DX LISTENING DIGEST 9-054, July 28, 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 2009 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 SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1471, July 29-August 4, 2009 Wed 0500 WRMI 9955 Wed 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 1900 WBCQ 7415 Thu 0530 WRMI 9955 Thu 1900 WBCQ 7415 Fri 0000 WBCQ 5110-CUSB Area 51 Fri 0100 WRMI 9955 Fri 1130 WRMI 9955 Fri 1900 WBCQ 7415 Fri 2030 WWCR1 15825 [or 2028:30] Sat 0800 WRMI 9955 Sat 0800 IPAR/IRRS/NEXUS/IBA 9510 [except first and second Sats] Sat 1630 WWCR3 12160 Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1515 WRMI 9955 [suspended, until mid-August?] Mon 0500 WRMI 9955 Mon 2200 WBCQ 7415 Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 Tue 1530 WRMI 9955 Tue 1900 WBCQ 7415 Wed 0500 WRMI 9955 [or new 1472 starting here?] Wed 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 1900 WBCQ 7415 Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html or http://schedule.worldofradio.org or http://sked.worldofradio.org For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE: http://podcast.worldofradio.org or 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/ ** ALASKA. 7355, KNLS, July 24 at 1232, ``Hit Me With Your Best Shot`` by Pat Benatar, 1233 talk feature Author`s Journal, but really a sermon about Paul, the religionist credited with pumping up the Jesus myth, quoting from I and II Timothy. 1238 back to music ``from the 80s, 90s and today`` by Pet Shop Boys. F-G signal with deep fades. At 1246 checked // 9780 and could detect English underneath the Chinese radio war. KNLS is certainly a curiosity as one has no interest in its music or its preaching, but WCBC must think it`s the best way to pull in unchurched suckers in the FE (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA. KNLS IS on both 9780 and 9795, July 28 at 1301, introducing Chinese hour, with as usual Chinese radio war QRM on the former (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA [non]. LATIN AMERICA: "What's Going On?" July 2009 Rex Morgan [caption] Senior Producer for Latin America As we begin developing programming for Latin America God opens doors with both new and old friends that have the same interest as we do, winning lost souls! In the months to come I will be introducing you to the talent that is coming together as our radio production for programming to Latin America develops. Great music will be a major part of our programming. We pray that listeners looking for good music with great messages will tune in to KNLS and enjoy what they hear as they wait for spiritual messages that will impact their lives. To reach this goal, we have been talking to Carlos Gonzales. Carlos is producer, composer, singer, and editor for the singing group “Voces” a Spanish language A Capella quartet. . . http://www.worldchristian.org/Languages/LatinAmerica/la_whatsgoingon.php Altho this refers to KNLS, the Alaska station is hardly in any position to serve Latin America, while the under-construxion Madagascar station has previously been mentioned as targeting LAm as well as Africa and Asia. We know from RNW Talata that reaching Latin America is quite feasible from there. On the homepage there are also linx to similar pages concerning Africa and Arabic, as well as the existing Chinese, English and Russian: http://www.worldchristian.org/ (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. ANTARTIDA, 15476, LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, 1822-1905, 21-07, canciones argentinas, locutora, comentarios: "Noticia internacional, la Organización Mundial de la Salud...", identificación: "Desde Base Esperanza, Antártida Argentina, transmite LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, por 15476 kHz". 14322. También *1802-1850, 23-07, canción, locutor: "Aqui, en este momento comienza su transmisión LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, desde Base Esperanza, Antártida Argentina, 63º.. latitud Sur, 56º ..., longitud Oeste, por la frecuencia de 15476 kHz", locutora: "Muy buenas tardes, queridos oyentes, es 23 de Julio de 2009, LRA 36 comienza sus transmisiones", "Saludos a todos nuestros oyentes, permanezcan con nosotros las próximas tres horas". También 1830-1901, 24-01, poemas y canciones argentinas , locutor, identificación: Desde Base Esperanza, Antártida Argentina, transmite LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel en la frecuencia de 15476 kHz.", locutora: "Noticia internacional", más canciones, comentario por locutora sobre la Organización Mundial de la Salud. 25322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, Escuchas realizadas en Reinante, Mar Cantabrico, provincia de Lugo, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Re 9-053 Australia item of coast station VMR. This item caught my attention as a former merchant marine radio operator. A lot have changed since my sailings :-( But, when briefly googling this AUS issue, I think the call VMR is a common call for Volunteer Marine Radio. And, if I understand it correctly, in Australia they have those 27 MHz CB radios used in boats with "maritime channels", where channel 88 is a key channel. Someone down under will surely correct me. 73, (Jari Savolainen, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA [and non]. 9660, July 24 at 0519, two stations in English mixing about equally. Normally I just hear R. Australia, which is listed as only 10 kW via Brandon at 00-08; but Vatican is also on there at 0300-0530, the final semihour in English, 175 degrees from SMG (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BANGLADESH. BANGLADESH BETAR DISPOSES OLD SW & MW TRANSMITTERS Bangladesh Betar has issued tender notice to dispose off two of its transmitters : 100 kW MW, Make: RCA , Model: BTH-100B 100 kW SW, Make: Continental, Model: 418A-1 Both these transmitters served the Shavar transmission centre of Bangladesh Betar. The SW transmitter was presently non-operational, as per TDP this was installed in the year 1968 (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, Juy 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BIAFRA [non]. Did not get around to reconfirming VOBI via WHRI Friday July 17, but I did July 24 --- yes, still on 15665 at 1900, usual stuff, protracted musical opening ceremonies, before getting down to anti-Nigerian business (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 5952.5, Radio Pio XII, Siglo XX, 2217-2230, 22-07, locutor, español, comentarios y noticias del departamento de Potosí. Audible en LSB. 15321. También 2208-2220, 24-07, locutor, español, transmisión en directo del intento del Presidente de Honduras Manuel Zelaya de ingresar en su país a través de Nicaragua: "Represión en Paraiso por parte de los militares". Identificación: "Pio XII". 23322. También 2210-2225, 25-07, locutor, español, comentario, canciones bolivianas, locutora hablando con corresponsales, identificación: "Pio XII" (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, Escuchas realizadas en Reinante, Mar Cantabrico, provincia de Lugo, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Na frequência de 2380, Rádio Educadora de Limeira, com sinal 55555, limpo como FM, UT 2355 (py5aap morato, gg46qu, Cornelio Procopio-Pr- Br, July 23, dxclube Parana yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DXLD) Amigo Morato, Maravilhosa informação, pois eu estava querendo gravar esta emissora, pois não tinha o audio dela. E agora consegui captá-la como nunca a captei. Estou aqui na fazenda e ela está realmente chegando 55555. Tá quase na hora do jogo do Corinthians, mas só vou sair desta frequência depois que gravar o identify dela. Grato pela dica e um abraço, (Adalberto Marques de Azevedo, Barbacena - Minas Gerais, 0018 UT July 24, radioescutas yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DXLD) We certainly won`t get it 55555 in NAm, but this may indicate a power increase or some other improvement in transmission (gh, ibid.) 2379.9, tentative, Brasil, Radio Educadora de Limeira, SP, 1030 weak, with harmonic on 2380.62 on 24 July. 2379.83, unID powerful harmonic appeared at 1100 on 23 July. 73s (Bob Wilkner, Pompano Beach, Florida US, NRD 535D ~ Drake R8 R7 Sony 2010XA, Various Antennas, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Não estamos consternados, mas sim muito alegres, pois falaremos de nascimento e não de morte. E além disso não falaremos, não apenas de um nascimento, mas sim, também de uma recuperação. Quando falamos de recuperação, estamos falando da Rádio Brasil de Campinas, emissora que sempre marcava sua presença nas Ondas Tropicais, na freqüência de 4785 kHz, e devido a queima de uma válvula de seu modulador, estava inativa. Mas, recentemente, a emissora conseguiu importar a tal válvula, seu corpo técnico normalizou o sistema transmissor, e ela voltou ao ar, alegrando todo o mundo aficionado do rádio, e passando a ser captada com excelente sinal em diversos pontos do país e até por dexistas estrangeiros (@tividade DX July 26 via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 5990, Radio Senado, Brasilia, 2137-2200*, 21-07, canciones brasileñas, locutor, portugués, anuncio: "Jornal do Senado, segunda a cuarta feira, sete e media da noite na Voz do Brasil", locutora: 2158: "Radio Senado, agora en Brasilia 6 horas 58 minutos", 2200: "A Radio Senado finaliza agora a sua transmiçao en onda curta". 34433. También 2137-2250, 22-07, locutora: "Senado, a radio da cidadania", portugués, comentarios. "Esta e a Radio Senado, agora en Brasilia 6 horas e 39", canciones. (Méndez) 10000, Emisora de señales horarias Observatorio Nacional, 2132-2140, 24-07, portugués, señales horarias, identificación y anuncio de la hora cada 10 segundos: "Observatorio Nacional, 18 horas, 32 minutos, 50 segundos", "Observatorio Nacional, 1 horas, 33 minutos, 0 segundos". 34333. (Méndez) 11815, Radio Brasil Central, Goiania, 0955-1012, 23-07, locutor, locutora: "23 de Julho de 2009, noticias de Goiania", a las 1000 identificación: "Radio Brasil Central, ondas curtas, 11815 kHz, ondas tropicais, 4985 kHz, Radio Brasil Central, Goiania, Goias, Brasil", "O mundo em sua casa", noticias, el tiempo, "Pincipais noticias". 24322. (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, Escuchas realizadas en Reinante, Mar Cantabrico, provincia de Lugo, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. A Super Rede Boa Vontade de Rádio, de Porto Alegre (RS), possui duas freqüências ativas em ondas curtas: 9550 e 11895 kHz. Os dois canais foram monitorados pelo colunista, em um sítio no interior de Pancas (ES), em 9 de julho, por volta de 1400, no Tempo Universal. O interessante é que a emissora anunciava que estava emitindo apenas em 6160 kHz, justamente a freqüência que está inativa há cerca de quatro anos, conforme assevera Édison Bocorny Júnior, de Novo Hamburgo (RS). BRASIL – A Rádio Guaíba, de Porto Alegre (RS), continua levando ao ar, diversas vezes por dia, identificação de que transmite em 11785 kHz, inclusive nas jornadas esportivas. A constatação é do Édison Bocorny Júnior, de Novo Hamburgo (RS). De acordo com ele, faz pelo menos seis meses que o canal está inativo, esperando reposição de peças. (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX July 26 via DXLD) ** BULGARIA. 9600 with choral music July 27 at 0542. If it`s in –00, chances are it`s R. Bulgaria, and quickly confirmed as such by // 11600 with about same good reception. This is the German semi-hour at 306 degrees on both, exactly the same azimuth as used for NAm (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Re 9-053: Re: Kai, I'm not quite sure what you mean about Maple Leaf Mailbag being self-referential. Is it about the show only focusing on itself (e.g. through cross-country road trips or attempts at comedy) and not the listeners? Probably a linguistic problem and "selbstreferentiell" is a term really known in German only. In this case it means that the show is about RCI, that they have themselves as main topic. It is not a question of the amount or kind of listeners participation. The key point is that they do not need the world out there, that they broadcast in the sake of broadcasting. Of course this phenomenon is very widespread in shortwave broadcasting. But I feel that RCI's mailbag show is an especially bad example (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CFRX, Toronto, 6070, July 25-26 - CFRX noted missing at 2200 UT Saturday and still no sign of them as of 2000 Sunday (Brandon Jordan, TN, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CFRX, 6070, heard here this morning, 27 July, at 1230, though much, much weaker than they normally are (S9+). Transmitter problem? Antenna Problem? (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, ibid.) CFRX had been reported missing from 6070 lately, and July 27 at 1318 check no sign of it here, so off the air? No, Steve Lare in much closer Michigan was hearing it at 1230, but much weaker than usual Still no CFRX audible here on 6070, tho it may be on QRP, July 28 at 1235, just the North Korean roar (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 740, CFZM, ON, Toronto - July 8, 0530 [EDT] – in mix with WPAQ, WNYH, WMBG and unID religious station with adult standards songs, “Good morning, I’m Tera Smith with the five thirty news on AM seven forty” into items of world and Canadian news, and local weather. 0539 “... right here on zuma radio AM seven forty”. (Kraig Krist, VA, DDXD East, NRC DX News July 20 via DXLD) Slogan is actually “Zoomer radio”; zoomer being the word coined by CFZM’s owner Moses Znaimer for baby boomers nearing age 65 (Mike Brooker, Ont., ed., ibid.) ** CHINA. 3280, Voice of Pujiang, 1318, July 24. Segment in English which sounded perhaps like a White House press conference; 1321 into Chinese; fair; // 4950 (weak) and 9705 (poor with QRM). 5860, Voice of Jinling, *1345-1346*, *1347-1404, July 24. Suddenly on in mid-song; suddenly off; on again with two woman in conversation; after ToH pop music; fair (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 7245, CNR-2/China Business Radio, 1430-1448, July 23. Seems they have indeed changed the “English Evening” schedule. Now heard from 1430 to 1500 on weekdays (ex: 1330-1400). Presented by John and a Chinese woman; segment “Studio Classroom Worldwide”; fair. Will need to check weekend schedule to find if it is 1400 to 1500 (ex: 1300- 1400). 7245, CNR-2/China Business Radio, 1430-1500, July 25 (Sat.). “This is a new Saturday edition of ‘English Evening’. From this Saturday on, each week we will introduce you to a new movie”; new format and time (ex: 1300-1400/Sat.); sound bites from the movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic”, along with plot summary; followed by “Studio Classroom Worldwide”; fair-good. What changes will Sunday bring? (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Ron and anyone else who might be interested. From time to time some of you may have heard a program called Studio Classroom which is produced here in Taiwan. A large number of radio stations in China including CRI are running this show. CRI airs the show on the domestic channel weekday early mornings. They are one of a small handful of stations they are getting the show legally. The vast majority of stations in China that are broadcasting Studio Classroom are not paying any broadcast rights. They are buying the series on the black market (Keith Perron, Taiwan, ibid.) Hi Keith, Thank you for your input. Would hope that CNR-2/China Business Radio's presentations of Studio Classroom (SC) are legal. For the past four years I have frequently heard and reported on SC. Occasionally I have reiterate that they are produced in Taiwan, as well as providing their URL http://www.studioclassroom.com/ ("Studio Classroom is the second most popular English-teaching magazine in Taiwan. The magazine and accompanying radio and TV programs have won numerous awards over the years, including Taiwan's famous Golden Bell and Golden Tripod Awards. Studio Classroom is distributed and broadcast in Mainland China, the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. A station in Kazakhstan broadcasts Studio Classroom throughout the Central Asia and the Middle East. Via the Internet, Studio Classroom programs are available worldwide.?). http://www.studioclassroom.com/sc/sc_radio.php has audio of their programs. I note that there is even a SC office located in Beijing http://www.studioclassroom.com.cn/splash/aboutus.htm "English Evening, with their regular segments of SC, is among my favorites for SW programming. Have always found SC to be a quality production and usually very entertaining. Hope that more people will tune in and enjoy this show (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, USA, ibid.) Both CNR and CRI get Studio Classroom legally. But that's about it. In China, as you know pirated DVDs, CDs, are everywhere. Despite the government saying they are cracking down, this is not as easy as it seems. CCTV (Central China Television) have a shop on the first floor of their building. Guess what, they are selling pirate DVDs and CDs. The kicker is they are duplicated using CCTV's own resources. CRI has and still does produce pirated CDs and DVDs, which are then sent to 3rd party retailers in Beijing. When international broadcasters had music transcription services such as Radio Netherlands, Radio Deutsche Welle, Radio Canada International and others, CRI was on the mailing list to receive these programs. Why? They would never air anything from another international broadcaster. The answer is simple and I had the head of the CRI music department admit to me before. What they would do is receive the program on reel to reel tape, or cassette or in some cases 33 rpm, just edit out the announcer voice, copy the music and then sell it. CCTV has made copies of movies it bought for broadcast, and then maybe one month after it airs the version that CCTV aired is available as a pirate. That's nothing. I use to do a weekly jazz show on CRI's domestic channel, and then one day I found a local station in Shanghai running a jazz show with the same music that played 2 week prior. I listened a few more times and found out the guy was was doing that show was recording mine, editing out the music and just added his voice. Now how did he get a copy of my show? No he didn't record it off air. Someone in the technical department was sending him a DAT copy. It all stopped after one week on the show on purpose played 6 recordings where I added a high pitch tone that was only recorded, but was not broadcast. Also when I went to CRI management telling this if this does not stop I will report this to the WTO office in Beijing. It stopped (Keith Perron, Taiwan, ibid.) Hi Keith, Yes, I know firsthand how prevalent the problem is. In the past when I often visited Shanghai, I noticed that as soon as it got dark (less police around), the vendors of pirated DVDs would come out and set up their tables on various street corners, displaying their wares. Usually these were people from the county side who had come to Shanghai to make money. Periodically the police would try to stop this practice, so for maybe a few weeks the vendors would not show up, but they always eventually did come back again. Actually a more success example of the government really doing something about pirated/knock-off goods, was the closing of the notorious Xiangyang Market in Shanghai. For years there was a city block filled with small stalls selling items like $15 “Armani” jackets. I can recall one time when I flow to Shanghai and some people on the plane talked about going to the Xiangyang Market and said it was their first trip to China and they already knew about the market. The government finally tore down everything. Of course everyone there went to different locations, but believe it is not as consolidated now as it was in the past. The Chinese are very practical people when it comes to making money and many tend to overlook some of the niceties the we in the West think are important. Best regards, (Ron Howard, ibid.) 7245, CNR-2/China Business Radio. Summary of new schedule for “English Evening”: 1430 to 1500, Mon. thru Sun.; the weekday programs are presented by John and a Chinese woman, plus an edition of Studio Classroom (SC); Sat. show is about movies, along with an edition of SC; Sun. repeats various segments of SC from the previous week. Seems this will be a permanent change, but this is just the first week I have observed these changes (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, July 26, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [and non]. 15050, Sound of Hope, via Taiwan, 1210-1215, Jul 10, Chinese talk, jammed, 22332 (Bernard Mille, Bailleul, France, DSWCI DX Window July 21 via DXLD) Not reported there since longtime (gh) ** CHINA. Firedrake July 23: at 1309 audible on 8400, a bit better on 9000; not on 13970. 15285 CNR1 jamming was making it thru. Firedrake July 24: at 1240, audible on 8400 and 9000; at 1345 JBA on 14430, not on 13500, 13970; at 1346 better but only poor on 15150, none higher. Firedrake July 25: at 1259 nothing on 8400, and poor on 9000, checked just in time before going to open carrier at 1300. At 1326 poor on 13970 with totally-percussion passage; 1328 JBA on 14430 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) At 1516, on July 25, found most of the CNR-1 echo jamming frequencies were also accompanied by Firedrake. 9455 (RFA), 9670 (VOA), 11585 (RFA), 11625 (RFA), and 12025 (RFA) all had both FD and echo CNR-1. Heard solo CNR-1 echo jamming on 7130 (RTI), 7185 (RTI) and 12110 (VOA). Solo FD on the usual 8400, 9000, 13970, 14430 and 15150. (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ChiCom jamming check July 26: at 1235 on 15255, echoing CNR1 ID, no sign of victim, VOA Chinese via Philippines, except SAH which could as easily have been between two jamming transmitters; then xylophone music. At 1237, Firedrake alone, poor on both 8400 and 9000. At 1308 also poor on 13970, 1310 just barely audible on 14430. 1354 good on 15150 and // the Firedrake portion of 12040. Back at 1308, found CNR1 PLUS Firedrake on 12040, good signals also against VOA Chinese via Tinang. Usually we don`t hear both CNR1 and Firedrake jamming on same frequency, but Ron Howard first reported such mixtures July 25. At 1350 on 11805 also CNR1 plus Firedrake. No echo from CNR1, however, so perhaps the echoer was switched to Firedrake audio feed. 11805 is yet another VOA Chinese outlet, this time via Thailand, as like a spoiled child, the ChiCom yell as loud as they can to keep from hearing what they desperately need to hear; meanwhile their own slanted side is pervasive and unimpeded on SW into the USA tnx to their Canadian comrades. Firedrake July 27: at 1313 fair on 8400, and also at 1319 on 9000. At 1329 nothing audible on 13970; at 1334 very poor with flutter on 14430 and 15150, no other solo Firedrake heard. But Firedrake mixed with CNR1 jamming was again the case at 1324 on 12040 and at 1326 on 11805. CNR1-only jamming at 1327 on 11785 mixing with target also in Chinese. Firedrake check July 28: at 1247 on 8400 and better on // 9000. At 1308 poor on 14430, better on 13970, best on 15150. At 1311 on 17470 about equal to 15150. At 1315 also good on 11300 // 15150 and still at 1354. 11300 is more erratic, but when it`s on must wreak havoc on East African aero communications, including probably Chinese planes trying to contact ATC, but it`s far more important to the ChiCom that Sound of Hope be jammed, than aeronautical safety be enhanced. At 1358 Firedrake fair on 13500, another non-daily one; and believe I heard a brief snatch of FD around 15412 but went off at 1359 before I could downpin it; there was a het, and previously has blocked V. of Tibet varying around here (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) At 1414, on July 28, noted strong Firedrake combined with CNR-1 jamming on 11990 and 12040, both against VOA (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) If anyone would like to send a reception report to China about FIREDRAKE, the address and contact is: State Administration Of Radio, Film & Television Attn: Ministry Of Communications For Xu Guangchun No.2 Fuxingmenwai Street, Xincheng, District Beijing, China 100866 Or China Radio Internatonal Master Control Room Attn: Li Pei Chun 3rd Floor, 16 A Shijingshan Road Beijing, China 100040 (Keith Perron, Taiwan, July 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA, 5910, Marfil Estereo, Puerto Lleras, 0603-0635, 22-07, canciones latinoamericanas, identificación: "HKI79, Marfil Estereo", "Desde Puerto Lleras transmite HKI79 Marfil Estereo". 35433 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, Escuchas realizadas en Reinante, Mar Cantabrico, provincia de Lugo, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Marfil Estereo, Lomalinda, 5910, July 25-26 - missing during the 2200- 1200 UTC period (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA-100 Loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CONGO [non]. Rep., Re 6115, R Congo, Brazzaville, reported around 1800: Only Belaruskaje Radyjo 1, Minsk, audible here Jul 17 at 1800 (Anker Petersen, Skovlunde, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window July 21 via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. I've been hearing an unID station on 2859.8 kHz. I presume it's a harmonic of 1430. I've not heard anything like it on the fundamental. Also, I've heard it both in the evening after sunset and in the morning before sunrise. More than once I've heard them sign off around 0200z. I've posted a short audio clip with what sounds like a jingle or station ID. The clip is labelled 2859.mp3 and is in the DXLD files section. Suggestions would be appreciated (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, Texas, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, Hope you can get more clips with identifiable info. First says ``mundo de diferencia`` which could be an informal slogan. I searched on it along with 1430 and did not get anywhere. Can`t figure out what the word is before ``radio`` (twice). That might be the key. Looked at the 1430 listings here, and you might too in case anything is clueful: http://www.nrcdxas.org/articles/2008_MEXICO_LIST_by_frequency.pdf The 0200 sign-off is typical for a Mexican ``daytimer``. Also looked thru Central America 1430 listings in WRTH with no leads. There are only two 1430 Texans besides Houston, and neither those nor any 1430s in neighboring states fit, per NRC AM Log 2008-2009, unless there has been a format change. Doubtful it could be any further away. How about Roswell, Jerry Kiefer? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The Mundo bit might tie in with this network which has a 1430 station on the Colombian coast at Barranquilla, tho I don`t find the exact slogan, and it appears to be evangelical, at least stealthily: http://colmundoradio.com.co/index.php It gets out quite well on the fundamental, but has not been reported off-frequency. Here is one which has been measured around 1429.9: 1430 1429.9067 VEN Guacara (YVNB Radio Satelite 14-30) 0930-0400 [- 1429.97] 20061226 per: http://www.myradiobase.de/mediumwave/mwoffset.txt (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Jerry`s previous reports: via DXLD 9-047: UNIDENTIFIED. I've been hearing a Spanish speaking station for the past couple of weeks on 2859.8, both in the evening after dusk at about 0130z (20:30 CDT) and in the morning before dawn at about 1100z (06:00 CDT). The format is a mix of music and conversation. The music doesn't sound typically Mexican and the jingles have been very reserved. It doesn't sound like a commercial station, at least a Mexican commercial station. I haven't heard any hets on 1430 but the harmonic might propagate much better. I suspect a harmonic, I can't think of a way to come up with an image or mixing product for this frequency. I'm using a sloper antenna for this, my loop won't resonate at this frequency so I have no idea of a bearing (Jerry Lenamon, Waco Texas, Drake R8B & Eton E-1, June 5, ABDX via DXLD) And 9-041: UNIDENTIFIED. I caught a station, in Spanish, on 2859.6 this morning, May 18 at 1100z. Male and female announcers, with perhaps a mention of Colombia. Try again tomorrow with the recorder on (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, Texas, Drake R-8B, T2FD, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio San Carlos, Costa Rica? (Explanatory details posted 30 minutes ago have not made it to my screen yet). A male voice says "Haciendo la diferencia" prior to the jingle. This slogan is part of the station logo, at http://radiosancarlos.co.cr/ There is a streaming audio facility on their webpage, but right now (at 0820) there is no transmission. Jerry and Glenn, My previous message made it to the list at once, so I assume my 0730 posting has been lost in cyberspace or that it perhaps will bounce from there to the list at some later date. That´s why I am repeating part of the message. The Colombian would not sign off at 0200. The jingle does not sound Colombian. Also, I am hearing "Radio San Carlos" at the end of the jingle. The Costarican is listed on 1440 in the WRTH, and so says the logo on their webpage. However, if you open the "Nosotros" file on their menu, you´ll find that the their actual frequency is 1430, and their power 3 kW, both findings differing from the WRTH 2009 info (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, ibid.) Henrik, Thank you for the research; it sounds like you're right. I just listened to the TOH station identification, it was a different jingle but the "Haciendo la diferencia" sounded the same. I'll listen to the stream some more to see if anything else seems similar. This was not a one time reception. I've heard them many times, as recently as yesterday. But the signal strength is never good and the noise level is usually quite high. The distance is only 1674 miles but considering that the harmonic is probably suppressed considerably it isn't surprising that the reception is poor. Thanks too to Glenn for the forum (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, ibid.) ** CUBA, 11760, Radio Habana Cuba, 2140-2200*, 24-07, transmisión en directo, del intento de entrada en Honduras, desde Nicaragua, del presidente Manuel Zelaya. Conexión con locutora transmitiendo desde la frontera de Honduras y Nicaragua. "En Paraiso el ejército está reprimiendo a los manifestantes". Entrevista con Manuel Zelaya. En paralelo con 11770 y cierre a las 2200 y a partir de esa hora siguen por 11770. 45444 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, Escuchas realizadas en Reinante, Mar Cantabrico, provincia de Lugo, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. RHC check July 23 at 0630 news by `Ed Newman`: English this time on 6010, 6060 and 6140, while Spanish was on 6000, 6120 and 11760. Other nights 6140 has been in Spanish, and sometimes 11760 is in English. Quick check at 1629 found 11760 and 13760 still on the air in extended Spanish midday service. RHC July 25 at 0635: Spanish on 11760, 6140, 6120, 6000; English on 6060, 6010. This is the usual pattern lately, but not always. Have any of these changes been made on its own schedule, http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/c_frecuencia/frecuencias.htm ---? Of course not! Still shows all except 6120 in English until 0700, and no Spanish on any frequency in the 05-11 quarterday; 6120 listed only for Esperanto Sundays at 2330-2400, tho it`s been running long Spanish hours at night for weeks. BTW, take a look at the flag icons for linx to language pages atop the imaginary frequency schedule: English = UK, Spanish = Spain, French = France, Portuguese = Portugal, and Esperanto = green with a star in the corner on a white field, as: http://flagspot.net/flags/qy-eo.html Thus are ignored the much larger areas speaking respective languages which are surely primary targets of RHC: USA, Latin America, Brasil. And Portuguese is still `EM CONSTRUÇÃO`. I say USA rather than NAm, since RHC aims its beams at various US cities, Canada never mentioned, maybe gets overlap, who cares? But displaying Old Glory on the RHC website is no doubt forbidden by the PTB as it might imply some recognition or respect for Enemy #1. So why don`t they speak English with a British accent? It`s hard enough for some of their announcers to speak understandable English at all. 11880 with lite clicking, July 25 at 1323, but unlike yesterday, this was before the DentroCuban jamming on 11930, and no match on 11980. So my theory that these were matching spurs from a jammer on 11930 is not borne out. However, it could still be a Cuban jamspur. 11845 was grinding away; 11880 clix still audible at 1359, BFO helps, as 11930 Greenville in open carrier atop jamming building up. At 1400 modulation cut on in musical theme rather than fading it up (no finesse at IBB), and R. Martí`s lead story, week in review was a political prisoner in Holguín on a hunger strike since July 14. Funny, never heard about that on RHC. Cuba has plenty of political prisoners of its own yet only talks incessantly about those in the USA, implying that we have a monopoly on injustice. Big Lie; propaganda by omission. RHC, 15120 and 15360 at 1236 July 26 with raucous crowd noise, vivas, probably warming up for mandatory celebrations in the Plaza; but at 1238 back to `normal` programming from studio, i.e. obsession with the ``cinco anti-terroristas``, while Rebelde, still audible on 5025, was in music. Would there be any ``Aló, Presidente`` this week? It`s been missing since sometime in June before the Honduran (non)coup. Apparently not. At 1450, RHC still going on 11760, 13760 and 13780, altho missing from 13680 which normally runs to 1500; but nothing found on the listed A,P frequencies 11690, 12010, 13750, 17750. 1520 nothing found on those four either, but: RHC`s weekly Sunday Esperanto broadcast was back not only on 11760, but also on unscheduled 5965 and 11800! Does that make up for pre-empting it several weeks from one frequency? 6000 and 13760 also on the air but only open carrier. Possibly the extended and never listed midday Spanish broadcasts past 1500 have now ended? But Mel Zelaya is still in exile! No, at 1547, RHC Spanish programming had resumed on 5965, 11690, 11760, 11800, 13760; so they just paused to squeeze in Esperanto. UT July 27 at 0534 on 11760, RHC in Spanish with 26 de Julio speech including PA reverb on the Plaza, applause, at the moment recounting Cuba`s first revolution against Spanish colonialism. Concluded with ``¡Viva Fidel!`` --- ``¡Viva!,`` spurts the crowd; ``¡Viva Cuba Libre!`` --- ``¡Viva!``, spurts the crowd again. Suspect it was Hermano Raúl, who seems to be sounding more vigorous as he gets to orate more. Why he would be calling for rum drinx or a clandestine radio station to live long, I don`t know. Yes, outro at 0535 said it was Raúl, on the 56th anniversary of Moncada. 0551 checked the 49m outlets and found Spanish also on 6120, 6000, English on 6140, 6060, 6010. 11760 was atop NHK in Russian // 11715 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5965 Radio Habana Cuba, La Habana, Cuba, +2240-2300+, con buena señal, a las 2240 escuchando a "El Mundo de la Filatelia" (repeticion) filatelia@rhc.cu --- a las 2243 inicio con el programa "En Contacto", en esta ocasión pasaron una grabación de la entrevista que el amigo Antonio Buitrago del Programa "Amigos de la Onda Corta" le hace a Manolo de la Rosa. Por otro lado, en mi anterior reporte sobre los 5965 KHz (y a la observación por Glenn Hauser, en los Estados Unidos) no hay más emision en Creole, (al menos de 2230 a 2300 hs UT, los Domingos); no encontré nada en las otras frecuencias, excepto estas frecuencias en paralelo en español. Escuchada tambien en 13790 y en los 13750 kHz, ambas llegando también con buena senal (26 julio 2009) (Yimber Gaviría, Colombia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. But what is/was her real air name? I found this quite by accident after reading... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8165704.stm about couples with the same name. Scrolling down to the comments posts, I read hers: ``Absolutely no-one else with my name appears either on Facebook or on even on Google searches. When I was growing up I hated my name and I was so jealous of all the Sarahs and Smiths in my class but these days I quite like being unique. On Facebook there are only about 25 people with the same surname as me, and most of us are somehow related. This April I actually met up with cousins in Buenos Aires whose existence I would never even have known about were it not for Facebook and Skype... amazing. Love the internet and love having a unique name. Marinella Abbondati, London`` and I did a Google search to see if that was true. There, I found a LinkedIn page which states: Current Journalist at Radio Habana Cuba Past Writer Editor at The Guanacaste Journal Education Goldsmiths College, U. of London University College London, U. of London Connections 14 connections Industry Broadcast Media Marinella Abbondati’s Experience Journalist Radio Habana Cuba (Broadcast Media industry) Currently holds this position Writer Editor The Guanacaste Journal (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Newspapers industry) March 2006 — September 2006 (7 months) Note that the BBC News posting states she resides in London (now) however. More cyber stalking Marinella Abbondati http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:p-ZlyhIVGeoJ:www.callboxdiary.co.uk/crew/images/comprofiler/plug_profilegallery/629/pg_2024414278.doc+Marinella+Abbondati&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us http://www.travellersconnected.com/member/sirenita There are a few other weaker links (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, July 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECHIA [non]. Most nights after 0500, WRMI is inaudible on 9955 and we wonder if it`s really on the air, but July 25 it was in well at 0630 with expanded R. Prague relays going from English to Spanish. Also VG after 1400 with more Prague in English, mini-features including one lamenting that smoking is being banned by neighboring countries even in bars and restaurants; and that Czechia is losing movie-produxion business from abroad due to lack of state-of-the-art technical facilities (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DENMARK. DIGITAL TV IN DENMARK CREATES HEADACHES FOR LOCAL STATIONS As Denmark continues on its path to convert the nation’s television stations to a digital broadcasting system, many small stations are finding it difficult to meet the strict guidelines required by the government. The local broadcasters have until 1 November to make the changes or they will be left out in the cold. On 1 November, terrestrial TV viewers across Denmark will be forced to switch to digital if they want to watch any programmes. City TV station Kanal København is one station that needs to make significant changes if it wants to keep its broadcasting licence. Among the most affected are public stations like TV2 and DR, as well as countless small local stations. Kanal København’s trouble is with its non-commercial broadcasts such as the pornography it shows late at night. The station has been showing these movies for 25 years, but the new regulations forbid any content that contains pornography or gratuitous violence. In a touch of state control over freedom of expression, the government has decided to ban any station broadcasting material deemed to “cause serious harm to minors’ physical, mental or moral development.” The Copenhagen Post reports there are presently 286 local television stations around Denmark. Only nine of these are labeled non-commercial by the Culture Ministry’s Agency for Libraries and Media. This means nearly all Danish television will be much tamer and more morally rigid as of 1 November. (Source: Ice News) Andy Sennitt comments: The situation will still be a lot better than it was when I first moved to Denmark in 1978. Then, there was just a single national channel produced by DR, and I remember one evening when they showed an opera that lasted about three hours in primetime. It was that or nothing. In Copenhagen we could also watch the two Swedish channels, as Malmö is only a matter of kilometres away, but viewers farther West had no alternative. (July 26th, 2009 - 12:44 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) 1 comment so far 1 Kai Ludwig July 26th, 2009 - 21:48 UTC DR transmitters, in particular Bornholm channel 5 and Naestved channel 6, could be also regularly watched on the East German coastline. Guess how much interest DR found there: Zero. Nobody bothered to point an antenna northwards. This also applies to the eastern region where DR would have been the only available TV station from the other side of the Iron Curtain. Btw, banning “gratuitous violence” could make it impossible to broadcast a considerable amount of Hollywood and other movies. Of course it depends on the definition, as it is the case with “pornography`` (ibid.) ** ECUADOR. Photos and videos of the doomed Pifo site: http://www.hcjb.de/index.php?id=139 Remaining antenna for NAm/SAm and transmitter building with dish for microwave link from Pifo. http://www.hcjb.de/index.php?id=141 Map of antenna farm (most of it already gone), screwdriver that had contact with 500 kW, transmitter control panel. http://www.hcjb.de/index.php?id=142 500 kW transmitter and one of the 100 kW transmitters. http://www.hcjb.de/index.php?id=143 Antenna matrix switch on the attic; Siemens utility transmitters (ex. SSB, now DRM). http://www.hcjb.de/index.php?id=144 Steerable antenna (gone now); curtain antenna for transmissions to Brazil. http://www.hcjb.de/index.php?id=140 Videos: 500 kW transmitter; 100 kW transmitters and control room; steerable antenna (Kai Ludwig, July 18, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA ECUATORIAL. 5005, Radio Nacional, Bata, 2133- 2255, 21-07, canciones africanas. 25322. También 2210-2240, 22-07, canciones africanas. Excelente señal hoy. 45444. (Méndez) Radio Nacional, Malabo, 6250, *0537-0550, 18-07, inicio de la transmisión, locutor, español, comentarios, canciones. 24322. También, 0523-0543, 21-07, locutor, español, información sobre fiestas en pueblos y ciudades de Guinea Ecuatorial, 0528: canciones africanas, identificación: "Radio Malabo". 25322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, Escuchas realizadas en Reinante, Mar Cantabrico, provincia de Lugo, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) R. Malabo, Malabo, 6250, July 24, *0502 - OC noted beginning 0456 until brief sign-on announcement by female speaker in Spanish at 0502 then directly into orchestral National Anthem. Signal initially poor, but much improved by 0530 with vocals with guitar accompaniment. Long monologue by male lasting to just past the top of the hour, brief music into news bulletin at 0606 UT (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 15190, R. Africa, 2200-2220, July 27. Mixing with sign-on of WYFR (Portuguese); in English; clearly still with the Tony Alamo program (born: Bernie LaZar Hoffman), along with his wife, Susan (what number wife is she? [I believe she is the long-dead one whose corpse he preserved on display for months --- gh]). Most of these programs are a year or two old. His web site has a semi-amusing press release “Regarding Government-Vatican Persecution vs. Tony Alamo” http://www.alamoministries.com/content/english/index.html (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [non]. JURORS CONVICT EVANGELIST ON 10 SEX-ABUSE COUNTS AP – Evangelist Tony Alamo, left, is escorted from the Federal Court House in Texarkana, Ark., after a day [captions] Slideshow: Evangelist on trial for sex crimes By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press Writer – 58 mins ago TEXARKANA, Ark. – Tony Alamo, a one-time street preacher who built a multimillion-dollar ministry and became an outfitter of the stars, was convicted Friday of taking girls as young as 9 across state lines for sex. Alamo stood silently as the verdict was read, a contrast to his occasional mutterings during testimony. His five victims sat looking forward in the gallery. One, a woman he "married" at age 8, wiped away a tear. "I'm just another one of the prophets that went to jail for the Gospel," Alamo called to reporters afterward as he was escorted to a waiting U.S. marshal's vehicle. Shouts of "Bye, bye, Bernie" — Alamo was born Bernie Lazar Hoffman — came from a crowd gathered on the Arkansas side of the courthouse, which straddles the Texas-Arkansas border. . . http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090724/ap_on_re_us/us_evangelist_child_abuse (via Fred Waterer, dxldyg via DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non]. Now that `Tony Alámo` has been convicted July 24, how long will it take for SW outlets to cancel his shows? Still awaiting sentencing and appeal, however. The WINB schedule http://www.winb.com/bypgmsch.htm still lists, probably one hour each, in EDT = UT -4: Tony Alamo Mon-11:00A, Mon-03:00P, Mon-06:00P, Tue-11:00A, Tue-03:00P, Tue- 06:00P, Wed-11:00A, Wed-03:00P, Wed-06:00P, Thu-11:00A, Thu-03:00P, Thu-06:00P, Fri-11:00A, Fri-03:00P, Fri-06:00P Or put slightly more concisely: M-F 1500, 1900 and 2200 UT! The first two should be on 13570, the last on 9265. We have certainly heard him on WINB lately when tuning around. What about WWCR? Aha, the program schedules tho still dated July 1, both in pdf and text, have removed him as of July 25, showing M-F at 8-9 am CT = 13-14 UT on 15825, as TBA! We have surely still been hearing him during that hour since July 1, I think even this past biweek during the Texarkana trial, but now he must really be gone. As for Radio Africa, who knows the schedule, but he has often been heard around 2200 on 15190. Since programming runs months behind, cancellation there may also be delayed. Panamerican Broadcasting does have a webpage for this: http://www.radioafricanetwork.com/ but no schedule. Watch out for the sound effects. If you click on a sample program, the only way to get rid of audio is to navigate away from the page; presumably hidden flash player. Also under construxion in the lower right corner are three levels of streaming. Getting that to work directly out of Equatorial Guinea is apparently still a challenge. Alamo has his say, boy does he, on this site: http://www.alamoministries.com/content/english/index.html and also his radio schedule page shows several times on Equatorial Guinea, none of them matching the above, including imaginary 7190: http://www.alamoministries.com/content/english/radiobroadcasts/radio.html This info has long been outdated, but still shows WWCR, WINB, and also European Gospel Radio (IRRS/Slovakia) Monday at 0430 on 5990. That airing also appears on its own current schedule, 0630-0730 MESZ: http://www.nexus.org/NEXUS-IBA/Schedules/mon.htm It should also be interesting to check out if and when the domestic USA stations are canceling him. It could well be that even with life in prison his broadcasts will go on; after all, you don`t even have to be alive to enjoy a profitable and thriving radio ministry business. I might add that if you read some of the press about Alamo, this brush with the law is only the latest in a long string going back many years. Why was he able to funxion so long as a legitimate(?) evangelical broadcaster, buying airtime with impunity? (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also U S A: WWCR ** ERITREA. Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea, Asmara, 7175, July 26, *0352 - transmitter turned on at 0344 and running an OC until the start of their lovely stringed instrumental IS at 0352 UTC. Excellent signal, but destroyed by white noise jamming at 0358 UT (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA-100 Loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. R. Ethiopia, Geja Jawe, 7110, July 26, 0258 - excellent good signal from 0330 UT. Also noted much weaker but // 5989.5v transmitter turned on 20 minutes earlier than 7110, at 0238. Perhaps to allow this drifty transmitter time to warm up? Drifting from 5989.38 kHz up to 5989.67 by 0500 when carrier was just above the noise floor. (Jordan-TN) R. Fana, Addis Ababa, 6110, July 26, 0257 - interval signal in progress as KBC left the air. ID by man just before 0301 and possible news bulletin until 0305. Nice Ethiopian music until 0315, after which was a in studio conversation between various speakers. Good signal. Voice of Tigray Revolution (tentative), 5850 [sic; must mean 5950 --- gh], July 26, 0349 - likely Ethiopia heard under TWI via Okeechobee, orchestral national anthem, 'HoA' vocal. (Jordan-TN) R. Amhara (tentative), Amhara, 6090, July 26, 0345 - surely Amhara weakly under PMS/DGS, Ethiopian vocals and instrumentals. I have noticed this often in the past few weeks, worth monitoring for the occasional Anguilla absence (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA-100 Loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE [non]. 13640, RFI 1200 Spanish via GUIANA FRENCH, July 26 at 1227 interviewing singer, ID in passing as ``RFI en castellano`` tho I notithed no lithping, a bit of music and off without any despedida at 1230. VG signal as always (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. VoG's English programme "Greek in Style" is now on Sundays at 1305-1400 on 15630 and 9420. Confirmed today, 26 July. Thanks to a tip from EDWIN SOUTHWELL who came upon the programme last Sunday at this time (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUINEA. (tentative) R. Conakry, Conakry, 7125, July 24, *0624-0704* - noted again, this time at sign-on with fair carrier signal. Very weak modulation, but above threshold audio was noted more reliably, especially after 0645 which corresponds with sunrise at the transmitter enhancement. Lively male speaker in French, brief music selections. Station off at 0704 UT, not sure if this was intentional sign-off or not. R. Conakry, Conakry, 7125, July 25-26 - Noted the following schedule: *2150-0000* and *0601-0706*. Good carrier strength but usual slight modulation (Brandon Jordan, Memphis, TN, http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA-100 Loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HONDURAS [and non]. 7210-LSB, Radioaficionados Hondureños, 1135- 1200+, senal pobre a regular, en modo LSB, con mensajes contra Zelaya, llamandolo cobarde. Se unieron otros radioaficionados con la misma ideologia, diciendo que el comunismo no puede entrar a Honduras. Que en Cuba ya se van a morir los viejitos (refiriendose a Fidel), y otro poco de cosas mas. 25 julio 2009. (Yimber Gaviría, Cali, Colombia, Receptor Sony 7600G, Antena: KA33, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Vease mi informe reciente [U S A abajo], con N1NR en la misma frecuencia a la misma hora. En esta red se incluyen aun aficionados tan lejos como Pensilvania (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** ICELAND. LW programming in Iceland. This is unverified by me, but it seems that Eiðar (207 kHz) broadcasts mostly P1 nowadays while Gufuskálar (189 kHz) is fed P2. Before, both were fed a mix of P1 and P2. (21/7-2009) The URL below points at a side with field strength maps for the two LW transmitters. The text is in Icelandic, though. http://www.fjarskiptahandbokin.is/index.php?Itemid=125&id=461&option=com_content&task=view (Reynir Stefansson, Iceland (23/7-2009), both via mediumwave.info via DXLD) ** INDIA. 4970, AIR Shillong, 1230-1249, July 26. News bulletin and sports news in English (// 5040 and 5050); 1235 no longer //, into pop songs in English with DJ in English; poor-fair. 5040, AIR Jeypore, 1230-1249, July 26. News bulletin and sports news in English (// 4970 and 5050); 1235 no longer //; into long talk in Hindi; radio drama; almost fair. 5050, AIR Aizawl, 1230-1249, July 26. News bulletin and sports news in English (// 4970 and 5040); 1235 no longer //; into the usual program that almost sounds like religious songs; poor under Guangxi FBS. 4920, AIR Chennai, 1230-1235, July 27. News in English; // 4970, 5040 and 5050. Not // to 4940. 9425, AIR Bengaluru - National Channel, 1435, July 27 (Mon.). Full National Channel ID; “Vividha” program in English; scheduled for Mon., Wed. and Fri.; // 9470 (AIR Aligarh). 4775, AIR Imphal , 1235-1245, July 28. Speech in Hindi; // 4760 and 4880; 1240 into EZL music and not //. Fair to poor with CODAR QRM. Seeing as this was doing so well, I finally remembered to check for Sikkim. Yes, it was there! [q.v.] 4940, AIR Guwahati, 1332-1334*, July 28. Briefly heard in Hindi before suddenly going off. Something must have happened in NE India, as AIR Shillong (4970) also suddenly went off-the-air at 1330. Both were later heard again at 1409 (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) also see SIKKIM ** INDONESIA. Re 9-053: Hi Glenn, Regarding the dates at the VOI “Exotic Indonesia” website: Have we been misreading the dates? Looking around the web http://www.rentcentric.com/pdf/Rent_Centric_Supported_DateTime_Format.pdf it seems Indonesia has a day-month-year format. Therefore would be 4 Nov. 2008 – 31 Dec. 2008, the significance of which is lost on me. Best regards, (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Ron, I would not regard the rentcentric list as being totally invariable or authoritative. After all, in this country we can do it either way tho there is a preference. But in focusing on the year showing 2008 instead of 2009 I overlooked the m/d d/m format. Sure, 31/12 has to mean 31 December, so 4/11 must mean 4 November instead of April 11. BTW, I don`t see anything now on the linked page about Exotic Indonesia. But it`s awfully slow loading and slow to navigate with the linx not very explicit. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Hi Glenn, Per Muhammad Nordin Salam, “Exotic Indonesia is the radio program in RRI PRO 2 Yogyakarta. This is the co-operation of RRI PRO 2 Yogyakarta with VOI. This weekly show was broadcasted live on every Thursday at 17.00 WIB (GMT+7). This radio show contains various information sorts that were packed in the form of the co-operation broadcast. The production component of this voice consisted of popular musics that were combined with traditional musics and were increased by the voice from announcer. Each audio production contains similar content, but emphasized on different parts.", this per http://nordin.web.id/portofolio/exotic-indonesia.html Note the 4 short audio clips there. Also RRI items and audio at: http://nordin.web.id/portofolio/voice-of-indonesia-jingle-package.html http://nordin.web.id/portofolio/indiepro-network.html http://nordin.web.id/portofolio/sekolah-baru-pro-2.html (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, July 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That must be a different `Exotic Indonesia` than the one we have been hearing lately on VOI Tuesdays (gh, DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 9524.8, La Voz de Indonesia, Yakarta, 1805-1815, 22-07, locutor, español, identificación: "La Voz de Indonesia", locutora, comentarios. 23222. También, 9524.8, *1800-1807, 23-07, Inicio programa en español, locutor: "La Voz de Indonesia, el programa internacional de la Radio República Indonesia", "La Voz de Indonesia, desde Yakarta". 32322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, Escuchas realizadas en Reinante, Mar Cantabrico, provincia de Lugo, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9524.9, Voice of Indonesia-Jakarta; 1305 23 July, Woman in English with ID "Voice of Indonesia, in Jakarta", national and world news. 1307 Man in English with national news. 1310 "We now end the news" with mention of HILLARY CLINTON signing of an ACCORD. Frequency is in the CLEAR with Fair-Good LISTENING LEVELS! (Steven Wiseblood-Boca Chica Beach, TX July 23, 2009, Radio Shack DX-399, 150' center fed LW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) VOI check July 23 at 1314: still on 9524.9 with ID, URL, into Today In History. VOI, 9524.9, July 26 at 1305 check in English with elexion news reconfirming Megawati lost; good but with hum. 9525-, chalk up another Tuesday for VOI`s long-running Exotic Indonesia series with RRI Banjarmasin, July 28 at 1319 ending news, march music bit, VOI ID with usual three frequencies, 67 percent of which are always incorrect, URL, banter with Banjarmasin guy giving his FM frequency, back to Jak for Today in History feature, starting with July 28, 1794, something about the French Revolution, and later Jackie Kennedy`s birthday. 1326 Focus on the rice forecast for 2010y (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. CRACKLES OF HATRED --- Jul 23rd 2009 Silencing murderous messages is not as easy as it sounds LAST year, as Kenya slid into mayhem, the words that sputtered forth from crude transmitters were cryptic but, to those in the know, horrifying. "People of the milk", a reference to the cattle-owning Kalenjin people, were urged to "take out the weeds in our midst"-- in other words, the Kikuyus. Meanwhile Kikuyu broadcasters inveighed against the peril posed by "animals from the west": this meant the rival Luo (from which Barack Obama originates) and Kalenjins. In East Africa this use of radio to incite ethnic slaughter recalled an even darker episode: the Rwandan genocide of 1994, in which a station called Radio Mille Collines (Thousand Hills Radio) seemed to be directing the massacres. It not only poisoned the general atmosphere but urged on the killers, with phrases like "cutting the tall trees" and "killing the cockroaches". . . See this article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14098593 (via David Cole, Bastrop TX, DXLD) Not just about Rwanda, Kenya (gh) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [and non]. THE PIRATE PREACHER AND AMEN CHARLIE --- By Don Wilkey, Mon Jun 15, 2009 at 04:19:47 PM EST http://www.talk2action.org/story/2009/6/15/161948/656 An older man got up to preach in Pennsylvania in 2002. He was in his nineties and was a shadow of his younger shelf. A small crowd gathers in his home to hear his sermon. He has trouble, stumbling over words, his memory is not nearly as sharp as it once was. The few who have gathered to hear him have just come from a church split over this pastor. In stained glass language, the former assembly had declared the pulpit vacant. Which is a euphemistic way of saying they fired the preacher. His age had taken away his energy and sometimes he got confused in his preaching. Before the split, the church had become a mere fraction of what it was under the leadership of this man. The youth director was almost eighty years old. The small loyal group of followers along with the pastor can still recall the days of huge throngs and a radio ministry that reached millions of listeners. Their pastor had a daily radio broadcast that was carried through the airways to listeners around the nation. Now he faced the embarrassing legacy of being forced out of a small group barely able to keep the doors open of a church that had once flourished. The preacher was making plans to sue the group for his termination. He had faced many days like this filled with controversy.1 This is the year the preacher, Carl McIntire, would die leaving behind a legacy that few American pulpits would ever experience. Carl McIntire grew up in Durant, Oklahoma. He was born the year before Oklahoma was even a state. His mother had separated from his Presbyterian preacher father and raised him in this remote town in the new state. Carl grew up meager, and went to school at Southeastern Oklahoma State College. He then attended the Ivy League seminary his father had attended at Princeton University. While in school at Princeton the student became acquainted with Dr. J. Gersham Machen. Machen was an old south segregationist who would be credited with starting the modern fundamentalist movement in Protestant churches. Machen gave Ivy League scholarly credentials to a movement that is still strong in the nation. With the influence and help of Machen, McIntire worked as pastor of a Presbyterian congregation and led them to split from the national organization of Presbyterians. The splinter group started the Orthodox Presbyterian Church denomination. Later on Carl left this splinter group to start the Bible Presbyterian Church organization. 2 Along the way Carl stumbled upon a new medium. He found radio, or it found him. One of the most successful moves he made was to mortgage a seminary he started to buy radio time. The station he purchased was WXUR. This radio ministry launched him into national prominence. 3 While on the airwaves, McIntire received a national following. He received over 4,000 letters a day from listeners. He was so popular that national politicians shared platforms with him. He was a close acquaintance with Senator Strom Thurmond, an old Dixicrat, who was a leader in the anti-integration movement. 4 While speaking on radio, from the pulpit, or publishing his newspaper, Carl focused on several right wing viewpoints. He fought against the United Nations, Civil Rights, and the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. He denounced labor unions, dancing and fluoride in the water. Carl struggled against the World Council of Churches and founded another version of the organization. He kept files on preachers. He considered Billy Graham's teaching, "a ministry of disobedience." 5 Area and regional churches had had enough of the preacher and his antics. He was ousted from the Presbyterian denomination for being divisive. He later bragged about this badge of honor. Churches got organized to drive him off the radio stating he was anti-Semitic, racist and an anti-Catholic bigot. 6 Later on Bob Jones University gave him an honorary doctorate and he started two colleges that lost accreditation. 7 Carl helped jump start Billy [James] Hargis. The two teamed up to travel the south telling the audiences that integration was a Communist plot. Some suggest it was Carl's launching of Hargis that made him a national figure. McIntire endorsed the John Birch Society like Hargis. He used his influence and apparatus to fight the nomination of John Kennedy for President. Carl, who was no fan of Catholics, was afraid the Vatican would run the U. S. through Kennedy. 8 In the seventies, Carl enjoyed having his picture taken with race- baiter, Lester Maddox of Georgia. He also worked with Southern Baptist minister, Edgar Bundy, in the network to spy on people they suspected of being Communists. 9 Current biography claims Carl often held pep rallies for the Viet Nam war. The Philadelphia Council of Churches accused him of being anti- negro. 10 What propelled the Calvinist into the national spotlight was an episode that began with a battle with the FCC. The federal agency was alerted to the fact that the right wing program was entirely slanted. No opposing view was expressed on the programming. Churches, ministers and journalists began to complain. Carl's friend, Hargis, would face similar charges from the agency. To deal with the conflict Carl purchased an older ship and set it up to broadcast his radio programs. The publicity from such an effort made headlines in several major newspapers. McIntire claimed he was broadcasting to America much like Radio Free Europe programs went behind the Iron Curtain. The accusation was that the federal government would not allow freedom of speech and Carl had to become a type-of-captain of a pirate ship off the shoreline. The ship almost caught fire on the maiden voyage and transmitted for only sixteen hours. Some suggested the ship ought to carry the skull and crossbones flag. The national attention helped Carl. 11 If one counted the number of schisms and conflicts that sprang from the churches and denominations McIntire founded, you can see the kind of conflict and division that followed his ministry. This type of fundamentalism appears to flourish on conflict and when it has no one close to fight with it turns on itself. Carl's story is a parallel many have sought to warn Southern Baptists about. Carl once assured his friend, Billy Hargis, that Southern Baptists were responsible for the recent control of congress by the Republican Party. Carl also stated in the same speech that Hargis was the original founder of the new religious right. In Billy Graham's biography he recalls reading a critical article McIntire wrote about him. Graham took the crticism seriously and was deeply hurt by the comments. He then decided to move on in his ministry and distance himself from this critic much like he did with Bob Jones. 12 Though Graham moved on, others haven taken Carl much more seriously. I recently read one of Carl's latest articles he wrote before his death. It was a document in which Carl believed that the U. N. was setting up the world to have a one world religion in which Christianity would be abolished. 13 -- A topic that is often voiced through other end of times would-be prophets like John Hagee, Pat Robertson, Jack Van Impe and Hal Lindsey. One of McIntire's former church members said of the pastor, "You either agree with the devil or McIntire." There was no room aboard the ship for the slightest difference on viewpoints by most accounts. This was one of the fruits of the movement that led to so many divisions. One popular figure in the story is the famed radio companion of Carl known as "Amen Charlie". Sitting next to McIntire on his radio broadcasts was this man who claimed to have an earned doctorate. At given moments and at strategic times after a comment by Carl, the co- host would echo a resounding "amen" or awe at such a profound statement. Carl's critics found great humor in such a character. Everyone needs a few "Amen Charlies." However, to set up a system with no dissent and total control does not model the idea of New Testament freedom. Some of modern religious systems in the name of the Christian faith operate like this one. Men surround themselves with a few "Amen Charlies" and take control of churches and denominations. Eventually these models end up in a sad way much like Carl McIntire's version. Endnotes: 1. Princeton Theological Seminary website. June 2009. 2. Wikipedia, Carl McIntire. 3. http://www.carlmcintire.org 4. Arnold Foster & Benjamin Epstein, DANGER ON THE RIGHT, Chapter 6. 5. Ibid, Princeton Theological Seminary website. 6. Ibid, www.carlmcintire.org. 7. Ibid, Princeton Theological Seminary website. 8. Ibid, Foster. 9. Gary Clabaugh, THUNDER ON THE RIGHT, Nelson Hall, Chicago, Ill. 1907, pg. 87. 10. CURRENT BIOGRAPHY, 1971. pgs. 248-251 11. Ibid. wikipedia. 12. Ibid. wikipedia. 13. http://www.carlmcintire.org/booklets The author is pastor of the First Baptist Church of Onalaska, TX (Talk to Action; also without the footnotes in Oklahoma Observer July 10/25, via DXLD) ** IRAN. TEHRAN FRIDAY PRAYERS BROADCASTING ARRANGEMENTS Glenn, Ref. the discussion in DXLD 9-053: this is a slightly complicated situation, but here are some facts: 1. The Tehran Friday prayers are not normally broadcast live on either national TV or radio. The RFE/RL report found by John Figliozzi is wrong on that count. The blanket live coverage by various national (and international) IRIB channels of the prayers sermon delivered by Supreme Leader Khamene'i on 19 June was unusual and seen as reflecting the exceptional circumstances of the time (exactly a week after polling day). 2. Instead, the prayers are usually broadcast live only by Tehran provincial radio on 1332 MW and FM. There is supposed to be an internet stream from IRIB of this, but it never seems to work. 3. A full recording of the prayers is always broadcast the same evening on national domestic TV. (The prayers start shortly after noon local time.) Regards, (Chris Greenway, England, July 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Chris, OK, but it was Rafsanjani`s anti-government speech after that which was in question. Am I correct that there is only one big Friday Prayer ceremony from Tehran and a different person delivers it from week to week? (Glenn to Chris via DXLD) Re: Tehran Friday prayers broadcasting arrangements Glenn, Sorry, I had slipped into the terminology we use at BBCM. We refer to the whole show as "Tehran Friday prayers". It takes place at Tehran University. After a warm-up act by a more minor cleric, the speaker of the week (you are right, they generally do it in rotation) delivers two sermons. The first is purely religious; the second is devoted to topical political issues. As they have done every Friday for the past 1,553 weeks, my colleagues in our Iran team today listened to the prayers and translated verbatim the whole of the second sermon. (By chance, one of them told me that today happens to be the 30th anniversary of the ceremony!) Normally something of a chore for them, but of late it has become more interesting (Chris Greenway, July 24, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. VIRI/IRIB's external service in Persian is of course called Seda-ye Ashena (Friendly/Familiar Voice), which has a website at http://www.sedayeashna.ir/ The site is in Persian, but if you put it through Google's Arabic- English translation engine it will translate a few words (presumably borrowings from Arabic) into English, including a link in the bottom right labelled "waves network". This links to a page showing only three sets of satellite parameters, no mention of any terrestrial frequencies at all (which is perhaps why this service is not mentioned at all in WRTH!). The three lilac, blue and green buttons near the top right of the page are links to Seda-ye Ashena's three different live audio streams, apparently each intended for specific target zones. Incidentally, IRIB's live feed page http://live.irib.ir/ has recently been updated, and has links to live feeds of no fewer than 16 of their TV channels and 24 radio services/streams. The latter includes the local service for Tehran and two new services called Radio Ava (obs closing at 1930 UTC, midnight Tehran time) and Radio Nava (obs opening at 1930 UTC). CAUTION: My security software flags up an attack threat on some of the station websites/webpages linked to from this live feed page, so of course I went no further. However, I've been listening to some of the live streams for the past three days without any problems. The Interval Signals Online website http://www.intervalsignals.net has identification announcements for the two new radios mentioned above, and another one of newly-streamed service Radio Salamat. Regards (Dave Kernick, Interval Signals Online, July 23, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. Galei Tsahal is changing its 19 m-frequency almost daily. While they were on 15781.2 kHz on 20 July, heard with usual Hebrew program and pop music at 1721, they went to 15790.5 the following day, heard with better signals at 1750. The next day, they were on 15791.7 interfering until 1730 with BBC Darfur Salaam on 15790. 23 July at 0800, they were on 15791.2, this time interfering with Radio Cairo in Arabic on 15790. Today, 24 July, they are on 15786.5 kHz, heard at 1745, signals relatively low. 73s & good DX (Robert Foerster, Germany, July 24, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15787.91, Galei Zahal, Army Forces Radio very odd freq channel at 1050 UT, July 24. S=6-7 in Europe (wb, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 24 via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DXLD) Galei Zahel, Lod, 6973, July 28, 0040 - appears to be stable again. 5 Hz above 6973.0 kHz and no drifting in the 10 minutes that I monitored. Hebrew pop vocals (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA-100, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH. N. KOREA'S HARD-LABOR CAMPS: ON THE DIPLOMATIC BACK BURNER --- By Blaine Harden, Washington Post Foreign Service, Monday, July 20, 2009 SEOUL -- Images and accounts of the North Korean gulag become sharper, more harrowing and more accessible with each passing year. A distillation of testimony from survivors and former guards, newly published by the Korean Bar Association, details the daily lives of 200,000 political prisoners estimated to be in the camps: Eating a diet of mostly corn and salt, they lose their teeth, their gums turn black, their bones weaken and, as they age, they hunch over at the waist. Most work 12- to 15-hour days until they die of malnutrition- related illnesses, usually around the age of 50. Allowed just one set of clothes, they live and die in rags, without soap, socks, underclothes or sanitary napkins. The camps have never been visited by outsiders, so these accounts cannot be independently verified. But high-resolution satellite photographs, now accessible to anyone with an Internet connection, reveal vast labor camps in the mountains of North Korea. The photographs corroborate survivors' stories, showing entrances to mines where former prisoners said they worked as slaves, in-camp detention centers where former guards said uncooperative prisoners were tortured to death and parade grounds where former prisoners said they were forced to watch executions. Guard towers and electrified fences surround the camps, photographs show. "We have this system of slavery right under our nose," said An Myeong Chul, a camp guard who defected to South Korea. "Human rights groups can't stop it. South Korea can't stop it. The United States will have to take up this issue at the negotiating table." But the camps have not been discussed in meetings between U.S. diplomats and North Korean officials. By exploding nuclear bombs, launching missiles and cultivating a reputation for hair-trigger belligerence, the government of Kim Jong Il has created a permanent security flash point on the Korean Peninsula -- and effectively shoved the issue of human rights off the negotiating table. "Talking to them about the camps is something that has not been possible," said David Straub, a senior official in the State Department's office of Korean affairs during the Bush and Clinton years. There have been no such meetings since President Obama took office. "They go nuts when you talk about it," said Straub, who is now associate director of Korean studies at Stanford University. Nor have the camps become much of an issue for the American public, even though annotated images of them can be quickly called up on Google Earth and even though they have existed for half a century, 12 times as long as the Nazi concentration camps and twice as long as the Soviet Gulag. Although precise numbers are impossible to obtain, Western governments and human groups estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have died in the North Korean camps. . . [much more] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/19/AR2009071902178.html (via Mike Cooper, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DXLD) Radio not mentioned in this story, but must-reading for anyone who has anything whatsoever to do with NK, including listening to VOK, let alone trying to QSL them or serving as their PR agent (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. D.P.R., 9665.578, KCBS Pyongyang at 2119 UT July 18, SIO 343, in Korean (Nils Schiffhauer-D DK8OK, A-DX July 18, BC-DX via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 5910, Shiokaze Sea Breeze via Yamata, 1407-1414, July 27. In Japanese; different format today; older Japanese woman telling a tearful story (must have been a tale of abduction by N. Korea); fair with no jamming (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LAOS. 4412.64v, Lao National Radio via Sam Neua, 1204-1207, July 28. Running four minutes late with the gong/bell rung slowly seven times; anthem; news in Laotian; // 6130 (fair) (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 5964.90v, Klasik Nasional FM via RTM, 1312-1359, July 23. In vernacular; IDs “Radio Malaysia Klasik Nasional”; DJ playing pop songs. Audio clip posted to dxldyg “File > Station Sounds” (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1). 6049.60v, Asyik FM via RTM, 1245-1304, July 23. In vernacular; DJ with fun program of pop songs; DJ taking over pop music and crazy whistles blowing in the background; IDs. Audio clip posted to dxldyg “File > Station Sounds”. MALAYSIA/SARAWAK. 7130.50, Sarawak FM via RTM, 1312-1355, July 23. IDs “Klasik Nasional Sarawak FM”. This ID seems to be used only on certain days. Normally just “Sarawak FM”. Okay, this is my last posting of this for a while. Probably have already overposted it. 7295, Traxx FM, 1502-1520, July 26. In English; “11 PM News Roundup” and sports news; “Radio Malaysia Traxx FM” ID, along with singing “Traxx FM” jingle; DJ with promo for “Traxx FM On The Road Tour” of the “TraxxMobile” to Sarawak and Sabah; blog http://traxxblog.wordpress.com/ announced “Sabah 90.7 FM”; almost fair (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. R Bamako, Bamako, 5995, July 24, *0554-0758* - on with 1 kHz tone, guitar interval signal beginning at 0555 and orchestral National Anthem at 0558 UTC. Female speaker French at 0559 with greetings and chatter. Male speaker in Arabic at 0614 continuing past 0630 as signal improved. Koranic recitations from 0634 to 0645 followed by traditional tribal vocals. News bulletin in French read by man at 0700 as signal slowly faded. Left the air less than a minute after RA Brandon came on the air 0758 with Waltzing Matilda IS (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 6104.74, XEQM, RASA, Mérida, 0230-0257, Jul 14, music, Spanish shouting announcement, weak-moderate signal but hard to understand. Next days I went on monitoring this frequency around the same time, but only on Jul 15 I heard a weak signal with ID “Candela”. Other days the station was not audible. By the way, in 1977 I visited the station which still is located at the same address in Mérida. Now after 32 years, I was able to hear the station in the Netherlands! (Max van Arnhem, Hoenderloo, The Netherlands, DSWCI DX Window July 21 via DXLD) Just a weak carrier noted on 6104.75 at 0215-0245, Jul 21, with no audio (Anker Petersen, Skovlunde, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window July 21 via DXLD) 6104.77, Mérida, [owerhouse signal in Florida 1000 to 1230 most days - Wilkner - Bolland et al] ++ [Danger of this not making it through the hurricane season? In 2005 Huricane Wilma At its peak, the storm reached Category 5 strength and "was the most powerful Atlantic Hurricane ever recorded". On Friday, October 21st, the storm struck the Mexican states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo with Category 4 force. The island of Cozumel, one of the busiest cruise ports in the Caribbean, was battered for more than 36 hours, suffering massive damage.]++ 73s (Bob Wilkner, Pompano Beach, Florida US, NRD 535D ~ Drake R8 R7 Sony 2010XA, Various Antennas, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 4800, XERTA, Radio Transcontinental de América, 0550-0610, 25-07, canciones religiosas, a las 0605 identificación: locutor: "Radio Transcontinental de América", comentario religioso. 25322. 6010, Radio Mil, México D. F., 0600-0610, 26-07, se escucha muy débil identificación: "Vive México en Radio Mil", fuerte interferencia de Radio Habana Cuba con su programa en inglés en la misma frecuencia. 12321. (Méndez) 6104.7, XEQM, RASA, Mérida, 0539-0559, 22-07, locutor, identificación: "Candela", "Candela 95.3", "La Radio de Yucatán", "Candela, en Frecuencia Modulada", canciones en español, llamadas de oyentes. 15321 variando a 25322. También 0532-0559, 23-07, locutor atendiendo oyentes por teléfono y leyendo mensajes de oyentes, identificación: "La más grande", "O.K., por favor, escuchen la 95.3", canciones mexicanas, locutora: "Candela 95.3 Frecuencia Modulada". A las 0550: "Doce con cincuenta minutos". También 0530-0559, 24-07, canciones latinoamericanas, locutor, llamadas de oyentes. 15221. También 0538-0559, 25-07, canciones latinoamericanas, locutor: "Aquí estamos con todos ustedes. 15321 variando a 25322. (Méndez) 6185, Radio Educación, México D. F., 0603-0635, 21-07, identificación, locutor: "Radio Educación, 1060 AM, transmitimos con 100.000 watts de potencia desde Colonia del Valle, México D. F". Anuncios de programas de la emisora: "Este martes 21, a las 1630 horas Interfax, programa de avances tecnológicos". Música. 25433. También 0600-0640, 24-07, locutor, identificación: "Radio Educación, 1060 AM", "Radio Educación, donde se piensa la radio", anuncio de programas: "Aprendiendo en familia, nuevo horario, lunes de 12 a 1 de la tarde, 1060 de amplitud modulada", música. 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, Escuchas realizadas en Reinante, Mar Cantabrico, provincia de Lugo, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. A lot of Es openings lately have been too far north or too far east to affect OK much, or the patch is overhead, i.e. too close, but finally July 25 around 2200 UT I am getting Mexicans, especially on 3, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (what`s that in Spanish?! just ``Las Tortugas Ninya`` per narrator) with breaks 2209-2212 for Televisa promos, Puebla PSAs, audio ID as tres-TV. Constant bug upper right with a 3 in the left side of a square, not sure what`s in the rest of it. Answer from Oglethorpe http://www.tvdxtips.com/mexlogos.html --- tv, that makes sense; but off the screen by my overscanned TV set. Have seen XHP a number of times before. Also in brief fadeup earlier at 2152 on channel 3 was an Azteca-13 promo. Per W9WI.com, the only fullpower fit, 20 kW, is XHCVT-TV in, where else, Ciudad Victoria, capital of Tamaulipas; but there are two low-power ones elsewhere. And well after the definite XHP log above, at 2253, some channel 3 appeared briefly with a ``wrestling`` match, or rather lucha libre, labeled TOLTECA. Some more sporadic E TVDX on July 28: 1812 UT on channel 3, Canal 5 promo with 5 logo in upper right, and animation set in Northern Australia, could not detect any Oz accent in the dubbed Spanish. At 1821 also was getting Canal 5 promo on channel 5, first audio, then video too. And unIDs on 2 and 4. BTW, with US analog TV stations gone, and no lowband DTV anywhere around here, the band is wide open for DX, but now I have to watch out for cable radiation, and furthermore one of my VCRs puts out enough signal on channel 3 to make wavy line QRM, any time it`s on, whether or not its RF modulator is in the `transmit` mode! And any time it`s `off`, same VCR puts noise peaks on SW. Cannot win --- except by unplugging it and losing all programming every time (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONGOLIA. 4895, Mongolian Radio, Murun, *2200-2223, 23-07, inicio de la transmisión, música de sintonía, locutor, mongol, himno, comentarios. 25322. (Méndez) 4830, Mongolian Radio, Altay, 2213-2223, 23-07, locutor, mongol. En paralelo con 4895. 25322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, Escuchas realizadas en Reinante, Mar Cantabrico, provincia de Lugo, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR. 5915, Myanma Radio, 1254-1306, July 26. In vernacular; Educational Service – Distance Learning programming ended at 1300; into pop music program; poor under CRI (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 9715 via Bonaire, Sunday July 26 at 1224, Jaime Báguena and guest wrapping up 20-minute Cartas @ RN show, i.e. starting at 1205 among other times (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. ZLM, Taupo Maritime Radio verified my S-mail report with 1 IRC after 277 days via E-mail by word format QSL. The verifier was Mr.Peter Baird, radio operator. Address: Maritime Operations Centre, Kordia Ltd., Avalon Office, 6th Floor, Avalon Business Centre, Percy Cameron Street, Lower Hutt 5011, New Zealand --- E-mail: maritime @ kordia.co.nz, FAX: +64 4 914 8334 URL: http://www.kordiamaritime.com/services_maritime_operations_centre_moc_42.aspx They are using Redifon-SPT HF 1000 transmitter with 1kW, and Spiracone Antenna, located 38 52S 176 26E. The schedules are as follows; all on LSB/USB 1333 Coastal Navigational Warnings, Synopsis, Forecasts and Warnings for the New Zealand Coast and 1200 Coastal Reports 2207, 4146, 6224 1503* Oceanic, Navigational and Meteorological Warnings in force for Navarea XIV; Synopsis and Forecast for high seas area Southern 6224, 12356 1533* Repeat of 1503 broadcast 8297, 16531 1733 Coastal Navigational Warnings, Synopsis, Forecasts and Warnings for the New Zealand Coast and 1500 Coastal Reports 2207, 4146, 6224 2003 1800 Coastal reports for Shipping 2207, 4146, 6224 2103* Oceanic, Navigational and Meteorological Warnings in force for Navarea XIV, Synopses and Forecasts for high seas areas Subtropic, Forties and Pacific 6224,12356 2133* Repeat of 2103 broadcast 8297, 16531 0003 2100 Coastal reports for Shipping 2207, 4146, 6224 0133 Coastal Navigational Warnings, Synopsis, Forecasts and Warnings for the New Zealand Coast and 0000 Coastal Reports 2207, 4146, 6224 0303* Oceanic, Navigational and Meteorological Warnings in force for Navarea XIV; Synopsis and Forecast for high seas area Southern 6224, 12356 0333* Repeat of 0303 broadcast 8297, 16531 0433 Coastal Navigational Warnings, Synopsis, Forecasts and Warnings for the New Zealand Coast and 0300 Coastal Reports 2207, 4146, 6224 0803 0600 Coastal reports for Shipping 2207, 4146, 6224 0903* Oceanic, Navigational and Meteorological Warnings in force for Navarea XIV, Synopses and Forecasts for high seas areas Subtropic, Forties and Pacific 6224, 12356 0933* Repeat of 0903 broadcast 8297, 16531 * Oceanic Warnings and Forecasts broadcast one hour later when daylight saving [sic] time is in force (last Sunday in September to first Sunday in April). (Takahito Akabayashi, Japan, July 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Times UT or local? ** NIGERIA. Voice of Nigeria, Abuja installations. Bodo the technician onsite at Abuja, Nigera has provided the exact site coordinates of the TX building for the new SW TX site of the External service of the Voice of Nigeria. G.C. 08 57 57.32 N 07 21 35.86 E In the transmitter building, there are currently three TSW2300 from Thomson (250 kW, 5.9-26 MHz). They are full DRM ready. Currently they have "only" the curtain antenna. Its a 16-dipole array with azimuth of 0 degrees and the other 16-dipole array with azimuth of 285 degrees. The beam can be switched to +15, +30 and -15, -30 degrees. There is another antenna in work. It will be a rotatable antenna ... it`s a huge antenna with 32 dipoles, 16 for high and 16 for lowbands (Ian Baxter-AUS, SW TXsite July 20 via BC-DX via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DXLD) But what's on this site, 9 kilometers away? 09 01 07.51 N 07 25 56.31 E (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** OKLAHOMA. We haven`t heard any more tests from Chilocco OK on 530, 830 or 1680 kHz, like a year ago, but the OSU Multispectral Laboratories in Ponca City, has applied June 24, 2009 to have the license renewed to do them as WE2XFZ, with this notation: Changes Made --- Note any changes such as discontinuance of use of a frequency, or of a type of emission or of a transmitter which have been made since the last application covering this station was filed: Delete Flying H (Otero, N.M.) Location Retain Chilocco (Kay County, OK) Location (from https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/405_Print.cfm?mode=current &application_seq=42067 via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. As I was looking for Mexican FM DX to go with TVDX, July 25 at 2234-2237 UT, had to settle for a couple of RDS readings from nearby stations: 92.3, CLASSIC COUNTRY 92.3, also spoken thus, i.e. KFTI Newton- Wichita, KS. 99.5, KXBL, static RDS, while audible ID was ``Big Country 99.5``, Muskogee ads. Must have been some tropo enhancement as had big signal despite late afternoon doldrums (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. KOMA radio --- I was driving in Moore yesterday and I was flipping channels and I notice that 92.5 KOMA was broadcasting also on 104.5; do they have a translator station in Moore? (theparkman81, July 18, OKCTalk via DXLD) What time of day was it? If it was in the evening. You may have picked up Winchester Drive-in's Audio Feed they broadcast it on 104.5. They play 101.9 and 92.5 between movies. I went there to see Transformers 2 the other night. We did not stay for the second movie, we were able to pick up the audio all the way to 240 and Sooner before it faded (oneforone, July 18, ibid.) Yeah it was about after 7, when I drove through there, thanks for the info (theparkman81, ibid.) Maybe the FCC will get complaints from people at radio stations that the signal from Winchester is too strong for regulations (Bunty, ibid.) ** OKLAHOMA. Re 9-052, my hearing a station with Christian music July 8 on 99.7, presumably KZLS Mustang ex-KNID Alva/Enid, on the air --- Apparently I was not imagining things. But still not hearing it on July 25 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: I was driving around the other day and I noticed that the 99.7 frequency is now on the air playing Christian music, but it was skipping through songs, and during one of the songs, they did their station ID sayings KZLS Mustang Oklahoma City. I guess they finally got it going, of course testing it; any suggestions from anybody, what format should they put on this station? I have some suggestions for the station: A all local talk station, Christian Music, A all news format station or a Smooth Jazz and Blues station (theparkman81, June 27, okctalk via DXLD) I wish Tyler media would've bought that frequency and put Jack on there. That would`ve increased their signal through the metro area. It would've been better than 1,000 watts they have now (Soonerman, July 6, ibid.) In 2003, Ralph Tyler himself tried to relocate a Tishomingo station on 99.7 to Tuttle; the application was subsequently ruled fraudulent (windowphobe, July 7, ibid.) Licensed transmitter site of KZLS is really closer to Tuttle than to Mustang, both SW of OKC, per Tigermap. FCC FM Query shows power as 25 kW ERP, with application for 35 kW but that will be from a different site axually closer to Mustang, and combined with the power increase, covering more of OKC, which is all that really matters. This extra move could account for the long delay in getting on the air (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) And there is a much longer thread at radio-info.com: When will 99.7 KZLS sign on? Anyone know anything? (Watercooler, May 12, radio-info.com Oklahoma board via DXLD) With What? The Doctor Evil show 24/7? What's the automated format of the week for 'ol Doctor Evil's new toy? (OKCRadioGuy, May 15, ibid.) Here's their abandoned MySpace site: http://www.myspace.com/kzls I guess this station was expected to launch in February? http://www.dustbury.com/archives/7146 (NightAire, May 15, ibid.) Well, will the new KZLS fire up this weekend? What sat format will it be in your opinions? (OKCRadioGuy, May 23, ibid.) It will probably become another crappy format (j1203, May 26, ibid.) That's almost assured unless Dr. Evil has already found a sucker to LMA it to. All bets are off if that happens (OKCRadioGuy May 27, I heard them testing their new transmitter this afternoon between 4:00 and 5:00. It had a good clear signal in my area (near the fairgrounds). While I was in my car, I heard them play a country song, followed by an Arron Neville song that I didn't recognize, and then a black praise and worship song. When I got back in my car at about 5:00 the transmitter was off (Scooby214, June 12, ibid.) WNYX, may I take your order? 99.7 The Spy. Hey, one can dream (JimmyJames, June 15, ibid.) ALL POLKA ... ALL THE TIME! (lurker34, June 15, ibid.) Ahhh look! It's Jeeezzzzus rap on 99.7. Oh wait. That's just a Godchannel CD skipping. LOL! Who would have thought Dr. Evil and his goons would use a Christian CD to test their junk with. The irony is almost too much to take (OKCRadioGuy 1:58:13 pm June 19, ibid.) Actually heard a legal ID at 2:00 PM. Cut in during the middle of a song, saying "KZLS FM, Mustang Oklahoma City." You could still hear the song playing in the background while the ID played. It seemed about every 4th song had the major skipping trouble. I bet the end format won't resemble the Christian music being played during testing (Scooby214, 6:13:52 pm June 20, ibid.) Though a Christian CHR/Urban/Rock to replace what's become of KOKF isn't the worst idea for a format (JimmyJames, June 20, ibid.) Their CP expires on 6/23. How much do they have to be on the air by then to be in compliance? They stayed off for the weekend, and are off this morning (Monday, 6/22). Do they have to be fully on air by the 23rd? (Scooby214, June 22, ibid.) Yes, they would have to be on the air by the 23rd; however he could file for his license to cover since it was on the air long enough to ID the station. Once he got the license he could file for an STA to be silent (Watercooler, June 22, ibid.) The way it's been explained to me in the past is that they don't have to be on-air by that point to be in compliance. They simply have to have completed enough testing to apply for their license-to-cover by that date (Kent, June 22, ibid.) Anybody rolling tape on this station?? RadioU out of Ohio said they were adding a signal in OKC. Maybe this is it? (Joel Roberts, Imaging Director | Wilks Broadcasting, Denver/Kansas City/Columbus/Fresno/Reno/Lubbock, June 23, ibid.) Why in the world would they bother with OKC? That's just odd (OKCRadioGuy June 23, ibid.) Yeah, I thought it was unusual with the K-Love, Air1 and House FM presence in OKC (Joelr, ibid.) Some of us thought the EMF presence in OKC was unusual considering the presence of 91 FM and House FM (JimmyJames, ibid.) The FCC website shows they have now applied for their license to cover. It was accepted for filing today (Scooby214, June 24, ibid.) When EMF just had K-Love, it made sense because K-Love and 91FM/The House are very different. EMF bought 91 FM in '06 and brought Air1 to replace it. The House has been trying to get a full signal in the market for years. If RadioU joins, it will make that Christian music field pretty crowded. I won't complain because that's what I like, but it will be pretty crowded there (Joel Roberts, ibid.) The House has applied to the FCC to increase the power of their 88.5 KZTH from 35 to 50 kW. If granted, they will come a little closer to having a full market signal in the Okla. City area. They still won't cover the metro as well as Oasis Network on 88.1 or K-Love on 88.9, but it should help slightly. Having those three frequencies so close together makes it difficult to tune any one of them in on a cheap portable (Scooby214, ibid.) They are back on again this morning, as of 10:30 AM. Same stuff as last week, with the same skipping tracks from time to time. They have been granted their license to cover. I can't imagine that they moved 99.7 to be a rimshot of OKC with this in mind (Scooby214, June 26, ibid.) The same tracks that skipped last week seem to be skipping this week. "It Is Well" skipped badly and was mixed with another song last week, and it sounds exactly the same this week (Scooby214, 11:05:10 am June 26, ibid.) Ugh, you'd think if you spend that kind of money putting a station on the air, you would be more concerned about the product. I say format switch within the year (Lurker34, June 26, ibid.) OK, I have listened for a while now and I think by listening I might have a ticket to heaven now. I did notice they missed an ID in the 4pm hour. I hope this is not a format of choice. And now they are dead air at 5:42 (Watercooler, 05:43:01 pm June 26, ibid.) One word: Placeholder. It could be all Polka music at this point. It doesn't matter. It`s just to satisfy the licence requirement at this point (OKCRadioGuy, June 26, ibid.) They're just trying to do enough testing to get the license to cover. They likely don't care about the programming at all. I suspect they'll turn around and sell it for more than what they paid for it as an Enid station (Kent, June 26, ibid.) Do you think they may try set up an LMA for the station? Can any of the big guys really afford it right now? It would never happen, but KTOK FM simulcast? (I'd rather see them do that with 94.7.) (Scooby214, ibid.) Skipping like crazy on a Amy Grant track tonight. Signal was strong downtown (duckoutofwater, 09:08:24 pm June 26, ibid.) I was leaving town last week when I heard their first stint of skipping God music, and the signal stayed relatively strong until I was east of Shawnee on I-40 (Scooby214, ibid.) ** OMAN. SULTANATO DE OMÃ – A Radio Sultanate Oman transmite em inglês para a Europa, entre 1400 e 1500, no Tempo Universal, em 15140 kHz. A transmissão possui regular sintonia aqui no Brasil, conformou constatou o colunista, em um sítio no interior de Pancas (ES), em 7 de julho (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX July 26 via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3205, R. Sandaun (presumed), 1310-1313*, July 27. In Tok Pisin; pop songs; TC “13 past 11”; off in mid-song; no ID noted. 3325, R. Bougainville/R. Buka, 1319-1404*, July 27. RRI was off-the- air today, so was in the clear for a change; in Tok Pisin; DJ with dedications of pop songs; before ToH choral National Anthem; ID “National Broadcasting Corporation, the Voice of Papua New Guinea”; long list of frequencies (MW, FM and SW); “N.B.C. wishing you good evening”; instrumental National Anthem. Above average PNG reception. 3335 has been off-the-air for several days now (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. Re 9-053, 4888.2, new station, R Félicy or Felici?, or R. Macedonia? Maybe, but see WRTH 2009: there are FOUR stations listed in this area in this order, with the second one apparently inserted by its n.f., not its o.f.: HV02) OAX5X, 4887, 1 kW, R. Virgen del Carmen, Huancavelica, 1000- 0200(irr) (nf: 4885) AY12) OAZ5C, 4899, 1 kW, R. Huanta, Huanta (n.f.: 4890) AQ48) [no call], 4890, [no power], R. Macedonia, Arequipa (irr.) CJ30) OAZ2B, v4890, 1 kW, R. Chota, Chota: 1100-0300v (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 6019.4, Radio Victoria, Lima, 0700-0720, 20-07, portugués, predicaciones, a las 0702: "Sintonizam Rádio Delta, 1300 kHz, falando do amor de Deus", "O nosso querido programa A Voz da Libertação, David Miranda". 24322. También 0604-0640, 22-07, español, locutor: "Campaña de la prosperidad", "Amigos oyentes de La Voz de la Liberación", "Una de la mañana con ocho minutos", "Oyentes que se curaron milagrosamente con la campaña de la prosperidad". 25432 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, Escuchas realizadas en Reinante, Mar Cantabrico, provincia de Lugo, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) R Victoria, Lima, 6019.32, July 25, 2330 - religious vocals, male with calm religious monologue, mentioning Santa María a few times. Do Pentecostals venerate Mary, or perhaps non LV de la Liberación programming? Signal rapidly improving toward the top of the hour until massive CRI via Albania OC at 2357 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA-100 Loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PORTUGAL. 15560, RDPI with Abraço da Madeira program on Sunday, July 26 at 1233 giving several phone numbers, including an 800, back to music. VG signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. RRI, 15435, July 28 at 1314, fair with Romanian folk music, Chinese announcements mentioning Romania more than once (or however you spell that in Chinese, let alone English). This is 67 degrees from Tiganeshti at 1300-1330. No jamming audible: how about that! One country with the blessing of SAFRT. Does that mean Bucharest never reports any news offensive to the ChiCom? RRI on 25m has not been making it much lately, tho there was some sign of Romanian on 11920 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SERBIA [non]. The uncertain future of International Radio Serbia on SW led us to recheck their English to NAm; it was still there on 9675, July 28 at 0037 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SIKKIM. 4835, AIR Gangtok (presumed), 1246-1321, July 28. Rare that this gets above threshold level! Subcontinent music and singing; ads; portions clearly in Hindi, but too weak to be sure if entirely in that language. Exceptionally good propagation on July 28 (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA [non]. 950, KTNF, MN, St. Louis Park. Per monitoring of its webstream, station replaced “Best of Stephanie Miller” 6/20 with “Sounds of Somalia” show. The Somali program (listen for the common word “waha”) airs Saturdays 2000-2400 [EDT = 0000-0400 UT Sundays] (though I heard it was replaced by Bill Press for 7/04). KTNF also has a Russian/English prorgram Suns 2000-2100 [EDT = 0000-0100 UT Mondays] Station slogan is “The Voice of Minnesota.” (Dale Park, HI, NRC DX News July 20 via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. 11690, poor with VTC fill music loop, July 27 at 0533, when SENTECH is supposed to be carrying R. Okapi to the Congo DR. This happens far too frequently. No RTTY QRM at this hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENERS) ** SUDAN. 7200, R Omdurman, Al-Aitahab, 0406-0431*, Jul 16, news in Arabic followed by discussion program at 0410, ID at 0430 followed by beginning of another feature before plug pulled in mid-sentence. For some reason, Sudan's SW transmissions only last about two hours (roughly 0230+/- to 0430+/-) although the program obviously continues on MW and/or FM since the SW service is always terminated while someone is still talking. Fair to good signal (Richard D’Angelo/NASWA, Wyomissing, PA, U.S.A., DSWCI DX Window July 21 via DXLD) Also heard at 1840-1845, Jul 8, Arabic talks, 55544 (Bernard Mille, Bailleul, France, DSWCI DX Window July 21 via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. 13840 good in unknown language, July 24 at 0513. That`s R. Dabanga via Madagascar at 0430-0527, 330 degrees. Should have heard jingle IDs as before if I had listened a little longer. Was also getting VOA Kurdish via same on 15380; see U S A [non] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. Affia Darfur via Nauen, 5995, July 24, *0259-0330* - poor signal in RHC splatter, best in LSB. North African vocals, similar to music heard on Radio Cairo, interspaced [sic] with Arabic announcements. Monologue by man from 0315 UTC, likely news. Clear mention of Darfur (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. 9735, July 26 at 1225 open carrier, no spurs. I conclude that RTI`s Japanese service, which modulates at 11-12 and 13-14, just leaves the carrier on during the intervening hour. Bright idea: why not add modulation then too and get more mileage out of it? Could be done for negligible cost (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TIBET. 7350, CNR-11 (Tibetan Service), 1430-1500, July 28. “Holy Tibet” program; distinctive canned ad that I have not heard for many months, for the medical massage clinics in Lhasa, gives phone numbers, says Lhasa clinic located in white building, door number 33, licensed students trained by doctors from Beijing medical massage clinic, foreign experts visit Lhasa to also train the students, giving cost for one massage for foreigners “and for local people about 55 Renminbi and it takes one hour", they speak English, Tibetan and Chinese at the clinics; “Tourism of Tibet” (American tourist talking about the “great weather in Lhasa”); segment “Eyes on Tibet”; played a lot of Tibetan music; // 6010. Enjoyable program! (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. Re 9-053: Voice of Turkey has left 10530 kHz, not heard for several days. I always check out-of-band frequencies on different receivers, but the Collins, normally, doesn't produce any "ghost" frequencies as does the R-600 on a relatively long aerial. 73s & good DX (Robert Foerster, Germany, July 24, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [non]. 9410, BBC Mundo via WHRI, Friday July 24 listened to last few minutes 1253-1300* when playing music fill not classical, but jazzed up Gershwin, etc., medley on flute, clarinet with orchestra. At least it`s not the top-20 as on Tue and Thu (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [and non]. 17530, July 25 at 1330 with news in Persian. I could swear I heard ``Farda`` mentioned, but jingle soon matched that used incessantly on television`s BBC World News (in English which we get via OKLA 13.2 M-F delayed at 2130). Yes, 17530 is BBCWS Farsi at 1230- 1500, 500 kW, 95 degrees via Rampisham. Only fair signal and fading down by 1339. Unlisted in PWBR `2009`. 17640, July 25 at 1332 with B-B-C- chimes IS over and over at odd time of hour, still at 1337. Next check at 1349 was in talk and music, fading out before I could decide on language. Must have missed opening at 1345? After a quarter-hour of IS wasting watts? Both Hausa and Burmese start on BBCWS at 1345, but neither scheduled on 17640. However, Aoki shows English via Ascension at 13-17 on 17640, so maybe that was just a feed loss filler. 9915 at 0540 July 27 in Arabic, along with some noise and hum on frequency, unsure of source. Listed as BBCWS both via Skelton 300 kW, 180 degrees and Rampisham 250 kW, 140 degrees between 0500 and 0700, tho Skelton starts by itself at 0400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. THE COMPLEMENTARY DEFICIENCIES OF VOA AND RFE/RL On 23 July, the House of Representatives Europe subcommittee held the hearing, “Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America: Soft Power and the Free Flow of Information." (See previous post.) The witnesses were Voice of America director Dan Austin and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty director Jeffrey Gedmin. The subcommittee chairman Robert Wexler asked why both stations exist... Wexler: "Yesterday, Mr. Austin, I was somewhat fascinated when we had an opportunity to speak, and you, just in an organization sense, shared with me why it is we have a Radio Free Europe and a Voice of America. Could you just share with the committee and with the audience why we have both, and the two roles that you play in a complementary fashion? Austin: I’d be happy to Mr. Chairman, and Jeff please weigh in as well. We very much see our roles as complementary to each other. As you mentioned earlier, sir, the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty functions very much as a surrogate media. And that is to say they function as media would function if media were allowed to be free in the countries where they operate. The Voice of America functions more as an international newsgathering organization. We report on local events, but we put them in context of the region and the world and we also explain to that world about our country, our policies, our people, and our culture. So we have different but very complementary roles. If you line up our content on any given day, you will see that. And we both support and reinforce, I think, each other's mission." Wexler: Dr. Gedmin? Gedmin: It’s hard to be more succinct or eloquent than that, but I’ll just reinforce it. We listen to our audiences very carefully. And we, Dan and I, and our colleagues here, regularly … they need surrogate broadcasting, they need information that is about them. That is, reliable and accurate and fair-minded, and that is principally what we do as a so-called surrogate broadcaster. I mentioned in Ukraine, quality maternal care, or how do you cope with problems of pollution, it may be a corruption issue, it may be social affairs, domestic development. A wide variety of things that they would have if they had their own free independent media. And we like to say that we are the oxygen of civil society. We support and we promote all those good democratic values that hopefully will mature into institutions and the real habits and values and behaviors of democracies. But we too, Mr. Chairman, hear constantly about Dan’s work and Voice of America. CNN is not enough. They want quality, rich, broad programming that offers a US perspective, and illuminates … gives a window on American society, American thinking, American culture, American politics, is a serious, credible, truthful way. I do believe that they are distinct, but I’m a strong believer that they are complementary, mutually reinforcing, and both very much needed." [End of excerpt.] (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Is Mr. Austin implying that RFE/RL does not put its news "in context of the region and the world"? And is Dr. Gedmin is implying that VOA does not do news about "them," i.e., the audience's own country? Audience research (and I have seen a lot of it) indicates that where audiences for international broadcasting are large, the audience is interested primarily in news about their own country, but also to a large extent in news about the rest of the world, and to a more limited extent in news about the broadcaster's country. The station that provides news in the desired ratio, with the most resources and most credibility, wins. BBC World Service is famous for the news that it provides about its target countries, but also for its global news coverage. Somehow they manage to pack both into the convenience of one station. US international broadcasting, for its budget of 668 million dollars, has an all-media weekly audience of 175 million. The BBC world services, for their budget of 416 million dollars, have an all-media weekly audience of 233 million. Posted: 28 Jul 2009 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** U S A. LAWMAKERS: US GOVERNMENT BROADCASTERS CRUCIAL TO SOFT POWER OUTREACH --- By Dan Robinson Capitol Hill 23 July 2009 U.S. lawmakers have told the directors of two U.S. - government funded international broadcasting stations, that they have an important role in projecting "soft power" to foreign audiences. We report on testimony by the directors of Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about measures taken to maintain the free flow of information via radio, television and the Internet in the face of restrictions imposed by foreign governments: Lawmakers are concerned about obstacles in places like China, Iran and Russia to the free flow of information and independent reporting. The role U.S. government-funded broadcasters play in overcoming these barriers was the main focus of a Europe subcommittee hearing. Members of Congress have condemned Iranian government restrictions on the Internet, and criticized steps by the Chinese government to tighten surveillance of Internet traffic, and government pressure on radio, television and print outlets in Russia. Congressman Robert Wexler, 23 Jul 2009 [caption] Referring to the impact of technology amid post-election turmoil in Iran, the panel chairman Democrat Robert Wexler said VOA and RFE/RL play a crucial role as "smart power tools" as the U.S. faces foreign policy challenges, anti-Americanism, and efforts by governments to suppress media. "This hearing comes at a critical time as the world's most repressive regimes in places such as Iran, crack down, suppress and stifle freedom of the media and expression," said Robert Wexler. "RFE/RL and VOA are critical smart power tools that are on the front line of international broadcasting, providing unfettered information globally in multiple languages and formats and acting as media surrogates where freedom of the press does not exist." VOA Director Danforth Austin testifying on Capitol Hill, 23 Jul 2009 [caption] VOA Director Danforth Austin said the station's television broadcasts have a substantial audience in Iran, and it is careful to scrutinize information coming out of the country. To illustrate dangers VOA journalists face, he pointed to a Taliban attack on the home of a VOA stringer in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province, and constant threats against VOA news stringers by Islamist militants in Somalia. In Russia, Austin says tightening government controls have cost VOA its radio and television affiliates, forcing the station to re-define its delivery strategies. "In Russia, we are now a multi-media web-based service produced for a country where Internet usage is growing rapidly," said Danforth Austin. "At a very critical juncture in U.S.-Russia relations, this strategy allows audiences to increase their understanding of American policies, politics and culture and American views of Russia. It also frankly galvanizes conversation among its audience through utilization of these so-called Web 2.0 tools." Critics say the decision by the non-partisan Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) which oversees U.S. international broadcasting to end Russian-language radio and television broadcasts in favor of an Internet-focused approach damaged efforts to maintain the flow of news to people in the country. RFE/RL President Jeffrey Gedmin testifying on Capitol Hill, 23 Jul 2009 [caption] Both the VOA director and RFE/RL President Jeffrey Gedmin stressed that neither station is in the business of broadcasting propaganda, but do help project fundamental American ideals: "What we do supports American interests, it supports enlightened American interests, and I believe if you believe in development and democracy, or let me put it another way, if you believe in combating and fighting things like nationalism and extremism, if you believe in fighting and combating things like anti-semitism and anti-Americanism, if you are an American policymaker you have to avail yourself of the full spectrum of policy opportunities and instruments, but I don't think you get any traction if you don't believe, support and pursue the free flow of information and ideas, discussion, debate, dissent no matter what country, what time what place," said Jeffrey Gedmin. VOA Director Austin underscored that organization's commitment to programming that is consistently reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective and comprehensive, which he said allows audiences to "cut through the din of shrill propaganda and the fog of misinformation and disinformation." Referring to both VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as "communication marketing tools", Georgia Democrat Representative David Scott said both stations must play a role in repairing a damaged American image abroad. "We have and we must live up to our ideals, and also understand that we have got to repair the damage to our reputation around the world," said David Scott. "Critical to this is VOA, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty." Republican Representative Ed Royce said U.S. government-funded broadcasters, which include Deewa Radio under the VOA, must play a greater role in responding to an information challenge posed by militant radio broadcasters in Pakistan and Afghanistan. "They say to control information is to control the battlefield," said Ed Royce. "In Afghanistan that is going to be increasingly true because of the amount of influence that the Gulf states are putting in terms of resources into the hands of radical Islam in that area. Fortunately, 70 percent of the Afghans now listen to [U.S-funded] Radio Free Afghanistan, but all through the region people are [still] listening to sharia radio, it is a war of ideas and you gentlemen are going to have to be part of the solution to this." During the hearing, Representative Wexler said President Barack Obama has made international broadcasting a top priority for American foreign policy, saying it is imperative that Congress gives U.S.- government funded broadcasters the tools they need to maintain free flow of information. Congress has proposed a $746 million budget for U.S. international broadcasting activities for the 2010 fiscal year, including VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other operations under the Broadcasting Board of Governors (VOA News July 23 via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. VOA, 9760 via PHILIPPINES, July 24 at 1320 found Dan Robinson with report on a hearing about USG external broadcasting, including whether replacing SW with internet in Russian was a good idea. Here`s the full story: http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-07-23-voa63.cfm `Lawmakers: US Government Broadcasters Crucial to Soft Power Outreach` with audio linx running 5:35: http://www.voanews.com/mediaassets/english/2009_07/Audio/mp3/robinson_broadcasting_23Jul09.mp3 Surprised to find a new signal on 11725, July 24 at 1338 with pop music, VOA Music Mix promoting new time for country show Fridays at 1400. At 1343 identified this hour as ``World`s Best Variety on the [singing ID:] VOA Music Mix Network``, now featuring Brian Wilson. 1400 abruptly shifted to news on hour, now // 17585 Greenville and only a slight reverb apart from it. Loud and steady signal on 11725 probably Greenville too, tho 11740 VOA Korean via Tinang was also in well. At 1405, 17585 stayed with news hour, while 11725 split back to VOA Music Mix, ``Mary Morningstar with Country Hits, USA``. Is that her real name? She`s among the presenters on this page: http://www.voanews.com/english/Entertainment/MusicMix-presenters.cfm {In Googling, it seems there are several individuals with this alliterative name, including a ``psychic`` and a lawyer.} On 11725 at this time we usually hear, if anything, Harold Droning, from the YFR relay via Pet/Kam, RUSSIA at 11-15, but no trace of him now. RFE/RL Russian had also been scheduled on 11725, 13-15, switching from Lampertheim to Biblis, GERMANY at 1400, but no trace of that either. Meanwhile, 11725 VOA does not show yet on online schedules, let alone http://www.voanews.com/english/about/frequenciesAtoZ_e.cfm 11725 was still going at 1430 so unseems a transmitter test, but who knows whether it will be there tomorrow? 15380 fair with uncertain language I first guessed was Persian, July 24 at 0509; sounds like VOA. Instead it`s Kurdish via Madagascar, 05- 06, 359 degrees. Altho VOA was loud and clear on unscheduled 11725 Friday July 24 before and after 1400 with Music Mix, just as I suspected, it was nowhere to be heard the next day, July 25 at 1305 and several more chex during the hour. Some VOA programming is on a M-F basis, so possibly it will be back on Monday, if not another of those unexplained one-off anomalies, tests or mistakes. At 1318 I tuned up to 11740 for VOA Korean via Tinang, which was in an English lesson, Sinatra`s ``Fly Me to the Moon`` word by word, phrase by phrase, re-spoken, spelled out and idiomatic meanings explained in Korean. I can`t help but wonder at the VOA studios in Washington how much they think they are talking to North Korea and how much to the South. VOK announcers could use a few pointers about how to speak non- stilted English. Still no more VOA 11725 on July 26, or July 27 around 1328 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Sunday July 26 at 1225 found Chris, Lobdell Pirating with Cumbre on 9410, i.e. the end of DXing with Cumbre which must have started at 1200 on the WHRI frequency which weekdays relays BBC Mundo at 12-13. 1236 recheck: a wacky preacher urging us to get ready for the rapture. Time to search the WHR online program schedule again for DXing with Cumbre times. If you put ``Lamb`` into search by program host, you get nothing, but the finicky engine finds a number of DWC times if you enter ``Marie Lamb``, including this one on Angel 2, and also Saturday at same time 1200. Many of the others we know are imaginary, such as the next broadcast on Sunday, 1430 on Angel 6, 11785, for it was off the air when I checked at 1449, tho it had been on earlier at 13-14 for Hmong Lao Radio (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WEWN still missing from all frequencies for the second day in a row, July 23; at 0635 nothing on 7555, 11520 or 11870; at 1316, nothing on 11530, 11550 or 12050; at 1630 nothing on 11520, 11550 or 15610 as on the schedule http://www.ewtn.com/radio/freq.htm Last year they were off for two weeks of maintenance, as of July 28; see DXLD 8-086, altho I believe it turned out to be not quite that long. I asked Glen Tapley and he replies July 23, 2009: ``Glenn, We are having downtime until Friday afternoon. We are repairing some slew boxes and transmitters along with our regular maintenance. We project to be back on air this weekend if all goes well. Glen`` So now`s the time to try to DX something else on or near WEWN frequencies, especially the ones flanked by those noisy plus/minus 10 kHz spurs, unless the maintenance takes care of them. For example, V. of Mesopotamia at 12-15 on 11530 (which also collides with WYFR at 04- 09). As expected after a few days` maintenance, WEWN back on the air for the weekend, UT Saturday July 25 at 0544 on 11520, interesting discussion of Gregorian chant, and also the spur on 11530 bothering WYFR. And at 1315, with WEWN on 11530, now the spur is on 11520, again bothering WYFR. Gets `em one way or `tother. Catholix vs Camping cultists! With BFO on one can also hear matching spurs on the opposite sides of WEWN fundamentals. WEWN missing again from all three transmitters, July 28 at 0519, nothing on 7555, 11520 or 11870. Even the higher ones are normally audible here in the nightmiddle. But it was temporary, as a few hours later, 1246, back on 7555 with mass; at 1305 on 11530, 11550 and 12050 as usual (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Altho on the air when I first tuned around before 1300, WINB missing from 9265, July 25 at 1404, which is normally prolonged on Saturdays with Brother Scare and the Sabbath instead of switching to 13570 as on other days. There was a JBA signal on 13570, but could be VOA São Tomé, which collides with WINB from this and later two other African sites until 1700. Did not sound like Scare, nor at 1605 recheck, and not // 9385 WWRB or 15420 WBCQ --- but these three are never in synch, anyway. He`s still on the WINB schedule http://www.winb.com/schedule.htm Saturdays all the way from 1200 until 2100, but strangely broken up into 5 segments: 12-13, 13-14, 14-17, 17-2030, 2030-21. Maybe these blox were sold separately as he kept adding time? Altho we had heard it many times, the WINB schedule does not admit to keeping 9265 on late Saturdays only for Stair. WINB still carrying `Tony Alamo`, easily recognizable conversing with a female, his very late wife Susan? July 28 at 1248, mentioning that Catholix ``don`t know The Lord``. Trouble is, The Overcomer is still scheduled during this hour, not Alámo. In Alámo`s former WWCR slot, again July 28 at 1307 black gospel music instead (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also EQUATORIAL GUINEA [non] Hi Glenn, Thanks for bringing up the fact that Susan died many years ago (April 1982), so she would not be, as I thought, the woman on his programs that reads the letters from listeners. There is a schedule of sorts at his website http://www.alamoministries.com/content/english/radiobroadcasts/radio.html but how up-to-date is it? Thanks for your input! (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. WWCR, 5980, July 26, 0400 - mixing product, weak signal with a mix of 5935 PMS and 5890 Scriptures For America, blocking any chance for Voice of Tigray Revolution, if even still active here (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA-100 Loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) WWCR 15825 at 1600z July 26 with spurs plus & minus 15.6 kHz (Jerry Lenamon, Waco Texas, Eton E-1, sloper, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) July 27 at 1330, no signal on 13845, so figured there was zero sporadic E this morning --- but when I came to 15825, WWCR was inbooming, so 13845 was off the air and Es was in play; still could hear PMS on Anguilla 11775, whew, so all is not lost. BTW, her Costa Rica outlets kept being registered as if they were on the air, but not any more. Since ``Tony Alámo`` was convicted Friday and removed from the WWCR schedule on Saturday, today`s the day, Monday July 27, to find what replaced him at 13-14 UT on 15825. At 1330, black gospel music; 1335 ad for American Family Insurance, more mx; 1351, ad for Shower to Shower body powder (did Tony ever use that to make himself more attractive to the girls he ``married``?), American Family Insurance again, which it seems is the sponsor of the show ``Inspirations Across America``. 1358 cut to a Creation Moment, in the relentless drive by the forces of ignorance to bury the scientific method. 1400 WWCR ID, serving the Statue of Liberty --- has anyone ever really heard WWCR inside the SOL? All that metal should be quite a barrier to SW signals, tho maybe audible with a clear shot from the crown outlook. Then another show ``The Liberating Secret, with Sylvia Pierce``. Make that Pearce, per the WWCR online sked, which does show that, but still just TBA for the previous hour. The huge signal on 15825, if not 13845, called for another routine check of 18770 for the WWRB harmonic --- yes, at 1337 peaking S9+10 with Hallelujah Chorus // 9385, 1339 segué to a bit of another hymn, overcome by BS. After 1430 there was Es reaching channel 2 TV, such as bits of the Hoy morning show from Mexico`s Televisa around 1530 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Where are DGS / PMS? At this posting I have not been hearing University Network (or even a carrier) here in AZ on 11775 or 13845, at 1630, 1645, 1700 rechecks. [Later:] I am hearing Melissa Scott now on 11775 (fair) via Caribbean relay ; 13845 still silent at this location. 73 (Rick Barton, Cave Creek , AZ, 1828 UT July 27, mobile - Sangean ATS-803A, base loaded roof-mounted whip, ABDX via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DXLD) WWCR again missing from 13845, July 28 at 1307, tho very good on 15825, superstrong as usual on 9980, and audible on 7490. So the DGS/PMS University Network is outletless in the USA, but still available from Anguilla on 11775. I suppose same WWCR transmitter is missing from 5935 at night, tho unchecked (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WWCR mixing product, 4910, July 28, 0050 - very strong signal, an annoying mixture of 9979.993 kHz - 5070.002 kHz = 4909.991 kHz. After 0100 UTC both frequencies now carrying Pastor Peter J. Peters off-key singing, leaving 4910 kHz a de facto third Scriptures For America frequency (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA - http://www.bcdx.org dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST ** U S A [non]. These YFR tests (?) to SAm in English via Ascension have been canceled: 22-01 on 9835, 00-03 on 7335, 9420, the latter two clashing with Vatican and Greece respectively, and replaced with: 22-23 on 6035, 23-01 on 7235. None of this confirmed yet by monitoring (Glenn Hauser, July 27, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As expected, the YFR tests via Ascension are no longer heard on 9835, but instead on 7235 July 28 at 0037, Harold Droning. Also no longer heard on 9935 which was via Guiana French (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Freqüência de 6035, 27/7 2251 (1951 [local]) uma radio ouvida com sinal de 44444, não constant na lista (py5aap morato, gg46qu, Cornelio Procopio-Pr- Br, dxclubepr yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DXLD) ** U S A [non]. NPR via AFRTS Guam, 5765-USB, quite listenable Sunday July 26 at 1240-1248 with Will Shortz` puzzle segment on Weekend Edition Sunday; static crashes still seem odd on a show normally heard on pristine FM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re 9-052: Follow-ups to the departure of RNI from WBCQ: http://www.johnlightning.com/?p=151 (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418- 2830 Released: July 15, 2009 Report No. 422 EXPERIMENTAL ACTIONS The Commission, by its Office of Engineering and Technology, Experimental Licensing Branch, granted the following experimental applications during the period from 5/1/09 to 6/1/09: WE2XZV DATRON WORLD COMMUNICATIONS, INC. 0094-EX-PL-2009 New experimental to operate on 2.1116 MHz, 4.8516 MHz, 5.1276 MHz, 6.9916 MHz, 10.3976 MHz, 11.0776 MHz, 12.9506 MHz, 14.5166 MHz, 16.4036 MHz, 18.6036 MHz, 20.9716 MHz, 26.2926 MHz, 27.3776 MHz and 27.4036 MHz to test and develop standards for adaptive HF, VHF, and UHF radio equipment. Fixed & Mobile Vista (San Diego), CA WE2XXE GENERAL DYNAMICS AIS 0435-EX-PL-2008 New experimental to operate in 3-7 MHz and 15-21 MHz for propagation studies for development of potential enhancements to customer radio equipment and procedures for operation in the high frequency (HF) band. Mobile: Nellis Test and Training Range, Nellis AFB, NV (FCC via DXLD) More FCC experimental actions: see OKLAHOMA ** U S A. As I tuned across 7 MHz in AM, July 24 at 1220, encountered on 7210.0-LSB, speech in Spanish which even before switching to SSB could tell was not in conversational tones required by ham radio. It could have been a one-way clandestine broadcaster, but really just an exile ham obviously reading a political polemic, anti-Chávez, Zelaya, accusing Chávez of being a narcotraficante. Pause for ID as N1NR, in contact with weaker signals, WT4WT, and W4N--. Then said he had been reading from un periódico de Londres. 1227 moved on to recipes. I previously logged him in January on same frequency, as in DXLD 9-002 under CUBA [non] and ARRL callsign lookup IDed N1NR as Roig, Nelson, in Bushkill, PA. Now I also look up his contact, WT4WT, and he`s Barreto, Sergio R, in Trenton, FL. The third one was probably W4NNN as before, Carter, Robert V, in Conyers GA. BTW, Roig, of Catalan provenance, I think is pronounced like `Roach`; but hams have a pervasive aversion to pronouncing surnames at all (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also HONDURAS ** U S A. I was tuning around looking for amateur radio special events to log as an SWLer. 6:15 pm [EDT = 2215 UT] Sunday 7/19 I caught Glen Baxter K1MAN on 14222.0. He had an IARN show on. He told story of Cronkite agreeing to do a K1MAN ID years ago. He aired the ID. This eve Baxter also aired piece by Bill Pasternak (licensed ham) and a writer for ARRL`s QST. Pasternak did an obit of Cronkite. I`m sure you can find it on web. Baxter told story of how Cronkite demanded he not run him voicing the K1MAN ID. Baxter agreed only if Cronkite came on his show to explain why. Cronkite refused. The story went on to how Cronkite ageeed to do video and voiceovers, two films for ARRL on ham radio, promoting the hobby. So apparently Baxter is back on HF, 14222.0 USB. I don`t know for how long. If his K1MAN has not been FCC renewed, how can he transmit/ broadcast? P.S. Walter Cronkite, novice call KB2GSD. Walter Cronkite did pass a code test given by two licensed hams who worked at CBS in NYC. But Cronkite said he`d be too nervous to do copy at a license test. he studied the technical part for his novice. Ham radio just part of more comms aboard his magnificent sailboat (Robert E Thomas, Bridgeport CT, July 19, by P-mail, not received until July 26 with wrong P O Box, DX LISTENING DIGEST) In fact, the following on a card arrived first: Quick note: I heard repeat of Glen Baxter K1MAN ``show`` which I first heard Sunday with the tribute to late KB2GSD Walter Cronkite, his career, the K1MAN/Cronkite/FCC/ARRL controversy and other items including Sam [Voron] VK2BVS on IARN work recently in Somalia. So I guess K1MAN will repeat Sunday first airing Mon-Sat, new show Sunday. Today July 21 I heard it at 2200 UT on 14275. So check 272-275 depending on propagation/QRM/QRN (Bob Thomas, CT, July 21, by p-mail, received July 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is public license data from the FCC database. BAXTER, GLENN A, K1MAN (Extra) RR 1 BOX 776 BELGRADE LAKES, ME 04918 Licensee ID: L01043890 FRN: 0013793849 Issue Date: Oct 17, 1995 Expire Date: Oct 17, 2005 Date of last Change: Jul 22, 2009 Includes FCC actions through Jul 27, 2009 (ARRL callsign lookup July 28 via DXLD) So his license expired almost 4 years ago, but he`s still on the roster and made a ``change`` a few days ago?? (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. NPR COMPILES CRONKITE'S RADIO ESSAYS ONLINE From 2001 to 2005, newsman Walter Cronkite, who died last week, contributed occasional essays to NPR. Now listeners can hear those once again on an NPR tribute page featuring the pieces. http://www.npr.org/news/specials/cronkite/ (posted at 12:08 PM EST July 20, Current via DXLD) Mike Todd`s food fight runs 12+ minutes. IIRC, Cronkite also did regular, weekdaily? radio commentaries while he was with CBS (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Finally this week, we remember one of the legends of TV news. Here's what we posted on a NERW Update just after the news broke at week's end: With the death of Walter Cronkite at 92 Friday evening, you'll be reading plenty of tributes in the hours and days to come. They'll recognize, properly, the instrumental role Cronkite played in establishing TV news as a legitimate medium of record. They'll note his passing just days before the 40th anniversary of one of his seminal on-air moments, as he became the face and voice of man's landing on the moon. They'll assess the many ways in which Cronkite's successors, at CBS and elsewhere, have and have not lived up to the legacy he left. But what you probably won't hear is the story of how Walter Cronkite, at a time when he was at the height of his influence, did something to help inspire a six-year-old boy with big media dreams. The year was 1978, the boy was your editor, and as kindergarten drew to a close that spring, I was informing (or at least entertaining) my classmates by doing "newscasts" in front of the blackboard in the classroom. With six-year-old innocence, and at least a passing familiarity with the media thanks to an aunt who worked at the local CBS affiliate, it seemed entirely appropriate to send one of the scripts from our little kindergarten newscast to the man whose newscasts we watched over the dinner table every night. So off went the letter, explaining - in kindergarten printing, I'm sure - how much I admired Mr. Cronkite and how I hoped someday perhaps to take his place behind the anchor desk at CBS. A week or two went by, and right around the last day of school I came home to find a fat gray envelope waiting for me, with the CBS logo in big black print on the left side. It would have been easy, and entirely reasonable, for the most famous TV anchorman in the world to have a staffer send off a form letter, or perhaps even an autographed photo. But that's not what Walter Cronkite did. Instead, the fat gray envelope contained this letter, on CBS stationery, evidently typed by the man himself: Dear Scott: That was a fascinating newscast you and Jess and Jeffrey did on June 10th, and I'm very pleased that you sent me a copy of your script. I have a feeling that if you keep up at this pace and get a good education in school, then one day all three of you will be at the CBS network. Sincerely yours, Walter Cronkite June 26, 1978 But that wasn't all. In his own handwriting below the typed letter was this: "P.S. I thought you might like to see one of our scripts. W.C." And stuffed into that fat gray envelope was a complete teleprompter roll from those days before electronic prompters, dozens of pages long, right up to "And that's the way it is" - the very script that had rolled in front of Uncle Walter on the night of Tuesday, June 27, 1978. So know this about Walter Cronkite: the man who told the nation about JFK and Vietnam and the moon landings and Watergate was not too big or too self-impressed to take a few minutes to write back to a starry- eyed kindergartner. [see original for illustrations:] http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2009/090720/nerw.html It took nearly twenty years for that six-year-old would-be newscaster to finally thank Walter Cronkite in person, and by then there was an interesting irony: having continued on a path into the news business, inspired in no small part by that letter back in 1978, your editor ended up at WBZ in Boston. By the time Cronkite showed up one night in the fall of 1996 to promote his new book, WBZ's owner, Westinghouse, had acquired CBS - and so that letter, long ago, that predicted that those kindergarten newscasters might someday "be at CBS" had come true, in a way. Know this, too, about Walter Cronkite: even at the age of 80, he had already lost most of his hearing. So I'm not entirely sure that he understood - even as I showed him that letter he'd written me long ago - how much his small gesture back in 1978 meant to me. So long, Uncle Walter --- and thank you (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch July 20 via DXLD) ** U S A. MEMORIES OF MY ATOMIC YOUTH --- Some of my most vivid memories from the late 1950s and early 1960s involve the old Civil Defense (CD) program. White it seems like utter lunacy in retrospect, quite a few Americans and government officials devoted a lot of time, energy, and money back then to planning how to survive a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Seriously. . . [with great illustrations] http://harryhelmsblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/memories-of-my-atomic-youth.html (Harry Helms blog July 25, via DXLD) ** U S A. First, the news from the New York Times, where the company's lone radio property, WQXR (96.3 New York) was but a blip on the bottom line compared to the company's mounting debt issues stemming from its acquisition of the Boston Globe and its decision to build a new headquarters tower at the height of the real estate market a few years back. Even as a relatively minor piece of the Times Company empire, though, the signs were growing that WQXR had become expendable - first a rumor earlier this year that the signal was being sold to become an FM sports outlet, and then last Tuesday afternoon, the big news that WQXR was indeed being sold after 65 years under Times ownership. Here's how it will play out: the Times will sell WQXR's 96.3 signal, a full class B from the Empire State Building, to Univision Radio for $33.5 million and the license of Univision's WCAA (105.9 Newark NJ). While Univision moves WCAA's "La Kalle" Spanish urban format down the dial to the bigger 96.3 signal, the Times will sell the 105.9 signal - along with WQXR's intellectual property - to public broadcaster WNYC, which will pay $11.5 million to operate 105.9 as a noncommercial classical station with the WQXR calls. Note that price: for a full New York City class B FM, this deal puts the price tag at $45 million. Even allowing for some unusual circumstances here - the desire to protect the classical legacy of WQXR, in particular - this represents a huge drop-off in station values over just the last few years, as Univision ought to know, since its predecessor Heftel bought the 105.9 signal (then WNWK) for roughly ten times the $11.5 million that WNYC is paying for it. Even more dramatically, Univision gets that big 96.3 signal for less than the $60 million it paid a few years back for what's now WQBU (92.7 Garden City), a class A signal on the Long Island/Queens line. As for the future of WQXR, reactions were mixed last week. To some, the sale by the Times will mark the end of WQXR as they've long known it - the station's familiar air personalities will lose their jobs with the sale, and while they'll have the chance to apply for work at the new WNYC-owned WQXR on 105.9, it seems likely that only a few will be hired. There's concern in the city's charitable circles that WNYC, with its own fundraising obligations to meet (it's launching a $15 million campaign to cover the purchase of WQXR and initial operating costs), won't be as supportive of New York's other arts organizations as the Times-owned WQXR was. (And of course as a commercial station, WQXR provided a venue to promote Broadway shows and other cultural events that won't be able to advertise as openly on the new 105.9.) Then there's the signal issue: while 105.9 broadcasts from the same master antenna on the Empire State Building as 96.3, it runs just 610 watts ERP, compared to 6000 watts for the full class B signals. That's still a formidable signal - it reaches about 13 million listeners, compared to just over 16 million for the class B stations - but for listeners in much of Long Island and parts of Westchester and southern Connecticut, WQXR will still effectively vanish when it makes the move. But for WQXR listeners elsewhere in the metropolitan area, the deal might be the best chance they'll have to retain a full-time classical voice on the FM dial. For WNYC, the move presents an opportunity - at a relative bargain price - to relieve the pressure on its main signal, WNYC-FM (93.9), to serve both the classical audience and the growing demand for more news and talk programming. With this deal, WNYC-FM will become a full-time news/talk voice, shifting its remaining classical programming up the dial to 105.9. And without the market pressures that have threatened even the few remaining classical signals that have moved to lesser commercial signals around the country (think of the slow demise of stations like WGMS in Washington, KXTR in Kansas City and perhaps even WCRB in Boston), there's little doubt that WNYC will continue to run the new WQXR 105.9 as a classical signal for many years to come (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch July 20 via DXLD) ** U S A. SPORTS ADDED TO OMAHA'S CLASSICAL KVNO News that Omaha's KVNO, a full-time classical music station, will begin airing live sports coverage in August has prompted a backlash among listeners of the public radio station licensed to the University of Nebraska at Omaha. "There were audible gasps in the hall" during a recent chamber music concert when Oboist Darci Griffith announced that sports broadcasts were coming to KVNO, the Omaha World-Herald reports. http://www.omaha.com/article/20090721/NEWS01/707219942/0/FRONTPAGE “Those people were KVNO fans, and no one had bothered to tell them,” Griffith said. The schedule change will provide a new source of income for the station because UNO's athletic department will pay the station to carry its football, hockey and basketball games. Michael Hilt, assistant dean of UNO's communications school, says the change benefits students and preserves the majority of KVNO's schedule for classical music (posted at 10:47 AM EST July 21, Current via DXLD) ** U S A. "Seattle news/talk station KUOW is reëvaluating its plans for an FM signal it’s been leasing in Tacoma, Wash., after a feasibility study revealed that prospective donors weren’t inclined to back a capital campaign to buy the station. KUOW began broadcasting its alternative news stream three years ago on KXOT, the 91.7 FM frequency held by Boulder-based Public Radio Capital. Under its five- year operating agreement, the Seattle outlet has until next July to exercise its option to buy the channel. ... With KUOW and KXOT to choose from, Tacoma listeners can hear 'any good program' that’s produced for public radio, Roth said, including programs from the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and Deutsche Welle, and a mix of Public Radio Exchange’s independently produced fare. But KUOW hasn’t had enough money to promote the service, and has been disappointed by the audience response to it." Current, 6 July 2009. Posted: 23 Jul 2009 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Much of KXOT`s foreign content comes from overnight relays of WRN. This should include WORLD OF RADIO Sundays at 1:30 am PT, as on the WRN schedule: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/schedules/schedule.php?ScheduleID=2&CurrentTZID=2&Show=weekend But the KXOT grid just gives an incomplete generalized list of services within that WRN block from 2300 local until 0500 weekdays, 0700 weekends, the latter being ``(Voice of Russia, Radio Prague, Radio Korea, Radio Romania, Channel Africa, Radio New Zealand, Radio Netherlands)`` (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1480, KPHX, AZ, Phoenix: Per Phoenix New Times, station will drop its “Lounge Sound” contemporary standards July 6 and return to liberal talk, featuring Dial Global hosts Bill Press, Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann and Ed Schultz; Premiere’s Randi Rhodes and self-syndicated Mike Malloy. Liberal talk left KPHX for the now- defunct KNUV-1190 on New Year’s Day (Dale Park, HI, NRC DX News July 20 via DXLD) ** U S A. Re: "CDC Radio" on 87.9 MHz in Atlanta --- I was able to make a recording of the 4 min. 20 sec. loop being broadcast from "CDC Radio" at 87.9 MHz (presumably) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention campus off of Clifton Road in Atlanta. The recording is available through the following link... http://bit.ly/c2Lys The program loop includes information about the H1N1 flu (Swine flu) in English and Spanish with a station ID as "CDC Radio". No FCC ID is announced. The signal is low power and only can be heard in the immediate surrounding communities (- Harry Smith, July 23, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. INTERESTING LOW POWER STATION IN DALLAS http://tinyurl.com/ksufnh This is an interesting listing in the FCC data base. It is described as a LP Broadcast Auxiliary Low Power which is not a TIS. I heard it in May 2004 on 1680 and it was functioning as a TIS, and I am not sure if it is still on the air. It was sponsored by the Dallas Downtown Improvement District and broadcast a 1:40 long loop tape with announcements for current events in Downtown Dallas. I could not find any call letters for this station. Does anyone know if calls for this station exist? Note this is not the same license as the DFW TIS, which happens to be licensed to the same frequency 1680 (Bill Harms, MD, July 27, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Did you hear it from Maryland? FCC page says it is `dismissed` (gh) No, I heard in Downtown Dallas. You can hear my recording at http://dxclipjoint.com/bill/001680-downtown-dallas-tis-20040530-1330.mp3 There are references to the station with little detail at the following URLs: http://www.downtowndallas.org/OurPrograms/Safety.aspx http://tinyurl.com/ndwuy2 (Bill Harms, ibid.) I don't see any call letters listed for the station and it looks like the station license may have expired (Paul B. Walker, IRCA via DXLD) That is pretty much what I found on the internet. I was wondering if I had missed something. Did this station ever have call letters? Although it was broadcasting as a TIS, the license was not for a normal TIS. I wonder why (Bill Harms, ibid.) ** U S A. KTVT-11 desperate to get back on UHF WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY, KENNETH? CBS11 WANTS A NEW ONE 07/21/09 10:41 AM By ED BARK Citing a "massive decline" in ratings and "thousands of complaints" from viewers after the June 12th transition from analog to digital, D- FW's CBS11 (KTVT) has an "urgent" request before the Federal Communications Commission. Namely, the station wants a new frequency in hopes of stopping the bleeding. This is where it gets a bit complicated unless you're an engineer or otherwise well-schooled in "post-transition digital allotments." But CBS11's petition to the FCC, a copy of which has been obtained by unclebarky.com, is crystal-clear in charting the audience losses the station has suffered at the dawning of the digital age. Since the transition, KTVT "has received several thousand telephone calls and email messages from viewers complaining about the difficulties receiving its signal," the station says. "The majority of these complaints are from viewers who utilize 'rabbit ears' and other indoor antenna systems, and who live more than 15 miles from the KTVT transmitter site . . . While KTVT has attempted to help these viewers receive its signal, it has become apparent that their reception problems are not susceptible of a ready cure." Using Nielsen Media Research figures, CBS11's petition says the station's over-the-air prime-time (7 to 10 p.m.) ratings dropped 57 percent from the pre-digital week of June 1st to the post-digital week of June 22nd. But among viewers with digital-friendly cable, the dropoff was just 1.9 percent, CBS11 says. "There is only one possible explanation for an over-the-air ratings decline of this magnitude over a few short weeks and without any significant change in programming," the station says. "Quite simply, large numbers of over-the-air viewers are no longer able to receive KTVT's signal." Hoping to change this picture before the start of the fall season, CBS11 is asking the FCC to grant use of Channel 19 as its post- transition frequency for non-cable or satellite subscribers using converter boxes to get the station's signal. KTVT was allotted Channel 11 as its post-digital frequency, but that's been a disaster, the station says. Its sister station, TXA21, allotted Channel 19 by the FCC, instead would use Channel 18 if KTVT's petition is granted. The petition was filed on July 16th. Maybe this is enough to make many a reader's head spin. But the stakes are high, particularly in a fall season in which CBS will combat NBC's Monday-to-Friday, 9 p.m. Jay Leno show with four proven crime series - - CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, The Mentalist, Numb3rs -- and the promising new legal drama The Good Wife, starring Julianna Margulies. Every fraction of a rating point counts under such circumstances. Monday's prime-time ratings weren't that bad for CBS11, though. The station easily won the 9 p.m. hour in total viewers with a CSI: Miami repeat. It also topped the 8 to 9 p.m. slot with reruns of Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. And its 7 to 8 p.m. reprises of How I Met Your Mother and Rules of Engagement were a close second to ABC's "Men Tell All" recap of The Bachelorette. Would those numbers be better if CBS11 is granted a new post-analog frequency to serve viewers relying on converter boxes? The station clearly would love to find out. http://unclebarky.com/dfw_files/999de3eaef9544e2295512332485f992-1176.html (July 22 via Brock Whaley, Oahu, DX Listening Digest) Glen[n]- How would changing channels 19 to channel 18 help in reception at home? Why don't they just go to full power? (Willis Monk, TN, ibid.) Read the article again: they are currently on 11, while their sub- station is on 19; KTVT wants to go back to 19 and shift other to 18 (gh) Willis, I can't answer for Glenn; but this move will put KTVT-DT and KTXA-DT back where they were before June 12. KTXA was on 18, while KTVT was on 19. I wonder if WFAA-DT8 and KFWB-DT9 are claiming to have audience loss due to their VHF channels. As you know, WFAA-DT was on channel 9 for about ten years (Danny Oglethorpe, Shreveport, LA, WTFDA via DXLD) Glenn, It would be interesting to see if the same has happened in other markets. Here in Taiwan when stations started to switch to digital, the government body that regulates TV and radio said that all stations MUST also stay on analogue. Originally there was a plan to switch off and go 100% digital, but enough people protested so that was reversed. It was the same case with digital radio. In fact digital radio in Taiwan is almost dead. Sangean, who has a range of DAB radios, told me the sales of the receivers in Taiwan dropped to less than 2% last year. Their largest market is the UK. They have since stopped selling DAB radios in Taiwan as there is no market. In 2004 Taipei had 11 stations using DAB; since then 10 have gone back to regular FM. China now has a plan in place to switch. The different is, they will switch, no ands, ifs, or buts about it. Since everything is government controlled, people won't have any say or choice (Keith Perron, Taiwan, ibid.) It is happening in several other markets --- either that or power increases on the VHF channel. DTV is a done deal in the USA; unlike radio, there is no going back to analog and we have already had many years of transition with both (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** U S A. Those "vacated" channels at the bottom of the TV dial may fill up faster than expected in some big markets. We've already reported on the surge in demand from low-power TV stations for new berths on channel 6, where continued analog LPTV operation makes it possible to function as pseudo-FM stations on 87.7. In some cities, other newly-vacated low-VHF channels are being filled by LPTVs as well; for instance, WNYW's now-former channel 5 slot in New York already has a digital LP construction permit for a new occupant. Full-power use of those vacated channels, though, was supposed to be far in the future, if it happened at all, since the FCC is apparently in no hurry at all to thaw the long-frozen allocations table to allow for new digital-only allotments. But when there's a huge prize to be had - signals over two of the nation's largest TV markets - there's no underestimating how far the creativity of a good communications lawyer can go toward finding an unusual way to shoehorn new stations onto the dial. That's the long way around to explaining why NEW JERSEY's Press Communications quietly bought two tiny TV stations out west - NBC affiliate KJWY (Channel 2) in Jackson, Wyoming and independent KVNV (Channel 3) in Ely, Nevada - and why it's apparently poised to move those stations right into the heart of the Philadelphia and New York TV markets, respectively. The loophole that makes those moves possible dates back a quarter of a century, to the mid-80s controversy over the lack of local TV presence in both New Jersey and Delaware. An amendment to the Communications Act of 1933 established a way for states with no commercial VHF stations - a list that included only New Jersey and Delaware - to gain such operations: it provided that any licensee that notified the FCC that it was willing to accept reallocation to a VHF-less state would immediately be granted a license for the moved operation, bypassing just about every other provision of the Act except for spacing requirements. The provision was very narrowly targeted, aimed entirely at moving New York's WOR-TV (Channel 9) to Secaucus, N.J., a move owner RKO accepted in order to be allowed to sell the station instead of losing the license as part of the investigation into RKO's billing practices. But long after channel 9 made the move - and long after it was clear that the "move" didn't prevent channel 9, now WWOR, from continuing to be a "New York" station, transmitting from Manhattan and serving the entire metro area - the rule stayed on the books, apparently never to be used again. With the DTV transition looming, though, the lawyers at Fletcher, Heald and Hildreth spotted an opportunity: since WWOR's digital signal is on channel 38, New Jersey would end up once again bereft of VHF stations. With the channel 2 stations in New York City and Baltimore vacating that spot, and channel 3 in Philadelphia and Hartford going empty as well, there was suddenly spectrum available for VHF allotments in both New Jersey and Delaware...and a law on the books that appeared to give that spectrum to any station willing to make the move, just for the asking. And so Press notified the FCC last Monday that it was "willing to accept" reallocations that would move KJWY's channel 2 from Jackson to Wilmington, Delaware, and KVNV's channel 3 from Ely to Middletown Township, New Jersey - with strongly-worded language making it clear that it believes the Commission is compelled by the language of Section 331(a) of the Communications Act to immediately grant those moves. It should come as no surprise, of course, that the new "Delaware" and "New Jersey" stations would have their sights set on the bigger markets next door: Channel 2 would transmit with 10 kW/845' from the Roxborough tower farm in Philadelphia, while Channel 3 would have 10 kW/860' from the Four Times Square tower in Manhattan, making both signals full-market (within the limitations of low-band VHF) in their respective markets. What's in it for the people of Delaware and New Jersey? Probably not all that much: in a Delaware newspaper interview, Press CEO Bob McAllan (the managing member of "PMCM, LLC," the licensee of KJWY and KVNV) wouldn't even go so far as to commit to local studios in either state, promising only that the stations' programming, once moved, "might be something you haven't seen before." Given the FCC's current lax requirements for local news - and the lack of a requirement for a main studio in the city of license, a rule that at least obliged WWOR to move its studio from Times Square to Secaucus back in the day - it appears, to us at least, that there's little to stop the new channel 3 and channel 2 from setting up shop right in Manhattan and Philadelphia, respectively, yielding new stations in those cities at an amazing bargain price: PMCM paid just $1.2 million for those two licenses in Nevada and Wyoming, and surely far less than that for the legal work to get the stations moved. The big question, then, is whether the FCC will indeed grant the moves. We're not lawyers here - but our reading of Section 331(a) suggests that the Commission would have a hard time saying no. Unless Delaware and New Jersey get VHF allocations some other way - say, by WPVI or WABC or WPIX trading their VHF allotments to commercial broadcasters on UHF in Delaware or New Jersey, a prospect that seems unlikely - the FCC appears to be required to do just what PMCM says it must, though of course there's nothing saying they have to hurry up about it. And while the FCC is loath to set precedents like this, it appears to us that there's no precedent to be set: once the KJWY and KVNV moves are granted, there would be no states without VHF commercial stations (meaningless though that distinction is in the channel-mapped DTV world), and thus no further application of Section 331(a) - so perhaps the FCC will be inclined to simply get these two moves over with (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch June 22 via DXLD) ** VANUATU. Schedule of R. Vanuatu on 3945 with the new 10 kW transmitter has been changed from 07-20 UT to: 19-11 UT, as of July 20 (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) However: 3945, R. Vanuatu (presumed), 1120-1138 Jul 18. Sounded like island- flavored pop tunes hosted by M in English. Fair strength but hard to make out words (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Drake R-8, 100- foot RW, July 26, Cumbre DX via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DXLD) Vanuatu (presumed): R Vanuatu, 3945 at 1105z, only music heard just above the noise level. No hams on channel this morning. I'll keep checking this every weekday morning for a better signal (Jerry Lenamon, Waco Texas, Eton E-1 with sloper, July 23, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZANZIBAR. TANZANIA. (tentative) Voice of Tanzania, Zanzibar, 6015, July 24, *0257 - generally poor signal, chatter in presumed Swahili, Hi-Life music. Slowly fading, no sunrise at transmitter enhancement noted at 0330 UT (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Harmonic on 2859.8: see COSTA RICA UNIDENTIFIED. CLANDESTINES: 4799.97, UNID Near East Clandestine with jamming, 0230-0250, Jul 21, Vernacular talk and native singing, maybe the Voice of Iranian Kurdistan with new time and frequency, as nothing was heard on usual 4835-4886, 22222 (Anker Petersen, Skovlunde, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window July 21 via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 6701 kHz USB Broadcast --- Hi, since some weeks I could get (nearly?) daily around 0300 UT on 6701 kHz USB an Arab language spoken station. It started with a Muezzin "call for prayer" into religious talks / speeches and chats. One of my first ideas was that it might be a kind of Mosque or BC feeder / relay. If in English I would also express the idea of an announcement or "Wake-up" broadcast for a "Scout camp"...hi Maybe a similar "motivation" service for remote camps of any Northern African/Arab military or any "inofficial" militia? 73, (Tom DL8AAM, July 27, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Tom, Could it be related to: 6701 SAUDI ARABIA ATC [air traffic control] USB, per http://www.textfiles.com/hamradio/FREQUENCIES/mideast.ham (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, USA, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, ibid.) Hi Ron, thanks you for your feedback, but I don't think that this broadcast is ATC related. On another list a member wrote that Radio Solh of AFG is listed for 6700 kHz. ``I have for 6700 khz Radio Solh listed, a US army managed propaganda radio station located at Kandahar airfield Afghanistan.`` but I don't think that it's Radio Solh as the program style do not match. E.g. http://www.evrel.ewf.uni-erlangen.de/pesc/peaceradio-AFG.html says ``Radio Solh broadcasts a programme of music popular in the region as well as announcements in Dari, Pashtu and other regional languages offering rewards for information about the whereabouts of Usamah >Bin- Ladin and its network.`` But I never heard any music, only pure fundamental-sounding religious items, each "second word" is Quaran, "... Rassul Allah" etc. which would more match with a strictly fundamentalist program format. Maybe an Anti-Solh station of the Taliban, but in this case "why in SSB/USB"? I think not many receivers in the "open public" of that region have a SSB button; most would be of the cheap "5 $"-category of Chinese built origin (I have one of them in my collection...hi, but brought it on a remote rural market - I think it was - in Malawi). SSB would speak for a "utility" feeder or it is directed for military/ militia radio operators, who might relay it into any "camp loudspeaker radio" or "elevator radio" in the breakfast room...hi. Or it's just a "channel-marker" for any possible 2-way communications later? I remember that the Belarussian Military did (does?) so. They relay a local FM broadcaster on HF/SSB between their military comms to hold the channel and/or the entertain the radio OPs ;-) Therefore they would have a good reason to listen to the local FM pop radio while on duty ;-) BTW, last night it started at around 0307 or 0308 UT, not on the hour. 73, (Tom, WORLD OF RADIO 1471, ibid.) And R. Solh no longer exists, anyway (gh, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. As I started to downscan the 16m SWBC band, July 24 at 1350, first came upon some weak intermittent 2-way SSB intruder, which I think was centered on 17896.5, and sounded like Chinese rather than Spanish. Needs much further checking (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ New Ian McFarland CD Ian McFarland sent information about the new CD set he recently released (full details are available at http://www.dxer.ca website). It addresses the changes in international shortwave broadcasting since 1979. In the third in a series of CDs, "Yesterday and Today", produced by Ian McFarland and DXer.ca, a panel of experts explains how we got here from there. The panel includes Ian McFarland, John Figliozzi, Kim Elliott, Jeff White and Bob Zanotti - men with strong opinions and lots of experience. Their lively panel discussion captures the spirit of a highly dynamic medium - International shortwave broadcasting... Where it was, where it is now... and Where it's going in the future. 30 years of Shortwave broadcasting in words and opinions - with a nostalgic look back at a joint RCI-SRI broadcast from 1989 and a forum from 2009... And a broad collection of opinions from DXers - from the 2007 SWL Winterfest in Kulpsville, Pennsylvania. The new CD set costs only US$15.00 in North America or US $17.00 worldwide from Ian McFarland, #17 - 3025 Cowichan Lake Road, Duncan, BC V9L 4B5, Canada. Checks, cash and charge cards (American Express, Discover, Master Card, VISA). You can also order by going directly to the website. The net proceeds from the sale of these CDs are being donated to the local Food Bank in Duncan, British Columbia, a registered charity. To date, over 700 CD's have been sold (via Rich D`Angelo, NASWA yg via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ DX-MEETING AT INTERNATIONALE FUNK AUFSTELLUNG IN BERLIN For many years it has been a good old tradition that radio hobbyists travel to Berlin for the international radio and television exhibition "Funkausstellung" (IFA) and there has also been existing a meeting for all friends of shortwave. So we invite all DX-ers to a meeting in Berlin on Sep 05, 2009 to indulge in their common hobby. The opening will be at 5 o'clock pm (CEST) and the meeting will presumably be finished by 11 o'clock pm (CEST). This time we will meet at the restaurant "en passant", Schönhauser Allee 58, 10437 Berlin. It is very easy to find. Go by underground (U-Bahn) or city train (S-Bahn) and leave the train at "Schönhauser Allee". After a few footsteps you will see the restaurant. If you need help, check: http://maps.google.de The search words are: en passant, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. This time we will have a special guest, Mr. Thomas Schubaur. He is the leader of the adxb-DL. The adxb-DL is a club for "young" DX-ers and members of the AGDX, the patron of all German speaking DX clubs. You will be able to learn more about that club at our meeting. The adxb-DL will organize and sponsor some games where you will be able to win some prizes. Some radio stations like Vatican R, Voice of Vietnam, R Canada International and R Romania International have donated some station souvenirs for our listeners’ meeting, too. And perhaps there will be some other surprise guests. We are looking forward to everybody who wants to attend our DX meeting! A warm welcome and best regards from Berlin (Andreas Muecklich, Berlin, Germany, DSWCI DX Window July 21 via DXLD) More details in German about the exhibition: http://www1.messe-berlin.de/vip8_1/website/Internet/Internet/www.ifa-berlin/deutsch/index.html (Erik Koie, Holte, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window July 21 via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DTV see U S A: KTVT ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM see also ECUADOR; NIGERIA ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Belgium-based TDPradio has expanded the reach of its dance music programming across Asia. The station, which aims to be a global broadcaster, has been broadcasting across Europe and the northeastern United States on shortwave since 2003. In July, TDPradio added transmissions to Asia from the CVC Network Ltd. shortwave site on the Cox Peninsula in Australia's Northern Territory. To help ensure high- quality audio via shortwave, TDPradio is using Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) technology for its broadcasts. 'This station has something for all dance music lovers and it showcases how great music sounds when broadcasting using DRM,' stated TDPradio Program Manager Daniël Versmissen. The Asia broadcasts air 07:00–08:00 UTC on 17755 kHz across Asia." Radio World, 6 July 2009 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) TDPradio has no DJs or announcements. Just dance music, all at the same determined tempo, with rare lyrics. In stereo, it does give DRM shortwave a workout. I listen occasionally at 2300-2400 UT via the Radio Canada International transmitter in Sackville, New Brunswick. Most evenings, the audio pops in and (to the dismay of all the dancers) out. I recently tried out the Uniwave Di-Wave DRM receiver for two evenings. Each evening it used up a set of four C-cell batteries, but it did receive DRM as well as my RFSpace SDR-IQ software defined receiver, which must be used with a PC and, for DRM reception, a second sound card. On the third evening, with its third set of batteries, the Uniwave refused to turn on. And so ended my trial of the Uniwave Di-Wave DRM receiver. It was a prototype, and sometimes the bugs are not yet worked out. Posted: 21 Jul 2009 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) COMMENTARY ++++++++++ 10 YEARS LEFT FOR DOMESTIC BROADCASTING ON THE TROPICAL BANDS ! The number of Domestic broadcasting stations on the Tropical Bands (120, 90 and 60 mb) continues to go steady downwards. According to the Domestic Broadcasting Survey-11 (DBS-11), published in May 2009 by the DSWCI, 235 frequencies were heard in the frequency range of 2200 to 5800 kHz by DX-ers around the world during the past year. Countries like Brazil, Peru, China, India, Papua New Guinea and Bolivia are still dominating the Tropical Bands. That are 23 frequencies less than the year before. Most of these stations have disappeared in South America and the Pacific. Simple calculations indicate that there will not be many left in year 2020. In March this year, I travelled through western Senegal. This flat African country dropped shortwave 15 years ago and is nowadays exclusively using FM. I heard 186 FM-transmitters in use! In addition Senegal has at least 32 stations broadcasting live audio on the internet. In this decade I have seen the same trend in Thailand, Peru and Bolivia. But because of the terrain, Peru and Bolivia still needs to use shortwave to reach some of its remote valleys and jungle areas. The more poor countries, like the much smaller The Gambia in West Africa, can only afford a few FM-stations. I heard 12 FM-stations in addition to mediumwave. They are not yet broadcasting on the internet. Other poor countries still broadcast on shortwave, but most transmitters are in a bad maintenance state. As editor of the DBS my task is, throughout the year until the next publication, to check the bands myself and follow the loggings from our members and other DX-ers around the world. For each frequency on the list, a note is taken of the months when it has been heard. If a station has not been heard by any DX-er during the past 12 months, it is deleted. By this measure, the DBS contains only the active domestic broadcasting stations. With this systematic registration of broadcasting stations on the Tropical Bands each year, it is possible to make some statistics on how many frequencies were active in each region of the world and compare these numbers. I have selected our annual Tropical Band Surveys published with 12 years intervals in 1973, 1985, 1997 and 2009, the latter is now called a part of the DBS. I have then counted the number of active Domestic Broadcasting stations between 2.200 and 5.800 kHz. International broadcasters, Clandestine and Pirate stations are not included in these statistics. I must stress that particularly International broadcasting on the Tropical Bands does not seem threatened by the trend mentioned above. But the future for International broadcasting on 75 and 49-11 mb is outside the scope of this analysis. Active domestic transmitters on 2200 - 5800 kHz Region 1973 1985 1997 2009 Central Africa 102 76 40 18 Southern Africa 57 39 33 8 Middle East 9 4 1 0 Indian Subcontinent 62 45 45 29 South East Asia 40 29 21 4 Indonesia 171 105 65 13 China, Taiwan, Mongolia 119 110 75 32 CIS (former USSR) 61 59 47 7 Far East 38 28 28 9 Papua New Guinea 17 20 20 15 Australia and other Pacific 10 4 13 8 Central America, Mexico 21 23 24 5 Caribbean 29 3 3 2 Northwestern South America 98 41 19 3 Ecuador 47 33 22 5 Peru 78 69 78 28 Bolivia 35 42 25 14 Brazil 107 87 67 35 Southern South America 5 2 1 0 Total 1106 819 627 235 Stations on the Tropical Bands which have closed down in 2007-2008, including International stations and Clandestines: kHz kW Station Country Last log 2368,5 1 R Symban, Peats Ridge, Gosford Australia JUN08 2460 - Super R Alvorada, R. Branco, AC Brazil SEP07 3235 0,5 R Guaruja Paulista, Marilia, SP Brazil JUN08 3266,4 10 RRI Gorontalo, CG Indonesia DEC07 3270 100 WWRB, Manchester, Tennessee USA [just QSY --- gh] OCT08 3291,1 10 Voice of Guyana, Sparendaam Guyana JUL07 3355 10 R Simbu, Kundiawa Papua N. Guinea OCT07 3375 5 R Educadora, Guajara Mirim, RO Brazil NOV08 3375 5 R Clube, Dourados, MS Brazil MAY07 3375,1 1 R San Antonio, Padua de Callalli Peru FEB08 3380 - Centro Radiofonico de Imbabura Ecuador NOV07 3880 - Voice of Iranian Revolution, No. Iraq Clandestine OCT08 3880 - Voice of the Communist Party of Iran Clandestine OCT08 3935 1 ZLXA, R Reading Sce., Levin New Zealand NOV08 3960 100 R Racja, via Sitkunai, Lithuania Clandestine DEC08 3965 100 R Free Europe, via Biblis Germany FEB08 3975 250 Magyar R, Jaszbereny Hungary OCT08 4366 - Voice of Iranian Revolution, No. Iraq Clandestine OCT08 4366 - Voice of the Communist Party of Iran Clandestine OCT08 4523 - R Superior, Bambamarca, Cajamarca Peru JAN08 4556,9 0,2 R Paititi, Guayaramerin, Beni Bolivia JUL07 4600,8 0,2 Perla del Acre, Cobija, Pando Bolivia NOV07 4655,2 - R Centinela del Norte, Cortegana Peru OCT07 4675 - Voice of Free Kurdistan Clandestine DEC07 4755,2 1 Pacific Missionary Aviation, Pohnpei Micronesia NOV07 4762,8 - R Chicha, Tocla, Nor-Chichas, Potosi Bolivia OCT07 4781,6 3 R Oriental, Tena, Napo Ecuador DEC07 4785,1 10 R Caiari, Porto Velho, RO Brazil OCT07 4805 - R San Juan, Huamanga, Ayacucho Peru MAY08 4830 50 R Kashmir, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir India SEP07 4835,6 100 R Mali, Kati, Bamako Mali OCT07 4874,6 10 RRI Sorong, PP Indonesia MAR07 4886,6 1 R Virgen del Carmen, Yananaco Peru JAN08 4890 40 NBC, Port Moresby Papua N. Guinea JUL07 4895 5 R Globo, Manaus, AM Brazil DEC07 4955 2,5 R Clube, Rondonopolis, MT Brazil AUG07 4958,1 3 R Difusora Tropico, Trinidad, Beni Bolivia SEP07 4960 50 AIR Ranchi, Jharkhand India MAR07 4960 1 Catholic R Network/R Maria, Vanimo Papua N.Guinea JAN08 4990,9 5 R Ancash, Huaraz, Ancash Peru NOV07 5005,8 1 Radio LTC, Juliaca, San Roman, Puno Peru DEC07 5010 1 HRMI, La Voz de Misiones Int. Honduras APR07 5019,8 5 R Horizonte, Chachapoyas, AM PRU JAN08 5026 10 R Uganda, Kampala Uganda MAR07 5030 20 University Network, Cahuita Costa Rica OCT07 5040 10 R Difusora Catolica Cultural, Macas Ecuador AUG07 5040 - Hrvatski R, Deanovec, Spurious Croatia JUL07 5040,6 50 Myanma R, Yangon, Yegu Myanmar APR08 5050 0,4 Yolnu R/ARDS, Humpty Doo Australia DEC07 5470 10 R Veritas, Monrovia Liberia OCT07 5544,6 - R San Andres, Cutervo, Cajamarca Peru JUL07 5602,6 - R La Voz de los Andes, El Higueron Peru OCT07 (Anker Petersen-DEN, dswci DXW July 21 via BC-DX via DXLD) sic without accents, with commas instead of decimals (gh) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ Geomagnetic field activity was at mostly quiet levels during 20 - 21 July. Activity increased to major storm levels from 0300 - 1200 UTC on 22 July. Activity decreased to quiet to unsettled levels for the remainder of the day and continuing through 25 July. Activity decreased to quiet levels at all latitudes on 26 July. ACE solar wind measurements indicated the storm conditions on 22 July were associated with the onset of a coronal hole high-speed wind stream. Solar wind velocities began to gradually increase early on 22 July and eventually reached a maximum of 601 km/sec at 24/0158 UTC. Velocities gradually decreased during the rest of the period. Interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) changes associated with the onset of the high-speed stream included an increase in IMF Bt (peak 18 nT at 22/0533 UTC) and a sustained period of southward IMF Bz (minimum -18 nT at 22/0703 UTC). FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 29 JULY - 24 AUGUST 2009 Solar activity is expected to be very low. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels during 21 - 22 August. Normal to moderate flux levels are expected during the rest of the period. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet levels during 29 July - 04 August. Quiet levels, with isolated unsettled periods, are expected during 05-06 August due to a recurrent coronal hole. Activity is expected to decrease to quiet levels during 07 - 08 August. Activity is expected to increase to unsettled levels during 09 - 10 August, again due to recurrence. A decrease to quiet levels is expected during 11 - 17 August. A subsequent increase to active to minor storm levels is expected on 18 August due to another recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream. Activity is expected to decrease to unsettled levels on 19 August followed by a further decrease to quiet levels during the rest of the period. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2009 Jul 28 2021 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center # Product description and SWPC contact on the Web # http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2009 Jul 28 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2009 Jul 29 69 5 2 2009 Jul 30 70 5 2 2009 Jul 31 70 5 2 2009 Aug 01 70 5 2 2009 Aug 02 70 5 2 2009 Aug 03 70 5 2 2009 Aug 04 70 5 2 2009 Aug 05 70 8 3 2009 Aug 06 70 7 3 2009 Aug 07 69 5 2 2009 Aug 08 68 5 2 2009 Aug 09 68 8 3 2009 Aug 10 68 8 3 2009 Aug 11 68 5 2 2009 Aug 12 68 5 2 2009 Aug 13 68 5 2 2009 Aug 14 68 5 2 2009 Aug 15 68 5 2 2009 Aug 16 68 5 2 2009 Aug 17 68 5 2 2009 Aug 18 68 18 5 2009 Aug 19 68 8 3 2009 Aug 20 68 5 2 2009 Aug 21 69 7 3 2009 Aug 22 70 5 2 2009 Aug 23 70 5 2 2009 Aug 24 70 5 2 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1471, DXLD) ###