the world. See my list at http://dxinfocentre.com/navtex.htm for schedules. Although broadcasts are only supposed to be 10 minutes long to allow for time-sharing, the US stations typically hog the airwaves for 30 minutes (making DX harder to get). You can leave the software running all night. It automatically saves individual messages in the lower left, complete with the ID. It is however helpful to manually scan the buffer, as sometimes distant stations sneak in and override a closer one (which won't result in a separate message being logged). Another longwave weather target using RTTY mode are CFH Halifax on 122.5 kHz (select 75 baud. shift is 300 Hz, the AFC should lock on for you). A really tough target is DDH47 Hamburg on 147.3 kHz (select 50 baud). I've seen that one once. Years ago, I also used to get RTTY from AFS Offutt AFB, Nebraska 24/7 on 48.5 kHz, but that station is now off the air. Other LW RTTY stations are all encrypted and undecodable. Have fun! (Bill Hepburn, Grimsby, Ont., WTFDA via DXLD) Re: [IRCA] WBZ IBOC is OFF! [IBOC: see also USA: WBAP] ``WBZ-1030 does seem to have the IBOC off this evening. 1040 is completely in the clear. The audio on WBZ still seems to be limited to the 5 kHz bandwidth which is a symptom of a transmitter set for IBOC. I wonder if there was some settlement with WYSL-1040? I certainly hope there was, though it's an odd time for that to happen. The French Fpeaking country station on 1040 is quite listenable, CJMS I think. Craig Healy, RI`` No chance of a settlement, methinks. CBS has no incentive to change their ways, since the FCC has chosen to ignore WYSL's complaint, despite being presented with extensive documentation of the interference problems. So much for their claim in their IBOC Report & Order that they would deal with interference issues in a timely manner. As others have said, WBZ is apparently on their backup rig. In addition to the absence of IBOC, it's interesting to note that they have been significantly off-frequency - about 16 Hz high. Things will no doubt be back to normal (including adjacent channel jamming) soon (Barry McLarnon VE3JF Ottawa, ON, ibid.) More WBZ under U S A TV CHANNEL BRANDING, REMAPPING What about TV stations "calling themselves whatever they want (hello Scott Fybush?)? For example, after conversion, there will be no (RF) channels above RF channel 51. Example - my local Fox channel is 59 but the actual RF is channel 45. It will still be known as channel 59 to viewers. Can a new station call itself channel 92, if they wanted to? (Dave in Indy Hascall, ibid.) Generally speaking, no. There are very specific rules in place, with the force of law, as part of the adoption of the ATSC digital TV standard. Existing licensees must use their former analog channel number as their DTV main channel number - and new licensees occupying channels formerly used by analog stations actually have to use those stations' DTV RF channel numbers. Example: here in Rochester, my WXXI-TV is vacating analog 21 and remaining on DTV 16. We'll still be using "21" as our virtual channel - and if someone comes along later and applies for a new DTV station on RF channel 21, they'd actually have to use "16" as their virtual channel. There's a certain rhyme and reason to this, as it ensures that most (non-DXer) viewers won't experience a conflict between stations using the same virtual channel number. There are provisions, as Doug Smith can probably explain in more detail, for broadcasters to request the use of virtual channel numbers above 69 on either a regional or national basis. Tribune, for instance, at one point requested "75" for all of its stations, perhaps with the idea of creating a semi-national network with that branding. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) Drat! I wanted to call my TV station channel 123456789. I guess that I could call it 3.14 (if I lived in an area with an analog 3) and have nothing but pie baking contests. ;) (Dave Hascall, ibid.) Riddle me this Batman (OK, Scott not Batman)... Fictitious Channel 7 moves to DTV Channel 38 permanently. Calls itself 7-1. Later, a new station uses the now abandoned Channel 7. Does it also call itself 7-1 ? Not sure if there's many examples in the US, but lots of examples in Canada, especially on lowband VHF, where abandoned channels will still be allocated to the same cities. There must be FCC rules in the states for this (Bill Hepburn, Ont., ibid.) There are, and if you reread my reply to David, you'll see I actually addressed this. In your example, the new station using RF channel 7 would use 38 as its major virtual channel. That seems, as I noted, a little weird - but the practical effect is to maintain reasonable spacing between stations using the same virtual channel numbers, so as to minimize the number of cases where an average viewer (not a DXer!) has multiple stations available off-air using the same major virtual channel number. There's no requirement, I suppose, for Canada to follow suit with the US, and potentially good reasons for it not to do so. Since so much Canadian television is networked nationally these days, it might well make more sense to have standardized national (or at least regional) virtual channels. I'm sure Global would like to be "3" everywhere in Ontario OTA, just as they already are on cable, for instance. s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) Sorry I didn't catch that the first time. I can still see unforeseen problems with this in the future - as they must be some combinations not yet thought out. (Even 8-1 Toronto, if ever used, might mess up 8- 1 Rochester). Even the regional channel idea might have flaws. It depends on the receiver, but during DX I've seen 2-1 Dayton wipe out 2-1 Buffalo on a channel list because the tuner could only handle one version of 2-1 - Dayton won out because its channel number was higher (50 vs 33). If Global used 3-1 for all its stations, then I would get 3-1 Fort Erie on that tuner - which has a horrible signal - rather than the 3-1 Toronto which is powerful (channel 48 vs 41). On tuners that like more than one 3-1, it would be fine - but even then it would be awfully confusing for the consumer who is trying to figure out why there a) are two channel 3-1's; b) they both have the same thing, and c) one is more reliable than the other - which is which? Changing the branding, such as "Channel 2, now new & improved Digital Channel 33.", etc, etc. wouldn't have been that bad. This "a channel is not a real channel anymore" stuff is just going to have to come to a stop in 10 or 20 years, with at some point virtual & physical channels mandated as the same to stop unnecessary consumer confusion (William R. Hepburn, Grimbsy, Ont., WTFDA via DXLD) I strongly suspect that 20 years from now - and maybe even 10 years from now - the idea of a linear broadcast "channel" in its present form may well be a thing of the past, anyway, as we all pick and choose from an infinite array of content available over universal wireless broadband. (Or so Harry Helms keeps trying to tell me :-) In the meantime, though, there are some very good reasons - at least on this side of the border - to do what we're doing. Rather than rehash them, here's a link to an ongoing discussion over at radio- info: http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,117517.msg945275.html#msg945275 s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) Remember that the valuable brand ``Channel 37`` (after all, it is a two-digit prime number, not previously used except on cable), is now up for grabs as long as not referring to RF channel 37! If my KXOK-DT- 31 can declare itself DTV 12 for no reason whatsoever, why not? My mind is reeling from the previous discussion, so maybe this was covered, but may we now expect some virtual 37s? 73, (Glenn Hauser, Enid, ibid.) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ IONOSPHERIC LOWERING [re 9-002] The difference in ionosphere altitude seems quite significant. It would be interesting to know what has caused this. Maybe this does explain, at least in part, why SWBC signals seem so weak over the past few years! This particular winter is one of the worst I've ever heard in over 30 years of tuning. There are many days when I can do a bandscan (any hour, any band) and hear next to nothing, and those signals that should be pegging the S-meter are barely audible. There also seems to be a very much higher level of atmospheric / ionospheric noise. I'm certainly no expert, but years of observation tell me that something unusual has been gradually happening, and now there is an actual scientific measurement that gives some support to those observations, however vague (Paul Brouillette, Geneva, IL, Jan. 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) SW bands are filled with noise and more noise most of the daytime and even 31m. Before local dawn is not a great deal until 1130 UT. If this report have something to do with favoring nighttime AM band propagation, well let me tell you, I've been receiving strong signals specially in the X Band, namely KVNS 1700, WDHP 1620 and ZNS 1540, with those religious channels flanking Bahamas, Radio Avivamiento 1530 from Panamá and Radio Buenas Nuevas 1550 from San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Great signal from R. Mensabé 1410, Las Tablas, Panamá too. Even the long time not detectable KAAY 1090 Little Rock has been heard lately.73 and welcome to 2009 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.) A planetary atmosphere disappearing at this rate forebodes much bigger problems than any concerning radio propagation (Terry Wilson, MI, ibid.) I doubt that the atmosphere is disappearing. If it was, we would se a drop in atmospheric pressure here at the surface. I wonder instead if this drop in altitude in the ionized layers is due to a change in the composition of gases? (Chris Trask / N7ZWY, Principal Engineer, Sonoran Radio Research, P.O. Box 25240, Tempe, Arizona 85285-5240, IEEE Senior Member #40274515, ibid.) Or, since we don't know exactly how all this stuff works as of yet, perhaps a lower amount of charging from the sun allows the layers to compress in on themselves. It's likely that once Cycle 24 gets underway in earnest that increased levels of ionization will cause the layers to expand outward to the heights we consider "normal". 73, de (Nate Bargmann, KS, ibid.) If that were the case we would have known that by now as measurements needed to ascertain that have been made for at least the past 50 years. What hasn't been measured to date is how the composition of gases in the upper atmosphere affect the ionization at the lower levels of the ionosphere (Chris Trask, AZ, ibid.) ###