DX LISTENING DIGEST 12-22, May 30, 2012 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2012 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn WORLD OF RADIO 1619 HEADLINES: *DX and station news about: Argentina, Australia, Benin, Canada, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji non, Germany, India, Italy, Japan and non, Korea South and non, Kurdistan, Netherlands non, New Zealand, North America, Pridnestrovye, Somalia non, South Carolina non, Spain and non, Sri Lanka, Sudan South non, Sweden, Taiwan, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, Zambia SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1619, May 31-June 6, 2012 Thu 0330 WRMI 9955 Thu 2100 WTWW 9479 [confirmed] Fri 0329v WWRB 5050 Sat 0130v WBCQ 5110v-CUSB Area 51 Sat 0800 WRMI 9955 Sat 1500 WRMI 9955 Sat 1730 WRMI 9955 Sun 0400 WTWW 5755 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1530 WRMI 9955 Sun 1730 WRMI 9955 Mon 0500 WRMI 9955 Mon 1130 WRMI 9955 Tue 0930 HLR 5980 Hamburger Lokal Radio Thu 0330 WRMI 9955 [or maybe 1620 if ready in time] Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html or http://schedule.worldofradio.org or http://sked.worldofradio.org For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/#world-of-radio WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/customize-panel/addToPlaylist/98/09:00:00UTC/English OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org DAY-BY-DAY ARCHIVE OF GLENN HAUSER`S LOG REPORTS: Unedited, uncondensed, unchanged from original version, many of them too complex, minutely researched, multi-frequency, opinionated, inconsequential, off-topic, or lengthy for some log editors to manage; and also ahead of their availability in these weekly issues: http://www.hard-core-dx.com/index.php?topic=Hauser DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg without delay. When applying, please identify yourself with your real name and location, and say something about why you want to join. Those who do not, unless I recognize them, will be prompted once to do so and no action will be taken otherwise. Here`s where to sign up: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** AFGHANISTAN. RADIO AFGHANISTAN RETURNS TO THE AIR ON SHORTWAVE: THE YEARS OF TURMOIL (JW-AG) After the Russian withdrawal from Afghanistan in February 1989, a civil war continued with the Mujahideen fighting against the pro- Soviet government in Kabul. Two years later, the break up of the Soviet Union catapulted into increased factional fighting between various ethnic groups in Afghanistan, including Uzbek & Tajik and chaos reigned supreme with its resultant destruction of property and loss of life. In 1994, the ethnic Pushtun Taliban began to take over much of Afghanistan until they occupied some 95% of the entire country. They also destroyed the two huge Buddhist statues in Bamiyan, and ransacked the government museum in Kabul. However, the Americans invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 with the result that the Northern Alliance began to capture major areas of the country, and ultimately Kabul itself during the following month. Currently, the official government in Kabul is supported by the various countries that are associated with the Afghanistan Coalition. During the 13-year era of continued turmoil and chaos, running from 1989 to 2001, a whole series of regional radio stations were noted on the air throughout Afghanistan. These stations operated variously on mediumwave, FM, and even shortwave, and they ranged in style from small low powered temporary operations to tangibly well established facilities. For example, there was a series of small mobile FM stations carried on the backs of donkeys; and another, a mediumwave unit, was installed on a commercial truck. Substantial stations were inaugurated at different regional locations, such as a mediumwave station in Ghazni Province, and another, apparently mediumwave, with a Russian transmitter in Badgis Province. In April 1997, the mediumwave station at Jalalabad was reactivated. In the confusion that reigned, some existing radio stations were taken over by the Taliban, and then later again by the Northern Alliance, such as the mediumwave facilities in Herat, and in Kunduz. In November 2000, the station in Ghazni was noted in Europe on shortwave. Then too, a shortwave service, which identified as the Voice of Afghanistan, was on the air from Samara in Russia beginning on November 18, 2001. This service was noted by Victor Goonetilleke in Colombo with a strong signal on 9950 kHz. However, this version of the Voice of Afghanistan went silent eight months later. The radio scene in Kabul during this same time period was more convoluted and chaosed than anywhere else in Afghanistan. All six of the radio facilities, two studio buildings in Kabul, three transmitter buildings at Yakatut, and the large building at Pole-i-Charke were attacked, and damaged, and or destroyed. The Mujahideen took over the radio facilities in Kabul from the pro Soviet government on April 25, 1992, and at that stage, there was one mediumwave transmitter in use on 655 kHz, and one shortwave transmitter. These units were apparently located at Yakatut. The BBC Monitoring service reported that a 500 kW mediumwave transmitter was activated on 657 kHz in 1994. A 100 kW shortwave transmitter, assembled from available bits and pieces from other transmitters, was activated at Yakatut on September 23, 1995. The final transmission of Radio Afghanistan under the Mujahideen was a news bulletin at 1530 UTC one year later, on September 25, 1996. The first broadcast under Taliban control in Kabul was on the air at 0330 UTC on the next day, September 26. Two transmitters were in use at the time 1278 mediumwave and 7200 shortwave. There is a report that a 300 kW shortwave transmitter was installed under the Taliban, though monitoring reports do not seem to confirm this. However, another news report states that an American air raid destroyed the shortwave station on October 8 2001, and photographs taken before and after, do confirm the accuracy of this event. From this time onwards, the Taliban Radio was noted on air only from low power mobile units. The Northern Alliance took over what was left of the radio facilities in the Kabul area in November 2001, and immediately work began on rebuilding the infrastructure. BBC Monitoring states that the first new transmitter was brought in from a station located in the northern town of Charikar, apparently a 50 kW mediumwave unit that was noted on 1530 kHz. Quite soon afterwards, a Russian-made 100 kW shortwave transmitter, identified as R-118, was installed at Yakatut and activated on November 22, 2001, though the output from this transmitter, it was suggested, was considerably less than 100 kW. This unit was noted at first on 7087 kHz, though subsequently on 4775 kHz, and on air usage was quite intermittent. That is as far as we go today in the continuing story of Radio Afghanistan, under the Mujahideen, followed by the Taliban, who were followed by the Northern Alliance. On the next occasion in this continuing saga about the radio scene in Afghanistan, we will present the story of subsequent off-site relays of Radio Afghanistan from shortwave transmitters located in other countries (Adrian Peterson, IN, AWR Wavescan script for January 22, 2012 via DXLD) ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. 17685, May 24 at 1217, talk in unID language, with 2 beeps every few sex --- presumably antiquated phone warning of recording in progress, in splash from CHILE 17680. It`s R. Azadi (R. Free Afghanistan), 250 kW, 340 degrees so also USward from Iranawila, SRI LANKA at 1130-1230 in Pashto. 17685 also alternates Dari and Pashto hours at 0830-1130, but site then is Thailand (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA. 9655, 26/May, 0845-0900, ALASKA (Relay), KNLS in Russian. I hear YL talking, as if in a religious preaching. At 0850 clear gospel music. At 0851 OM talk. At 0900 interval signal. Signal degrading. Confirmation of listening to radio via a remote Long Lake Provincial Park in Northern Alberta, Canada (The audio from the radio was cutting). At 0901 Very weak signal, but audible. Recording in my blog (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9610, May 26 at 1127, YL solo in Chinese, 1129 OM with English lesson repeating words and phrases: ``Fruit``, ``I have three fruit trees in my yard, peach, pear and apple``, ``A vacation in Florida was the fruit of a year of hard work``. Good signal, wasn`t sure whence, until uplooked as: KNLS. Rather unpatriotic: How about a vacation in Alaska?? Well, teacher is probably really in Nashville. BTW, KNLS English is now scheduled: 10-11 9655, 12-13 7355, 15-16 9655. Still only one transmitter operational per http://www.knls.org/broadcasting-front.html If you hear English at 11-13 on 9655, it`s New Zealand. 9655, May 30 at *1300, open carrier and KNLS IS, good signal, with Sackville in an extended hiatus between Korea and China on 9650 until *1302; KNLS still audible with Chinese music at 1303. Recheck at 1330, 9650 was off again and 9655 still in Chinese (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA. APPLICATIONS FOR NEW STATIONS: 1400, AK, Juneau – Applies for U1 25000/1000. It is interesting to note that no explanation or justification was offered in the application as to why they applied for a Class B station with 25 kW on 1400 kHz. But, the FCC accepted the application (Bill Hale, AM Switch, NRC DX News June 4 via DXLD) ** ALBANIA. 7425, R. Tirana, May 22, beginning at 0001 and continuing until 0058. This goes under the category of “Silly Stuff on Shortwave.” R. Tirana played its IS without a break; no programming was scheduled during this period. Needless to say, I did not stick with this riveting IS for the entire hour but did out of curiosity and sheer disbelief check now and again. Perhaps the Albanians just didn’t want us to forget what the IS sounded like (Jim Ronda, Tulsa OK, NRD- 545, R-75 + PAR-SWL and attic mounted Eavesdropper T, NASWA Flashsheet May 27 via DXLD) Or lost feed from studio, not unusual (gh, DXLD) ** ALGERIA. Interesting that in spite of the new transmitters on 531 and 549, the 891 has been on the low side for a long time. I always thought that one would be my first Algerian, but the new ones were the ones that finally got through (Jim Renfrew, NY, NRC-AM via DXLD) Nominal 891 had been off the air for quite a while, so it was a bit surprising that when it came back on, it was still about 25-50 Hz low and still had weak modulation, actually poorer than it had several years ago. 549 is usually the strongest of the Algerians here in coastal MA, with 531, 890.96(a), 981, 1422, and 1550 following in roughly that order. Sometimes openings are tilted towards high band or low band, so that can change things around (Mark Connelly, WA1ION, MA, ibid.) ** ANGUILLA. 12180, Caribbean Beacon-University Network, 2320-2335, May 25, 2nd harmonic of 6090: 2 x 6090. English religious preacher. Very weak. Weak but readable on peaks. Thanks to Glenn Hauser tip (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** ARGENTINA. 1640 - ARGENTINA - Radio Guaraní, Buenos Aires, 2346 to 0003 UT May 23, Spanish talk by man & woman, ID's (Signal was good for duration until fading) **NEW*** Receivers: Kenwood R-5000 & Yaesu FRG - 100 with 320' wire. Good DX (Allen Willie, VO1-001-SWL, VOPC1AA, Bristol's Hope, Newfoundland, 47:43 N, 53:11 W, IRCA via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) Which time does the date go with? (gh) 1630, 2310 26/05, ARG, R Diagonal, La Plata, Buenos Aires, SS OM talk varias MX ID 34333 RU 1640, 2315 26/05, ARG, R Guarani AM, Buenos Aires, SS escutada agora a pouco no carro, varias músicas típicas, sinal relativamente bom, ID 35333 RU. Videos das escutas 1630 e 1640 - http://youtu.be/FcUTCCfGxXY (PU2LZB Renato Uliana, Indaiatuba-SP GG66JV, Sony CDX-GT CDPlayer AM/FM/OC, Antena original de teto, radioescutas yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. RAE English to NAm: 11710+, May 29, 0233 tune-in. English OM and their great music, only to be compared with RHC. On RX320 tuned to 11711 which got rid of the het(?) tone. Tuned to 11711 on Sat 800. Lots of noise, but could be local. 0255 end, then into IS. French at 03 as scheduled. Listening to this station sign on and program is like a time machine going to decades past (David Norcross, Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii, DXLD yahoo group via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA [and non]. Averiguación --- alguien escuchó, si gane algún concurso, acabo de recibir un aviso de encomienda que hay que retirarlo en Retiro en aduana de Canadá encomienda con valor declarado, lo único que falta que tenga que pagar impuestos por una QSL ????????????? [Luego:] Verguenza Argentna --- Un sobre con recuerdos de la emisora enviado Por RCI ha quedado retenido en la aduana y hay que retirarlo en Retiro y abrirlo delante de ellos para no abonar impuesto. Qué verguenza, de que libertad hablan, ja ja, que se vayan todos !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Ernesto Paulero, Argentina, May 28, condiglist yg via DXLD) [Luego2] Respuesta de Pablo Gómez Barrios de RCI Esta respuesta es de Pablo Gómez Barrios ante mi consulta de si habían mandado una encomienda, por la cual me han citado a retirarla en aduana ya que quedó retenida, realmente es una verguenza que los que nos envían un regalo terminen preocupándose o sintiéndose culpables por habernos enviado un obsequio. Decían que esto pasaba en Cuba? No será que también pasa en Argentina? ``Hola Ernesto, mucho gusto en saludarte. No sé si te enteraste, o si ya sabías, que fuiste uno de los 35 ganadores del último concurso del Castor Mensajero, sobre la especie animal canadiense introducida en Sudamérica. Son recuerdos de la emisora y el sobre no contiene nada de valor: una polera, lápices, bolígrafos, dos CDs, y alguna cosita más. Pero nada de valor. Lo que solemos enviar a nuestros oyentes cuando resultan ganadores en nuestros concursos. Se los puedes abrir delante de ellos para que confirmen si así lo desean. Stella Maris Ayarza, otra oyente de Argentina, tiene el mismo problema. Espero que se logre solucionar y que no vaya a ser que el regalo les salga caro!!! Un fuerte abrazo y dime en qué te puedo ayudar, si es necesario. Muchos 73 Pablo`` (Ernesto Paulero, Argentina, condiglist yg via DXLD) Lamentable lo sucedido con tu regalo de RCI. Aquí es muy diferente, todo llega libre de aduana. Ej. Antena Loop que me envió desde USA Dino, llegó a domicilio, caja grande y transporte personal de Correos Chile (no el cartero) y no aceptan propina el personal de la empresa. (ce3BBC, Hugo López C., Santiago de Chile, ibid.) Esto es increíble!!! Habría que controlarlos a ellos minuto a minuto, son quienes han sido elegidos por más de la mitad de los argentinos para que nos representen. Por consiguiente, ellos se deben a nosotros, NO NOSOTROS A ELLOS. Pero cuando algún periodista los descubre en un acto de corrupción (lo que jamás hacen los fiscales, los jueces y la mayoría de los políticos opositores) entonces es acusado de integrante del multimedio enemigo. Probablemente nuestros colegas extranjeros no estén enterados de las medidas inauditas y anticonstitucionales que se están tomando sistemáticamente y que son tan graves o más que la de molestar a los destinatarios de regalos a través de la aduana. Esta es otra Argentina amigos... RGM (Rubén Guillermo Margenet, ibid.) [this discussion led a couple of people to unsubscribe from the condig group, objecting to such ``political`` material. Paulero was complaining about a QSL from Canada being held up in customs, in case some small gifts enclosed would cause him to have to pay duty on in order to obtain the mail. It seems to me the customs sticker should have said CADEAU[X] but maybe unmatters en Argentine --- gh] Lamento que se hayan entendido mal mis palabras o inquietudes, pero realmente me parece que una retención en aduana de unas QSL no tiene sentido, de cualquier forma creo que eso atañe al diexismo y a la práctica del hobie que tanto adoramos. Imagínense si cada vez que recibimos una sobre de una emisora internacional, debemos concurrir a la aduana. Pasaríamos la vida en la aduana, simplemente eso fue lo que quise expresar y por supuesto que manifesté mi enojo por esa situación. Si ofendí o lastimé a alguien, pido disculpas. No pretendo ser el motivo por el cual nadie se aleje de la lista, y si mi comentario fue ofensivo para alguien, háganmelo saber, que le pediré disculpas y me retiro yo de la lista y listo (Ernesto Paulero, ibid.) Ernesto: En estos tiempos hay que tener cuidado con lo que se lee y escribe por que leemos muchos emails y no siempre completos y entendidos y a veces escribimos a las apuradas en el afán de contestar todo lo que hay que contestar, son los tiempos de internet… Esto nos pone en alto riesgo de confusión y malos entendidos donde una noticia que hay restricciones a traer cosas de afuera fácilmente es manipulado con intencionalidad para crearnos un caos y temor por todo, nada es perfecto pero a la vez nada es catastrófico. Una cosa es una QSL que entra en la categoría de correspondencia y otra cosa es una encomienda con elementos, regalos materiales. Estos últimos siempre fueron objeto de verificación aduanera, donde hay que concurrir a retirarlo, tengo 48 años y desde que tengo uso de razón, siempre fue asi. Después según la posición arancelaria se pagara o no los cargos aduaneros que correspondan. La excepción es UPS y FEDEX donde esos trámites de verificación aduanera los hacen ellos y te lo llevan a domicilio donde allí pagas los cargos aduaneros y te ahorras la ida al correo o aduana. Estos servicios son mas costosos. A veces el trámite varía un poco según cómo y por dónde te lo envíen, qué valor declarado tenga y qué elementos declare el remitente. Yo hace muchos años traigo cosas de afuera, desde los 90 cuando varios LUs nos juntábamos y traíamos hasta 30 kg de libros de radioafición y DX con una compra comunitaria que repartíamos, pasaba por aduana y se pagaba cuando correspondía; hoy es exactamente igual. Yo hace más de 2 años que compro cosas por ebay y otras fuentes via internet a veces más de una compra por mes, material de radio, componentes electrónicos kits etc… y nunca tuve problemas, la demora es entre 15 y 25 días, se concurre a la aduana del correo, se paga el arancel y listo. La única diferencia es que como creció mucho el poder adquisitivo de la gente y es fácil comprar por internet, muchísima gente compra cosas para uso particular y es por eso que las demoras en la atención son mayores que hace 10 ó 15 años, eso es un aspecto a mejorar. Es cierto que a todos nos gustaría no tener que pagar aranceles aduaneros ni concurrir a la aduana y que nos llegue a domicilio fuera del horario de la siesta pero la realidad al menos desde mi propia experiencia en comprar afuera que no es poca es que las cosas están como siempre, salvo reitero esa mayor demora en la atención. Que quede claro que me refiero a compras de cosas de no elevado valor y para uso personal, ahora bien si se quiere comprar una Ferrari de 1 millón de dólares o 40 tractores cuando en el país se fabrican, seguramente la situación es diferente. Saludos (Alejandro Alvarez, LU8YD, ibid.) En mi caso la única vez que la aduana me retuvo algo fue cuando Dino me mandó de regalo una grabadora digital; a pesar de aclarar que era usada y un regalo, me salió más cara retirarla con el arancel que si la hubiera comprado acá. Y siempre los sobres con los premios de los concursos que contienen chucherías han llegado a mi domicilio. En cuanto a este caso en particular me dicen que tengo que concurrir a la aduana y abrirlo delante de ellos, para poder retirarlos. Me van a decir que no tienen scanner para saber que hay adentro? Vamos si cuando te los abren y te roban la mitad de las cosas. Y en eso no tiene nada que ver la política sino la mala gente que hay en todos lados, je je (Ernesto Paulero, ibid.) ** ARGENTINA. Sobre RAE: ¿Alguien sabe si ya pasó Actualidad DX? Desde las 2235 estoy escuchando y no lo han pasado todavia --- Comenzó 2303 UT, 15345 kHz (Ernesto Paulero, Tuesday May 23, condiglist yg via DXLD) 6060, 2303, Actualidad DX al aire, Ernesto, excelente señal por Santiago de Chile (ce3BBC, Hugo López C., Santiago de Chile, ibid.) Ernesto: No recibo señal en 15345 Khz. Cuando está al aire, llega muy bien los 19 metros. Sigues escuchando en esa frecuencia?? (López, 2310 UT, ibid.) Sí, lo escuché perfecto en 15345, inclusive lo grabé para publicarlo en la página programas DX (Paulero, 2334 UT, ibid.) Aqui, às 2311, não há sinal em 15345, 6060 sofrendo diversas QRM e forte QRM da Rádio da IPDA (Brasil), e em 11710 um sinal forte com um zumbido e modulação inaudível. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana BA - Brasil, condiglist yg via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 2485, ABC-NT (VL8K). 5/25, 1209. Woman, then Male. Barely above the noise floor. Only traces of other two on 2310, 2325 (Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, May 28, HQ-120X, HQ-200, SP-600, Drake R- 8, outdoor wire, outdoor Slinky, ABDX via DXLD) All 3 Australians audible at the moment (1950 UT 24/5)on 2 MHz. All weak, but 2485 kHz the strongest. 73's (Nick Rank, Buxton UK, ICF2010, ALA1530 loop, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) Others: 2310, 2325; with 2310 about to stay on 4835 instead from Alice per 12-21 (gh) AUSTRÁLIA, 2310, VL8A, Alice Springs, Territ.º do Norte, 2054-2129*, 26/5, entrevista, canções, noticiário às 2100, chamadas de ouvintes; 25321. 2325 VL8T, Tennant Creek, TN, 20500-2129*, 26/5, cf. // 2310 VL8A; 25321. 2485 VL8K, Katherine, TN, 2056-2129*, 26/5, cf. // 2310; 35332 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [Re 12-21:] 4835, ABC, Alice Springs. Test transmission, extended use of this frequency ex 2310, program about cigarette smoking 1315. Extremely strong & steady on 28/5 (Craig Seager, Bathurst NSW, Racal RA17, Folded Dipole, ARDXC via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) And this should greatly improve audibility in North America before and around our sunrises; WWCR on 4840 still until just before 1200 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4835, May 29 at 1219, JBA carrier detectable in my dratted hi noise level on 60m, presumably VL8A, Alice Springs, which tnx to tip from Nigel Holmes via Craig Seager, ARDXC, is now sticking to this frequency day and night instead of 2310, ``because the transmitter contractors are unable to maintain the automation system that controls the day-night change-over between 4835 & 2310``. This `test` could go on for months or become permanent. Hmmm, as I said on WOR 1618, it`s out of the question to have an axual human being manually make the change-over twice a day! Craig confirmed this was in effect May 28 with 4835 still on at 1315. This certainly improves our chances for hearing it in North America, except for WWCR splash from 4840 until 1158 or so. During our summer, if not too far after local sunrise, our best opportunity should be at 1200. Evidently the other two NT stations are continuing to use 120m at local night, 2325 and 2485 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Mauno Ritola in Finland reporting on Facebook WRTH group: ABC Alice Springs now 24h on 4835 kHz for a couple of months. Clear signal at 1855! He has just added today: But today at 1000 it was back on 2310 kHz, per Aussie remote receiver. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=599648472#!/groups/wrthgroup/ (via Mike Terry, May 30, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) 4835, Alice Springs, NT 1135 seems in well with readable signal here and two other DXers in South Florida. Best in lsb to avoid 4840 splatter (Bob Wilkner, Pompano Beach, South Florida, May 31, __._,_.___ Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 5940, Radio Australia on 5/25, 1315. VG, with "Album of the Week", M presenter (Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, May 28, HQ-120X, HQ-200, SP-600, Drake R-8, outdoor wire, outdoor Slinky, ABDX via DXLD) Magadan, Russia, any problem here? No, at 1300, 5940 turns over from it to Shep. 5940 is ex-9890 which was VG further into NAm (gh, DXLD) Re: how is reception in Europe? Radio Australia, 11945, 0630 Utc, 25th May --- Good signal S9+30-40dB, some local QRM, but readable at peaks. 73s (Tony Molloy, nr Winter Hill, UK, SD639114, 53.6 N 2.55 W, IO83ro SDR-Radio & Pebble CCW SDR-4+ http://www.crosscountrywireless.net/sdr-4.htm Slinky dipole running N/S, Twitter @swlistener, swlistener.wordpress.com dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 21725, Monday May 28 at 0535, poor signal with slow song. Figured it was European with Romania in on 21500, or even Iranian, but HFCC shows IBB Tinian at 0500-0600, 250 kW, 279 degrees, but which service? For that we always have to look elsewhere, such as EiBi, which shows merely RFA in Mandarin, but on Thursdays only, and HFCC also lists day-5 only. Besides the CNR1 jammer also during this hour on Thursdays only, EiBi has something else: R. Australia, daily at 05-07 in English to SE Asia. RA Shepparton / Brandon schedules are still absent from HFCC! Aoki also has RA Shep, 329 degrees --- but no RFA on 21725 at all (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AZERBAIJAN. [Armenian exclave] 9677.61, V of Justice, Stepanakert at 0610 UT. In Stepanakert hat man heute wieder mal auf's Programm vergessen. Leerer Traeger mit gutem Signal um 0610 UT May 26 auf 9677.61 kHz (Patrick Robic, Austria, A-DX May 26 via BC-DX May 30 via DXLD) ** BELARUS. 11730, Radio Belarus (presumed), 2249-2300*, May 20. Woman announcer in Russian hosting pop music program. No ID noted but carrier terminated sharply at 2300. Fits weekend schedule where Russian replaces English at this hour. Poor to fair (Rich D'Angelo, Wyomissing PA 19610, Ten-Tec RX-340, Drake R-8B, Eton E1, Eton E5, Alpha Delta DX Sloper, RF Systems Mini-Windom, Datong FL3, JPS ANC-4, NASWA Flashsheet May 27 via DXLD) Where do you get that? WRTH, EiBi and Aoki all show Russian is seven days a week at 22-23 (gh, DXLD) ** BELGIUM [non]. DX-Antwerp QSL will be posted today --- Hello everyone, The QSL cards are ready and will be put in the mail today. Until now we received 136 reports from 35 countries. Details are shown at http://www.dx-antwerp.com This is a nice result. Comparing with our broadcast from 10 years ago we noticed a substantial increase from India and the United States. It's is strange to see that no reports were seen from typical DXers countries like Sweden and Norway. Furthermore it's quite obvious that reporting by ordinary mail dropped but we still received 24 and maybe there are more to come. In a few weeks from now we will put the complete program online for free download. We say a big thank you to everyone that reported reception and also for the kind wishes from all over the world. 73, (Guido Schotmans, Belgium, May 27, DX LISTENIG DIGEST) Got this mail today. It`s great to see the detailed chart in their website. It can be noted that they received only 15 reports on DRM out of 136 Reception reports from all over the world. The figure is interesting since they received reports mostly from avid DXers, not much from casual SWLs. We can estimate how much percentage of DXers have DRM receiving capabilities. Leaving SWLs aside. -- Thanks & Regards, (Partha Sarathi Goswami, Siliguri, Dist. Darjeeling, West Bengal, INDIA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) No DRM receivers = No reports. As simple as that; what`s the fuss all about? (Alokesh Gupta, ibid.) Detailed report came - There were 8 from Europe 3 from North America 1 from South America 3 reports from Asia (2x Japan, 1 Sri Lanka) There is 1 still to come from Asia (India) In general, only 2 listeners were using stand alone DRM receivers. Others were software solutions. So it becomes 16. -- Thanks & Regards, (Partha Sarathi Goswami, Siliguri, ibid.) see also DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM below ** BENIN. TA carrier heard Victoria, BC, 1566 --- You can tell summer is approaching in Victoria when a weak carrier appears on 1566 kHz. This has been visible with Spectran a couple of times in the last two weeks or so, but tonight, there's just a hint of an audible het as well, noted at 0455 UT, with Parakou sunrise about half an hour later. Best wishes, (Nick Hall-Patch, BC, May 28, IRCA via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) ** BHUTAN. BUTÃO (presumed), 6035, Serviço de Radiodifusão do Butão (?), Sangaygang, 2228-..., 24/5, programa falado; 24331, QRM adj., modulação fraca (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Still testing(?) 24 hours? (gh) ** BOLIVIA. 6154.93, 13.5 0114, R Fides, La Paz med kort ID i ett musikprogram. Abrupt c/d 0141. FD (Fredrik Dourén, Sweden, SW Bulletin May 27 via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 4935.23, 13.5 0202, R Capixaba, Vitória med ID till slut efter de religiösa programmen (Fredrik Dourén, Sweden, SW Bulletin May 27 via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Rádio Cultura Filadélfia, Foz do Iguaçu, Brasil - 6105 kHz at 1954z May 28 --- Con señal débil y mucho QSB, minutos antes que Radio Internacional de China en árabe por 6100 kHz la aplastara. http://youtu.be/x2mUcmNU_f0 Weak signal, and a lot of QSB, minutes before CRI in Arabic on 6100 kHz smashing it. 73 de CX2ABP (Rodolfo Tizzi, Uruguay, May 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ID at about 1:20 into 5-minute clip (gh) ** BRAZIL. E as novas válvulas e transmissores da RNA? Já ouço esta promessa há 4 anos, que os 2 novos transmissores de 250 Kw estavam orçados e aprovados para compra desde 2008 e até agora absolutamente nada. Nem às novas válvulas para o TX de 49 e 25 metros que foram aprovadas para compra no ano passado, sequer foram instaladas. Porquê as coisas não acontecem por lá? (Edison Bocorny Jr., Novo Hamburgo - RS, 24 May, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Voz Missionária heard in the clear April 27 on 9665 at 2132 tune in with religious talk. Radio PMR goes off air at 2100 Fridays hence the clear channel (Edwin Southwell, England, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Log 0800-0830 UT May 19: 11925.226, R. Bandeirantes in Portuguese, powerful this morning, at quarter of an hour at 0715 UT some Time Signal Pips. 11780 kHz, very even frequency. R. Nacional Portuguese at S=7-8 signal 11815.012, R. Brasil Central. 11894.878, R. Legião da Boa Vontade 9565.081, R. Super Deus é Amor [sic]. strong 9645.386, R. Bandeirantes. 9665.030, R. Voz Missionária. 9675.010, R. Canção Nova. 9819.512, R. Nove de Julho - religious. 15190.086, Rádio Inconfidência in Portuguese underneath of Radio Africa, Bata, English mission service at 0637 UT May 19 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 30 via DXLD) 15190.04v, Radio Inconfidência, 0105-0125, May 25, Portuguese talk. Portuguese ballads. Weak but readable. Constantly jumping around between 15190.04-15191.75. // 6009.96 - weak with adjacent channel splatter. Noted next night, May 26, with a stable signal on 15190.03 at 0025-0050. (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** BRAZIL. BRASIL, 3355, R. Educadora 6 de Agosto, Xapuri AC, 2208- 2218, 26/5, progr falado; 25331. 4925.2, R. Educação Rural, Tefé AM, 2131-2144, 25/5, progr. falado; 25331. 5045, R. Guarujá Paulista, Guarujá SP, 2226-2234, 24/5, A Voz do Brasil, 2.ª parte; 35332. O sinal - débil - desta emissora tem a intensidade do da R. Cultura do Pará, quando operou nesta freq., através do seu tx de reserva, de 500 w. 5970, R. Itatiaia, Belo Horizonte MG, 2110-2127, 25/5, noticiário de futebol, identif. cantada, informações horárias; 43342, QRM por via de espalhamento da R. China Intern., em inglês, em 5960, via ALBANIA. 6000, R. Guaíba, Pt.º Alegre RS, 2107-2115, 25/5, progr. falado; 23341, QRM da CHN. 6070, R. Capital, Rio de Jan.º RJ, 2002-2119, 25/5, identif., anúncios, início de retransmissão da SRDA, às 2104; 35342. 6090, R. Bandeirantes, São Paulo SP, 2140-..., 27/5, relato de futebol Palmeiras x (?); // 11925.1; 23431, QRM da NIG. 6120, SRDA, São Paulo SP, 2212-2223, 26/5, o pregador David Miranda com repetidos louvores à IPDA e convites para os trouxas, perdão, os c rentesreceberem o Toque Divino...; 45433. 9505, R. Record, São Paulo SP, *reactivada*, 2234-2250, 24/5, A Voz do Brasil, 2.ª parte; 34432, QRM adjacente. 9675, R. Canção Nova, Cachoeira Paulista SP, 2235-2254, 24/5, A Voz do Brasil, 2.ª parte; 45433, modulação algo distorcida, mas perceptível. 11765, SRDA, Curitiba PR, 0946-1220, 25/5, o pregador David Miranda numa das suas "súplicas"..., e novamente, às 1200; 35433. 11815, R. Brasil Central, Goiânia GO, 0945-1215, 25/5, progr. de canções em Brasil Sertanejo (0500-0700 h local), noticiários,..., música; 35433, em perda, QRM da REE via CTR, às 1200. 11855, R. Aparecida, Aparecida SP, 0930-1029, 28/5, canções, progr. Falado (imperceptível); 15431, em perda, modulação fraca. 11894.9, R. Boa Vontade, Pt.º Alegre RS, 2215-..., 26/5, progr. falado; 15431; quase imperceptível, em // 9550. 11925.1, R. Bandeirantes, São Paulo SP, 2144-..., 27/5, cf. // 6090 (v. supra); 32441, QRM adj. e no mesmo canal. 11925.2 idem, 0929-1201, 28/5, anúncios comerciais, noticiário,..., info. meteorológica, às 1002, Revista Bandeirantes e, mais tarde, Meia Hora Bandeirantes, às 1030-1100; 25432, em perda (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. JUNE WILL BE THE LAST MONTH OF RADIO AT RADIO CANADA INTERNATIONAL UNLESS CANADA'S GOVERNMENT IS CONVINCED OTHERWISE. RCI Action Committee blog, 28 May 2012: "June 24, 2012, will be the last day of Radio Canada International’s radio programming unless we can convince Canada’s government that our national public radio and television broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada went too far when it cut our budget by 80% and decided we would no longer broadcast on shortwave or satellite, and be left with only a web presence on the Internet. This decision to stop radio broadcasting fails to recognize that most people in the world do not have easy access to the Internet. It fails to recognize that there is very little access around the globe to contextualized Canadian news, news for those outside Canada. And since RCI’s mandate is to explain Canada to as much of the world as possible, CBC/Radio-Canada is making that harder for us. That is why we are calling on Canada’s federal government to step in, stop the cut, and protect Radio Canada International’s international mandate. Here’s where we need your help. Please contact government (Conservative) Members of Parliament and tell them why access to Canadian news is important to you." [WORLD OF RADIO 1619] Radio Canada International, Off Mike blog, 23 May 2012, Wojtek Gwiazda: "In the meantime, all of us at RCI are trying to keep up the level of our radio programming right to the end. RCI Action Committee blog, 30 May 2012: "I hear that RCI goes off the air on shortwave by the end of June. I am very sad that the Canadian government has decided to close you down. It takes years to build an audience, but only a short time to lose it. We don’t want to listen to you on computers; we just want to hear you on the radio! (Li Meng, Maanshan City, China)." And many other comments from listeners. Medicine Hat News, 21 May 2012, Don Weisbeck: "In the recent federal budget, the grant to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was cut by 10 per cent over three years some $115 million out of a $1.1 billion grant. From the wailing and gnashing of teeth, one would have thought that the company that receives two-thirds of its revenue from you and I was being forced to close its doors. Let's examine a few of the 'deep' cuts that have been announced. CBC is ceasing to broadcast in Portuguese and Russian via Radio Canada International. Be relieved they will continue to broadcast throughout the world in Arabic, Mandarin and Spanish." Regina Leader-Post, 15 May 2012: "Deputy Liberal Leader Ralph Goodale is part of a group of parliamentarians in Ukraine to look at the challenges facing democratic development in that country. ... Goodale has also called for financial support to allow Radio-Canada International to resume broadcasting into eastern Europe." Posted: 30 May 2012 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** CANADA. 9650, May 30 until 1259:15*, ending KBS World Radio relay in English [see KOREA SOUTH [non]], and next thing heard was carrier on 9655 soon followed by KNLS opening Chinese; see ALASKA. Sackville did not come back on 9650 until 1302 or so joining CRI English relay in progress; and of course, no more CCI from the defunct Dutch via Philippines. But at next check 1330, 9650 CRI/Sackville was off again. Must be problematic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Canadian FM IDs --- I used to bash Canadian FM's for never IDing properly and never using call signs; but over the last 3 years I've noticed a trend of very thorough TOH ID's on most stations - maybe a result of ownership consolidation? Anyhow, Bruce Elving would be proud (Bill Heprburn, Ont, May 27, WTFDA via DXLD) Bruce mainly lobbied [against!] the CBC for not IDing locally, which has not improved at all, IMO. It was great when their RDS carried local call letters, but that was discontinued. The perfect solution, and down the toilet (Saul Chernos, Ont., ibid.) Anymore, it's mostly only DX'ers who care about call letters. Even the ratings agencies have adapted to work with "Magic 95" or "Oldies 101" or "K106" (Russ Edmunds, WB2BJH, 15 mi NW of Philadelphia, ibid.) See also MUSEA ** CANADA. A new, regional CBC Radio One network based out of Kamloops, British Columbia has been announced. The network will originate at CBYK-FM 94.1, ending its agreement with CBTK-FM 88.9 Kelowna. Stations in the new network will include: CBUS 91.3 100 Mile House, CBYU-FM 93.7 Alexis Creek, CBWA-860 Ashcroft; CBYO-FM 104.1 Barriere, CBKM-860 Blue River, CBRZ-1350 Bralorne, CBKS-1450 Cache Creek, CBUH-FM 95.5 Chase, CBKZ-860 Clearwater, CBUU-1070 Clinton, CBTF-FM 102.7 Falkland, CBTG-860 Gold Bridge, CBUL-FM 92.7 Lillooet, CBYE-FM 92.9 Logan Lake, CBTY-FM 93.1 Lytton, CBUP-860 Merritt, CBXA-1150 Mica Dam, CBRN-FM 90.7 North Bend, CBTO-FM 91.3 Revelstoke, CBKN-990 Shalath, CBYZ-FM 91.9 Vavenby, and CBRL-860 Williams Lake. The AM stations are all 40-Watt Low Power facilities (Bill Hale, TX, AM Switch, NRC DX News May 7 via DXLD) ** CHAD. 6165.0, 15.5 2142, R Nat Tchadienne now on exact frequency. TN (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin May 27 via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) See also PUBLICATIONS; 6165 not heard: see ZAMBIA ** CHILE. 17680, CVC La Voz, 5/13 1920. Report from Oklahoma says reliable all day, but I haven`t been hearing them well here typically until very late local afternoon. I'm hearing them well now at local noon (Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, May 28, HQ-120X, HQ-200, SP-600, Drake R-8, outdoor wire, outdoor Slinky, ABDX via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. 13920, Firedrake Jammer, 5/11 1022, Exceptional signal, crashing and banging, with //s on 13155 (VG), 12300 (outstanding), 11500 (VG). 14600, Firedrake musical censorship. 5/21 1030. Crash! boom! bang! Good with good // xsmns on 11500 and 12230. These are now reliables, tho 12230 was new when I first reported it earlier this year. Rechecks at 1550 showed active on 11870 12005 and 13675, good, with the latter being extremely good [Some of those look new --- gh, DXLD] 13920, Firedrake Jammer. 5/22, 1120. More musical censorship, VG, with equal // on 11500. Note: bandscan during previous hour revealed nothing. 13430, Firedrake 5/23 1045. Good with Good //s on: 12230, 12600, 15900 16100, The Firedrake 5/24, 1030. Good, with Good //s noted on 11500, 12230, 12600, 13130, 13970, 14700, 15900 (all: Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, May 28, HQ-120X, HQ-200, SP-600, Drake R-8, outdoor wire, outdoor Slinky, ABDX via DXLD) Firedrake May 24, before 1200: 16980, poor at 1154, none in the 17s 16920, fair at 1154 16100, very good at 1154 15940, fair at 1156 14950, fair at 1157 14700, fair at 1157 13920, poor at 1157 13430, poor at 1158-1200*, deep in CODAR territory. New frequency? Almost: only previous report from Ron Howard, California, May 9 0430+ 12600, very poor at 1159 12230, JBA at 1158 11500, poor at 1159 After 1200: 13430, poor at 1223, back on in this hour Before 1300: 16980, very good at 1246 16100, very good at 1250 15900, very good at 1246 15555, good at 1244 After 1300: 16100, very good at 1321 15570, good at 1322, het on lo side 15500, fair at 1322, het on lo side 14700, good at 1322 13430, fair at 1326, still in this hour 12600, JBA at 1327 12230, fair at 1327 After 1400: 15615, poor at 1402 under WEWN Firedrake May 25, before 0500 when higher bands are unusually lively, during the ChiCom noon hour: 17450, very poor at 0457 17250, very poor at 0457 16100, JBA at 0459; none in the 15s Before 1300: 17250, fair at 1225 17100, good at 1224, but with noise, ute QRM? 16980, very good at 1223 15970, very good at 1222 15445, very good at 1220, no het, off at 1230* just in time for weak Turkey 15450 14950, good at 1225 14700, very good at 1225 13920, poor at 1232 12230, very poor at 1232 11970, fair at 1233; no CCI, but must be here because of a Sound of Hope 100-watt nuisance transmitter from Taiwan, per Aoki listings 11500, good at 1233 Before 1400: none in the 11s, 12s, 13s at 1342 14950, very poor at 1344 15710, good at 1345: unusual spot, nothing in Aoki, SOH jumparound? 15900, poor at 1344 16700, good at 1345 16920, poor at 1345 16980, good at 1345 17450, very poor at 1346 After 1400: 15710 is now gone 17565, poor at 1419, mixing with presumed V. of Tibet via MADAGASCAR, nominal 17560, sometimes on 17570, now splitting the difference but the SARFT ChiCom jamming command monitors caught them by now. Aoki shows VOT, 250 kW, 45 degrees from Talata-Volondry on 17560 at 1400- 1405, 17570 at 1405-1430, but it`s certainly not that predictable 17450, very poor at 1418; none in the 16s, 15s 14950, very poor at 1420 14800, fair at 1420; none in the 13s, 12s 21480, May 26 at 0448, two Chinese stations mixing; the one atop sounds like CNR1, i.e. jammer. Conversely, on weaker 21580, a non-// signal is on top. Both are R Free Asia, Chinese via TINIAN channels, which Must Be Jammed by the paranoid ChiCom. Firedrake May 26, before 0500: 17170, very poor at 0451 16980, JBA at 0454 16100, JBA at 0454 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 14700, Firedrake 5/26, 1018. Good with good //s noted on 14700, 11500 (Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, May 28, HQ-120X, HQ-200, SP-600, Drake R- 8, outdoor wire, outdoor Slinky, ABDX via DXLD) May 26 Before 1200: 9970, poor at 1138 with flutter, confirmed // 14700. No major target on 9970, just another 100-watt Sound of Hope, Taiwan nuisance per Aoki 11500, poor at 1138 14700, fair at 1138 14800, fair at 1144 15970, very poor at 1152 16100, very poor at 1152 16980, very poor at 1152 17450, JBA at 1153 Before 1300: 11500, fair at 1242 13970, good at 1235 14700, very good at 1235 15545, fair at 1237-1238*. No area replacement immediately found 15940, fair at 1235 15970, fair at 1235 16100, poor at 1239 16980, fair at 1239 17450, poor at 1239 After 1300, still one short of a dozen at a time: 11500, fair at 1318; none in the 12s, 13s, 14s 15500, good at 1322, het on lo side, i.e. V. of Tibet, Tajikistan 15570, good at 1323, het on lo side, i.e. V. of Tibet, Tajikistan 15900, fair at 1323 15940, good at 1323 15970, very good at 1323 16100, fair at 1324 16700, very good at 1324 16920, fair at 1324 16980, very good at 1324 17450, very good at 1325 15100, May 26 at 1522, very good signal from CNR1 jammer, no doubt vs VOA Uzbek via Kuwait at 1500-1530 only, inaudible. Nothing heard at 1531. I was checking for V. of South Sudan Revolutionary Radio, new frequency just reported by Mark Davies with Noel Green in England, at 1355 in English today (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 14950, Firedragon (official PRC censorship music) 5/27, 1045. VG with VG //s noted on: 14700, 11500, 9970, 7970. Haven`t heard the music for many weeks on latter two. 16100, Firedrake 5/28, 1040, VG with //s on 15970, 15940, 14800, 9970. Ran the band again after 1120, found Good copy of same, on 16100, 15900, 13130, 9970, 14700 (Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, May 28, HQ- 120X, HQ-200, SP-600, Drake R-8, outdoor wire, outdoor Slinky, ABDX via DXLD) While DXing in my garden with my RK770 I found three frequencies with CHINESE MUSIC and no comment between 1125 and 1159 UT. After the full 1200 nothing else could be heard here but the carrier was still on air. The frequencies are (wide off the broadcast bands): 16100,0 kHz, 17170,0 kHz and 17250,0 kHz. I’ll keep watching these lines! 73 & 55 (Thomas (tiNG), http://www.utdx.de / ICQ 144 821 677, QTH: 54 13'13''N 010 00'40''E, JO54AF, JRC NRD-525 + VHF/UHF, Hagenuk RX1001, Icom IC- R71, Siemens RK770, Philips D2935, Wavecom W4010, May 28, UDXF yg via DXLD) If you want to listen to the Firedrake Jammer the best way to predict when it will be on is to look at scheduled times for Sound of Hope or Radio Free Asia, either of those two in Chinese and aimed at Mainland China. Very occasionally the Firedrake will also hit the VOA when in Chinese and aimed at China. As mentioned before, the jammer goes off line at the top of the hour. It then comes back on variably anything from 2 to 30 minutes after the hour, with an average being 10 to 20 minutes after the hour. It may come back up on all new frequencies, all the same frequencies, or a mixture of new and old. It may (normally does) jam multiple frequencies at once (I have seen 8 at one time, but have been told it can do 12 at one time), but each frequency comes on one at a time, normally from lowest to highest. Just be aware that if you start looking for the Firedrake at 10 minutes after the hour and don't find it that does not mean it will not be there, sometimes all frequencies are not up and firing until as late as 30 minutes after the hour. The purpose of the pause at the top of the hour is probably what is called in the ECM/jamming world "look through time". If you never take your jammer down you never know when the target signal has quit or moved to a new frequency. So it probably stops, waits for the target signal to come up, confirms it is the target it wants, then starts jamming. Some target stations have been known to use this time to get out new/important announcements before the jammer starts. The way the jam signals come up one at a time and sometimes minutes, other times seconds apart, apart makes me believe this might be a manual process. Most often the carrier comes up on each frequency for a few seconds before the audio is switched on. (T! Mojave Desert, California, USA, ibid.) Firedrake May 28, after 1220: 16100, good at 1221, none higher 15940, fair at 1224 15900, fair at 1224, a bit better than 15940 15445, fair at 1223 with het on lo side 14800, good at 1224 14700, good at 1225 with CCI talk, axually Sound of Hope presumed 13970, JBA at 1226; one in the 12s 11500, JBA at 1226; can`t be sure it`s FD rather than VOR, Tajikistan Before 1300: 15550, fair at 1247; now not on 15445 17170, very poor at 1252 17250, very poor at 1252 17450, very poor at 1252 After 1300, incomplete: 15485, poor at 1304; I think it was on before 15550 went off 15550, fair at 1302 but gone at 1305 Before 1400: 13970, JBA at 1355; none in the 12s 14600, fair at 1356 14700, poor at 1356 15485, poor at 1356, het on hi side 16100, fair-good at 1358 17170, very poor at 1358 17250, poor at 1358 17450, very poor at 1358 Firedrake May 29 before 1300: 13970, good at 1242; none in the 12s 14600, poor at 1242 14700, very good at 1242 14800, very good at 1242 15550, fair at 1244 with het on hi side 15970, very good at 1245 16100, fair at 1245 16980, poor at 1245 17250, fair at 1245 Before 1400: 14600, poor at 1353; none in the 13s or 12s 14700, good at 1353 14870, good at 1353; unusual spot. In fact this frequency has never appeared in DXLD the past decade, Mr Google says. 14950, no FD but weak Chinese(?) at 1354-1400*, presumably Sound of Hope slipping in, missed by jammer 15485, fair at 1351 with het on hi side 16100, poor at 1357 16980, poor at 1357 17100, fair at 1357 17250, fair at 1357 After 1400: 15605, fair at 1425; none in the 14s 17100, fair-good at 1427 17250, very poor at 1427 17450, very poor at 1427 17570, fair at 1427 with flutter; no CCI audible, but V. of Tibet via Madagascar may have just closed here instead of alternate 17565, 17560 Firedrake May 30, before 1300: 11500, good at 1232 with CCI presumed VOR; none in the 12s 13920, good at 1235 14700, fair at 1235 14870, fair at 1235; new frequency becoming a regular? 15940, very poor at 1237; none in the 16s. Higher bands degraded 17370, poor at 1238. Another new one, not yet in Aoki, never in DXLD Before 1400: 11500, fair at 1332, with CCI; none in the 12s, 13s 14700, NO FD at 1335, but some Chinese talk, presumed Sound of Hope 15495, poor at 1337, het on hi side 16100, fair-good at 1338 16980, very poor at 1338 17100, poor at 1338 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. 9690, May 27 at 0420, VG carrier but just barely modulated in Chinese, and // 9790 with epic choral music, sounds like cinematic, normal modulation level but distorted. 0424, Chinese announcement on 9790, dead air on 9690. CRI relay on 9690 is scheduled 02-04 via Noblejas, SPAIN, and 9790 at 03-05 via CUBA, the 04-05 hour axually Cantonese, not Mandarin. For some reason, Spain must not have turned 9690 off on time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. INTERNATIONAL TV CHANNELS' WAR OF WORDS: CCTV NEWS VS. AL JAZEERA ENGLISH. Posted: 24 May 2012 Wall Street Journal, China Realtime Report, 18 May 2012, Josh Chin: "With a surge of anti-foreigner bile rising in Beijing, one might expect a prominent Chinese TV personality whose job it is to interview foreigners to weigh in with a few calming words. One would be dead wrong. In a rather perplexing move this week, Chinese Central Television host Yang Rui added a dose of poison to an already vitriolic debate about the behavior of foreigners in the Chinese capital by posting a message online in which he accused foreign spies in the city of pursuing Chinese women to cover up their activities, blamed Western residents for encouraging Chinese people to move abroad and appeared to take a certain vulgar delight in the recent expulsion of al-Jazeera correspondent Melissa Chan. A full translation of the message, posted Wednesday to his verified account on popular Twitter-like microblogging service Sina Weibo: 'The Public Security Bureau wants to clean out the foreign trash: To arrest foreign thugs and protect innocent girls, they need to concentrate on the disaster zones in [student district] Wudaokou and [drinking district] Sanlitun. Cut off the foreign snake heads. People who can’t find jobs in the U.S. and Europe come to China to grab our money, engage in human trafficking and spread deceitful lies to encourage emigration. Foreign spies seek out Chinese girls to mask their espionage and pretend to be tourists while compiling maps and GPS data for Japan, Korea and the West. We kicked out that foreign bitch and closed Al-Jazeera’s Beijing bureau. We should shut up those who demonize China and send them packing.' A fluent English-speaker best known for grilling foreign experts on CCTV’s current affairs interview show Dialogue, Mr. Yang was responding to a campaign launched by Beijing’s Public Security Bureau last week that aims to 'clean out' foreigners who have either entered the country illegally or are living or working in the city without the proper visas." [plus many more related stories:] http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=13292 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** CONGO. [Re 12-20:] 6115, 0557-0629 23/May, R Congo in French. Open Carrier. At 0600 OM talks in French, very low modulation. Sure French with African accent. At 0602 OM says: “révolution”. At 0603 short tribal instrumental music, then YL and OM talks lively. At 0610 local pop music. At 0612 YL talks, between short music. At 0615 local pop music. Signal degrading, after 0625. 44432 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, Degen 1103 - All listening in mode of filter Narrow the 6 kHz, Dipole antenna, 16 meters - east/west Escutas (listening, my blog): http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006 dxldyg via DXLD 12-21 via WORLD OF RADIO 1619) So confirms they are on for a morning broadcast and also propagable to North America, whence I have yet to see it reported; Jorge has quite an advantage right across the pond (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) Yes, Glenn. Yesterday, 23/05, I tuned in with a good signal, but the modulation was very low. It has a recording on my blog. Sorry about the poor quality of the recording, but you hear the modulation. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006 6115, 25/May 0557-0612, CONGO, R Congo. No signal. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 2 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, Degen 1103 - All listening in mode of filter Narrow the 6 kHz. Dipole antenna, 16 meters - east/west, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also INTERNATIONAL ** CONGO DR. CONGO-Kinshasa, 5066.3, R. Télé Candip, Bunia, 1747-1843 (fechou às 1904), 26/5, programa falado, em francês e dialecto(s) local(-ais), canções africanas; 25331, mas a melhorar (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See INTERNATIONAL ** COSTA RICA. 5995, May 29 at 0525, startled to hear good signal in Spanish here where none should be. Of course, once again it`s REE Cariari relay on wrong channel, missing from 5965, altho 5995 is in use earlier in the evening and they forgot again to change frequency. // still on proper 9630, 3350. 11880, May 29 at 1236, REE in Basque putting out modulation peak spikes as far as 11900, and probably also to 11860 but obscured by Cuba. Also could hear modulation mix of RHC and REE on 11900, but in this case overload receiver-produced as vanished with max attenuation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [Re 12-21:] ``Grayson, 9630 kHz is supposed to switch from DRM to AM at 0200 UT. Is that time correct? Have you explained how the 909X is modified for DRM? 73, Glenn Hauser, OK`` Re: REE in Digital --- Glenn: thanks for all your creative work over the years. As to your question: how is my 909x modified for DRM? It isn't. The signal I listened to was a powerful, clear signal, and in a sheet I looked at it indicated "DRM." In my technical ignorance, I obviously didn't understand what DRM is, read-up on it a bit, and realised my radio could not have received the DRM signal. My 909x is modified with improved audio filters, and the audio on this little portable is remarkable. I only realized later that had nothing to do with DRM - -which I could not receive on the 909x. Just a great signal received on a radio with fine audio. Again, thanks for all you do (Grayson, Shortwave-SWL-Antenna yg via DXLD) ** CUBA [and non]. Very accurate piece re: Cuba & the '60s --- Glenn: -- I'd say this piece from Radio World is about 98% accurate, though more so regarding programming details. -- G H http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/rw_20120523/index.php#/38 (Greg Hardison, CA, May 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Except R. Taíno is long gone from 1180, now full of more Rebeldes (gh) Cuba's Jamming --- Listened to Radio Martí's clear, strong signal this morning beginning at 1220 GMT on 9805 MGHz [sic]. But as too often happens, their strong signal beamed to Cuba could not be tolerated very long. Radio Martí gave its ID at 1230. The good signal continued until 1232 at which time Cuba began its usual jamming. Like totalitarian China, Cuba fears freeflowing information, and erects electronic barriers as a matter of course to stop outside (read U.S.) information from being received by their citizens. One would think that such crude practices would have ceased years ago, but alas, they haven't (Grayson Watson in Dallas, TX using a Sangean 909x with an Apex Radio 700DTA antenna, May 25, Cumbre DX via DXLD) 5019.9, Solomon Islands, SIBC is possible here in LSB when Havana lowers its power, has not done so recently. 5954.5 [sic], Radio República also Havana-jammed but OK on 746Pro flexible filter selection (Bob Wilkner, Pómpano Beach FL, ibid.) 15340, May 24 at 1405, RHC has fast SAH and CCI, no doubt HCJB Australia with which it has been colliding since April 1, marring `Voces de la Revolución`, hoary old speeches by hoary old Fidel et al. 11760, May 26 at 2005, RHC French is very undermodulated. Have to turn the volume way up. 9500, May 27 at 1245, RHC `Cuba Campesina` music show on distorted, unstable spur, weak but stronger than // fundamental 9540, which is always much weaker than // 9550 and 9850. So which transmitter is it coming from? At 1256, 9550 cuts off the air, and 9850 is gone too, with 9540 and 9500 remaining. Had looked for a match on 9600, which would indicate origination from 9550, but none there. A match to 9540, 40 kHz on the upper side on 9580, would have been buried by R. Australia. See also CYPRUS: RHC hit by OTH radar; see also CHINA [non] 9790 Cantonese 9955, May 27 at 1952, checking WRMI 9955, heavy jamming with some pulsing also audible. What`s on WRMI at this time on Sundays? If the March 31 program grid still posted remains correct, it`s `Words of Life`, ergo evangelism in English --- and there are no Spanish programs immediately before or after, nor at this time on any other day of the week (WRMI off the air anyway weekday afternoons). The DentroCuban Jamming Command cannot be too careful, or rather too incompetent (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS. 17818-17843, May 26 at 1910, OTH radar pulses presumed from here with usual 25-kHz spread, happening to be in a clear area below REE/Costa Rica 17850 splash. (As a rule there is much less activity by broadcasters above 17800 than lower in the band.) 17688-17713, May 26 at 2030, same kind of OTH radar pulses now here, missing Spain on 17715, but not RHC 17705 after *2100; tsk2. 16781-16806, May 28 at 0530, OTH radar pulses presumed from here, as BBC Cyprus was also in well on 17640, see UK [non] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS. 5925, Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation, 2223-2237, May 20. woman announcer with talk in Greek language. Seemed to commence a radio play around 2226. Poor reception on this channel but // 7220 was almost fair and 9760 was good. Next week on Sunday strong carrier on 9760 but no audio (Rich D'Angelo, Wyomissing PA 19610, Ten-Tec RX-340, Drake R-8B, Eton E1, Eton E5, Alpha Delta DX Sloper, RF Systems Mini- Windom, Datong FL3, JPS ANC-4, NASWA Flashsheet May 27 via DXLD) 9760, Cyprus Broadcasting Corp, *2215-2244*, May 25, sign on and sign off with their usual Greek theme music. Greek talk. Some Greek music. Good. // 7220 - good. // 5925 - weak. Fri, Sat, Sun only. Irregular (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 9760, Cyprus Broadcasting Corp, *2224:40-2254*, May 27, carrier on at 2215, but no programming until 2224:40. Late sign on and late sign off. Sign on and sign off with the usual Greek theme music. Greek talk. Radio-drama. Some Greek music. Very good. // 7220 - fair. // 5925 - weak. Fri, Sat, Sun only. Irregular (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** DODECANESE ISLANDS [and non]. VOICE OF AMERICA: SHIPBOARD RELAY STATIONS - 8: THIS TIME IN THE MEDITERRANEAN - THE VAGABOND A “COURIER” The most famous of all of the ships that carried a relay of programming on behalf of the Voice of America was the good ship “Courier”; but it did not begin its life story in this way. This is what happened. The ship that became the “Courier” was laid down in Milwaukee Wisconsin on the edge of the Great Lakes during the year 1945. The original name given in advance was “Doddridge”, though by the time it was launched later that same year, the name was “Coastal Messenger”. During the late 1940s, the “Coastal messenger” was taken into commercial service along the coasts of South America. At one stage, the ship ran aground off the coast of Venezuela, and soon afterwards, it was mothballed into the reserve fleet. Then came the year 1950, and plans were introduced for the development of a whole fleet of radio ships to act as full time relay stations for the Voice of America. The “Doddridge-Coastal Messenger” was taken over by the American government, retrofitted with all sorts of new equipment, and renamed the “Courier”. The original intent for the location of this new ship was off the coast of the Korean peninsula. The “Courier” was commissioned as a radio ship at Hoboken on the edge of New Jersey on February 15, 1952 under the official designation WAGR; with the W indicating Coast Guard, A indicating a working ship, G indicating a large ship, and R indicating radio. The callsign for the ship’s maritime communication radio equipment was NFKW. In the waterways of Washington DC on March 4, President Truman came aboard and officially dedicated the ship for its new era of service. The “Courier” then left for a six week shakedown cruise into the Caribbean, with ports of call along the coasts of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama & Mexico. For a period of three weeks, the “Courier “ was on the air with test broadcasts under the callsign KUX2AJ during its stay in the Panama Canal Zone. The ship was also stationed in the Central American area for a series of political broadcasts to Guatemala. The “Courier” returned to the United States and was taken to New York where loading began in preparation for service off the coast of Korea. However, at this stage, a new location was designated, and orders were given diverting her to serve in the eastern waters of the Mediterranean. So, on July 17, the “Courier” set sail for the island of Rhodes, with ports of call en route at Tangier in North Africa, Naples in Italy, and Piraeus in Greece. The “Courier” arrived at the harbor on the north coast of the island of Rhodes on August 22, 1952, though she was quickly moved to the coast of Turkey due to a threatened submarine attack. However, this proved to be a false threat, and the ship soon returned to the nearby island of Rhodes. Broadcasting as a Voice of America relay station began on September 7, 1952. The ship carried three radio broadcasting transmitters; one RCA mediumwave unit at 150 kW, and two Collins shortwave transmitters at 35 kW. There was also a 3 kW marine transmitter for coastal communications. Electrical power was generated by 3 diesel generators, each rated at 50 kW, and five huge balloons were available to produce lift for the mediumwave antenna. The program feed from the VOA studios in Washington DC was shortwaved via the VOA relay station in Tangier, North Africa, with a receiver station on board the “Courier” itself. Subsequently, a receiver station was installed on the island of Rhodes with a microwave relay to the ship. The usage of the balloons to raise the mediumwave antenna proved to be too cumbersome and largely unsuccessful, so during the following year, the “Courier” was first taken to Malta for repairs, and then to Saloniki [sic] in Greece where new antenna systems were fitted. According to the Australian magazine, Radio & Hobbies, the “Courier” was on the air from Saloniki for two or even three extended periods of time. The broadcasts from the “Courier”, on both shortwave & mediumwave, though intended primarily for the Middle Eastern areas, were nevertheless heard in widely distant locations. Many international radio monitors in Europe, the Americas, Asia & the South Pacific were successful in hearing these broadcasts in several Middle Eastern languages and they were rewarded with the regular VOA QSL cards from Washington DC showing a large white star on a blue background. In addition, QSL cards were also issued from the “Courier” itself, and these depicted an artistic rendition of the ship with a large balloon tethered to the deck. These QSL cards were postmarked at the official Post Office on board the “Courier”. There were occasions when the “Courier” left the sheltered harbor at Rhodes. For example, a significant religious leader asked the ship to take him on a visit to another island. With approval from the United States, the short voyage was made, and the “Courier” was still on the air at its new temporary location with its regular programming. Towards the end of its twelve year stay in the Eastern Mediterranean, the ship was taken to the shipyards near Athens in Greece in preparation for the final return journey across the Atlantic. Even while the “Courier” was suspended in the air above the dry dock, the regular broadcasting schedule was maintained; the electronics were safely grounded with a thick cable attached to the dock. All of the electronic equipment was ultimately off loaded and donated to the Greek government, and the ship then set sail for the United States, with ports of call at Naples in Italy, Barcelona in Spain, and the Azores Islands off the coast of Africa. The arrival date on the Atlantic Coast of the United States was August 13, 1964. Two years later, the “Courier” was taken into service again by the Coast Guard, this time as a training ship. In 1972, she was retired, and three years later again, she was unceremoniously scrapped. The “Courier”, at the end of its illustrious tenure as a unique radio broadcasting ship, was now gone; but it was replaced by a landbased station on the island of Rhodes. However, that’s another story for another time (Adrian Peterson, IN, AWR Wavescan script for January 8, 2012, via DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC [and non]. Tele Antillas Ch A2 Multihop Es in Portugal --- Tele Antillas Ch A2 was received in Portugal last night around 2145 UT. Video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Rm5DuLwdy1s It had been "sitting around" at a very low level for 2+ hours before. There's another video carrier very close to it at zero offset; wasn't the same last year. Someone must have moved a bit. Quite weak multihop sporadic E, blurred video but reasonable audio. (Hugh Hoover, Portugal, May 25, WTFDA via DXLD) continued: VENEZUELA ** ECUADOR. 6050, HCJB-Pifo, May 26 at 1047. Poor with gospel songs; man speaking in Quechua at 1049; signal briefly peaking to fair; songs with flute accompaniment at 1055; TS at 1100; signal quickly slipping away by 1102 (Jim Ronda, Tulsa OK, NRD-545, R-75 + PAR-SWL and attic mounted Eavesdropper T, NASWA Flashsheet May 27 via DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. GUINÉ EQUATORIAL, 5005, RNGE, Bata, 1750-1839, 26/5, dialecto local, músic pop' africana, texto às 1800, mais tarde em castelhano, noticiário local, progr. de propag. relig., em dialecto local, às 1845; 35332 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 15190, May 26 at 0455 tune-in to open carrier -- - will I catch a formal sign-on from R. Africa? Of course not! Soon starting music, ``Your Radio Pastor broadcast, half an hour of music and inspiration``. Fair signal, on earlier than usual (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Eu tive a impressão que um pouco antes das 0821 houve uma full ID, mas eu não fui feliz na gravação, pois estava surpreso no momento com a recepção da KNLS, primeira vez sintonizada aqui por mim. Vou tentar novamente essa manhã. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Brasil, ibid.) Viz.: 15190, 26/May 0821-0828, R Africa in English. OM with ID, then gospel music and religious preaching by OM. 34433. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190, May 28 at 0547, R. Africa is on with VG signal, preacher bemoaning the ``licentuous`` [sic] lifestyle of John Edwards. This was not yet on the last I tuned across circa 0525 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190, 28/May 0851, R Africa in English. YL question, OM responds. At 0857 hymn. At 0859 first ID, then full ID R Africa. 35333 Recorded in my blog (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, Degen 1103 - All listening in mode of filter Narrow the 6 kHz. Dipole antenna, 16 meters - east/west, Escutas (listening, my blog): http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006 dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) Tnx, Jorge for catching this. Hymn is `The First Noël`! Slightly out of season. Faded down into distorted announcement, about rocket launch, food shortage (???), then R. Africa ID with e-mail address, still hard to copy, and R. Africa #2, P O Box 1752?, naturusa(?) 3064, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa, spelling out the names. Sounds like spoken into very lo-grade consumer mike or phone. WRTH shows radioafrica@myway.com but there was a .org in the address announced (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Nice to hear there is at last a positive ID for this one. To the best of my knowledge there is no suburb in Jo'burg called Naturusa. It will almost certainly be Naturena, a small suburb on the southern extremity of Jo'burg, about 20 miles north of Meyerton. Regards, (Bill Bingham, Johannesburg RSA, May 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190, May 30 at 0523, gospel huxter is already going, poor signal from R. Africa. Next check at 1928, fair signal with the disgraced and encarcelated Tony Alámo (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [and non]. /ERITREA, 9705.031, WHITE NOISE jamming - supposedly - against Eritrean Radio on 9704.989 kHz. No program content could be traced underneath, 1645 UT May 20 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 30 via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. RUSSIA, QSL Badr Broadcasting Network via Samara- RUSSIA 15165 kHz. Badr Broadcasting Network 15165 kHz bestaetigte meinen Empfangsbericht innerhalb von 25 Tagen mit unterschriebener und abgestempelter PPC. Adresse: Badr Ethiopia, 4701 Sangamore Road, Suite #125 South, Bethesda MD 20816, USA. Eine e-mail brachte keine Antwort. Die Stationen sendet 1830-1900 UT im Bereich von 15165 kHz. Auf der Webseite http://www.badrradio.com werden inzwischen die Frequenzen 15150 / 15155 / 15165 / 15170 / 15175 / 15180 kHz genannt, wohl um aethiopischen Jammern zu entgehen. (Patrick Robic, Austria, A-DX May 18 via BC-DX May 30 via DXLD) New TDP station - Badr Radio/Badr Broadcasting Network in Amharic, 1830-1900 15165 SAM 250 kW 188 deg Fri-Sun to EaAF, eff April 20 (DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov-BUL, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 1, ibid.) ** EUROPE. Borderhunter Radio --- 15480/15305 5-20, 1605, After a long absence Borderhunter was on the air evaluating his transmitter repairs. The signal was weak here (25323) with some fades. For the most part he played dance music with a heavy beat with only very occasional talk from the op. 15480 was the best frequency at this QTH but I could hear him on both frequencies. Considering the local time here, it was not bad (Rohde, EUROPEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN LOGS As heard on this side of the pond, Free Radio Weekly May 26 via DXLD) No further credit but presumably Mike Rohde, still in Ohio? (gh) ** FIJI [non]. A station for Fiji named Domo I Viti should start on 4 June at 0830-0900 on 11565 via World Radio Network from Palau. Not sure what its agenda is, clandestine or at least political? Seems there are at least two programs/stations by same name, in Auckland and Sydney by expatriates (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest, via June WDXC Contact, via WORLD OF RADIO 1619 as a reminder) ** FINLAND. Scandinavia[n] Weekend Radio has been granted a temporary FM broadcasting licence for 104.2 with up to 500 watts power. Due to the antenna installation the 25 metre band frequency will be part of the time out of service (Website news, April 5, via Mike Barraclough, DX News, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD) Tomorrow, we will not have a broadcast on 25 metre band due to FM antenna installation work and broadcast system measurements. We would like to ensure that FM and 25 metre band antennas in same mast not cause any spurious emissions to aviation/radio navigation frequencies. (Scandinavian Weekend Radio, May 4, Facebook, ibid.) No indication as of deadline that the 25 metre band antenna is back up (Mike Barraclough, ibid.) Next broadcast: 2100 UT June 1 to 2100 UT June 2 (gh ** GAMBIA. GÂMBIA, 648, R. Gâmbia, Bonto, ainda muda; há meses, não há qq. sinal desta emissora (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Dear Listeners, HH Lokalradio, Radio Gloria and E.M.R. are on the air this Sunday the 27th of May 2012 [but see below as amended] Station Name Time Slot Channels Relay station HH Lokalradio 0500 to 0800 7265 kHz via MVBR Radio Gloria 0800 to 1000 7265 kHz via MVBR Radio Gloria 0900 to 1000 6140 kHz via Media Broadcast Radio Gloria 0900 to 1000 6005 kHz via Radio 700 Radio Gloria 1000 to 1200 9480 kHz via MVBR EMR 1200 to 1300 9480 kHz via MVBR All Reception reports to HH Lokalradio: m.kittner @ freenet.de All Reception reports to Radio Gloria: radiogloria @ aol.com All Reception reports to E.M.R: studio @ emr.org.uk EMR Internet repeats on Sunday and Monday. Programme repeats are at the following times: 1000, 1200, 1600, 1900 UT [I am continually removing colons from times when they are in UT as needless clutter, and saving them for all the instances when colons should properly be used in punxuation, altho often amending them to semicolons; but I leave colons in times which are local, as a clue that they are NOT UT --- editor gh] Please visit http://www.emr.org.uk and click on “EMR internet radio” button which you will find throughout the website (see the menu on the left). Good listening! 73s (Tom Taylor, May 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) HH Lokalradio Radio Gloria and E.M.R. up-date Radio Gloria and E.M.R. this Sunday + HH Lokalradio on Monday Dear Listeners, HH Lokalradio, Radio Gloria and E.M.R. are on the air 27 / 28th of May 2012 Station Name Time Slot UT Channels Relay station Radio Gloria 0800 to 1000 7265 kHz via MVBR Radio Gloria 0900 to 1000 6140 kHz via Media Broadcast Radio Gloria 0900 to 1000 6005 kHz via R. 700 + shortwaveservice.com Radio Gloria 1000 to 1200 9480 kHz via MVBR Radio Gloria 1500 to 1600 ------- via ColoRadio.org E.M.R. 1200 to 1300 9480 kHz via MVBR EMR Internet repeats on Sunday and Monday. Programme repeats are at the following times: 1000, 1200, 1600, 1900 UT All Reception reports to E.M.R: studio @ emr.org.uk All Reception reports to Radio Gloria: radiogloria @ aol.com HHLR relay on Monday 28th of May 2012 HH Lokalradio 0500 to 1700 7265 kHz via MVBR All Reception reports to HH Lokalradio: m.kittner @ freenet.de Good listening! 73s (Tom Taylor, May 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Radio 6150 tests Sunday morning: Wenn unsere Arbeiten rechtzeitig abgeschlossen werden, gibt es am Sonntag, ab ca. 8.15 MESZ Testbetrieb mit voller Leistung und verbesserter Kühlung. Eventuell einige Tests zur Vorbereitung im Laufe des Samstag Nachmittags. Wenn sich etwas ändert, steht es hier: http://www.radio6150.de unter "Aktuelles". Mal reinhören auf 6150 kHz im 49 Meter Band! If our work is completed in time, there will be some tests starting around 0615 UT on Sunday morning with full power and increased cooling. Maybe some testing Saturday in the afternoon. All the news all the time can be found here: http://www.radio6150.de "Aktuelles". Tune in to 6.150 kHz in the 49 Meter Band! (via JUAN FRANCO CRESPO * STAMP JOURNALIST (AIPET), SÀLVIA 8 (MAS CLARIANA), E-43800 VALLS- TARRAGONA (ESPAÑA-SPAIN-ESPAGNE-SPANIEN), May 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Deutschlandfunk Berlin Britz TX on 6190 kHz - Silent Key. A real VOA / RIAS Berlin child of 1951 era !! is no longer ... 6005 / 6190 kHz antenna at 52 26 50.57 N 13 25 49.93 E (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 29, 2012 via DXLD) DLF Berlin Britz 6190 kHz wird nicht wieder eingeschaltet. Der Betreff sagt ALLES!, siehe auch hier: (Jan Balzer-D, A-DX May 29, 2012) My very last morning log: 6189.990, DLF Berlin Britz, wie ueblich gutes S=9+35 dB mindestens Signal im Suedwesten. Gleiche Staerke wie Wertachtal 6095 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 8, 2012 via BCDX May 30, via DXLD) GERMANY. KW Berlin Britz 6190 kHz out of service. Sehr geehrter Herr Eibl, vielen Dank fuer Ihre Zuschrift. Unser Kurzwellensender befindet sich aufgrund eines schweren technischen Defekts ausser Betrieb. Zurzeit wird noch geprueft, ob eine Reparatur moeglich ist. Aussagen zur Zukunft dieser mehr als 60 Jahre alten Sendeanlage sind daher leider noch nicht moeglich. Hierfuer bitte ich um Ihr Verstaendnis. Ueber alternative Empfangsmoeglichkeiten gibt Ihnen unsere Internetseite unter folgender URL Auskunft: Mit freundlichen Gruessen nach Herzogenaurach Konrad Sander Hoererservice DRadio Deutschlandfunk Raderbergguertel 40, 50968 Koeln Deutschlandradio Kultur Hans-Rosenthal-Platz, 10825 Berlin DRadio Wissen Raderbergguertel 40, 50968 Koeln Tel. +49 221 345 18 31 Fax +49 221 345 18 39 mail to http://www.dradio.de/kontakt (Walter Eibl, Germany, A-DX May 21 via BC-DX May 30 via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) Re DLF 6190: A letter quoted on the UKWTV forum by iro May 21 google translates to English in part to: Any new investment in the modernization of short-wave radiation due to our exclusive national service obligations of the Commission to determine the financial requirements for public service broadcasters, KEF, will not be accepted. So we have in the past worked hard to extend the lifetime of our short-wave radio… With the current failure of the transmitter, it will be difficult in the long term to keep our short-wave broadcasting upright. Our long-wave stations are currently on a gap filler between the limited VHF coverage areas needed. As soon as we have ensured full coverage of our programs with digital radio, we will disable the long- wave transmitter (via Mike Barraclough, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** GERMANY. 3995 / 6005: Thank you so much for your kind letters, reception reports and comments regarding our last transmission in April. We were wondering how we could thank you (besides of sending you our brand new QSL card, what we did already) and came to the conclusion that a magical selection of amazing tunes from all over the world would be the greatest "thank you" we could send out to all of you. Well, after having finished writing down our playlist, we aren't sure anymore whether our selection of music is that magical actually, but we hope you will like it anyway (plus dance while listening to our records which we will have in the show, too!) To sum it up: The seventh edition of NordAM will be broadcasted next Saturday 2nd June 2012 1400-1500 UT on 6005 kHz 2000-2100 UT on 3995 kHz We use Radio 700's transmitters in Kall-Krekel, Germany (with 1000 Watts). Furthermore, we can be heard on Radio 700's online live streaming. Just go to and select the frequency we are currently broadcasting on. These streams and frequencies normally carry the nice broadcasts of Radio 700. Once again, we will bring you some current (Indie) pop and rock music from all over the world and hope to bring you around 60 minutes of entertainment and joy. Furthermore, we have a short listener's mailbox-program and invite you to send us again your comments and reception reports. Detailed and correct reports will be verified with our new QSL card (by regular mail or email). Please send all your letters and reports to: Or visit our Facebook site: We would like to thank all listeners for writing and sending reports regarding our previous transmission. If you like, you can add some comments on our show and tell us if you liked the music we played. All reception reports of our previous transmission have been confirmed and the QSLs were posted on May 19th. Of course we are also glad to hear from you if you have any advice for us regarding new bands etc., maybe from your hometown or -country. We are excited to read where our little "student-radio-project" can be received. Feel free to forward these information to your DXing friends. Let's meet in the 49 and 75 metre-band next Saturday! All the best, Torben & Daniel P.S: More details about Radio 700: http://www.radio700.eu Our transmission is made possible thanks to http://www.shortwaveservice.com (see this page for technical details and schedule updates!). (via Joachim Thiel, Germany, A-DX May 30 via BC-DX May 30 via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) ** GERMANY. NEW PICTURES FILMS AND DOCUMENTS WERTACHTAL Dear friends, I uploaded 6 films to Youtube : Wertachtal Switching on a S4001 transmitter for broadcasting : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIISCVCQKDo&feature=player_embedded Wertachtal The switch room. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh-MjPXfL2Y&feature=player_embedded Wertachtal : How it works Look into a matrix switch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seWXiyCNXCg&feature=player_embedded Wertachtal : Drive by car through the antenna park (Part 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOAxj2yzCt4&feature=player_embedded Drive by car through the antenna park (Part 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlK0icWjTm8&feature=player_embedded Drive by car through the antenna park (Part 3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1nGg_0Zzv8&feature=player_embedded Have fun! (Jan Oosterveen, May 29, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) Additional material was uploaded to the swsites yg only (gh) ** GERMANY [non]. 17810, May 29 at 1249, DW French has some CCI, altho stronger than // 17820. DW is 325 degrees from Kigali, and the CCI is presumably AIR in Telugu, 250 kW, 120 degrees from Panaji, GOA, which is supposed to end at 1245, but intentionally co-channel from 1200, on the mistaken assumption that the two will not interfere with each other, while there are plenty of open frequencies on 16m (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GHANA [non]. AWR: Heard this station on 11955. The station said it was in Ghana, the time was 2300 UT. In English but the website claims in Austria, good signals here, around 44445. 73 de (Larry, du1/n6hpx still in japan, May 27, swl at qth.net via DXLD) Assume your time conversion was wrong: only English on 11955 from AWR Austria is 2100-2130 UT to WAf. It`s produced in Ghana. At 2300 on 11955 is Romania in Spanish (gh, DXLD) ** GREECE. 15630, May 26 after 2100, I was dozing to our mostly-music station, Voice of Greece, seemed nothing unusual, but realized at 2140 that they were broadcasting in English, interrupted by voice-overs in Greek. It`s the Eurovision Song Contest, presumably live from Baku, with each country announcing how it would divide up points for its top three choices. English is apparently the lingua franca, not Azeri. Rather meaningless from our viewpoint, went on and on, votes from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Slovakia, Estonia, Lapland(?), Iceland, Sweden and still going past 2200 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM. Adventist World Radio's board of directors has approved a $2.9 million project to upgrade their 25 year old antenna towers on Guam. More on this project, and why AWR thinks shortwave is still effective at http://bit.ly/LHTqHO (Mike Barraclough, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** GUAM. KTWR, Guam DRM test today, 26th May 2012 (Sat) at 1330-1342 UTC on 15240 kHz. Azi: 290 Deg, Power: 75 kW --- (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The DRM transmission from Guam came is absolutely wonderful on my Perseus and Log Periodic Cush Craft beamed to Guam! Actually I have never heard DRM sound so great taking all the DRM transmissions I have been able to hear. It was stronger than AIR to Sri Lanka, but then Guam's dedicated engineers have always got the last watt out and Guam- Colombo has an absolutely wonderful signal path. I told them that as an equipment test it was a tremendous success, but I wonder how they are going to use the money saved on power by using DRM when many souls would be lost because their message will not reach more than a handful. Regards (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. Agentes del Ministerio Público y de la Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) allanaron la mañana del 8 de mayo las radios comunitarias Uqul Tinamit y Jun Toj, ubicadas en el municipio de San Miguel Chicaj, del departamento de Baja Verapaz. Los uniformados decomisaron el equipo y arrestaron a un comunicador comunitario, informó el Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala (Cerigua). De acuerdo con Noé Ismalej, uno de los comunicadores que trabajan en la radio Uqul Tinamit, el allanamiento se produjo en horas de la mañana. Fue arrestado el comunicador Brian Espinoza, de 22 años, quien fue llevado al Juzgado de Primera Instancia Penal del municipio de Salamá y luego fue trasladado al Centro Preventivo de la localidad. Los agentes se llevaron todo el equipo de la radio, que tiene 15 años de funcionamiento en el municipio de San Miguel Chicaj y en donde colaboran 16 trabajadores; el servicio que presta la emisora alcanzaría a unas 25 mil personas en el municipio. Ismalej dijo que piden que Espinoza sea liberado de manera inmediata, petición que también hizo la entidad Cultural Survival, que deploró el allanamiento de la radio y la confiscación del equipo; Uqul Tinamit forma parte de la Asociación de Radios Comunitarias de Guatemala (ARCG). Anselmo Xunic, del Movimiento Nacional de Radios Comunitarias, un colectivo que busca la aprobación de la Ley de Medios de Comunicación Comunitaria, dijo a Cerigua que si bien operar una radio es ilegal esto no constituye un delito sino una falta y no puede ser objeto de persecución penal. (Cronica Viva) via Conexión Digital May 27 via DXLD) Not SW but an indication of radio persecution here (gh) ** HONG KONG. VOLMET on 8828 kHz SSB, 1445~1449 UT Hongkong Volmet weather report by YL, (Temperature, co-ordinate wise air pressure / speed, shower/rain probablity), 1449 UT "Hong Kong Volmet Out" announcement. 1515 to 1519 UT similar broadcast by OM. Rx: JRC NRD 72. Ant: 18 meter copper wire -- Thanks & Regards, (Partha Sarathi Goswami, Siliguri, Dist. Darjeeling, West Bengal, INDIA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. Re 12-21, Rajkot 1071 kHz, new megawatt: This antenna is indeed oriented toward Karachi (Ben Dawson, WA, Hatfield-Dawson, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. AIR Kohima noted on 4850 kHz --- Avijit Mondal from Nadia, WB, India reports that AIR Kohima is now on 4850 kHz in the morning. This transmitter was off the air last several months. English news followed by announcement "AIR Kohima". then prog in regional language 0315 UT 30.5.2012. Thanks (Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, May 30, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) OM Avijit Mondal, Nadia, West Bengal, India [avijit.m22 (at) gmail] informs he heard AIR Kohima on 4850 kHz this morning around 0300 UT: Quote English news followed by announcement "AIR kohima". then programme in regional language still on. Unquote -- Thanks & Regards, (Partha Sarathi Goswami, Siliguri, Dist. Darjeeling, West Bengal, INDIA, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) So should also be on air in local evening when WNAm could get it (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) Later so confirmed Transmitter has been repaired & will be on air with regular programs. They are interested in feedback from swl's; please post your observations in this group. Regards (Alokesh Gupta, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 9526-, May 29 at 1349 not even a JBA carrier detectable, let alone undermodulation from VOI, as yet another opportunity is lost to provide reception of the ``Exotic Indonesia`` linkup with RRI Banjarmasin if they are still doing that on Tuesdays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also empty channel 9525.9v at 1730 UT towards NE, ME, EUR today. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) War soeben um 1450 UT auf deinem Server 'per Radio' in Cimanggis Indonesien, 9526 kHz war einen Tag ausser Betrieb, aber jetzt/but now May 30 at 1450 UT both again on air 9525.974 kHz VOI En annmt and pop music, as well as 9680.051 kHz RRI Jakarta domestic radio, and QRM TWN/CHN on 9680 even. vy73 servus (Wolfgang df5sx Büschel, May 30, ibid.) 9526-, May 30 at 1331, VOI carrier is back on and just barely modulated, sounds English as scheduled. It was totally missing yesterday, Wolfgang Büschel agrees, as does Atsunori Ishida who says it went off May 29 at 1201*. WB also agrees it was back on today (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. COLONIAL RADIO DURING WORLD WAR 2 - PART 1: THE AFRICAN SCENE Back towards the middle of last century, the countries in Europe in particular, and the rest of the world in general, were in a state of confusion and perplexity due to the antagonism and belligerence of major international powers. Beginning during the first weekend in September 1939, these festering antagonisms boiled over, and several of the powerful countries in Europe aligned themselves into either of two differing camps, the Allies or the Axis as they were known in English. However, at the same time, several countries in Europe declared neutrality, though only four were ultimately successful in maintaining their own precarious neutrality; Switzerland & Sweden, and on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain & Portugal. Interestingly, in at least two of these neutral countries, a couple of what we would call rather unusual radio events took place. Switzerland, as we know, retained its neutrality in both World War 1 & World War 2, and this small though important country has played a vital world role in the areas of the International Red Cross and the original League of Nations. In both areas, international radio broadcasting has played its part also. In researching radio events back during these half dozen critical years around the middle of last century, some of these occurrences are now looked upon with somewhat of a surprise. In Switzerland for example, an international shortwave service had been introduced in September 1932 when program broadcasting began over two transmitters on behalf of two different broadcasting organizations. One of these transmitters was obtained from the Marconi Company in England and it was on the air under the primary callsign HBL, and the other transmitter was a French made unit and it was on the air under the primary callsign HBP. Each transmitter was rated at 20 kW, according to the accepted electrical values of that era. Generally speaking, programming was on the air from these new transmitters for just a few hours over the weekend, on behalf of both the League of Nations and the Swiss Broadcasting Service. Even though Switzerland was totally surrounded by belligerent nations during the war, yet postal mail was delivered into and out of this central European country, and we would guess that it had to be by airmail. For example, a QSL card printed in black & white with a picture of the antenna system, verifies a reception report from a listener in New Zealand during this time period. The confirmation information states that callsign HBH, a secondary channel callsign for Radio Nations in Switzerland, was logged on 18480 kHz on January 3, 1941. Perhaps even more interestingly, we come to the year 1944, and by this time, intensive warfare is now raging in the Pacific, as well as still in Europe. Some time during the month of May, Radio Tokyo arranged the broadcast of a DX program in the Swedish language, beamed to Sweden. This one time only broadcast was radiated from a 50 kW shortwave transmitter on 15225 kHz under the callsign JLT3. According to the American radio magazine, Radio News, Radio Tokyo received a total of 518 reception reports from listeners in Sweden for this broadcast. During the month of May in the year 1940, the expanding German Empire overran the coastal European country of Belgium. The entire government of Belgium fled to London in England, where they operated in exile, though the royal family chose to remain in Belgium and share in the difficulties with their subjects. The Belgian government in exile arranged for the broadcast of national radio programming over shortwave stations at three different locations; the BBC London, Voice of America in New York, and also over a new station in Central Africa. This new station was located at Leopoldville in the Belgian Congo, now known as Kinshasa in Zaire. During the year 1941, the Belgian government in exile in London began negotiations to obtain a 50 kW shortwave transmitter for installation at Leopoldville in central Africa. This new unit was a 50 kW RCA transmitter from the United States, and it was installed in a property in Leopoldville that was in use by the Order of Jesuits and the British Institute. Soon afterwards, the entire new radio station was re-installed in a new building, at the College Albert Cultural Centre which had been the home of the Jesuit radio station, Radio Leo. The new shortwave station OTC underwent test broadcasts early in the year 1943 for which QSL cards were issued from both New York and Leopoldville. Station OTC was officially inaugurated on May 16, 1943, with local programming, with scheduled relays from the Voice of America to Africa & Europe, and with BBC programming beamed from London to the United States. Interestingly, the CPRV QSL collection in the United States holds a QSL card issued from the BBC office in New York, verifying the BBC relay via OTC Leopoldville on 9783 kHz. At the same time as OTC Leopoldville was under construction, so was a new Radio Brazzaville station in neighboring French Congo. The two cities, Leopoldville & Brazzaville, are in reality twin cities, located across the Congo River from each other, though they are actually located in two separate countries, Belgian Congo & French Congo. Both stations, OTC & Radio Brazzaville, were constructed at the same time with 50 kW RCA transmitters, though the Belgian station was the first on air. These two stations were just 5 miles apart. Just as a matter of interest, the shortwave station located at Leopoldville acted as a relay station for the Voice of America during two different eras. When the station was newly on the air in 1943 with the 50 kW RCA transmitter from the United States, VOA programming from the United States was received off air and re-transmitted live from Leopoldville to Europe, and also to South Africa. It is probable that this first relay arrangement continued until around the end of the year 1945. The second era of activity as a VOA relay station took place during the year 1958 when political upheaval was evident in central Africa. Leopoldville was noted on 15260 kHz with VOA programming for Africa, over a 50 kW transmitter, as reported by John Callarman of Texas in a 2007 edition of Glenn Hauser’s DX Listening Digest. The Leopoldville relay was shown in the VOA schedule for that period. The original 50 kW transmitter in Africa had been removed after the end of World War 2 and re-installed in Belgium; and subsequently, another 50 kW, presumably from RCA in the United States, was installed at Leopoldville. Now, that’s all on this topic for today, next week, we plan to continue with this interesting information, and we will present the story of the French colonies during this same era (Adrian Peterson, IN, AWR Wavescan script for January 29, 2012, via DXLD) COLONIAL RADIO DURING WORLD WAR 2 - PART 2: THE FRENCH ERA The German Empire was extended completely over territorial France when the two countries signed an armistice agreement on June 22, 1940. Included in this agreement was the division of continental France into two separate territories; the northern area was occupied by German forces; and the southern area was not occupied by German forces, though it was required to acknowledge the German authority. The southern territory became known as Vichy France with the local government established in the small town of Vichy, somewhat in the center of this newly designated territory. The division of France into the two different territories produced a very difficult situation for the French people, both in France itself as well as throughout their extensive empire. Should they show loyalty to the official government leadership who had signed the agreements for German occupation? Or should they show loyalty to the Free French government that was still under development in London? And what about the vast French Empire that was spread abroad in the Americas, Africa, Asia & the Pacific? With whom should these colonies pledge their allegiance? The French territories in Asia consisted of the countries we now know as Kampuchea, Laos & Vietnam. Catholic missionaries from France began to establish mission stations in South East Asia in the 1600s, and in fact the major second language in these territories was European French. The armistice document signed in Paris in 1940 required that the French territories in South East Asia would be administered from Vichy France. Quite soon, Radio Saigon began to assume a new role, that of the official voice of Vichy France to the French Empire. However, the French colonies in the Pacific adopted an alternative stance and they demonstrated allegiance to the Free French government in exile in London. It was at this stage that an interesting exchange of words took place between two of the French shortwave stations, Radio Saigon in Vietnam & the low powered station FK8AA on New Caledonia. However, it is probable that neither station could actually hear the broadcasts from the other. Due to its new role, Radio Saigon issued statements over the air requiring the Pacific colonies to toe the official line and pledge allegiance to the Vichy government. However, New Caledonia’s FK8AA issued a statement over the air, indicating that their own local government knew what was best, and they pledged allegiance to the Free French government in London. Three months later, the Japanese Empire took over the French colonies in South East Asia, and the broadcasts from Radio Saigon took on another flavor again. Over in Africa, the French territory of the Congo did exactly the same as the neighboring Belgian territory, as was mentioned in this program last week. At the same time as the new Radio Brazzaville was under construction, so was the new OTC in neighboring Belgian Congo. The two cities, Brazzaville & Leopoldville, are in reality twin cities, situated across the Congo River from each other, though they are actually located in two separate countries, French Congo & Belgian Congo. Both stations, Radio Brazzaville & OTC Leopoldville, were constructed at the same time with 50 kW RCA transmitters from the United States. Both stations were officially inaugurated in May 1943, though the Belgian station was the first one on the air with regular programming. These two stations were just 5 miles apart. Radio Brazzaville supported the Free French movement in London, and it was the voice of the Free French to Africa and to the world. Much of the programming was produced locally, though it is understood that they also relayed the BBC London and VOA Washington at times. The BBC programming was beamed to Africa and the Americas, and the VOA programming was beamed to Europe and to Africa also. The United States Consulate in Brazzaville provided support for the dissemination of information about the United States over Radio Brazzaville. Over on the Atlantic side of North America is a small French island, lying just a few miles off the south coast of the considerably larger island of Newfoundland. This island is in reality two separate islands joined by a narrow isthmus, a causeway with a highway. When France signed the 1940 armistice with Germany, the local government in St Pierre & Miquelon opted for loyalty with the Vichy government over there in continental Europe. The first radio station on St Pierre was a communication facility under the callsign FQN. In 1941, there were two shortwave transmitters in use in St Pierre; 500 watts on the higher shortwave frequencies, and 5 kW on the lower shortwave frequencies. An experimental broadcasting service on shortwave in the French language, their first broadcasting endeavor, began during the year 1941. Under the orders of General de Gaulle in London, a flotilla of Free French navy vessels arrived at St Pierre on December 24, 1941. Armed personnel swarmed across the island, arresting Vichy sympathizers, and installing Free French personnel into government leadership. Likewise, the radio station FQN also changed hands, though the broadcast of radio programming on shortwave apparently came to an end. The other territories in the French Empire, located in the Caribbean & South America, were not involved in these interesting radio events during this era (Adrian Peterson, IN, AWR Wavescan script for February 5, 2012 via DXLD) ** IRAN. 17655 & 17660, May 28 at 0526, same soft keyboard music on both, seem //, producing mutual het, but don`t get a definite match in time with a second receiver, signals only fair. 17655 goes off at 0529* while 17660 continues music until 0529:45 open carrier, 0530 three rising chimes, brief announcements, Iranian NA, 0531:25 very brief Qur`an and presumed translation, 0532 plucked music theme and opening program, not the news theme. HFCC shows 17655 until 0530 in Russian, 500 kW, 40 degrees from Sirjan, while 17660 is ``Bossni`` at 0530-0630, 500 kW, 297 degrees from Kamalabad. 13750, May 29 at 0527-0528* nondescript music which I am beginning to recognize as the VIRI IS, as scheduled here 0500-0530 [sic] in Russian, 500 kW, 321 degrees from Kamalabad so also USward. Then at 0529 went to 17660 and heard same music continuing, stronger but flutterier, 3 rising tones at 0530 and opening ``Bossni`` broadcast via Kamalabad. The Russian on 17655 had already signed off too; heard 24 hours earlier on both (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [and non]. Friday 25 May: 9565, ??? 0655 talks in Farsi, jammed, `radio yeh BBC´. Same type of jammer is heard on 9500 but in clear freq. Eibi agrees with this as BBC (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here we often hear leftover Cuban jamming on 9565 long after R. Martí is off (gh, OK, DXLD) ** IRELAND. ESTAÇÕES PIRATAS: 6295, Reflections Europe, IRL, 1730-..., 27/5, inglês, progrs. de propag. relig.; 35343; // 12255. 12255, Reflections Europe, IRL, 1731-..., 27/5, cf. // 6295 (v. supra); 35433 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. 15850, Galei Zahal. 0155 UT, 05-29-12. Western pop music, including Jeff Buckley's Grace. OM announcer. Weak signal here in Central Iowa, but all Jeff Buckley is appreciated (Tim Rahto, Cumbredx via DXLD) ** ITALY. 26 maggio 2012, 4878 kHz AM - 2200-2215 UT, RAI Radio UNO - TGR della mezzanotte, 34333 buona modulazione - fading, relay non autorizzato o spuria? Qualcuno l'ha ascoltato? Grazie, buona domenica, buoni DX (Fabio Cambisi, IC-R71E + ALA1530, Casalecchio di Reno BO, IT, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) Does not work out to be a MW harmonic (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) See also KURDISTAN: could there be a connexion? ** JAPAN [and non]. 6120, May 29 at 1225, NHK World Radio Japan, morning English to ``North America`` is lost in the daytime noise level. This is almost *four hours* after sunrise in nearby Moncton per: http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/moncton.html of 0833 UT, soon to reach its earliest of the year at 0828. NHK really needs to rethink its frequency management of staying on 49m yearound from Sackville at this hour. O yeah, it`ll be gone by next summer, even next winter, so that takes care of that. Meanwhile, I suppose the 250 kW may still make it sufficiently as a totally-daytime service in the abbreviated ideal single-skip distance ring around Sackville, favoring 240 degrees azimuth, fighting all that attenuation. Meanwhile, NHK much more audible on the only remaining // at this hour, the transmission to ``Asia`` on 9695, which is not even direct from Yamata any more, rather due north via SINGAPORE; with fairy tale about an ogre (with only one semi-hour a day of original English programming any more, why waste it on such stuff?). (Zero in the azimuth column apparently really means north in Aoki, as other entries are specified ND = non-direxional.) At least we still hear NHK English well at 0500-0530 via Sackville over a total-darkness path on 6110, but that`s local midnight here, 1 am Eastern and earlier-evening transmissions are long gone. We can also hear 5975 via UK and 11970 via France at 0500. Another good one if we can listen at new time of 1800-1830 UT is 15720 via Madagascar. Since this is the middle of the night in Japan, we wonder if the news is really just a playback of 1200, 1300 or 1400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH. [Besides AUSTALIA q.v. on 2 MHz] Also audible at the moment (2010 UT 24/5) with YL and music on 2850 kHz, presume Pyongyang. Weak with intermittent commercial QRM. 73's (Nick Rank, Buxton UK, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) Graylinish now? Was wondering if 2850 still on air, as don`t think I heard it at all last winter (gh) ** KOREA SOUTH [and non]. 9650, NORTH KOREA, Voice of Korea. 5/28, 1230. Both DPRK and KBS World (via Sackville NB) way out in the mud, both with S-1 - S-2 at best signals. Had to amp up AF gain for either, with channel sounding like MF 1340 kHz "graveyarder" more than anything (Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, May 28, HQ-120X, HQ-200, SP-600, Drake R-8, outdoor wire, outdoor Slinky, ABDX via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) 9650, May 30 at 1225, KBSWR via Sackville with those annoying audio artifacts on the English talk. Fortunately they were gone by 1243 when `Sounds of Korea` started, musical show about the #1 traditional tune ``Arirang`` and its many variations, as sung in the North also; seems to be a lament, or longing for love, family. Announcement upwrapped program at 1255 but music kept playing until cut off at 1259:15* without any formal sign-off (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See CANADA for what happened next ** KURDISTAN [non?]. 4880.224, 19.5 2359, Voice of Iranian Kurdistan? noted with Italian program (no 100% ID was heard but the behavior of the carrier corresponded exactly what you can expect from this station). Drifting down to 4879.874 this night. Also heard May 20 with normal type of programming. This night starting on 4879.78 and slowly drifting down to 4879.75. Of course accompanied with the ever existing pulsating noise generator. TN (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin May 27 via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) See also ITALY: could there be a connexion? (gh) ** LATVIA. LATVIAN PM: IT IS ABSURD TO COLLECT MONEY FOR LISTENING TO RADIO --- The Baltic Course, Riga, By Nina Kolyak, 30 May 2012 http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/markets_and_companies/?doc=57987 The idea of collecting money for listening to radio is absurd, Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (Unity) told the LNT morning show "900 sekundes" today, commenting the wish of the Latvian Authors' Society to collect payments from residents who listen to the radio when not at home. "For the agency not to follow the law blindly, coalition MPs have submitted a bill that proposes several changes in this regard," said the prime minister. Dombrovskis hopes that Saeima will discuss the issue and the current situation will be corrected, writes LETA. Dombrovskis added out that he agrees with the Culture Ministry's position on the issue. As reported, AKKA/LAA believes that in order to play music at work and other public places, companies will have to receive public performance licenses first (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** LIBYA. 11600, Radio Télévision Libye - Radio Libye, 1710-1810*, May 28, French talk. Lite instrumental music. French ballads. ID. Weak. Poor in high noise level (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** LITHUANIA [and non]. 9400, US propaganda RFA in Uyghur via Sitkunai relay 01-02 UT, heavily jammed co-channel by Chinese jamming to block transmission to 14 Million Uyghurs in western China. At 0133 UT May 21 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 30 via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. [WEST to EAST] 9835, May 25 at 1314, pop music, 1316 Malay announcement mentioning www; fair signal from RTM and in the clear here, our best bet for this country, unlike 11665 always colliding with the Chinese radio war. I would not hazard a guess about which domestic service is being relayed at the moment; Aoki just shows: ``9835 RTM Sarawak FM 0000-2400 1234567 Malaysian [sic] 100 93 Kajang MLA 10146E 0301N RTM a12`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. 5995, RTVM, 2350-0001*, May 24-25, local tribal music. Sign off with National Anthem at 0000. Poor with adjacent channel splatter and weak modulation (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC- 7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Very brief sporadic-E opening, UT May 24 at 0211: analog signal fades in on ch 2 which I have been monitoring snowily for hours; antenna is at south. Looks like a newscast with clips and anchors, grafix, but no audio. 0216, still on ch 2, animated ID with an italic 3 in an oval moving across the screen, recognizable as the Grupo Pacífico logo. Danny Oglethorpe`s http://tvdxtips.com/mexlogosch2.html explains that it must be the only XHQ on channel 2, in Guamuchil, Sinaloa, a full-time relayer of XHQ ch 3 in Culiacán (and not to be confused with two other same group transmitters on channel 2 with the same logo design except for a 2). Also found it peaked more toward the southwest. Sporadic E opening May 24 into UT May 25: DX-Sherlock had been down and blank for a few days just when needed: http://www.vhfdx.info/spots/map.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&Map=NA So checked alternative with a broader view of the globe showing Es 50 MHz (and other bands`) paths: http://www.tvcomm.co.uk/radio/muf_2.html which indicated openings toward Canada, not Mexico, but: 2356 on 2, fade-in Spanish drama, and CCI; antenna southwards, nothing from northeast 2357 there are at least two ch 2 stations alternating dominance; one of them now screening CIUDADANO EJEMPLAR [model citizen] 0000+ on 2, film drama from 70s? Per hairstyles, two Anglo YLs fighting, dubbed. Constant bug in UR, partly off my overscanned screen, but almost certain it reads TeleVER, i.e. XHFM Veracruz2. 0009 on 2, ad displaying and saying numbers 7712, probably for texting 0010 on 3, MUF climbs to video here, another drama not // 2, net 5 bug 0011 on 3, add audio, dubbed in Spanish 0015 mostly faded out; on 2 there was a station with a rather large rectangular bug in the UR, whence? 0045 on 2, fade-in briefly with dog-bone ad 0051 on 2 video, ad for Bravia 82222; Google says a Sony product; text 0052 on 3 video, YLs on large phones in drama 0054 on 3 audio, novela/drama 0100 on 3 audio, fade-in introduxion(?) of ``Un nuevo`` algo, continente? 0102 on 3 video, credit roll, looks like closing rather than opening 0103 on 3, net 5 bug, upper-right, this time totally visible rather than partly off my screen; sitcom with phony laugh track 0109 on 3, ads for Tecate (not the city), Sony Cyber-shop(?); at the moment also heard same on 2-audio; more ads, promo for Canal 5. The common 5-on-3 is XHBQ Zacatecas, but getting a local ID is rare 0115, fading out and went out to harvest the latest apricot-fall; recheck at 0145 still nothing. Another opening later the same UT day May 25, with DX Sherlock reactivated: 1450, channel 2 video fades in from south, not Canadian 1457 on 2, hoy bug in LL = net-2 show, mentions Mazatlán; CCI. Large adstring thru hourtop 1502, muebles, Samsung, 1503 cocina segment teaser, more ads; 1507 hoy, 1509 comedy bit, 1515 finally the cooking segment. 1529 on 2, Grupo Pacífico, italic 2 in oval bug in UR, 1542 local talkshow with same bug on set, upper-right 1550 on 2, show is called `Las Noticias`, phoner from state capital Hermosillo with still of YL reporter. 1559 on 2, the same 2 bug is full-screen quickly but never can catch any call letters. The Sonora item above makes it more likely I was getting the XHI-TV in Ciudad Obregón, Son., than the XHI-TV in Los Mochis, Sin., which program separately from different adjacent states. 1600 on 2, the G.P. 2 bug in UR has a word below it, looks like DIGITAL, and also spoken ``Canal dos digital`` --- but it`s not --- it`s still NTSC analog, fortunately! More `Las Noticias` 1610 on 2, CCI from a novela 1612 on 2, hoy bug in LL, again net-2 1612 on 4, good video with MUF up to here while mostly CCI on 2, not much on 3. 4 has ad for a product called NEXT, text 7721, and even during the ad there is a bug in LR like a sunburst with something about TV inside it. Nothing like it on Danny Oglethorpe`s local or national logo pages. Of course it might not be a station/network logo. 1614 on 4, AMLO political ad, then heard a presidential candidate mention Sinaloa, looked like PEN NIETO in lower left; must be Enrique Peña Nieto, PRI candidate. Googling explains who AMLO is: ``El candidato a la presidencia de la República postulado por la coalición Movimiento Progresista, Andrés Manuel López Obrador`` That was found on http://www.proceso.com.mx/ which could be a useful reference; I have no idea whether it is non-partisan. 1619 on 4, canal 2, Televisa promos, ads 1626 on 4, hoy bug in LL, with 11:26 clock; exercise segment // weaker on channel 2 1635 on 2, still CCI here, but MUF down from 4. 1652 on 2, still CCI, signs of ch 4 video again 1654 on 4, hoy program bug at 11:53 changing to 11:54 clock LL 1659 on 4, dramatic toon V&A, much louder audio than the CCI 1700 on 2, ``Televisa presenta``, novela. Audio much louder here too than from the CCI. And the opening goes on as I close this report, to be continued. Unusual that during this entire bi-hour+, hardly anything on ch 3 Continued Es opening of May 25, in UT: after 1700, respite, not much happening past 1800. 1821 on 2 and 3, signs of activity again 1824 on 2, fade in film featuring lucha libre, bug +tv in UR, i.e. másTV, XEWO, Guadalajara. There was a word below the bug, looked too short to be Guadalajara. 1831 on 2, adstring including Razón 12; XEW-TV news promo 1854 on 2, algo fades in again 1854 on 3, drama, with audio. Finally something on this channel 1857 on 4, dubbed movie in Spanish, // 3 and stronger than 3 before fade. Opening may have continued but not monitored after that (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Tropo Missouri from Tamaulipas on FM, 2245 CDT: 93.1, XHAAA, Reynosa Tamaulipas at 826 miles. First time I've ever pulled in an FM or TV station via tropo over land at this distance. I matched them to their webstream (Jim Thomas, wdx0fbu, Springfield, Missouri, 25 May, WTFDA via DXLD) i.e. 0345 UT May 26 ** MEXICO. Sporadic E analog TVDX opening May 30, UT. 1430, on 2, fade-in with toons in Spanish; could not see a net-5 bug in UR, the primary source of such. In and out, mostly out 1455 on 4, some video looks like newscast 1455 on 5, MUF briefly up to here, some traces of video 1510 on 2, soccer, CCI 1518 on 3, something in Spanish 1547 on 2, still soccer, CCI 1559 on 2, local cooking show mixing with soccer 1600 on 2, Grupo Pacífico animated ID with the italic 2 in oval, adding DIGITAL, and then looked like a 34 in an oval, same style. Maybe that`s the real digital RF channel? 1601 LAS NOTICIAS with 2 bug as above in UR, f bug in LL as in Foro TV, from Televisa net-4 After that I had to concentrate on recording WORLD OF RADIO, but kept one eye on the TV set, and noticed the ch 2 Es was lasting past 1700, gone before 1800. Spanish Wikipedia says: ``Televisión Digital Terrestre Para la Ciudad Obregón, la señal de Canal 2 se transmitie en Televisión Digital Terrestre a través de Canal 32; no se sabe si lo habrá también en Los Mochis, pero sus televisoras hermanas (Culiacán y Mazatlán) transmitirán también en señal digital; El Canal 3 de Culiacán es el Canal 30 Digital, mientras que en Mazatlán el 23 --- [footnote 4]`` 4: COFETEL (2011). «Canales de Televisión Digital» (HTML). COFETEL. Consultado el 18 de Julio de 2011. http://www.cft.gob.mx/es/Cofetel_2008/Cofe_canales_de_television_digital_in But that now gets a 404; this is the list, mixing analog and digital: http://www.cft.gob.mx/swb/Cofetel_2008/Cofe_estaciones_de_television_in But not a match on channel 34 in that area (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Weak E's on ch2 from UNid Mexican (OTC drug ad en español) at 11:17 am CT/1617 UT. Juarezpest XEPM 2 with local program, "HolaJuárez" with political ads, then back into cooking segment with female (YL) host. Usual telltale bug in URC (Fritze H. Prentice, Jr, KC5KBV, Star City AR, EM43aw, 1640 UT May 30, WTFDA via DXLD) upper right corner ** MONGOLIA. MONGÓLIA, 12085, Voz da Mongólia, Khonkhor, 0921-1100*, 28/5, programas em japonês (0900-0930), mongol (0930-1000), mandarim (1000-1030), inglês (1030-1100*), sendo que, nesta última língua, foi dia do Correio do Ouvinte, "Mailbox"; 35433 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. WERELDOMROEP 65 YEARS IN ONE WEBPAGE http://www.beeldengeluid.nl/wereldomroep In Dutch but worth watching. 73 & DX (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, dxldyg via DXLD) Really a video, just a few minutes (gh) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. NETHERLANDS / GERMANY, 6095, Transportradio, via Wertachtal. After R Netherlands ended its Dutch Service after 65 years on Sat May 11, it did leave a gap, especially to truck drivers everywhere in Europe. On Mon May 13 an organization called Transportradio therefore started a daily programme in Dutch called "Onderweg" ("En route"). Reception is very good. Their website is http://www.transportradio.nl and they are also audible on the internet around the clock. I just received a QSL-card, form letter and stickers from Transportradio in a R Netherlands envelope. They confirm my assumption that the transmitter location is Wertachtal with 500 kW. They are on the air on 6095 Mo-Fr at 0800-1000, but Sat and Sun, KBC uses the frequency in English at 0900-1600 (Maarten Van Delft, Holland, May 19, DSWCI DX Window May 29 via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) Heard on Thu May 24 at 0840-1000* in Dutch with a lively programme of pop songs and talks, e.g. about football. Closing ID: ”Transportradio ... all over Europe.. ”, 55555 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, ibid.) {sic} rather 100/125 kW on non-dir quadrant antenna, ITU type #930 (Wolfgang Buschel, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) 6095, Transport Radio: * {sic} rather 100/125 kW on non-dir quadrant antenna, ITU type #930 (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX May 30 via DXLD) 6095 WER - re Transportradio. Yes, just received their QSL for an earlier transmission during an exhibition for truck drivers in the Netherlands. The QSL says "500 kW (max)", so it might be less than that. They also sent a couple of stickers, one of them for the new "Onderweg" program. On KBC Radio announces a new "shortwave scanner" and an active antenna to be introduced later this year for mobile reception of 6095 kHz. Here in Europe car radios with SW are rare these days. I wonder if you guys in other parts of the world have car radios with SW reception available in local shops? (Harald Kuhl, Germany, DXplorer May 30 via BC-DX May 30 via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. RNZI changes --- R. New Zealand Int'l recent changes from 22 May to full schedule shown at http://www.rnzi.com/pages/listen.php DELETE 1551-1750 6170 AM 7440 DRM Cook Islands, Samoa, Fiji DELETE 1837-1850 9615 AM 11675 DRM Samoa DELETE 1851-2150 11725 AM 15720 DRM Niue, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa ADD 1551-1750 7440 AM 6170 DRM Cook Islands, Samoa, Fiji ADD 1837-1950 9615 AM 9890 DRM Samoa ADD 1951-2150 11725 AM 15720 DRM Niue, Fiji Tonga Samoa (via Dan Ferguson, North American Shortwave Assn: http://www.naswa.net A12 Combined SWBC skeds last updated May 28 at 1300 GMT. http://www.hfskeds.com/skeds/ NASWA yg May 28 via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) ** NICARAGUA. Re: Pescador Preacher on 8989-USB: Arthur Miller in Wales logged this station March 17 from 2225 to 2300 tune out; most of the time the presenter was soliciting phone calls. Hymn and short sermon 2244, programme announced as "para todo (for all) Latin America" and a long list of countries mentioned including Perú and Venezuela. SINPO 34422. Arthur didn't submit it with his log report as he was unsure of its status (Mike Barraclough, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. NIGÉRIA, 1440, Adamawa BC, Yola, 2116-2132, 26/5, dialecto local, prgr. falado, música pop' africana; 44443, QRM do LUX (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 15120, May 30 at 0523, very poor carrier, not sure what, but VON not definitely heard here at this hour for a couple weeks. Seems to make a rare appearance with a good signal, or nothing. AIR Bengaluru is also on here until 0530, and CRI Beijing until 0657. Wonder if VON has given up on passé analog transmissions completely? 15115-15120-15125, May 30 at 1927, DRM noise is certainly there for the M-F 1830-2000 transmission, and no REE spurs at the moment. Axually could hear DRM out to 15128 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 15070, May 26 at 2010, pirate Undercover Radio is back on a favorite frequency, giving gmail address, music, 2015 ID and address again. 2016 story about having dropped acid only three times in his life, e.g. looking at a monitor, could see every pixel, then every molecule, then the color of every atom. 2025 ID and address again, 2026 off. Was in RC-USB, needed BFO, fair to good peaks. Had to avoid local spur from computer circa 15068.5 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. May 24 Es Summary --- I had a wee bit of this from Burnt River ON. MUF stayed largely below 92, and I had SD to start with, and Wichita KS in the middle of it, and it ended with a station in northwest TX near NM (Umbarger TX 88.7). I also had a translator of KJIL on 88.9 that is either Follett TX or Guymon OK. I have no idea what if anything I can do to count this. If I'd been a little farther west I'd have had more. I was truly on the fringe, which in a way is a good thing - Umbarger is 1400+ miles, and catches this far are relatively rare (Saul Chernos, Ont., May 25, WTFDA via DXLD) KJIL. Yeah. Not a fan of them. In 2010, I received what appeared to be one of their associated stations (or ... someone's station) and they were of no help, nor was anyone or anything else. It was in SOLID and on seek for a really long time and I made no progress with IDing it. It appears in my log like this, with the the KJIL note stuck in there, trying to figure out who owned what: 1125, 90.7, KJOV OK Woodward (866 mi); 25 kW, Great Plains Christian Radio ID with KHYM calls, program promo at 12:30 pm, ad for Speedway Trucking, available for livestock transportation (of Holdrege, NE), Heartland forecast, and 620-873-2991 phone number for Great Plains Christian Radio. But the KHYM website doesn't list 90.7 as a station, while KJIL, owned by the same company, runs the Woodward 90.7. (see 1144) 1144, 90.7, KJOV, OK, Woodward (866 mi); 25 kW, still in perfect or quite close to perfect (see 1125) It ended up being a tentative log because they're not the same station or network and nobody had an idea about this station at the time. I'm still not entirely sure what it was (Chris Kadlec, Fremont, Mich., ibid.) 88.9, KJIL relay KNGM, Guymon OK is listed in 100000 watts with 25 kW, but elsewhere - Doug Smith's list for instance - as a low-power translator, and KJIL also maintains another xltr on 88.9 in Follett TX, just under the OK panhandle. I'm wondering which info is correct. The KJIL site sided with Doug's info. If there is a full-power station and a translator on same channel, I almost always will count the full- power station, depending on any other factors might come into play. Anyone know of a definitive word on this. I also had this on the eve of the 24th (Saul Chernos / Burnt River ON, May 25, WTFDA via DXLD) I'm not seeing where I've got KNGM as a translator? I'm only seeing the 25kw operation. I do have a KJIL translator listed on 90.1 at Guymon; also, a KJIL translator at Shattuck, Oklahoma has a permit to move from 88.3 to 88.9. – (Doug Smith W9WI, ibid.) The Es opening that was cranking along earlier ended at 12:45 ET. I got in an hour and a half or so. Unsure when it began, but I had been too lazy to bother going out to the car to check before that. Don't know what's up with the Sherlock map. During every opening, there's virtually nothing shown aside from double hop paths, never more than a few! Anyway, it started with some frequencies 3 stations deep, but became more stable as it went along. I got a lot of UNID Spanish stations (one Tejano on 101.5 that wouldn't go away and I see no matches for), almost all of which I'm sure are in the US. The opening was widespread including Denver, Amarillo, Wichita, Oklahoma City, and the outlier, KFox in Nacogdoches that was there for quite some time. KJIL (their KNGM repeater) was in on 88.9 with a HUGE signal and RDS. Odd, as Saul was just writing about them earlier, but the KNGM is a full-power 25 kW station, as opposed to the dinky Texas translator. Easy match. Es wasn't really built into my schedule today, so I'm happy it's done. Looks like 35 stations logged in this one in my preliminary log, about 25-30 had IDs. Details later when they're written out! (Chris Kadlec, Fremont, Mich., 31 May, WTFDA via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. The morning of May 27 I was having trouble getting a clear signal from KCSC 90.1 Edmond, our classical music station. Some kind of raucous musical interference, certainly not R. Kansas which tends toward the classical too. Maybe something further by tropo? No, checking later in the evening around 0130 UT May 28, our brand-new station on 90.5 is out of whack, distorted on the fundamental with gospel rock music and splattering at least 0.5 MHz above and below, depending on relative signal to other stations, and antenna orientation, including interfering with KCSC. It`s KGVV 90.5 in Goltry/Carrier just NW of here, an unneeded repeater of KLVV 88.7 Ponca City which is also still on the 98.5 Enid translator. Isn`t anyone at the station paying attention to their own output? Ha! I`m sure there is no one tending it at the Carrier transmitter site, nor do they bother to listen to it back at HQ in Ponca if they can get it. BTW, since 90.5 came on a few weeks ago, even when operating correctly, it squashes our second-newest nearby station on 90.3, KHEV in Fairview, which is really just another gospel-huxter repeater. May 28 around 1350 UT, KGVV 90.5 is still distorted and expanding beyond legal bandwidth, altho KCSC has more of a problem with 90.1 co- channel KHCC Hutchinson KS (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. Re: Small Market Operators who do it well? Let's see: The top of my list would be Score Broadcasting (Chickasaw Nation) in Ada. They run a first-class ship where programming still matters. Then there's Bill Colman up in Ponca City. Bill, the guy that offered air time to the jerks in Kansas to keep them from protesting an OSU funeral. Bill, who built a studio inside the Poncan [Theatre] that's better than most OKC operations. Then there's Wright Radio, winner year after year at OAB. They're playing better radio out there than the metros. There's of course the battle that continues in Woodward with a previous king of the market being pretty much outgunned by Bret and his classy folks at Classic. His Brother in Western Oklahoma runs a fine operation also. Let's not forget Sleepy Lee Anderson in McAlester. They have guys that worked in Dallas that work for him. He's in it for the long-haul. Also, the boys at Magic 95 and over at KLAW in Lawton are very good and competitive. First class radio. Last, and certainly not least, there's the Potters in Bartlesville. Another very community-oriented operation that cares about their product and their listeners. Metros? There are a few shiny spots, but for the most part it's 7 minute car-dealer marathons three times an hour with big huge EMPTY voice-tracked studios owned by heartless corporate jerks from somewhere else. They could care less about the help, the listeners, or even the advertisers. You know, in today's broadcast scene in Oklahoma, small market radio still IS radio. What goes on in most of the Metro stations is just a shell of radio it seems anymore. It's not that the people left in the metro markets don't want [to] win. The problem is that you can only fight the bean counters so long before you get to just "shut up and do what you`re told" to stay below the radar. It's not about winning or excellence. It's about surviving the next cut. Small market, for the most part, was not affected by the corporate buy-ups for stupid money. They don't have that hanging over them which lets them make good decisions at this point (still). They are investing in their equipment and people to make their product even stronger and stay relevant. Sadly, metros aren't (OKCRadioGuy, April 9, radio-info.com Oklahoma forum via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7325, Wantok Radio Light, Port Moresby. May 5 at 0907-0924 in English. SIO 343 to 222. Talk. ID at 0913 (Shoichi TAMANE, Nasushiobara, Tochigi-Pref, Japan, SONY ICF-SW7600GR ApexRadio 303WA-2, June JSWC Bulletin via Toshi Ohtake via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** PERU. 3329.7, Perú, Ondas del Huallaga, Huánuco, with continuous music and OM DJ. Frequency has moved closer to CHU now, .7 rather than .4, making it more difficult to tune, noted 0940 with drift down to .54 by 1010 on 24 May. Similar frequency drift 25 May (Robert Wilkner, Pompano Beach, South Florida, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES [and non]. 15785, May 24 at 1245, there is a very poor carrier here as I am checking VOA Korean via Tinang 15775 for the spurs previously heard. However, there is no carrier on 15765. Nothing intentionally scheduled now on 15785 unless Galei Zahal went back here again? No, still a JBA carrier on 15850, presumably from it. 15775, May 25 at 1221, VOA Korean via Tinang, spurless today but some hum on the VG fundamental (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PRIDNESTROVYE. TRANSNISTRIA IN THE NY TIMES http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/transnistrian-time-slip/ Not too often one sees Transnistria in the news; an interesting read (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, ODXA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) May 22, 2012, 12:30 pm Transnistrian Time-Slip By FRANK JACOBS Borderlines --- explores the global map, one line at a time. Tags: Geography, Maps, Moldova, Russia, Soviet Union, Transnistria Earlier this month, Catherine Ashton, the European Union high representative for foreign affairs [1], applauded the resumption of freight rail traffic through eastern Moldova as “a crucial step forward for restoring confidence between the sides to the Transnistrian issue.” For many this may have been the first time they became aware of something called the “Transnistrian issue,” let alone Transnistria itself [2]. . . http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/transnistrian-time-slip/ Yes, fascinating. Be sure to read all the footnotes and comments too. At first I thought this would be a WORLD OF HOROLOGY item, but nothing mentioned about timezone confusion (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. 17760, May 28 at 0533, RRI very good in English news, // poor 21500 --- summer day-like propagation in the nightmiddle as insolation is not far away on hi-latitude paths, and the critical first refraxion is probably fully illuminated. 0551 in mailbag acknowledging a report from North Carolina (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [and non]. 9800, CHINA / RUSSIA. Voice of Russia – Krasnodar, in English & CRI – Kashi, in Spanish, 2315. VoR: Man and woman discussing relationship between Putin and Obama. CRI: Woman talking at some length. Each contending for the top with the other just under. A mess. Poor – either would have been adequate by itself. VoR // 9665 (Grigoriopol, MDA) – Fair. CRI // 9590 (Kashi) – Fair. 5/21/12 (Mark Taylor, Madison WI, WinRadio g313e, Grundig G1 & G5, Satellit 800; EWE, Flextenna, NASWA Flashsheet May 27 via DXLD) WILLIAM P. EDDINGS AWARD: 2012 MEMBER OF THE YEAR Congratulations to Mark Taylor who was selected by the Executive Council as the club’s member of the year for 2012. I had the pleasure of making the announcement at the Winter SWL Festival banquet on Saturday evening, March 3rd that Mark was the 2012 William P. Eddings Award recipient in recognition for his many years of outstanding and dedicated service to the North American Shortwave Association. Mark’s selection by the Executive Council for this honor is well deserved. His diligent weekly editing of the Flashsheet and regular listening contributions each month add to the quality of the bulletin helping to make NASWA and the Journal the best shortwave broadcasting outfit in the world. 73, (Rich D`Angelo, March 4, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** SAMOA AMERICAN. Fines reported: A fine of $18,000 has been levied to the owners (South Seas Broadcasting) of deleted WVUV-648 Leone, American Samoa for being silent, and operating at a reduced power without notifying the FCC and their concurrence (Bill Hale, AM Switch, NRC DX News May 7 via DXLD) ** SOMALIA. AL-SHABAB RADIO STATION OFF THE AIR IN SOMALI CAPITAL http://www.voanews.com/content/al-shabab-radio-station-off-the-air-in-somali-capital/940395.html Hassan Yusuf monitors a computer in the control room during a live broadcast of the Somali government run radio. Al-Shabab controls most of southern Somalia uses the Internet and radio stations to get its message out, FILE March 1, 2010. [caption] VOA News / Africa --- Mohammad Yusef --- May 24, 2012 NAIROBI - For the first time in years, people living in and around Somalia's capital will be free from radio propaganda put out by militant group al-Shabab. Radio Andalus, the pro-al-Shabab station which was broadcasting in the outskirts of Mogadishu, went off the air after African Union forces took control of the area Tuesday. Abdiaziz Abdinur is a Somali freelance journalist based in Mogadishu. He was a frequent listener of pro-al-Shabab Radio Andalus. For Abdinur, like other journalists who do not have access to the militant group's leaders or press conferences, listening to Radio Andalus was the only way to get al-Shabab's side of any story. Abdinur told VOA that the last time he heard the station broadcast was on Tuesday afternoon, when al-Shabab said it repelled an attack by the AU and Somali national army in the Daynile district, northwest of Mogadishu. "The last reports broadcast by Radio Andalus were the fighting which took place in Daynile district," he says, "where the government said it defeated al-Shabab. They have also broadcast a recorded interview by Abdikhadir Mumiin, one of al-Shabab's leaders, who is in Galgala Mountains," he said. Radio Andalus was stationed in the town of Elasha-Biyaha, one of the areas targeted in the AU-Somali government offensive. Elasha-Biyaha hosts hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Somalis who have fled from Mogadishu in recent years, trying to escape daily fighting between pro-government forces and al-Shabab. Since the operation began, thousands of people have fled back to Mogadishu to escape heavy fighting in the area. On Thursday morning, government forces opened roads leading into the capital and allowed the IDPs to enter camps inside the city. Abdinur says the closure of Radio Andalus will have an impact on Mogadishu's population, who heavily depended on the radio to get information about areas that are still under the control of al-Shabab. "Media-wise, they were good in providing information in areas under their control," Abdinur says. "People depended on Radio Andalus to provide that information, since other media and journalists have no access in al-Shabab areas," Abdinur stated. But Abdinur says the station's absence "also does give people in Mogadishu some sort of relief, since they won’t be listening to the group's propaganda, for example, an interview of someone who wants to go and blow himself up." Al-Shabab has steadily lost ground in recent months as a multi- national effort to crush the group gains momentum. However, the group's ouster from Mogadishu has not restored full peace to the city. On Thursday, four men armed with pistols shot and killed Radio Shabelle political programs producer Ahmed Adow Anshur in the city's Dharkanley district (via Yimber Gaviria, noticiasdx yg via DXLD) WTFK? ** SOMALIA [non]. Reactivated R. Damal on 15700 kHz --- I received Somali on 15700kHz at past 0500 UT on May 25. I confirm that it was R. Damal - "odka bulshada Somaliyeed". de Hiroshi (S. Hasegawa, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. Brother Stair --- I've noticed that his followers are the ones doing the preaching lately and not Stair himself. Certainly no new sermons or modern event commentary from Stair as of late. I've noticed this now for at least a week, and I am curious if anyone knows if Stair is ill or on a mission or even dead? (Pat Blakely, May 23, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I'm a Pentecostal Chaplain and have had allot [sic] of communication with Brother Stair in the past year. I can tell you that he is no "Last [Day] Prophet of God". He is a rude, hostile, embittered man controlled by Satan and only interested in self promotion, power and control. A real disgrace. 73 & GUD DX, (Thomas F. Giella, NZ4O, Lakeland, FL, USA, thomasfgiella@tampabay.rr.com SWL Since 1965, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, ibid.) I agree with you when it comes to the Last Day Prophet of God stuff. But I do enjoy when he is talking about world events, Stair gets it right sometimes with those. It's odd though because if he were just ill, I figure they would just run old sermons from him. Something amiss is going on in Walterboro (Pat Blakely, ibid.) 9980, Sabbath May 26 at 1502, Overcomer Ministry via WWCR, and four seconds later on 9385, WWRB, non-Brother Scare preacher, black accented. As others have noticed, B.S. himself is not heard (much) lately. Has there been a coup? If he were indisposed or dead, there would still be plenty of recordings of him to keep playing eternally, as indeed were normally played to fill much of the 24/7 broadcasts. Maybe someone should drop in on the Tabernacle near Walterboro to find out what`s up. Driving direxions are here, http://www.overcomerministry.org/Community.html And also contact info for two others, in Henrietta OK, and Mackville KY. Nothing on homepage about BS being MIA, and his name still appears at the top. 9385, via WWRB, May 27 at 1258, Brother Scare himself is briefly heard; voice sounds hoarser than usual, may be ailing. And then was that he trying to sing with others? 9385, May 28 at 1306, via WWRB, Brother Scare is speaking about an earthquake and tidal wave ``last week`` affecting ``Asia minor`` [sic], such as India, Thailand and Indonesia, i.e. God punishing Hindus, Buddhists and Moslems? Strange, I didn`t hear about any such event last week; besides TOM replaying old, old stuff, the modulation is degraded. What`s the matter with him? I mean other than as usual. 5890 via WWCR, May 29 at 0536, Brother Scare is playing back his answering machine from psychophants. First one adverts that May 25 ``will be`` the end of the world --- oops! Next one is concerned about BS and is praying for him, expecting vice versa; then BS himself haltingly reads another message mentioning something about BS being in pain. If anyone has more patience listening to BS frequencies and has figured out what the problem is, let us know (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN [and non]. 15110, May 25 circa 2130, REE play-by-play stupid ballgame is again replete with at least ten spurs from Noblejas, at multiples of approx. 14.5 kHz, or a shade more than that but closer to 14.5 than 14.6: 15037.5, 15052, 15066.5, 15081, 15095.5; 15124.5, 15139, 15153.5, 15168, 15182.5 The four closest to huge 15110 signal were the worst by far, loud distorted // modulation, and barely audible out by the fifth order, but still a nuisance to Trenton on 15034-USB. 15139 making a het with 15140, presumed OMAN. If one heard 15124.5 first, one might assume it was the REE CR relay on 15125, but not now, and anyway not unsynchronized. Meanwhile, the CR relay on 17850 was OK, not putting out spurs; do they take turns? Ernesto Paulero, Argentina on the condig list was listening at exactly the same time to 15110 and says it was ``la final de la Copa del Rey``, but doesn`t mention any spurs. Then on May 26, 15110 checked again at 1901, shortly after sign-on. VG strength, but modulation badly distorted at peaks. Fortunately not putting out multiple spurs this time, but heavy splash out to 15100- 15120. 1911 playing a song in English, and a few seconds later on // 17850 CR, no spurs either. REE provides more entertainment in the form of spur-produxion from its inside and outside transmitter sites, and consequently chasing them down, May 27 at 1928-1942 on 16m: 17850 via COSTA RICA surrounded by spurs at multiples of approx. 13.84 kHz, computed since the furthest one out was at 17780.8, or 69.2 kHz away. Others detected around 17864, 17878; 17836, 17822 JBA, not 17808.5. At first I could hear a very weak het on BBC 17795, and the next CR spur would be on 17794.6 or so. And also a very weak one on 17753.1, hetting REE SPAIN 17755.0! This was the first one noticed at 1928, just before CUBA turned on much stronger 17750.0, but could still detect the 17753 carrier. 17771.3 bore another REE spur with audio at 1928, presumably coming from 17755, 16.3 kHz away, as it didn`t fit the pattern from CR. And the lowest one on 17739.2, which is 15.8 kHz below 17755. Well, they`re both close to 16 kHz away, maybe slight errors in measuring. This was all on the DX-398 on the porch, and since I was apparently getting spurs from both REE sites, I got my DX-375 out of the car where it stays for emergency use and had no problem picking up the super signal on 17850 to compare with the spurs` audio. Yes, 17780.8 as heard on the DX-398 was synchronized with 17850 on the DX-375, while 17755 direct from Spain was as usual ahead by 4 or 5 seconds. So we had the spur fields crossing each other, CR going as low as 17753, Spain going as high as 17771. At 1950 checked frequent spur source 15110 from Noblejas, but none this time, all the effort being put into 16m (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. 7189.782, SLBC Colombo Ekala, female singer in Hindi. S=6 poor signal in Germany, 0115 UT May 21 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 30 via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA [non]. 12250, 1531-1535, CLANDESTINE, 21.05, R Naatham, produced by the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) NEW station, Tamil [sic] songs, 45544 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, logging made in Skovlunde on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) Hope you are aware that, that is not a Tamil music (Jaisakthivel, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Communication, MS University, Tirunelveli - 627012, India, Visit: http://www.dxersguide.blogspot.com http://www.sarvadesavaanoli.blogspot.com dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) This was in reply to Alokesh Gupta`s clip, apparently. Yes, everyone except one report above says it`s not Tamil music at all (gh, DXLD) 12225, May 24 at 1522, JBA carrier on the FRG-7, but a bit stronger on the DX-398 on the porch so I can tell music of some sort is being played. The new Tamil clandestine, Naatham, switched yesterday from 12250 to 12225, which explains why I was not getting anything on 12250 when I checked after 1500 May 23. S. Hasegawa, Japan reported 12225 was still playing nothing but music then, and Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka suspects it`s coming from a central Asian site, as there is some hum on it. 12225, May 25 at 1510, JBA carrier also fluttery and Dopplery, Naatham clandestine presumed as has now been on the air for a week following the third anniversary of SL genocide against Tamils as claimed, but others hearing nothing but western music fill from this, originally on 12250. SRI LANKA [non?]. 12225, May 26 at 1500 again a JBA carrier is all I can get from Naatham. At 1522 and 1532, marginally better, traces of modulation. After more than a week of nothing but western music, instead of pro-Tamil, anti-Sri Lanka clandestine broadcasts, this May 25 report from Sei-ichi Hasegawa, Japan to the DXLD yg: ``Mystery or Joke on 12225 kHz Tamil R. --- Hiroshi and Nakanaka received misfeeding of approx. one minute from 1514 of May 25. English service of SLBC was received on 12225 for this one minute. You should have inferred this how. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo1F8EITQQM&feature=player_embedded by Hiroshi in Nagoya http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-NIr0RqndQ&feature=youtu.be by Nakanaka in Hokkaido Hiroshi Log on 12225: 1500 Nonstop music 1511 Single tone (1 kHz) 1512 Open carrier 1514 English SLBC program 1515 Open Carrier 1528 Nonstop music 1600 s/off Will this service be sent out by Trincomalee? S. Hasegawa`` A possible scenario: Maybe there really is/was a low-power Naatham cland on 12250/12225, but what we have been hearing all along is the SL government jamming it. Trincomalee is of course right in Tamil territory and 250 kW should have considerable groundwave rang (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) It is this amazing sound. Transmitting station and can be estimated if there is a misfeed is what I expected, Be English and miss feed of SLBC No way is It makes sure that Ekala SLBC from Trincomalee or so, have not been conducted transmitting station broadcasting from other, is surely. What concerns me is the line relay of Sri Lanka and the UK, so you should be able to remotely have WRN so has leased the transmitter MW of 1125 kHz from SLBC, possible broadcasting of dissident Tamil if the mediation of WRN is likely. What am I doing I play music non-stop without allowing the flow of sound in that broadcast anti-government underwriting the bottom of the affiliated broker WRN and broadcasting of anti-government in Sri Lanka do not know? But if you change the transmitting station to live Then --- (dabo 1225, comment in Japanese appended to one of the YouTube clips, Google translated via DXLD) I was able to receive a short announcement and Sri Lankan music today (May 26) other than LA Music. I think that the talking sounds like Sinhala. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoGVqfBWs4A&feature=youtu.be by DFS in Shimane-pref. on May 26 (S. Hasegawa, dxldyg via DXLD) There is a Hindi Song too. Thanks & Regards, (Partha Sarathi Goswami, Siliguri, Dist. Darjeeling, West Bengal, ibid.) The implication of the Nakanaka report is that the music-and-testing noted in Japan, India, etc. on 12250, and subsequently on 12225, during the 1500 UT hour is not from the announced Tamil clandestine operation, Naatham, but rather, an anticipatory jamming approach by Sri Lanka, marking time, waiting for Naatham to become operational. The brief oops moment of SLBC audio would seem to suggest that. Surely a real Naatham would not deliberately use SLBC even as a placeholder (Don Jensen, NASWA yg via DXLD) PRO-LTTE BROADCAST CANNOT BE BLOCKED http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/05/27/pro-ltte-broadcast-cannot-be-blocked/ (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dxldyg via DXLD) Viz.: Pro-LTTE Broadcast Cannot Be Blocked By Dinouk Colombage The Transnational Government of Tamil Elam’s (TGTE) radio broadcast cannot be blocked according Anusha Palpitta, Director General of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC). Palpitta told The Sunday Leader that the (TGTE) were broadcasting on a shortwave frequency, and as such their signal could not be blocked by the TRC. He explained that the TRC did posses the equipment which would allow them to block such a signal, but added that the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation did. “The SLBC is the only registered broadcast station that uses shortwave, they are also the only place that posses the equipment to block such a broadcast,” Palpitta said. The SLBC chairman, Hudson Samarasinghe, was unavailable for comment. The TGTE, who are a pro-LTTE group, had its first broadcast last Saturday (May 18) to coincide with the three year anniversary of the end of the war. Naatham, the TGTE radio station, can also be received in India, Malaysia and Singapore (via DXLD) 12225/12250, 27/May 1512-1530, In a remote radio in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, very QRM, unidentified, and song with a very low signal. At 1514 OM talk. It should be images of the remote receiver. There is no signal in radio remote in the Australia. There is no signal here in Feira de Santana-B (Jorge Freitas, Bahia, ibid.) 12225 and 11905 in parallel! Dear friends, Yesterday, Sunday 27 May 2012, at 1539 to 1540 UT both 11905 & 12225 noted in parallel with same music program. 11905 is well known SLBC frequency in use till 1530 UT nowadays. 11905 went off at 1540 yesterday. On 12225 no Tamil programs heard though I checked on many days. -- Thanking you, Yours sincerely, (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad, India, May 28, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Probably SLBC transmitting on the frequency advertised by the Tamil movement!!! (G. Victor A. Goonetilleke 4S7VK, "Shangri-la"' 298 Madapatha Road, Piliyandala, Sri Lanka, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, ibid.) Hello! 11905, 12225: 28th May 2012, I confirmed those 2 frequencies in parallel at 1533-1535 UT. http://youtu.be/Z3mSAxME1Qw Thanks! (DFS/Shimane, JAPAN, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yesterday 28 May 2012 also 11905 and 12225 was noted in parallel at 1530 to around 1535. Though the Hindi Service of SLBC ended at 1530, immediately the music broadcast on 12225 was heard on 11905 for about 5 minutes after which it went off air (Jose Jacob, India, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, ibid.) SRI LANKA, EKALA report. DXer Patrick Robic from Austria heard also both 11905 and 12225 kHz with VERY SAME program of SLBC, already on May 25th !!! 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, May 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12250/12225 kHz. 15-16 UT daily new Tamil clandestine Nathaam. Frequency accuracy is +1 Hertz, i.e. 12225.001 kHz. Stopped and cut OFF suddenly midst on the LA bongo play music at 1601:06 UT. {but the DXer crowd heard a counter-Terrorist radio program played strange Latin American music instead - probably from Ekala site, see below item, 11905/12225 in parallel with SLBC announcement! wb.} 11905 on may 29 at 1534 UT sign-off of SLBC Hindi program, so given one hour earlier than in the Aokilist XLS.file. From 1530 to 1533 UT closedown the Ceylon National Anthem Sri Lanka Matha sung in the choir The 'joke' station on 12225 kHz was heard every day with Latin music, probably also comes from Ekala, measured exact 12225.001 kHz noted strong on May 24, and today May 29 was also to listen at 1534-1600 UT. Probably in the order of the SLK Secret Service to jam cover stifle the delicate 'radio program' plant of the Tamil terrorist offsprings and coming on the radio band at 12 MHz. The customary has contributed to the discovery by the Indian radio amateurs: clumsiness of the station staff in Ekala that a similar 11905 and 12225 kHz program was sent out (Wolfgang Büschel, May 24/29, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 30 via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. 15150/15725, 27/May, Madagascar (Relay), R Dabanga in Arabic. OM talk on the phone with another. Several mention of R Dabanga. In 15150, 25433. In 15725, 35433 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W - Brasil, dxldyg no time given, but sent at 1545 UT May 27. 15150 is Madagascar, but 15725 is via Trinco, SRI LANKA (gh) ** SUDAN [non]. via Woofferton, 17745, Sudan Radio Service, 1640- 1659*, May 28, tune-in to talk in listed Arabic. Into English at 1644 with ID and talk about Southern Sudan. Some local pop/rap music. Poor to fair in high noise level (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN SOUTH [non]. V. of South Sudan Revolutionary Radio, 15100 kHz Hi Everyone, From Sat 26th: Following a joint effort with Noel Green to ID this station as it has only been in Sudanese Arabic, at 1355 UT today we heard their English programming. There is an ID at 23 seconds, "This is the Voice of South Sudan Revolutionary Radio SSRR" Not seen them reported on this frequency before. Nor at this time. https://www.box.com/s/b2ed9ad88d13794f867d (Mark Davies, Anglesey, BDXC-UK yg May 26 via dxldyg May 29, via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) I`ve looked for this a few times since with no luck; see also my report of CHINA jamming 15100 at 1500-1530 (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) ** SWEDEN. RADIO DELLEN INTERNATIONAL - 1-3 JUNE --- News of a low- powered Swedish station on air next week from Ronny Forslund: "I would like to mention a very special project which will be on the air. It is an event station called Radio Dellen International and we will be broadcasting on 5895 and 6065 kHz (one at a time) with 400 watts of power. Location is Delsbo in the province of Hälsingland, Sweden (some 350 km north of Stockholm). The station is operated by members of Delsbo Radioklubb (DRAK) and we are very interested in knowing how our signal is reaching out. Our broadcasts are focused on the DX Parliament arranged by Delsbo Radioklubb on June 1-3 but tests can be expected some days before. We have a separate blog for this: http://www.radioenthusiasts.blogspot.com Reception reports can be sent to: Ronny Forslund Radio Dellen Int. Vita Huset SE-179 95 Svartsjö Sweden RDI will of course verify correct reception reports if return postage is enclosed (Ronny Forslund via Alan Pennington, 24 May 2012, BDXC-UK yg May 27 via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) 27 May 2012 --- Mauno Ritola reports on the Facebook WRTH - World Radio TV Handbook pages that ?"Radio Dellen International" will transmit during the weekend 1-3 June from DX-Parliament arranged by Delsbo Radioklubb, Sweden. Frequencies will be 5895 or 6065 kHz with 0.4 kW. Mike Barraclough replied - So transmitter site at the DX Parliament itself with special licence? Mauno Ritola replied - Yes, "Location is Delsbo in the province of Hälsingland, Sweden (some 350 km north of Stockholm)." Mauno Ritola - Yes, temporary licence (via Mike Terry, May 29, dxldyg via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. 11430, May 24 at 1223, very poor signal, YL with Chinese numbers --- groups of 8 tonal syllables. Occasionally all 8 (or maybe 7) would be identical --- what are the chances of that, if they are ``random numbers`` as Aoki alleges for this XingXing guangbo diantai 3, a.k.a. Star-Star, 10 kW non-direxional from Kuanyin, in H3E mode, for half an hour at 0500, 0600, 1200, 1300? Numbers cadence broke for other announcement at 1228, a few more numbers, sign-off? and open carrier to 1230:24*. I ran across this as I was tuning up from 9430 FEBC to 13430 to confirm the new frequency of Firedrake (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN [and non]. 9665, May 25 at 1238, western rock music mixing with KCBS Pyongyang. Aoki shows RTI during this hour only, 100 kW, 208 degrees from Paochung in Chinese, while KOREA NORTH is on here 22 hours a day, breaking at 18-20. Neither in HFCC, of course (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5950, May 30 at 0551-0553 check, RTI via WYFR is again in wrong language, Chinese instead of English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. Re: PCJ Media is now in the process of building a small 20 kW shortwave station to target East/South East Asia and the Pacific. (Keith Perron commenting in The Toronto Star on RCI cuts via Harold Kuhl, Hard Core DX via DX Listening Digest) Keith posted a photo of the site on his Facebook wall May 10. It's in a suburb of Linkou; the village next to the site has just over 400 people (Mike Barraclough, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** TATARSTAN [non]. 15110, May 25 at 0452, classical music, 0453 announcement in non-Russian mentioning Tatarstan; good signal but with some hum, and flutter; then mixed music and talk until 0500*. It`s R. Tatarstan, 250 kW, 60 degrees via Samara, RUSSIA. I need to catch this exotic service earlier from *0410 (altho carrier is reported on much earlier; there is another broadcast at 0810-0900 on 15195 but aimed 295 degrees, both per Aoki) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nothing audible on 15110 when checked May 27 at 0415 (gh) ** THAILAND. Sporadic E opening --- On 23rd May 2012 0550 UT onwards with my new Sangean ATS909X, I found few Sporadic E FM receptions, about 2 dozen stations from Thailand, crossing about 1100 miles from South East Asia to Siliguri, Darjeeling. The best one was NBT Thailand at 95.5 MHz with temporary stereo and RDS Display. See video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZTE1loWOVo I have created a public page for these loggings http://www.facebook.com/fmdxing [no membership required to view] where I provided many of the clips recorded, where other Facebook users can submit their logging too Also I Update / upload videos on my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/dxinginfo Thanks & Regards, (Partha Sarathi Goswami, Siliguri, Dist. Darjeeling, West Bengal, INDIA, May 24, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TINIAN. 21480, TINIAN (Mariana Isls.) 5/26, 0415, VG with male in Chinese. Nice hearing such high frequencies well into local evening (Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, May 28, HQ-120X, HQ-200, SP-600, Drake R- 8, outdoor wire, outdoor Slinky, ABDX via DXLD) I.e. RFAsia or jammer ** TUNISIA [and non]. 17735, May 26 at 0453, IWT with Arabic music, VG signal now, the SSOB. 7275, May 28 at 0542, IWT is so weak that a ham (sounds American) has put his transmitter right on this frequency. It`s really amazing that this happens so seldom, as hams could do this anytime they please. IWT carrier provides some BFO, but not enough, especially when it fades a bit and the SSB nature of the unID ham becomes apparent (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UGANDA. 4750, Dunamis BC, Mukono, 1748-1841 (fechou às 1900), 26/5, canções, hinos, às 1800, canções africanas; 25331, mas a melhorar (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [and non]. 17640, May 28 at 0523, BBCWS in English with good signal via CYPRUS, scheduled 05-08, 300 kW, 173 degrees. Latest HFCC shows BBC`s full usage of 17640, all in English: also overlapping 07- 13 Seychelles, 13-17 Ascension, 17-18 Cyprus again. 11680, May 29 at 0521, station in Arabic with QRDRM from RNZI 11670- 11675-11680. Victim is BBCWS via Woofferton --- a fine example of how DRM cannot coëxist with analog (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. BILL TO RELAX THE DOMESTIC DISSEMINATION BAN RESULTS IN THE DOMESTIC DISSEMINATION OF DEBATE. Posted: 24 May 2012 Foreign Policy, The Cable, 23 May 2012, Josh Rogin: "[T]he successful effort by Reps. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Adam Smith (D-WA) to add their Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 as an amendment to the House version of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act ... would 'authorize the domestic dissemination of information and material about the United States intended primarily for foreign audiences.' [A] Buzzfeed article outlines concerns inside the defense community that the Pentagon might now be allowed to use information operations and propaganda operations against U.S. citizens. A correction added to the story notes that Smith-Mundt doesn't apply to the Pentagon in the first place. In fact, the Smith-Mundt act (as amended in 1987) only covers the select parts of the State Department that are engaged in public diplomacy efforts abroad, such as the public diplomacy section of the 'R' bureau, and the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the body that oversees the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and other U.S. government-funded media organizations." [plus many more related stories:] http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=13291 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) SENATE BILL DROPS “SMITH-MUNDT MODERNIZATION” AMENDMENT – ANOTHER SENATE REBUKE FOR BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS STRATEGISTS By BBGWatcher on 26 May 2012 BuzzFeed reported that the version of the defense appropriations bill that passed through markup in the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday afternoon does not include an amendment to “strike the current ban on domestic dissemination” of propaganda. Buzz Feed quoted Glen Caplin, Communications Director for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D – NY), who is a member of the committee. “Senator Gillibrand is hopeful this troubling language will remain out of the Senate bill and stripped out in conference committee when the House and Senate bills are reconciled,” Caplin said. This is a second rebuke in the U.S. Senate this week for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) strategists who were hopeful that the Senate would go along with Reps. Mac Thornberry (R – TX) and Adam Smith’s (D – WA) controversial amendment to the House version of the bill, which modifies the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948. The modification would allow the BBG to distribute its programs to domestic U.S. audiences. It is not illegal for US citizens to access, use and even rebroadcast BBG programs, but the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 prevents BBG officials from actively distributing these programs domestically. A firestorm of criticism in the blogosphere may have convinced members of the Senate Armed Services Committee not to include the controversial amendment. The BBG was also chastised this week by the Senate Committee on Appropriations which said that “BBG’s broadcast priorities do not fully align with U.S. foreign policy priorities” and expressed opposition to many programming cuts proposed by BBG officials. BBG strategists were pushing for ending many of Voice of America (VOA) broadcasts to China, Tibet and other nations without free media. Working behind the scenes, BBG officials are also still trying to convince members of Congress that a new CEO position they want to create at the agency would not be subject to a Presidential appointment and confirmation by the U.S. Senate. They are also trying to merge the grantee-surrogate broadcasters into a large bureaucracy, which critics say would also limit transparency, accountability and public and Congressional control and scrutiny over the BBG operations. Critics say that the proposed modifications to the Smith-Mundt Act would also greatly increase the power of BBG officials to use government resources according to their own preferences rather than in response to foreign policy goals and Congressional directives. Ted Lipien, former Voice of America acting associate director and member of the independent Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB), told BBG Watch that any new legislation should place all BBG programs — Voice of America and surrogate broadcasters like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty — in the public domain to be used by all Americans and anybody in the world at any time without any restrictions. Lipien said, however, that some specific restrictions on BBG and other federal officials in this sensitive area are needed to protect Americans from unlimited government intrusion into their lives. “The objective should be to maximize freedom of information for US citizens, but not for government bureaucrats,” Lipien said. Those of us who have seen the Broadcasting Board of Governors executives in action over the years fear that they will take advantage of the vague wording of the law to divert resources from critical radio and television broadcasts overseas — as they have already tried (China, Tibet) and in some cases succeeded (Russia, China to some degree by eliminating some VOA Mandarin live newscasts and replacing live programs with repeats) — and to use these scarce resources on domestic dissemination of broadcasts and news, but mostly on themselves and their own bureaucratic activities, including possible domestic marketing, advertising, audience research, numerous contractors but all of it to no good purpose. BBG executives would like nothing better than to have an NPR-like network in the United States. The law should clearly state that they cannot favor one domestic broadcaster over another, place any restrictions on the use of the programs, enter into agreements with domestic stations, actively market the programs, or charge unreasonable fees for making the programs available. SIGN A PETITION TO SAVE VOICE OF AMERICA to TIBET, CHINA and OTHER NATIONS WITHOUT FREE MEDIA http://www.change.org/petitions/save-voice-of-america-radio-to-tibet (BBGWatcher blog via DXLD) US SENATE COMMITTEE REBUKES BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS ON STRATEGY AND PROGRAM CUTS --- By BBGWatcher on 26 May 2012 with 2 Comments [for internal linx:] http://www.usgbroadcasts.com/bbgwatch/2012/05/26/us-senate-committee-rebukes-broadcasting-board-of-governors-on-strategy-and-program-cuts/ The U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Senator Patrick Leahy (D – VT), issued a strong public rebuke to the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) on the overall strategy and programming cuts in international broadcasts proposed by BBG officials for the fiscal year 2013. In was the second such rebuke from the Senate Committee in the last two years. It follows a similar rebuke earlier from the House Committee on Appropriations. The Senate Committee expressed concern that “BBG proposes reductions in current programs before testing new program models for effectiveness, particularly in priority languages.” The Committee recommended that many of the BBG proposed programming cuts be rejected, especially in broadcasts to China, Tibet and other nations without free media. The Committee also expressed concern that “BBG’s broadcast priorities do not fully align with U.S. foreign policy priorities.” The Committee noted that the BBG fiscal year 2013 budget request “reduces broadcasting to Asia at the same time the Secretary of State has called for expanding engagement with Asia, particularly East Asia.” The two top career BBG officials responsible for strategic planning are International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) Deputy Director Jeffrey N. Trimble and Bruce Sherman, the Director of Strategy and Development. Sherman is in charge of global strategy and research for the BBG. They both work for IBB Director Richard M. Lobo who was appointed by President Obama and kept the old management team despite a similar rebuke it received last year from the Democrat-controlled Senate. Because BBG members serve part time and many miss even their infrequent board and committee meetings, the agency is effectively run by career officials. The IBB strategic planning and management team’s budget plan was approved by the majority of nine members serving on the bipartisan board. Their strongest defender on the board was Republican member S. Enders Wimbush who resigned this week. They also enjoyed full support from BBG’s former Democratic chairman Walter Isaacson who resigned earlier this year. But after Isaacson’s resignation, warnings from BBG’s senior Republican member Ambassador Victor Ashe, and protests from China experts and highly respected human rights campaigner Annette Lantos, even Wimbush and other BBG members eventually voted in the end to restore funding for Voice of America broadcasts to China and Tibet, which the BBG strategic planners wanted to eliminate. The Senate Committee went much further and recommended dropping many other proposed cuts. The Senate Committee on Appropriations recommended funding to sustain BBG broadcasts to China as well as for the VOA Mandarin television initiative begun in fiscal year 2012. The Committee also recommended $400,000 in addition to funds already available for VOA and RFA Tibetan Services for special programming, particularly radio programming, to enhance coverage of events in Tibet. The Committee directed the BBG to consult prior to implementation of such special programs. It is not clear, however, whether the Senate committee action will force IBB officials to restore two hours of VOA Mandarin live radio broadcasts which they had replaced with repeat programs with no live newscasts. This created a 17 hour VOA Mandarin radio news silence in China. These officials had earlier assured Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R – CA) that there would be no changes in VOA Mandarin radio programs in FY 2013. Rep. Rohrabacher accused them of being “opaque in its decision making and incredibility tone deaf to Congressional priorities,” especially on Voice of America (VOA) broadcasting to China, but a senior official of the BBG’s International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) dismissed the Congressman’s “implication” as “inaccurate,” sources told BBG Watch. According to BBG Watch sources, this and other IBB officials are now trying to persuade some members of Congress to support their proposal of creating a powerful CEO position at the BBG that would not be subject to being appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. This proposal is opposed by BBG member Victor Ashe and outside critics who see it as an attempt to increase the power of IBB bureaucrats and diminish public and Congressional scrutiny of the agency’s operations. The Senate Appropriations Committee also recommended funding to continue current VOA and RFE/RL programming to Central Asia and for the new VOA and RFE/RL program to that region. The Committee recommended the budget request for the expansion of Middle East Broadcasting Network’s television programming to Egypt. If BBG’s fiscal year 2014 budget request proposes to reduce current programs to the PRC or Central Asia in favor of new program models, the Committee directed BBG to include in the CBJ an assessment of the effectiveness of the new programs as compared with existing programs. The Committee did not support the proposed BBG digital media development initiative. Last year, the Senate Committee on Appropriations also issued a similar rebuke to the BBG. The Committee at that time also expressed concern with “the lack of clarity about the impact of the China broadcast restructuring proposal on all VOA radio and television programs broadcast to the PRC and Taiwan, and the lack of transparency of the ‘optimize BBG transmission’ proposal. The Committee did not support either proposal and in 2011 included funding for the continuation of these broadcasts and transmissions inFY 2013. Despite this language, IBB officials proposed some of the same cuts for FY 2013 and were again rebuked by the Senate Committee. Asked for a comment, one former VOA and BBG executive told BBG Watch that “the International Broadcasting Bureau officials seem by now to be immune to public humiliation from Congress and will most likely continue on their current course unless the majority of BBG members decide to intervene to save U.S. international broadcasting and their own reputation.” ### BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS Click for PDF File Printer friendly display INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING OPERATIONS Appropriations, 2012 $744,500,000 Budget estimate, 2013 $711,558,000 Committee recommendation $724,200,000 The Committee recommends $724,200,000 for International Broadcasting Operations, and does not include funding for phase III of the Foreign Service comparability pay. Funds in this account are allocated according to the following table and are subject to the provisions of section 7019 of this act: INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING OPERATIONS Budget authority in thousands of dollars Committee recommendation Federal entities 486,670 BBG/IBB operations 71,400 International Broadcasting Bureau [IBB]: Voice of America 198,870 Broadcasting to Cuba 23,400 Engineering and Technical Services 193,000 Independent Grantee Organizations 237,530 Internet Freedom (non-add) 12,000 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty [RFE/RL] 93,675 Radio Free Asia [RFA] 36,585 Middle East Broadcasting Networks [MBN] 107,270 Internet Circumvention - The Committee recommends $12,000,000 for BBG’s Internet circumvention program, and directs BBG to submit a report, prior to the initial obligation of funds, detailing planned expenditures for this purpose. The Committee encourages continued coordination and cooperation between the Department of State and USAID on the planning and implementation of these programs. The Committee encourages BBG to consider digital security and digital safety training for those who use BBG circumvention tools. The Committee directs BBG to continue to monitor protections against BBG tools being used for illicit purposes, and expects BBG to inform the Committee of any concerns. Iran - The Committee directs GAO to submit a report assessing the audience share of U.S. broadcasting to Iran as compared to other international broadcasters, and whether U.S. policies toward Iran are presented clearly and effectively in such broadcasts, and in a balanced manner. New Program Initiatives - The Committee supports BBG’s efforts to identify new program formats but is concerned that BBG proposes reductions in current programs before testing new program models for effectiveness, particularly in priority languages. Therefore, the Committee recommends funding to sustain BBG broadcasts to the PRC as well as for the VOA Mandarin television initiative begun in fiscal year 2012. The Committee recommends $400,000 in addition to funds already available for VOA and RFA Tibetan Services for special programming, particularly radio programming, to enhance coverage of events in Tibet. The Committee directs the BBG to consult prior to implementation of such special programs. The Committee also recommends funding to continue current VOA and RFE/RL programming to Central Asia and for the new VOA and RFE/RL program to that region. The Committee recommends the budget request for the expansion of Middle East Broadcasting Network’s television programming to Egypt. If BBG’s fiscal year 2014 budget request proposes to reduce current programs to the PRC or Central Asia in favor of new program models, the Committee directs BBG to include in the CBJ an assessment of the effectiveness of the new programs as compared with existing programs. The Committee does not support the proposed BBG digital media development initiative. North Korea - The Committee recommends not less than $8,960,000 for international broadcasting to North Korea. Proposed Reductions - The Committee does not support the following reductions and terminations proposed by BBG and includes adequate funding to sustain current levels: reductions to staffing, broadcast hours, and original program hours of VOA and RFA East and Southeast Asia services, including Mandarin and Tibetan; discontinuation of VOA Cantonese broadcasts; closing of the BBG Poro medium wave transmitting station; the consolidation and reorganization of VOA Central News and English Division; realignment of BBG shortwave and medium wave transmissions; reductions to staffing and radio broadcasts of VOA Georgian, VOA Turkish, and VOA Ashna; termination of radio broadcasts of RFE/RL Tartarstan, Bashkortostan, Avar, Chechen, and Circassian; and transition to Russian-language broadcasts to the North Caucasus. The Committee supports the proposed reduction in TV Marti operating costs, including the termination of the Aeromarti contract, as long as such action will not reduce its current broadcast schedule of 166 weekly hours. Strategic Priorities - The Committee is concerned that BBG’s broadcast priorities do not fully align with U.S. foreign policy priorities. For example, the fiscal year 2013 budget request reduces broadcasting to Asia at the same time the Secretary of State has called for expanding engagement with Asia, particularly East Asia. The Committee directs BBG to submit, not later than 180 days after enactment of this act, a report on how BBG’s broadcast policy reflects input from the Department of State and other relevant agencies, and further directs BBG to include in its CBJ the linkage between broadcast and foreign policy priorities for any proposed language service changes. BROADCASTING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Appropriations, 2012 $7,030,000 Budget estimate, 2013 8,591,000 Committee recommendation 8,850,000 The Committee recommends $8,850,000 for Broadcasting Capital Improvements. (BBCWatcher blog via DXLD) ** U S A. ENDERS WIMBUSH, AUTHOR OF PLAN TO MAKE VOA MANDARIN INTERNET-ONLY, RESIGNS FROM BBG. Posted: 27 May 2012 Broadcasting Board of Governors press release, 23 May 2012: "S. Enders Wimbush has stepped down from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. 'We extend our deepest thanks to Enders Wimbush for all he has done, not only during nearly two years with the Board, but through many years — including his leadership at RFE/RL during the collapse of communism and the demise of the Soviet Union,' BBG Presiding Governor Michael Lynton said today. 'Enders has brought quality, erudition and distinction to the mission of U.S. nternational media; what’s more, he put his heart and soul into it. We will miss Enders’ contributions and company at our meetings, but will count on his continued involvement with our work.' From 1987-93, Wimbush served as Director of Radio Liberty in Munich, Germany. Wimbush recently became the Senior Director for Foreign Policy and Civil Society at the German Marshall Fund of the United States." BBG Watch, 23 May 2012: "Wimbush argued that moving resources from VOA broadcasts, which he claimed had almost no audience on shortwave radio in China, to develop stronger Internet presence, made good strategic sense. ... As a chairman of the [BBG’s] Strategy and Budget Committee, S. Enders Wimbush also initially supported ending VOA radio broadcasts to Tibet and leaving only Radio Free Asia Tibetan shortwave radio transmissions and VOA TV Tibetan broadcasts — which cannot be viewed easily in Tibet due to restrictions on private satellite dishes. He later reversed his stand by voting with other BBG members last month to restore funding for VOA Tibetan radio, the VOA Cantonese Service, and some Radio Free Asia radio transmissions." See previous post about same subject (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) THE DOMESTIC DISSEMINATION BAN PROBABLY WON'T BE RELAXED. NOW WILL IT BE ENFORCED? Posted: 28 May 2012 [for further linx:] http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=13308 BuzzFeed, 24 May 2012, Rebecca Elliott: "The version of the defense appropriations bill that passed through markup in the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday afternoon does not include an amendment to 'strike the current ban on domestic dissemination' of propaganda says Glen Caplin, Communications Director for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who is a member of the committee. The move marks a setback for the approval of Reps. Mac Thornberry and Adam Smith’s controversial amendment to the House version of the bill, which repeals the Smith- Mundt Act of 1948. The House amendment’s press release states that it will 'help counter threats in the information age' by lessening restrictions on how foreign information campaigns are shared with U.S. citizens. Critics, however, said altering the Smith-Mundt Act allow the State Department and Broadcasting Board of Governors to target propaganda materials at U.S. audiences. Even though the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed through Senate committee includes no mention of altering the Smith-Mundt Act, it remains possible for an amendment allowing for domestic propaganda to be introduced on the Senate floor, or added when the House and Senate versions of the bill are reconciled. It is unclear how much support Thornberry and Smith's amendment has in the Senate, but it faces some opposition. 'Senator Gillibrand is hopeful this troubling language will remain out of the Senate bill and stripped out in conference committee when the House and Senate bills are reconciled,' Caplin said." Radio World, 25 May 2012, Paul McLane: "As RW has reported, the BBG supports repeal of the 1948 ban on 'domestic dissemination' of content to listeners and viewers in the United States. The board believes the rule did not envision the Internet or satellite broadcasting, 'which do not honor national boundaries,' and that with all of its 59 languages available online, 'the agency cannot comply with this outdated statute.' It also says the law obstructs BBG from reaching significant expatriate communities in the United States." Amarillo Globe-News, 26 May 2012, Lee Wolverton: "It’s worth acknowledging Thornberry and his supporters on this issue chafe at the use of the term 'propaganda.' The law, in fact, never uses that word. More preferable to their thinking would be the description 'public diplomacy material' or 'strategic communication.' You say 'tomato.' I still say propaganda. This does not mean the amendment Thornberry co- sponsored is a bad thing. It has the support of, among others, the American Civil Liberties Union, whose positions generally are wildly debatable but whose support of the Government Man, especially on topics like this one, is rare. It’s intriguing, at least, to witness the alignment of Thornberry, the ACLU and the Heritage Foundation, which is roughly the equivalent of Batman and Robin deciding to get down with the Joker." Right Side News, 23 May 2012: "If the government propaganda experts decide that they don't like you, it is quite likely that you could end up being the target of a massive misinformation campaign. It could come down to the fact that they simply do not like your blog or what you are saying on Facebook. They could decide that it is best to destroy your reputation for the sake of 'national security'." Press TV [Iran], 25 May 2012, SM: "Do you want the Obama administration to use mass media in the United States to push a particular political or social agenda? Do you want the State Department and the Pentagon to conduct psychological operations targeted at you, your family and your friends? Do you want to see and hear government propaganda everywhere you go?" Columbia Journalism Review, 25 May 2012, Emily T. Metzgar: "We can’t, as of now, really know whether the content of VOA is in fact truthful or propagandistic, routinely biased for or against the United States, whether the content champions or condemns American foreign policy. This content, broadcast to audiences around the world, can be exempted from American freedom of information requests, and American ethnic media outlets are prevented from rebroadcasting news that would serve their communities. With the ban, all we know for certain is that content is financed by the US government. This doesn’t necessarily make it propaganda, but it certainly does make the content worthy of the same scrutiny savvy audiences apply to all media." (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Americans *can* know "whether the content of VOA is in fact truthful or propagandistic," because VOA content is available at the VOA websites. The real question is, now that the domestic dissemination ban will not be relaxed, will it be enforced? It would be a simple matter to prevent VOA and other USIB websites from reaching US IP addresses. The BBC prevents its video archives and other content from being accessed outside the UK, and its commercial international websites from being accessed inside the UK. The internet and satellite finally make the domestic dissemination ban enforceable. Geoblocking can do it with the internet. The satellite footprints of USIB can cover every part of the world *except* the United States. Ironically, the old and derided shortwave radio was the only medium that could not be stopped from propagating back into the United States, even if the signal was nominally beamed to some other part of the world. Key to salvaging any hope of relaxing the domestic dissemination ban is the need to convince people that VOA and USIB are in the news business, not the propaganda business. This endeavor is not helped by the fact that the BBG and it elements seem uncertain of the concept, and even uncertain of which concept they are uncertain of. Confusion could result from the BBG's ambiguous new mission statement. http://www.bbgstrategy.com/2012/03/the-new-bbg-mission-statement-why-freedom-and-democracy/ And note in a recent BBG press release http://www.bbg.gov/highlight/myroslava-gongadze-voa-journalist-and-ukrainian-rights-activist/ that one person is described as a VOA journalist and "a tireless campaigner for human rights." Both are noble vocations, but can one actually simultaneously be both? In the same sentence? Future legislation might address specific problems. One bill could assist US ethnic media in their need for news about their audiences' home countries in the language of their home counties. US international broadcasting can perform a valuable public service here at no additional cost to the taxpayers. Another bill could guarantee the right of Americans to access any content (reimbursing for costs if there are any) of US international broadcasting (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) More on Smith-Mundt, from the former Executive Director of the US Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy... Worth a read (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, NASWA yg via DXLD) Viz.: CONGRESS, THE STATE DEPARTMENT, AND “COMMUNISTIC, FASCISTIC, AND OTHER ALIEN INFLUENCES” The current debate on the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act is filled with misinformation about the history of Smith-Mundt, some of it verging on blatant propaganda, making the overall discussion rich in irony. In 1947, the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional committee assembled to give its recommendation on the Smith-Mundt Act declared that it was a necessary response to the danger posed “by the weapons of false propaganda and misinformation and the inability on the part of the United States to deal adequately with those weapons.” Today, it is the Smith-Mundt Act that is victim to “false propaganda” and “misinformation” that are shaping the perceptions of the the Modernization Act as a whole and its parts. Many of the negative narratives swirling around the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act are based on assumptions and myths that, like true propaganda, have an anchor in reality but stray from the facts to support false conclusions. These fabrications include the false assertion the Act ever applied to the whole of Government, often specifically the Defense Department (there is a separate “no propaganda” law for the Defense Department), as well the more broad and fundamental confusion, and lack of knowledge, of the nature and content of America’s public diplomacy with foreign audiences. . . http://mountainrunner.us/2012/05/1946-47-congress-state-department-future-smith-mundt-act/#.T8Y5r8WwVhx About Matt Armstrong: http://mountainrunner.us/about/#.T8f6a1KNGSo (via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING, JUNE 7, 2012 Washington, D.C. — The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) will meet on Thursday, June 7 at the headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in Prague, Czech Republic. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. (Prague time)/10:00 a.m. (ET). [1400 UT] The Board will receive a budget update and hear reports from the International Broadcasting Bureau Director and other BBG broadcast executives regarding agency activities and programming coverage. The BBG will also consider a resolution to honor S. Enders Wimbush for his service on the Board and recognize the anniversaries of broadcast language services. In addition, the Board will consider a resolution regarding limiting spending on travel and conferences. The public may attend this meeting in person at RFE/RL headquarters in Prague as seating capacity allows. Members of the public seeking to attend the meeting in person must register at http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=357&c=3234405&l=261941&ctl=425D0AD:BF6AE9FCB50C3952EF98657DAFEDBAB71BBCA2D8B9074D11& by 10:00 a.m. (ET) June 6. This meeting will also be available for public observation via streamed webcast, both live and on-demand, on the BBG’s public website at http://www.bbg.gov The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent federal agency supervising all U.S. government-supported, civilian international broadcasting, whose mission is inform, engage and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy. BBG broadcasts reach an audience of 187 million in 100 countries. BBG networks include the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa), Radio Free Asia, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and TV Martí). For more information, please contact BBG Public Affairs at (202) 203- 4400 or by e-mail at pubaff@bbg.gov (via Clara Listensprechen, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. 17650, May 28 at 1259, hilife music, pause, 1300 ``Direct from Washington, the Voice of America, V.O.A.`` jingle and into scheduled Somali, 250 kW, 139 degrees via SMG at 1300-1400. Did not hear any traditional English opening as ``The following program is in Somali``, or more recent version, ``This is the Voice of America, in Somali`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1618 monitoring: first airing UT Thursday May 24 at 0331 confirmed on WRMI webcast; 9955 checked a dekaminute later was nothing but a wall of noise from Cuban jamming. Tnx a lot, Arnie! Next airings: Thu 2100 on WTWW 9479; UT Fri 0330v on WWRB 5050; UT Sat 0130v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB; UT Sun 0400 on WTWW 5755. And on WRMI 9955: Sat 0800, 1500, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730, Mon 0500, 1130. On Hamburger Lokalradio, 5980, Tue 0930. Also on WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sat & Sun 1730, Sun 0830 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WOR on 5050, 0330 5/25/12, Fading from weak to strong on 5050 kHz but listenable (Pat Blakely, SC?, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF RADIO 1618 monitoring: confirmed with usual excellent signal from WTWW 9479, Thursday May 24 at 2100-2129. Also on WWRB 5050, UT Friday May 25 from just before 0329, after almost a minute pause following ``Amen and amen`` preacher who ended a bit early. Next: UT Sat 0130v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB, UT Sun 0400 on WTWW 5755. And on WRMI 9955: Sat 0800, 1500, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730, Mon 0500, 1130. WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sat & Sun 1730, Sun 0830. WORLD OF RADIO 1618 monitoring: confirmed on WTWW 5755, UT Sunday May 27 after 0400, very good signal. Remaining SW repeats are on WRMI 9955: Sunday 1530, 1730, Monday 0500, 1130. Also on HLR 5980 Germany, Tuesday 0930. On WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sunday 1730. WORLD OF RADIO 1619: On WRMI 9955: UT Thu May 31 at 0330; Sat 0800, 1500, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730, Mon 0500, 1130. On WTWW 9479: Thu 2100 On WWRB 5050: UT Fri 0330v On WBCQ 5110v-CUSB Area 51: UT Sat 0130v On WTWW 5755: UT Sun 0400 Also on WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sat & Sun 1730, Sun 0830 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 12105, May 25 at 1425, Arabible as WTWW-3 is finally back on the air with usual very good signal. Had been missing since May 11, one biweek. 12105, very good again May 26 at 1501 in Arabible. George McClintock fills us in on the WTWW situation as of May 25: WTWW-3 was off the air for a couple of weeks because of a cascading series of tech problems. First the blower to the RF driver froze up, as the leaf sensor froze in the on position, allowing the tube socket to be destroyed, and the tube itself was black. It seems there had been mis-wiring on the blower. Then that was repaired. There was also arcing elsewhere in the unit, fixed. Then the circuit breaker went out; had to order and wait for a new one, which were fortunately still available. Once installed, back on the air May 25. WTWW-2: still awaiting a deal with a full-time client. 9990 is suitable for day, but not sure of 5085 at night. Another test may be required. Cannot run full 100 kW power on 5 MHz, only about half power. Temporary activation for Dayton Hamvention coverage on 9990 was curtailed due to a computer problem on May 20 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Another test of WTWW-2 on 5085 is scheduled for 8-10 pm CDT Saturday = 0100-0300 UT Sunday May 28. Ted Randall doing his thing, and reports by phone or e-mail no doubt desired (Glenn Hauser, 0002 UT May 27, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Another test from Tennessee of WTWW-2 on 5085 is scheduled for 8-10 pm CDT Saturday = 0100-0300 UT Sunday May 28. Ted Randall doing his thing playing music, and reports by phone or e-mail no doubt desired (Glenn Hauser, 0006 UT May 27 to several other DX groups, via DXLD) 5085, May 27 at 0058, WTWW-2 is already on with music. Another test was announced a few hours earlier and I spread the word to various DX groups in advance. Ted Randall was again playing classic rock music and asking for reports to his e-mail address. Good signal here at first, and with sun down, soon improving to very good until 0300* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5085 27/May, USA, WTWW-2 in English. Music. At 0104 OM talk. At 0105 ID by OM, then more music. Good modulation. 25332. Now, in 5085 kHz, at 0118, very weak signal. Signal degrading. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana BA - Brasil, 12 14´S 38 58´W, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Está en el aire en 5085 con música; por acá por Bs As con algo de QRM (Ernesto Paulero, Argentina, 0115 UT May 27, condiglist yg via DXLD) WTWW 5085 Excellent signal here in South Carolina at 0115 Z. 20-30 dB over S9 on Icom R75. 73 - (Todd WD4NGG Roberts, ABDX yg via DXLD) WTWW test heard in Crump, TN with absolutely local strength. 163 miles north east (Kevin Redding, Crump, TN, 0235 UT May 27, ibid.) Heard from 10 to 11 PM EDT here in Western Newberry county SC near Silverstreet with bone crushing signal. Even on lowest sensitivity setting on the Eton E10 the "meter" was pegged. Tried the Hallicrafters SX-130 and signal was running to 40 to 60 over S9; a stingy S meter (Powell E Way III, ibid.) 12105, May 29 at 1430, WTWW-3 is missing again, no Arabible. Still off at 1656 recheck. George McClintock messaged on May 28 that he was testing the WTWW-2 transmitter on WTWW-1 frequencies, i.e. on 9479, 5755. 12105, May 30 at 1926, WTWW-3 is active with Bible in French, VG signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 7489.885, WBCQ The Planet, Monticello. The Overcomer Ministry roarer prayer in English at 0120 UT May 21, only S=6 up to - 98 dB, just about reading level. 9329.994, WBCQ The Planet, Monticello, pop music singer at S=7 level, not much strong, at 0125 UT May 21 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 30 May via DXLD) 9330, May 26 at 1125, and still at 1328, 1344, open carrier/dead air from WBCQ instead of Radio 2:11. 7490, May 29 at 0525, open carrier/dead air, as WBCQ transmitter is still on late. 9330 has been behaving lately, no dead air heard (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9954.955, WRMI Radio Miami International, Florida in Spanish, ID in En + Sp at 0830 UT (Wolfgang Büschel, May 19, wwdxc BC- DX TopNews May 30 via DXLD) ** U S A. 15385.0-, May 26 at 1904, KJES is distorted even worse than REE 15110 [see SPAIN]! With hum. A bit of Jewish music illustrating narration by YL about Jerusalem. Is programming being diversified? Compared to WWV and other 15 MHz band signals, this one was only very slightly on the low side, much closer to nominal than usual. 11715, KJES (via NM) 5/27, 1540, one extreme to the other, this one either not heard at all here, or blazing in. In this case, the latter, and with very soft vocal music, excellent signal, some audio hum noted (Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, May 28, HQ-120X, HQ-200, SP-600, Drake R- 8, outdoor wire, outdoor Slinky, ABDX via DXLD) Same extremes here. It all depends on sporadic E; and whether they are on the air at all; and ---? Whether at full power or not? We are botho too close to Vado, in the skip zones on 11 and 15 MHz unless there is ``short skip`` Es (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) 15385+, May 30 at 1927 dead air, but at 1933 modulating poorly with man talking. KJES is scheduled at 18-20 on a different azimuth each hour. Poor signal today but slightly on the hi side compared to other 19m signals (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 15550-USB, May 26 at 1501, WJHR is back with usual gospel huxter. First noticed it absent on May 19 a week ago (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WRNO Worldwide web site isn't there but blog package is WRNO Worldwide's web site has a blog package from Wordpress instead of the full blown web site. They seem to have overcome the hack job that was done on their domain but it seems like their web pages were lost.On their facebook page there has been no new posts in the last few months. I imagine they are starting over on their web site. If one has the expertise it should be easy to build WRNO Worldwide's site back to what it was. I do not know the status of this station other than the condition of the site as I see it on the web. WRNO Worldwide has their Station ID on My Space. This is a good place to get their ID for your collection (Rich Lewis, May 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9825, UT Sunday May 27 at 0423, lo-quality clip of some pirate from SW, but then at 0425 Chris Lobdell announces he is *starting* Pirating with Cumbre segment, a bit late for that in the semihour. Playback at WHRI must have been out of whack, or threw this in to fill time, as 0428 cut to WHR`s own music fill and shill for unsold airtime to follow. 15180, May 27 at 1924, very strong signal from WHRI, Indianapolis 500 victory celebration by somebody (I still don`t know and don`t care who). WHRI has been broadcasting this deathtrap non-religious macho/machine nonsense for years, in tribute to its Indiana roots. I am happy to say that I saw no advance publicity of the time or frequency, just ran across it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WTJC also came back on 9370 before WOR 1618 could start airing (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Please note the following changes to the WYFR A-2012 operating schedule (effective 25 May 2012): Delete 15620 kHz, 2245-0100 UTC 160 degrees, zone 16 Add 15355 kHz, 2245-0100 UTC 160 degrees, zone 16 (Sincerely, Brenda Constantino, WYFR, May 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15620 was Spanish, just started May 11; wonder why so briefly (gh) [non]. 17605, May 24 at 1316, YFR Burmese still has a good signal, unlike yesterday, tho fadey, presumably still via PRIDNESTROVYE substituting for Uzbekistan. 15570, May 24 at 1403, YFR theme, poor signal, S Asian language. Listed as Oriya due east from Nauen, GERMANY (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Dallas radio news --- Mark Davis will be returning to the DFW airwaves on KSKY 660 on Monday June 4 at 7 AM for a three hour gig M-F. The station is rebranding to KSKY 660 - The Answer. Nationally syndicated shows are being shuffled backwards and forwards to allow for the 7-10 insert of Davis. Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star Telegram, other outlets reporting (David R Block, TX, May 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) MARK DAVIS JOINS KSKY IN DALLAS, AS THE STATION IS RE-BRANDED TO "660 AM THE ANSWER`` http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mark-davis-joins-ksky-in-dallas-as-the-station-is-re-branded-to-660-am-the-answer-2012-05-29 (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. CHANGES COMING TO UNIVISION'S INFLUENTIAL AM RADIO STATIONS IN MIAMI http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/05/changes-coming-to-univisions-influential-am-radio-stations-in-miami.html Univision [sic, never accented], the Spanish-language broadcast network, plans to revamp the lineups of its two Miami AM radio stations, which have long provided a platform for local politicians to discuss current issues and air campaign ads. WQBA-AM (1140) will become part of a new, national AM radio network, Univision America, scheduled to launch on the Fourth of July. The new network will feature more national and international news and link stations in nine of Univision's major markets, including Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles. As a result, WQBA and its sister station, WAQI-AM (710), known as Radio Mambí, will undergo a lineup change that is still in the works, said Claudia Puig, a senior Univision vice president and the stations' general manager. "We're going to take the 'best of' and put it in Mambí," she said. Both stations will continue to have local content, Puig added. And Mambí, the longtime platform for hardline Cuban exiles, "is still going to have a strong, Cuban-American voice," she said. Mambí will keep its partnership with the Miami Marlins and WQBA with the Miami Dolphins and the Miami Heat. For weeks, rumors have swirled in the tight-knit world of Miami Spanish-language radio about the future of the two stations and of WQBA in particular, which has branded itself as the go-to station for daily current-events talk shows and taken a less Cuba-centric approach than Mambí. There have also been questions about whether a potential lineup change would leave popular radio hosts and their staffs out of work. Puig said the stations will have "centralized" operations -- they already share office and studio space in Little Havana. She did not delve into details about the future of radio hosts but pushed back on the suggestion that the changes could result in layoffs. "I would not say that we're going to be smaller -- absolutely not," she said. "We're going to continue with a lot of our staff here." Univision declined to provide information on how many people are employed by the two Miami AM stations. Puig said the changes -- which will not affect the network's two FM music stations -- are not being driven by the local AM stations or their ratings, but by Univision's national strategy to grow Hispanics' voice in the country. "We have a commitment to continue to empower the Hispanic community," she said. Mambí remains the most popular AM radio station in the local market. The station placed No. 14 among all local stations in April, according to Arbitron. (The numbers fluctuate widely from month to month.) WQBA placed 24th, outranked among AM stations only by the English-language WIOD-AM (610) and the Spanish-language WSUA-AM (1260), known as Radio Caracol, which caters to Colombians. By switching WQBA to the national Univision America network, Puig said, Mambí and WQBA will be getting a long-overdue touch-up and distinct identities. "I think we're creating a much stronger brand," she said. "We haven't updated them in a long time." The nine markets that will take part in the Univision America network are Chicago, Houston, Dallas, McAllen, El Paso, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Read the press release announcing the launch of the network below. Univision Radio, the leading radio company serving Hispanics in the U.S., today announced the launch of its new AM radio network, Univision America. The network, which will include radio stations in nine markets across the country, will feature local, national and international news, weather and traffic updates, as well as shows focused on the issues that matter most to Hispanics, including current events, health and family, finances, education, sports, and entertainment. “As the leading Spanish-language radio network in the country, Univision Radio has served Hispanic audiences by bringing them best- in-class programming,” said Jose Valle, president of Univision Radio. “Univision America reinforces our commitment to continue empowering the Hispanic community by offering listeners unparalleled access to local, national and international news and information.” Univision America will be available in Miami, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, McAllen, El Paso, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, featuring a combination of news segments, local programming and insightful commentary delivered by some of Univision Radio’s most revered personalities and new talent. Univision Radio’s portfolio currently includes 69 owned and operated stations in 16 markets, including all top 10 markets reaching more than 16 million listeners a week. Posted by Patricia Mazzei at 3:04 PM on Wednesday, May 30 (via Blaine Thompson, IN, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. 1420, monitoring again May 26 at 1144, following strange unID May 24 sounding like KCKM/KCKN, again a country music station looping WSW/ENE, but heavy QRM with sunrise skip still vigent. 1200, heard ``Neosho, AM 1420``, not necessarily the same station, but now ergo KBTN Neosho MO, 1000/500 watts, and NRC AM Log shows C&W there too. Neosho is in the SW corner, close enough to have a slight skip advantage (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1440, May 26 at 0502-0515 UT, tried for the off-season DX test from WFNY in Gloversville NY, which included Morse code, but nothing audible amid the graveyard-like signal pileup. It was confirmed on the air and widely reported further east past 0600 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1480, KBXD, TX, Dallas – CP issued to increase their daytime power to become U4 50000/1900 by adding two towers to their standing four (AM Switch, NRC DX News May 7 via DXLD) This is the station Jerry Kiefer was referring to in reply to my query about 1420 in NM. Those with long memories will recognize the provenance of the new 1480 call KBXD === K-Box, Dallas. It was originally KBOX (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. 1510-, May 24 at 1146 UT, dominant signal still skywave with local ad for Olathe Kia, and still off-frequency to low side producing audible het (with Denver?), i.e. KCTE, Independence MO, 10 kW daytimer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. ROUTE 66 RADIO TRIP The Hans Knot International Radio Report June 2012 --- By Hans Knot ‘On the 6th June 2012 [not 2013 as original typo], at 6 am in the morning, the 'Route 66 Mother Road Radio Tour' will set off from downtown Chicago, for a 30 day road trip along the old Route 66, crossing America from Chicago in the East to L.A. in the west. As we travel along this wonderful old road that has been used by so many before us, we shall be seeking out interesting people and places to see. Not just the usual tourist spots, but some of those out of the way places that most tourists never see. In fact the main purpose of this tour is to highlight the role that local radio stations have had through the decades, and still do, in small communities strung along such an iconic roadway. WRLR's Morning Drive Time Show will be broadcast live each day from wherever we are, and Geoff and I will be presenting our weekly 'Fabulous 50's Radio Show' from a different town or city each week, which will, with the generous help of the Comrex Corporation, be beamed back live to WRLR in the Chicago area and to Forest FM in the south of England. [what are the exact times??? --- gh] As the days go by, we hope to be able to tell you more about the people, the radio stations, and places that we intend to visit, and any help or suggestions from you would be very welcome. This is one of the many studios that we shall be broadcasting from, as we travel the road. This one dates from the 1960's, and is still in full working condition. It's now part of the display at the Route 66 Museum in Pontiac. All the best, Paul Peters Well, Paul, what a wonderful opening for this month`s report and I hope you will bring us up to date in the weeks to come. Take care and enjoy it for more than 100%. Readers can follow the Route 66 tour by going to http://www.forestfm.co.uk/ (You can subscribe to the report at HKnot@home.nl) (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) WRLR? What`s that? Never heard of it. FCC FM Query finds it: ``WRLR-LP 252 L1 FL 98.3 MHz LIC ROUND LAKE HEIGHTS IL US BLL- 20060110AAE - 125575 0.096 kW 30.2 m RONDARADIO``. And ForestFM linx to it: http://www.wrlr.fm/index.html They do stream, and weekly program grid is here, http://www.wrlr.fm/webcalendar/week.php including already `Route 66 Oldies` Tuesdays at 19-20 UT which I listened to this week (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) ** U S A. UNATTENDED AM-FM COMBO NAILED BY FCC By Dave Seyler on May, 24 2012 with Comments 0 http://rbr.com/unattended-am-fm-combo-nailed-by-fcc/ On three occasions an FCC agent attempted to inspect KZMX AM-FM in Hot Springs SD, and found the studio location locked up with nobody home and without any guidance on how to contact station management. The stations are owned by Mount Rushmore Broadcasting. The town of Hot Springs is in the southwest corner of the state. The agent found the studio on 5/31/11 – it was clearly marked. But as the FCC noted, “The door to the main studio was locked and there was no staff or management present at the building. There was no contact information posted at the main studio location, consequently, the agent was unable to gain entrance to the main studio.” The agent did have other phone numbers to try, but was unable to make any contact with a Mount Rushmore employee. Another visit the next day yielded essentially the same results. This time, the agent added a trip to the FM’s tower site. The FCC said, “The agent observed that Station KZMX-FM was operating using a 4-bay, circularly polarized FM antenna, while a 4-bay horizontal FM antenna was on the ground near the KZMX-FM tower. According to the Station KZMX-FM license, it is authorized to operate using horizontal polarization only.” The agent returned again on 6/2/11 and finally was contacted by an attorney for the licensee, who stated that the AM had been taken off air and an STA was being filed to take the FM off the air. That of course did not take the stations off the hook for the unmanned studio and other issues. It said the standard charge for the main studio violation was $7K, and the failure to make the studio available for inspection was also $7K. The fine for operation of the FM with the wrong type of antenna was pegged at $5K – but the FCC found a prior unrelated violation attributed to KZMX-FM, and bumped it up to $7.5K. The result is a notice of apparent liability for $21.5K (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) Nobody who knows even a little about Mt. Rushmore Broadcasting would have been surprised by this. They own some stations in Wyoming and they are based there. This isn't the first problem they have had with the FCC. Their station in Rawlins has been a real mess and they are trying to fight fines for that one. Both their AM and FM in Rawlins have been off the air since June last year. As with everything, the answer is money. As I remember, they only had one or two staffers at their Rawlins station, and I think they were husband and wife, but don't count on my memory being exact. My memory also seems to come up with their violations being public inspection file and EAS equipment, but again, don't quote me. I think they claimed the now ex-employee took the public inspection files when he quit or was fired. Anyway, it was a cheapskate operation like a typical small market "plug and play" deal with probably little or no local origination. Wyoming used to have a number of Mom & Pop stations, which was fine since they were mostly locally owned and operated. In recent years, most of those have been bought by out of state groups who have plugged in a satellite dish. They have little or no commitment to the communities they serve. All they are interested in is profit. Additionally, some of these outsider operations have applied for a number of CPs in other parts of the state. I have to wonder why since there is so little money (and people) in Wyoming. As you might guess, these companies are from both coasts, so they probably know very little about Wyoming. Anyway, they run everything as cheaply as possible to maximize profit. Maybe they think the FCC can't find Wyoming on a map, so they don't worry about being inspected. I never saw or heard of any FCC visits when I worked there, so maybe they are right. It almost doesn't matter since the FCC has allowed a number of Wyoming stations in the southeast to migrate to Fort Collins, Colorado, and several in southwest Wyoming to migrate to Salt Lake City, as Michael J. can attest. At the rate they are allowing that, there won't even be any stations in Wyoming in a few more years. 73, (Kit W5KAT, ibid.) Yup, I'll second that! I noticed when I passed through Rawlins last fall. I don't know if KRAL / KIQZ-FM ever amounted to much but certainly were driven into the ground since Mt Rushmore ownership. Mt Rushmore's "cash cows" are in Casper where they are headquartered. KQLT-FM (country) and KASS-FM (rock) always seemed to be the only thing they care about; which is sad since Rawlins doesn't have a whole lot of radio coverage. In recent years a station in Saratoga, WY and a newer one I believe on Elk Mountain have come on the air and both make it in to Rawlins. I'm not sure when Mt Rushmore purchased the Rawlins combo or if they've always had them but they've ALWAYS had a hard time getting anyone to work there that gives a hoot. I want to say like 15 years ago they at least were doing separate things; I think oldies on the FM and country on the AM. Shortly after, they began simulcasting and really just let the AM go, which was disappointing to me. KIQZ sits on a hill maybe 300 feet above town. So their FM signal doesn't hardly get anywhere outside of Rawlins. But AM (KRAL-1240) was receivable 50 miles on either side, so it was something to listen to; you could pick up the AM long before you could pick up the FM. Subsequent trips through there over the years had the AM completely off the air or modulation so low that it was barely audible. Sad situation, since KRAL is probably about the same age as KEVA --- and we'll be celebrating 60 years on the air next year (Michael n Wyo Richard, Evanston, ibid.) Small market radio can be profitable in some areas if run properly. It just depends on the location, and to some degree, the operator. One of the areas to avoid is resort markets. If you look at the history of ski towns in the Rockies, nearly every radio station in each of those markets has failed, and many have failed more than once. It's hard to figure how a station in a market like Aspen or Vail where there is so much money could end up going bankrupt, but we have seen it happen over and over. Businesses in those markets must figure that active people there do not listen to radio. I see a lot of money being spent in print media, which seems odd to me, because I would think more people would be listening to car radios and Walkmans than would be sitting around reading, so that one is hard to figure. There is a Class C FM in the Vail market where I almost ended up working in the 80s. The people who built it spent more than $1 mil building it, and sold it a few years later for $750,000. The owner who paid that for it ended up selling it a few years later for $500,000. The list of station failures in Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Springs, and Sun Valley (ID) is pretty amazing. Radio owners have never found a way to tap into all of that money for some reason. I would discourage everyone from even thinking about investing in resort market radio. A number of the Colorado ski town stations have come under the ownership of a Denver-based company, after they picked them up for very little through bankruptcies and distress sales. Are they making any money now? I would have to say unlikely, but the owner is one of the wealthiest people in the state, so it's a fair bet that it doesn't matter if they are profitable since they would provide a good tax write-off for his successful businesses. His son-in-law runs the stations, so maybe that is the best way to get into the radio business. Even larger markets can be a problem. Cheyenne, Wyoming, which is a city of a little over 50,000, is a place I wouldn't want to own a station. Why? Although it is 100 miles from Denver, nearly every Denver signal gets into Cheyenne. It's tough to compete with the quality of Denver programming with a Cheyenne budget. I have to admit, when I lived in Cheyenne, I listened to Denver stations nearly all of the time. Casper, Wyoming, would be a much better market for local radio ownership because of its location. When you're in Casper, you have to listen to Casper stations because it is not within range of any other markets. Something to keep in mind about location with respect to larger markets is translators. Even if you are in a remote area that is beyond the reach of larger market signals, you could still find yourself having to compete with them if their signals are coming in on translators. In my experience, the best place to own a small market station would be in an area where your signal is the only one, or at least one of the few available. If your only competition is from a few other small markets, and if those stations are typically mediocre at best, you have a good chance of running a profitable operation. If those other stations are getting by on satellite-delivered programming, you have an even better chance if you provide local origination. Radio is the same as any other business in the respect that what you get out of it depends on what you put into it. If a person expects to buy a station and sit behind a desk counting money, but doing nothing else, good luck. The best way to be successful is to be a "hands on" owner and operator. Small market radio can't support a large staff. Unless the owner is committed to being part of the daily operation, there isn't a lot of hope. That can mean a lot of long hours, but it isn't much different than any other business. I have worked for owners and managers in radio and in other businesses who wanted to be the big boss, but didn't want to get their hands dirty doing anything constructive. Needless to say, that doesn't work. My advice is not to buy a radio station if you only want to own a station. Buy it if you want to run it. For a number of years, I have been saying that the death of radio happened because all of the true broadcasters were bought out by the business people. The broadcasters were the people who had a passion for radio. Radio was more than just a means of making money for them, so they did it right and earned the profit for producing a quality product. Then the big companies came along with dollar signs in their eyes and bought out the broadcasters. To them, radio stations were nothing more than fast food restaurants or convenience stores. All they were looking for was another way to make money. They had no interest, and certainly no passion, for the broadcasting business. Their only interest was to cut cost and maximize profit. The quality of the product was never important to them. The bean counters were in charge, so operating costs were cut as low as possible, which means the fewer people in the building, the better. Plug in the dish and walk away. I know a few owners/operators who still eat, breathe, and sleep radio, but they are the real minority in the business. Running a radio station in a depression is even harder, and don't let anyone fool you, we are in a depression. The figures don't lie. We had a single FM station in Denver that sold for $88 mil in 2002. That was the price for one FM station. In 2008, CBS sold their three Class C FMs in the Denver market for $19.5 mil. If that doesn't tell you enough about the economy and the state of broadcasting now, consider also that the major national company that owns one of the Denver TV stations had its stock drop from $90 per share in 2006 to $2 per share in 2008. It has since rebounded to just $13 per share. Not much of a recovery, especially for those who owned stock when it was at $90. I know very well since I used to own stock in that company. Anyway, those are my thoughts for the day. I am just old enough to remember when the broadcasting business was run by real broadcasters. Unfortunately, those days are just memories now. Now it is just another generic business that has had the heart and soul drained from it by profiteers. 73, (Kit W5KAT, ibid.) Kit, I agree with everything you say except for the comparisons of what stations sold for. For a decade up till the economy tanked, many stations were selling for highly inflated prices because companies were speculating. They weren't buying stations to run them, but only to operate them at minimum expense, hoping for a big payday when selling time came. And guess what? Artificially inflated prices eventually go boom. Or maybe bust. But that's what happens when folks see dollar signs and nothing else. It's too bad that radio as an industry and as a viable entertainment option have been devalued in the process. My point is that now radio stations are selling at somewhere near the amounts they should have sold for in the years of inflated pricing. – (Rick Lewis, ibid.) Hi Rick, I agree with you about the inflated prices. There is no doubt that radio saw the same "bubble" effect as real estate with grossly inflated prices in the late 90s and into the early 00s, and no small part of that was due to the greedy buying binge of several big radio groups, which was the ugly fallout of the cursed "Communications Act of 1996" that was largely responsible for the decline of radio in the US. The price of $88 mil for a stand alone FM station might have been reasonable for a full power signal in the New York or Los Angeles market at that time, but certainly not for a market the size of Denver. Around the same time, the same amount of money could have bought a network affiliated VHF TV station in most major markets. The guy who got the buyer to pay that much for that station must be in an unemployment line now since their whole market cluster here isn't worth that much now. For a little more perspective, two fringe FMs in Denver sold for just under $30 mil shortly before the depression. Those signals (101.5 and 107.1) are not what could be considered on par with actual Denver stations because they are so far from the metro area. They now both run 97 KW at a bit over 2000' AAT, but their tower is some 45-50 miles out in the plains. They have the tallest tower in Colorado at 1996' above ground, and it was built by them just for those two stations. Both stations also have a 20 kW booster in the south side of metro Denver with a directional antenna pointing north over much of the area, but they still fall short of providing an adequate city grade signal over many areas, so the value of the stations is not on par with the actual Denver stations. I don't remember how much they sold for as a pair the last time, but I'm pretty sure it was for well less than $20 mil. You have to figure that the big tower they have and the land it sits on is probably worth at least $2 mil. What are they worth now? My guess would be $12-13 mil, tops, and that may be pretty generous. No matter how much of a recovery there is, radio station prices will never return to the pre-depression levels because of the competition from other media, as well as the negative effects of the Communications Act of 1996 that permanently crippled the industry. 73, (Kit W5KAT, ibid.) ** U S A. KXTF contract dispute article http://magicvalley.com/news/local/twin-falls/twin-falls-tv-station-kxtf-to-drop-fox-programming/article_3b1d58a0-a06c-11e1-aeb8-0019bb2963f4.html (Via Clara Listensprechen, DXLD) Twin Falls ID, virtual ch 35, RF ch 34, 49.4 kW: Fox wants to charge them more than station can make; maybe will go with This TV instead. I wonder if Fox has already lined up another affiliate in the market. Is This TV on any full-power non-subchannel anywhere? Yes, a few per http://www.rabbitears.info/search.php?request=network_search&network=This+TV but mostly on -2 or -3. The ``largest`` market (in order, #28) is Salt Lake City, if you consider faraway St. George UT as part of it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. ALL CHORAL, ALL THE TIME: MPR launches 24/7 choral stream Banking on the strong Minnesotan tradition of choral music, Minnesota Public Radio is now offering a public-media first: a web stream of programmed choral music around the clock. The 24/7 stream features professional, college and church choirs singing pieces "from Palestrina to Pärt, spirituals to Schubert." A major element is the inclusion of Minnesota's sizable local choral talent, including ensembles such as VocalEssence, Cantus, The Singers, St. Olaf Choir, Choral Arts Ensemble and the National Lutheran Choir. The stream is part of a larger initiative by Classical MPR to boost choral music. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/cms/choral/ June 7 will be the first annual "Harmony In The Park" — a free outdoor choral festival at Minneapolis' Minnehaha Park — and MPR will bring the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir to the city's 20,000-seat Target Center in June 2013. Listen to Classical MPR's new choral stream here. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/cms/choral/streams.shtml (Current blog April 24 via DXLD) ** U S A. NEA SHOWS LITTLE LOVE FOR CLASSICAL RADIO By Marty Ronish on | April 25, 2012 in | Comments { 0 } http://www.insidethearts.com/scanningthedial/2012/04/25/marty-ronish/4497/ In what was a surprise to virtually all the major producers of classical radio, the National Endowment for the Arts has taken a hard left turn, and diverted long-standing television and radio funding to gaming, mobile, and web projects. A detailed and scathing article in the New York Times gives examples of organizations that have lost some or all of their funding after years of building partnerships with the NEA. The MET Opera, PBS, and American Public Media (Performance Today and SymphonyCast) all had their funding decimated. Some of these organizations regularly received large grants, but they were really only a drop in the bucket of their large budgets. Smaller organizations would get $20,000 or $30,000 that they would leverage for other meager funding, and that would be half their overall budget. For years producers have considered the NEA a vetting organization. Grantees and their projects are vetted by peer review panels, and only projects that have a certain level of quality, broad reach, and committed carriage make it through the process. But the NEA has had a change of mission, according to the article by Elizabeth Jensen. Instead of setting the standards for quality production in public media, the NEA wants to be out in front of experimentation in new media. In a telephone interview Alyce Myatt, the endowment’s media arts director, said that while public television and radio remain “the leads, we also know we have a generation — not of kids but adults — who are consuming content online and on mobile.” Both public and commercial media are in a fluid state, she said, adding that “as a federal agency I think it’s imperative that we assume a leadership role and help move the field forward.” In particular, she said, the endowment hopes to encourage a public media sector for gaming. It turns out Marshall McLuhan was right: the medium is the message. Content is no longer king. The king is dead. Instead of letting the cream rise to the top in a field that has more money than God — Microsoft, Google, and Facebook are good examples of who should be funding these experimental projects – the NEA seems to be intrigued by the shiny new toys. There is no limit to the number of amateur media creators out here who are playing with these new toys. You can find everything including the kitchen sink on YouTube. There’s also amazing, unique, incredible content on YouTube but there is no NEA sorting through the offerings to point you to the best quality productions. You can hear a great piece of music performed so badly it makes your ears hurt. Gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry. Does it really need the NEA’s peanuts? The NEA is indeed a federal agency and ultimately answers to us. Aside from the pain of losing my own funding, I want to ask honestly if the NEA should be using taxpayer money to fund experimental media in an area that is so well-funded by venture capitalism. The NEA has been the excellent keeper of our artistic archives, the chronicler of our creativity, and the narrowly focused agency that funded the fine arts when popular culture wasn’t interested. *************************************************** UPDATE: In discussing this with my brilliant, hip, 20-something assistant Michelle Scharlock, her view is that not only are the media changing, but the content is too: ``I guess the one problem with appealing to younger audiences and new music listeners is the fact that you alienate radio stations…so maybe there is a way to go around radio stations?? I think that video games and movies are largely building the next generation of orchestral/symphonic listeners. The advantage/disadvantage to all this is that this is totally unexplored territory for most people – which is bad on the one hand since it’s hard to convince people to try new things and good on the other hand because that’s the entire selling point – we can bring people into this crazy world of really awesome stuff and show them how it works… Personally, I think the most exciting shows … are the ones with new content. I know radio stations hate all that stuff, but I think part of it is a matter of reframing the situation for them`` (Marty Ronish Scanning the Dial blog via DXLD) ** VANUATU. 7260, Radio Vanuatu 5/26. Heard for 15 minutes or so before 07. At 07 the "flute IS", and into news sounding format. None of the talk was decipherable, but this is it, improving as the sunset line approaches the island nation. Nothing heard on 3945. 5/28 - using newly reactivated TenTec RX320: YL voice from 0630 - almost decipherable. Music at 0639. Voice heard at 0646, sounds like religious transmission. Faded at 0657. Did not hear IS (David Norcross - Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii. Sony 7600 and Satellit 800 on random common longwire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN. 21675, May 28 at 1218, very poor signal in Italian. 21680 used to be the prime 13m frequency of VR, but now 21675 is the only one scheduled at any time, and only for 20 minutes from 1200 as in HFCC and Aoki, 250 kW, 185 degrees from SMG; EiBi guesses 30 minutes as VR never specifies how long any transmission lasts. I just received in the P-mail last week the VR A-12 schedule folder, which also shows 21675 as news in Italian daily at 1200 to Africa, and no SW //s, just AM & FM (But they might fire up a 13m channel for Special Broadcasts) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA [non] 13765, May 29 at 0515, VR in African English about Africans being too dependent, with continuous meowing sound (roughly same two tones sliding over and over), or miauing if you prefer, a Katzenjammer? But hard to imagine anyone bothering to jam VR deliberately. Source really uncertain, maybe out of VR audio itself. It continued when speakers changed. But at 0520 went to much lower pitch, like rubbing a balloon; 0527 off the air; 0528 back on with IS on stronger signal and no such noises. Was changing from 270 degrees for English to 300 for Portuguese, more USward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. [Continued from DOMINICAN REPUBLIC] Venezuela on Ch A2 and 3 is being received by me in Portugal at the moment; earlier Tele Antillas A2 again. Doesn't show up on the map (Mr Hugh Hoover, 1922 UT May 26, ibid.) Up to S5 on 3Z at 1945 EDT. There are paths from here to Dominican Rep. Who's doing the sirening? Venez? Don't see any trace on Sherlock going there. I took a video of this just for the heck of it (video of the Icom and the siren.) Just a little too weak for video (Mike Bugaj, Enfield, CT, May 26, ibid.) The siren on ch 3Z --- Yes, that's Venezuela; was coming in here last night with Ch A2 etc. Quite often there are paths open Sherlock doesn't display. If hams are not making contact, it won't show, of course. The Siren has such a distinctive sound it doesn't need much signal to be detected. I have an Algerian highbander which is similar sounding, good indication for tropo (Hugh Hoover, Portugal, ibid.) 3Z = zero offset video very near 61.25 MHz. Siren = unstable video transmitter, probably making variable het with stable ones. You can hear it on a radio tuned to the video frequency, but the het also comes thru TV audio speakers, as do other combinations of video interference (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** ZAMBIA. ZNBC 2, 6165 Lusaka. May 25, 2012. Friday. 0415-0440. Discussing the origins of Africa Day or, more specifically, the history of independence of various African countries, with interviews of various African ambassadors to Zambia and other spokesmen and women. Also discussing the heroes and freedom fighters involved in the armed struggle. Seems none gained independence on May 25. Very poor, almost unreadable. Large SAH from independent Chad. Jo'burg sunrise 0444 (Bill Bingham, RSA, WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ZÂMBIA, 6165, ZNBC-R. 2, Lusaka, 2058-2124, 25/5, inglês, anúncios comerciais, identif., noticiário às 2100, música pop' africana; 35342. Nenhum vestígio do Chade, nesta frequência (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZANZIBAR. 11735, 1807-1940, TZA, 17+21+23.05, Zanzibar Broadcasting Corporation, English news headlines, ID: "And these were the news from Zanzibar Broadcasting Corporation. Thank you", 1808 ann in Swahili, 1810 beautiful Afro songs and Rap non-stop, splashes from weaker stations on 11730 in German and 11740 in Arabic 54544. Off the air 19.05 at 1745-1850 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, logging made in Skovlunde on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) Listening to Zanzibar this afternoon (26 May) on 11735. From just past 2000 nice musical selections with a female announcer to 2059 with closing announcements mentioning "ZBC" and "Spice FM". Then continued past 2100 with what seemed to be canned announcements by a male announcer with many mentions of "Spice FM" with very brief music segments in between. Pulled the plug at 2103. I had hoped that they might continue for another hour (Steve Lare, Holland, MI USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE. ZIMBABUÉ, 4828, Voz do Zimbabué, Guinea-fowl, 2127-2143, 25/5, inglês, informação desportiva (?); 35331. 73. (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Re: ``1140, April 28 at 0553 UT, gospel huxter in Spanish, good signal from N/S, surely XEMR 50/50 kW, Monterrey NL? Others have reported this as ``MR Deportes`` as listed in WRTH, IRCA and Cantú i.e. a sports format, but whenever I hear it, there`s religion. Maybe both, like KFXY 1640 Enid? The station website via http://www.gruporadioalegria.com/ mentions nothing but sports, and no program schedule. Could I really be getting a US station? I always thought it was XEMR. Prime suspect in the NRC AM Log is KHFX, Cleburne TX near The Metroplex, but with a Houston address, 24 hour Spanish religion as ``Radio Ato``, 5000/710 watts. Pattern book shows its main lobe is to the NW, which would audiblize it here, while XEMR`s is a circle tangent to Monterrey, ``everything`` going to its SW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, KHFX switched to English talk as "Republic Broadcasting Network" right after the 32nd LOG was printed. Last monitored here with that format in 2/2012 (Wayne Heinen, NRC AM Log editor, May 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hmmmm, so it`s back to XEMR as suspect, and not on its DA night pattern. I should keep trying for an ID. Or maybe daytimer KLTK in Arkansas, which is Spanish I have heard around sunrise (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 1420, May 24 at 1144 UT, I am tuning the hi end of MW band while there is still some skywave (today`s Enid sunrise was 1118, and it will be earliest in a biweek at 1113), and hear an ID as ``Classic Country KCKM (or KCKN?)``. KCKM is 1330 in Monahans TX, and related KCKN is 1020 in Roswell NM. NRC-AM log says 1330 sometimes relays 1020, as ``Kickin` Country``, but that slogan is not on the 1020 entry. But 1420? Nothing remotely similar among the callsigns listed there, anywhere. DF seemed WSW/ENE, but the DX-398 has misled me before. In the NRC AM Log 2011-2012, there is an intriguing 1420 entry in NM: a CP for Rowe, 2.5/0.103 kW, both non-direxional. Rowe? Never heard of it. Can`t be near Roswell, which has a local 1430. Rand McNally atlas skips it in the index. Info from FCC AM Query shows coördinates, and I quickly find Rowe on the atlas map, just across I-25 from Pecos NM --- between Las Vegas and Santa Fe, so I have driven by it multiple times. Could this CP now be on, at least testing, somehow with programming from KCKN or KCKM? CP holder is Sangre de Cristo Broadcasting (named for a mountain range which can look blood-red at sunset, hardly the only one, not literally for the blood of Christ), which is licensee of 540 KNMX Las Vegas, and FCC AM Query shows it also has applications for 1290 and 1370 in `Vegas. Inquired of Jerry Kiefer at KCKN and he replied immediately: ``Hi Glenn, Strange one, I will pass this along to Bob Souza down in Monahans. Like Sgt. Schultz, "We know nothing about nothing". Can't believe a harmonic would do this; like you say, maybe somebody is playing games. At that time we have a decent signal into that area and we are playing music from Roswell. If I hear of anything unusual I'll let you know. We are "classic country" and Monahans IDs as "kickin country". Though mixing of frequencies in Roswell proper (1020 & 1230), we do have an image around 1410 but doesn't make it out of town. Know nothing about 1420, I doubt if they will have much signal south of I-40. 540 is a case, even though they are DA to the NW with a null to protect 550 in Midland, you can hear a fringe signal on a car radio in Roswell. Lot to be said about good conductivity: 710 out of Amarillo has a whole lot better signal in Roswell than 770 out of ABQ. On a side note, we're started building out 1480 in Dallas, by July I expect you'll have some critical hours RF up your way. She should have close to 300 kW ERP to the NNW. No target date yet but hopefully early July. We caught one stealing new rolls of cooper by way of fingerprints and the cops nabbed him. 21 year old from the area. With the activity in the area, not much action now. Thanks, Jerry`` (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 1420: Very Doubtful on Rowe. No call sign has been issued. All for now 73 (Wayne Heinen, CO, May 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn: -- "KMOG 1420am is Rim Country Radio", per Google; heard L.A. & PHX with that format many times. Your DA is right for this one; but the ID obviously matches 1430 to a T. Could a malevolent elbow-bump have led to some warped combination of the two?? Just pryin' -- 73z -- G H (Greg Hardison, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Greg, Tnx for the idea, but I am pretty certain of the call heard being KCKM or KCKN. I also made sure of the frequency on the DX-398 display. Hard to hit that with my elbow, hi. I guess you took KCKM to be on 1430, but it`s on 1330. 73, (Glenn to Greg, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. ESPN 1220 / 1470 Cape Girardeau MO (USA), ouvida em Osasco e São Bernardo SP [BRAZIL] Amigos, Seguindo uma dica recebida do Rene Passold ontem, que informou ter ouvido uma emissora norte-americana em 1470 kHz em Osasco depois da 0100 UTC, há pouco fui ao rádio e observei que hoje o sinal estava sendo bem (e num momento, muito bem!) no mesmo horário no qual o Rene o ouviu aqui em São Bernardo SP. De um débil sinal às 0115 UTC para um sinal forte às 0135 UTC (cobrindo as brasileiras, por incrível que possa parecer, as nossas ficaram literalmente sobrepostas por este sinal). Uma transmissão esportiva no conhecido estilo ESPN. Transmissão externa de ambiente público, aplausos, público, entrevistas, o conhecido entusiasmo dos narradores, enfim, passou a ser um desafio. Que emissora estava ali em 1470 kHz, sinais vindos dos Estados Unidos com transmissão esportiva? O locutor no jingle informou no ar estarem transmitindo em 1220 kHz e em 1470 kHz!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !! Charada morta. Bom, depois de anotar uns 20 minutos de dados para a elaboração de um Informe de Recepção, decidi descer do shack e vim ao computador para buscar encontrar alguma informação que mostrasse algum indicio adicional sobre a estação sintonizada, e não foi difícil encontrar as informações que se necessitaram. Em resumo: É mesmo o sinal da ESPN 1220 kHz, ouvido pelos 1470 kHz. No Google existe esta informação, e a própria identificação captada a confirma. O Google também informa que a emissora co-irmã da ESPN (1220) em 1470 kHz é a KGIR, de Cape Girardeau, Missouri, próximo à região central dos Estados Unidos. Detalhe: esta emissora não aparece listada em 1470 kHz no WRTH 2012. Com estas informações, e com a identificação levantada, evidentemente segue um informe de recepção para os Estados Unidos. Rx: Icom IC-R75, antena: Quantum Loop MW 73, satisfeito de ter ouvido em São Bernardo esta estação norte- americana num horário nem tanto habitual para estas escutas!!!, graças à dica do Rene, que deu o alerta ontem sobre a emissora (Rudolf Grimm, May 25, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Rudolf, A very interesting catch. KGIR is on 1220, and it is relayed on 1470 by KMAL in Malden, Missouri, a 1000-watt daytimer. FCC info: http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=4153 Its official close-down time in May is 0100 UT: http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/srsstime?dlat=36&mlat=33&slat=8.00&dlon=89&mlon=58&slon=42.00&tzone=B But not all stations obey the law. I suspect it is more likely that one of the numerous Brazilians on 1470 (or maybe an Argentine) was relaying US ESPN network (even in English) for some strange reason. The sports networks may pick up shows from their affiliates and put them on the entire network. I recently had such a case in my log report, 910 in Arizona heard on 1430 in Oklahoma. I recall there was a similar case of some US station in English being heard on a Brazilian MW station [bee below, also 1470]. I hope you will monitor again at this time and perhaps get some other ID. Also be sure to check the direction it is coming from. You could also check with the Eldorado network (700) and see if they are doing the same thing, or have ever done so. 73, (Guilherme Glenn Hauser, Oklahoma, ibid.) Glenn, Muito obrigado por suas ponderações. Acredito que podemos sempre ouvir serenamente o que outros tem a dizer no sentido de contribuir. Com toda a certeza estarei novamente hoje à noite a partir das 2200 (horário de Brasília) procurando novos indícios da origem destes sinais. Não tenho esquema de gravação de áudio, mas tentarei improvisar algo que permita ser melhor investigado. Quanto a ouvir Estados Unidos aqui pelo Brasil, tenho registrado várias outras emissoras, algumas que vez por outra surgem do nada, como esta de ontem à noite. Em DX-Camps é comum receber-se após a meia-noite (horário local) algum sinal da América do Norte. Mas, já foi possível também ouvir alguma emissora antes deste horário. 1510 kHz já foi bem ouvido por aqui, 1200 kHz (acho que de San Antonio, TX), enfim, precisaria recuperar minhas informações para ser mais detalhado. Voce está correto em afirmar que nem todas as estações seguem as regras. Nem quanto ao horário e nem quanto à potencia de irradiação. Mesmo se falarmos que a emissora transmite com sinal mais elevado durante o dia, e à noite há um redutor na potencia (o que também é prática no Brasil), em dias de eventos esportivos de importância (futebol, em especial), várias emissoras permanecem por aqui com a potencia diurna à noite no período em que a partida esportiva se desenvolve. Isto também ocorre no carnaval, quando emissoras de cidades do interior transmitem os desfiles de rua para lugares mais distantes: potencia diurna à noite. Temos várias redes no Brasil também. Redes de esportes, redes religiosas, redes de notícias, e outras. É sempre mais difícil se avaliar uma escuta apenas pelo que se ouve. E esta é a razão que deveríamos prosseguir com a procura de algum indício adicional para quem sabe com a união de várias pessoas (que torço que possam tentar ouvir a emissora nesta noite), tenhamos um dado concreto sobre a origem do sinal recebido ontem à noite (e também pelo Rene Passold antes de ontem) pelos 1470 kHz. Agradeço mais uma vez pelo seu e-mail. 73, (Rudolf Grimm, ibid.) Ola Rudolf, fiquei muito curioso com a sua mensagem porque tento escutar emissoras dos EEUU todas as vezes que consigo ficar no meu sitio de Maricà, longe dos ruídos, e com antenas muito boas. Tentei ontem também, só tinha sinais muito fracos da x-band. Fiz uma pequena pesquisa sobre o assunto da ESPN 1470. Realmente existe uma ESPN no Missouri que transmite em paralelo 1220/1470. Entrei no site e aguardei pela identificação no stream áudio. O site é http://www.1470kmal.com/ A identificação local na meia hora (os programas da ESPN são sempre em cadeia) corresponde e gravei. Diz ESPN 1220/1470. Entrei então nos sites da FCC, a Anatel dos EEUU, para saber mais. A emissora principal nos 1220 é a KRIG localizada em Cape Girardeau. Ela tem um relay nos 1470, a KMAL na cidade vecina [sic] de Malden. As potências das duas emissoras são muito baixas, são estações locais e por isso não se encontram no WRTH. Acontece também que a KMAL é uma daytimer, quer dizer que transmite sòmente durante o dia com 1 kw Todos os detalhes sobre a KMAL 1470 estão aqui: http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=4153 Em fim Rudolf, acho muito improvável vocês terem escutado esta emissora. Alem do fato que não transmite de noite, é quase impossível que 1 kW desde o coração dos EEUU possa chegar aqui, e até com bom sinal. Também não encontrei emissoras da ESPN nesta frequência que poderiam teóricamente entrar por aqui. Tinha uma em Tampa, FL e a bem conhecida WLAM no Maine, mas as duas ja mudaram de format faz tempo. Se você tivesse uma gravação, seria extremamente feliz de mudar de idéia e continuarei pesquisando. Lembrei também que alguem escutou há pouco tempo um falado inglês em 1470 e encontrei esta mensagem na lista Radioescutas http://br.groups.yahoo.com/group/radioescutas/message/65749 E' a Record de Floripa, repetindo talk show de TV americana durante a noite. Pode ser o que voces escutaram. Um abraço (Rocco Cotroneo, ibid.) Viz. from 26 March 2012: ``1470 kHz em inglês --- Oi. Esta vai para o amigo Edison, que reportou sinal muito bom em idioma inglês durante a noite deste último final de semana. Edison, neste nomento recebo com sinal bom a Rádio Recorde (grande Floripa). Ela está repassando o audio da TV Record News. Algo similar que a CBN faz com o programa do Jô Soares. Lembrei que durante a noite a TV Record News repassa um 'talk show' dos EUA do apresentador Jay Leno com som original. Como se espera, este programa é quase todo em formato entrevista ou diálogo. Minha teoria é que você escutou a Rádio Record SC e o operador 'esqueceu' a emissora fazendo relay do programa de Jay Leno. P.S. neste momento o sinal ficou fortissimo! Fico imaginando qual a potência que eles usam efetivamente. A antena, outro lado, deve estar configurada para largar o sinal exatamente no RS :) (Huelbe Garcia, ibid.)`` [Replies from Rudolf to Rocco above interspersed:] Ola Rudolf, fiquei muito curioso com a sua mensagem porque tento escutar emissoras dos EEUU todas as vezes que consigo ficar no meu sitio de Maricà, longe dos ruídos, e com antenas muito boas. Tentei ontem também, so' tinha sinais muito fracos da x-band. Fiz uma pequena pesquisa sobre o assunto da ESPN 1470. RWG: Para mim também foi uma surpresa incrível este sinal. Realmente existe uma ESPN no Missouri que transmite em paralelo 1220/1470. Entrei no site e aguardei pela identificaçao no stream audio. O site è http://www.1470kmal.com/ A identificaçao local na meia hora (os programas da ESPN são sempre em cadeia) corresponde e gravei. Diz ESPN 1220/1470. RWG: A identificação que você menciona também a escutei e a tenho registrada no logging nas minhas anotações. Entrei então nos sites da FCC, a Anatel dos EEUU, para saber mais. A emissora principal nos 1220 è a KRIG localizada em Cape Girardeau. Ela tem um relay nos 1470, a KMAL na cidade vecina de Malden. As potencias das duas emissoras sao muito baixas, sao estaçoes locais e por isso nao se encontram no WRTH. Acontece tambem que a KMAL è uma daytimer, quer dizer que transmite somente durante o dia. com 1 kw RWG: Como mencionou o Glenn Hauser na nota dele de hoje, não se tem certeza que as emissoras seguem as regras estabelecidas (entendi ser na questão de horários e potencias, não se tem garantia que à noite num evento destes a emissora ficou com potencia diminuta, o que já tiraria 100 % das possibilidades). Lembrar que quando há eventos importantes no esporte ou na tradição popular (Carnaval, por exemplo), algumas emissoras não reduzem a potencia diurna nas transmissões noturnas. Todos os detalhes sobre a KMAL 1470 estao aqui http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=4153 Em fim Rudolf, acho muito improvável vocês terem escutado esta emissora. Alem do fato que não transmite de noite, è quase impossível que 1 kw desde o coração dos EEUU possa chegar aqui, e atè com bom sinal.. Também não encontrei emissoras da ESPN nesta frequência que poderiam teoricamente entrar por aqui. Tinha uma em Tampa, FL e a bem conhecida WLAM no Maine, mas as duas ja mudaram de format faz tempo. RWG: Como disse, para mim também foi uma enorme surpresa essa recepção, que procurarei novamente hoje (ou talvez na próxima quinta, o mesmo dia da semana de ontem, se for um campeonato comj jogos em dias fixos na semana), se a propagação não nos trair. Horário: depois das 22 horas (Brasília), por pouco mais de uma hora. Considerar a grey-line do local de emissão... será que não tem a ver? Se você tivesse uma gravação seria extremamente feliz de mudar de ideia e continuarei pesquisando. Lembrei também que alguem escutou ha pouco tempo um falado ingles em 1470 e encontrei esta mensagem na lista Radioescutas RWG: Gravação: infelizmente não disponho de um esquema no momento que permita gravações, mas vou tentar de alguma forma.... http://br.groups.yahoo.com/group/radioescutas/message/65749 E' a Record de Floripa repetindo talk show de tv americana durante a noite. Pode ser o que voces escutaram RWG: Não creio ter sido a Record de Florianópolis, embora eu já tenha captado a transmissão deles com o áudio da Record News TV. o que foi ouvido não reflete a característica de Jay Leno, bastante conhecido inclusive no Brasil, um programa de entrevistas estilo jo soares, david letterman e larry king. Por último, como temos ESPN no Brasil, pelas regras de direitos de transmissão eu não acredito que a Record transmitisse um material de uma outra emissora. Seria o mesmo que a CBN resolver transmitir uma reprise de madrugada do programa do Ratinho (sbt) pelo rádio através de sua rede, totalmente improvável; mas --- Seria muito interessante se amanhã (sábado) tivéssemos uma manifestação de outros locais do Brasil sobre esta frequência de 1470 khz no mencionado horário. Mesmo que se afirme que nada foi ouvido em EE. O resultado através de um mapeamento pode nos aproximar mais da realidade da origem dos sinais. Um abraço, obrigado, Rocco, por seus comentários (Rudolf Grimm, ibid.) Rudolf, obrigado pela resposta. Fica um pouco difícil descobrir o que aconteceu sem um áudio, mas vamos tentar. Independentemente do nível do sinal, uma emissora que chega desde mais de 2-3.000 km tem de qualquer maneira um "som" diferente. A portadora soa mais "vazia", o audio fica lá no fundo. Difícil de explicar em palavras, mas há como reconhecer. Nestes casos uma gravação é fundamental; dezenas de files audio circulam a toda hora pela Internet no mundo, eu recebo muitos para identificar e mando também. Infelizmente aqui no Brasil a gravação é pouco usada, e por isso não temos quase registro das chances reais que a propagação oferece. Por favor, não considere isso uma crítica, ou falta de confiança nos seus ouvidos. Nem de longe quero questionar a sua boa fé. Mas me deixa aproveitar deste espaço para insistir: pessoal usem gravador! Inclusive uma resposta QSL recebida depois de envio de áudio tem obviamente um valor muito maior. Greyline: sim, teóricamente não è impossível, porque às 0100 UTC o sol acaba de pousar em Cape Girardeau. Na prática a greyline não funciona na recepção sul-norte de longa distancia, tanto que as (poucas) emissoras dos EEUU que de vez em quando aparecem por aqui o fazem só depois de 2 ou 3 horas do por do sol na emissora. Estou gravando no Perseus, nestes dias, a banda entre 1500 e 1700 kHz as 0400, 0600 e 0900 UT para ver o que dá. Tenho recebido e gravado 4-5 emissoras dos EEUU na x-band até agora, sinais bem fracos. Nenhum dele apareceu antes das 0300 UT. Claro, as excepções existem, mas dentro de um padrão de lógica. Para o Missouri entrar em São Paulo a propagação deveria trazer alguma outra emissora de estados mais comuns por aqui como Florida e Texas. A x- band deveria ser lotada de sinais. Também se a ESPN 1470 tivesse decidido ontem de transmitir de noite, o pobre kilowatt dela teria de se multiplicar por 50 para ter alguma chance de chegar por aqui. As emissoras que você citou tem 50 kW padrão dia e noite, e não lembro de recepçoes abaixo de 10 kW aqui no Brasil, nem no Nordeste. É somente na x-band, que beira as ondas curtas e tem um pattern de propagação diferente e aonde não tem interferências locais, que conseguimos captar algo em volta de 10 kW. Bom, daqui a duas horas estarei nos 1470! Espero muito que voce tenha razao! Um abraço, (Rocco Cortroneo, ibid.) Rudolf e amigos, não é que estou a ouvir também uma emissora em inglês nos 1470 kHz. Parecia estar ouvindo um locutor em inglês nessa frequência, mas não tinha plena certeza disso. Pouco tempo depois o locutor disse ESPN. Ouvi também uma locutora em inglês. A alegria está sendo imensa nesse momento. O sinal dela está forte por aqui, hehehehe! Parecem estar transmitindo algum jogo. Gravei um pequeno vídeo com meu smartphone. Vou ver se posto no meu canal no Youtube. Se essa emissora for dos EUA, será a primeira emissora americana ouvida por aqui. Estou usando um Sony ICF SW 7600G e antena Loop RGP3. 73! (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso, Bandeirantes - PR, ibid.) Rubens, Rudolf, Rocco e demais, aqui por Iracemápolis também está chegando muito forte em alguns momentos e em outros está sendo emcoberta por uma estação brasileira; parece-me ser algo parecido com um stand up, pois ha muitas risadas etc.; estou fazendo algumas gravações. Verificada em duas condições, TECSUM [sic] PL600 com uma antena RGP3 e também com Yaesu FT857D com uma antena EWE (Dinan Rogério, Iracemapolis SP, ibid.) Acho que é a Record mesmo. Agora com sinal local aqui no Rio e entrando do sudeste. Talk show de televisão, claramente, de auditório (Rocco, Cotroneo, May 25, ibid.) Boa noite Rudolf, Chegando muito bem agora em Florianópolis, em GG52tn, rádio Yaesu FT-857D, antena Sirio 2016 (vertical). Mais ou menos um mês atrás, voltando do trabalho, escutei esta emissora no rádio do carro. O sinal estava tão forte que matou a Record 1470 AM - Florianópolis. Era um programa com um candidato à presidência dos EUA. Como o sinal estava muito forte, nem dei bola, achei que estivessem retransmitindo!!! Forte 73 e boas escutas (Marcos Antônio Pacheco, PP5AMP, May 25, ibid.) Agora a Record voltou a programação normal. Se vocês tiverem ainda dúvidas, amanhã sintonizem o áudio online aqui: http://tunein.com/tuner/?StationId=127496& (Rocco Cotroneo, ibid.) Srs., tbém ontem fiquei por mais de uma hora gravando o áudio em 1470 kHz, e depois repassei a gravação; só ai verifiquei um detalhe que me tinha passado despercebido no momento da escuta, talvez pela empolgação da escuta. Por duas vezes notei na gravação, que assim que havia comerciais o sinal da "ESPN" era encoberto pelo sinal da "Record"; quando terminava o bloco comercial o novamente era o audio da ESPN que entrava. Talvez continuando com a sugestão do Rudolf poderiamos pesquisar um pouco mais; não sei se foi só uma coincidência ou realmente era uma retransmissão da ESPN pela Record, mas estaremos hoje na escuta novamente. O bom de tudo isso é que essa discussão é muito saudável para o nosso hobby. PS: vou separar no áudio o momento da gravação que mencionei, estarei tentando postar, já que não tenho muita prática e paciência para essa postar videos e áudio na internet :) Abraço a todos. Bons DX (Dinan Rogério, ibid.) Ontem achei no Youtube vídeos de uma emissora americana também chamada ESPN (WHBO) e que transmite desde Tampa Bay/FL, na frequência de 1470 kHz. Ela tem um programa chamado "Tampa Bay's Media Talk" conduzido por uma locutora e um locutor e achei esse programa um pouco parecido com o que ouvi ontem. Não estou dizendo que ouvi essa emissora, mas acho que poderia ser ela. Também tem uma ESPN em Lewinson [Lewiston, Maine] na mesma frequência e que fora captada na Alemanha. 73! (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso, Bandeirantes - PR, ibid.) Amigos, agora a pouco acabei de postar o melhor vídeo que fiz com meu smartphine Sansumg Galaxy Ace GT S5830B. São poucos segundos de gravação, mas dá para ouvir muito bem uma locutora em inglês. O link do vídeo é: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT0QejNk7ic&feature=youtu.be Seja essa emissora for dos EUA ou não, irá receber um informe de recepção com o vídeo que gravei, assim que ela for identificada. 73! (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso, Bandeirantes - PR, ibid.) This clip has hardly anything from the interviewer, but could be Jay Leno, mainly the woman talking about AIDS (gh, DXLD) Oi Rubens, no trecho que você gravou, a entrevistada fala da população infantil contaminada por AIDS. Jay Leno é a voz e atua como apresentador. A Rádio? Record SC retransmite o áudio da TV Record News. Às 22h15 (Brasília) a emissora passa o programa do Jay Leno. huelbe 2 days ago [reply to the YouTube] Oi Rubens, Obrigado pelo vídeo! Trata-se de uma entrevista sobre uma organização com foco na educação contra HIV em crianças. O homem que fala brevemente é possivelmente Jay Leno (Huelbe Garcia, radioescutas yg via DXLD) 1.470 25/05 0122 ?? ESPN, OM mencionando a ESPN, YL/OM, talks, risos, depois YL/OM (Jay Leno??) with talks abt câncer em crianças, EE 43333 RFP (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 1540, May 26 at 0516 UT, open carrier over the CCI. Suspect KXEL in IA or one of the Texans (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 6071, May 26 at 1117, het upon CFRX of approx. but not exactly 1000 Hz, heard again here, without any modulation detectable. Is anyone else hearing this? 6071, May 29 at 1222, again that het upon CFRX 6070, no modulation audible. The only other 6070 station scheduled in Aoki is VOK`s Japanese service. Could it be off-frequency? If we can catch the het going off at 1250, that would fit this theory; and/or with breaks as listed at 0957-1000, 1050-1100, 1157-1200, altho there should be no need to turn the carrier off as the same 250 kW, 109 degree antenna from Kanggye continues in use thruout. And there used to be an Indonesian on 6070v (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Heard, end of Memorial day. Heard: Channel Z London/ Channel Z Radio London. Guess, midnight GMT, going into Tuesday May 29. 6.933 Mc, AM, No drift. Programs were mostly British rock vocalist on vinyl as before they were famous. OK but I tuned down to 3.885 Mc area QSOs after 15 minutes as they were more interesting. Not much action on 160 metres nor 40 metres (Frederic Jodry, KA2PYQ, NY, May 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6933 kHz UNIDENTIFIED. Log: unid, 15705 kHz, 1318 UT, O=4 --- Horn concerto No. 4 in E flat K495: III. Rondo (Allegro vivace) mit O=4 auf 15705 kHz um 1318 UT. Anschließend Symphony No. 99 in E flat major: IV. Vivace lt. SHAZAM. Urheber der Sendung unbekannt, evtl Babcock. QTH Cottbus, RX ATS909. Vy73 (Ralf Ladusch, Germany, May 29, A-DX via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) 15705 Schwach in ganz West-, Süd- und OstEuropa, meist S=7-8 stark nur in Finnland, sowie Japan Tokyo und Fukushima im Perseus Netz, S=9+10 bis +20dB. Nix in NoAM. 1341 UT. 73 wb Frequenzhopper, auch noch auf 15630, 15645, 15720 kHz. 15705 kHz 1300-1356 UTC, symphonic music. n Helsinki RMS 15705 mit 128 dB, normales Grundrauschen ansonsten 17 - 19 db 598, 13:31:12, 17.00, 15697.00 599, 13:31:12, 26.00, 15698.00 600, 13:31:12, 25.00, 15699.00 601, 13:31:12, 29.00, 15700.00 602, 13:31:12, 21.00, 15701.00 603, 13:31:12, 25.00, 15702.00 604, 13:31:12, 33.00, 15703.00 605, 13:31:12, 63.00, 15704.00 606, 13:31:12, 128.00, 15705.00 <<<<<< 128 dB <<<<<<< 607, 13:31:12, 62.00, 15706.00 608, 13:31:12, 37.00, 15707.00 609, 13:31:12, 33.00, 15708.00 610, 13:31:12, 27.00, 15709.00 611, 13:31:12, 75.00, 15710.00 612, 13:31:12, 19.00, 15711.00 Was bedeutet WBT? WWBT siehe page A-72 (4.2 MB file) http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=wwbt%20guam%20radio&source=web&cd=15&ved=0CF8QFjAEOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanradiohistory.com%2FArchive-BC-YB%2F1969%2F101-200%2520Broadcasting%2520Yearbook%25201969-2.pdf&ei=hebET4_AJ8zcsgbtku3NCg&usg=AFQjCNGiwhy5aV3vd4iExaNJTwmvv8DjeA&cad=rja 2012-05-29 13:37:51 capture: AM 15720 (XXX) WBT VARI 2012-05-29 13:38:11 email: 1205291337@SEOU15720WBTVARI.mp4 2012-05-29 13:38:16 capture: AM 15705 (XXX) WBT VARI 2012-05-29 13:38:36 email: 1205291338@SEOU15705WBTVARI.mp4 2012-05-29 13:38:41 capture: AM 15645 (XXX) WBT VARI 2012-05-29 13:39:01 email: 1205291338@SEOU15645WBTVARI.mp4 2012-05-29 13:39:06 capture: AM 15630 (XXX) WBT VARI 2012-05-29 13:39:26 email: 1205291339@SEOU15630WBTVARI.mp4 Die stärksten Signale in Seoul 130 dB, und Tokyo 137 dB. Da gab es doch vor kurzem eine Meldung über neue AWR KSDA Sender in Guam, sind das Tests von dort Richtung Asien und Cottbus? 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 15745-15753 or so, May 27 at 1216, DRM-like roar, but probably a ute as no DRM is scheduled here. Likewise 13830-13835 at 1217. Hard to pin down the center of these blobs but not at least 10 kHz wide like DRM. 13830 could be jammer against RFA Tibetan via Tajikistan; no target known on the other one (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 17765, May 28 at 1249, close to 1000 Hz tone on and off, then pitches stepping down to a very low note I couldn`t measure, below 200 Hz; 1255 stepping up rapidly again to a higher pitch but not as high as originally, open carrier and off. Nothing is scheduled on 17765 anywhere near this time. Whatever became of those new transmitters being installed in Saudi Arabia, suspected source of many more such tone tests last year? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. Stateside propagation on 11 metres: 26110 FM, Unid U.S. TV audio (apparently), no doubt a studio link. Drama production 0258, some sort of crime show, program preview for Wednesday and Thursday, mentions of CBS network. Re-tune 0330, advert for Cadillac XTS, subscription TV, performancechevy.com and Universal Orlando Resort. Quite OK on peaks, not sure which one this is. WBAP IN AT SAME TIME ON 25910 FM. 30/5. Regards, (Craig Seager, Bathurst NSW, (Icom R75, Racal 6790, Horizontal Loop & 6m ground plane), ARDXC via DXLD) Performance Chevrolet at that website is a dealer in Sacramento CA. Ad for Orlando Resort could appear all over the country. This exhaustive listing http://www.dxinfocentre.com/stl.htm has no entries for Sacramento, but for nearby Stockton in same market on 26.11 MHz: KMK282 KOVR-TV CBS - 13 Stockton, CA 84 watts 38 35 36 -121 32 47 However a radio station in Stockton also has linx on 26110: KMM701 KSTN Heart of the Boss Valley Stockton, CA 40 watts 37 55 31 -121 14 48 KMM702 KSTN Heart of the Boss Valley Stockton, CA 30 watts 37 49 17 -121 46 53 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. TV was off most of the afternoon of May 26, but started watching snow on channel 2 around 2300 UT. Some video CCI starts to show at 2305 with antenna south, but nothing comes of it. 6m Es map shows all the axion now is between NE America and Dominican Republic eastward and southward thru the Windwards, as far as Trinidad, up to 88 MHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. According to the 6m maps, there was a lot of Es activity up into FM, but not much made it here even on VHF TV, May 27, UT: 1916, signs of Es on channel 2 with antenna north; centered over Kansas, too close to be useful here. 2222 on 2, weak video showing, novela? peaking southwest, think a bit of audio was Spanish but not positive; some more barely peaks during the following semihour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS See also COSTA RICA ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACKNOWLEDGED ON WORLD OF RADIO 1619: Dustin Brann, with a contribution via PayPal to woradio @ yahoo.com TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED ON NEXT WOR: Tnx to Chuck Ermatinger, St Louis, via PayPal PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ THE CURRENT CLANDESTINE & OPPOSITION SHORTWAVE STATIONS LIST For those interested Clandestine and Opposition shortwave stations, you may want to make a took at my web page that I have started on this topic. Can be found at http://shortwavereport.com/?page_id=250 I hope you enjoy it. Thanks (Steve Handler, May 27, shortwaves yg via DXLD) In time order MORE SHORTWAVE QSL CARDS POSTED For those that collect or are interested in SWBC Station QSL cards there are a number of recent additions to my web site this week. With about thirty pages of QSL cards, images, addresses, and QSLing details including time it took to receive the QSL. You can go to my web page of Current Cards at http://shortwavereport.com/?page_id=64 and also you might want to take a look at my Historical Older QSL card web page at http://shortwavereport.com/?page_id=164 I hope you enjoy my web site (Steve Handler, May 27, NASWA yg via DXLD) NUMBERS & ODDITIES; ENIGMA NEWSLETTERS http://www.numbersoddities.nl/newsletters.html (Ary Boender, UDXF yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) MUSEA +++++ TORONTO RADIO LISTINGS MAY 27 1957 http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/star-may27-57.gif posted to sowny.ca, the Southern Ontario Western NY Radio Board To those of you who seek lost objects of history, I wish you the best of luck. They're out there, and they're whispering. - Clive Cussler http://www.doghousecharlie.com (Fred Waterer, Ont., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Very cool, Fred. I love to peruse old radio program listings and guides (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, ODXA yg via DXLD) Agreed - old radio listings serve as an interesting snapshot of the medium at that point in time. Interesting that the 7 AM WBEN listing showed "Musical Clock," as 1957 was the heyday of Clint Buehlman in "morning drive" at WBEN - he was a fixture in that time slot for 30 years, and I would have expect the listing to bear his name. I used to scan the daily pages of the radio listings in the Buffalo Evening News looking for changes; the self-produced tabloid-sized "TV Topics" section of the Saturday afternoon paper devoted the entire inside back cover to radio listings for the week ahead. The stations with the most coverage on that page were WBEN (which was owned by the newspaper, so no surprise at the coverage) and CBL. Conversely I remember very sparse FM listings on that page; this during the 1960s (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, ibid.) As far as I know, the Sunday edition of the Buffalo News is the only newspaper that still has radio listings. I get one about once a month just for that page (Fred Waterer, ibid.) DX-PEDITIONS ++++++++++++ GRAYLAND DXPEDITION REPORT, MAY 7-9, 2012 The month of May is not considered prime time for either DU or Asian medium wave from the Washington coast, so my "DXpectations" weren't very high for this trip. Besides the sub-par season, we're a few years removed from the periods of excellent DX heard during the low point in the last solar cycle. I had planned to be content with antenna experiments, figuring I may not hear any overseas DX worth logging. Surprise! The first night of the 7th (UT) was indeed a bust, but the 8th and 9th progressively improved--all the way through local sunrise and my last recorded Perseus files just past 1300 UT. All loggings below were made with a single delta Flag antenna, oriented at 240 degrees. The high, dense brush at Grayland in the southwest direction from my camp site prevented me from creating a phased array as I had planned, so I erected the 2nd loop at 310 degrees to hopefully be optimum for any Asian TPs. The two loops were identical except for their bearing (60 ft. base wire at 3 feet above ground, 22 ft. apex height, 1150 ohms termination resistor (modeled in EZNEC... thanks KAZ), and using the excellent "LN" (low noise) version of Wellbrook's FLG100 modules. . . http://www.mail-archive.com/hard-core-dx@hard-core-dx.com/msg31553.html (Guy Atkins, May 26, hard-core-dx via DXLD) DXPEDITION 26~27.05.2012 A few weeks ago, I decided to do a small DX Pedition in the last weekend of May with my friend and colleague - Ivo Ivanov. During the two days, we stayed in Patreshko Village, 650 meters altitude, far away from the local QRM of the city. Despite the bad weather, the conditions during the DXPedition were good. We received half a dozen of stations from Brazil, as well as many US Christian broadcasters, the Sackville relays of KBS World Radio, Vatican Radio, etc, Radio Marti via Greenville, CBC Radio Nord Quebec, CVC International via Chile and many others. Audible on peaks were the ABC Australia Regional stations on 120 and 60 metres. Plenty of pirates were broadcasting from time to time on 48, 43 and 19 metres. Radio Habana Cuba Spanish and English broadcasts had excellent signal strength on all the frequencies on 60, 49, 31, 25 and 19 metres band. The battles between the Cuban jammers and Radio Marti and Radio Republica were also interesting. The equipment used was: Receiver: Sony ICF-2010D Antennas: beverage antennas 50 meters beaming East/West 50 meters beaming South-South East/North-North West Here is a log of some of the stations, we received during the weekend: SWLDXBulgaria blog http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2012/05/dxpedition-26th-27th-may-2012.html (Georgi Bancov, May 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ READING INTERNATIONAL RADIO GROUP June 9 The next meeting of the Reading International Radio Group will be on Saturday June 9 at 2.30 p.m in Room 3, Reading International Solidarity Centre, 35-39 London Street, Reading [England]. The meeting will include a look at the history of Radio Times magazine and how it reflects changes in UK broadcasting based on Tony Currie's well illustrated book The Radio Times Story. All are welcome; email me for more details or phone 01462 643899 (Mike Barraclough, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD) WORLD OF HOROLOGY +++++++++++++++++ STRANGE TIME ZONES AROUND THE WORLD Today, Sunday March 11, is the day upon which the time zones in the United States change from standard time in the winter, to Daylight Saving Time in the summer. Many other countries around the world also change their time zones, though not all do so on the exact same day. Then too, after another couple of weeks, many of the shortwave broadcasting stations will change from their winter scheduling to summer scheduling, officially designated as the A & B periods. So, in our program today, let’s take a look at some of the strange time zones that we find in our world at the present time. If you were traveling in the United States, you would find a couple of interesting time zone changes in the states of Arizona & Idaho. The state of Arizona does not make any change of time zone, for summer or winter. However, the territory within Arizona known as the Navajo Nation, does make the change to DST, Daylight Saving Time. However, the territory of the Hopi Nation is completely surrounded by the Navajo territory and it does not observe this time zone change. Because of the complexity of the observed time zones in the area, Arizona state, Navajo Nation & Hopi Nation, the nearby small town of Tuba City observes both time zones simultaneously. This is mainly for the benefit of travelers passing through the area. Now, up in the northern areas, the state of Idaho observes Pacific Time and nearby Montana observes Mountain Time. However, the Salmon River runs south through Idaho, and the communities along this river observe Mountain Time, though on each side and away from the river, the local inhabitants observe Pacific Time. [Really? The official boundary is the Salmon River, with all of Idaho north of it on PT and all south of it on MT --- gh] In Canada, the city of Lloydminster straddles the border line between the two provinces, Alberta & Saskatchewan. The city of Lloydminster is just one city, not twin cities, with the provincial border running down the main street. This city observes just the one time zone, not two, and they have chosen the Alberta time zone, which is thus observed on both sides of the provincial border. In Australia, the regional city of Broken Hill is within the state of New South Wales. However, it is close to the border with South Australia, and the people in this mining city observe South Australian time at UTC + 9½ hours, not the time zone of the state in which they are located, UTC + 10 hours. We might also add that there is one odd time zone within the state of Western Australia. In the south east corner of the state, lying against the ocean and the border with South Australia, there is a country community of just some 200 people. This community has adopted its own time zone, which is the odd time of UTC + 8¾ hours. Greenland is described as the world’s largest island, though some scientists state that Greenland is actually three separate islands covered by the one large ice sheet. Interestingly, in 1946, the United States offered to buy Greenland at a price of $100 million. On the island, or of you like, on the three islands of Greenland, there are just four main settlements with a total population of around 60,000. However, these four settlements each observe a different time zone. Throughout a complete year with summer & winter time, a total of five different time zones are in use in Greenland, running from UTC to UTC - 4. The comparatively recent nation of Bangladesh in Asia observes its own time zone at UTC + 6 hours. However, Bangladesh is almost completely surrounded by Indian states, all of which observe the Indian time zone at UTC + 5½ hours. Thus if your leave Bangladesh and travel west or north or east, you would set your watch back by half an hour. Nepal, another Asian nation high up in the Himalayas, observes its own time zone which is at UTC + 5¾ hours. This places the time in Nepal at a quarter hour difference from nearby India. However, that time difference is a little easier to negotiate these days, than the earlier time zone in Nepal when they were just ten minutes different from India. Most countries observe a time zone that is an equal hour from any of its neighbors. However, several countries do observe a half hour difference, such as India that we just mentioned, at UTC + 5½ hours. The Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean observe UTC + 6½ hours, and Norfolk Island off the east coast of Australia observes UTC + 11½ hours. Interestingly, Lord Howe Island, an offshore island of the Australian state of New South Wales, observes UTC + 10½ hours in the winter, and it changes just half an hour for summer time at UTC + 11 hours. In addition to Nepal, there is another small territory that observes a ¾ hour difference from UTC. The Chatham Islands, a Pacific territory administered by New Zealand, observes UTC + 12¾ hours. Now, if ever you find yourself traveling in the continental areas of Northern Europe, you could find yourself at the conjunction of three different time zones. There is a point near the small city of Nautsi where the territories of three different countries conjoin, each with a different time zone. These countries are Norway, Finland and Russia (Adrian Peterson, IN, AWR Wavescan script for March 11, 2012 via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM See also BELGIUM non; COSTA RICA; GUAM; ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEW ZEALAND; NIGERIA; UK; UNID 15745- I don't like DRM mainly for one reason: it disturbs analogue broadcasts just like China does, eats about 20 kHz of bandwidth and kills weak analogue signals near it, even far out of the coverage area. Besides this, it doesn't decode when the signal falls below threshhold. And when decoding these signals via IF out with 455 kHz to 12 kHz converter in weak signals it doesn't, and for strong signals you have to attenuate. Without proper cables it catches interference from PC and again decoding freezes. So it is a frustrating experience. Next in India we have the world`s fastest-developing Telecom industry where good 2G and 3G connections are available from various operators. Good speed at reasonable prices, and smart phones from China are far cheaper than 40 USD or lower. I have tested various phones with various connections even in hilly terrain - we can listen to web streams without buffering in most places; even if it buffers, you get from just where it stopped, no info missed, but when DRM drops out and returns after few seconds or more??? Huh! Thanks & Regards, (Partha Sarathi Goswami, Siliguri, Darjeeling, West Bengal, INDIA, May 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) How is DRM Green? I know I've probably asked this question before on more than one occasion, so I apologize in advance if I've already asked it here. I'm curious about some claims shortwave broadcasters are making about DRM. I've read on more than one occasion that DRM is somehow better for the environment, without a single piece of information to support that claim. I would assume that to maintain a strong digital lock, a broadcaster would in theory actually require higher power outputs, lower loss antenna installations or some combination of both. Neither of these options sounds like they would in any way result in a reduction in the amount of resources that a transmission site was using. In fact, it sounds like DRM would reduce waste. Is this merely a ridiculous marketing claim, or is there something that I'm seriously missing? I should admit that I have been critical of most digital broadcast protocols, but I genuinely don't mean to sound too biased. 73 (John ``narvorr/wolfwere``, ABDX via DXLD) SW DRM transmissions generally use lower nominal power outputs than equivalent AM broadcasts (i.e. from the same dual-purpose transmitter). Whether this is justified considering how poorly DRM works is questionable, as is how this really converts to total power consumption. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Most digital modes, like DRM and iBOC, transmit digital pulses on phased sidetones, rather than modulating a full-amplitude carrier with small positive peaks and strong negative troughs (as with analog AM). The result is less power draw needed by the transmitter. Analog FM draws even more power than AM for the same power because if you're 50kW, you're always drawing that power at full modulation... AM actually draws less power at full modulation - the exception being if an adaptive-power carrier system is being employed on an AM station (Darwin Long, Buras, LA, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- IBOC +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WPEN night IBOC Bad news in Philly! WPEN has finally turned on IBOC at night, thus ruining 940 and 960. Now we have 600 and 620 via WIP, 1050 and 1070 via KYW and 1200 and 1220 via WPHT, not to mention all the nearby regional IBOCs that now exist to give us trouble. Oh, phasing helps but not nearly enough. Isn't it nice when some of these stations turn off their IBOC to broadcast baseball games? (Ben Dangerfield, Wallingford, PA, 0159 UT 29 May, NRC-AM via DXLD) Yes, this summer has seemed bad for i-block so far, I think it's something to do with ibiquity`s annual push which goes nowhere (Bob Young, Millbury, MA, ibid.) Less than a half hour after I posted the turn on of WPEN night IBOC, it went off! How do you figure this out? Maybe someone there read my message! (Ben Dangerfield, Wallingford, PA, ibid.) I know of a number of AM stations (some of them quite big AM stations) where IBOC was installed as a result of a corporate mandate, turned on very briefly to fulfill certain contract terms with Ibiquity, and then turned off, probably for good. No, I am not at liberty to disclose them on the list (but buy me a beer or two at the convention this summer and I might tell some stories... :) I doubt WPEN is one of those stations. It's owned by a relatively small group owner, Greater Media, and its corporate chief engineer (who's a really good guy) is local to the Philadelphia market and intimately aware of what's happening at the station. But let me throw out another possibility: WPEN is a two-site AM station - its daytime signal comes from a site off City Ave. and 77th Street in the Overbrook neighborhood of west Philadelphia, while the night signal now comes from the WWDB 860 site out in East Norriton Township. At least, that's USUALLY how it works. But WPEN has an auxiliary license that I'm pretty sure allows it to run its old night facility from what's now the day-only site in Overbrook if there's maintenance being done on the new night site out in East Norriton Township. And since we know the day site has IBOC, there's no reason it would necessarily have been turned off at sunset if WPEN was using that site at night... s (Scott Fybush, Rochester NY, ibid.) Scott, The same was true here in the West. There were several stations that had IBOC for a few weeks or less, and they scraped it. I had hoped that was going to be the trend, but it did not work out that way. But I know of several CEs around that do not like IBOC, as they told me off the record, but they were forced into it from Corporate heads. Ben, Fortunately in the NW we don't have too much IBOC here, but if stations are still turning it on, then anywhere we could end up with new IBOCers. Not good news (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) Thanks, Scott for your helpful description of what might have been going on at local WPEN. I was aware of their day and night transmitters at different locations and the day transmitter is just a few miles from here, thus the severe IBOC noise until sunset After sunset the IBOC has been going away. I don't know if it is being used at the night transmitter [Northeast Philadelphia, about 20 miles distant] but I don't hear IBOC after sunset, except for last night when it was on briefly. It does make sense for a temporary switch to the day transmitter for maintenance. We'll see tonight. Incidentally, I pass the day towers often on the way to my eye clinic (Ben Dangerfield, Wallingford, PA, ibid.) It was my understanding that between the power increase and the required directional pattern for the new night array, IBOC was not really practical at night for engineering reasons. Therefore, I am inclined to agree with Scott's interpretation (Russ Edmunds, 15 mi NNW of Philadelphia, Grid FN20id, ibid.) Which has always made me wonder. IBOC was supposed to save stations and make them competitive with FM counterparts. Yet we know that night IBOC has been a disaster. So, they turn it off at night. Isn't that sort of like them becoming a daytimer in a digital world. Makes no sense to me (Fred Vobbe, Lima OH, ibid.) In a way, you can blame the cramming of the AM dial for that. Stations like WPEN and my local WHTK 1280 don't turn off IBOC at night out of concern for interference. They do it because in order to have been squeezed into the dial at night, they requested (and were granted) very tight directional patterns. WPEN and WHTK both use four towers in-line for their night signals, and of course we can all cite examples of stations that use even more towers to achieve constricted patterns. That's not especially compatible with IBOC, which requires something like 20 kHz of flat pattern bandwidth - IOW, the pattern at 1280 kHz has to be a near-perfect match for the pattern at 1270 and 1290. That's hard to do with a four-tower inline array, and that's why WHTK and presumably WPEN don't bother. The big non-directional I-A stations had no technical problem with keeping IBOC on 24/7, though of course a few of them found adjacent- channel skywave issues that forced them to turn it off. If the FCC hadn't allowed the AM dial to get filled so tightly (at the behest of broadcasters themselves, of course, especially during the rush on the regional channels after WWII), night IBOC actually wouldn't have been anywhere near as damaging; but that genie's been out of the bottle since, oh, 1945 or thereabouts. s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) MW IBOC never appeared on a Hawaiian AM because of bandwidth issues but not because of directionals. Most MW stations in Honolulu share towers. Three or four transmitters on the same vertical. To prevent the RF from each transmitter from getting into the final stage of another, a series of traps, wave traps if you will, are inline with each transmitter and the tower. For example, A tower may have 590,830,990, and 1460 transmitters feeding it. The output from the 590 transmitter will be fed through traps for 830, 990, and 1460, and then matched to the antenna. The very tight bandwidth and high "Q" of the traps is very tight. Maybe a bandwidth of 6 kHz. Thus, no IBOC passage is possible. On the other hand, any one who has DXed in Metro Honolulu can tell you that this sharing arrangement fills the dial with mixing products and spurs. Harmonic mixes all the way into short wave. A worse nightmare then IBOC, although the mountains do a great job in blocking that crap once you get out of the city (Brock Whaley, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DTV ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ULTRA HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION I sense another transition on the way: http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/news/a384017/ultra-high-definition-marks-dawning-of-new-age-for-tv.html Summary of article: Standards set by international body for UHDTV (Ultra High-Definition Television). (Curtis Sadowski, IL, WTFDA via DXLD) Comment appended: You would need a television the size of a cinema screen to notice the difference though; it's like HD needs a television of at least 27" to allow the human eye to see the full difference. How many inches would an 8k television need?! Stupid. Also, Super Hi-Vision, is abbreviated as SHV, which is also VHS backwards. A little irony there (Ben Dawson, May 29th 2012 at 9:24am, digitalspy etc. as above via DXLD) There won't be much room for subchannels (Mike, Indy, WTFDA via DXLD) I suspect HDTV 2.0 won't be broadcast OTA. This is still many years off and OTA will be relegated to dust bins of history by that time thanks to lobbying by the cellphone/cable/payTV industries. – (Fritze H. Prentice, Jr, KC5KBV, Star City AR EM43aw, ibid.) THE BIG INTERESTS HAVE WON KPXE-51 in Kansas City is our local ION station which blocks most channel 51 DX although I can get Oklahoma City on channel 51 on occasion. But, Doug's column shows it moving to channel 32 which is one of my rapidly disappearing open channels. The channel 51s that might have been new DX targets with KPXE-TV moving to channel 32 won't be there to receive anyway. This whole process stinks. Why not open up channel 52 so that it doesn't interfere with TV channel 51? Aside from DXing this packing the TV band poses a threat to enjoying good high definition. Right now local KSNT-27 with NBC also owns FOX station KTMJ-43 (LPTV) and offers it on channel 27.2 as well as channel 43.1. It is only in HD on channel 43.1. With the repacking a lot of HDTV programs could be lost and now good signals will begin to look like TBN--worse than analog or cable. Just when OTA looks fantastic the government is taking that away. And what about the lack of use of former TV frequencies (channels 52- 69) by wireless operators like Verizon who are trying to sell the ones they won? There seems to be a real effort to destroy OTA by several parties. We depend on local stations for severe weather information. Cox Communications which we don't subscribe to and the satellite operators don't provide it and the weather radio doesn't either. Last night we were alerted to a severe thunderstorm by the NOAA weather radio, but then I immediately turned on the TV for detailed weather warnings. When the local stations are gone so will be our best defense in being protected from severe weather. I predicted this situation in my college thesis written 40 years ago but I was sure hoping it would not turn out this way. But it is. Time to move out of tornado country, but then where do you go? Felt a recent 4.7 earthquake just before we left Anchorage. No damage or injuries as the center was under water and not that strong, but we lived a half mile from Earthquake Park and were constantly reminded of the 1964 Alaska earthquake which was devastating (Dave Pomeroy, Topeka, Kansas, May 31, WTFDA via DXLD) Surely there are a few good spots between the extremes of Topeka and Anchorage; hmmm, Eagle Nest NM, maybe (gh) What drives me nuts is when they constantly say that only poor people or people that don't care about TV use OTA. If I'd rather get a product for free that's also higher quality - it doesn't mean I'm poor - it means I'm smart (Bill Hepburn, Ont., ibid.) Yes, the "networks" are doing their best to promote OTA FUD but they are scared of the "Cord Cutters" -- former cable/sat subscribers like myself that no longer pay for "cable" and therefore receive no Retransmission Consent revenue. This was taken to the extreme by FOX recently by that network putting its online replays of OTA programming behind a wall (embargoing access only for those with pay TV until 8 days after original airings). But it`s not just the network greed that is playing into this; owner groups such as Nexstar play a huge part in this too. Also, what is happening in Canada with the pay TV companies and OTA broadcasters seems like a test bed for what may happen in the US. With the CBC all but getting out of OTA in rural areas, other OTA broadcasters will follow suit. This isn't TBN or some 4th-tier home shopping station going out of the OTA business. The money and temptation to shut down OTA (as is the case with International Broadcasters shutting down shortwave services) will be too much once the technology permits "local" territorial netcasting and IPTV services become universal in rural areas. – (Fritze H. Prentice, Jr., KC5KBV, Star City AR EM43aw, twitter.com/fritzehp ibid.) It's not just rural areas; these metro areas will have no CBC OTA: http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table-Tableau.cfm?LANG=Eng&T=201&S=3&O=D&RPP=150 Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo (Ont.) 477,160 London (Ont.) 474,786 Saskatoon (Sask.) 260,600 Barrie (Ont.) 187,013 Kelowna (B.C.) 179,839 Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury (Ont.) 160,770 Moncton (N.B.) 138,644 Saint John (N.B.) 127,761 Lethbridge (Alta.) 105,999 Chatham-Kent (Ont.) 104,075 Cape Breton (N.S.) 101,619 Kamloops (B.C.) 98,754 Chilliwack (B.C.) 92,308 Red Deer (Alta.) 90,564 Sarnia (Ont.) 89,555 Prince George (B.C.) 84,232 Sault Ste. Marie (Ont.) † 79,800 [† excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves or Indian settlements] Medicine Hat (Alta.) 72,807 Wood Buffalo (Alta.) 66,896 North Bay (Ont.) 64,043 Norfolk (Ont.) 63,175 Vernon (B.C.) 58,584 Courtenay (B.C.) 55,213 Grande Prairie (Alta.) 55,032 Brandon (Man.) 53,229 -- (via William R Hepburn (VEM3ONT22) Grimsby ON CAN 43 10 59.5 -79 33 34.3 DX PIX : http://dxinfocentre.com/hepburn/ AUTOLOG : http://dxinfocentre.com/hepburn/logs/dxtv.htm TWITTER : http://www.twitter.com/vem3ont22 ibid.) The days of selling the customer what he or she wants are gone. Now it's about giving the customer what the company wants to sell them regardless of whether they want it. The it becomes the only game in town. Econ 101 2012 style (Russ Edmunds, WB2BJH, 15 mi NW of Philadelphia, ibid.) Marketers have for time immemorial tricked people into buying what they want to sell. It's just that the tricks have changed and evolved over time. Remember when tobacco companies featured doctors in their ads, as advocates? The past tends to look rosier than it generally was because the past has a greater degree of clarity. We prefer to remember the good times, and it can be confusing to negotiate the uncertainties and surprises of the present. It isn't any better now - it's just that some of the surface appearances look different. DXers are experts on TV and radio reception. We notice immediately when something smells rancid - such as IBOC or other aspects of the digital transition, or the games played by the cable industry, and such. OTOH we may know little about, say, the vagaries of the orange juice industry. My favourite brand is being sued for misleading labelling, yet I couldn't tell from drinking it every day that something might be awry. Yet, from accounts I've read, I would have had I been paying close attention to the taste and texture of the juice. You can bet your I-blocked radio there are foodies out there who for years have been complaining about deceptive food industry practices (Saul Chernos, Ont., ibid.) To a point, yes. But I can recall when there was more synergy there. Companies sought to fill real needs. That evolved into "creating needs" for people to buy things they didn't previously want or even know of. While your examples are valid, I think they're different in the sense that these were indeed 'tricky' methods of marketing, but were still marketing products or services which people had used and wanted for a long time. Perhaps it's a subtle difference, but I think it's real nonetheless (Russ Edmunds, WB2BJH, ibid.) Really, in the end if business wasn't willing to try to influence people into buying products/services they wouldn't otherwise buy, our hobby wouldn't exist (or at least, all our DX targets would be NPR and PBS stations; even the religious stations are operating for the purpose of convincing people who wouldn't ordinarily do so to embrace their brand of Christianity). I think what concerns me is that business has stopped trying to compete by providing the best product possible at the lowest price. Econ 101, 1978 style, taught us that this is what competition in a free market would lead to. Instead, we're seeing business trying to compete by driving the competition out of business. And trying to build business not by convincing the consumer they want the product on offer, but by finding ways to *force* them to buy it whether they want it or not. These days, Adam Smith's "invisible hand" is missing a few fingers -- (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ ZENITH DTT900 REMOTE PROBLEM A few days ago the number selector buttons were not working for the first time since I started using the Zenith box in 2009. The Display, Recall, Volume, Channel, Exit, (--) & Guide buttons were working along with the number "9". After I pushed on the number selector buttons a number of times, they began to work again. Now they are not working when we try to use it a day later after sitting over night. Has anyone run into this with their remote? If so, is there any way to resolve this problem? I have two additional remotes, so I am using another one with that box for now. The number on the remotes is AKB36157102. The battery was checked and it tests good, but I put another battery in it to see if that would make a difference, which it didn't (Bob Seaman, May 26, WTFDA via DXLD) Hi Rob: Remotes fail for two reasons: dirt and shock. Anything that hangs off the main board, most typically the spring steel connections to the battery, the crystal or the LED can all break loose when they are bashed around like any normal remote does. Check those connections. If in doubt, just reheat the solder connections for good measure. Dirt can make the buttons seem to wear out or otherwise be un- responsive. You can open the remote up and try washing the rubber pad and/or the actual buttons if they come out individually. Be really gentle with the points that the buttons touch on the PC board. This is where the 'connections' are made. You don't want to screw up the points etched or sprayed onto the board for conductivity. Best tip: Want to see if the remote is working? Use an electronic camera and point it at the remotes LED. When the LED lights with infrared, you'll be able to see it in the camera's viewfinder since the camera can capture wavelengths way beyond the capabilities of the human eye. Good luck - Bonne chance, (Karl Zuk, N2KZ, ibid.) NEW RADIO FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED FEATURES A HELPFUL VOICE - Houston Chronicle Best Buy recently unveiled a new tabletop radio with voice prompts that guide users as they change channels and maneuver other push- button commands. It's the technology retailer's first product designed for the nation's estimated 20 million visually impaired, but experts say consumers can expect to find similar technology in a growing number and variety of products for the home and workplace. . . http://www.chron.com/business/article/New-radio-for-the-visually-impaired-features-a-3584226.php (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) Yes, I'm blind. I had been able to borrow the previously made Dice Electronics talking HD radio to put it through its paces. If it had been a better receiver, it could have helped me as a DXer, because if it received an HD signal, it would have read the station ID from it. In other words, since I already have two Sony XDR-S3HDs, the reception bar has been set pretty high. The Dice Electronics radio is about like the early Accurean -- better than average but not stellar. It might have filled the bill, but at times its accessibility got in the way: every time you changed frequency it read the new frequency -- slowly! And every time a station goes into HD it reads that status -- what a mess during an opening with fluctuating conditions! It had no mode to temporarily turn that off, or better yet, a third mode where the info could be had at the push of a button if desired. I've seen the now-discontinued mass-market $50 Best Buy portable, and it's better as a radio than the Dice $245 device. From early reports, I've heard that the new radio is better as a receiver than the prior talking HD radio, but it may not read out station data, but rather put it on a large visual display. Since I have no vision, and I know all my local info, I'd only need that info during eskip openings, but the less radio-literate probably would find that info helpful. But I'm only going by implication from the Quick Start Guide, not from actual experience; the radio isn't out yet. They wanted to design a radio whose functions are all accessible but keep the price down. From my perspective as a DXer, and even as a high-end user, the things I want probably would cost too much to implement. I want audible access to song and station information which is transmitted visually, and I want access to RDS info. (I'd want to turn all of this off and on easily, as needed.) And I want it in an excellent radio. And it probably isn't gonna happen. Either the radio has too many expensive features which won't make it a big seller, or the price must be kept low enough that it won't have the features I really want. Of all the available options, to me the best is the sony I have; a good radio trumps everything else. Interestingly enough, if Sony had designed their radio consistently, everything would be settable. But as I understand it, the clock doesn't follow the same rules that the radio does. The Sonys I have are no longer on the market, which is too bad because I'd recommend them to anyone. Its main drawbacks are: 1. Loss of memories after being unplugged for two minutes. 2. Its "feature" of remembering HD-2s, HD3s, etc. I prefer tuning in analog steps, and the only way I know of to make the Sony "forget" extra HD streams is to unhook the antenna, find a position where the HD doesn't capture, and tune to the station whose HD I want to eliminate until the radio sees it as a non-HD station. There's another way to do it, and that's to unplug the radio for longer than two minutes, which wipes out the HD information when it wipes out the memories (but then you have to re-program the memories!) One man's feature is another man's annoyance (Rick Lewis, May 29, ABDX via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ [altho we already had the April data, March had been missed so far] GEOMAGNETIC INDICES (FROM PHIL BYTHEWAY) MARCH 2012 Geomagnetic summary tabulated from daily e-mail data. Flux A K Space Wx 1 103 14 4 no storms 2 108 10 2 minor 3 116 8 2 no storms 4 120 12 2 minor 5 132 8 3 strong 6 138 8 2 minor 7 136 44 3 strong, geo storm G2/rad storm S3 8 140 24 4 strong, geo storm G1/rad storm S3 9 146 68 2 strong, geo storm G3/rad storm S3 10 149 18 3 moderate, geo storm G1/rad storm S2 11 131 8 3 moderate, rad storm S2 12 115 28 3 moderate, geo storm G2/rad storm S1 13 141 10 2 moderate, rad storm S2 14 119 8 2 moderate, rad storm S2 15 111 30 4 moderate, geo storm G2/rad storm S1 16 99 20 3 no storms 17 102 20 4 minor 18 102 10 2 no storms 19 102 10 2 no storms 20 100 4 2 no storms 21 100 4 1 no storms 22 102 6 3 no storms 23 105 6 1 minor 24 103 10 2 no storms 25 101 4 0 no storms 26 102 4 1 no storms 27 106 12 4 no storms 28 107 12 1 no storms 29 112 4 2 no storms 30 111 6 1 no storms 31 110 4 1 no storms The super special auroral conditions (3/7-3/15), which allowed many DXers to hear Latin American stations on frequencies usually dominated by domestics, were caused by exceptional solar activity. Things appear to have returned to “normal” now (NRC DX News April 9 via DXLD) MW DX ANOMALIES Anyone who's DXed the BCB for any length of time knows that occasionally a rare opening will occur that results in valuable DX. These openings are usually fleeting (sometimes only for minutes, sometimes for days). For example, almost every autumn, KKOB-770, Albuquerque, NM makes it to Florida on SSS. They are heard here for only two or three days at about the same time and only for less than 10 minutes, then it's another year (maybe) before they are logged here again. May 20, will provide an extremely rare MW DX opportunity when the solar eclipse affects the western states. Imagine the possibilities of stations operating on daylight power and pattern during a faux SSS. Not to mention the fact that darkness will be approaching from the west instead of the east. I've only had one opportunity to DX during a solar eclipse (the mid-1990's as I recall) and the results were great. I didn't have a real sophisticated strategy, I just tuned three receivers to open channels and sat back for a couple of hours before and after the eclipse maximum here and logged several never-before- heard (and never heard since) stations. Truly a unique experience! Similarly, I've noticed over the years that a fortunate confluence of factors (low atmospheric noise/anomalous D-layer formation) during the last week of June and/or the first week of July sometimes occurs whereby nighttime-like reception occurs during midday. Reminding DXers of these DX opportunities might be worthwhile (Gerry Thomas, FL, 19 May, NRC Forum via DXLD) SOLAR ACTIVITY FORECAST FOR THE PERIOD MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2012 Activity level: very low to low Radio flux (10.7 cm): a fluctuation in the range 100-125 f.u. Flares: class C (0-8/day), class M (0-1/period), class X (0/period), proton (0/period) Relative sunspot number: in the range 35-100 Astronomical Institute, Solar Dept., Ondrejov, Czech Republic e-mail: sunwatch(at)asu.cas.cz (RWC Prague) GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST FOR THE PERIOD MAY 25 - JUNE 15, 2012 Geomagnetic field will be: Quiet on May 27 - 28, 31, June 1, 10 - 11. Mostly quiet on May 29, June 2, 13. Quiet to unsettled on May 25 - 26, June 3, 9, 14 - 15. Quiet to active on May 30, June 4, 6, 8, 12. Active on June 5 and 7. High probability of changes in solar wind which may cause changes in magnetosphere and ionosphere is expected on May 30 - 31 and June 5. F. K. Janda, OK1HH, Czech Propagation Interest Group (OK1HH & OK1MGW) e-mail: ok1hh(at)rsys.cz (via Dario Monferini, May 24, DXLD) P.I.G. BULLETIN 120527 Solar & Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period May 28 - June 21 Solar activity will fluctuate about present level, later will increase in subrange 110 - 150 s.f.u., accompanied by irregular occurence of C class and occasionally M class eruptions. Probability of X class flares will be very low, later will increase to low. Geomagnetic field will be: Quiet on May 28, June 2, 11 - 12. Mostly quiet on May 29, June 14, 18. Quiet to unsettled on June 3 - 4, 10, 15 - 16, 20 - 21. Quiet to active on May 30, June 1, 5, 8 - 9, 13, 17. Active on June 6 - 7, 19. High probability of changes in solar wind which may cause changes in magnetosphere and ionosphere is expected on June 4 - 7 and 17 - 18. F. K. Janda, OK1HH, Czech Propagation Interest Group (OK1HH & OK1MGW, weekly forecasts since 1978) e-mail: ok1hh(at)rsys.cz (via Dario Monferini, May 27, DXLD) BIG VHF/UHF TROPO OPENING, MEXICO TO NORTHERN ILLINOIS It will take some time to get everything compiled but i have added 17 new DTVs including KHCE-DT-16 San Antonio at 882 mi. Also XHCNL-34 analog, and the ch. 22, from Monterrey at 1161 mi. The ch. 34 has been in for a couple of hours. Also a few other unIDed SS stations. More later. 73, (Jeff Kadet, Macomb, IL, May 26, WTFDA via DXLD) NEW DTV PICS http://oldtvguides.com/New%20DTVs/ Using the Diamond VC500 for scans now. Still working on the DX report. Looks like 8 Mexicans were IDed. All of the Monterrey offsets matched. Also XHOR-14z plus a few other unIDs. A TV Azteca-7 is coming in on channel 2 right now (by Es ;-). Ants: Vertically polarized CM1110 @ 12' Horizontally polarized CM1110 @ 80' 73, (Jeff Kadet, Macomb, IL, ibid.) THIS MORNING'S DX, TIMES IN UTC May26 05:04 Tr KERA-DT-14 Dallas 646 mi May26 05:13 Tr KTXA-DT-29 Dallas 646 mi DTV #599 May26 05:33 Tr KPXJ-DT-21 Minden, LA 567 mi May26 05:54 Tr KYTX-DT-18 Nacogdoches, TX 640 mi DTV #600 Woo Hoo!!! May26 06:15 Tr KTMD-DT-48 Galveston, TX 800 mi May26 06:17 Tr KSLA-DT-17 Shreveport, LA 567 mi DTV #601 May26 06:19 Tr KTVE-DT-27 Ed Dorado, AR 513 mi May26 06:35 Tr KCEB-DT-51 Longview, TX 614 mi DTV #602 May26 06:41 Tr KAZD-DT-39 Lake Dallas, TX 646 mi DTV #603 May26 06:46 Tr KETK-DT-22 Jacksonville, TX 635 mi DTV #604 May26 06:46 Tr KTAL-DT-15 Texarkana, TX 554 mi May26 06:55 Tr KHBS-21/40 displacing Louisiana from earlier 432 mi May26 07:00 Tr KBTX-DT-50 Bryan, 747 mi TX DTV #605 May26 07:01 Tr KMSS-DT-34 Shreveport DTV 568 mi #606 May26 07:12 Tr KOET-DT-31 Eufaula, OK 445 mi DTV #607 May26 07:27 Tr KDTX-DT-45 Dallas TBN 646 mi DTV #608 May26 07:28 Tr KDTN-DT-43 Denton, TX 649 mi DTV #609 May26 07:30 Tr KSTR-DT-48 Irving, TX 649 mi May26 07:33 Tr KMPX-DT-30 Dallas 646 mi DTV #610 May26 07:39 Tr KXII-DT-12 Sherman, TX 557 mi DTV #611 May26 07:43 Tr KVUE-DT-33 Austin, TX 807 mi DTV #612 May26 07:48 Tr analog unID SS-22z May26 08:01 Tr KZFW-LP-6 w/SS singing. 646 mi analog #1938 May26 08:02 Tr analog SS on ch. 4- to Dallas. May26 08:12 Tr that Channel 4 is Minus offset, and they just ran a couple ads mentioning PESOS May26 08:14 Tr KAKW-DT-13 Killeen, TX 787 mi DTV #613 May26 08:19 Tr KHCE-DT-16 San Antonio, TX 882 mi, my new DTV tropo record DTV #614 May26 08:58 Tr KXTX-DT-40 Dallas 646 mi May26 09:09 Tr XHCNL "TELEVISA MONTERREY" just ID'ed on 34!!!!!!! Big Sig. 1161 mi in for hours analog #1939 May26 09:09 Tr XEFB-2- Monterrey, NL 1161 mi first by tropo XHWX-4- Monterrey, NL BIG Signal 1161 mi in for hours first by tropo XET-6+ Monterrey, NL 1161 mi first by tropo XHX-10+ Monterrey, NL 1161 mi analog #1940 XHAW-12z Monterrey, NL 1161 mi analog #1941 XHMOY-22z Monterrey, NL Big Sig 1161 mi in for hours analog #1942 XHOR-14z Matamoros, TAM 1080 mi analog #1943 (all of the Monterrey signals were on the correct offsets and were coming in at the same time from the same direction) 73, (Jeff Kadet, Macomb, IL, May 26, WTFDA via DXLD) See also DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to minor storm levels during the period. Mostly quiet levels occurred on 21 May. Activity increased to quiet to active levels on 22 May. A further increase to quiet to minor storm levels occurred on 23 May. Activity decreased to quiet to unsettled levels during 24 - 25 May with brief active to minor storm periods at high latitudes. Mostly quiet levels occurred during 26 - 27 May. The increased activity during 22 - 25 May was associated with a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS). ACE solar wind data indicated a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) on 22 May in advance of the CH HSS. Associated with the CIR were increased IMF Bt (peak 14 nT) and intermittent periods of southward IMF Bz (maximum deflections to -11 nT). The CH HSS commenced on 23 May as wind speeds increased to around 700 km/s. The CH HSS began to gradually subside on 24 May. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 28 MAY - 23 JUNE 2012 Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels during the period with a chance for M-class activity during 30 May through 13 June due to the return of old Region 1476 (N10, L=180, class/area Fkc/1050 on 09 May). A chance for a greater than 10 MeV proton event at geosynchronous orbit exists from 30 May through 13 June due to the return of old Region 1476. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels during 28 - 29 May, 06 - 12 June, and 20 - 23 June in response to recurrent CH HSS effects. Normal to moderate levels are expected during the rest of the period. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels during most of the period. There is a chance for isolated active periods during 4 - 5 June and again during 18 - 19 June due to recurrent CH HSS effects. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2012 May 28 1305 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center # Product description and SWPC contact on the Web # http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2012-05-28 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2012 May 28 110 5 2 2012 May 29 110 5 2 2012 May 30 110 8 3 2012 May 31 105 5 2 2012 Jun 01 105 5 2 2012 Jun 02 110 5 2 2012 Jun 03 115 8 3 2012 Jun 04 120 15 4 2012 Jun 05 120 12 3 2012 Jun 06 120 10 3 2012 Jun 07 120 8 3 2012 Jun 08 120 5 2 2012 Jun 09 120 5 2 2012 Jun 10 120 5 2 2012 Jun 11 120 5 2 2012 Jun 12 120 8 3 2012 Jun 13 120 8 3 2012 Jun 14 120 5 2 2012 Jun 15 120 5 2 2012 Jun 16 115 5 2 2012 Jun 17 115 5 2 2012 Jun 18 115 15 4 2012 Jun 19 110 12 3 2012 Jun 20 110 8 3 2012 Jun 21 110 5 2 2012 Jun 22 110 5 2 2012 Jun 23 110 5 2 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1619, DXLD) ###