DX LISTENING DIGEST 17-18, May 3, 2017 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 2017 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html [also linx to previous years] 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 1876 CONTENTS: *DX and station news about: Alaska, Albania non, Antarctica, Argentina non, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada and non, Colombia, Congo and non, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Iran and non, Italy, Korea South, North America, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Turkey, USA, Vanuatu, Vietnam SHORTWAVE AIRINGS of WORLD OF RADIO 1876, May 4-10, 2017 Thu 2130 WRMI 11580 [confirmed] Thu 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB [confirmed] Fri 2230 WRMI 11580 [confirmed] Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB [confirmed] Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sat 1431 HLR 7265-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio [confirmed, UTwente] Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB [confirmed] Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v-AM Area 51 Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 9455 Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 9455 Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 9455 Wed 1315 WRMI 9955 Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB 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 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS: Tnx to Dr Harald Gabler and the Rhein-Main Radio Club. http://www.rmrc.de/index.php/rmrc-audio-plattform/podcast/glenn-hauser-wor ALTERNATIVE PODCASTS, tnx Stephen Cooper: http://shortwave.am/wor.xml ANOTHER PODCAST ALTERNATIVE, tnx to Keith Weston: http://feeds.feedburner.com/GlennHausersWorldOfRadio NOW tnx to Keith Weston, also Podcasts via iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/glenn-hausers-world-of-radio/id1123369861 AND via Google Play Music: http://bit.ly/worldofradio 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 NOTE: I have *resolved* to make DXLD leaner, more selective, as I seriously need to reduce my workload, much of which has been merely editing gobs of material into presentable form. This makes it even more important to be a member of the DXLD yg for additional material which may not make it into weekly issues (gh) 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. 6100, 02.04.17 1532-1606, R. Afghanistan, Kabul, English: Comments, local songs and one by C.Dion, ID. At 1600 into Urdu with ID, TK, 35333 6100, 06.04.17 1533-1603, R. Afghanistan, Kabul, English: News, Comments. At 1539 "Waiting for Tonight" by J. López, Local songs. At 1600 into Urdu; 35333 (Antonello Napolitano, Taranto, Italy, DX Fanzine via DXLD) Reception of Radio Afghanistan External Service on April 28: 1530-1630 6100 YAK 100 kW / 125 deg to SoAs English/Urdu, weak to fair 1630-1730 6100 YAK 100 kW / 125 deg to SoAs Arabic/Russian, NO SIGNAL! http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/reception-of-radio-afghanistan-external.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA [and non]. From: Hansjoerg Biener Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2017 10:08 PM To: RDC-SMB-DRMinfo drminfo@uscg.mil Subject: [Non-DoD Source] US 170422 reception report Dear Sirs, when checking the short wave schedule of the BBC World Service in English, I came across a digital signal ruining reception of a BBC broadcast. With further research in this night session, I found out, that it might have been your transmission. My reference is an article at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mt-2Dmilcom.blogspot.de_2016_12_us-2Dcoast-2Dguard-2Dtesting-2Ddrm-2Djournaline.html&d=DwIFaQ&c=0NKfg44GVknAU-XkWXjNxQ&r=8U6kdwuz2VyLvyDllviBdQ&m=0nLB-nmoCia260wu7QJ00mKNTgq8RQZPLZTAjJEGVcs&s=Qrl4WUEc1kz_dZWP_OTf-xcfbZayQBUEZIw9MLLsS50&e= However, this article does not mention a broadcast scheduled on this frequency on the day concerned. So, this unintentional observation might even be worth a reception report, although I do not know how to report on a digital signal that I cannot decode. At least I have a time and frequency not scheduled. receiver: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__websdr.ewi.utwente.nl-3A8901_&d=DwIFaQ&c=0NKfg44GVknAU-XkWXjNxQ&r=8U6kdwuz2VyLvyDllviBdQ&m=0nLB-nmoCia260wu7QJ00mKNTgq8RQZPLZTAjJEGVcs&s=Ii2qlew1tSoHGqA8CLd-zmgSZNHvkvH_BNt5udvz_dY&e= (websdr of University of Twente/Enschede) date: 22 April 2017 time: after 1500 h UTC frequency: 12100 kHz my log for the BBC World Service transmissions of the past few days: 1500-1700: 12095 (100 kW, 19 ) 170417 1554 mittel 1633 mittel, 170421 1611 mittel, 170422 1500 von Digitalsendung unbrauchbar gemacht If this qualifies for the QSL card shown on the website mentioned, I would be happy to receive my first DRM QSL at the following address: Prof. Dr. Hansjoerg Biener Neulichtenhofstr. 7 DE-90461 Nuernberg Germany Kind regards, Hj. Biener Prof. Dr. Hansjoerg Biener - Neulichtenhofstr. 7 - DE-90461 Nuernberg (via Biener, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) ----- Weitergeleitete Message ----- Von: RDC-SMB-DRMinfo An: Hansjoerg Biener Gesendet: 17:40 Dienstag, 2.Mai 2017 Betreff: RE: [Non-DoD Source] US 170422 reception report Dear Prof. Dr. Hansjoerg Biener, Thank you for submitting this reception report. The article you reference is a project being run by the USCG R&D Center. The goal of the effort is to evaluate Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) as a viable means to transmit navigation safety information in the Arctic. The field test began in October 2016 with transmissions from Kodiak, AK. We have authorization to use 10 different frequencies. We use one frequency for two to three days and then move on to the next. We will continue frequency changes until the end of the test in Oct 2017. Looking back at our data for 04/22/17 we were transmitting at 12100 MHz [sic] which is very close to the BBC World Service in English West Africa broadcast frequency of 12095. We are also experimenting with antennas and had recently switched transmitting antennas from a TCI530 to TCI550. Maybe this combination caused this interference. If this happens again, please let us know. I would want to include these findings in the final report of this study. Again, thank you for reaching out to us with your reception report. Regards, Irene Gonin Irene M. Gonin 1-860-271-2694 USCG R&D Center 1 Chelsea Street New London, CT 06320 (via Biener, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) ** ALASKA. 11765, KNLS-Anchor Point, at 1438, on 4/17/17, in English. A pop style song with several male singers is playing. The audio is very muddy with QRM from 11760 RHC. After the song ended at 1441 a brief musical interlude came on with a male announcer talking to a female and male speaker about politics in Washington. Poor (John Cooper, Lebanon PA, Winradio-G33DDC, CommRadio CR-1a, SDR-IQ, Grundig Satellit 750, Wellbrook ALA1530S+, Wellbrook ALA1530LNPro, Pars SWL Sloper, GAP-Hear It-In Line Module, May CIDX Messenger via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) A rarity to hear it much in the Lower 49, aimed toward Asia; KNLS English program hours axually easier to hear via their Madagascar station (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) ** ALBANIA. Neuer Sendeplan fuer Radio Tirana in Deutsch. Nach dem Sendeende auf Mittel- und Kurzwelle am 15. April, hat Radio Tirana seinen Femdsprachendienst bei komplett neu organisiert. Deutschsprachige Sendungen kommen jetzt Mo- Sa 1630, 1800, und 1930 UT, sowie Di-So 0330, 0530, 0900, und 1200 Uhr UT Weltzeit. Mi/Fr bzw. Do/Sa wird die Hoererpost aufgegriffen (Alexander Busneag, Germany, via Prof. Dr. Hansjoerg Biener, Germany, April 26, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews, BC-DX 29 April via DXLD) Glenn, Thanks for putting Christian in touch re Tirana. We have worked out the technical details. Do you think 2300 UTC on 5850 would be good? (Jeff White, WRMI, April 26, WORLD OF RADIO 1875, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Jeff, If you can confirm a time and start date (daily except Sundays?), I can mention it on upcoming WOR. So that would replace the AWR Cuba broadcast? 5850 should be good as far as here, but that early in the summer, 7570 would reach further across the continent {and overcome storm noise better}. I assume we are talking about Tirana`s English broadcast only (Glenn to Jeff, via DXLD) Well, we could start with 5850 at 2300 and then see what becomes available. Yes, it would replace AWR Cuba at that hour. I don't know which day we will start yet, but I will coordinate this with Christian. Maybe May 1. Yes, English only, Monday-Saturday (Jeff White, April 26, WORLD OF RADIO 1875, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Since R. Tirana can no longer broadcast on SW direct from Albania, glad that a relay via WRMI is being arranged, something I have been advocating since last year (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1875, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WRMI TO BEGIN RELAY OF RADIO TIRANA Recently Radio Tirana in Albania ended its broadcasts on shortwave. Radio Tirana's programs were legendary during the years of the Cold War, when it was one of the strongest signals on the shortwave bands. Its programming is entirely different now in a free Albania, but the signal was quite poor in recent years, at least in the Americas. Now, WRMI will be relaying Radio Tirana's daily English program Monday-Saturday at 2300 UTC on 5850 kHz to North America, beginning today, April 27, 2017 (WRMI fb via gh, DXLD) Great, so you can bet I am tuned in to 5850 at 2259 UT April 27: after Biermann ID, dead air! 2305 can hear some barely audible music fill, then fades up, a World Music song in Spanish at 2308. By 2313 mostly DA, strength S9+5 to S9+15 vs local line noise level. As I had told Jeff, 7 MHz would be better: the BS frequencies, 7570 at S9+35, 7730 with S9+30. Still music at 2317 when I give up on 5850. Later heard from Jeff. He`s getting the audio files uploaded by Christian Milling who has already aired them at 1900 UT on Shortwaveservice 6005 Kall, Germany. There is something wrong, or incompatible, with this mp2 audio file. I download it too and altho some modulation is showing on the Winamp meter, nothing at all can be heard. No doubt they`ll get this corrected for subsequent broadcasts (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) R Tirana via WRMI as monitored via Perseus SDR on 4/27 in MA at 2320 was only carrier, no audio - audio appeared suddenly at 2324 with nice signal. Heard from SDR in Edmonton AB at 2330 with S2 signal (Bruce W. Churchill, 2491 Palo Vista Rd., Fallbrook, CA 92028-9690, Tel: +01 (760) 731-9707, Email: brucechurchill61@gmail.com, SWDXer since 1952, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) By :24 minutes into the broadcast, R. Tirana is normally playing music, so not clear whether he was hearing that or some WM from Okeechobee (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5850, April 28 at 2258, no signal from WRMI-12 (nor 5950, WRMI-14, both off?). 5850 does not cut on until *2301.5, joining in progress new R. Tirana relay in English. Such are the risks of being the first program on any transmission. Now I`m hearing Tirana better than I have in well over a year, before their own Shijak transmitter starting malfunxioning but still remained on air for a year. Yet it`s far from perfect as the 5850 signal at S9+20 is not enough to overcome the S6 noise level. There is also fading, and the accent of the announcers which makes for readability of R4 at best. I make detailed log notes for this auspicious occasion, which was supposed to be yesterday but the audio file then did not come thru with modulation. Clara with news in progress, 2304 mid-ID, Italian resort venture in Albania, Tirana mayor on 9 megaeuro to be spent on student dorms; 2308 livestock(?) exports growing. 2309 theme and next segment press review: negotiations re EU and Albania; documents re elexion standards; something about a joint operation with Montenegro police, in SELEC = Southeast Europe Law Enforcement Centre. 2314 announcement of the times for English on webcast, 7x [sic] via http://www.rtsh.al/radio-tirana-3 --- something I had not heard about before, in local time but here I convert to UT: 2200, 0130, 0600, 0830, 1130, 1600, 1800; and 1900 (also?) on SW 6005 [Kall, Germany; no mention yet of WRMI relay]. 2315 `Albania and the European Integration Process` now switched to OM announcer, something about Croatia. 2317.5 introducing 4 songs of `Albanian Hits` first titled ``I Have You`` or something like that; #2 at 2321:20; #3 (or #4?) at 2325:30; 2327:50 quick sign-off and playing IS seven times and a fraxion until 2329:30 cut to Okeechobee-song ID. Reception improved slightly by 2315, but unfortunately this is an all- daytime path on 5 MHz band which requires night or semi-night for best (or any) propagation. Okeechobee sunset is circa 0000 UT and edging later for a couple months more. Too bad this is not on 7 or 9 MHz band if the time must be 2300. But it`s a start! Welcome back, Radio Tirana, to a North American audience. Now that we can hear the programming, so far it`s too heavy on ``official`` news content, i.e. government-related, but at least it`s Albanian, not bothering with world news which is available everywhere. A complete English program schedule would be handy, but I find only one in Albanian at https://rtsh.al/programi-radio-tirana/ (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5850 kHz_USA_RMI_relay_of Radio Tirana English Saturday broadcast, 29 Apr 2017, at 2302-2303 UT. 1 Files 313KB MP3 [attached to original mail] 5850_USA_RMI_Okeechobee_Relay_R_Tirana_English_170429_2302UT.mp3 S=9+5 dB signal on remote SDR unit in Massachusetts-US east coast. 73 (wolfie df5sx wwdxc, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thank you Wolfie. We are still considering possibly changing the time and frequency (Jeff White, WRMI, ibid.) R Tirana Programme Schedule With the new Monday to Saturday relays of R Tirana (1900 UT on 6005 kHz via Shortwave Service and 2300 UT on 5850 kHz via WRMI), here is a rough guide to their daily programmes: Daily: News, then Press Review (mo-fr) or Mosaic of the Week (sa) Mo: Albania in a Week, Cultural Activities, Sport Tu: Interview/Comment (Albania, elections and EU integration) We: Albania and the EU Integration Process; Hits Through the Years Th: Albanian Economy and Facts; Around Albania Fr: Profile Sa: Tourism/Cultural items; Folk Traditional Music Additional music items appear between features, and to end the programme (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, May 1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5850, Monday May 1 at 2300, again NO signal from WRMI for the R. Tirana relay, but cuts on, joining news in progress at *2301:46.5. Same thing happened April 29 (and not checked April 30; no Sunday May 1 broadcast). It`s not like a quick change has to be made by this transmitter from another frequency, as nothing is scheduled on it for hours before 2300. Must not be starting to warm it up soon enough. No Clara but the OM is doing the broadcast today, some news item about Macedonian elexion; then something about Grand Valley State University and the mayor of Tirana; 2306.5 press review. Good on the PL-880. Retune at 2320 about the Ministry of Culture; 2323 brief Sports Roundup of some scores; 2324 unannounced song; 2327:45 station theme; 2328:30 IS plays four times and a fraxion before the 2329:30 Okeechobee song WRMI ID (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ALBANIA/GERMANY/USA: Radio Tirana ceased shortwave broadcasts from its Shijak transmitter site at the end of March 2017. [no, it was much earlier, only formally on March 31 --- gh] This, however, doesn't mean that its foreign language service has stopped, too! They continue to distribute programmes in English, German, French, Italian, Greek, Serbian and Turkish (All broadcasts 30 minutes except Greek and Serbian 15 minutes) via their website at: https://rtsh.al/radio-tirana-3/ Monday to Saturday, according to the following schedule: All times CET (Central European Time, UTC +2 in April-October, UTC +1 in November- March) [to denote the times are NOT UT, I leave in the colons, while UT in all cases should be written without colons: I have to keep removing them from some contributors --- gh] English: 18:00-18:30, 22:00-22:30, 00:00-00:30, 03:30-04:00, 08:00- 08.30, 10:30-11:00, 13:30-14:00. Italian: 19:00-19:30, 21:00-21:30, 23:00-23:30, 02:30-03:00, 06:30- 07:00, 11:30-12:00, 14:30-15:00. German: 18:30-19:00, 20:00-20:30, 21:30-22:00, 05:30-06:00, 07:30- 08:00, 11:00-11:30, 14:00-14:30. French: 19:30-20:00, 23:00-00:00, 03:00-03:30, 07:00-07:30, 12:00- 12:30, 15:00-15:30. Turkish: 20:30-21:00, 00:30-01:00, 06:00-06:30, 08:30-09:00, 12:30- 13:00, 15:30-16:00. Greek: 17:45-18:00, 22:45-23:00, 02:00-02:15, 10:15-10:30 13:15-13:30. Serbian: 17:30-17:45, 22:30-22:45, 02:15-02:30, 10:00-10:15. But that is not all: Thanks to Christian Milling of shortwaveservice.com and Jeff White of WRMI, some transmissions of Radio Tirana are also relayed on shortwaves via Kall Krekel in Germany and Okeechobee in the USA. Here is the schedule (Times in UT). Monday to Saturday to Europe, on 6005 kHz via Kall Krekel: 1800-1830 in Italian, 1830-1900 in French, 1900-1930 in English, 1930-2000 in German (This also on 3985 kHz). Monday to Friday to North America, on 5950 [sic; NO! it`s 5850 --- gh] kHz, via WRMI in Okeechobee: 2300-2330 in English (Antonello Napolitano, Taranto, ITALY, April DX Fanzine via DXLD) The quality of reception of the new Radio Tirana broadcasts over ShortwaveService on 6005 kHz as monitored on several days last week using the U. Twente SDR receiver varied day to day from poor to quite good. On some days, the audio was choppy but it was not known if this reflected the original audio (delivered in real-time over a terrestrial or satellite link or just an mp3 file?) or due to an excessive number of SDR users (over 700!) -- likely the latter. Along with the Radio Tirana external service -- Radio Tirana 3 -- website http://www.rtsh.al/radio-tirana-3/ the frequency of 6005 kHz was also mentioned during the broadcasts. Perhaps the WRMI frequency has now been added too? On the Radio Tirana 3 website, the schedule for the streaming service in various languages is given. I've sorted it by UT in the list below. Note there is an error on the website for the last French broadcast of the day. Also, note that the SW broadcasts are not parallel to the streamed broadcasts. During the times that the foreign languages are not being streamed, it appears that Albanian programming is streamed. The music included in all of the broadcasts, as mentioned by Alan Roe, is quite enjoyable. These should be the correct U times now: 0000-0015 Greek 0015-0030 Serbian 0030-0100 Italian 0100-0130 French 0130-0200 English 0330-0400 German 0400-0430 Turkish 0430-0500 Italian 0500-0530 French 0530-0600 German 0600-0512 English 0630-0700 Turkish 0800-0815 Serbian 0815-0830 Greek 0830-0900 English 0900-0930 German 0930-1000 Italian 1000-1030 French 1030-1100 Turkish 1115-1130 Greek 1130-1200 English 1200-1230 German 1230-1300 Italian 1300-1330 French 1330-1400 Turkish 1530-1545 Serbian 1545-1600 Greek 1600-1630 English 1630-1700 German 1700-1730 Italian 1730-1800 French 1800-1830 German 1830-1900 Turkish 1900-1930 Italian 1930-2000 German 2000-2030 English 2030-2045 Serbian 2045-2100 Greek 2100-2200 French <-- Error? Possibly 2130-2200 2100-2130 Italian 2200-2230 English 2230-2300 Turkish Thanks, again, Alan (Richard Langley, NB, May 2, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5850, Tuesday May 2 at 2300, WRMI carrier is already on in time for R. Tirana relay but I don`t get away from the computer noise until 2301 when the program preview is spoken on F-G signal: Cultural Activities, and Sports Roundup. Oh oh, that`s the Monday lineup, so this is a playback of 24 hours ago instead of a new file! News about the Macedonian elexion, and the mayor of Tirana getting an honorary degree from Grand Valley State University in the USA. Never heard of it, until yesterday on RTSH3, so this time I look up where it is: Allendale MI 49401, west of Grand Rapids. I find their site and search on Tirana to find what the Albanian connexion is: http://www.gvsu.edu/polisci/ir/module-events-view.htm?siteModuleId=693605DC-A206-4920-AF7EE2DA88F330EB&eventId=E16C8013-E727-92E4-E43D616FEAFCC0D0 ``Join current GVSU President Tom Haas, his wife Marcia, and other GVSU alumni in Tirana, Albania on 13 May, 2017. Fellow GVSU alumni are eager to welcome you to the lovely capital city of Albania, Tirana, including: Erion Veliaj (B.A., 2002), the current Mayor of Tirana Eglantina Gjermeni (MSW, 1997), current Minister of Urban Development Last summer, Erion Veliaj (PLS ’02) was elected mayor of Tirana, Albania’s capital city. The Tirana municipality is Albania’s largest, with a population of over 800,000. Before becoming mayor, Eri was a member of the Albanian parliament and the Minister of Social Welfare and Youth in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Edi Rama`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5850, May 3 at 2319 quick check of R. Tirana via WRMI, during music. Back to my WORLD OF RADIO 1876 recording. Hope they had a new program on today unlike the May 1 one repeated on May 2 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALGERIA [non]. FRANCE, Reception of Télédiffusion d'Algérie via TDF on May 1: 2000-2058 on 9655 ISS 500 kW / 162 deg to CEAf Arabic Holy Qur`an pgm 2000-2013 on 12060 ISS 500 kW / 194 deg to NWAf French news bulletin 2013-2058 on 12060 ISS 500 kW / 194 deg to NWAf Arabic Nat. Chaîne 1 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/05/reception-of-telediffusion-dalgerie-via.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, B`lgariya, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. 15475.97, LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, 1905-1920, 26-04, Spanish, female voice, comments, songs. Very weak, best on USB. 14321 (Manuel Méndez, Logs in Lugo, Spain, Sony ICF SW-7600G, cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15475.97, LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, 1902, 28-04 [Friday], Spanish, female comments. identification by male at 1927: "Desde Base Esperanza, Antártida Argentina, transmite LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel", female comments, ID by female at 2002: "Desde Base Esperanza, sector antártico argentino, ... grados latitud sur, ... grados, longitud oeste..., transmite LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, por la frecuencia de 15476 kHz, banda de 19 metros. Vd puede sintonizarnos de lunes a viernes de 15 a 18 horas, 18 a 21 UTC", female, comment about Buenos Aires ?neighborhood Recoleta: "disfrute de sus platos, las empanadas autóctonas...". At first audible only on USB but later clearly audible on normal AM. 14321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Friol, Tecsun PL-880, Sangean ATS-909X, cable antenna 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) mp3 file of my yesterday LRA 36 log, 5 minutes, Download: https://ufile.io/24vc4 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Apr 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15475.97, LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, 1900-1950, 01-05 [Monday], female comments, songs. Very weak today, barely audible and only on USB. 14321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante, Tecsun PL-880, Sangean ATS-909X, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. Re: ``Radio Selva, Partido de la Matanza, Buenos Aires, heard on 1709.805 kHz at 0506 UTC on 21 March (Fredrik Dourén, Arctic Radio Club mv-eko 10 April via DXLD) Identified as ”Radio Selva AM 1710” at 0431 on 25 March when frequency measured at 1709.814 (AN, Arctic Radio Club mv-eko 27 March via World of Radio 1875, DXLD)`` I am hearing this quite regularly at Mangawhai – frequency was 1709.833 on 29 April (Bryan Clark, NZ, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA [non]. WRMI TO BEGIN RELAYS OF RAE ARGENTINA --- As of May 2, 2017, WRMI is pleased to begin relaying the daily programs in English and Spanish from RAE (Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior, Argentina to the World) Monday-Friday. RAE is the foreign service of Argentine National Radio from Buenos Aires. Relay schedule will be: SPANISH: Monday to Friday 2200 to 2300 UT on 5950 kHz **Vía WRMI ENGLISH: Tuesday to Saturday UT 0100 to 0200 UT on 9395 **Vía WRMI ATTENTION: Reception reports for these transmissions that are sent to RAE via postal mail will be confirmed with a special numbered QSL card. WRMI Radio Miami International (WRMI FB April 27 via DXLD 17-17, WORLD OF RADIO 1876) Argentina relay imminent --- Debut of the RAE relay in English via WRMI 9395 at 0100-0200 UT Tue-Fri is imminent Listen how/if they cover today`s demonstration by the Madres en Blanco (which made BBC World News anyway) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_of_the_Plaza_de_Mayo (Glenn Hauser, OK, 0022 UT May 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Glenn, Argentina English via WRMI is weak to fair to sometimes strong on 9395, clear ID and also mention of the two frequencies for Spanish 5950 and English 9395 kHz. Received into Montreal tonight. 73 (Gilles Letourneau, 0105 UT May 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9395, UT Tue May 2 at 0035, this WRMI in Oldies, ID as ``world-band radio``, fair signal S9+20 before I turn computer noise off. At 0100 without computer it`s good at S9+10. Just after 0100, the WRMI ID, and then smoothly into début of RAE relay in English to North America (but does another bit o` Biermann interrupt just as I am distracted by the doorbell?). RAE opens with multilingual IDs in: Spanish, Chinese, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, German, Spanish again. Plugs American 641+ phone number to hear RAE. OM announcer is very informal with accent. 0102 mentions new SW relays via Florida, 5950 in Spanish M-F at 22-23 (which I didn`t check, but it`s been extremely weak here), and 9395 in English Tue-Sat 01-02 (this is on 355 degree antenna so should be even better further east from here). Offers QSL to the P O Box 555 address. Annoying music bed is playing thruout this talk. 0104 news headlines, and MLID#2; 0105 Congolese official visits US (really?); about Human Rights and Red Cross and the Malvinas (more below); economy fell 2.2% in February; MLID#3. 0106 Pres. Macri visited companies in Texas, including Dow Chemical. HR/Red Cross from Geneva to visit Malvinas to identify remains of 123 Argentine soldiers buried there anonymously. Arg. meat exports to Europe are growing. Economy fell 2.2% in Feb. Investments in tourism sector for 200 hotels amount to 2.2 billion (?) pesos. Presidential trip to Japan confirmed for May 18. 0109 MLID#4, then switch to YL who speaks English better for an interview with a ``great writer and journalist, Andrew Graham Ewell``, ``good morning``. He speaks with a British accent, but lived in Argentina as a teen, left in 1976 but always wanted to come ``home``, but the war in 1982 intervened. Discussing the Malvinas; what about those still living there? Would they ever become half-Argentine? It may take another 35-year [sic] generation. He thinks the islands should be Argentine, but are not. 0121 YL wraps up the interview, which thankfully dispensed with an annoying music bed. MLID#5. Song in Spanish. 0126 MLID#6; plug the 641-552-#### phone number, only once, (and the full Audio-Now number has been published in DXLD before). Adds that soon will be available in Mexico and Canada, and also Brasil in Portuguese, Spanish. 0127 MLID#7; 0128 Spanish song introduced by speech. 0132, outro title as ``Upside Down –something`, and before that ``Poison Magic``; MLID#8. 0133 segment on Science & Technology, by same guy as with news and he has to bring up the annoying music bed again. About SF authors and a book fair which started April 27. Ray Bradbury attended in 1997 & 2001. About books that anticipated inventions and creations. Jonathan Swift about the moons of Mars not discovered until 1877; automatic doors predicted in 1899. Aldous Huxley on reproductive technology, genetic manipulation; Orwell`s 1984 on surveillance. 1969 TV on demand predicted, came true in 2010; cyborg mechanical legs in 1972, now transplants; Jules Verne Nautílus submarine, later by Spanish navy; Martian Chronicles; Borges on artificial intelligence, virtual reality, internet. Beer industry is growing, depends on imported yeast. This feature was co-written by Arnaldo Slaen (DXer who also does the DX program). 0141 MLID#9; 0142 ``Mano a Mano`` by Julio Sosa; 0145 another song, instrumental; 0148 MLID#10; YL song ``Lonely Willow Tree``, and before it ``Life of a Match``(?), and before that ``Eden`` by Julio Sosa. 0151 MLID#11. 0152 headlines with music bed: Pres visits TX companies; HR delegation to ID Malvinas bodies; Economy down 2.2% in Feb. 0153 MLID#12, reminding WRMI SW sked ``while we fix our own equipment`` [except before it broke it was hard to hear; should keep WRMI relays anyway]. 0155 announcer IDs self as ``Fernando Varías(?), have come to the end of program``, no IS (their traditional one has been dispensed with?), into instrumental music and 0156 ``Nothing but a Heartache`` by Bonnie Tyler, no ID at 0200 TOH, and then ``Wipeout`` by The Ventures, and tune-out. I seriously suspect the last two were back to WRMI Oldies, not RAE ATTW, tho no announcements of a transition. RAE`s music breaks were pleasant enough, and the topix interesting, altho the news items were rather repetitive, and did NOT include today`s big demonstrations by the Madres en Blanco at La Plaza de Mayo, which did make the BBC World News. The dozen plays of the multi- lingual ID loop were extremely excessive, crutch! Please desist. Turkey has an even longer loop with many more languages but they don`t play it a dozen times an hour, maybe only once or twice? Also I wonder if the Malvinas will be a subject of every broadcast like The Cuban Five were for many years on RHC? This has been my detailed log for this auspicious occasion, not to be repeated, as 01-02 UT has a lot of competition for my monitoring attention, but it`s great to have RAE available on SW again! Shortly later I copied the above to their online reception report form http://www.radionacional.com.ar/informe-de-recepcion-reception-report/ but it seems they will send a numbered QSL only for postal report (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11580, USA, RAE (via WRMI) at 2015 with a man welcoming listeners to “RAE - Argentina to the world” mentioning the relay via WRMI followed by multilingual IDs and into folk music - Very Good May 1 11580, USA, AWR (via WRMI) at 2056 with the end of “Wavescan” with Jeff White giving contact info – Very Good May 1 (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) Unpublicized time & frequency for RAE! Are there others?? On the skedgrid for Monday 2000-2030 on 11580 is Radio Panorama, the Russian DX program. If Wavescan started at 2030, then only half of the Argentine hour would have aired! (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) Or maybe it was just a clip during R Panorama? (gh) 11580, May 2 at 2007, on the BST-1 caradio and later on the R75, WRMI with ``Jazz [from the Left]`` as scheduled. Checking because on Monday May 1, Mark Coady in Ontario was hearing an unexpected prepeat of the new RAE relay (instead of Russian DX program Radio Panorama), but before 2100 he says 11580 was back to Wavescan. 9395, May 3 at 0112 I tune in late to the next RAE ATTW relay, but just in time to hear an interview with the director of the station, Adrián Korol in Spanish, by Fernando in English, and then translating his answers. It`s as if today is the first day of the new SW relays rather than the second day. Summarizing: Several thank-yous to Jeff White, manager of WRMI for the new relays at 100 kW. Waiting on repairing own transmitter, as they want to get the other 6 languages back on the air. Once it`s back, they will evaluate whether also to continue via WRMI, but they do have all these other platforms now, podcasts, phone. Any program content changes? Actualidad DX in all languages on Fridays. New feature will be ``Argentines that Touch the World``, not only famous ones like some soccer player, Pope Francis, Che Guevara, but lesser-known ones. Now seems they have modified QSL policy. Special numbered QSLs will be sent not only for postal reports, but for e-reports if an mp3 sample of reception is attached, or link to a YT clip, etc. (So I still don`t qualify, and no reply at all to my yesterday`s report I copied onto their form; altho a lot fewer multilingual ID crutches heard tonight.) 0126 the interview ends, MLID#1 that I hear but there may have been several more in the first dodekaminute I missed; song; 0132 MLID#2; 0133 YL with long feature on Jaime Torres, ``the magician of the charango``, about him and the instrument originating in the Andes, provinces of Salta and Jujuy, lots of such music but mostly talked over including old interviews with Torres, and translated. He was born 1938 in Bolivia but grew up in Bs As; 0136-0141 longest uninterrupted music; 0141 El Condor Pasa played and discussed; 0149 closing credits for feature, more music. 0152 news headlines: labor day, US does something, tourism industry earns 1,440 megapesos (with inflation I have no idea what that amounts to, but probably less than it seems.) 0153 MLID#3, wrapup transmission, plug USA phone number once, 641-####-8099 at local call cost. Announcer name now sounds like Fernando Farrías, and credits sound engineer Jorge Falcón. I hunt for correct spelling of station staff names, but do not find any of them at http://www.radionacional.com.ar/rae-argentina-al-mundo/ which BTW I easily reached via Alan Roe`s updated Hitlist. This time at 0155 a BB WRMI ID, clearly marking end of RAE and transition back to Oldies. Tonight I`ve been listening on the sufficient PL-880 with reelout clipon, while the NRD-545 is bandscanning for pirates and whatever else (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9395, USA, RAE relay via WRMI, 0146 UT May 3 with English program. Multi language IDs at 0153 S/off. There was mention of a special numbered QSL available from RAE. 0155 WRMI ID followed by pop music thru the hour. Very Good (Mick Delmage, Sherwood Park, AB, Perseus SDR, Wellbrook loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) El Director de RAE Argentina al Mundo, Adrian Korol, nos informa que la emisora de bandera de la República Argentina volvió a la onda corta y con QSL especial! (Arnaldo Slaen, RAE, 0843 UT May 2, condiglista yg via DXLD) DE RAE ARGENTINA AL MUNDO Wednesday, May 3, 2017 1:29 PM Querido Glenn Me tomo el atrevimiento de escribirte desde mi correo personal y en idioma español ya que durante muchísimos años fueron tantos los viernes en que te escuché hablar español por Radio Nederland, ya sea en el Espacio Diexista como en Radioenlace, que doy por aprobado tus conocimientos del idioma, y también sirve para que no pierdas la práctica. Fue fantástico recibir tu informe de recepcion por adelantado, es que las emisiones oficiales de RAE via el relay de WRMI comenzaron anoche (dia 2 de mayo en hora de Argentina y dia 3 en UTC) pero, a modo de prueba del sistema, el día anterior (cuando vos escuchaste y sobre la emisión que hiciste tu reporte) el querido Jeff White irradió como prueba un programa de la semana pasada que habíamos enviado al servidor FTP, durante los test previos. Por tal motivo es para mí un honor como histórico diexista que soy, además de Director de RAE, decir que la QSL ESPECIAL numero 001 de esta etapa de emisiones via relay es, nada más ni nada menos, para Glenn Hauser, uno de los Diexistas más serios y prestigiosos que conozco y, que a su vez junto a gente como Alfonso Montealegre y Jaime Báguena García, tanto tuvo que ver en mi interés, aprendizaje y primeros pasos en el mundo de la radio. Estimo que en un par de semanas saldrán despachadas por via postal las primeras QSL. Hemos recibido muy buena repercusión de la primera retransmisión oficial anoche, tanto en inglés como en español. Informes de recepción de distintos puntos de los EEUU, como de Reino Unido, Japón, Italia, México y Argentina incluyendo mp3 y videos. Como sabrás, el histórico transmisor de RAE en la planta de General Pacheco ha quedado fuera de servicio hace casi 3 meses y requiere dos válvulas nuevas, importadas y costosas. Ana Gerschenson, Directora Ejecutiva de Radio Nacional Argentina (de la cual depende RAE) ha sido y sigue siendo fundamental artífice de esta nueva etapa, en primer término en decidir apoyar la propia existencia de RAE, ya que en las dos décadas previas fue practicamente dejada de lado y sólo se mantuvo con vida gracias al trabajo de todo su equipo humano, pero al igual que muchos otros servicios pequeños o medianos, de radiodifusión internacional, fueron años de incertidumbre y estancamiento. Al asumir la nueva gestión se decidió un cambio, que es un verdadero desafío en lo que a RAE respecta y que es avanzar en LA PUESTA EN VALOR DEL SERVICIO. Cuántos medios en América Latina y España generan hoy contenidos en 8 idiomas (entre ellos el chino) como lo hace RAE? Ese es el punto de partida. Asumi como Director de RAE a mediados de febrero de este año con el transmisor fuera del aire. De a poco vamos trabajando en mejorar la calidad de los contenidos; también se iniciaron los trámites para la compra e importación de las dos válvulas que nos permitirán una vez terminado el proceso y realizados los ajustes técnicos, volver a emitir desde nuestra planta transmisora en las frecuencias tradicionales de RAE, al menos en 15345 y 11710. Asimismo si la experiencia con WRMI resulta postiva, manejamos la alternativa de continuar utilizando dicho servicio en forma paralela. Para RAE Argentina al Mundo es fundamental en esta etapa de convergencia analógico-digital, mantener emisiones en onda corta, así como avanzar en las nuevas tecnologias (rediseñamos nuestra web http://www.rae.com.ar y seguimos trabajando en su desarrollo), disponibilidad de streaming en los 8 idiomas las 24 horas del día, ofrecer contenidos en formato podcast (ya están muchos de ellos en iTunes y pasamos las 80.000 descargas lo cual para nosotros es un muy buen número) y hacer experiencias con aplicaciones propias y plataformas innovadoras como AudioNow, así como avanzar en acuerdos con emisoras asociadas en distintos países para retransmisión de contenidos propios. Asimismo nuestro equipo de idioma italiano estará presente en el próximo GRAND PRIX de la RAI, en Milano, Italia. No sólo concursando con 4 propuestas en el rubro RADIO, sino también, hemos sido invitados a integrar el JURADO en el rubro MUSICA / RADIO junto a otras 11 prestigiosas emisoras. El proyecto es 360 grados, la radio en todas sus formas, sin descartar ninguna. El verbo es integrar. Y para no perder la costumbre, un buen ciclo dedicado al DX, las comunicaciones y entornos digitales, los viernes en los 8 idiomas ACTUALIDAD DX.com.AR producido por Arnaldo Slaen (quien además es uno de los presentadores del ciclo en español, junto a Luis María Barassi) Acuerdo con tus opiniones, ese spot multilingüe debe ir una vez por hora como máximo, y muchas veces por costumbre y comodidad se convierte en el único "separador" cuando en verdad hay muchos otros ya editados y otros nuevos por realizar. Insistiremos en poder rotar de manera de no cansar con lo reiterativos. También te comento, como decía anteriormente, que el programa que escuchaste y reportaste es de la semana anterior, y que en los de esta semana, lógicamente, encontrarás noticias sobre los 40 años de Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo. También estamos preparando un programa especial con la historia de las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo. Querido Glenn, gracias por tu reporte, una alegría saber que mantenes vivo el fuego de la radio. 73 y DX Vos decias: "AMIGOS... HASTA JUNIO!" yo diré "AMIGO ...HASTA CADA MOMENTO". Un abrazo desde Buenos Aires, Adrián -- (Adrián Korol, Director, RAE Argentina al Mundo photo Tel: (+549) 1152789100 Int. 640 Movil: (+549) 1128531039 Web: http://www.rae.com.ar via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Querido Adrián, Muchísmas gracias por tu respuesta tan amable e inesperada. Me alegra saber que te acuerdas de mí desde hace tanto años en Radio Nederland. Voy a publicar lo escrito en todo, pero ya me refiero en inglés a su contenido que adjunto, y además mis informes siguientes. Gracias por explicar y responder a mis comentarios. Anticipo la llegada de la tarjeta QSL No. 001! 73, (Glenn to Adrián, via DXLD) Hello again, Glenn -- Congratulations in advance on receiving the first numbered QSL card issued by RAE for its experimental transmissions via WRMI! 73, (Brian, W9IND, D. Smith, May 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Brian, Where did you hear about the RAE QSL? I don`t think I had mentioned it yet. Tnx, (Glenn to Brian, via DXLD) Hi Glenn, Actually, I happened to find out about your #001 QSL from RAE because I've been in contact with the station staff. It started about a week ago when I sent them an email mentioning that I had a brief 1974 recording of an RAE broadcast on Archive.org, as well as a QSL card from the same era. They were excited to hear about it and asked if I'd submit photos of my QSL card and the shortwave radio I used back then, a Hallicrafters S-108 that I still own. Anyway, we got to talking about the special numbered QSL cards that they're offering for reception reports covering their new broadcasts via WRMI. I said I was hoping for a low number and they told me I'd be getting #002 -- right behind your #001! I was fine with that outcome and told them I had a lot of respect for you and would be honored to have the #002 card. If that's a secret you were hoping to keep for a while longer, it still is – I haven't said anything to anybody besides you and won't do so if you'd prefer that I keep it under my hat. I just couldn't resist congratulating you on the #001 card! Speaking of RAE, you've probably already heard that they're assembling an exhibition in honor of their upcoming 80th anniversary of broadcasting. I'm told that the photos I sent them may become a part of that display, which would be a great honor for a guy who spent much of his teens tuning in shortwave stations from around the world and collecting their QSL cards. As I mentioned, I still have the rig I once used and my 1970s QSL card collection in a box (Brian D Smith, May 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ASIA [non]. Our good friend, AJ Janitschek of Radio Free Asia has sent details of the new QSL card to be issued by RFA for the May 1st - August 31st period. The press release AJ sent us says: Radio Free Asia (RFA) announces the release of the fourth QSL card in the series highlighting the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) transmitter sites used for RFA programming. RFA programs also broadcasts from these IBB sites: Biblis, Lampertheim, Saipan and Tinian. IBB Kuwait is one of the most costeffective transmitter sites in IBB’s inventory and is also an integral part of IBB’s global satellite interconnect system (SIS) carrying RFA programming where needed. This is RFA’s 64th QSL overall and will be used to confirm all valid RFA reception reports from May 1 to August 31, 2017 (May NZ DX Times via DXLD) Illo of card shows an aerial photo of the site, including towers in background, at least 4 satellite dishes in foreground. one of them large. All the QSLs are visible on the RFA website, but when I checked for this as soon as it was announced, it was not yet to be seen (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. The ABC Northern Territory SW saga rumbles on. Bryan Clark reports via DXDialog that a bill to the Australian Senate is under review to discuss restoring ABC Australia’s shortwave broadcasts. The Senate invited submissions from interested parties following ABC Australia’s announcement to end shortwave transmission to the Northern Territory and International audiences. The DRM Consortium’s submission to this process can be read at the below link. See: http://www.drm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ABC-DRM-submission-to-Australia-2017-03-29.pdf (Chief Editor/Publisher - Stu Forsyth, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. NQ Radio Services North Queensland with an exceptional quality range of programmes from our 5 radio stations. Based in Innisfail and Mareeba, Radio 4KZ attracts a vast listening audience stretching north of Cairns, south of Townsville and west to the Gulf. 4KZ & 4AM have been a household name for almost five decades, having been on air since 1967. KOOL FM also broadcasting from Innisfail, caters to a young and vibrant audience with top hits, best of pop and entertaining programme line-up. Along with 4KZ it is the only commercial station servicing Innisfail, Tully and Mission Beach. 4AM is the voice of the prosperous Tablelands, on the air with a great mix of local programmes and hit segments, and a proud tradition of supporting our community. KIK-FM also airs from the Tablelands, plays a top mix of Country music and has made quite a name for itself in supporting North Queensland and Australian artists. 4AY Country similarly provides Innisfail and surrounds with a 24-hour feast of Country music (4KZ Station website via Craig Seager, May Australian DX News via DXLD) Looks like the antenna will be co-sited with other 4KZ antennae, just to the east of Innisfail. Extract from ACMA license details [non copyable]: (Craig Seager, ibid.) ** AUSTRIA. 6155, 04/08 at 0535, R Austria Int Moosbrunn. German. Varied instrumental music selection with female presenter including "Here Comes the Sun" and "Daytripper" followed by some pieces by Wagner & Dvorjak. 55555 (Alan Roe, Teddington, Middlesex, UK, Winradio G31DDC Excalibur and Elad FDM-SW2 with 17 meter longwire, May CIDX Messenger via DXLD) Dvorjak? Haven`t seen that before, but a good rendition of the Czech r with a hook over it. Why not? Or Dvorzhak, to make more clear the pronunciation. OK, Bill? (gh, DXLD) ** BANGLADESH. 13580, 04/06 at 1845, Bangladesh Betar Dhaka. English. Talk on the History of the Bengal New Year. 45333 (Alan Roe, Teddington, Middlesex, UK, Winradio G31DDC Excalibur and Elad FDM-SW2 with 17 meter longwire, May CIDX Messenger via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. File of Radio Pio XII log, 3 minutes. https://ufile.io/oesew (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Apr 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5953 [5952.4v], R. PIO XII. Abril 29. 2250-2301 UT. Conversaciones telefónicas en quechua y español, además de un contacto con una fiesta realizada en la plaza principal de Siglo Veinte, luego un espacio de música serrana. SINPO: 54454, con levísimo QRM de WRMI en 5950 (Claudio Galaz, RX: TECSUN PL 660; ANT: Hilo de 80 metros de largo, QTH: Barraza Bajo, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 6025, RED PATRIA NUEVA. Abril 26. 0314 - 0326 UT. Programa “Con licencia para hablar” con noticias acerca de una marcha indígena frente al congreso de Brasil, el bombardeo de Turquía en Siria y el robo de camión con material radioactivo en México. A las 0324 hay identificación con hora local; luego avisos sobre Ernesto “Che” Guevara y propaganda anti-chilena sobre el problema marítimo. SINPO: 54444 (Claudio Galaz, RX: TECSUN PL 660; ANT: Hilo de 40 metros de largo, QTH: Ovalle, Chile, condiglista yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) 6025, Red Patria Nueva, La Paz (presumed), 2354-2357. A few words of talk in Spanish heard under CNR 11 via Tibet. Very weak signal, soon lost in slop from Cuban jammer on 6030 starting at 2357 in preparation for R. Martí sign on. 4/27/2017 (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN. Equipment: IC-R75, Perseus, Various Portables, Random Wire, Eavesdropper Dipole, Wellbrook Loops, W6LVP Loop, NASWA Flashsheet via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) 6025, 0420, Red Patria Nueva. Fair/poor with news show. ID at 0431 as ‘Bolivia Informar’ [sic]. 11/4 (Stu Forsyth & (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland, North Island, New Zealand, WinRadio G33DDC and AOR7030+ receivers, EWEs to Nth, Cent & Sth America, May NZ DX Times via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) 6025a, 0812, Red Patria Nueva ran overnight 13/4 with news reports & actualities in Spanish, fair signal on LSB to avoid Martí 6030 (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland, North Island, New Zealand, WinRadio G33DDC and AOR7030+ receivers, EWEs to Nth, Cent & Sth America, May NZ DX Times via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) All-night only this time? (gh) ** BOTSWANA. 15580, 04/08 at 1830, V of America, Mopeng Hill. English. Nightline Africa with "Music from African Collection" - 25 minutes of uninterrupted African music (a regular Saturday feature). 45444. 17530, 04/01 at 1510, V of America Mopeng Hill. English. Heather Maxwell's Music Time in Africa. 45444 (Alan Roe, Teddington, Middlesex, UK, Winradio G31DDC Excalibur and Elad FDM-SW2 with 17 meter longwire, May CIDX Messenger via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 4885.020, Probably ZYG362 R. Clube do Pará, Belém PA, tiny signal S=5-6, -93dBm, music program at 0555 UT. CODAR QRM on upper flank up to 4916 kHz. 5939.830, R. Voz Missionária, Camboriú SC, S=5 or -102dBm poor and tiny, religious talk at 0607 UT. 6010.040, Tentative Brazilian ZYE521 R Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte MG poor and tiny at 0612 UT, S=3 or -110dBm signal in Alberta-CAN. Nothing heard of CLM on 5910 nor 6010 kHz. 6119.996, ZYE969 Super Radio Deus é Amor, São Paulo, on threshold S=3 or -108dBm very tiny level. Same poor condition propagation 6135.203, ZYE954 R. Aparecida, Aparecida SP, at 0621 UT on May 1st. 9665.772, ZYE890 Radio Voz Missionária, Camboriú SC, 0645 UT, S=5-6 or -92dBm signal, and heavy 800 Hertz whistle heterodyne signal of adjacent 9665 kHz even frequency KCBS Pyongyang DPR KRE. 9674.929, ZYE971 R Canção Nova, Cachoeira Paulista SP, co-ch 9675 QRM by CNR1 at 0650-0655 UT... S=3-4 or -105dBm poor and tiny signal (Wolfgang Büschel, morning log at 0545-0655 UT on May 1st, notes of remote SDR unit at VE6JY's installation in Alberta western Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. Canada / Bulgaria --- Received eQSL Radio City. Took on the second harmonic, at a frequency of 14580. The station used the broadcasting frequency - 7290 kHz. E-mail: citymorecars @ yahoo.ca You can see the confirmation here - http://rusdx.blogspot.ru/2017/04/blog-post_23.html (Anatoly Klepov, RusDX 30 April via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) It`s generic with long history of station, says 7290 is Bulgaria, but does NOT mention the harmonic! But now a different fundamental (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) CANADA [non]. SECRETLAND, Reception of IRRS Radio City via SPL on April 29: 0800-0900 9510 SCB 050 kW / 306 deg WeEu German Sat, poor to fair http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/reception-of-irrs-radio-city-via-spl-on.html (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) German? Aoki says English at same time; so 2 x 9510 would be 19020 (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Reception of IRRS Radio Warra Wangeelaa-ti via SPL on April 29: 1500-1530 15515 SCB 100 kW / 195 deg EaAf Oromo Sat, good and strong http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/reception-of-irrs-radio-warra-wangeelaa_29.html Powerful signal of Mighty KBC Radio via SPL Secretbrod on April 29 1500-1600 9400 SCB 100 kW / 306 deg WeEu The Giant Jukebox, plus 2nd harmonic 18800 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/powerful-signal-of-mighty-kbc-radio-via_29.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) IRRS Radio Santec and From the Isle of Music via SPL, April 30: From the Isle of Music 1500-1600 on 9400 SCB 100 kW / 030 deg to EaEu Eng/Spa Sun + 2nd harmonic on 18800 kHz IRRS Radio Santec/The Word/The Cosmic Wave 1500-1530 on 15190 SCB 100 kW / 090 deg to SoAs English/German Sun, strong signal http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/irrs-radio-santec-and-from-isle-of.html (DX RE MIX NEWS #1005 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, May 3, 2017 via DXLD) ** CANADA. The Yukon, always a very difficult catch, just became even more so. The CRTC has approved an application by Klondike Broadcasting to take their Whitehorse station CKRW 610 AM off the air. They stated that the structural integrity of the existing tower for CKRW had been compromised and posed a potential safety risk. As a result, they intend to remove the tower and submit an application to operate CKRW- FM as an originating station on a permanent basis. So goes the last station in the Yukon with any kind of power. That’s all for May, we’ll get together again in June (Nigel Pimblett, Dunmore, AB, May CIDX Messenger via DXLD) ** CANADA. CTV Windsor Published Monday, May 1, 2017 1:27PM EDT http://windsor.ctvnews.ca/am800-is-broadcasting-on-sister-station-am580-after-transmitter-fire-1.3392792 AM800 CKLW is currently broadcasting on its sister station AM580 after a transmitter fire. No word on what caused the fire or how much damage was done. You can also listen to AM800's news and talk-programming online or via the iHeartradio app (via Artie Bigley, OH and George Thurman, TX, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) So if 800 is off the air, go for DX. BTW, XEROK was inbooming here last night, rarely overcoming KQCV OKC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 580, CKLW via CKWW transmitter, Windsor, ONTARIO May/01/17 1544 EDT, English, good. CKLW 800 OFF the air due to fire?? Switched their programming over to the 580 CKWW Transmitter. Female DJ with weather and traffic report at 1544 EDT [1944 UT]. T/C for 3:46. "AM 800 News Spot" at 1547. Local Windsor Ads. "AM 800 Weather". ID at 1600 as "AM 800 CKLW - It's 4 O'Clock". Mentioned that CKLW was temporarily on 580. Nothing NEW or Interesting heard on 800 while CKLW was off the air!! RELOG for CKWW, but a Novelty Logging with CKLW Programming. 500 WATTS. RECEIVERS ELAD FDM-S2 SDR and SANGEAN HDT-1X TUNER, ANTENNA APS-14 - 14 Element Beam at 50 Feet on Tower & ALA-1530 LNP Imperium Loop 73 ROB VA3SW (Robert S. Ross, London, Ontario CANADA, ODXA yg via DXLD) Several folks noted CKLW back on last night, but much weaker (Paul Walker, AK, May 2, IRCA via DXLD) see also COLOMBIA! ** CANADA. 6069.985, CFRX Toronto, S=6 or -90dBm at 0616 UT, talk by 2 presenter (Wolfgang Büschel, morning log at 0545-0655 UT on May 1st, notes of remote SDR unit at VE6JY's installation in Alberta western Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. REQUIEM FOR RCI Hi All, An interesting piece about RCI in the latest edition of their 'Cybermagazine' newsletter. Amanda Dawn Christie, the artist who filmed the felling of the RCI towers, has a new project to have a requiem sung by performers in several existing shortwave stations broadcast toward the long gone RCI transmitters on the Tantramar marsh of New Brunswick. The shortwave stations will also call out to RCI and ask "RCI where are you?" As artist Amanda Dawn Christie explains, it's "As if the other shortwave stations are having a lament for their fallen sister station". The full story is here: Posted by: (Alan Gale, April 29, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. A LITTLE BIT OF RCI HISTORY On http://DXer.ca -- top of the page. March 1991 Final episode of SWL Digest with Ian McFarland - courtesy Shawn Axelrod in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Colin Newell - CoffeeCrew.com - VA7WWV - Victoria - BC, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) Ian McFarland's final show, March 1991 - and you [gh] are on it. Recording via Shawn Axelrod -- [23:20] http://coffee.bc.ca/textpattern/index.php?event=file&step=file_edit&id=41&sort=filename&dir=asc&page=1 (Colin Newell - CoffeeCrew.com - VA7WWV - Victoria - BC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CBC Gradually Leaving AM --- The CBC currently has 15 applications to go from AM to FM (more have applied since his posting) according to Andy Reid on Dan Sys’s Canadian Radio News web site: https://www.facebook.com/rwcrn These are the small LPAM (Low Powered AM) sites scattered across the more rural or downright remote areas of Canada. The cost of replacing each AM station with and FM station seems to be about $80,000.00 to $100,000.00. The CBC claims this will be cheaper than replacing AM transmitters and or towers. They also claim that by moving to FM they will improve the signal to the areas served by the old AM transmitters. Many of these LPAM were running 40 to 100 watts making them very rare DX indeed. I foresee a time when all of these repeaters or relay stations will be on FM so log them while and if you can (Shawn Axelrod, MB, DX Toolbox, NRC DX News May 8, published May 1 via DXLD) ** CHILE. 5825, R. TRIUNFAL EVANGELICA. Abril 26. 2200-2219 UT. Música evangélica. SINPO: 55444. 5825, R. TRIUNFAL EVANGELICA. Abril 29. 2217-2228 UT. Música evangélica. SINPO: 35323. Comentario: Señal con mucho desvanecimiento [fading] a partir de las 2219 en adelante (Claudio Galaz, RX: TECSUN PL 660; ANT: Hilo de 80 metros de largo, QTH: Barraza Bajo, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. 9745 kHz, 19-21 UT China jamming against RFA MRA, Chinese HEAVY music jammer. S=9+45dB powerhouse fiddle of the temple violin etc. music here in southern Germany (Wolfgang Büschel, 1944 UT April 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Correxion: is now via IBB BBG Kuwait relay site in A-17, formerly MRA Tinian (Büschel, May 1, DXLD) 9745, Firedragon station, 4/28 1940. RFA via Kuwait? NO - it's Firedrake crash boom bang. Went on thru the hour and letting male voice thru the curtain once. Signal lighting up little tuning eye on SW-2000629 on peaks, but not up to full brightness. Verdict: Fair/Good. 11560, Firedragon, 4/30, 1800. Crashing and banging. Surely not RFA via Guam, listed for this time (Rick Barton, some logs from the patio picnic table listening post. Unless otherwise stated, logs are with a RS SW-2000629/ATS-505/Model 20-629/DX-402, and a 20' wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11825, CNR1 at 1229 in Mandarin jamming the VOA in Mandarin via the Philippines with a man talking over a child vocals then some promos to time pips at 1230 and a woman with news headlines – Fair May 1 11845, CNR1 at 1231 // 11825 and 13830 in Mandarin jamming AIR in Mandarin with promos and a woman with news in depth – Good May 1 11915, CNR1 at 1121 // 11640 and 11785 in Mandarin jamming RTI in Mandarin with a man and woman with excited talk to promos starting at 1128 – Fair May 1 11985, CNR at 1217 // 11640 and 11785 in Mandarin jamming RTI in Mandarin with a man and woman with banter and laughing – Fair May 1 11985, TAIWAN, RTI at 1217 in Mandarin with a children’s chorus and oriental instrumentals and an apparent radio drama with children’s voices – Poor but audible under CNR1 jammer May 1 13830, CNR1 at 1226 // 11825 and 11845 in Mandarin jamming RFA in Tibetan via Tajikistan with a woman with talk and into child vocals – Good May 1 15720, WEST GERMANY, RFA (via Lampertheim) presumed the one at 1644 in Uighur under Firedrake music with two men with deliberate talk to 1650 and a brief music bridge and more talk then a telephone interview at 1652 – Weak but audible May 1 (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** CHINA [non-log]. 4990, PBS Hunan, on April 27, was not heard at all (1250 & 1403). Rare for them to be off the air! 4990, PBS Hunan, back on the air again on May 2, after being silent for a while; noted at 1101 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 4749.991, CNR1 Hailar in Mongolian S=8 at 0930 UT 6039.982, PBS Nei Menggu Mongolian, S=8 in Japan, 0943 UT talk. 6079.912, PBS Hulun Buir, Hailar, Mongolian, S=8-9 at 0945 UT 7269.985, PBS Nei Menggu, Mongolian service, at 0956 UT, but audio suffer by KRE bubble signal on 7269.65 to 7286 kHz, latter meant against KOR Seoul in Korean on 7275 kHz at 1000 UT. 7419.986, PBS Nei Menggu, Chinese, S=9+10dB in Nagoya, 1025 UT (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log in remote SDR unit at Nagoya, Japan, on May 3rd at 0930-1045 UT, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 9880, CRI. Abril 28. 2222-2239 UT. Servicio en Esperanto. Locutor habla acerca de los instrumentos usados en la música tradicional popular china. A las 2230, se emite un programa juvenil con avisos de diversas asociaciones de Esperanto, especialmente la cubana y la organización de un congreso de Esperanto. SINPO: 55555. // 7300 SINPO: 45444 (Claudio Galaz, RX: TECSUN PL 660; ANT: Hilo de 40 metros de largo, QTH: Ovalle, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) ** CHINA. 13640, April 29 at 2205, fair S7 signal in Japanese, which I figure is NHK, but HFCC says I`m wrong, it`s CRI at 22-24, 500 kW, 59 degrees also USward from Jinhua site. 15600, May 1 at 0022, sounds like gospel song and brief talk in unknown language, averaging S4. HFCC shows only thing now is CRI in Portuguese, aimed NW from Beijing site, eventually for Brasil. Both short and long path seem improbable. 15100, May 1 at 0021, SE Asian music at S5. HFCC shows this one must be CRI in Hakka toward the SSE (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. Not so UNID 800 --- 2315 EDT / 0315 UT --- 800, "RCN", Spanish language, announcing "RCN" and "RCN.org". Heard a few more of these IDs at 2115, too, which also mentioned "103.7" (I think). A web search on "RCN.org" diverts to spam. Now, I suppose this must be TWR from Bonaire. Spanish language WNNW in Lowell MA is doing music, not talk. The TWR web site indicates a Spanish music program at this time, not the talk I've been hearing occasionally bubbling up. I guess TWR is no longer on shortwave, since the website only mentions AM and FM broadcasts (one of which is 103.7), so no parallel possible. The website offers live audio, but it appears that this means you can select podcasts of the various programs, not live. CKLW is back tonight, mixing with CJBQ. CKLW doesn't seem so strong, but I really don't know since I rarely sit on this congested channel. This may be apocryphal, but I seem to remember hearing that CKLW had a good spot in Danbury CT ratings, because the locals would stick on the channel after WLAD signed off at sunset (Rev. Jim Renfrew, NY, All this while preparing for a funeral tomorrow morning! UT May 3, IRCA via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) Jim, Check the WRTH or other listings. On 800 is 100 kW HJBW, Bucaramanga, Colombia, RCN! Presumably stands or stood for Radio Cadena Nacional. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) No reply; not sure he accepts this, based on the // FM 103.7? Now it occurs to me he might have really heard ``RTM`` as in Radio Transmundial. But I find only 89.5 mentioned at http://www.twrbonaire.com and I can`t find any FM for 800 HJBW (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. US DXer Chuck Hutton had an unidentified Latin on 1060.290 last November, opening before 0900 UT. The Real DX detectives identified it as Radio Furatena from Villa de Leyva. Don Moore heard Radio Furatena in January 2016 on 1060.285. In February, he heard Radio Surcolombiana on 1060.23, in the morning and at night, local time (Henrik Klemetz via Real DX Yahoo Group via May NZ DX Times via DXLD) I had Surcolombiana on 1059.985 in October last year and on 1059.981 in January this year so they seem to do some “travelling” there (Jan Edh via Real DX Yahoo Group, ibid.) ** COLOMBIA. 5910, Alcaraván Radio, Puerto Lleras, 0528-0539, 01-05, Latin American songs. 24322. Also 0530-0610, 02-05, Latin American songs. 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante, Tecsun PL- 880, Sangean ATS-909X, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5910.045, Very nice guitar music singer of R Alcaraván at 0544 UT, S=8 in peaks S=9 signal in Florida-US post. Nothing heard on 6010v kHz from CLM. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, more 49 mb monitoring this morning on remote SDR in central Florida, May 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. Canal Institucional becomes CITV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCtgl-OHMP0 We have a name change in Colombia. Apparently they did this as the channel has gotten more and more of its own programming. Its appearance may not be easy to see in DX (Raymie Humbert, AZ, April 27, WTFDA Forum via DXLD) ** CONGO [and non]. Radio Congo Chaîne Nationale was observed on the Eutelsat/Hot Bird 13E satellite on 29 April 2017 signing off at 0000 (0100 in Congo) with the National Anthem. The speaker mentioned that programmes restart at 0500 hours (0400 UT). This schedule is a little bit different from what you can see on WRTH 2017 (0420-2300). Programmes were in both French and vernacular. There was also an occasional station identification announcement in Spanish a couple of minutes before the start of a Salsa music show. It should also be added that only the FM frequency is mentioned on the air! Radio Congo can be heard in Europe (See Log section) on 6115 kHz with a poor signal, usually around 1800 (Antonello Napolitano, Taranto, ITALY, April DX Fanzine via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) ** CONGO. 6115, Radio Congo, Brazzaville, 1815-1823, 26-04, French, comments. Very weak, best on LSB. 13321 (Manuel Méndez, Logs in Lugo, Spain, Sony ICF SW-7600G, cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6115, Radio Congo, Brazzaville, 1816-1920, 30-04, extended program, French, news, comments, ID "Vous écoutez Radio Congo", "Radio Congo", male and female, "Le Président de la République", "Le Congo", songs, African songs. Clear signal today. 14321. Also 1800-1831*, 01-05, music, at 1801 "Radio Congo, le journal", French, news, comments. Clear signal. 14321 to 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante, Tecsun PL-880, Sangean ATS-909X, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6115, Radio Congo (presumed), 0545-0603, May 1. With "RN2, Radio Nikkei" (Japan) temporarily off the air (they should be back again on May 3), clearly able to make out the announcers in French, with no QRM at all; did not play any music the whole time; at 0545, I just missed the sign on by a few minutes; poor (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6115, Radio Congo, Brazzaville, 1800, 01-05, now on air with clear signal, French, ID "Radio Congo, le journal", news, male. 14321 and at moments 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Log in Reinante, Tecsun PL- 880, cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. Costa Rica FM updated in WTFDA FM database Posted by Jim Thomas to the WTFDA Forums [April 29, 2017] http://forums.wtfda.org/showthread.php?11304-Costa-Rica-FM-updated-in-WTFDA-FM-database The CNR (license/broadcast regulations wing of Costa Rica government) recently updated all of their license documents on their website. What that means to me is I was able to update transmitter powers and LAT/LONG and HAAT for EVERY FM in Costa Rica. The WTFDA FM database is UP-TO-DATE for Costa Rica FMs. These updates are effective today. It`s interesting reading about stations I will probably never hear OTA. I can ONLY DREAM that I would ever get an Es opening to Costa Rica :-( Just a note about most of the San José radio stations, which pretty much includes every AM/FM and TV transmitter & tower. Almost all of them are on Volcán Irazú. Want to take a look at the San José antenna park? (called a park in Spanish circles). Follow this link to Google Maps satellite view: https://goo.gl/h8MXuc One interesting note about most of the San José full power FM's. They have national coverage, which means most have multiple low power repeater transmitters scattered throughout the country on the same frequency as the main signal. I do NOT show those low power transmitters in the WTFDA FM db. It would be a moot point to put them in there, as a DXer would never know they were hearing one of them - UNLESS - they heard an echo when hearing the main transmitter signal. On a side note, I was able to spend some time on Google Maps and was able to locate almost every FM tower in Costa Rica. I just ran into one station that I couldn't locate the tower. I did find their webstream and used Total Recorder to record a bit of them, in hopes of maybe the announcer saying something about exactly where they are located. Long shot for sure. If anyone speaks Spanish and can tell what the announcer was talking about on a program break, please share. I have uploaded the clip here, about 3 minutes worth of audio. forums.wtfda.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=20254&d=1493515940 (WTFDA VHF UHF Digest, May 2017 via DXLD) Mostly commercials but concludes with an ID, ``Desde San Ysidro, del General Pérez ----?, Costa Rica, transmite Radio Chiripó, una emisora de altura`` (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 5025, April 30 at 0647, R. Rebelde is S9+20 of dead air. Circa 0040 UT May 1, no signal at all, as often the case early evenings, and consequently no leapfrog over RHC 5040 to land on 5055. However, there is a JBA carrier on 5010, India? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 15730, RHC. Abril 30. 2230- UT. Servicio en Esperanto. Desde las 2230 hasta las 2235, identificación, presentación del servicio con frecuencias y horarios. A las 2235, informaciones culturales acerca de la Asociación Cubana y la UEA, el lenguaje político y las actividades de Graciela Morgado. A las 2243, canción de salsa en esperanto. A las 2247, se pasa un espacio de entrevista a un esperantista de La Habana, quien habla de la figura histórica de Zamenhof; luego se habla de la literatura en este lenguaje. A las 2253 informaciones acerca de la economía cubana, la agricultura, la macroeconomía socialista y de la celebración del 1 de Mayo en la “Plaza de la Revolución”. A las 2259, fin del servicio. SINPO: 45444. Aunque desde las 2248 en adelante el SINPO es de 55444 (Claudio Galaz, RX: TECSUN PL 660; ANT: Hilo de 80 metros de largo, QTH: Barraza Bajo, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) So finally the third Esperanto Sunday airing confirmed (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) ** CUBA. 5990, May 1 at 0405, RHC English on wrong frequency! Instead of 6000, // 6145. 5990 is supposed to be only for the CRI relay until 0100 (however, seems in past I have noticed them overlapping so not same transmitter). Wolfgang Büschel also noticed 5990 at 0545, but had been corrected to 6000 by 0650 shortly before sign-off, anyway (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Surprise was RHC English from Quivican TITAN site of San Felipe 6000 kHz nominal, -- ... was 10 kHz down this morning on 5990 kHz !!! - which is used from same site by CRI Spanish relay earlier the night ... 0000 til 0100 UT; the Quivican technician failed to switch back to 6000. RHC program was back later on 6000 kHz, when checked at 0650 UT. 5990, RHC English, Quivicán San Felipe 'TITAN' site failed the exact frequency 6000 kHz this morning. S=9+25dB signal. News at 0604 UT on new US military facilities to be planned on Japanese island of Okinawa, and protests by the local Japanese settlers! \\ 6060, 6100, and 6145 kHz, at 0650 UT back to 6000 kHz. From 0613 to 0622 UT Arnie Coro program on air, talk on very low cost antennas, SW propagation latest news. Intermodulation signal outlet on Bauta broadcast center heard at 0550 UT on May 1st. Fundamentals 5025 R Rebelde and 5040 RHC music program, S=9+20dB strength both in Alberta-CAN, noted on 5010.001 and 5054.999 kHz, latter S=5 or -96dBm signals at Edmonton Alberta remote SDR (Wolfgang Büschel, morning log at 0545-0655 UT on May 1st, notes of remote SDR unit at VE6JY's installation in Alberta western Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear amigo Wolfie: Read somewhere that you had copied RHC English on 5990 kHz. Could you please clarify that monitoring observation? Was the 5990 kHz frequency with RHC audio in English heard at your QTH in Europe or by means of a remote SDR receiving site? At the 0400 UTC RHC English should be on 6000 kHz. Muchas gracias for your assistance. 73 and DX Arnie (via wb, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RHC English now at 0520 UT on May 3rd back on regular 6000 kHz, Gómez Cuban music played, newsdesk at 0530 UT, S=9+40dB signal in Florida-US remote SDR unit, same level on \\ 6060 kHz, but 6100 + 6145 kHz little lesser S=9+20dB signal noted in central Florida at N9JY's installation. 73 wolfie df5sx (Büschel, reply, ibid.) Ha3, Arnie never asks me to clarify any of the constant screwups I log from RHC, including this one. And Wolfie`s reply is not exactly responsive. And what difference would it make whether direct or a remote receiver? (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) And more 49 mb monitoring this morning on remote SDR in central Florida: [6000] Arnie Coro's hobby program from 0538 UT till 0547 UT, report some DRM mode transmission report of India, combined DRM / AM integrated circuit there, etc. etc. 73 wb (Büschel, May 3, ibid.) ** CUBA. Radio Havana 3 pm EDT --- I'm about 50 feet from the beach on SW Marco Island, listening to Radio Havana almost as a local at 3:17 pm EDT. Lots of fluttering signals in Spanish across the band so I'm assuming they're propagating across the Gulf of Mexico. Although we're on the 8th floor and the Hilton is close to the beach, reception was not real good last night. Will try from the beach tonight. Best regards, (Paul W0AD/4 Staupe, May 2, Minnesota DX Club yg via DXLD) What`s the frequency, Paul? They have three FMs in western Cuba. Also in Spanish? On SW 15140 they are in English at 19-20 UT. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Glenn, I'm listening to them on 530 kHz in Spanish. Will try 15140 but suspect we're too close for 19m propagation here. Will let you know. Thanks, (Paul, 1526 UT May 3, ibid.) Paul, O, I thought you must be referring to FM. 102.5 and 103.1, and further on Youth Island 91.7. 530 should be R. Enciclopedia, easy- listening music, not RHC. Do you really hear IDs as RHC? 73, (Glenn, ibid.) Glenn, Yes, I hear R. Enciclopedia but there's a definite Spanish news broadcast with a male announcer underneath, which I'm assuming is RHC. Am I guessing correctly? Thanks, (Paul, ibid.) Paul, With Cuba, you never know what they will do with mixing up network feeds, etc. But RHC is not known to be on 530. There are two other 530 transmitters for R. Rebelde, the closer one on Youth Island, which might make it to Marco on daytime ground(sea) wave underneath Enciclopedia. That would be // many other Rebelde frequencies such as 670, 710, 1180 if you can get past the FL stations. And SW 5025 is sometimes on. From your spot you should also really have a good shot at Cuban FM which I suggest you bandscan for. 73, (Glenn, ibid.) ** CUBA. Thread: Cuban digital television transition The only Cubans the DB has on 88.x are "Radio Portátil" (probably pop- up) stations. The callsign for these is CMBP and they operate with 251 watts (the main CMBP is 89.5 La Habana and finding further mentions of these is exceedingly difficult). The name alone suggests they do not operate regularly. CMBV-10 Loma de la Cruz, Holgúin (2 kW from 270 m HAAT) is on 89.1 — it's the only non-portable station below 90 MHz in Cuba. Last edited by Raymie; 04-01-2017 at 06:28 PM (Raymie Humbert, AZ, April 1, WTFDA Forum via DXLD) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GClk0xmhI4k https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a1f6_TjtZLE cd (Chris Dunne, FL, April 3, ibid.) I'm almost ready to but a DTMB converter box. Any suggestions? Are there any Cuban DTV stations running enough power to be likely to make it to SC? (Doug, K4LY, Inman, SC, May 4, ibid.) Doug, that is our issue here. I don't think it's legal to buy one at this time. Note the synopsis & comments: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GClk0xmhI4k BTW I'm not sure if any Cuban TV station, analog *or* digital, would have enough of a signal to make it up there to SC. If their system used channels 2-6 like our ATSC, that would be different, as E skip could bring you a signal. But alas, 2-6 will not be used there. cd (Chris Dunne, Pembroke Pines FL, ibid.) I have been in communication with Eric that lives in Cd. Habana. He is a member of the WTFDA Forums and gets on the Forums when he is at work, generally on his lunch break. His family does NOT have internet because it is so expensive to have internet at home, in Cuba --- or, pay $2.00 per hour at the internet cafe - sounds cheap to us but is really very expensive to the Cuban wage. (And on a side note to that, the internet cafes have to see the user's ID card (drivers license or official ID card) and that is linked to the user account. They (Cuba) can track the user's internet activity and if they see a lot of tracking to US websites, they can cut their internet use off.) Anyway, Eric and I PM [private mail] each other through the Forums, very similar to emails. He has offered to help me get a couple DTMB boxes and get them sent to me. He has a friend from the US that goes to Cuba periodically and he said he will give the boxes to his friend. His friend will get them shipped to me when he returns to the US. So I am waiting on word of the status of available DTMB STB's and also the latest news on progress with DTV in Cd. Habana. He is also suppose to let me know about getting money to his friend. I want to get one box for CD and one for Ryan. Not sure if any other dxers in the southern states would be interested in trying to get Cuban DTV stations. FYI. Stay tuned (Jim Thomas, Springfield, MO, May 5, ibid.) I appreciate that Jim. Keep me apprised. Does anyone here know a lawyer or someone who could comment on the potential legal issues of buying a DTMB box from Cuba? (Since they don't seem available direct from China.) (Ryan Grabow, :: egrabow.com/dx :: facebook.com/egrabow440 :: youtube.com/user/egrabow440 Fort Myers FL, ibid.) ** CUBA [non]. PRENSA LATINA REOPENS ITS OFFICE IN USA AFTER 50 YEARS http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=12319&SEO=prensa-latina-reopens-its-office-in-usa-after-50-years Washington, April 29 (Prensa Latina) The Latin America news agency Prensa Latina has officially reopened its correspondent's office in the United States to tackle down political, economic and social developments after a half-century of absence. Prensa Latina, with its headquarters in Havana established by Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro and Argentinean-born guerrilla leader Ernesto Che Guevara on June 16, 1959, is currently boasting 36 offices in 35 nations. Its high progress has not been quite easy to reach, since it has faced up to obstacles of all kinds due to the origin and editorial policy, according to Prensa Latina (PL) President, Luís Enrique González, during the official reopening ceremony. The PLA's office in Washington, where its first wire stories after reopening were transmitted on February 24 last, appears following the reestablishment of the diplomatic ties between Cuba and the United States and amid the process aimed at the normalization of their relations. The work of PLA's journalists and all the staff has enabled us not only to persevere, but to keep on growing and opening other areas in correspondence with the new times of communication, he stressed to representatives of other media, diplomats, Cuban residents in USA and to people interested in Cuba's reality. González recalled at the Bolivarian Hall in Washington DC that Prensa Latina started off by working in the United States, with offices in this city and New York, just eight days after its first news report from Havana in June 1959. However, he added that the then Head Correspondent in Washington Francisco Portela received a refusal for the resumption of the operating license in 1967, and no other journalist has been since then granted by a US government visa. In addition, he acknowledged that PL, during nearly 58 years, 'always at the service of truth', has had the support and solidarity of close colleagues and their professional associations. According to González, a great number of Cuban, Latin American, US, Canadian and European professionals have contributed high-talent shares to this news agency, which boasts websites translated into six languages and presence in various social media. mh/pll/arc/dsa (via Mike Cooper, April 29, DXLD) ** CYPRUS [non]. 9455, April 29 at 2157, British accented headlines, outro as `FG Radio`, as scheduled for Sat 2145 on JBA WRMI 15770, which is duplicated on 9455 during this hour only (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EAST TURKISTAN. 13855, May 2 at 1357, bit of music before carrier cut. HFCC shows CRI via Kashgar, 500 kW, 308 degrees in ``Chn`` language -- ?? You might think that`s simply Chinese, but Mandarin is abbreviated in HFCC as cmn according to Eibi`s readme.txt, and nothing keyed as chn. Apparently a typo as Aoki does list this as merely Chinese (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR [non]. 5920, 0456, GERMANY, HCJB Germany opened with musical interlude, German religious talks, hymns and contemporary vocals 14/4. Followed until 0545, poor signal at best (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland, North Island, New Zealand, WinRadio G33DDC and AOR7030+ receivers, EWEs to Nth, Cent & Sth America, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) If he can hear it there, we ought to be able to hear it here also via short path in NAm (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** EGYPT. 1900-2000 Radio Cairo, Russian program. 9685 S=9+30 Apr 20, 8 x 300 Hertz buzz peaks {9684.618 kHz on April 20} 9684.620 kHz on April 30, S=9+30dB here in southern Germany. 9570.220, R Cairo German language program, S=9+25dB powerful transmission, political commentary till 1926 UT, followed by letterbox program from 1928 UT, post card letter / RR - from 'Herr Seiler', 1st May workers holiday (Wolfgang Büschel, 1944 UT April 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) R Cairo on 9800 kHz (instead of scheduled 9895) in French audible from tune in at 2025. Low audio, but readable (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, 2035 UT April 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9799.6, April 29 at 2155, S9+15 signal but JBM music, no doubt R. Cairo during 2115+ English sesquihour for Europe and USward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [and non]. 11720, VOA. Amharic on 22/4 from 1830 with soul evergreen songs in English prepared for the 75th anniversary of Aretha Franklin. Not any of this & // frequencies 12110, 12130, 12140 were jamming by DRM – which happens daily. The guys in the secret services maybe like Aretha? (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF2001D, Folded Marconi ant 16 meters long own made), May Australian DX News via DXLD) ** FRANCE. 15339.81, RFI, Issoudun. Hausa to NAf/WAf at 0615, very weak signal and a fair way-off frequency, 5/4 (Rob Wagner, VK3BVW, Mount Evelyn, VIC (Yaesu FTDX 3000, Kenwood TS2000, Yaesu FRG100, Kenwood R5000, Tecsun PL-680, Double Bazooka antennas for 80, 40 and 20 metres, Par EF-SWL End Fed antenna, BHI NEIM1031 Digital Noise Eliminating Module, MFJ-1026 Noise Cancelling Module, ATU), May Australian DX News via DXLD) ** FRANCE. 15130, Apr 28 at 1945, Radio Japan, Issoudun, in Japanese. Female announcer talks; 1948 A song by guitar, only (The Bee Gees); 1955 A song by flute and orchestra. Fair transmission, 35433. 15315, Apr 28 at 1845, Sawtu Linjiila, Issoudun, in Fulfulde. Woman talks; ID: Sawtu Linjiila; Women in conversation; 1857 IS, ID, POBox. Excellent transmission, 55555. 15480, Apr 28 at 1834, Radio Publique Africaine, Issoudun, in French. Man and woman announcers talk. Very poor transmission, 25432 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier, Location: Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, RX (s): Tecsun S- 2000, Antenna: Longwire, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) 13740, Apr 29 at 1918, Radio France International, Issoudun, in French. Man announcer interviews a journalist about next French elections, 2nd round; People manifestations in the speeches of the candidates Marine le Pen & Emmanuel Macron; ID. Very good broadcasting, 45544. 17660, Apr 29 at 1901, Radio France International, Issoudun-F, in Portuguese. Man and woman presents a newsletter; 1906 National press news; 1913 News about Angola. RFI with a very good transmission, 45544 (José Ronaldo Xavier, Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, RX (s): Degen DE1103 & Tecsun S-2000, Antenna: Longwire, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** GERMANY. 6180, Deutscher Wetterdienst, Pinenberg, *0601-0610, 01- 05, German, weather report. 23322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante, Tecsun PL-880, Sangean ATS-909X, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I have checked for this several times, but only hear very weak signal from VOA São Tomé, in continued absence of BRAZIL (gh, DXLD) Weak signal of DWD Deutscher Wetterdienst in AM mode on May 2 1202-1230 on 6180 PIN 010 kW / non-dir to CeEu German, ex in CUSB http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/05/weak-signal-of-dwd-deutscher.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, B`lgariya, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Radio Menschen & Geschichten via Shortwaveservice, Apr 30 0800-0818 on 6045 NAU 100 kW / 233 deg to CeEu open carrier/dead air 0818-0918 on 6045 NAU 100 kW / 233 deg to CeEu German last Sun, weak http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/radio-menschen-geschichten-via.html (DX RE MIX NEWS #1005 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, May 3, 2017 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Reception of Hamburger Lokalradio relays on 1 kW, 230 degrees Göhren 9485 kHz in CUSB on April 30 1000-1030 9485 CeEu English Sun PCJ Media Network Plus 1030-1100 9485 CeEu English Sun World of Radio #1875 1100-1200 9485 CeEu Spanish Sun Radio Tropicana Wrong frequency announcement 7265 for Sat program, instead of 9485 for Sun program 1300-1400 7265 CeEu Spanish Sat Radio Tropicana 1400-1430 7265 CeEu English Sat PCJ Media Network Plus 1430-1600 7265 CeEu English Sat World of Radio #1875 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/reception-of-hamburger-lokalradio.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, B`lgariya, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. GERMAN PUBLIC BROADCASTERS RAMP UP DIGITAL RADIO PROMOTION Radio Magazine --- By Doug Irwin, CPBE AMD DRB May 1, 2017 BERLIN — German public broadcasters will, in May, start a new promotional campaign for DAB + on TV, radio, online, magazines and newspapers. A new logo (shown at right) will be rolled out at the same time. The campaign begins May 2. There is increasing interest in DAB+ in Germany. As of September 2016, 8.24 million DAB+ capable radios had been sold. Of new cars sold there, 21% now come with digital radio as standard equipment. With increasing interest from the listening public, there has been more investment in DAB+ transmission, according to radio.nl. Over the past two years the number of DAB+ mux transmitters has increased from 49 to 110. There is also talk regarding the addition of a second national DAB+ network. And finally, there is increasing interest among local broadcasters to make themselves available on DAB+. http://www.radiomagonline.com/around-the-world/0020/german-public-broadcasters-ramp-up-digital-radio-promotion/38851 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** GREECE. Voice of Greece on 9420 & 9935 kHz on April 29-30 1800&1900 on 9420 AVL 170 kW / 323 deg to WeEu Greek tx#3 NO SIGNAL on 9935 AVL 100 kW / 285 deg to WeEu Greek tx#1 0600&0700 on 9420 AVL 170 kW / 323 deg to WeEu Greek*tx#3 0600&0700 on 9935 AVL 100 kW / 285 deg to WeEu Greek*tx#1 * relay Sunday liturgy till 0700 and off around 0710 UT http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/reception-of-voice-of-greece-on-9420_30.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, B`lgariya, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM. Fair/good signal of KTWR Trans World Radio Asia on May 1 1430-1500 on 9975 TWR 200 kW / 285 deg to SoAs English Mon-Sat http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/05/fairgood-signal-of-ktwr-trans-world.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, B`lgariya, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. 4055, May 1 0407, TGAV with music, unseems NA, but off at 0408*, the early closing on UT Mondays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. TGN, Wayne Berger & more --- Historical: http://donmoore.tripod.com/central/guatemala/tgnaart.html 2010/ http://www.revuemag.com/2011/03/anthony-wayne-berger-1944-2010/ http://www.pateplumaradio.com/central/guatemala/tgnaadd.html Some other info: Guatemala is the only Central American county to have five Protestant radio stations. The first was Radio Cultural TGN (730 AM & 100.5 FM), established by the Central American Mission in 1950, with its studios and transmitter located at the CAM missionary compound in Zone 3 of Guatemala City. Since 1980, its transmitter has been located on Cerro Anacoche in San Pedro Sacatepeque, which greatly increased its broadcast coverage. The nondenominational radio station “Voz Evangélica de América” (VEA), 1570 AM, was founded in 1962 by a group of Pentecostal leaders, led by Carlos Eason and Gustavo Rosales Román. Initially, this radio station only broadcast for three hours daily from its 500 watt transmitter site at Finca Los Pinos in the municipality of San Ignacio, Mixco. Its first recording studios were located in a private house in Zone 2; then in the 1970s the 84 Rev. Otoniel Ríos Paredes of Misión Cristiana Elim offered Radio VEA the use of its facilities in Colonia Kaminal Juyu I; later the studios were located in a commercial center on Calzada Roosevelt; and, finally, the organization acquired its own property and established its studios in Colonia Tikal I, Zone 7. Radio VEA is supported by donations from its listeners and by fees paid by its advertisers and program customers. Radio Unión (TGMU), founded in 1980, is owned and operated by the Adventist Mission of Guatemala. Radio Izabal is a commercial radio station that dedicated practically all of its programming time to evangelical programs in Morales, Izabal department. Radio Maya (TGBA) is owned and operated by CAM in Varillas, Huehuetenango, and broadcasts all of its programs in Mayan dialects. (via Ian, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) FYI: LV de Nahualá - 3360 kHz became: Radio Nawal Estereo 93.1FM. FM believed to have started late 1995 (Ian, ibid.) ** GUINEA. 9650 - RTV Guineenne, Conakry with fair but clear signal in French at 2150 with apparently a test transmission consisting of two males speaking at alternate times, a selection of tones, relatively lengthy periods of silence leaving an open carrier, African vocal music 2159 with male giving ID “Radio Guineenne” and station info followed by brief instrumental of drums and xylophone and then more speech, another ID and what sounded like more conventional programming. SINPO - 34333. Some upside QRM from Radio Algerienne on 9655 easily avoided by syncing to the Eton E!’s lower sideband. (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon NY — West African stations in the late afternoon, how I miss them, 2207 UT April 28, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. The A 17 schedule of AIR is now available in their official site as follows: http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Profile/Radio%20Network/Pages/default.aspx Yours sincerely, (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad, India Mobile: +91 94416 96043 http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos April 27, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. 4970, AIR Shillong, 1315-1335, May 2. Much stronger modulation than normal; almost fair; financial ad; 1318-1335 non-stop chanting (no music); usual ID in English; “This is the North Eastern Service of All India Radio broadcasting from Shillong on shortwave 60.26 meters, corresponding to 4,970 kilohertz and an additional FM 100.1 megahertz." My local sunrise at 1312 UT. May 3, heard with amazingly good audio level; 1230 EZL jazz filler music till start of the news from Delhi in English at 1232, already in progress, with item about the supreme court ruling today; stock market info and sports news. Great to have them with such good modulation again! (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. 7230even, AIR Kurseong, Hindi noon service, S=7-8 sig at 0656 UT, not surprising, subcontinental music played. 7290, NOT ON AIR via AIR Thiruvananthapuram Chennai, Apr 26 and 27. 7315.028, AIR Shillong, Hindi service, noon prop tiny signal at S=4-5 strength level, heard at 0658 UT on Apr 27 [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log of April 27, 0615-0745 UT in local Thailand afternoon time slot, all observation done in/via remote SDR installation in eastern Thailand, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 27, dxldyg via DXLD) ** INDIA [and non]. AIR Chinese language service as always HEAVILY JAMMED by China mainland security dept. 15040 kHz scheduled 1145-1315 UT, S=9+45dB tremendous signal at 1205 UT today 1204 UT, \\ 17705 kHz at S=9+25dB, QRM by BSKSA Riyadh 17705.005 and also echoed CNR jamming and Chinese knall bumm violine music too. [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, April 25, wwdxc TopNews April 25, BC-DX 29 April via DXLD) AIR and Oman Battling It Out! 15140 - INDIA - AIR GOS in Russian to Eastern Europe giving Oman a run for its money at 1709 UT with subcontinental vocals by female. SINPO - 42433. S/off is 1715 which should clear things out again for Oman, 5/2/17 (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, Eton E1-XM, Alpha-Delta DX Sloper, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) All India Radio's "Faithfully Yours" is now confirmed to be a fortnightly programme (rather than weekly), as heard today 1 May (announcing the next edition will be in two weeks). (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA [non-log]. 4869.9, Pro 1 RRI Wamena, as it's Thursday (April 27), time to check for the "Kang Guru Indonesia" program which normally starts about 1230. First pre-checked at 1141 to find Wamena off the air, as well as at 1212 & 1231; no carrier at all. Later checked Atsunori Ishida's website http://rri.jpn.org/ and found this has been silent since April 4. Both 3325 (Pro 1 RRI Palangkaraya), 3344.86 (RRI Ternate) and 9524.95 (VOI) were all heard today. 4869.9, Pro 1 RRI Wamena [non-log], as of May 2, continues silent (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 9524.95, VOI, 1310, April 28. In English with promo for this year`s quiz; "commentary"; "Today in History" (this date in 1949 Chairil Anwar, Indonesian poet, died; this date 2001, Dennis Tito became first paying [$20M] passenger to go into outer space); fairly readable. April 30, VOI with usual language assignments, but out of syn with normal timing; English already started by 1248, instead of 1300. Next day back to normal (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Weak to good signal of Voice of Indonesia, April 21 1300-1400 UT on 9524.9 JAK 250 kW 010 deg to EaAS English (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, HCDX via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Apr 27, dxldyg via DXLD) 9525-, April 22 at 1328 UT, no signal at all from VOI amid scheduled English hour. What does Atsunori say? Agrees it's missing today, after logs every day previously this month for a triweek. 9525-, April 24 at 1423 UT check, VOI absent again today, no carrier detectable (Glenn Hauser-OK-USA, hcdx and dxld April 26 via Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) 9524.938, VoI, Cimanggis back when checked on April 29, even before 1000 UT. S=9+10dB signal noted at fade-in time in Nagoya Japan, Program start at 1000:55 UT station IS, ID in English, - schedule given "... every day ...". [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 29, ibid.) [and non]. 9524.941 kHz, V of Indonesia Cimanggis in English at 1934 UT, but heavily disturbed by CRI Russian 9535even (Wolfgang Büschel, 1944 UT April 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Weak to fair signal of Voice of Indonesia, May 2 1300-1400 on 9524.9 JAK 250 kW / 010 deg to EaAs English http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/05/weak-to-fair-signal-of-voice-of.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, B`lgariya, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Heard this morning at 1357 UT May 2 on 9525 kHz sign off and contact announcements for the English Service of the Voice of Indonesia World Service. Continued in Indonesian at 1400 UTC. Poor but readable. 73 (Mick Delmage, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Perseus SDR, Wellbrook loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9525, Voice of Indonesia World Service, 1259 UT May 3 with sign off announcements for the Japanese service then just past 1300 sign on information for the English service followed by News headlines and then News. Fair to Good but by 1335 UTC they weakened. (Mick Delmage, Sherwood Park, AB, Perseus SDR, Wellbrook loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. SHORTWAVE RADIO SHOWS LIVE ON YOUTUBE This month I wanted to pass along a tip about something very interesting that one of our CIDX members is doing on YouTube. Gilles Letourneau, a CIDX member in Montreal has, for some time now, been running weekly live shortwave radio shows on YouTube. Broadcasting live from his radio shack in the north end of Montreal, Gilles sets up the camera and the microphone, opens up the chat room, and invites shortwave listeners and radio hobbyists from around the world to join with him for a discussion on things going on in the shortwave world. Gilles has dozens of radio set up in his shack and, being a technician, likes to dabble around in all the latest technologies as well. Some of his broadcasts are simply round-table discussions about what is going on in shortwave or what people are tuning in to. Other broadcasts have specific themes. Recent episodes of the broadcasts dealt with SDR equipment, or a look at portable shortwave radios. Gilles also entertains questions and comments from the audience. The broadcasts always attract a large number of viewers. I have checked in on a few of the recent broadcasts and joined the audience of 70 to 80 participants. The broadcasts can run quite long as well. Gilles intersperses stories and anecdotes from his years of experience in the shortwave hobby with general information for everyone from the newbie to the seasoned veterans. During a few recent broadcasts I checked in and took the opportunity to let the audience know about CIDX and offered people a free sample bulletin. As a result, we have already received a number of new CIDX members as a result of Gilles’ broadcasts. So, if you would like to check out what Gilles is up to, you can look up TheOfficialSWLChannel on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialSWLchannel/featured You’ll find previous broadcasts, plus video captures of various stations or signals Gilles has heard. There are also some demonstrations of equipment and instructional videos. I’m sure you’ll find many hours of enjoyment here. Look for notices of Gilles weekly live broadcasts and feel free to check in to the chat room and say hello to everyone, particularly any CIDX members participating. Congratulations to Gilles Letourneau for his initiative, and for his love and dedication to the shortwave hobby (Sheldon Harvey, May CIDX Messenger via DXLD) Gilles publicizes about an hour ahead in DXLDyg, usually for 2000 UT, sometimes Fridays, sometimes Saturdays (gh) ** IRAN. I'm in the process of playing 'catch up' here ... You asked: ``?? Did you hear them say Voice of Justice, Voix de la Justice??? We thought that name was applied only to the currently dormant on SW English hour to North America (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` Indeed that is exactly what I heard -- in French -- and I even had a tape running at the time. (Sorry for the poor quality of the recording, I wasn't really intending to record, so I wasn't paying attention to levels ...) see attached. I guess they are now using this for more than just English to N Am? They DO still transmit on FTA satellite audible in North America (they were still there in January when I last thought to check, but haven't checked since then. I guess I know what I need to do the next time I'm at the lake!) and they use BOTH IRIB and V. Justice IDs on that bird at different times during the day. Here's the 'summary' info.... 12.184-H GHz Galaxy 19, 97 W; World Service 7, VoIRI/Voice of Justice; 0300, 0500, 0600 Jul, 0400 Aug (KZ) and a 'full' log pulled from a past TipSheet just for fun: ``97 W Galaxy-19 12.184-H/21991 Msps VOIRI (Digital ID as "World Service 7") w/EE tx re Somalis in the UK being harassed & intimidated. "Stories from the past" @0555. ID as you are listening to IRIB at 0557. 0604 another ID and into tx re "Islamic Human Rights" show with today's programme about free expression of ideas in Islam. QPSK/MPEG-2 0535-0605 16/July 56% quality --Zichi MI2`` -- One can never be too rich, too thin or have too many radios. D <-- and I'm still not with stupid! --> R (kv zichi, April 29, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The only SW broadcast of VIRI in French is 1820-1920 on 9710 (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** IRAN [non]. Radio Ranginkaman/Radio Rainbow via BaBcoCk Grigoriopol, April 24 1600-1630 7575 KCH 500 kW / 116 deg WeAs Farsi Mon/Fri, good signal: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/radio-ranginkamanradio-rainbow-via.html (DX RE MIX NEWS #1005 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, May 3, 2017 via DXLD) Radio Ranginkaman & Sedoye Mardom via BaBcoCk Grigoriopol, April 28 R Ranginkaman including BBC English teaching program "Beta Speaking" 1600-1630 7575 KCH 500 kW / 116 deg WeAs Farsi Mon/Fri Radio Rainbow Sedoye Mardom 1700-1730 7530 KCH 500 kW / 116 deg WeAs Farsi Thu/Fri Voice of Men: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/radio-ranginkaman-sedoye-mardom-via.html (DX RE MIX NEWS #1005 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, May 3, 2017 via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. Results of a monitoring project, Farsi on shortwave Dear experts, please find enclosed the results of a monitoring project on Farsi shortwave programmes conducted in the second half of April and closed today with the disappointing discovery that the BBC did not expand its broadcasting time on 1 May. I would have like to come up with this complete timely schedule in Farsi exactly on the time. Kind regards, Hj (Prof. Dr. Hansjoerg Biener - Neulichtenhofstr. 7 - DE-90461 Nuernberg, May 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: „Farsi on short wave“ (17 April to 2 May 2017) 0000-0630 USA Radio Farda 5860 (BIB 100 kW, 88 , 0200 KWT 250 kW, 58 ) 0230-1630 USA Radio Farda 15690 (UDO 250 kW, 300 , 0530 BIB 100 kW, 85 ) 0230-0930 USA Radio Farda 13860 (UDO 250 kW, 300 ) 0230-0330 UK BBC 5985 (DHA 250 kW, 35 ) 7325 (Sofia 250 kW, 100 ) 9480 (GRI 300 kW, 116 ) 11875 (TAC 100 kW, 236 ) 0230-0315 RLG Radio Payem e-Doost (Bahai) 7460 (GRI 500 kW, 116 ) 0230-0300 RLG IBRA Radio (Protestant) 6125 (DHA 250 kW, 45 ) 0330-0430 UK BBC 7305 (DHA 250 kW, 35 ) 11875 (SLA 250 kW, 340 ) 13825 (TAC 100 kW, 236 ) 0330-0400 RLG Adventist World Radio (Protestant) 9550 (MOS 300 kW, 100 ) 0400-0430 IND All India Radio 11670 (BGL 500 kW, 300 ) 15210 (PAN 250 kW, 282 ) 0400-0430 J NHK World Radio 15140 (TAC 100 kW, 236 ) 0430-0530 UK BBC [9480] (DHA 250 kW, 45 ) [11875] (SLA 250 kW, 340 ) [13825] (TAC 100 kW, 236 ) not on air 0630-1100 USA Radio Farda 11925 (BIB 100 kW, 85 , LAM 100 kW, 92 ) 0630-0930 USA Radio Farda 15410 (LAM 100 kW, 92 ) 0830-1000 TUR TRT Ankara 11795 (EMR 500 kW, 105 ) 0900-1200 ARS BSKSA Riad [21650] (JED 250 kW, 50 ) 0930-1530 USA Radio Farda 17690 (BIB 100 kW, 85 ) 1100-1800 USA Radio Farda 12005 (LAM 100 kW, 100 , WOF 300 kW, 90 ) 1200-1400 USA Radio Farda 7435 (KWT 250 kW, 58 ) 1330-1530 EGY R. Kairo [13580] (ABS 250 kW, 61 ) not on air 1430-1500 J NHK World Radio 13680 (ISS 500 kW, 90 kW) 1500-2400 USA Radio Farda 5860 (KWT 250 kW, 58 ) 1500-1600 UK BBC 5875 (TAC 100 kW, 236 ) 6195 (SLA 250 kW, 335 ) 1500-1530 CHN CRI Beijing 9570 (URU 500 kW, 270 ) 9600 (KAS 500 kW, 269 ) 1500-1600 TUR TRT Ankara 9765 (EMR 250 kW, 105 ) 1500-1800 ARS BSKSA Riad [7240] (RIY 500 kW, 40 ) not on air 1600-1700 UK BBC [5875] (TAC 100 kW, 236 ) [6195] (SLA 250 kW, 335 ) not on air 1600-1630 NGO Radio Ranginkaman 7575 (GRI 500 kW, 116 ) Mo Fr 1615-1730 IND AIR Delhi 9620 (ALG 250 kW, 282 ) 11710 (Khanpur 250 kW, 282 ) 13640 (BGL 500 kW, 300 ) 1630-1700 RLG Adventist World Radio (Protestant) 15150 (MOS 300 kW, 100 ) 1700-1800 PAK R. Pakistan [9900 17470] Internet only 1700-1800 RLG Bible Voice Broadcasting (Protestant) 9400 (SOF 100 kW, 90 ) 1700-1730 NGO Sedoye Mardo 7530 (GRI 500 kW, 116 ) Thu & Fri 1745-1815 ARM Voice of Armenia 4810 (Gavar 100 kW, nd) 1800-1900 CHN CRI Beijing 7415 (XIA 500 kW, 292 ) 9670 (BEI 500 kW. 288 ) 1800-1845 RLG Radio Payem e-Doost (Bahai) 7480 (GRI 500 kW, 116 ) Because of the political situation (human rights situation, nuclear program, support for militias in Lebanon and other countries) and its strategic importance (oil, tanker routes in the Persian-Arabian Gulf, access to the Indian Ocean), Iran is still one of the important target areas of international broadcasts. In its recent 2017 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranks Iran 2017 improved at place 165 of 180 countries and territories. This is a slight improvement (65.12 instead of 2016 66.52 negative points). The interactive world map https://rsf.org/en/ranking still colours the country in black for the worst category “very serious situation” : “Media freedom was one of the key demands of the revolution that toppled the Shah and swept Ayatollah Khomeiny to power in 1979, but it is a promise that has never been kept. The media are mostly under the Islamic regime’s close control and there has been no let-up in the persecution of independent journalists, citizen journalists, and media outlets. Media personnel are still constantly exposed to intimidation, arbitrary arrest, and long jail sentences imposed by revolutionary courts at the end of unfair trials. Despite an improvement in its international relations, Iran continues to be one of the world’s five biggest prisons for media personnel.” https://rsf.org/en/iran This complete schedule of Farsi programmes on short wave was prepared in April and May, starting from the HFCC entries and the ADDX- Hörfahrplan. It contains only those programmes expressly designated Farsi / Persian, although Farsi, Dari and Tajik have a certain kinship and mutual intelligibility. For this reason, however, it does not include the broadcasts of the Tajik Radio, as I found very different broadcast schedules for the international service. There are no HFCC entries here, which would have been the basis for the verification of Farsi broadcasts by own listening. Some shortwave services such as BSKSA and Radio Cairo are only on paper, although Farsi broadcasts from Radio Pakistan still exist on the internet. The most important foreign services for Iran are the US- American Radio Farda and the Farsi service of the BBC London. According to the HFCC files, an extension was planned for the latter as of 1 May. This did not happen (yet?). The thirty minute programmes of BBC and other stations like NHK are heavily word oriented. Today's dominance of Islam in Iran hardly leaves room for the historical reminder that Persia was an important country in the history of Eastern Christianity (“Nestorianism”). Today, Protestant Christian broadcasts in Farsi are broadcast by Adventist World Radio, IBRA Radio and Bible Voice. Trans World Radio has no shortwave broadcasts for Iran, but at http://www.bvbroadcasting.org/listen/language/farsi/ you find Through the Bible and Women of Hope listed, which would otherwise be heard about TWR. The Christian programmes consist almost entirely of sermons. In comparison, the Baha`i-station Radio Payam-e Doost with their music and the music-lined text passages sounds more light hearted, although the situation of Baha`i in Iran is very serious (Dr Hansjoerg Biener, 2 May 2017, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Iran itself not included, since all VIRI SW broadcasts in Farsi were eliminated many years ago; no desire to reach diaspora? (gh, DXLD) ** ITALY [and non]. Re: ``Challenger Radio 846 kHz --- Suspect they are a bit off frequency at the moment (2205 UT 26/4) US YL with news in English on approx 845.7 kHz. 73s (Nick. Buxton. Rank, UK, Sent from Samsung Mobile on O2, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD 17-17) Does this ever carry WORLD OF RADIO, or fragments of it, from IRRS? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` Hi Glenn, Not sure if they carry World Of Radio; it is actually the first time I have ever heard Challenger Radio. I got the details from WRTH where mention they relay IRRS & VoA. I don't know how regularly they are on-air as I listened to 846 kHz the following night at the same time (27/4 2200 UT) and couldn't hear them at all. It was the het which drew my attention first of all and then the US YL giving the news in English followed by the mention of the broadcast coming via IRRS. No Challenger ID heard. SIO 232. I usually only hear Ireland's Radio North on 846 kHz, the unlicensed station, with music or religious programmes at this time. Tend to have a quick tune-around on arriving home after late shift before going to bed. I'll monitor 846 kHz more often now, will report any WOR broadcasts. 73's (Nick Rank, Buxton, UK, (Sony ICF2001D, MW loops), DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn's program (WOR) is played regularly on a random basis on AM/MW 846 kHz (now replacing the old frequency: 1368 kHz) from 1900 to 0100 CET [17-23 UT] and from 0600 to 0800 CET [04-06 UT], [any day?] as well as on "IRN" (Internet Radio NEXUS), our 24/7 internet stream at http://mp3.nexus.org:8000/irn.mp3 also accessible via players at: http://www.egradio.org We often play music, news or public interest material on a random basis as a filler between paid slots. There would be no problem in placing WOR on a regular fixed-time/fixed-day slot either on SW and/or MW, if anybody could find a sponsor for the cost of airtime. VOA relays were carried as an experiment by Challenger Radio (not us) some time ago (VOA apparently showed no interest). However, we do carry VOA headlines news regularly as a public service, together with other news source we subscribe to, both on MW and our online stream, usually either on top of the hour or at 30 min past the hour. 73s, (Alfredo Cotroneo, IRRS, April 28, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Thanks for that information, very interesting. 1368 kHz is difficult here due to the strong signal from Manx Radio, 846 kHz only seems to have co-channel Radio North, which is a lot weaker. Will keep listening! 73's (Nick Rank, May 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY. Please be advised that Marconi Radio International will be on the air today Sunday, 30 April, from 1645 to 1915 on 7700 kHz (alternative 7690 kHz) USB Mode. Reception reports with audio clips (mp3-file) are welcome and confirmed by QSL verification. Some lucky listeners will ALSO receive our printed QSL card, so don't forget to include your postal address. E-mail: marconiradiointernational (at) gmail.com Last but not least, we need your help! If you are a DX blogger, or use social networks, please post an announcement on your own blog and/or Facebook or send out a tweet. You can also forward this message to a friend. This should help increase our potential audience. We hope to hear from a lot of shortwave listeners about our transmissions. Best 73's (Marconi Radio International (MRI), 0817 UT April 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) We keep getting these short-notices in our nightmiddle, of use mainly in Europe, and someone usually posts them ASAP to the DXLD yg (gh) Here is the current schedule of Marconi Radio International (A-17 period), until 29 October 2017: On Tuesdays, from 1700 to 2000 UT on 7700 kHz (Alternative 7690) USB Mode, with a power of 100 watts. Their schedule is liable to change and additional broadcasts can be aired occasionally. As usual, when this occurs, a circular message is being sent to all listeners in their mailing list as wel as shortwave community. Their broadcasts include some kind of programmes now sadly missing from most shortwave radio stations: a weekly old style DX show in English “Italian Short Wave Panorama” (there is also the Italian version called “Panorama Onde Corte”) with lot of recent logs as well as a Mailbag show in Italian (“Casella Postale Elettronica”) on air on the first Tuesday of each month, with repeats during the following transmissions in the same month. Station identification announcements are not only in English and Italian but also in French, German, Japanese, Romanian, Spanish and Catalan. DX shows “Italian Short Wave Panorma” and “Panorama Onde Corte” can also be heard through IBC, Italian Broadcasting Corporation, using transmitter facilities of WRMI, in Okeechobee (Florida) in the USA, Radio Channel 292, in Rohrbach Waal (6070 kHz) in Germany, and Radio Studio X (1584 kHz), in Pistoia, Italy. For more details, including times and frequencies, please visit the website of IBC, Italian Broadcasting Corporation, at: http://ibcradio.webs.com (MRI Facebook page via April DX Fanzine via DXLD) ** JAPAN. 7795.400, JMH, Japan meteo - F3C mode, S=9+30dB local powerhouse. 1034 UT on May 3 (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log in remote SDR unit at Nagoya, Japan, on May 3rd at 0930-1045 UT, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. New frequency of Radio Japan NHK World, registered in HFCC on April 24: 0815-0845 on 11990 YAM 300 kW / 290 deg to EaAs Korean, additional transmission http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/new-frequency-of-radio-japan-nhk-world.html (DX RE MIX NEWS #1005 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, May 3, 2017 via DXLD) ** JAPAN. JAPAN TO RAISE BROADCAST PROGRAM EXPORT TARGET TO 50 GIGAYEN http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2017042900583 Tokyo, April 30 (Jiji Press)--The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will raise the target of Japan's annual broadcast program exports, aiming to achieve 50 billion yen by fiscal 2020, according to informed sources. Exports of Japanese broadcast programs, including anime and drama series, have been surging. In fiscal 2015, such exports jumped 58.0 pct from the previous year to 28.85 billion yen, clearing the government's target of reaching 20 billion yen by fiscal 2018. The ministry plans to strengthen measures to support broadcast content exports, including programs of regional broadcasters, the sources said. It is currently tallying up export figures for fiscal 2016, which ended in March. Japan may have overtaken South Korea as the world's third-largest broadcast program exporter, following the United States and Britain, according to the sources. The surge in fiscal 2015 exports reflects a sharp increase in exports of online distribution rights, mainly of anime programs. (2017/04/30-10:30) (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) All about TV, no radio? ** KIRIBATI. 1440-Kiribati Received in Japan (with tip from Kona DXpedition MP3) 1440, Radio Kiribati is an exotic Pacific island station in Bairiki, Tarawa, an island very close to the Equator (in between Hawaii and Japan). For those of us who have yet to receive it (which is almost all of us), the station's sign off routine around 0933 UT includes a full-strength 1000 Hz tone just before the power is cut off, which can get through QRM very effectively. Last night two DXers in Japan (Hiroo Nakagawa and Satoshi Miyauchi, our Rockwork 4 DXpedition partners from last July) used this fact along with the related Kona DXpedition MP3 to hear and record 1440- Kiribati for the first time. They had some serious QRM from 1440-JOWF in Sapporo, but the 1000 Hz sign off tone from 1440-Kiribati cut through the Japanese QRM very clearly. Their recording (and the original Kona DXpedition 1440-Kiribati MP3) are linked below. Hiroo's 1440-Kiribati MP3 (from last night) https://app.box.com/s/p1cmshut3j2dm1lrztribce3z22ha4kp Kona DXpedition 1440-Kiribati sign off routine MP3 (from April 11) https://app.box.com/s/s9sgwesnmi3ljjf1fkuhlsb08st7ty5y Around 0930 UT, DXers in the western parts of Canada and the U.S. might wish to try the same trick to track down the rare station, which is one of the more exotic Pacific island broadcasters in the Central Pacific (Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA), April 30, IRCA via DXLD) Pasted below is Satoshi's message concerning the Kiribati reception: Hello Gary-san, It was indeed with our thanks for the most helpful tips from your recent Hawaii trip, one of them was the closing procedures of Radio Kiribati. Since my PC's capability is extremely low with smaller left disk spaces, I could not copy rather clearly tonight, however Hiroo san sent us with this excellent recordings of just this evening .. Tonight, the propagation was rather good especially to DUs, both NZ and Australia, such as 1035 kHz was almost every time there [presumably referring to Solomons]. I tried ultralight with your FSL though, clear catch was only usual 630 kHz on which Guam hands over gently to ABC News on the hour (1000 UT) . It was rather instant small pedition at Chigasaki koen or park, where it's back is local baseball ground. Have a good Sunday! PS: You may find attached audio which matches yours on 1440 kHz. 73 Satoshi Miyauchi (via DeBock, ibid.) See also DX-PEDITIONS abottom ** KOREA NORTH. 6100, 1529, Pyongyang with solemn orchestrals, time pips at 1530 and Korean announcement. Very good signal on LSB mode only which allowed weak Afghanistan co-channel to sneak through at 1532 2/4 (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland, North Island, New Zealand, WinRadio G33DDC and AOR7030+ receivers, EWEs to Nth, Cent & Sth America, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. 15105, UNID. Presumed to be V of Korea (D.P.R.K), Kujang with a test transmission as there is no broadcast scheduled at 0305. Korean sounding song with female vocal when I first tuned in. Suddenly no audio at 0308, just carrier. Then a transmitter test tone at 0322. Next at 0326, some sort of strange unidentified data transmission on the carrier. Finally, the VoK interval signal began at exactly 0330 and into the usual Mandarin service to SEAs. Monitored both here at Mount Evelyn (fair signal) and through the remote SDR in Chiba, Japan (excellent signal). Quite odd! 19/4 (Rob Wagner, VK3BVW, Mount Evelyn, VIC (Yaesu FTDX 3000, Kenwood TS2000, Yaesu FRG100, Kenwood R5000, Tecsun PL-680, Double Bazooka antennas for 80, 40 and 20 metres, Par EF-SWL End Fed antenna, BHI NEIM1031 Digital Noise Eliminating Module, MFJ-1026 Noise Cancelling Module, ATU), May Australian DX News via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. correction Voice of Korea A-17, please update --- minor time segment faults... 1430-1527 9425 KUJ 200 kW 325 deg EaEUR Russian 9424.998 1430-1527 9435 KUJ 200 kW 028 deg NoAM French even 1430-1527 11710 KUJ 200 kW 028 deg NoAM French even 1430-1527 11735 KUJ 200 kW 238 deg SoEaAS Kor KCBS 11734.999 1430-1527 12015 KUJ 200 kW 325 deg EaEUR Russian 12015.002 1430-1527 13650 KUJ 200 kW 238 deg SoEaAS Kor KCBS 13650.003 1430-1527 13760 KUJ 200 kW 325 deg WeEUR French 13760.002 1430-1527 15245 KUJ 200 kW 325 deg WeEUR French 15244.971 73 wolfie (Wolfgang Büschel, May 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Korean transmissions stop at 20 minutes past the hour. 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, ibid.) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. QSL: Answered the radio station Furusato No Kaze from Japan, sent materials in Japanese and a brochure on its activities in English. Confirmations, as we have it imagine, I do not see. Scan lay out, but this is for your reference. http://ivanovpb.blogspot.ru/2017/04/furusato-no-kaze.html Paul, Belgorod. (Pavel Ivanov, open_dx via RusDX 30 April via DXLD) Opinions ---------- I wrote on Furusato No Kaze in the distant 2009, and in return received all About the same + a letter signed by Sunouchi Tomoyuki, where so directly and it says: Unfortunately, we do not issue any verification cards (SWL / QSL Card) ... So nothing has changed since then. I keep this letter. The following text reads: ... but according to the description you gave us, we can confirm it was our Japanese program "Furusato no Kaze". What is not QSL? It does not have to be colorful and on thick paper. A letter with the same text, but from another person and for 2011, is here: Http://shortwavedxer.blogspot.ru/2011/07/furusato-no-kaze-wind-of-hometown.html 73! (Dmitry Mezin, Kazan, Russia, RusDX 30 April via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 6040, JAPAN, "Sea Breeze" 5/1, 1300. Confirmed on today, usual opening. Off right on sked at 1400. CRI heard faintly afterward. F/G (Rick Barton, some logs from the patio picnic table listening post. Unless otherwise stated, logs are with a RS SW- 2000629/ATS-505/Model 20-629/DX-402, and a 20' wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH. 5857.5 USB mode, HLL Seoul Meteo service, S=9+15dB in Nagoya. at 0938 UT two carriers visible, stronger 5857.515 kHz, and 5857.490 lower signal (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log in remote SDR unit at Nagoya, Japan, on May 3rd at 0930-1045 UT, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH. 15575. KBS. Abril 29. Servicio en Inglés. 1345-1400. Lecturas de informes de recepción y comentarios de los oyentes. A las 1353, se emite el programa acerca de la hora universal. A las 1357, despedida de la emisión y avisos de la emisora. SINPO: 45444 15575. KBS. Abril 29. 1400-1413 UT. Mujer habla en coreano, y luego un hombre presenta informaciones con música de fondo. SINPO: 44444 (Claudio Galaz, RX: TECSUN PL 660; ANT: Hilo de 40 metros de largo, QTH: Ovalle, Chile, condiglista yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) Now we know where it goes: certainly not to North America! (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) But starting to improve here summerly (gh) ** KURDISTAN [non]. * QSL via Spaceline Ltd., Sofia Bulgaria. CEO Dimitar Todorov (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, April 24, hcdx via wwdxc BC-DX 29 April via DXLD) And proxy for all(?) other PRIDNESTROVYE relay customers (gh) ** KUWAIT. Radio Kuwait after two years of absence is back to shortwaves with its English programme, heard with a quite good signal in both Europe and North America, from 1800 to 2100 on 15540 kHz. On 28th April the station announced on the air they wish to receive reception reports to this (unknown to me!) E-mail address: kwtfreq@hotmail.com Surprisingly, I found that delivery of my report to this e-mail address failed permanently! The same occurred with the well known official E-mail address: Kwtfreq@media.gov.kw! However Radio Kuwait mentioned also the following postal address and fax number for reception reports: Ministry of Information, Engineering Affairs, Department of Frequencies, P.O. Box 967, Safat, 13010 Kuwait; Fax:+965 22415498 (Antonello Napolitano, Taranto, ITALY, April DX Fanzine via DXLD) 15540, May 1 at 1838, R. Kuwait with news in English, fair signal and would be completely readable without my line noise level. Tnx to tip from Mick Delmage, who said it was ``huge`` in Alberta at 1810. Also enough signal to stop my BST-1 caradio memory scan at 1910 during unneeded rock music. Still no reports of any other language services reactivated (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Once again today a big signal from Radio Kuwait when they join in progress presumed Arabic [Urdu] broadcast at 1757 UT on 15540 kHz May 2. Five plus 1 time pips at 1800 UT, then direct into Biography of the Prophet program. Sign on announcements at 1814 UT for the English broadcast including requests for reception reports by e-mail, fax or snail mail. Excellent (Mick Delmage, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Perseus SDR, Wellbrook loop, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15540, May 3 at 1936 check, R. Kuwait with ME music segment, greatly preferable to the Western rock MOI feels they must also play to be well-rounded, fair at S9 vs my HNL. Still no reports of any other language services reactivated (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Surprise! 15540. May 3 at 2022, Radio Kuwait, Kabd Sulaibiyah, in English. A musical program: many English variety songs; 2050 Man announcer talks (baritone voice) news; 2055 A song; 1758 Man talks, ID, sked in English; 2059 IS; 2100 ends programming. Radio Kuwait, for the first time, presents a good signal and modulation, today, 45444. Surprise! (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier, Location: Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, RX (s): Tecsun S-2000, Antenna: Longwire, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN. In the list of the First Radio (Birinji Radio) for SW 4010 and 4821, and for MW 612, 1404 and 1431 kHz, there are also broadcasts of other radio stations whose programs are broadcasted: Radio Liberty 0900-0930, 1400-1500 & 1530-1600; BBC 1300-1330 & 1500-1530; Voice of Turkey 0930-1000 (maybe a program in Turkish?) China Radio International 0800-0900 (Mon–Fri). And 1600-1700 (Sat/Sun) Probably all of them are in the Kyrgyz language, but still it is necessary to check whether it is in Russian? (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, RusDX 30 April via DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN. 5130, Sedaye Zindagi. Translated from Dari as Voice of Life re-activated on 11/4 at *1550-1750* with talks & religious songs, a Christian program (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF2001D, Folded Marconi ant 16 meters long own made), May Australian DX News via DXLD) ** LAOS. 6129.989, Lao National Radio, Vientiane, S=9+15dB signal into eastern Thailand, At 0645 UT hill tribe "Sing-Sang" folk music played [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log of April 27, 0615-0745 UT in local Thailand afternoon time slot, all observation done in/via remote SDR installation in eastern Thailand, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 27, dxldyg via DXLD) ** LIBERIA. 6050, ELWA Radio, Monrovia, 0620-0632, 29-04, English, religious comments and songs. Very weak today. 14321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Friol, Tecsun PL-880, Sangean ATS-909X, cable antenna 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LITHUANIA. From the response of Rimantas Pleikys to the question of why the transmitter on RFE / RL order works with reduced power: P. S. The decision to work with a power of 75 kW was apparently made on the basis of Monitoring data in Moscow, Minsk and Kiev. In the Moscow region, the signal reaches S9 + 30 ... + 40 dB. http://rz3dvp.ru:8073/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1jp0gXZR0U Rimantas Pleikys --- Do not speculate on the coffee grounds [tea leaves?]. Transmitters within Lithuania were not tolerated anywhere: - Virshulishkes - Tesla SRV, 50 + 25 kW (612 kHz, previously and 1107, 1557 kHz) - dismantled; - Sitkunai - Vortex, 500 kW (666, 1386 kHz) dismantled, Storm-C, 75 + 75 kW (1386 kHz, previously 612, 1557, 1107 kHz) - will be dismantled; Shortwave Continental Electronics 418F, 100 kW - will be sold or disassembled; 7 masts and 6 towers - will be dismantled. - The medium-wave transmitter Nautel NX-200 in Veshintos at 1386 kHz on RFE / RL order works with a reduced power of 75 kW, mast 120 m, previously operated at 873 kHz, 150 kW, Weisskirchen, American Forces Network. + I agree, the picture is sad. And we offered 600 kW through a two-mast directional antenna. But the customer is more [too?] visible ;-) (Dmitry Elagin, Saratov, Russia / "deneb-radio-dx" via RusDX 30 April via DXLD) ** LITHUANIA [non]. 11580, Sat April 29 at 2200, `Bye, Bye, Sitkunai` special hour has just started, for the third week in a row at this time on unscheduled WRMI frequency --- and could continue for months (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MADAGASCAR. Reception of World Christian Broadcast/Madagascar World Voice April 29, 100 kW 1800-1900 9570 / 355 deg EaEu Russian tx#1 KNLS, New Life Station 1800-1900 17640 / 310 deg WeAf English tx#2 African Pathways Radio 1900-2000 11945 / 355 deg N/ME Arabic tx#1 Radio Feda 1900-2000 9820 / 355 deg EaEu Russian tx#2 KNLS, New Life Station http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/reception-of-world-christian.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, B`lgariya, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 9835, RTM Kajang, pop music program at 0730 UT on April 27, 10 kHz wideband S=9+10dB signal [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log of April 27, 0615- 0745 UT in local Thailand afternoon time slot, all observation done in/via remote SDR installation in eastern Thailand, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 27, dxldyg via DXLD) 11665, Wai FM-Limbang (via RTM Kajang), 1340-1400+ 27 April. Sounds like the distinctive Limbang IDs have been absorbed into Wai FM, as they now ID as "Wai FM-Limbang" during the M/Th 1315-1400 "Limbang FM" segment. Also 1339+ 1 May with "Wai-FM Limbang" echoing jingle and web address for streaming Wai FM audio (Dan Sheedy, Moonlight Beach, CA PL380/6m X wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. 5995, Radio Mali, Bamako, 1826-1925, 30-04, African songs, French and Vernacular, comments, female and male. 14321. (Méndez) 9635, Radio Mali, Bamako, *0800-0907, 02-05, tuning music, French, id., comments. 14321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante, Tecsun PL-880, Sangean ATS-909X, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Are the signals really that weak, S=1, or is it just that they are barely modulated? (gh, DXLD) ** MEXICO. 570, April 28 at 0455, dominant signal here with choral NA early, stops at 0456 but no ID, so sign-off? Nothing further heard. Loops south, so I would expect XEBJB Monterrey NL. IRCA Mexican Log as of 2015 showed XEBJB as 24 hours, but some others going off at 0500 or 0600 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 620, May 1 at 0415, ``La Norteña``, 91.7 ID, i.e. XEBU Chihuahua2, 5000/250 watts, but not unusual here at night, often over US stations. I don`t think they said ``Norteñita`` as listed this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 800, May 1 at 0416, surprised to find XEROK VG at S9+30, blowing away KQCV OKC; usually it`s the other way around. But now XEROK does sound like a borderblaster. Mentions Ciudad Juárez, promo for 800, songs [later on May 1, CKLW programming was reported by CTV Windsor, via Artie Bigley, to have moved to sibling station CKWW 580, due to a fire in the CKLW transmitter, so that 800 is off, opening for DX?] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. XHRAW 93.9 --- Early morning tropo brought in many of the Rio Grande FMs including this new one for me, 2600 watter(or is it?) around 2 am. I hear "mil watts", but can't tell what precedes that. Attached Files File Type: mp3 93.9 XHRAW ID.mp3 (460.9 KB, 3 views) (mike, South Louisiana, April 26, 2017, TVDXing since 7/27/09, WTFDA Forum via DXLD) Holy grupera station echo on that ID. Either "tres" or "diez". 2004 concession renewal says 3.0 kW so I believe it's tres. There's a transmitter address in there too, which is great news for me! Seriously: if you have location questions, start by listening for a long 30-second ID. Calle 5 #150, Poblado Los Guerra —*26-23-30.4, -99-04-45 This location is further west in the same municipality and it will likely mean DX distances from within the US to XHRAW are slightly longer than have previously been stated (Raymie Humbert, AZ, ibid.) Thanks for the tip and a nice link. Raymie, are those coordinates? If those are coordinates - they look odd (mike, ibid.) Yeah, just with dashes which I use in the spreadsheet and the DB uses. (It can also be rendered as 26 23'30.4", -99 04'45") For some reason Los Guerra is "Guerra Los" in Google Maps. It's quite clearly the other way around as there are a number of towns in the region also named for families (Los Aldama, Los Herrera come to mind in Nuevo León). (Raymie, ibid.) Wouldn't it be great if stations in US/Canada would rattle off (in addition to call letters & location) ERP, mailing address, etc., like many Mexicans? Sigh. cd (Chris Dunne, FL, ibid.) It's so useful when you're hunting for coordinates. I nailed new-to- air XHZTA-FM's location using its ID (right now, XHZTA is a simulcast of XHGRC and so they are running dual IDs). An ID clip of XHXK-FM in Poza Rica was my first tip that they had moved from their original authorization. I need to listen to more Mexican radio stations at TOH! I wonder how some of the state networks (particularly CORTV and Radio Sonora with their dozens of transmitters) insert individual IDs. There must be a system that a local ID can be cued at the transmitter. (I also found someone's clip of this ID on another forum. It's 3 kW.) Last edited by Raymie; 04-27-2017 at 12:56 AM (Raymie, ibid.) ** MEXICO. RAYMIE`S MEXICO BEAT THIS FORTNIGHT [FM, AM, no DTV now] Let's do long-overdue unIDs tonight... March 1999 VUD, John Jefferson: Es, 1/15/99: "I'm pretty certain of XHUSS and XHGON since channel 2 had a Mexican baseball playoff game (Mexicali vs. ???) going with "Tecate" displayed frequently on the scoreboard and channel 4 had then 4-5 deep co-channel bars typical of XHBS Los Mochis. Tecate is in Sonora, and I suspect it was the game site." Alright. We know Tecate probably was the beer sponsor (and not a place in Sonora), but baseball? In January? It's a good reminder that the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico is the winter league of Mexican baseball. I concur on XHI, either Mochis or Obregón, being the station in question. Televisoras Grupo Pacífico has had a history of carrying games from the LMP (though Megacable is currently the rights holder). I've heard that their telecasts were actually Major League-quality at times. Mexicali won the LMP in '98-99, beating Los Mochis 4-2, Guasave 4-0 and Culiacán 4-1. This game might have been during the Guasave series, as the final game of the season was January 27. Given the playoffs, though, it's easy to imagine this being aired on all the TVP stations from Obregón to Mazatlán. Most of the league's teams at the time (with Mexicali and Hermosillo as the exceptions, maybe Navojoa as well) fell in the coverage footprint of TVP stations. July 2002 VUD, Kevin Redding: Es, 5/23/02: "Radio Mejor" mention on 93.9. My guess is XHLZ-FM (Lázaro Cárdenas, Mich.) This might explain why Medios Radiofónicos Michoacán keeps the domain http://radiomejor.mx/ as its main domain. July 2003 VUD, Lenny Goldberg: Es, 6/13/02: XHCJX-FM. "IDed as "Exa-FM". This station is near Mazatlán. How far is that from Ashland OR?? Could I have really heard this?" Well, Mazatlán is 1,608 miles or so from Ashland. But XHCJX isn't in Mazatlán. It's in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit. The distance on that is 1,797 miles (Probably more than he bargained for!) (Raymie Humbert, Phœnix AZ, April 23, WTFDA Forum via DXLD) Send that one to Lenny in the great DX shack in the sky. I'm sure he would have loved to have known he had a 2xEs station --- we remember you Lenny. http://www.dailytidings.com/article/20151003/OBITUARIES/151009934 (Jim Thomas, Springfield, MO, April 23, ibid.) A few scraps from recent IFT documents: -CDI stations: That third CDI station in San Sebastián, Chiapas, is indeed slated to broadcast from the XEVFS-AM tower. Likewise, and predictably, the San Quintín and Guelatao stations will shack up with the existing AM facilities, and the STLs will be converted to digital operation. -Permit discontinuity in Jalisco: http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/conocenos/pleno/sesiones/acuerdoliga/pift141216739frparesre.pdf We have callsigns for facilities we already knew about: XEPBPV-AM and XEPBGL-AM. Can we please stop with these stupid templated callsigns? -Speaking of Puerto Vallarta, it appears Rate Cultural y Educativa de México also asked for a station in Puerto Vallarta, http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/conocenos/pleno/sesiones/acuerdoliga/pift081216722.pdf whose economic analysis is still pending. -What is going on at the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo? http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/conocenos/pleno/sesiones/acuerdoliga/pift25011738.pdf That new concession they received is for XECHAP-AM... 1130. (Reminder: They already have XEUACH-AM 1610). Permit discontinuity *and* a move off the X-band? That'd be a new one. 1610 AM is wide open for a long distance. 1130 became available in Texcoco when it disappeared in Toluca (Raymie, April 25, ibid.) Imagen TV had four more transmitter sites show up in the RPC this week: XHCTAG: http://rpc.ift.org.mx/rpc/pdfs/91927_170425171614_6184.pdf XHCTCR: http://rpc.ift.org.mx/rpc/pdfs/91928_170425172012_6834.pdf XHCTLE: http://rpc.ift.org.mx/rpc/pdfs/91930_170425172350_6927.pdf XHCTVE: http://rpc.ift.org.mx/rpc/pdfs/91929_170425172216_759.pdf XHCTLE is noteworthy because its ERP is the lowest to date for Imagen TV: 10 kW. That's it. The others are 100, 40 and 25 kW, respectively. (Raymie, April 26, ibid.) The XHAVR-FM tower is hiding Chasing after an elusive radio tower in Veracruz, that is currently a phantom tower. None other than that belonging to 89.1 XHAVR *in* Alvarado. But is it really in Alvarado? Their *modificación de concesión* document is found here http://rpc.ift.org.mx/rpc/pdfs/090252648002cc1c.pdf The IFT says the tower coordinates are on the Antón Lizardo Highway, which runs from Boca del Río to Antón Lizardo, which is about a 25 km stretch. Its suppose to be on the Rancho el Tepeyac. I wore Google out trying to find that. You'll find the name Tepeyac all around México, but I did not find a Rancho by that name in that area. The IFT also says the tower is at KM 3.5 on the highway. I took a drive on Google Maps, headed S-SE out of Boca del Río (150) and decided to start directly in front of the Superama. I didn't go very far when I found this KM marker: https://goo.gl/iAIbLV I went a bit further and didn't find the 4 KM marker. I was scanning the country side looking for anything that looks like radio towers. Further down 150 I saw two towers (maybe at 5 KM) coming up on the right. They look like cell towers. My pursuit continues. If Raymie ever finds it, I hope he will post the news here (Jim Thomas, Springfield, MO, April 26, ibid.) Believe it or not, that site is in the municipality of Alvarado. Put in the coords and go to older versions of Google Street View to see the stick which was dismantled at some point in 2015 or early 2016. What I need to find is an FM stick. There were no FM bays *ever* on the Alvarado tower. I suspect XHAVR and XHETF have moved to a common tower site (as is the case with other Fórmula clusters) somewhere in Veracruz or, in my personal opinion, Boca del Río. XHETF didn't have any facilities at where they were listed, in a dense, older area of the city of Veracruz. The photos on Street View are not recent enough to see if there is an FM facility at Plaza Vela, where RF recently set up shop. Even given that, it is worth noting that there are three separate FM radio studio facilities in the same shopping center. (Here's a picture of the XHPR- FM sign during its short lived Ke Buena era.) https://igx.4sqi.net/img/general/width960/12206739_a0pfpUIGmmT11KOzDI6bvwKLiCjgjTQKufrmlluC0PE.jpg I suspect that within a couple years, Radio Fórmula Veracruz will move its transmitter facilities to the new Exertia tower from the same developer which is currently under construction behind Plaza Vela. But right now, there are no clues. I sent a message to them on their website contact form and have not heard back (Raymie, April 26, ibid.) XHVMT-FM may be an existing radio station going legal (and changing frequencies). Its studio address was revealed by the RPC this week. It's hard to find because the actual street name (Jazmín) isn't in Google Maps. But I did find an FM stick on an "unnamed" street in the same colonia: https://www.google.com/maps/@17.335683,-98.0145001,3a,75y,57.61h,117.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sTDb4T7dM7WQfskCL8PSfQQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 "La Nueva 100.3 FM" has a Facebook page. It also has a story in which the station owner was kidnapped and murdered in 2010 http://www.codigosnews.com/mx/viewnote.php?nota=1438 (note the "DEP Jorge Alberto Vera Carrizal" text above the door; some sources say 2013, but it's definitely 2010 based on this Street View shot). In 2015, the owner of *another* station in Juxtlahuaca was also killed (Raymie, April 27, ibid.) Two of the winners in IFT-4, representing three stations, pulled out of the process and their stations could be reassigned to the next high bidder. http://www.ift.org.mx/comunicacion-y-medios/comunicados-ift/es/participantes-ganadores-de-la-licitacion-de-178-frecuencias-de-las-bandas-de-fm-y-de-am-entregan That said, most stations appear to still be a go as IFT-4 rolls on (Raymie, April 28, ibid.) The web of corruption allegations involving Veracruz state government officlals yet again reached a former press secretary and the stations of the Veracruz Social Wolfpack this week. http://www.animalpolitico.com/2017/04/duarte-exvoceros-corrupcion-veracruz/ Between Gina Domínguez and Alberto Silva Ramos–now a federal deputy– the state attorney general's office has three open investigations and the embezzlement of some three billion pesos ($159 million). Domínguez was Duarte's press secretary and the government's communications director between December 2010 and February 2014. While in office, Domínguez used her position to award lucrative contracts http://www.animalpolitico.com/2017/04/exvocera-de-duarte-beneficio-medios/ to a company known as Servicios Especializados de Comunicación en Imagen, S.A. de C.V. (SECI). This company was founded in 2008 and became owned by Domínguez in 2015. Between 2013 and 2016, it received at least 17.2 million pesos in contracts. In January 2012, Roberto Altieri Fernández approached Domínguez, according to a source who requested anonymity, to ask for 21 million pesos to build the first three stations in the Wolfpack, covering Papantla de Olarte, Álamo-Temapache, and Tlacotalpan, referred to together as the "Proyecto Veracruz". The meeting came nearly two years after the permit applications were filed in April 2010, but seven months before Cofetel approved the award of the stations' permits and nine months before they were actually awarded. The Wolfpack's stations were built, with José Humberto Roa being tapped as the legal representative for the trio. At the time, Humberto Roa served as the legal director of the Coordinación General de Comunicación Social–the department Domínguez ran in the state government. SECI had been created in 2008, with one of its members being Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez Garduza. Gutiérrez Garduza later became part of the Veracruz Secretariat of Health, where he authorized some of the contracts to the famous "ghost businesses". In 2014, José Humberto Roa joined SECI, only to sell his stake to Domínguez, who then became the sole administrator of the company in 2015. Former Health Secretary Juan Antonio Nemi Dib recognized that he was the one who "gifted" Domínguez with the company; http://www.animalpolitico.com/2017/04/exvocera-javier-duarte-regalo/ Dib is involved in further questionable purchasing practices in the state government, such as the acquisition of unusable HIV tests and fake medications. Currently, SECI with the three operating stations (not to mention the additional four stations greenlighted last year by the IFT or the others that have not been approved), as well as Quadratín Veracruz and the Telenews site, form a media consortium where Domínguez has editorial control. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Governor Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares made public that Domínguez has been asked to testify in the case. http://www.agnveracruz.com.mx/index.php/menuveracruz/item/35593-fge-cit%C3%B3-a-declarar-a-gina-dom%C3%ADnguez-colio-mayl In her column, Domínguez wrote that the reporting by Animal Político was false, saying that the facts were taken out of context and the dates don't match up. https://m.facebook.com/TelenewsMEX/posts/1692509067433828:0 Previous reporting on Domínguez, SECI and the Wolfpack centered around attempts to sell the stations. http://forums.wtfda.org/showthread.php?9113-OPMA-is-changing&p=41822#post41822 (Raymie, April 30, ibid.) The radio business can be a dangerous one, and those at XHART-FM Jojutla, Morelos, learned the hard way this week. Filiberto Álvarez was shot outside his home http://www.animalpolitico.com/2017/05/asesinan-a-periodista-y-locutor-de-morelos/ on Saturday in Tlaquiltenango and later died at a Jojutla hospital. He broadcast a poetry program on XHART that aired on Saturday nights. Álvarez was 65 (Raymie, ibid.) At 145 pages (and nearly three years), this thread is a doozy. It's one of the longer forum threads I've seen. (Still can't beat the 8+- year-old "lamptimer" thread on RD!) Perhaps there may be a better method of delivering news, information and feature reports than this. I'd just need to set it up. In the future, I'll definitely post more format flips (like XHAK-FM Acámbaro Gto., which went La Mejor) here instead of sending straight to the DB. ——— I'm a little confused by this story, because I have no news to match it. http://eldelsur.com/2017/05/02/habra-nueva-radiodifusora-para-san-andres-tuxtla/ Rafael Fararoni Mortera is running for mayor of San Andrés Tuxtla. He announced during his campaign that the town will soon have a new radio station in the coming months. The article implies that Fararoni is behind the new venture, praising it, not least because XHSAV apparently has a chokehold on everyone down there, "keeping a captive audience and offering exorbitant prices for advertising". The two Tuxtlas actually have two commercial radio stations. XHDQ-FM is, as you probably know by now, the founding station of Grupo ACIR. There's also XHSAV, and for noncommercial radio, Santiago Tuxtla boasts a very low-powered (167 watts) RTV Radiomás repeater. The Veracruz Social Wolfpack wanted a station in San Andrés Tuxtla, but our PAN-PRD mayoral candidate can't possibly be excited about that. An additional station will come to this area via IFT-4; it will be owned by Tecnoradio. Last edited by Raymie; 05-05-2017 at 01:20 AM (Raymie, May 5, ibid.) So why not just start other threads?? This thread (OPMA is Changing) was originally for news about the Digital TV Transition in Mexico, but that ended some time ago. Set up a thread for format flips, or FM station news, or whatever (Mike Bugaj, Enfield, CT, -72 30' W/41 59' N, FN31RX, Online since 1999 and still going at http://mikesdx.com ibid.) Right now I'm busy with other stuff (namely, graduating from college), but soon I'll take a look at changing things up. The IFT tackled a few broadcasting odds and ends in its April 26 meeting: -Lots of concession renewals for XENQ-XHNQ, XHRPA and XEHL-FM, among other stations, and a few social to social-community transfers -New TV stations for the IPN in Cancún, Guadalajara, Tepic- Santiago Ixcuintla and Monterrey, the first Canal Once expansions approved in a while (Canal Once already has coverage in Guadalajara and still has a substantial relayer in SQCS...) Este programa es público, ajeno a cualquier partido político. Queda prohibido el uso para fines distintos a los establecidos en el programa. [taglines] | Read the Mexico Beat http://forums.wtfda.org/showthread.php?9113-OPMA-is-changing | Download Mexican FM Station Coordinates v2 http://jmp.sh/vtvvPsN | View my HD Radio in Mexico map https://tinyurl.com/hdmexico (Raymie, May 5, ibid.) ** MONGOLIA. 7469.877 RFA Tibetan via UlanBataar Khonkhor relay site noted strong at S=9+25dB level in eastern Thailand at 13.30 UT on Apr 27. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) 7260v: see VANUATU ** MYANMAR. 9730even, Myanmar Radio Yengu-Yangoon, Burmese, smooth pop music program, followed by Xylophone music, 9.5 kHz wide signal, S=9+20dB signal strength at 0620 UT Apr 27, ID at 0630:10 UT by female, followed by 'pop beat' music. 9589.989, Thazin Radio from northern broadcast center at Pyin Oo Lwin, according to Aoki Nagoya database: talk in Wa language, different antenna beam characteristic, lower at S=9 signal strength level only, 26 kHz wideband signal at 0638 UT. 9459.995, Thazin Radio from Pyin Oo Lwin site in vernacular language (not English !) at 0633 UT, S=9+20dB signal strength. Two female talk. 10.6 kHz wideband audio signal. 5914.990, Myanmar Radio from northern new capital site of Naypyidaw, decreased noon non-ionized radiating condition in 49 mb. Only S=5-6 strength into Eastern Thailand around 0642 UT, string instrument music program [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log of April 27, 0615-0745 UT in local Thailand afternoon time slot, all observation done in/via remote SDR installation in eastern Thailand, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 27, dxldyg via DXLD) 5985, Myanmar Radio, *1120, May 2. Suddenly on; fair; in vernacular (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 9400, KBC (Kostinbrod) *1500+ 22 April. KBC's Saturday afternoon broadcast for Europe just breaking the noise level here with The Giant Jukebox intro, music, ads -- appeared to be repeated as the NAm show on 6145 01-02 UT 23 April (as heard via their on-line streaming audio). (Dan Sheedy, Moonlight Beach, CA PL380/6m X wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: ``Only for the April 30, 2017 broadcast on 6145 kHz the Mighty KBC switches from 0000-0200 UT to 2300 UT (April 29) to 0100 UT (April 30). Done to, hopefully, avoid RHC QRM. May 7, 2017 broadcast is 0000- 0200 UTC on 9925 kHz. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, dxldyg via DXLD)`` This was also mentioned in today's KBC radiogram on the 9400 kHz via Kostinbrod. However without this specific details, but with the logo of the corresponding co-channel station. http://www.rhci-online.net/radiogram/VoA_Radiogram_2017-04-29.htm#KBC ....countdown to 2300z on 6145 kHz, for Nauen, "the oldest radio transmitting installation in the world." (still active) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauen_Transmitter_Station (roger thayer, germany, ibid.) 6145, April 30 at 0030, The Mighty KBC with Kim`s Radiogram beeps one hour earlier than usual as `The Giant Jukebox` is one hour early, the entire transmission this week only shifted an hour early starting at 2300 April 29, in order to avoid RHC which usurped the frequency from 0100. It`s S9+10/20 at 0050 when Kraig W Krist introduces his `Forgotten Song` this week, from a Winnipeg rock band in 1965. 0054 usual end-of-show shoutouts by Uncle Eric, 0055 announcing next week will move to 9925 (and back to 0000-0200). Final music stops at 0100 sharp, but carrier stays on --- or rather it`s the RHC carrier which may have been on earlier, but not enough to be noticed vs KBC. By 0101 some JBM is audiblizing from RHC English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEWFOUNDLAND. 6160, CKZN, 0223-0252+ 29 April. Presumed this doing a neat oldies show with emphasis on Fats Domino ("Blueberry Hill", "Blue Monday", "Whole Lotta Lovin'..") & "The Killer" [Jerry Lee Lewis] (Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", "High School Confidential"); music pretty clear, but the DJ chat was mostly in the mud, even with some SSS enhancement (Dan Sheedy, Encinitas, CA PL380/6m X wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6159.971, CKZN St. Johns's, S=4 or -102dBm, into western Canada target at 0624 UT on May 1 (Wolfgang Büschel, morning log at 0545-0655 UT on May 1st, notes of remote SDR unit at VE6JY's installation in Alberta western Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. David Ricquish, Wellington dropped a very welcome message into the mailbox. “Greetings, Theo: long time no write but avidly read each month. 7 May = 1 year since the stroke… very frustrating... some things are a bit better. I hope to walk again but still battling balance issues. Went to a restaurant yesterday, just the 2nd time in a year. Still a one- fingered typist. Good to see Mike hearing Brazilians. Spend lot of time streaming and finally heard Seychelles 1331 that way! Chris Mackerell keeps site updated and maintained. Very tired each day though Jo says i’m really on holiday! 73s, David.” (May NZ DX Times via DXLD) Tremendous to hear from you directly; that’s not an anniversary to be cheered at, and certainly not a holiday. I notice you lot in Wellington did well with the Aurora Australis over a couple of nights recently. Hope you saw the display facing south from Island Bay?) (Theo Donnelly, mailbox ed., ibid.) ** NEW ZEALAND [and non]. 7425.004, RNZI, Rangitaiki, English, S=9+10dB, but audio reception suffer HEAVILY by ute range fax machine / RTTY QRM in JPN, KOR, CHN target on 7423 to 7448 kHz fq range (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log in remote SDR unit at Nagoya, Japan, on May 3rd at 0930-1045 UT, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also WORLD OF HOROLOGY ** NICARÁGUA. 8989-BLS, El Pescador Predicador, QTH?, 2155-..., 22/4, canção religiosa; 25342. Good DX and 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 15120, 04/08 at 1800, V of Nigeria, Abuja. English. Africa Hour (News then continuing with an item on Ebenezer Obey - a Nigerian jùjú musician turned Gospel musician - and then on the commemoration of 1994 Rwanda Genocide). DRM: 24dB 15120, 04/25 at 1805, Voice of Nigeria Abuja. English. Africa Hour, starting with the News. DRM: 19dB (Alan Roe, Teddington, Middlesex, UK, Winradio G31DDC Excalibur and Elad FDM-SW2 with 17 meter longwire, May CIDX Messenger via DXLD) But is the audio lo-fi? (gh, DXLD) 7254.939, Voice of Nigeria, Ikorodu, Hausa West Africa sce, S=5 or - 97dBm (Wolfgang Büschel, morning log at 0545-0655 UT on May 1st, notes of remote SDR unit at VE6JY's installation in Alberta western Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7254.939, May 2 at 0600, VON with VG signal opening Hausa hour. Wolfgang Büschel also measured it exactly there with the VE6JY SDR about 24 hours earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA [and non]. Jonathan Wood, Mosgiel sent me over my data allowance with two contributions this month (just kidding…). “Hello Theo, the Pirate Weekend coincided with suitably foggy conditions at Shag Point, and although no suspicious activity was to be seen in the boat harbour, the first three contacts were from the Czech Republic, Taiwan and the UK - in the form of visitors wondering what the long pole and all the wire was for! Most of the coordination was done by PJ Sparx of WREC, whom I unfortunately didn’t manage to log, although I believe that Bryan did. He write to say that WHYP had let him know that the station on 6955 that I recorded was XLR8. ‘He listened closely and was able to hear the station ID at some point. That station doesn’t have an email address for reports unfortunately and I have no idea who he is or how to contact him.’ PJ also said, ‘I have been heard by listeners in Germany, Italy, England, Latvia, Ireland, France, Sweden etc. directly from my own transmitters over the years since I started back in 1992. New Zealand is definitely a first for me as it is a bit over 9000 miles away from here! I wonder if I could be heard in Australia as well?’ Perhaps he is thinking of filling the ABC vacuum! WHYP commented that he was ‘very pleased’ that I was able to hear hear him. He continued, ‘I was on 6920 from 5:15 until 6:45 [UT] running about 200 watts average power. I also included some CW ID’s which were at about 500 watts. The antenna is a resonant coax fed flat top dipole 20 meters above the ground. I was following the gray line map that evening, but I did not know exactly where you were listening from, so I started transmitting a bit before sunset on the very northeast tip of northern island. I know here Euro propagation is good an hour or two before local sunset.’ After contacting XEROX radio with a recording, I received a helpful reply from Bert Sambo to say it wasn’t him, but possibly R. Pirana. Jorge from R. Pirana wrote to confirm it was indeed them on 6930 at 0639z. R. Pirana are working with the two other clips I sent to confirm if it was them. The first clip is of their relay of Radio Enterhaken. Jorge commented, ‘This is really great! Transmitter is only 10 watts carrier (approx. 40 Watts PEP). Antenna is an inverted V dipole 23.5 metres high at the feed point. We are located in the Rio de la Plata region in South America. We also have a transmitter QTH in Europe that is our main QTH nowadays.‘ He also sent a pic of the transmitter. A logging on 6940 at 0457z got this response from Dick Weed of Radio Free Whatever: ‘Great Work, Comrade Jonathan. I played rap not because I wanted to but because I thought it would help me stand out. It worked!’ My recordings on 6950, the frequency Capt. Morgan planned to use, haven’t been confirmed, so remain tentative. The trip back, after midnight, was somewhat tiring, so a week or two later I went out to Doctor’s Point, only 35 minutes away, where I had previously been on a recce with Phil Garden and also with the BOG antenna. I tried out the ELAD versus the Lowe on the same dipole antenna, making about 20 pairs of recordings. There doesn’t appear to be much difference between the two: the audio and simple ergonomics is a plus for the Lowe, but the ELAD doesn’t seem to suffer the overloading on lower frequencies that the Lowe does, and the ELAD has a nice collection of filters which get a lot of use. Current ELAD use is purely in stand-alone mode due to the company not catering for Mac users! However, it is handy to have two receivers that can sit side by side on the dashboard just over the steering wheel!” And just before deadline, Jonathan added these details from R. Enterhaken: “Hello, dear Free Radio enthusiast! Thanks for taking the time to email us your transmission report. We received it by forwarding via our relay station RADIO PIRANA INTERNACIONAL, transmitting marathon from a hidden site in South America. Thus, congratulations for having heard our station RADIO ENTERHAKEN in your country. Finally we also checked your audio files with success and you definitely heard our signals by voice071, voice075 and even voice077! Absolutely awesome! Where is your location in New Zealand, where at the East Coast, please be more exact?! And have there been others from your country who were listening that day and time? Please tell them to write in to us as well! Thank you for your understanding that only real and correct reception reports will be answered. BTW, ENTERHAKEN is simply German and means ‘GRAPNEL’ or ‘GRAPPLING HOOK’. We are a fairly fast-paced German-language comedy and music station, that has been occasionally on the air since 2000, but mostly for testing purposes, transmitter- and aerialwise. In conclusion, please find our eQSL card attached for your pleasure. Meanwhile stay tuned to RADIO ENTERHAKEN! Yours truly, Captain Cook - RADIO ENTERHAKEN. ” (Rather fitting in this issue that der gute Kapitän should remind us that “only real and correct reception reports will be answered”! Jonathan, I hope Stu is able to use all the graphics you’ve included.)(Theo Donnelly, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) Several pirates were heard in NZ during a special event April 1 with stations on air later than usual, ~05-07 UT and tipoffs direct of where to listen; see also SOUTH AMERICA: (Glenn Hauser, summarized on WORLD OF RADIO 1876) 6920, 0517, USA [sic] WHYP; “WHYP Pirate Radio with a special test transmission to New Zealand” 0524 & 0549. fair. 01/4 (Jonathan Wood 1/4/17 at Shag Point, New Zealand, Elad DuoR and Lowe HF150, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) 6920, 0528, WHYP followed until 0645 tuneout with rock music, regular CW & voice idents including “You are listening to a DX Test to NZ from WHYP Pirate Shortwave Radio from North America”. Fair at best 1 /4 (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland, North Island, New Zealand, WinRadio G33DDC and AOR7030+ receivers, EWEs to Nth, Cent & Sth America, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) 6929, 0529, XEROX Radio Duplicado very weak signal on 1/4, but was able to identify one music item and catch closedown at 0612 to qualify for a quick QSL (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland, North Island, New Zealand, WinRadio G33DDC and AOR7030+ receivers, EWEs to Nth, Cent & Sth America, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) 6940, 0457, USA [sic], Radio Free Whatever; Traces of music 0457-0607 including 2 rap songs; no carrier wave. vp. 01/4 (Jonathan Wood 1/4/17 at Shag Point, New Zealand, Elad DuoR and Lowe HF150, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) 6950, 0603, NORTH AMERICA, Captain Morgan Shortwave a fair signal 1/4 through to closing at 0634. Classic rock songs and regular idents (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland, North Island, New Zealand, WinRadio G33DDC and AOR7030+ receivers, EWEs to Nth, Cent & Sth America, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) 6950, 0611, USA [sic], Captain Morgan, tent; Traces of music 0611-0616 including song similar to “Let’s Dance” 0616. vp. 01/4 (Jonathan Wood 1/4/17 at Shag Point, New Zealand, Elad DuoR and Lowe HF150, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) 6955.5, 0502, USA [sic], XLR8; Music 0502-0646 including track similar to Dr Who theme and Born to be Wild. Vp-p. 01/4 (Jonathan Wood 1/4/17 at Shag Point, New Zealand, Elad DuoR and Lowe HF150; 8/4/17 at Doctors Point and 46m dipoles, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) 6960, 0530, NORTH AMERICA, WREC monitored from opening till closure at 0620 1/4. Weak signal but able to catch ident and several music titles (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland, North Island, New Zealand, WinRadio G33DDC and AOR7030+ receivers, EWEs to Nth, Cent & Sth America, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6880-AM, April 27 at 2307, very poor pirate music at S9 in noise level. Next check April 28 at 0444, still/again on with music at S9+5 vs S8 QRN level. Presumably Unknown Name Radio Network which has been reported over a very long timespan in https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,34512.0.html https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,34519.0.html 6890-AM, April 28 at 2321, pirate music at S7-S8. Besides the line noise level, now there`s electric fence popping to S9 every few seconds. I have not visually sighted the fence in the neighborhood. Probably Unknown Name Radio Network which has been on various frequencies around here. Yes, see this thread: Unknown Name Radio Network 6890 then 6880 then 6895 AM 2220 UTC 28 Apr 2017 [onwards] https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,34524.0.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6950-USB, April 30 at 0107, pirate music at S9+10/20; 0111 as expected, `Wolverine Radio` ID interjected. By 0148 recheck it`s off (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6949.56-AM, May 1 at 0050, pirate music, very poor S7 vs storm noise, classic rock. Not heard a semihour earlier during first bandscan, but these report it was Radio Free Mars between 0016 and 0107* -- a new one for me. https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,34587.0.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6939.95-AM, May 3 at 0118, JBA pirate music registering S9 including noise level. These logs on 6940 say it was Radio Illuminati: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,34632.0.html 6924.95-AM, May 3 at 0120, JBA pirate music. No logs of this on HFU. 6880.0-AM, May 3 at 0123, pirate song at S9+15, better than the other two. As expected on this frequency, it`s Unknown Name Radio Network: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,34633.0.html I have mainly been paying attention to Argentina via WRMI on 9395 during this hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Everyone, Not great but an ID "Unknown radio network" American Pirate station 6880 kHz, stronger at 01z playing "Go ask Alice", Jefferson Airplane. Brilliant song, thought it was about the book, but was before, about Alice in Wonderland. But no ID, also something on 6950 but weak nothing on most popular frequency 6925 https://app.box.com/s/kxtrzshgnms9kbbnd7q45yhpivbs57n9 (Mark, Ynys Mon, Anglesey, UK, May 3, BDXC-UK yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) ** NORTH AMERICA. 7615, 0400, YHWH anti-Christian pirate audible here 20/4, 21/4, 22/4 with rambling talks. Followed till abrupt closing 0518:30 on 21/4 (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland, North Island, New Zealand, WinRadio G33DDC and AOR7030+ receivers, EWEs to Nth, Cent & Sth America, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) 7615-AM, April 27 at 0456, Station YHWH is on but VP, gone at next check 0514 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Another YHWH heads up. 7615 kHz: the YHWH pirate is on right now, with solid S-9 signals here in Arizona. am hearing at a patio table with the RS SW-2000629 portable and 20' wire. 73 and Good Listening, (Rick in AZ Barton, 0350 UT April 28, dxldyg via DX LISTENIING DIGEST) Re: another YHWH heads up --- Hearing him too. Bible thumping. Bad AM modulation. Must be using a modified ham radio rig. Not known for HiFi quality AM. Must be somewhere in this part of the US. 7 MHz MUF is limited to the western half of the USA for us at this time, Rick. Listening with Kenwood TS-2000 ham rig and a tuner-fed 80 meter inverted - L (67 feet) off the side of my tower. 73 (Art Jackson, KA5DWI/7, Dewey AZ, 0419 UT April 28, ABDX yg via DXLD) 7615-AM, April 28 at 0437, Station YHWH is on at S9, but not heard after 0500. Getting to be quite regular. More reports: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,34508.0.html including link to ARRL story about his previous bust at end of 2014y: http://www.arrl.org/news/unlicensed-religious-broadcaster-who-used-amateur-frequencies-ordered-off-the-air (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Still likely weakly there at 0454. 73, (Walt in Victoria, BC, Apr 28, ibid.) Hi Rick and Walt, April 28, first tuned in to YHWH, on 7615-AM, at 0257, to find "Joshua" (AKA: Martin Elliot) to be semi-readable; by 0315 was up to fairly readable. 0323-0329, the often heard "ten commandments of Yahweh." My local sunset at 0252 UT. Thanks, Rick, for your April 26 log, reporting on hearing music. Yes, indeed, at 0344 heard brief "Days of Hard Life" musical selection. By 0354 was unusable, but still on the air at 0447. Brief anti-war audio attached (Ron Howard, California, ibid.) 7615, YHWH, 0455-0503* 28 April. Joshua being dour & whatnot but bringing a smile to my face by playing that "creepy song" at closing [& thanks to Ron Howard for the reminder that it's called "Days of Hard Life" by Lace], IDing as "Radio...YHWH", giving a Soundcloud.com access address, and saying he'd be back "tomorrow" at "7:30 PM Pacific Time" [0230 UT 29 April, I'd guess], net info, sked, and ID -- what next? a gmail account for reports? (Dan Sheedy, Encinitas, CA PL380/6m X wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, I heard YHWH again last night, 0330-0451 UT 30 Apr 2017 on 7615 AM, which seems to be their frequency of choice lately. Others heard it as early as 0310 UT: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,34571.0.html (Chris Smolinski, Black Cat Systems, http://www.blackcatsystems.com DX LISTENING DIGEST) YHWH 7615, 0445 UT --- Often excellent reception for the last 30 minutes or so tuned, with its characteristic tinny, worse than phone audio. There's obvious cut and pasting going on here, as several times, the end of the broadcast comes up, and then cuts into another topic for another 5 or 10 minutes, and repeats the same pattern again. Still going strong at 0447. Occasionally experiences deep fades. Now there's the music at 0448 as reported by others. Almost satanic sounding to me! Interesting. After listening to the canned messages, then after a music bridge, J. Elias clearly goes live, as the modulation changes. He identifies as radio station YHWH, and reports that he's ending the transmission, and that he'll be back at 7:30 tomorrow, "California time, 02:30 Universal Time". He then thanks listeners (friends) in Hawaii and in Europe. Interesting if they are heard in Europe. Hawaii, I can see, at least once there's a darkness path. He signs off at 0451 with, "radio station YHWH now signing off the air. Good night folks", and he cuts the transmitter immediately after. 73 (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria, BC, May 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Walt, Also heard that music/song today (May 1), at 0332. It's titled "Days of Hard Life," which is posted to Youtube, with good quality - http://goo.gl/YQPcv0 Indeed sounding very strange! (Ron Howard, California, ibid.) With that YT audio-video: Published on Oct 13, 2016 Here is the opening to one of YHWH's shortwave broadcasts. I recorded this from WBCQ's board feed online (not off air) for best sound quality. YHWH used to be a pirate broadcaster, but after being busted by the FCC, no longer operates. He did, however, run two specials on WBCQ 7490 kHz. This is the opening to one of them. The host has previously quoted this song as "Days of Hard Life" by Lace. The only Lace I can find is a country and western band. This is certainly not their music. In fact, it sounds like it might not even be professionally produced. If it is done by amateur musicians, it is very good, but it just doesn't quite sound professional. It`s not perfectly in time, vocals are very bright and harsh. There is heavy compression, but that's probably from WBCQ's audio processor. I uploaded this for those that are interested in hearing a good quality version of this song. I'm not too interested in YHWH's message. Comments • 2 Korendian199 3 months ago --- I've been looking for a higher quality version of this song for a long time. Thank you so much!? KC9CPX 5 months ago --- I've heard that station before and for the longest time I relied on it as my Radio bible. Then to find out its pirate?! they tricked me all these years!!!!!? (via DXLD) KC9CPX is: York, Sondra A, in Beloit, WI (ARRL via gh, DXLD) Thanks, Ron for the link to that "satanic" song. Tonight, reception was much weaker and ended at 0520:30 with the music. Only fair level into Victoria, BC. I did not hear the same sign-off announcements as heard last night. 73, (Walt Salmaniw, UT May 2, dxldyg via DXLD) 7615, USA [sic] (Pirate), YHWH, 4/29, 0328 10 Commandments of Yahwah to "Shalom", thanking audience. Usual guy. Admonishing audience to burn flags of satanically inspired, demonically motivated nation. Strange music at 0341. Audio dropped off at 0340, carrier on. Band very noisy, but BFO confirms AM carrier present. 7615, YHWH, 4/30, 0245. Checking freq. to catch sign-on to find the Yahweh or the Highway dude is already on. Sounded like repeat of yesterday, went off 0448. Usual poor modulation, Fair signal. 7615, YHWH, 5/1 0230. The Yahweh dude. Sadly, I missed sign-on by mere seconds, but in progress now. Good signal. Fair on 0415 recheck. VG at 0430 with ten commandments of Yahweh. 0445 recheck Fair. Recheck 0453- Gone. 7615, YHWH, 5/2, 0300. A non-log at suspected sign-on time (0230). Sadly, I missed sign-on and then caught it at 0300, so confirmed on again tonight. Good signal. Fair on 0415 recheck. VG with ten commandments of Yahweh at 0345 (some level of frustration that I have not been able to be right there for sign-on to see if there actually IS one, with announcements, etc.). Creepy music just before and thru 0400. (Cali DXer Ron Howard reports the station plays a cut called "Days of Hard Life"). Monitoring 0410-042 [sic] Fair/Poor (Rick Barton, some logs from the patio picnic table listening post. Unless otherwise stated, logs are with a RS SW-2000629/ATS-505/Model 20- 629/DX-402, and a 20' wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 930: WKY NIGHTTIME TOWERS REMOVED AND POWER REDUCED Driving down Broadway Extension recently, I noticed that WKY's two nighttime towers were gone. I searched the FCC database, and discovered that they were removed. It appears they were making room for KFOR-TV's construction project. The FCC database also shows that WKY no longer broadcasts a directional 5,000 watt signal at night. They are now broadcasting a nondirectional 510 watt signal at night. https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=23418 Since I live in the metro area, the signal at night is plenty strong in my area. I feel sad that they no longer have the nighttime reach they once had. At least the tall Franklin tower is still in place for their nondirectional daytime and nighttime signals. I love that tower. (Scooby214, April 7, 2017, radiodiscussions.com Oklahoma via DXLD) From what I read on Facebook, they are or have torn down the original WKY radio and TV transmitter building for KFOR's expansion, and they still had parts of the original WKY-TV transmitter inside. Sad to see that building go. But WKY hasn't been a significant AM station in OKC since the early 80's (billyg, April 25, ibid.) It actually got good ratings in the early 90's when it dumped country for easy listening after KKNG went to soft AC. In fact, it even ran KKNG out of town altogether. Unfortunately, the audience was too old to sell, and, if you believed Frosty Troy, Gaylord thought KTOK wasn't conservative enough. So, it was flipped to talk, where it quickly became an also-ran (Kent, ibid.) ** OKLAHOMA. 91.1 KKRD, 92.1 KAMG-LP, 105.5-K288FX, May 1 at 1915 UT check, all three Enid stations are still AWOL (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) all still off May 6 ** OKLAHOMA. Perry Buys 105.3 From Cumulus Trust March 27, 2017 Format Changes, OKC Radio News 105.3, Citadel, Cumulus, KINB, KLGH, KRMP, KVSP, Perry Broadcasting, The Spy-FM https://okcradio.wordpress.com/category/okc-radio-news/ After roughly ten years in the Last Bastion Trust established by former owner Citadel, KINB (105.3 The Pro) has been sold to Perry Broadcasting, owners of KVSP (Power 103.5) and KRMP (Heart and Soul 92.1 and 1140) for $225,000. The sale ends a tumultuous era for the Kingfisher-licensed station which was bought by then-Citadel in 2002 for $3.1 million. Long and winding road The [outlet?] started as a local Contemporary Christian station KLGH (The Light 105-dot-3) owned by the people who built the station in 2000, Kingfisher County Broadcasters. Citadel moved the “The Sports Animal” format to the frequency in 2002 for less than a year to install a country format on 104.9, its former longtime home. Its low power (930 watts) and tower location (east of Okarche) proved to be insufficient for The Sports Animal franchise that brought FM sports to Oklahoma City in the late-90s. So, the frequency debuted an alternative format at night, modeled after the longtime format on Stillwater’s KSPI-FM (which had since gone Hot AC). The K-SPY at night and The Sports Animal during the day experiment morphed into KSYY (105.3 The Spy) full time on Christmas Day of 2002 as “The Sports Animal” moved back to 104.9. That lasted until 2004 when the low performing station with a cult following made way for Citadel’s first foray into Regional Mexican with KINB “La Indomable.” The format would last four and a half years on 105.3, before migrating to WKY (930 AM). Next up was “ESPN Deportes” which lasted 11 months. Alternative returned when former Spy DJ Ferris O’Brien revived the moniker and format on the station in 2009. O’Brien was a KSPI-FM and KSYY veteran and worked for legendary KDGE in Dallas in its heyday. He agreed to buy the station and leased the station from the Citadel, who had now put the station in a trust to comply with ownership limits now in place due to Citadel’s purchase of ABC Radio in 2006. O’Brien and the trust agreed to a $2 million deal, but a year later, SpyMedia backed out of the deal due price of the station and the coverage problems in the metro. O’Brien took his format online only and Last Bastion kept playing Alternative also calling itself “The Spy” and then “The Real Spy.” The trust ran the differing alternative format on the air as “The Real Spy” for four months into the spring of 2011 when there was another shake up. The new format was Adult Standards. Sensing a niche to be filled with a rimshot signal (or the fact that then-Citadel General Manager Larry Bastiada was a fan of the format), 105.3 The Martini debuted in March of 2011. That format lasted just over two years, when OKC received yet another sports station with 105.3 The Pro. Cumulus syndicates CBS Sports Radio, which provides most of the programming. Oklahoma City Thunder D-League affiliate Oklahoma City Blue games air on the station as well as overflow programming from “cousin” stations WWLS and KWPN. The station has also carried high school football as well. What’s next for 105.3? What will Perry do with KINB? The company does own a sports station in Lawton, but it’s unlikely that they would buy a station in OKC and keep it sports with the glut of sports stations in the metro. Perry could simulcast Urban KVSP (Power 103.5) on 105.3, but each signal hits the OKC metro from the west and they overlap. Neither signal is strong in northeast Oklahoma City where Perry’s studio is located. A simulcast of Urban AC KRMP (Hear and Soul 92.1 and 1140) is possible. The AM simulcasts on the 92.1 FM translator which covers the urban core pretty well. Will Perry find the “Heart and Soul” listeners they want inside of KINB’s coverage area which is largely rural and includes suburban far northwest Oklahoma City? Another long-shot is Black Gospel. Perry owns a station with that format in Augusta, Ga. KTLV (AM 1220) in Midwest City runs a similar format and has tried to get an FM translator, but that effort seems to have stalled. Another interesting wrinkle is KINB’s studio location on Wilshire Boulevard near Council Road in northwest Oklahoma City. The station does not have a main studio waiver and that location is just within the 25-mile radius of the city of license, Kingfisher. Then-owner Citadel was fined $9,000 in 2004 for not maintaining its studio at that Britton road location (and for public file violations). Will Perry file for a waiver and move KINB’s studio to its location in northeast Oklahoma City? (OKC Radio News via gh, DXLD) Previous post on this seldom site was more than a year before (gh) ** OKLAHOMA. FINAL DTV REPACKING INFO: [from many pages of complete info for all states] Disp Call Post Ch Pre Ch City St Post ERP Pre ERP RP KTEN 17 26 ADA OK 811 1000. RP KDOR-TV 36 17 BARTLESVILLE OK 1000 1000. RP KRSU-TV 32 36 CLAREMORE OK 133 144. RQ KOCM 16 46 NORMAN OK 26.6 50. RQ KOPX-TV 18 50 OKLA CITY OK 104 200. RQ KAUT-TV 19 40 OKLA CITY OK 639 1000. RP KUOT-CD 21 19 OKLA CITY OK 15 15. RQ KWTV-DT 25 39 OKLA CITY OK 748 1000. RQ KOHC-CD 31 45 OKLA CITY OK 11.4 15. RQ KSJF-CD 19 50 POTEAU OK 0.936 1.758 RQ KGEB 14 49 TULSA OK 24 50. RQ KWHB 16 47 TULSA OK 26.1 50. RP KUTU-CD 17 25 TULSA OK 6.55 7.9 RQ KMYT-TV 34 42 TULSA OK 770 900. RQ KOTV-DT 45 ** TULSA OK [** blank!] 574 840. - RP: Repacked within the 2-36 band. A station already operating below channel 37 wasn't bought in the auction but will be forcibly moved to a new channel in its existing band. - RQ: Repacked below channel 37. A station operating above channel 37 wasn't bought in the auction. The FCC has found it a new channel below 37 (via Doug Smith, May WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) See also DTV ** OKLAHOMA. RF channel A-48 NTSC, April 27 at 1500 UT, I`m monitoring snow again in case I can get KOCY-LP OKC, the Estrella TV station. Maps show tropo is slightly enhanced over central OK. Yes! At *1506 video flashes on the air, but gone again in a few seconds. This keeps happening, at *1507, *1508, *1510, *1513, each lasting well less than a minute. But nothing more in 20+ minutes after that. While on, it`s steady, and the cuts on and off are sharp/abrupt. There is no lightning around, and the steady signal, no Doppler fading, means it`s not Vance airplane scatter either. Therefore I conclude that like also monitored some weeks ago, this transmitter is axually off the air most of the time, but cuts on briefly and unpredictably. After the first flash, I bring up KTUZ-DT RF 29, which has the same silly T&A program (`El Show de Lagrimita y Costel`, featuring La Silla Eléctrica), on its virtual 48 and confirm it matches altho not synchronized. RF 48 remains the last such station on analog air around here (sporadically). It`s totally superfluous for the OKC audience of course, with the high-power DTV version of same available without breaks (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. RF 42, May 2 after 1430 UT, a bit of enhanced tropo over OK on Hepburn`s map, so I expect to see some yellow bars on the DTV converter bandscan: and one of them decodes briefly and erratically, with seven subchannels, all PSIP as KBZC-LD. It`s the OKC station I have seen a few times before, and seems about the same lineup: 1 - a dance competition, no bug 2 - ad with no bug 3 - ad, later BUZZR, game show channel 4 - Country - music videos 5 - QVC 6 - Q another QVC 7 - jewelry shopping Nothing about this on the final (?) DTV repack info for OK, so I guess it will be going off once 42 is denied to TV stations. Simultaneously via splitter from same antenna, I have the analog TV on ch 48, but no sign of KOCY-LP cutting on the air, as probably would have been propagating (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OMAN. 15140, Radio Sultanate of Oman 1420 UT tune in with western pop music and imaging for 90.4 Oman FM. Quick call to prayer at 1442, then back to pop music. 1500 into Arabic, possibly the news. Very Good (Mick Delmage, Sherwood Park, AB, Perseus SDR, Wellbrook loop, probably May 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9540, R. Oman, Thumrait. With new ID “Radio Oman FM” in English on 25/4 at *0300-0357*, news at 0300, disco songs from 0305 with DJ in English. Better signal here is at *1400-1458* on 15140 also in English (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF2001D, Folded Marconi ant 16 meters long own made), May Australian DX News via DXLD) [and non]. AIR and Oman Battling It Out! 15140 - INDIA - AIR GOS in Russian to Eastern Europe giving Oman a run for its money at 1709 UT with subcontinental vocals by female. SINPO - 42433. S/off is 1715 which should clear things out again for Oman, 5/2/17 (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, Eton E1-XM, Alpha-Delta DX Sloper, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3260, NBC Madang, 1137-1203*, April 30 (Sunday). In Pidgin/Tok Pisin with religious (Christian) program of mostly songs; 1201 switched to different audio feed (TV?), to catch the closing announcement in English for what sounded like a religious show ("on every Sunday"); cut off before the start of the normal Sunday "Island Praise" program; reception well above the norm (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. [non-log]. 7324.95, Wantok Radio Light, 1402, May 1. Continuing with their long absence. Off for about a year now? A clear frequency at this time period (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Craig, Thanks for your email. Our Shortwave station was vandalized and it has been off for almost two years now. I am not able to give an exact date on when we will be able to restore this service. The damage to the shortwave transmitter station was extensive and as a self- supporting non-profit Christian radio station, we don’t have the finances now to order new equipment to get the station back on. But we are determined to restore this service as soon as God supplies the finances. God bless, Billy Yasi, Wantok Radio Light (via Craig Seager, May Australian DX News via DXLD) Was 7325. No, off only ONE year: (gh) Corrected log as follows: Thanks Glenn and Craig for the update. Actually off SW for about one year. Ron - - - - - posted to DX LISTENING DIGEST 16-19 (May 11, *2016*): ``PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7324.95, Wantok Radio Light, on May 5, at 0923 with impassioned preaching till 0940; the usual "Focus on the Family" not on as usual at 0930; 0940 seemed special coverage from some event in English; blocked at 0953 with the usual CRI strong carrier coming on. So CRI continues coming on at their earlier time! (Ron Howard, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7324.944, Wantok Radio Light, performed native female chorus singer group, at 0914 UT on S=8 or -79dBm level. [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, few notes of Brisbane Queensland remote monitoring 0910 to 0920 UT May 6, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 6, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7324.942, at 0755 UT, Wantok R Light Pt. Moresby, S=7 -87dBm (Wolfgang Büschel, May 10 at remote Brisbane unit, noisy prop condition, also noisy signals from the Americas across the Pacific this morning, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` (via Ron, WORLD OF RADIO 1876) ** PERU. 5980, R. CHASKI. Abril 24 2345-2359 UT. Música y mensajes en quechua. SINPO: 44444. 5980, R. CHASKI. Abril 25. 2327- UT. Música y devocionales, además de avisos de la Red Radio Integridad de Lima. SINPO: 33232 (Claudio Galaz, RX: TECSUN PL 660; ANT: Hilo de 40 metros de largo, QTH: Ovalle, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) R. CHASKI. Abril 27. 2301-2316 UT. Devocional, luego espacio musical y nuevamente otro devocional. SINPO: 43343 con QRM de una emisora cercana. 5980, R. CHASKI. Abril 29. 2300-2321 UT. Avisos de la necesidad de ofrendas de la Red Radio Integridad, luego devocional sobre la ceguera espiritual, espacio musical y avisos de la asociación evangelista Billy Graham. SINPO: 44444 con leve QRM, pero permanente de PBS en 5979. 5980, R. CHASKI. Abril 30. 2100-2125 UT. Programa: “viajeros” que consta de un radio teatro con reflexiones al final y canciones infantiles hasta las 2123, avisos de Radio Transmundial. Y luego identificació n de Red Radio Integridad a las 2124, cuando se pasa a un espacio musical con himnos Protestantes. SINPO: 45444. Comentario: emitiendo 1 hora antes de lo listado (Claudio Galaz, RX: TECSUN PL 660; ANT: Hilo de 80 metros de largo, QTH: Barraza Bajo, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) [non]. 5980, April 30 at 0050, still not even a JBA carrier detectable from R. Chaski. Maybe it`s habitually closing earlier than 0100v now? Claudio Galaz, Chile, was hearing it before 2400 on April 24 and 25. 5980, May 1 at 0044, again no signal from R. Chaski, but propagation should be OK, with: 5952.43, May 1 at 0045, Radio Pio XII, BOLIVIA, VP talk at S8 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PUERTO RICO. THE RADIO SCENE ON AN ALMOST SCOTTISH ISLAND IN THE CARIBBEAN - * Focus on the Middle Americas Lying some ten miles off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean is the lonely and almost isolated island called Vieques. This island is 20 miles long and not quite 5 miles wide. A dozen or so smaller islets and rocklets may be seen nearby. La Isla de Vieques has no permanent rivers or streams; it is subject to tropical storms and hurricanes; it boasts the world’s brightest oceanic bioluminescence in a bright neon blue; and one of its tourist attractions is a 300 year old Ceiba Tree, a silk cotton tree. According to the international tourist authority, TripAdvisor, Island Vieques boasts several uncommercialized pristine beaches that are listed among the top 25 in the world. One of these unique beaches is Black Sand Beach, where the sand at the waterfront is very finely ground volcanic rock. The very earliest settlers on Vieques were the Amerindians from the mainland areas of the Americas. They arrived by small boat via the many intervening islands throughout the Caribbean. About a thousand years ago, the combined inhabitants of Vieques with their various tribal backgrounds developed what is known as the Taino culture. It is said that the famous Iberian explorer, Christopher Columbus must have at least seen the island called Vieques during his visit to the Caribbean in 1493. This small island came under Spanish influence at the same time as did nearby Puerto Rico. It was described as a lawless outpost way back 500 years ago, and there were attempts by Spain, France, England and even Denmark to colonize the island, though with very little success. Interestingly, back during the early colonial era, Scotland ventured into establishing their own outpost settlements in the Americas, though with almost no success anywhere. Their initial attempt was in the year 1629 when they established a small colonial settlement in what is now Nova Scotia (New Scotland) in Canada. This was the first of a dozen Scottish settlements in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. During the latter part of the 1600s, Scotland made numerous attempts to buy Vieques Island which was identified at the time by the British as Crab Island. In a desperate attempt to obtain the island, a Scottish fleet made landfall and took possession of it in the name of the Company of Scotland in 1698. A total of five ships were on their way at the time to what is now Panama and a few of their colonial passengers dropped off on Vieques to found a small Scottish settlement. However, because of European rivalries in the Caribbean, the Scottish settlement on Vieques was no more successful than any of the other Scottish settlements in the Americas. In 1811, Vieques was colonized from Puerto Rico; in 1854 the island was annexed by Puerto Rico; and in 1898 the island, along with Puerto Rico itself, was ceded by Spain to the United States. These days there are two small towns on the island, Isabel and Esperanza; and the total population of the entire island numbers nearly 10,000. On September 1, 1922 the Department of Commerce in Washington DC issued a license for a new Commercial Land Station on Vieques under the sequential callsign WGW. Station WGW was operated by the Bureau of Insular Telegraphy for communication with the main RCA communication station in the regional capital city San Juan on Puerto Rico. An entry in Radio News for April 1925 lists station WGW as a program broadcasting station on 600 metres, 500 kHz. Many other radio stations in the United States with callsigns beginning with the two letters WG were also listed as radio broadcasting stations, and this would lead us to believe that the Vieques communication station WGW was also on the air at times with entertainment and information programs. In 1933, this same station WGW was listed with five different shortwave wavelengths, though 52 metres seems to have been their most used channel. In 1942, the United States Navy purchased or seized 2/3rds of the island for use in conjunction with their base at Roosevelt Roads on nearby Puerto Rico. Their original intent was to construct a lengthy stone breakwater connecting the two islands, Puerto Rico and Vieques; thus forming a massive artificial harbor. This artificial harbor was originally intended to be a refuge for the Royal Navy if Hitler should conduct a successful invasion against England, but it was never constructed. In April 2001, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (Vessel No CVN65) was in the waterways between Puerto Rico and Vieques and its planes were on patrol conducting a practice drill with bombing runs against vacant areas on Vieques. In order to warn the local inhabitants, an American radio station was on the air with information in English and Spanish regarding the air raids. We would presume that this station was on the air from the USS Enterprise and that one of its many radio transmitters was tuned to a mediumwave frequency in the AM mode. In 2003, local citizens on Vieques began the production of a one hour weekly radio broadcast under the title Radio Vieques and this program was transmitted by two mediumwave stations in Puerto Rico; one in San Juan and the other in Humacao. This program was on the air for five years, though when it ended in 2008, plans were formulated for the development of a community operated local FM station on the island. After five years of planning, preparation and fundraising, the new Radio Vieques was finally airborne four years ago on June 23, 2013 with 4 kW on 90.1 MHz. Their very appropriate callsign is WVQR, with the W as an American prefix, and the VQ indicating rather obviously Vieques, and the R standing for Radio. Here is a brief excerpt of the top of the hour programming from Radio Vieques, the community FM radio station on Vieques Island, station WVQR:- Audio Insert WVQR Listen online: Top of the hour (Adrian Peterson, script for AWR Wavescan April 9 via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. 7375 // weaker 9730, RRI playing some blues during English hour. 7335 // weaker 9790, RRI playing folk music during Romanian hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENNG DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 9996, May 1 at 0410, CW time pips including some doubled ones, S7.5 equal to noise level. Has to be RWM Taldom, surprised to be getting this 10 kW as not much is making it from stronger/closer/lower latitude Eurosites, except 9490 Nauen poorly. Better than 9955 WRMI now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 5020.0, Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, Honiara (presumed), 0648-0655, 29-04, songs, probably in English. Audible on LSB. Very weak, barely audible. 13221 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Friol, Tecsun PL-880, Sangean ATS-909X, cable antenna 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5020, Wantok FM (via SIBC) 1309-1331* 1 May. Presumed with US pop/C&W and some zippy jingles that just didn't quite beat the background noise at the beach; abruptly off mid-song at 1331 (Dan Sheedy, Moonlight Beach, CA PL380/6m X wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5020, SIBC, with no extended broadcast on April 28 & 29; off about 1202*. April 30 (Sunday), with extended broadcast of religious (Christian) songs in English till 1244*, assume Wantok FM relay, but no IDs as such. May 1, at 1200 ended NA; dead air (open carrier) till 1203 start of assume Wantok FM relay, but the brief, frequent announcements between every 2-3 pop songs never mentioned Wantok; seemed to be a new format for these brief announcements; the IDs were certainly not anything like the usual often heard Wantok FM IDs; 1332*. May 2, another extended broadcast; after NA, at 1202, a seamless switch over to SIBC format programming of pop songs in English ("I Only Want To Be With You," "How Deep Is Your Love," "Take My Breath Away," "Uptown Girl," "Old Time Rock n Roll," etc.); 1202-1308, with 20 straight non-stop songs without even one announcement or ID; mostly fair. With these extended broadcasts, is now one of my favorite stations to listen to! May 3, no extended broadcast (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AMERICA. 6930, 0445, SE SOUTH AMERICA, R Piraña; Traces of music and announcers 0445-0655; vp. 01/4 (Jonathan Wood 1/4/17 at Shag Point, New Zealand, Elad DuoR and Lowe HF150; 8/4/17 at Doctors Point and 46m dipoles, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) 6930, 0504, SOUTH AMERICA, Radio Piraña Internacional at poor level 2/4 with pop vocals, Andean flute music. Also heard at fair strength 0800 on 4/4, reportedly its last day on air (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland, North Island, New Zealand, WinRadio G33DDC and AOR7030+ receivers, EWEs to Nth, Cent & Sth America, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. 11654.994, CLN, AWR Burmese service, via SLBC Trincomalee site, S=9+25dB powerful at 0005 UT Apr 30 [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, at 2345 UT Apr 29, till 0030 UT Apr 30 on remote SDR unit in eastern Thailand, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. 17779.86, AWR, Trincomalee. Arabic to NAf and ME at 0520. Fair signal but off frequency to the low side, 5/4 (Rob Wagner, VK3BVW, Mount Evelyn, VIC (Yaesu FTDX 3000, Kenwood TS2000, Yaesu FRG100, Kenwood R5000, Tecsun PL-680, Double Bazooka antennas for 80, 40 and 20 metres, Par EF-SWL End Fed antenna, BHI NEIM1031 Digital Noise Eliminating Module, MFJ-1026 Noise Cancelling Module, ATU), May Australian DX News via DXLD) QSL: AWR, via Trincomalee, 15430 kHz: F/D, including transmitter site, QSL card 49 days after F/UP. A few hours after my F/UP I received an E-mail from V/S, Adrian M. Peterson, DX Editor. saying: "At the present time, we are still processing a pile up of pending reception reports, numbering several hundred, so we will add your July report to that list. Email reception reports now need to be addressed to QSL@AWR.org". But that is not all: 17 days after F/UP I received a F/D eQSL, including transmitter site, from Roberto Valencia (ValenciaR@gc.adventist.org). Probably this double verification was due to the fact that I sent my F/UP to more than one E-mail address: web@awr.org, wavescan@awr.org, qsl@awr.org. Total of 9 months (My report was on 17 June 2016) waiting for a reply (Antonello Napolitano, Taranto, ITALY, DX Fanzine via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. VATICAN. 9600. Apr 29 at 0430, Radio Dabanga, Santa Maria di Galeria-CVA, in Sudanese. Man announcer talks, ID and Radio Dabanga jingle; 0440 Man talks and says R. Dabanga many times. Station with fair signal and modulation, 35433. Note: 0430-0530 it´s Radio Dabanga, not Radio Tamazuj as Aoki says (José Ronaldo Xavier, Cabedelo PB, Brazil, RX (s): Degen DE1103 & Tecsun S-2000, Antenna: Longwire, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** SWAZILAND. 9939.987, TWR Africa from Manzini SWZ, Lingala, piano and religious male singer, at 1908 UT Apr 30, S=9+10dB strength in southern Germany (Wolfgang Büschel, 1944 UT April 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. 7445, RTI 5/2, 1105. W reading news at tune-in. Andrew Ryan introduces cohost Natalie Tso and into Hear In Taiwan. Recheck 1140 had M and W with mailbag program. Good but Choppy (Rick Barton, some logs from the patio picnic table listening post. Unless otherwise stated, logs are with a RS SW-2000629/ATS-505/Model 20-629/DX-402, and a 20' wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9735, April 29 at 1320, good S9 signal one of the best on band, in Japanese soon ID as ``Taiwan Hoso desu``. It`s RTI this hour, 100 kW, 45 degree beam from Paochung, also favorable for carrying way on to deep North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. 16250, Sound of Hope/Falun Gong Radio. Chinese on 23/4 at 1650 with radio theatre programme // 6730, 7730, 7800, 9155, 9180, 9200, 10960, 14775 – all heard without jamming (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF2001D, Folded Marconi ant 16 meters long own made), May Australian DX News via DXLD) [and non]. 9279.857, SOH Chinese male voice talk, S=6-7 signal fade-in from East Asia, male voice at 0706 UT on Apr 27. 9320.049, SOH Chinese, S=4-5 poor and tiny at 0709 UT. 9539.954, SOH Chinese female anncr, S=6-7 at 0715 UT. V of Vietnam 1st Vietnamese program in 31 mb noted again UNSTABLE wandered frequency from Son Tay site: 9635.854, VOV Vietnamese 10 kHz wideband signal, S=9+10dB at 0720 UT and 960 Hertz heavy whistle interference annoying - with 9634.891, TAIWAN, SOH Chinese program, S=5-6 poor at 0723 UT. 9849.946, SOH Chinese, bad mixture channel, S=7-8 at 0738 UT, mixture with co-channel [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log of April 27, 0615-0745 UT in local Thailand afternoon time slot, all observation done in/via remote SDR installation in eastern Thailand, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 27, dxldyg via DXLD) 11499.838, SOH Chinese S=8 signal at 2345 Apr 29. 11530even, CHINA UNIDENTIFIED. Rather CNR1 Chinese language jamming against SOH ? 23-00 UT?, TX switch off exact at 0000 UT. 11775.068, SOH Chinese bcast S=5-6 at 0010 UT. 12230.015, SOH Chinese, S=9 in eastern Thailand, 0020 UT. 9539.967, SOH Chinese, S=7 at 0024 UT 9634.879, SOH Chinese, S=5 at 0028 UT [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, at 2345 UT Apr 29, till 0030 UT Apr 30 on remote SDR unit in eastern Thailand, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7210.048, SOH Chinese, S=6-7 at 0950 UT on May 3rd. 7309.971, SOH Mandarin, S=9+5dB at 1015 UT. 7800.081, SOH Mandarin, Mao Tse Dung mentioned 1037 UT, S=9+5dB (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND. 15590, May 1 at 0023, JBA carrier, presumably the so- called North American service of HSK9, R. Thailand in English. It`s a rare day if this is ever listenable. Even weaker than the Chinese on 15600, 15100, with hardly anything else on 19m except 15730 Cuba (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND. 15110, May 2 at 1345, M&W in Chinese at S9+20 with rumble, but can`t make a // to the China radio war with Taiwan on 9680, so this is probably really VOA Mandarin hour, 250 kW, 14 degrees via Udorn, and also aimed right across North America beyond (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TIBET. 9490, CHINA, PBS Lhasa Tibet, in English language, S=8 at 0712 UT. Economic news read. Similar 9580 Lhasa in Tibetan language service [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log of April 27, 0615-0745 UT in local Thailand afternoon time slot, all observation done in/via remote SDR installation in eastern Thailand, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 27, dxldyg via DXLD) 6025, CHINA - TIBET. PBS Xizang (CNR11) - Lhasa-Baiding 602, 2335- 2400. Talk in Tibetan by a woman. Vocal music at 2350 followed by instrumental music. Initially weak signal improving to moderate around 2348, then down again by 2400. Slop from Cuban jammer on 6030 starting at 2357 and R. Martí startup at 2400 made further copy impossible. Lhasa parallel noted on 6130 with weaker signal. Carriers noted on other Tibetan frequencies, but no audio. 4/27/2017 (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN. Equipment: IC-R75, Perseus, Various Portables, Random Wire, Eavesdropper Dipole, Wellbrook Loops, W6LVP Loop, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** TURKEY. TRT Voice of Turkey has not mentioned that Wikipedia is blocked in Turkey nor any recent arrests regarding the coup; not worth listening to (Jon Collins, Birmingham UK, Tecsun PL-660, April 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, you must have been listening to TRT a lot in order to know what they are not reporting, hi (Glenn, DXLD) 9830, April 28 at 2325, Turkishish music S9 with no RTTY this late, still past 2330, presumed the VOT German hour which yet again the Emirler sloppyrators have allowed to run on after English to North America finishes circa 2250. Only 9830 thing in HFCC this hour is CNR southward from Beijing. 9830, April 29 at 2154, VOT IS is running vs RTTY on exactly same frequency, and line noise level, so the following English broadcast will be useless here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) unid 10220.07 kHz Sport-Reportage (Farsi???) mode=A3 35 dBµV / S9 -- 73 (Tom DF5JL Kamp | QTH Nordeifel JO30KO | df5jl.de | R&S EK 070 @ T2FD 25 m long @ 5 m height, Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2017 7:40 PM [MESZ??], A-DX via Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) Nööh, TRT Emirler 10220.037 kHz --- Spur-Intermodulations Differenz 380.008 kHz auf die Fundamentals 9840.029 kHz Deutsch mit Grusssendung Bernd Seiser Ottenau. 1730-1830 UT, 9460.021 kHz TRT Turkish. 16-21 UT. Und ein kleiner Peak auch bei Symmetrical auf 9080.013 kHz. 73 wb df5sx (Büschel, ibid.) 10110.037 kHz: 9785 1830-1930 27,28 EMR 500 310 0 205 Eng TRT 4477 also TRT English on 9785 kHz with smaller Intermodulation, difference 325.008 kHz, fundamentals 9785.029 and 9460.021 kHz. Heard in Dave's remote SDR between Birmingham and Liverpool in West England (Wolfgang Büschel, 1900 UT April 30, ibid.) ** U K [non]. Tomorrow (30 April 2017) is the last day broadcast for BBC TAMIL on Short Wave. Don't miss to listen and avail the special eQSL from Ardic DX Club. 1545-1600 UT 2115-2130 IST CLN 9900 / SNG 11995 / ARM 15330w Send your reports to ardicdxclub (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) in. Those who are want the hard copy QSL, please send the nominal postage to us (Jaisakthivel Thangavel, Chennai, India, April 29, Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Ofcom: Community Radio: FUTURE LICENSING AND TECHNICAL POLICY STATEMENT https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-2/cr-future-licensing Ofcom has today published a statement following its review of community radio: future licensing and technical policy: "There are 250 Ofcom-licensed community radio stations broadcasting in locations across the UK. These stations are small, not-for-profit services which bring a range of benefits to their target communities, and are run with the help of volunteers. This statement sets out our decision to conduct a fourth licensing round for community radio services, and how we will seek to ensure that our processes for awarding licences are quicker and more focused than in previous rounds. We have also made revisions to our technical policy in relation to the frequencies and coverage areas for these services to take account of individual station requirements, which may differ. Finally, this statement sets out our position on the prioritisation of our future community radio work." Full 26-page report at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/101459/community-radio-future-licensing-technical-policy-statement.pdf (via Community Media Association discussion list, 28 April) Worth reading in full - it includes responses from existing stations to consultation. Note Ofcom says applications submitted in October 2016 for Greater London and AM licences - they anticipate decisions will be made before the summer. And licensing of small-scale DAB was not likely to commence before 2018. Posted by: ("Alan Pennington", April 28, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** U S A. Hello again, Glenn -- Don't think I've corresponded with you since last year's Night of Nights CW event. This time I'm submitting a tip on a similar topic: The return of another well-known vintage station, NSS. You're undoubtedly aware of the annual Armed Forces Day crossband communications between military and amateur radio operators, slated this year for May 13. It annually provides hams and SWLs a chance to obtain QSL cards from military stations, some bearing calls that are well remembered by anyone who ever came of age copying the repeating CW messages of WOO, WCC, KPH, etc., before most of them shut down in 1999. For instance, NMN is back this year, but so is NSS -- a station that, as far as I know, hasn't been heard from since most of the maritime CW stations pulled the plug. (I'm trying to confirm this.) [later:] I do have an update that you might find interesting: According to Frank Donovan, owner of the W3LPL superstation, "NSS military HF operations closed down in the late 1970s. Although LF and VLF operations continued into the 1990s, all LF and VLF comms were encrypted and the NSS callsign was no longer used." So that suggests that this will be the first time the NSS call has appeared on HF in about four decades! Frank says the station will be active from 1300 to 0200 UT on both CW and SSB with at least three transmitters operating continuously. He adds: "We'll be operating about 1000 feet north of the north Helix house, at the former location of the Married Enlisted Quarters ... It will be a Field Day style operation in a tent, using 50-foot military masts." Here's what the ARRL website says: “The Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC) and the US Naval Academy Radio Club will operate NSS on the site of the 1918 Naval Radio Transmitting Station on Greenbury Point in Annapolis, Maryland, across the Severn River from the US Naval Academy.” http://www.arrl.org/news/armed-forces-day-crossband-military-amateur-radio-communications-test-is-may-13 Sounds cool to me! More detailed information on the event, including a list of participating stations and their frequencies, can be found here: http://www.usarmymars.org/home/announcements *** SECOND TIP: I wanted to let you know that my ham radio club -- the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club -- is gearing up for its annual W9IMS special event triad commemorating the major auto races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: The Grand Prix of Indianapolis (on the air May 7-13), the Indianapolis 500 (May 22-28) and the Brickyard 400 (July 17-23). As always, there'll be a brand-new array of 3 colorful QSL cards and a certificate for those who work all 3 special event operations in 2017. SWLs are welcome to submit reception reports toward the same cards and certificate. For more information: http://www.w9ims.org And to find our current frequencies during those special event weeks, check DX Summit for constantly updated DX spots: http://www.dxsummit.fi TNX, Glenn. Hope you and your readers find this info useful. Please let me know if there's anything else I can provide. 73, (Brian, W9IND, D. Smith, May 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The Indy races, not just the 500, are usually broadcast by WHRI on SW, frequencies and exact times as yet unknown (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. VOA Radiogram, 29-30 April --- VOA Radiogram this weekend, mostly MFSK32, with some MFSK16. First African-born major league baseball player, press freedom deteriorates, and Cassini flies between Saturn and rings ... http://voaradiogram.net/post/160090792052/voa-radiogram-29-30-april-2017-baseball-news-in (Kim Elliott, April 28, dxldyg via DXLD) Report: MEDIA FREEDOM 'HAS NEVER BEEN SO THREATENED' VOA News April 26, 2017 Reporters Without Borders said Wednesday that globally "media freedom has never been so threatened," as it released its annual press freedom index. The media rights group pointed in particular to democratic countries as places where press freedoms declined during the past year. "In sickening statements, Draconian laws, conflicts of interest, and even the use of physical violence, democratic governments are trampling on a freedom that should, in principle, be one of their leading performance indicators." The report said the reductions in press freedoms are most pronounced in places where "the authoritarian strongman model has triumphed," such as Poland, Hungary and Turkey. "The rate at which democracies are approaching the tipping point is alarming for all those who understand that, if media freedom is not secure, then none of the other freedoms can be guaranteed," RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire said. Most countries show decline Overall, 62 percent of countries measured showed a decline in press freedom in the 2017 index. Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands ranked as the countries with the highest degree of freedom for journalists. North Korea ranked last, with Reporters Without Borders saying the country "continues to keep its population in ignorance and terror.Also at the bottom of the list, just ahead of North Korea, were Eritrea, Turkmenistan, Syria and China. Those countries that most improved their scores since the 2016 index were Laos, Pakistan, Sweden, Burma and the Philippines. The biggest decliners were Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Maldives and Uzbekistan. Trump rhetoric criticized The report faulted U.S. President Donald Trump and the rhetoric he used since launching his campaign for office, which has frequently targeted media organizations and declaring their stories "fake." "The hate speech used by the new boss in the White House and his accusations of lying also helped to disinhibit attacks on the media almost everywhere in the world, including in democratic countries." The United States ranked 43rd on the index, down two spots from 2016. Britain, which decided in a referendum last year to leave the European Union, ranked 40th. "Donald Trump's rise to power in the United States and the Brexit campaign in the United Kingdom were marked by high-profile media bashing, a highly toxic anti-media discourse that drove the world into a new era of post-truth, disinformation, and fake news." The report said the Middle East and North Africa region continues to be the most dangerous for journalists to work, with Eastern Europe and Central Asia close behind. http://www.voanews.com/a/world-press-freedom-report-never-so-threatened/3826056.html See also: http://www.rferl.org/a/media-freedom-under-threat-more-than-ever-reporters-without-borders-says/28452291.html http://www.rferl.org/a/cpj-journalists-repression-deadly-dangerous/28451268.html https://rsf.org/en Image: Reporters sans frontières press freedom map, with least-free nations shown in black ... Sending Pic:262x145C; (via VOA Radiogram April 29 via roger, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. PROTEST AGAINST CENSORSHIP OF CHINA PROGRAM AT VOICE OF AMERICA http://bbgwatch.com/bbgwatch/protest-against-censorship-of-china-program-at-voice-of-america/ BBGWatcher April 28, 2017 0 Comments Featured News, Hot Tub Blog Amanda Bennett, BBG, censorship, China, corruption, Guo Wengui, human rights, John F. Lansing, John Lansing, Sandy Sugawara, VOA, VOA Charter BBG Watch Commentary Protest against censorship at Voice of America. Chinese Americans, former Chinese dissidents, Chinese students and media freedom activists in the Washington, DC area have staged a demonstration in front of the Voice of America (VOA) building near the Capital Hill, protesting against the decision of VOA’s upper management to cut short a live interview with Chinese businessman whistleblower Guo Wengui while he was discussing evidence of corruption among Communist Party officials in China. The decision to cut the interview short was reportedly made by VOA director Amanda Bennett and deputy director Sandy Sugawara. The decision to limit the program was reached after the Chinese government protested against VOA interviewing Mr. Guo. Both Ms. Bennett and Ms. Sugawara are Obama administration holdovers as is their hands-off boss, Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) CEO John F. Lansing. Sasha Gong, Fred Wang and other editors and reporters in the VOA Mandarin Service strongly resisted the upper management’s relentless attempts to cut short the interview, several sources told BBG Watch. They tried to keep the program live and demanded that the management issue the order to cut the interview short in writing. When the order came they had no choice but to comply but did so under a strong protest. While the VOA management denies caving in to pressure from the Chinese government and insists they were only concerned with upholding journalistic standards — their explanation seen as an insult by many VOA China Branch and other journalists — many Chinese viewers of the VOA program see it as a betrayal of trust with the Chinese audience and evidence of VOA backing away from American values of freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Here are two [sic] typical comments which include statements seen in the signs held by the protesters in front of the Voice of America headquarters. 1. Freedom of Speech April 25, 2017 at 1:07 am […]It is very sad to see this event happened. When I watched the live VOA Guo Wengui interview program, the program was suddenly cut off. I felt Democracy died in America. Voice of America was the symbol of freedom and democracy. It represented the values of United States: freedom of press and freedom of speech. The cut-short program stopped the Voice of Freedom and Democracy. Today’s VOA is not the VOA I listened to during my youth years in China. It has become the Shame of America: Voice of Silence. 2. Alice April 27, 2017 at 9:54 am When I saw the sudden cutting short of the 3 hour direct broadcasting which VOA announced for several days in advance and promised before and during the program , I said VOA is done for! They are scared to death by the Chinese government ! What made me more scornful of the decision makers was their next day’s explanation read by the lady wearing a white flower . The explanation is a typical lie! Its wording is very similar to the speeches of those disgraceful spokesmen/spokeswomen of Chinese Foreign ministry! Shame on VOA! 3. J. Zhang April 28, 2017 at 5:30 am When I heard Sasha Gong and Fred Wang say: “because of special reasons we must stop our interview…”, my feeling was exactly as same as when I heard the announcement of the Chinese communist government on the eve of 04.06.1989. Tears were in my eyes. I just don’t know if it was for Mr. Guo’s fate, the deaths of 04.06.89, or for the death of VOA – because VOA was my beacon through all the dark nights when I was in China (via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) VOICE OF AMERICA SUSPENDS 5 JOURNALISTS AFTER INTERVIEW WITH WANTED CHINA BILLIONAIRE | Hong Kong Free Press https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/05/03/us-funded-voice-america-suspends-5-journalists-interview-wanted-china-billionaire-reports/ (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. VOA PRIVATIZATION ATTEMPT FOILED IN THE CONGRESS Printer friendly version | Send this story to a friend http://laborweb.afge.org/sites/bbg/l1812/index.cfm?action=article&articleID=72472DEB-9985-4229-B999-4522BE1ACA28 [NOTE: like all posts here, there is NO DATE ON IT --- not recent, I think but perhaps still relevant. Many more entries here: http://laborweb.afge.org/sites/bbg/l1812/ --- gh, April 30, 2017] Just recently AFGE Local 1812 learned that in the final House-Senate conference agreement on the 2017 NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act), the language from the Thornberry amendment passed in the House which would have laid the groundwork for the abolishment of the VOA and the Martis as federal entities was dropped. The original language of the Thornberry amendment language had provided for the establishment of a private non-profit organization to carry out all broadcasting and related programs currently performed by the VOA. For the employees we represent, that would have been a disaster and definitely threatened the jobs of our broadcasters and support staff. Thanks to AFGE National's legislative team, specifically Alan Kadrofske, your union local, AFGE Local 1812, was alerted to this attempt to abolish VOA and met together with members of the House- Senate conference committee. Since the 18-page amendment was submitted in the House late in the evening, near midnight, the House-Senate conferees were not aware of that specific VOA privatization language. Wording in the Thornberry Amendment was retained in the final version of the NDAA that would reduce the Broadcasting Board of Governors to an advisory body only and officially establish the CEO position and require that the position be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The legislation also abolishes the position of the Director of the International Broadcasting Bureau and provides funding for the establishment of a Global Engagement Center to which the State Department, AID and the Broadcasting Board of Governors would have input. The Union is breathing a sigh of relief that this latest attempt at privatizing the VOA failed in the Congress. For copies of the final conference report, you can contact the Union office (AFGE Local 1812 via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 1875 contents: Alaska, Albania non, Argentina, Australia, Cuba, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Iran non, Kurdistan non, Laos, Liberia, Myanmar, Netherlands non, New Zealand, Nigeria non, North America, Perú, Philippines, Russia, Tibet non, USA WORLD OF RADIO 1875 monitoring: confirmed first SW broadcast Thursday April 27 at 2130 on WRMI 11580, fair. Also confirmed Thu Apr 27 at 2330 on WBCQ 9330.01-USB, fair. Next: Fri 2230 WRMI 11580 to NE, 5950 to S Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB to WSW Sat 1431 HLR 7265-CUSB to WSW Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE [? pre-empted last two weeks] Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE, 9455? to WNW Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE, 9455 to WNW Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 to NW, 9455? to WNW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW WORLD OF RADIO 1875 monitoring: confirmed Friday April 28 at 2230 on WRMI 11580; // 5950 is JBA in noise level; by 2258 recheck, not even a JBA carrier, off? (Anyway, this is the last week for WOR on 5950, as from May, the new relay of RAE Argentina al Mundo in Spanish will be at 2200-2300 M-F southward on 5950.) Also confirmed Friday April 28 at 2330 on WBCQ 9329.95-CUSB, fair, drifting down to 9329.90 within a minute. Storms here Saturday morning April 29, so computer off and no check of UTwente for 1431 on HLR 7265-CUSB, which I have not been able to confirm remotely anyway for some weeks. Next: Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE [? pre-empted last two weeks] Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE, 9455? to WNW Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE, 9455 to WNW Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 to NW, 9455? to WNW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) GERMANY, 6190, Hamburger LokalRadio, Gohren, 0630-0700, 29-04, English, Glenn Hauser's "World of Radio" program. 14321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Friol, Tecsun PL-880, Sangean ATS-909X, cable antenna 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF RADIO 1875 monitoring: confirmed April 29 at 2254, the Saturday 2230 airing on WBCQ 9330.50v-CUSB, fair-good. Also confirmed starting after newscast at 2334 Saturday April 29 on IRN webcast, and presumably on Challenger Radio, 846 kHz, Italy, as provided by IRRS which Alfredo Cotroneo tells us is playing WOR at random times, but this seems to be a reliable one. Unfortunately, the 29-minute program can`t fit into 26 minutes, but is faded out after about 27 minutes as a YL briefly interrupts, again around 28, and then into music rather than another newscast on the hour. Also confirmed UT Sunday April 30 at 0329 on WA0RCR, 1860-AM as I am talking about the 250 kW (??) new transmitter in Liberia, which is about 17 minutes in, so started circa 0312. Next: Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE [? pre-empted last two weeks] Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE, 9455? to WNW Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE, 9455 to WNW Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 to NW, 9455? to WNW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Confirmed Sunday April 30 at 2339 the 2330 airing on WBCQ 9330.3v- CUSB, fair-good. Next: Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE [? pre-empted last two weeks] Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE, 9455? to WNW Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE, 9455 to WNW Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 to NW, 9455? to WNW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW WORLD OF RADIO 1875 monitoring: Saturday April 29 at 0630 on HLR 6190- CUSB, confirmed by Manuel Méndez in Spain; Sunday April 30 at 1030 on HLR 9485-CUSB, confirmed by Ivo Ivanov in Bulgaria. Also confirmed UT Monday May 1 at 0304 on Area 51 webcast, starting late after a song and some IDs, and presumably also on WBCQ 5129.82v- AM. The Monday 0330 on WRMI 9955 is almost confirmed: JBA signal at 0342 but resembles my intonation. Webcast however at 0357 is running but silent, unusual. It was running at 0305 check with R. Prague Sunday music show in English, so back to normal schedule after two weeks of `Bye, Bye, Sitkunai`. Also confirmed Monday May 1 at 2330 on WBCQ 9330.00-CUSB, good. Missed checking the 0030 May 2 on WRMI 7730. Next: Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE, 9455? to WNW Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE, 9455 to WNW Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 to NW, 9455? to WNW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW WORLD OF RADIO 1875 monitoring: confirmed Tuesday May 2 at 1106 the 1100 airing on WRMI 9955 and S6-S9, and // 9455 at S6-S8. (Amazing, at 1113, WWV on 10000 blasting in at S9+30.) WOR also confirmed Tue May 2 at 2130 on WRMI 9455, poor, and // 15770 JBA. Also confirmed Tue May 2 at 2330 on WBCQ 9330.10v-CUSB, good, and frequency moving during the few seconds I listen. Next: Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 to NW, 9455? to WNW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9455 is now confirmed for all three WRMI airings each // a different frequency (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF RADIO 1875 monitoring: awake at 1043 Wednesday May 3, I succeed in confirming that the 1030 WOR airing on WRMI 5850 is also on // 9455. But I miss checking the 1315.5 airing on 9955, surely still running. Also confirmed Wed May 3 at 2100 on WBCQ 7490 webcast; also confirmed Wed May 3 at 2330 on WBCQ 9330.4v-CUSB, good. WORLD OF RADIO 1876 ready for first airings May 4: Thu 2130 WRMI 11580 to NE Thu 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Fri 2230 WRMI 11580 to NE, 5950 to S Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB to WSW Sat 1431 HLR 7265-CUSB to WSW Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE, 9455 to WNW Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE, 9455 to WNW Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 to NW, 9455 to WNW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9455, UT Monday May 1 at 0031, WRMI with M&W discussing how `Countdown to Xmas Radio` is now on 9455 and 9395 at 6 pm Mountain time, into a jazzy version of ``Silent Night``. 9455 is S8-S9, 9395 S9 to S9+5 and noticeably louder (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. New relays via WRMI Okeechobee from May 1 RAE Argentina to the World 2200-2300 on 5950 YFR 100 kW / 181 deg to Cuba Spanish Mon-Fri tx#14 0100-0200 on 9395 YFR 100 kW / 355 deg to ENAm English Tue-Sat tx#06 Reports on these 2 frequencies will be confirmed with special QSL-card Radio Tirana 2300-2400 on 5850 YFR 100 kW / 315 deg to WNAm English Mon-Sat tx#12 Other transmissions of Radio Tirana on shortwave via Shortwaveservice 1830-1900 on 6005 KLL 001 kW / 010&190 to CeEu French Mon-Sat tx#02 1900-1930 on 6005 KLL 001 kW / 010&190 to CeEu English Mon-Sat tx#02 1930-2000 on 3985 KLL 001 kW / non-dir to CeEu German Mon-Sat tx#01 1930-2000 on 6005 KLL 001 kW / 010&190 to CeEu German Mon-Sat tx#02 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/04/rae-argentina-to-world-radio-tirana-via.html (DX RE MIX NEWS #1005 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, May 3, 2017 via DXLD) Otherwise filed in DXLD under ALBANIA [non], ARGENTINA [non] ** U S A. 7490, WBCQ, Monticello, at 1946, on 4/18/18, in English. A male announcer was talking about war songs and played several recorded on 78RPM records. The announcer stated since a person in the White House was ready for war, might as well play some more war songs which he did. Good (John Cooper, Lebanon PA, Winradio-G33DDC, CommRadio CR- 1a, SDR-IQ, Grundig Satellit 750, Wellbrook ALA1530S+, Wellbrook ALA1530LNPro, Pars SWL Sloper, GAP-Hear It-In Line Module, May CIDX Messenger via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) That would be Pirate Joe = J P Ferraro from WHVW Hyde Park on Tuesdays only when 7490 signs on an hour earlier at 1900 (gh, DXLD) 9330, WBCQ with Terry Blalock in (presumed) English-like dialect / "unmedicated" language. This guy needs professional help or at least some new meds to address his condition. Nominally this is 'religion' but he makes Bro Swear (and Alex Jones) sound sane. 10 minutes of this is about all I can take! 4454+4 w/local QRM. 2302-2312 24/Apr DX375 + whip (Ken Zichi, Williamston MI, MARE Tipsheet 28 April via DXLD) 10 minutes! Like 10 deci-seconds for me (gh, DXLD) 7490.1-AM, Thu April 27 at 2317, WBCQ with Uncle Bill playing a polka, S8 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Allan Weiner Worldwide, 0000 UT Saturday April 29 on WBCQ 7490v-AM: This evening`s show started on time and there were no computer or internet problems during the show. Signal was 20 over for most of the show with a few trips up to 40 over. Dr. Becker got Allan's hair and his desk wet with some sort of bubble machine. It was announced that TimTron is out of the hospital but that his wife has the flu now. Some talk about all the transmitter work and antenna work that had to be finished this summer while Allan is up there. He is leaving in a couple of days to make the trip North. According to Allan most of it is optimizing work and getting the 3250 transmitter back on the air. Only one or two phone calls allowed Allan to talk this week. Allan mentioned that he'd stayed away from politics for the past month or so and had no desire to get into it but the bulk of the hour was political in a sense. He only mentioned Trump and congress briefly at the end of his talk. Main thrust of the talk was what the first amendment really meant and then changed to talking about North Korea. Approx. thirty minutes to read emails and did the pirate weekly. Off air at 0138. Ramsey did not call in this week but did send an email. In the report of [last week`s] AWWW in the current DXLD [17-17] I referred to the music as scrambled. The first tune played almost all the way through and then jumped to the second tune and part way through the second tune it jumped back to the first tune. This sequence repeated three or four times and then a third tune started and then it jumped back to the second tune. It was almost as if things were being reset constantly and returning to the beginning (John Carver, Mid-North Indiana, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9330.6v-CUSB, April 29 at 2158, BS via WBCQ has varied up more to the plus side than lately, fair-good (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7490.057, WBCQ English program, tiny S=5, acc Aoki Nagoya list not scheduled on UT Mondays at 0600 UT, heard sermon? at 0633 UT (Wolfgang Büschel, morning log at 0545-0655 UT on May 1st, notes of remote SDR unit at VE6JY's installation in Alberta western Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As I have reported again and again, stays on until 0700 with Brother Scare or music fill (gh, DXLD) [and non]. From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, May 8- June 3 I. From the Isle of Music, May 8-June 3 Cubadisco 2017, Cuba's largest and most important music awards program (a combination of something like the GRAMMYs® and much, much more) takes place during May, and we'll be away from the studio listening to Cuba's best new recordings and doing new interviews. While we are doing that, our episodes for May will be a combination of new episodes and some of the best of early 2016 for the benefit of our many new listeners. May 7-13 will be part 2 of our conversations with Cuban musicologist and producer Gloria Ochoa along with some killer Cuban Jazz. May 13-20 is a special dedicated to some of Cuba's very best charanga orchestras. Bring your dancing shoes. May 21-27 is a replay of an early 2016 episode with special guest Cuban Jazz singer Zule Guerra, but also some 1970s Cuban Rock. May 28-June 3 is a replay of an early 2016 episode featuring members of Conjunto Chappottin, one of Cuba's most historically important conjuntos, as well as a mix of other Cuban music genres. Four possibilities to listen via shortwave: 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in all directions with 100 kW, Sundays 1500-1600 UT on SpaceLine, 9400 kHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK) 2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesdays 0000-0100 UT on WBCQ, 7490 kHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Mondays 8-9 PM EDT in the US) 3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesdays 1900-2000 UT and Saturdays 1200-1300 on Channel 292, 6070 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany. Come June, we will begin to share the best of Cubadisco 2017 - new music, new interviews, and of course the best of Cuba's recordings from the past as well. II. Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, Thursdays Our musical mystery box with the rest of the planet including the US and just enough weird (including a few laughs now and then) to keep us from being confused with a generic World Music program. No gravitas for us! We don't tell you what's coming up each week because the surprises are half the fun and we mix things up anyway. Every Thursday from 2300 to 2330 UT on WBCQ the Planet, 7490 kHz Promo graphics attached. Our next email won't be until the week of the 28th (William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer, Tilford Productions, LLC, May 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9930 plus spurs 9917.1 & 9942.9, Sat April 29 at 2153, WTWW- 2 is still running with radio-talk by Ted, maybe 3 hours after it should have started; S9+40. 5085, April 30 at 0648, JBA station with music, must be the irregular WTWW-2 rather than usual blast-in. I guess Ted plays DJ late into the night whenever he feels like it; I am not aware of any pattern of which nights. 9475, May 2 at 2028 check, WTWW-1 is AWOL, but 12105 WTWW-3 is on with Portuguese, and 9930 WTWW-2 with Ramsey. No, nothing on night frequency 5830 either. By 0124 UT May 3, 12105 is still on but with S9+35 of dead air; 5085 is on with ham talk; and 9475 is S9+45 of SFAW modulation. This is also the time I hear a wideband RF burst from my streetlight igniting just after sunset. And wideband, but e.g. on an open frequency circa 12 MHz, I count the unID electric fence pops at the rate of 46 per minute, barely enough to overcome the line and storm noise levels (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENINIG DIGEST) 5829.982, WTWW English sermon at 0542 UT S=9+30dB proper signal (Wolfgang Büschel, more 49 mb monitoring this morning on remote SDR in central Florida, May 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) All WTWWs, I think are always somewhat off-frequency to low side (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. 17774.994 kHz, KVOH Rancho Simi, CA. Spanish language program at 1517 UT on Monday May 1. According to Aoki Nagoya database listed "Voice of Hope". But noted rather a Spanish radio hobby program, contained old KOL Israel interval signal and DX talk in Spanish language. Up to S=9+5dB strength in central Florida remote SDR unit. Played "Happy Birth Day" song around 1515 UT. 20 kHz wideband signal modulation. But decreased later till 1612 UT. Frequency wandered from 17774.989 ... up to 17774.994 kHz. [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 1, dxldyg via DXLD) Voice of Hope is the name of the station. The program at 1500 UT Monday (& Friday) is `Frecuencia al Dia` as on several other stations too http://www.voiceofhope.com/schedule/kvoh_program_grid.pdf (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** U S A. 4/9/17 – ALAMO MANSION IN DISREPAIR, ENTERED NOW ON A DARE Arkanasas Democrat Gazette April 9, 2017 Story by Bill Bowden http://www.tonyalamonews.com/6127/4917-alamo-mansion-in-disrepair-entered-now-on-a-dare.php Long story not only about the mansion but reviews the case and convixion of ``Tony Alamo``. I found this in a periodic check of my bookmarx, little knowing that a bigger story was imminent (gh, DXLD) http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-tony-alamo-20170503-story.html TONY ALAMO, HOLLYWOOD STREET PREACHER CONVICTED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING GIRLS, DIES AT 82 FILE - In this July 23, 2009, file photo, Tony Alamo, left, is escorted to a waiting police car outside the federal courthouse in Texarkana, Ark., in 2009 (Danny Johnston / Associated Press) [caption] Kelly P. Kissel Tony Alamo, a one-time Hollywood street preacher whose apocalyptic ministry grew into a multimillion-dollar network of businesses and property before he was convicted of sexually abusing young girls he considered his wives, has died in prison at age 82. Once known for designing elaborately decorated jackets for celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley, Alamo died on Tuesday at a federal prison hospital in Butner, N.C., according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The disgraced preacher was convicted in 2009 on charges that he took underage girls across state lines for sex, including a 9-year-old. The judge who sentenced him to the maximum 175 years in prison told him: "One day you will face a higher and a greater judge than me. May he have mercy on your soul." Alamo started preaching along the California streets in the 1960s, advocating a mixture of virulent anti-Catholicism and apocalyptic rhetoric. He claimed God authorized polygamy, professed that gays were the tools of Satan, and believed girls were fit for marriage even at a young age. "Consent is puberty," Alamo told the Associated Press in September 2008, on the same weekend that state and federal agents raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries in the tiny southwest Arkansas town of Fouke to investigate possible child abuse and pornography. [?? how to you pronounce Fouke?? gh] Witnesses in the ensuing trial said Alamo made all key decisions on the compound: who got married, what children were taught in school, who received clothes, who was allowed to eat. They said he began taking multiple wives in the early 1990s, including a 15-year-old girl in 1994, followed by increasingly younger girls. Alamo was convicted after five women testified they were "married" to him in secret ceremonies at his compound when they were minors — including one when she was only 8 — and later taken to places outside Arkansas for sex. John Wesley Hall, a lawyer who had represented Alamo, said Wednesday that Alamo "denied that he ever did anything [wrong]." Former followers said Alamo grew increasingly unhinged after his wife, Susan, died from cancer in 1982, while the couple operated their ministry near Fort Smith in northwestern Arkansas. Her body was kept in a room at the ministry, and his followers kept a vigil, praying for months for a resurrection. Eventually her body was buried in a crypt on the ministry's 300-acre compound in Dyer, Ark. But in 1991, Alamo ordered his followers to pack up before federal marshals seized the property to satisfy a court judgment. Authorities found Susan Alamo's concrete crypt smashed open and her coffin gone. Alamo returned his wife's remains to her family seven years later, after being threatened with jail. Before it became widely reviled for its leader's actions and teachings, Tony Alamo Christian Ministries attracted hippies and youngsters alienated from their parents when it started on the streets of Hollywood in the 1960s. Calling themselves "Jesus freaks," Alamo's followers preached hellfire and a wrathful version of Pentecostalism, which is known for its spirited worship style and belief in modern-day revelation and miracles. In the 1970s and '80s, members of his ministry made elaborately designed denim jackets that were sold to celebrities such as Presley, Jackson and several country music stars. The iconic black leather jacket that Jackson wore on the cover of his "Bad" album was a Tony Alamo original, and it was later sold at auction to settle federal tax claims against Alamo. At its height, Alamo's ministry claimed thousands of members nationwide. It was perhaps most known for leaving fliers on car windshields that outlined such topics as Alamo's feared "one-world government," his belief in flying saucers and his hatred of the Vatican and gays. Hall said the ministry still produces the fliers. "My staff still gets them in the mail," Hall said Wednesday. In a 2008 interview, Alamo claimed to be unique among Christian preachers because he was born a Jew and had a "supernatural experience" through which he became a born-again Christian. From his compound in northwest Arkansas, Alamo presided over several businesses — including gas stations, a hog farm, a grocery store and a restaurant — that funded his ministry. Ultimately, the IRS claimed Alamo owed $7.9 million in taxes, and federal agents raided his properties in 1991. He was convicted of tax evasion and served four years in prison despite claiming he had no tax liability because he received no salary. Alamo also was accused in 1991 of child abuse after an 11-year-old boy told police he was paddled 140 times by four men on orders from Alamo in 1988 at the church's compound in Saugus. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges, saying too much time had passed. The same year he was charged with threatening to kidnap a federal judge in Arkansas, but was acquitted by a jury. It was after he left prison in the 1990s that he started the compound in Fouke with about 100 followers. Alamo was born Bernie Lazar Hoffman on Sept. 20, 1934, to a Jewish family in Joplin, Mo. He arrived in Los Angeles in the 1960s, claiming he was a music promoter with clients such as the Beatles. He and his wife legally changed their names to Tony and Susan Alamo after they married in Las Vegas in 1966 (LA Times via DXLD) There were lots of items about Alámo in DXLD circa 2008-2011. At his peak he was on, at least, WWCR, WINB and Radio Africa, Equatorial Guinea. What were they thinking?? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 690, April 28 at 0454 UT, outro from a network (?) called Radio One, then local weather from KGGF Coffeyville KS, axually from a YL weatherperson at NewsOnSix = KOTV-45 (for a while longer), Tulsa. I continue to lament that KGGF no longer carries Jim Bohannon at 02-05 UT, which used to be our best source, so at 0457 UT I check whether he`s still on: KWTO 560 Springfield MO, KFEQ 680 St Joseph MO --- yes, he is. KWTO is where he worked early in his career. I don`t find a network named Radio One in the list on page 271 of the NRC AM Log, nor as a station group on page 276, nor as a show on page 272. `When Radio Was` is on the schedule at 11 pm-midnight CT M-F http://kggfradio.com/kggf-am/kggf-am-line-up (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 810, May 1 at 0417 UT, ``810KLVZ.com`` so Brighton CO station is back on the air. As of 2016 NRC AM Log in August, said it was silent as of 4/2016. But in DXLD 16-45: ``AM Log Updates: 810, KLVZ, CO, Brighton – Format to NOS (ex - Silent); slogan to "Legends 810/94.3," adds // K232FK - 94.3 (John Wilkins, NRC DX News Nov 14 published Nov 6 via DXLD)`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1020, April 28 at 0500 UT, singing ID for Radiovisión Cristiana (1330 NYC), so KCKN Roswell NM is currently active, and plenty to QRM KOKP Perry OK with a heavy SAH, let alone KDKA Pittsburgh PA which it is supposed to protect (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Greetings Glenn, Quick comment on KCKN. They might be running non directional at the moment. The night pattern throws 40 watts in your direction and the day pattern less than 500. Either or could be screwed up. Not being in the loop anymore that's the only thing I can offer. Take care (Jerry Kiefer, FL, ex-KCKN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1240.20, May 1 at 0427 UT, quite a het against the 1240.0 pileup, presumably KCRT Trinidad CO, reported on 1240.19, as of March 20, 2015 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1479.967, April 29 at 0537 UT, 1-kHz step bandscan with BFO finds sore-thumb off-frequency carrier here; 0610 UT ad in English with a 972-904-#### phone number, and covering ``from North Texas north to Oklahoma City``. So KBXD Dallas not with Namaste at this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1520, KOLM, MN, Rochester – Granted STA, use 800 watt night power and pattern during critical hours (instead of licensed 10 kW and CH pattern).(AM Switch, NRC DX News May 8, published May 1 via DXLD This thing often causes heavy QRM to nearby KOKC OKC any time during the night. 800 watts?? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1700, WRCR, NY, Ramapo – 4/14 0509 [EDT] – In WJCC mix with popular songs and talk, “At home, at work or in your car. We belong with you. AM 17 hundred WRCR” station promo. According to http://www.wrcr.com they are “Radio Unscripted!”. Also a message from the station GM at the website dated April 16, 2017: The following schedule is in effect until further notice: WRCR’s regular programming begins at 1 AM and continues until 1 PM daily, 7 days per week. Listen to our adult contemporary music with frequent weather, traffic and news updates. Our Morning Drive Show with Steve and Jeff airs from 6 AM to 10 AM daily, Monday through Friday. Beginning at 1 PM, our regular programming continues on WRCR.com, while our radio transmission on AM 1700, airs ethnic programming furnished by RadioIndiaLTD.com – until 1 AM daily.” To summarize the GM’s message: 0100 to 1300 ET [0500-1700 UT]: Talk and Adult Contemporary, 1300 to 0100 [1700-0500 UT] Ethnic Indian (Kraig Krist, VA, NRC DX News May 8, published May 1 via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) ** U S A. 1700, April 29 at 0541 UT, I am paying more attention to the Spanish here from KKLF Richardson (Metroplex) TX. Slogan ID as Banda Trece plus información y deportes, but plays music, in fact a rock song in English! 0546 UT another ID, then Spanish romantic song. 0553 UT after an ad, I clearly copy non-ID as ``Banda 13, música, información y deportes``. So why isn`t it ``Banda Diez y Siete``?? Where does the 13 come from? Arctic Radio Club DXers were reporting this latest slogan change over a month ago, along with a verie displaying the logo. NRC AM Log 2016-2017 had it as `Super Estelar`, Tejano format, with an address in faraway Corpus Christi. Radio-Locator currently shows even more outdated ``Kick 1700`` name. And ``no website``. O yes, there is, as a simple search reveals: Banda Trece is a ``network`` which came to 1700 at the New Year. http://www.banda13radionetwork.com/ ``Frecuencia Deportiva con Xavier Olalde is now officially on Banda 13. After broadcasting to the local Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Francisco and Miami markets, Xavier Olalde will have his show on Banda 13 Radio. The most popular Spanish morning sports show, Frecuencia Deportiva con Xavier Olalde, will air on Banda13.net weekdays from 7- 9a Central Time. Along with the show, Banda 13 Radio will have programming for more Spanish sports shows, followed by music in the afternoon online at www.banda13.net or on 1700AM in the Dallas Fort Worth region, starting late November. Frecuencia Deportiva con Xavier Olalde Monday-Friday 7-9a (CT) http://banda13.net Banda 13 Radio`` This still doesn`t explain where the 13 comes from, maybe approx. frequency of station in one of the other markets?? Various logos imply that the name applies only to this 1700 station, so the 13 may not allude to a frequency at all. Could be it`s of some sporting significance to the SS. More about station`s history of format and ownership changes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KKLF Not including Super Estelar; and ``Banda 13`` still unexplained. {It does say the KKLF calls originally were to duplicate 570 KLIF} (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Univision has completed the roll-out of the new “Univision Deportes Radio”. Programming info is at https://www.facebook.com/UnivisionDeportesRadio/ (NRC DX News May 8, published May 1 via DXLD) Univision Deportes Radio Having missed the editorial deadline for this news, and knowing the next edition of MWN is not for two months, I thought I would share this article that I wrote for the next edition (unless our editor can squeeze it into this one). Note the change of format for two stations heard in Europe – WQBA 1040 and WADO 1280 among others. 73 /Andrew Univision Deportes Radio launches [sic, never accenting Univisión] On 19th April 2017 a new Spanish language national sports network was born. Univision Deportes Radio launched on ten stations across the USA. Seen as a head-to-head rival for ESPN Deportes Radio, Univision hopes to emphasise association football, rather than American football with coverage of US Major League Soccer, Mexican, English and European league and cup games. It will also cover other sports such as basketball and baseball. Announced in December 2016, the arrival on the airwaves was a little later than the publicised “first quarter 2017”. In press releases Univision said: “Already considered the No. 1 home of soccer in the U.S., Univision Deportes will bring listeners the best in live sports commentary, live games, original content and programming beginning the first quarter of 2017. In addition to broadcast programming, Univision Deportes Radio will offer digital streams of select games and content as well as podcasts so that fans can access their favourite shows on their mobile device. “The launch of Univision Deportes Radio marks yet another milestone in the growth and evolution of our brand across all major media platforms. Our fans enjoy the award-winning soccer coverage Univision Deportes regularly provides throughout the year on broadcast, cable and digital platforms. We look forward to delivering the same high- quality soccer content on radio but also to enhancing listeners’ experiences by adding an expanded all-sports approach. “Univision Deportes Radio will air a robust package of soccer matches, including more live national broadcasts featuring teams from LigaMX, CopaMX, the U.S. National teams, MLS and Liga Portugal than any other outlet. Broadcasts will include 160 live matches from the Mexican league’s first division. Fanáticos of the highly-competitive brand of soccer that these leagues offer will be treated to regular season, quarter and semi-final playoff rounds and final championship matches. “All the live action will be called and analyzed by several renowned sports experts ranging from such colourful favorites as Javier “Zully” Ledesma, Reinaldo Navia and Ramón Morales. The team will also deliver pre- and post-game shows.” It launched on ten stations – nine AM and one FM: WRTO 1200 Chicago, IL KGBT 1530 McAllen, TX KFLC 1270 Dallas, TX WQBA 1140 Miami, FL KLAT 1010 Houston, TX WADO 1280 New York, NY KLSQ 870 Las Vegas, NV KHOV 105.1 FM Phoenix, AZ KTNQ 1020 Los Angeles, CA KCOR 1350 San Antonio, TX (via Andrew Brade, May 1, MWCircle yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) Thank you, Andrew, and have updated my NRC Log accordingly. So Latin rhythms on 1140 should be a LA station hi! Best wishes (Barry :-) Carlisle UK. Lat. 55.0119N Lon. 02.9672W. Davies, ibid.) ** U S A. A FIXTURE FOR NEARLY 85 YEARS, ENTERCOM TOWER SET TO COME DOWN IN WESTWOOD NEXT WEEK Posted by Jay Senter April 28, 2017 7:35 am 3 Comments https://shawneemissionpost.com/2017/04/28/a-fixture-for-nearly-85-years-entercom-tower-set-to-come-down-in-westwood-next-week-62576 The central Entercom tower, a fixture in Westwood for nearly 85 years, will come down next week, weather permitting. [caption] It was November 25, 1933, when the first radio signals were broadcast from the massive radio tower installed on unincorporated property at what is now 50th Street and Belinder in Westwood. Next week, that tower will be no longer. A tower crew will begin disassembling the structure next Tuesday, May 2, to ready the site for redevelopment as a new home for Westwood View Elementary. The Shawnee Mission School District purchased the property from Entercom last spring with the intent of constructing a new elementary school building there to replace the aging current structure a couple of blocks away. In a message to Westwood residents on Thursday, Mayor John Yé hailed the move as both historic and positive for the community. “[The construction of a new school building] is an exciting step towards preserving property values and reinvigorating the cornerstone of our community – Westwood View,” he wrote. “The removal of the towers represent an historic change in Westwood, as it will be the first time in nearly 84 years that a main tower hasn’t been on that site.” Construction crews will begin by attaching an apparatus below the top portion of the tower, which they will use to dismantle the structure a section at a time. The removal process is contingent on weather. Should the crews have unabated access to the tower, removal could be completed in as soon as five days from the start of the process. Crews will also remove the concrete foundations that housed the support cables once the tower is removed. The smaller, secondary tower will remain on site until sometime next year. Comment: Jason Brose Grandview, Missouri The CP they have looks like they're moving out to near KCCV's sticks along Manchester Trafficway, west of 435. No residential next door, so a better spot for that (via Tim Kridel, IRCA via DXLD) !!! But which station(s) are/were on it? Who cares? Not the Shawnee Mission Post! Altho guyed, it`s apparently self-supporting, wider at the base, not what would be built for an AM station today, but it must have been originally for AM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. iHeartMedia facing bankruptcy | Complete Music Update completemusicupdate.com Andy Malt, Business News Digital Media Top Stories By | Published on Monday 24 April 2017 iHeartMedia has warned investors that it may be forced into administration before the end of the year, with a $350 million debt repayment due in the coming months. The biggest radio broadcaster in the US, and owner of the iHeartRadio streaming service and Clear Channel billboard advertising business, the iHeart company took on $20 billion of debt during a $24 billion private equity buyout in 2008. If it manages to make this year’s hefty repayment, it still has a far more significant $8.3 billion due in 2019. In a new filing with the US Securities And Exchange Commission, the company says: “Management anticipates that our financial statements to be issued for the three months ended 31 Mar 2017, will include disclosure indicating there will be substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of twelve months following the date the first quarter 2017 financial statements are issued”. The company is attempting to defer up to $14 billion of its debts, though without much success so far. There was a recent arrangement in relation to $476 million due in 2018, but bankruptcy now seems increasingly likely. Last year, of course, the company launched a new on-demand streaming service powered by Napster. The aim is the complement its existing personalised radio operation, while also incorporating programming from its network of AM/FM stations to distinguish its product in a crowded market place. Whether this new part of the business will be an attractive proposition to anyone involved in taking the company out of any future bankruptcy remains to be seen (via Kevin Redding, TN, April 29, ABDX via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) Cumulus Media is in the same situation. Sent from my iPad (Dennis Gibson, ibid.) But back when the FCC got rid of the local ownership restrictions, they assured us that the new totally-open market would be the best thing that ever happened to radio (Dick W., ibid.) It all comes down to one word - GREED. Well, stupidity, too. They bought up everything in sight and paid way too much for all of those stations. When the ceiling started to cave in, instead of selling a lot of the stations to pay off the enormous debt, they kept them and tried to refinance. Stupid and greedy. They get what they deserve. I just feel sorry for all of the people they have burned who will walk away with nothing while they collect their bonuses for driving the company into the ground. They ruined radio, period. Not only for the people who worked in the business, but also for the listeners. 73, (Kit, W5KAT, CO, ibid.) Deregulation at its finest. It creates Economic Darwinism, survival of the fittest. Look on the bright side. If they go bankrupt and shut down the stations, you might be able to DX again in a number of cities they control the airwaves (Dallas/Ft. Worth for one). Same thing that happened in the banking business (was in it for 30 years here). Today you can get the same services as you did in 1990, but you have to learn Asian accents to complete the transaction. Glad I am retired and just DX as much as the wife lets me...... :) 73 (Art KA5DWI/7 in Arizona, ibid.) And now y'all know why I choose to listen to, whenever possible, small-town, small-time, NON-conglomerate-owned radio stations. Stations that hold on to the old saying of "serving the local public interest". KWMT [540] in Fort Dodge, Iowa, for example. Sure, it's group-owned (Alpha Media), BUT it's a group that doesn't sprawl across the landscape like a hungry beast, devouring stations in its path (see the aforementioned iHeart and Cumulus, along with NRG). KWMT has an expansive signal across the midwest, with ads for farm auctions not just in Iowa, but South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, as well. Plays country music all day long (except the noon hour, devoted to -- what else? -- farm programming) and its morning and midday jocks are live. I'll give you another example -- KRVN [880] in Lexington, Nebraska, a station that I'm sure, Kit, you can probably get with ease most any day. Like KWMT, KRVN is heavy, heavy, heavy on the ag programming. Group-owned again, but this is a smaller group, the Nebraska Rural Radio Association, which also owns KNEB 960 in Scottsbluff and KTIC 840 in West Point. And I'll bet my next dozen farm-fresh eggs (a phrase I used with delight on the IRCA listserver a few days ago) that if anyone was to ask the higher-ups in the Nebraska Rural Radio Association how THEY'RE doing financially, I think they'll tell you that they're on pretty solid ground. Nice to have a demographic that's LOYAL, isn't it? [??] Wanna know what I listen to besides KWMT and KRVN? After sunset, and ESPECIALLY if I'm up past Midnight, it's WSM [650] with an all-night truckers show that features a steady diet of country music with a LIVE hostess. No Coast-To-Coast AM or Red Eye Radio for me, thankyewverymuch. Yes, -I- still believe in the power of AM radio. 73, (Rick Dau, South Omaha, Nebraska, ibid.) They ruined AM and they are in the process of ruining FM with more talk, relaying AM, and having about 10 music formats with each station a clone of another as within each format they all sound the same. 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL, ibid.) What amazes me is that it’s taking so long. Kevin used to live in Phoenix, and we had plenty of conversations more than a decade ago about how financially tenuous the giants of the broadcasting business are. It’s only gotten much worse since then. – (Rick Lewis, ibid.) I had the pleasure of visiting KRVN a few years ago. The station had been a curiosity of mine for years, so I got off I 80 in Lexington as I was crossing the state. For being in a small town, it is a classy operation. The people there are very friendly and they like to let visitors tour the facility. They even have a book detailing the history of KRVN that they gave me a copy of. It makes for fascinating reading for a radio buff If you are ever crossing Nebraska on I 80, please take the time to stop there for a visit. I think you will be impressed. They run their radio station the way they should all be operated. 73, (Kit W5KAT, ibid.) Another very well[-run] station is WMT which has lots of local stuff of interest and is a pleasure to listen to when driving around during the day here in IL. 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL, ibid.) WMT schedule shows they also carry far right extremist talkers Limbaugh and Hannity. NO, thanks. They thereby lose all credibility for anything they do locally (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) DIGITAL KILLED THE RADIO STAR Monday, May 1, 2017 4:21 PM Airchecker.ca Net News Radio behemoth iHeartMedia, owner of more than 850 radio stations around the country, including the one I broadcast on, 630 KHOW, just announced it might not survive another year. For those of us who love radio, this isn’t a big surprise. Like watching newspapers being destroyed by disruptive new digital technologies and bled dry from the venture capital firms that now own them but have no passion for what they do, radio’s long, slow decline has been heart-wrenching. I have a special concern for talk radio’s future. It’s one of the few outlets that keeps media elites in check. A struggling restaurant will start using cheaper ingredients and smaller portions to lower costs, which just leads to fewer customers. Radio’s growing number of commercials and cookie-cutter syndicated programming leads to fewer listeners. It’s a death-spiral sending listeners to podcasts. Denver has had a love-affair with radio that few big cities enjoy. And like so many things that we love, we owe a lot of it to our unique geography. Radio signals can bleed into other markets, so signals are limited by the feds. But Denver is in a radio Goldie Locks zone, big enough to financially support lots of stations, but geographically separated from other big cities so that there is spectrum to go around. The result — fierce competition. Used to be if you couldn’t find a station you enjoyed in Denver, your tuner was broken. Now it might be because your tuner is working. Before the mass consolidation and “blandazation” of radio, most stations were run like the old sit-com “WKRP in Cincinnati,” by crazed people with wild personalities, so those stations had unique personalities too. New formats were tried constantly and some blazed trails. I got hooked on local talk radio. Local. Long before nationally syndicated blather like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity were forced onto every station, local personalities, with their own unique take on local politics, filled the airways. In talk’s heyday Mike Rosen and Peter Boyles were the most influential political yackers in town, but the dial was packed with commentary, not just on DC politics, but the local politics that impacts us every day. Unlike any other medium, local talk radio had the most transformative bit of technology in the industry. It turned everything upside down and democratized broadcasting. The telephone. Until talk, all media had been a one-way form of communication. Newspaper readers can yell back at their papers, but the newspaper, and all the other readers, can’t hear them. Sure, if someone gets angry enough she can write a letter to the editor and maybe, maybe it might even get printed, but only if someone at the paper chooses to run it. And even then, it can be edited. The Soviet Union had some of the best one-way broadcasting equipment on earth. Its state-run media was monolithic. Yet their phone system, which would allow people to connect with each other, was, by design, laughable. That’s why anti-communists like Colorado’s Joseph Coors would help smuggle fax machines into Russia to help people challenge the media. The article continues here: http://www.airchecker.ca/2017/04/30/digital-killed-radio-star/ Posted by: (Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. ALL-CLASSICAL DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN ALL-IN By Joe Goetz on April 21, 2017 [see original for embedded linx https://www.insidethearts.com/scanningthedial/all-classical-all-in/ and for further posts by Goetz] The other day I saw news that longtime WCQS-Asheville Music Director Dick Kowal is planning to retire after three decades presenting classical music on the air. With his departure comes an opening on WCQS’s schedule. To the station’s credit, it is keeping classical music on the air after Dick’s departure, but the content will no longer originate from WCQS – well, not exactly, anyway. You can read more at the link, but the short version is that WCQS will air a new program voiced by Joe Brant, an announcer at WDAV in Charlotte. It’s not a WDAV simulcast, but a standalone program. This situation got me thinking about the unique role independent all-classical stations like WDAV can play in shaping the future of classical music radio. Classical music services that are part of larger organizations in the largest markets, as well as independent classical music stations in markets of all sizes have managed to keep the majority of their hours local. But at many other stations, one finds an increasing reliance on network programming on station schedules. In several cases, network programming is the only thing available most of the time: New Hampshire Public Radio’s classical music service is entirely network- based. KPAC in San Antonio, a service of Texas Public Radio, is the same, as is the increasingly marginalized classical music service offered by Houston Public Media (Houston once had a flourishing local classical service, but it was gutted several years ago and now resides, fully automated, in the wilderness of HD-2). In Maine, one of the nation’s newest classical music services only offers three hours of locally- hosted music on weekday mornings as well as a weekly show called “Maine Stage.” Iowa Public Radio’s classical music service consists of locally-hosted music weekday afternoons and occasional special local programs, but network programming at all other times. There are many other examples that illustrate varying degrees of programming consolidation, but the broader point is that at any given moment, one can hear the same music introduced by the same people at the same times in many different markets across the country. I’ve spent several days pouring over program schedules for all- classical services that belong to larger institutions and schedules for independent, standalone stations that do not offer news or other programming. With some exceptions (Colorado Public Radio, for example, whose classical service is nearly entirely locally programmed, as well as WQXR in New York, WCRB in Boston, KBAQ in Phoenix, and some others), the standalone classical stations are far more committed to local content and local talent than classical music services that are part of larger stations. This phenomenon is mystifying to me. After all, it’s a lot harder to maintain an independent all-classical station these days than it is to maintain a classical service as a subsidiary of a larger organization. As a service of Vermont Public Radio (my former employer), VPR Classical had the advantage of being under the same roof as VPR’s news and information channel. That means that expenses incurred by independent classical stations never had to be worried about, because they’re lumped in with everything else: automation software licenses, studio technology (boards, microphones, and other equipment), transmitter licenses and upkeep costs, management, payroll, and accounting, right down to the mundane costs of electricity, heat, hot water, and snow removal. Yet when I was let go from VPR in 2014, it was over a year before my hours on the schedule (in the important afternoon drive daypart) were replaced by a local human. Let’s compare that situation to that of the station where I got my start in classical radio: KCME in Colorado Springs. KCME is an independent classical station with an annual budget of just over $1 million. From 10 pm to 6 am, it airs network programming, but most of the rest of its schedule is local, even on weekends. Most importantly, it is always local during the highest listening hours of the day, even if that means people have to cover one another’s shifts. It operates several translators in mountain communities west of town, is about to launch a jazz service (by moving one of those translators back into Colorado Springs), and according to its latest Form 990, it has seen its net revenue increase dramatically. It’s a lean, committed operation. And it’s not alone – many of the most successful classical music stations operating today are completely independent. The highest share? According to this article, it’s our friend WDAV in Charlotte. That data is from last summer, though, and while WDAV’s numbers are still some of the strongest in the business, they’ve been overtaken (at least in share) by KQAC in Portland, OR, with numbers in the mid 4% range (almost double what is generally considered to be excellent for the classical format). The most listeners overall? The USC Radio Group, which operates all-classical stations KUSC in Los Angeles and KDFC in San Francisco, and has no other radio content under its umbrella. This isn’t to say that all-classical services that are part of larger organizations are incapable of drawing large audiences, committing to local programming, and being innovators in the industry. There are some that do these things with the help of open-minded and trusting management. It’s just that in many cases, their parent organizations simply don’t want to. Many people I meet who do classical music for organizations that offer other content feel that the classical format is always a secondary or tertiary strategic goal. “I’d like to do x, but it isn’t considered important in the overall direction of the organization” is a common refrain I hear at conferences. You can have the most talented, committed, visionary staff at a classical radio service, but if the higher-ups don’t see the potential value, you’re going to hit a ceiling really quickly. And that’s when you hit the dreaded logic trap: audience numbers aren’t strong, so investing more resources isn’t deemed to be worth it, which perpetuates the existing problem. It’s a trap that will likely lead to the demise of the classical format at some stations unless station management can be convinced that classical music can be a very viable format. If stations with multiple formats can’t be convinced that their all- classical (or even their mixed) formats are worth a full investment (and by that I mean a heavy local announcing presence, as well as dedicated digital and marketing staff), perhaps this presents an opportunity for independent classical stations to create partnerships like WDAV has done and generate revenue for themselves. Texas seems to be an obvious place to do this: KMFA in Austin is a highly innovative and engaged local station that could provide Texas content to stations in San Antonio and Houston, two markets that are starved for local classical music. KMFA’s brand is very Austin-centric, though, so I’m not sure its an angle they want to pursue, but the opportunity is there. Or perhaps non-independent classical stations can pool resources to create regional continuity, like the existing partnership that sees NET-Nebraska’s classical music station in Lincoln offering a midday classical music simulcast to KVNO in Omaha in exchange for Omaha’s overnight music being simulcast in Lincoln. Why wouldn’t the Northern New England states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont try to partner somehow with their classical music offerings, so that listeners in Maine could get semi-local content at times other than weekday mornings, New Hampshire could get some semi-local classical content of ANY kind, and maybe Vermonters could enjoy the occasional broadcast of the Portland Symphony or the summer chamber music in Blue Hill? Teamwork makes the dream work! (ugh – but it’s true) The fact that robust and independent classical stations can thrive in markets of all sizes, even places where you wouldn’t necessarily expect (like Colorado Springs, or Dayton, or the tiny town of Monroe, Connecticut) tells me that station leaders in many places are selling the classical format short. Classical music will never draw the audience numbers enjoyed by many NPR news/talk stations, but that doesn’t mean a fuller investment in classical music services can’t be sustainable for stations if they do it right. And if they don’t, great independent classical stations should try to pick up the slack. About Joe Goetz --- Joe Goetz is Music Director for WFIU 103.7 FM in Bloomington, Indiana, and has eleven years of experience hosting and producing classical music programming for public radio. While completing his B.A. in Music at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO, Joe worked part time as a classical music host at KCME 88.7 FM. Following graduation, he worked as a classical music host and producer at Vermont Public Radio, developing new and engaging programming in addition to programming and hosting a daily afternoon air shift. He is an accomplished pianist with several chamber music performances to his credit, an occasional choir singer, and an avid golfer. He lives with his wife, Meghann, their son William, and cats Ollie and Blanche (via gh, DXLD) ** U S A. NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY REJECTS WFPK BID FOR WNKN - http://radioinsight.com/headlines/117728/northern-kentucky-university-rejects-wfpk-bid-wnkn/ (via Artie Bigley, OH, DXLD) ** URUGUAY. Otra emisora no escuchada nunca en directo que pude captar en su segundo armónico. Se trata de CW151 Radio Ibirapitá, en el balneario fluvial de San Gregorio de Polanco, departamento de Tacuarembó, Uruguay, recibida al caer la noche a eso de las 2155 UT en los 3020 kHz (1510 kHz x 2). (Rodolfo Tizzi, Uruguay, May 1 at 9:45 am, GRA FB via DXLD) ** VANUATU [and non]. Is this Radio Vanuatu? Hello, friends! 26.04.17, 7260 kHz, 1600-1615 UT. YL and OM talks, telephone talk, language tentative vernacular. 1600 - no station ID, Radio Vanuatu? Do they on air after 1600? 2604201724076 DX 7260 kHz - tentative Radio Vanuatu 26.04.17 https://youtu.be/HT8aTKBQC7c 1600-1615 UT - tentative Port Vila. Received in Moscow region 26.04.17 on Degen 1103, built-in whip antenna. Best regards, (Eduard Korsakov, Moskva, Rossiya, April 27, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) YT replies: senderjaeger 1 day ago No doubt it's Vanuatu judging from the lady's accent and the fact that Vanuatu is mentioned. Great catch! Congrats & 73! ed_dx526 1 day ago Thank you very much for the confirmation, that time the signal was the best for last days. I noticed their maximum at 16:00 - 16:15 UTC at my QTH, 73! (via DXLD) Eduard, This is certainly Radio Vanuatu – the programming style is very much Vanuatu as heard here in California in the 0800-0900 time frame on 7260 and the language is Pacific island vernacular (Bislama)…nice recording for this time of day! 73’s cid:image004.png@01c90e75.ee28bee0 (Bruce W. Churchill, 2491 Palo Vista Rd., Fallbrook, CA 92028-9690, Tel: +01 (760) 731-9707, Email: brucechurchill61@gmail.com SWDXer since 1952, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thank you very much for the confirmation. Vanuatu is very rare catch for Europe, I used just Degen 1103 with its built-in whip antenna. 73, (Eduard, ibid.) It's already coming in very nicely into Alberta, well before 0600. For those with access to the Perseus remote system try my Perseus with the antenna switch - ATT position "10db" switches in a 5 el yagi for 40m pointed at Vanuatu. Should be good for other potential Pacific and long Path African targets. 73 (Don VE6JY Moman, AB, April 28, ibid.) EXCELLENTE installation, Don! The ATT 10dB switch option used now at 0945 UT on April 28, gives a S=7-8 signal in Edmonton Alberta, in peaks S=9+5dB signal from Radio Vanuatu in English talk program, armchair listening 0930-1000 UT, on 7259.961 kHz (7259.9605...) and the other lower peak station on 7259.988 kHz, as yesterday April 27 too. 73 wb df5sx (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) [non?] despite > https://www.timeanddate.com/news/time/mongolia-removes-dst-2017.html > The seasonal time change is a controversial issue in Mongolia. > Over the past decades, the country repeatedly changed its DST legislation. Nominal sign-off at 15 UT, but could it be Mongolian radio 2nd program from Ulan Bataar at 1600 UT? - - - Now at 1020 UT noted in various Japanese remote SDR posts, two signals: 7259.989 Mongolian R 2 from UlanBataar Khonkhor ? and 7259.939 kHz signal from Vanuatu ? That range suffer also by wideband N Korean jamming on 7260 to 7290 kHz against KBS KOR 7275 kHz. 73 wb df5sx (Büschel, ibid.) Hi Wolfie - Radio Vanuatu heard here in California (Ron Howard, ibid.) 7259.96, R. Vanuatu, 1303-1353, April 27. 1303-1327: news, along with sports news, in vernacular. My local sunrise was at 1316 UT. 1328: ID "Radio Vanuatu, Voice of Bong Yumi"; in English with RNZI news (President Trump's tax cuts and considering NAFTA; items about Syria, PNG, etc.). 1345: RNZI's "Dateline Pacific" with Johnny Blades, with item about Australia & New Zealand. My audio at http://goo.gl/GSZrnn (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) It certainly sounds like Vanuatu in Bislama to me. Maybe some special prolonged transmission or simply forgot to switch off SW? While your other clip sounds Chinese, probably Xingjiang with summer schedule: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NECDxz5pP7I Mongolia is highly irregular, as mentioned in WRTH National Radio update: http://wrth.com/updates_national.html I get Vanuatu on 7259.96 and Xinjiang 7259.99 kHz and no Mongolia at 1050. Best regards, (Mauno Ritola, ibid.) Doesn't sound Mongolian to me. Much more like Bislama. If I had to, I'd vote for Vanuatu ;-). 73 (Jari Savolainen, Finland, ibid.) Thank you very much for the observation of my video. Yes, the other station was before 1500 UT: 2604201724062 DX 7260 kHz - tentative Mongolian Radio 2 https://youtu.be/NECDxz5pP7I 1435-1500 UT - tentative Ulaanbaatar. Received in Moscow region 26.04.17 on Degen 1103, built-in whip antenna. I marked it as Mongolia, but the language sounds like Chinese indeed. This unID station was stronger, than Vanuatu, and its sign off was at 1500 UT. 73, (Ed Korskov, ibid.) Today Xinjiang signed off after 1200 and actually the summer schedule until 1800 should not apply before some time in May, so maybe another accidental overtime transmission? 73, (Mauno Ritola, April 27, ibid.) Nothing heard here in Europe or Qatar / Delhi SDR's. But tiny string appeared in eastern Thailand in 14-15 UT slot again: 7259.998 kHz. And in various Japanese SDR's noted another addit peak 7259.963 kHz (but that could be a local spurious in Japan either ?) MONGOLIA. 7469.877 RFA Tibetan via UlanBataar Khonkhor relay site noted strong at S=9+25dB level in eastern Thailand at 13.30 UT on Apr 27. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) 7260v: see VANUATU VANUATU. 7259.960, R Vanuatu, Port Vila, nice S=6 signal or -86dBm on remote Edmonton Alberta SDR unit. English/vernacular words 0636 UT on May 1st. Accent of Indian subcontinent? (Wolfgang Büschel, morning log at 0545-0655 UT on May 1st, notes of remote SDR unit at VE6JY's installation in Alberta western Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7259.96, R. Vanuatu, 0604, May 1. In vernacular; clear ID at 0617 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. 7259.962, Vanuatu + 7259.990 Xinjiang, equal signal level in Nagoya. Equal level S=6 or -86dBm at 0953 UT May 3 (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log in remote SDR unit at Nagoya, Japan, on May 3rd at 0930-1045 UT, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN [non]. 7305, May 3 at 0140, only a JBA carrier here, certainly not Greenville-B warming up for 0145 VR relay in Spanish, which often starts as early as 0130. Still no VR by 0147. It remains on the A17 schedule per Aoki. So has VR cut this transmission according to SS Pope`s desires to phase out SW; or just missing now? Radio Martí is on 7365 this hour, and used to produce a leapfrog mixing product with 7305 landing on 7425, where I find another very weak signal, with some talk, so what are these? 7305 has VOA Burmese via Thailand at 0130-0230. 7425 has Iran in Arabic via Zahedan, both per Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7305 Vat relay back when checked May 6 [non non] Upcoming frequency changes of Vatican Radio from May 7 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/05/upcoming-frequency-changes-of-vatican.html 0040-0100 NF 11730 SMG 250 kW / 086 deg Hindi till Sep.2, ex 9515 0040-0100 on 9515 SMG 250 kW / 090 deg Hindi on air from Sep.3 0100-0120 NF 11730 SMG 250 kW / 086 deg Tamil till Sep.2, ex 9515 0100-0120 on 9515 SMG 250 kW / 090 deg Tamil on air from Sep.3 0120-0140 NF 11730 SMG 250 kW / 086 deg Malayalam till Sep.2, ex 9515 0120-0140 on 9515 SMG 250 kW / 090 deg Malayalam on air from Sep.3 -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, B`lgariya, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN [nonish]. A little bit of history: Needing more space for its shortwave radio station than the gardens inside Vatican City afforded, the Holy See acquired a 988-acre stretch of land at Santa Maria di Galeria, 9 miles North of Rome which received extra- territorial status from the Italian Republic in 1952. In short: the land of Santa Maria di Galeria belongs to Italy but, according to an agreement between the two countries, it is placed under Vatican jurisdiction (Antonello Napolitano, Taranto, Italy, April DX Fanzine via DXLD) ** VIETNAM. 6020even, V of Vietnam 4th program from Dac Lac, Buon Ma Thuot site, S=7-8 signal at 0646 UT on noon decreased radiating condition. And usual spurious signal accompanied on 6006.6 and 6033.4 kHz symmetrically. 7210even, V of Vietnam 1st program from Dac Lac, Buon Ma Thuot site, S=9+10dB more than fair signal at 0652 UT. Pop music and talk. And accompanied by two wobble kind spurious from the station site: 7196.145 and 7223.855 kHz, S=4 signal level. V of Vietnam 1st Vietnamese program in 31 mb noted again UNSTABLE wandered frequency from Son Tay site: 9635.854, VOV Vietnamese 10 kHz wideband signal, S=9+10dB at 0720 UT and 960 Hertz heavy whistle interference annoying - with 9634.891 TWN SOH Chinese program, S=5-6 poor at 0723 UT [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, Log of April 27, 0615-0745 UT in local Thailand afternoon time slot, all observation done in/via remote SDR installation in eastern Thailand, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 27, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1876, DXLD) 9635.853, V of Vietnam Vietnamese domestic service, ODD frequency again! S=9+20dB signal strength at 0030 UT on Apr 30 [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, at 2345 UT Apr 29, till 0030 UT Apr 30 on remote SDR unit in eastern Thailand, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM [non]. USA [via WHRI]. 7315. VOV. Abril 27. 0030-0058 UT. Noticias acerca de la preocupación del presidente de Vietnam sobre la protección del medio ambiente; Vicepresidente vietnamita instó por el intercambio de experiencias entre países asiáticos e incluso Inglaterra, metas de las tendencias de inversión de una economía mercantil de Vietnam, promoción de la agricultura ecológica. A las 0039, noticias internacionales como: la coordinación entre la Unión Europea y la ONU, el tratamiento de la temática de la problemática en Yemen, Corea del Sur y Estados Unidos realizan pruebas de fuego, traslado del sistema antimisiles en Corea del Sur. A las 0043 se emite: “Crónica del día” acerca de las políticas públicas sociales en Vietnam. A las 0048 se inicia el programa “Figura Vietnamita” sobre el compositor Doan Nho. SINPO: 55444 (Claudio Galaz, RX: TECSUN PL 660; ANT: Hilo de 40 metros de largo, QTH: Ovalle, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) 7315, VOV. Abril 29. 0130-0158 UT. Noticias sobre la vista de la Presidenta parlamentaria a un distrito, Dirigente parlamentaria sostiene encuentro con electores parlamentarias, Primer ministro visita Filipinas, Ministro de relaciones exteriores mantiene conversaciones con cancilleres del sudeste asiático, discusión sobre los efectos de las bebidas alcohólicas, felicitación a monjes budistas debido a la celebración del Vesak, noticias sobre la postulación a la UNESCO por un vietnamita, entrega de medalla de la amistad al ex embajador argentino, Voz de Vietnam honra a ex trabajadores de la Radio de la Voz de la Liberación, luego informaciones sobre las sanciones de Corea del Sur a Corea del Norte, China realizará un ejercicio militar en contra del THAAD, Rusia advierte la peligrosidad del mundo debido al terrorismo. A las 0147, crónica acerca de la ASEAN, su función e influencia en la región. A las 0152 se emite: “La vida en el campo” con el tema de la aldea de Phu Luu, su diversidad cultural, asimismo de personajes de renombre que han nacido y vivido allí. SINPO: 55444 (Claudio Galaz, RX: TECSUN PL 660; ANT: Hilo de 40 metros de largo, QTH: Ovalle, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) ** VIETNAM [and non]. PHILIPPINES/UNIDENTIFIED. On 23 April 2017 from 1301 UT in vernacular on 9920 covered by Vietnamese type jamming (like police siren). Registered here but are FEBC & KNLS only (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, April 28, via wwdxc BC-DX 29 April via DXLD) re 9920 from FEBC Philippines: 9920 1200-1330 49 IBA 100 270 146 1234567 2603-291017 Multi PHL FEC all these US Evangelical Missionary against HILL Tribe People in Vietnam is heavily jammed by siren jamming of Vietnam's security forces. see Aoki Nagoya Japan list: 9920 FEBC RADIO 1200-1230 1234... Rade 100 270 Iba PHL a17 southern Vietnam: 9920 FEBC RADIO 1200-1230 ....567 Jarai 100 270 Iba PHL a17 Vietnam and Cambodia 9920 FEBC RADIO 1230-1300 1.3.5.7 Hre 100 270 Iba PHL a17 language in Central Vietnam 9920 FEBC RADIO 1230-1300 .2.4.6. Bahnar 100 270 Iba PHL a17 languages in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam: 9920 FEBC RADIO 1300-1330 1234567 Koho 100 270 Iba PHL a17 city of Di Linh - in Lac Duong District, Lam Dong Province araound Da Lat in Vietnam (Wolfgang Büschel, April 28, BC-DX 29 April via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 1559.06, 0827 UT April 30, 2017. Big het, reading approximate but seems to be just a bit north of 1559. Faded before 1100, so presume Eastern Seaboard or north coastal South America. Confirmed in Titusville, FL by David Crawford local mid-eve, too. 1560, UNIDENTIFIED, 0827 UT April 30, 2017. Slow English Christian gospel nonstop, pointing NE. Some KGOW co-channel still present though. 1580, UNIDENTIFIED, 1012-1038 UT April 29, 2017. Today's classic rock and country train wreck is presented below. What's interesting is that the Buffett and Tracy Lawrence tracks are the very same, and at the very same time, as my April 15 log. In fact, Big & Rich which appeared prior is the same artist -- but different song -- as that day. Clearly automation here, and badly programmed. Mostly lost after 1035 to the constant unID sports talker and then WTCL Radio Fe with Spanish Christian vocals. Still points roughly north. 1012 - Big & Rich - Hillbilly Jedi - 1016 possible male station liner 1016 - Jimmy Buffett - Fins 1019 - Tracy Lawrence - Sticks & Stones 1023 - CCR - Fortunate Son 1025 - Fleetwood Mac - Second Hand News 1028 - Billy Squier - The Stroke 1031 - (brief co-channel, someone with Brother Louie by Hot Chocolate) 1032 - Jo Dee Messina - That's the Way 1035 - America - Lonely People. 1580, UNIDENTIFIED, 0909-1101 UT April 30, 2017. Same mystery station as above, with a few song gaps while away from the radio or on fades. 0909 - Sherrie Austin - Little Bird - 0919 Jay & the Americans - This Magic Moment - 0922 Terri Clark - When Boy Meets Girl - 0937 Gary Allan - Nothing On But the Radio - 0944 AC/DC - Shoot To Thrill - 0951 Rascal Flats - Bless the Broken Road - 1013 Bill Withers - Lean On Me - 1101 Collective Soul - Shine. Faded and overtaken by others from 1103. 1580, UNIDENTIFIED, "The Alarm", 0802 UT April 30, 2017. The usual spastic appearance, this time just once with the same 5 X double electric alarm-sounding beeps. CBS Sports co-channel which is WPMO (Terry L. Krueger, Clearwater FL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. U S A. --- AROs: 7185 & 7200 LSB, A$$hole Ham: I was working the MI QSO Party (as a ham) & noted a fire & brim preacher at 0205 till sudden off at 0210. Then found the same broadcast at 7185. It ran on & off till 0215. Back on 7180 kHz at 0216 and later on 7200. Probably some ham playing around, but never noticed them playing preacher before, 4/16 (Don Hosmer, West Branch MI, ICOM IC-7200 with 102' & 51' G5RV dipoles, MARE Tipsheet 28 April via DXLD) Maybe the Yahweh dude is branching out (MARE ed., ibid.) Favorite subband for nastyhams (gh) 7200-LSB, May 3 at 0150, unID ham accuses another of being a hater, a white-separatist, presumably the weaker one he is overriding; and others chime in on one side or another (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 7575.8-USB, April 27 at 0515, 2-way in tonal? Language, or maybe 1-way with pauses; far too close to the BS out of 7570 WRMI (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. On 9, 10 & 20 April at 1830-1930 UT, on 10 April at 0340 UT on approx 7700-7700.1 kHz range, AM, a program in like Arabic or Somali language, but different than Warsan on 7750 kHz. On 7700 kHz for the first [time?] was heard in September 2016. Maybe some intermodulation? (Rumen Pankov, Bulgria, April 28, BC-DX 29 April via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 9260-9270, April 28 at 1350, instead of WINB, multi- carrier tones again hetting each other over this range, peaks about every 0.4 kHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. == Oddities == UNID, 26981.4 and 27380.5 FM, 4-23-17 2055Z. This is a follow-on report to my logging in FRW #1103. The "banjo music" appears to be some kind of FM transmission. Carrier frequencies are around 26981.4 and 27380.5 (maybe others). The location of the station is known and is in the county south of me. It appears to be some type of special transmitter that is designed to disrupt as many AM CB channels as possible. The next time I am down that direction I will see what I hear on the mobile rig. Posting here again since we are moving into sporadic-E season in which 27 MHz skip will become more common. Listen for continuous fast-paced banjo music on CB channels with your radio in AM mode (especially channels 2 and 37) , or try FM on or near the carrier frequencies above (Chris Gay, KY, Free Radio Weekly via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS Véase además ARGENTINA [non] ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACKNOWLEDGED ON WORLD OF RADIO 1876: Hi, Glenn. Thanks for all you do. Here's a token of my appreciation (Mark Coady, Selwyn Ont., with a contribution via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com) TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED FUTURELY: Glenn Hauser, Thank you for continuing to produce World of Radio. I find the program extremely helpful for learning about unique programming, such as Bye, Bye Sitkunai, and Radio Öömrang. Being relatively new to shortwave, I greatly appreciate getting notified, in advance, by your program about broadcasts like these without needing to sift through SW-related message boards. WOR also keeps me very entertained for a half hour every week during my job as a self-driving car test driver. Enclosed is a check ``from a US bank in US funds`` for $[a power of 2]. Please consider it a contribution to World of Radio as well as a token of my appreciation for the show`s ongoing existence. Thanks (Christopher James Gordon, Los Altos CA) Glenn, having gleaned many good DX tips from your podcasts, I am sending you a contribution by check in support. Please continue. Thanks and 73, (Art Peterson, Richmond CA) Thanks also to John Cimisi, Springfield Gardens NY, for a check to PO Box 1684, Enid OK 73702. Hi, Glenn, If you turn your memory banks upside down and shake them you might remember me vaguely from the 1990s when I was writing the “Technobeat” music column for The Beat magazine and we corresponded a few times. Thanks so much, and I appreciate all that you have contributed to the SW and MW hobby over the decades. If anyone is a “legend” in that field, it is you, and apologies if that sounds a little silly. Take care. (Bob Tarte, NEW BOOK: FEATHER BRAINED --- My Bumbling Quest to Become a Birder and Find a Rare Bird On My Own (University of Michigan Press) OTHER BOOKS: Enslaved By Ducks Fowl Weather Kitty Cornered http://www.BobTarte.com DX LISTENING DIGEST) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ DX/SWL/MEDIA PROGRAMS updated April 30: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html WORLD OF RADIO SCHEDULE updated April 30: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html ALAN ROE`S HITLIST UPDATED http://www.w4uvh.net/hitlist.htm Hi Glenn, Attached is my latest Hitlist update. 1) ALBANIA - R Tirana: Added alternative link for live stream (Thanks to Dr Hansjoerg Biener) 2) ARGENTINA - RAE: Updated links 3) CHINA - CRI: Added additional (alternate) link for Live stream 4) GERMANY - HCJB Deutsche: Updated link to access a more current programme schedule 5) GERMANY - ShortwaveService: Updated links for programmes (although sked is not accurate) 6) GERMANY - Added an entry for MBR - Media Broadcast Services 7) INDONESIA - V of Indonesia: Update to live streaming link 8) KOREA, NORTH - V of Korea: Updated link to home page 9) MOROCCO - Medi 1: Update to programme, freq and podcast links 10) NEW ZEALAND - RNZI: Added new link to RNZI live stream 11) RUSSIA - R Rossii: Update to link for "Aerostat" programmes (Thanks to Rafael Martínez ) 12) SYRIA - R Damascus: Updated links to home page and podcasts (Also thanks to Dr Hansjoerg Biener) 13) TAIWAN - PCJ Media: Updated links to new temp webpage 14) USA - R Liberty: Jazz Time is cancelled - update to link to archived programmes (Thanks to Rafael Martínez) Owing to holidays, the next update will be in about 3 weeks time, and then next at the end of June. Best wishes and 73 (Alan Roe, DX LISTENING DIGEST) QSLs or not QSLs? Ian Cattermole, Blenheim NZ, whose mailbox is still busy with incoming veries had this to say: “Having read the item on page 3 April Times re QSLs, I thought I would add my thoughts. First of all a definite NO to league members verifying reports. I can’t see all that much difference between that and automated veries. After all how would league members be able to check for programme content? Say you were the guy checking and I were to send you a report for say Namibia how on earth would you be able to check its content as correct? Further to that I know for a fact of one broadcaster who sends out QSL cards by post for email etc. reports where a girl in the office merely checks frequency and time/language and posts out the QSL card with no check at all of programme content accuracy and I guess there are several like that. As for automated replies, WRMI has been doing this for some time now. In this day and age I really think we must accept this as being OK although obviously not ideal. Let’s face it, QSL’s in any format are just about a thing of the past now and SW generally in its death bed so let’s be thankful for whatever we get by whatever method. As for the old hands not accepting such goings on (guess I am just about one), we must live with the times. Not too long ago some of the ‘old hands’ actually opposed sending email reports etc. and an email verie even fully detailed a no-no. It’s really a case of some old hands jealously guarding their hard earned veries and I can understand that but I repeat we must live with the times. There are my thoughts for what they are worth and I know some won’t agree and that’s OK by me. Wouldn’t life be dull if we all thought alike on all matters?” Theo Donnelly, QSL ed.: Personally, as I remarked to Ian and Stu, my feelings on verifications have never been as dogmatic as with the business of remote listening, simply because in the years when I was reporting and receiving QSL’s, I learned to accept that what came back sometimes didn’t hit all the ‘perfection buttons’: possibly no time or date or frequency or signature. But I could usually match a reply with the appropriate logging, and would carefully mark same to satisfy my standards. I’m sure (as 99% of my collection dates from the early and middle 60’s) some items wouldn’t have passed inspection by a rules’ master somewhere in the deep South Island! My ethics told me what I heard. The occasional collector still expects a full-detail, totally-correct official QSL which these days is too demanding on many stations’ time and money. We have to accept what a broadcasting organisation can spare. But I must admit I agree with Jonathan Wood’s wondering of the usefulness of Channel 292’s apparent automated reply. Why issue an eQSL simply because a communication was received? Possibly a real person reviewed the report within those four minutes, or maybe the email address which generated the reply wasn’t publicised except for reports? As for members doing the verifying, the ODXA’s Harold Sellers handles QSL’s for CKMX/1060 and CFVP/6030 in Calgary, AB. And the IRCA’s Pat Martin in Seaside, OR looks after those duties for KGED/1680 in Fresno, CA. Still, as with hearing stations and how, it all gets back again to the hobby being what an individual wants of it, while at the same time sharing our common interests. Time to buy a new soapbox… the old cardboard apple container just collapsed (May NZ DX Times via DXLD) Book Review --- PORTABLE WIRE ANTENNAS by John W Hill KF7SQQ Some months back, I purchased the latest edition (v2.1, 2015) of John W. Hill's excellent antenna compendium Portable Wire Antennas. And now having had some time over the holiday period to dig into the book, I'm mighty glad I did buy it! There are some really helpful hints for deploying antennas in portable or temporary situations. However, all of the designs presented in this book will work just fine in the home QTH environment as well. Although it is aimed principally at the licensed amateur radio operator, this book should also be read by the average shortwave listener, too! There's plenty here for all radio hobbyists to enjoy! Portable Wire Antennas is described on the Amazon site as: This is not a book on antenna theory. It does provide clear easily understood explanations on the principles of antenna operation, transmission line considerations, impedance matching, baluns, tuners, and the pros and cons of different types and configurations of wire antennas. This book is written with the intention of enabling a newcomer to amateur radio to understand the theory and practical considerations of this subject without getting lost in mathematics and complex theory. Portable, reliable HF communication is required for emergency management, expedition communications and recreational uses. This book is about selecting and constructing portable HF wire antennas that will provide maximum performance with low power, light weight and low bulk. All the information required to assemble antennas and antenna kits that can be deployed in multiple configurations is provided. Special attention is given to wire antennas deployed at low heights above ground, a situation confronted by operators on the move. Special attention is also given to NVIS (Near Vertical Incident Skywave) communications, which is also optimum with low antenna elevation. NVIS propagation enables communications in the 50-500 mile range regardless of terrain and independent of repeaters. With two or three low suspension points (8-20 ft.), one can deploy wire antennas that cover the 160-30 meter bands (those capable of NVIS propagation) with performance optimized for NVIS communication. With a single high suspension point that can be improvised from one or two tall trees, buildings or cliff faces and one of the antenna launch systems described here, one can deploy multiple antenna options that can be configured from the modular antenna kit. These include inverted V resonant or random wire dipoles, long wire antennas, sloper dipoles and inverted L antennas for efficient all-band regional use. It also covers terminated V beam and inverted half rhombic beam antennas optimized for 20-10 meters while being broad band (no tuner required), low noise gain equal to or greater than a high dipole. With two medium to high suspension points (15-80 ft. depending on the band), one can install half square wire antennas that produce high gain low angle radiation that is optimum for DX operation. Dropping one of the wire curtains converts the same antenna into a general coverage multi-band inverted L. With the versatility of the modular antenna components described here, one can quickly assemble, deploy and dis-assemble and roll up high performance wire antennas that are adaptable to nearly any operating environment and communications objective. Over the decades, I've done my fair share of playing around with all sorts of HF and VHF antennas. And I've read quite a number of antenna books during that time. There are so many ways of stringing up a wire for transmission and reception of HF signals! But in recent times I haven't had the need to delve into an antenna book. So I had forgotten about some of the designs presented in this book. I realised that there are still plenty of opportunities for me to experiment with various antennas. Because of my previous experience, I found that Portable Wire Antennas was an easy read - not too heavy on the theory, no maths (yay!!) and well written. However, new ham radio operators and inexperienced shortwave listeners certainly won't feel out of their depth when working through the book. There are plenty of useful diagrams and photos to help explain the designs in their basic forms. Just a few of the antennas discussed include vertical ground plane wire antennas, folded dipoles, an all-band random wire dipole, extended double zep, the OCF dipole, horizontal loops, end fed antennas, beverage receiving antennas, inverted half rhombics, and many more. In addition, plenty of advice is offered on antenna related accessories such as transmission lines, antenna couplers, baluns and other transformers, along with helpful suggestions for deploying your antenna in a portable situation, antenna height, lightening protection and safety considerations. There are even several short chapters on radio wave propagation and propagation modes. There's also a useful bibliography referencing some well-known general antenna books, plus web links to articles, some of which I had not seen before. Parts of the text relating to SWR measurements, dBi figures and such will not be relevant to shortwave listeners who just require an antenna for receiving purposes. And that information can be easily skipped over without problem. Indeed, some of these details might just arouse the curiosity of a possible prospective amateur radio operator of the future! Which is a good thing!! It has to be said that none of these antenna designs are new. What John KF7SQQ has attempted to do is catalogue ways and means of deploying these configurations in temporary locations. So, for those of us who enjoy our hobby out-in-the-field, this book will provide some fresh ideas to consider when undertaking a DXpedition. But, as I indicated at the beginning of this review, all of the designs and ideas can also find a more permanent setup in the radio hobbyist's home QTH. Yes, there are other more detailed and theory- laden books available for those comfortable with higher level maths, graphs, charts, etc. The purpose of Portable Wire Antennas is to introduce many options for consideration when going portable. To that end, the author has done an admirable job of writing a handbook that is easily accessible to many hams and SWLs. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. AVAILABILITY This book is not expensive! Portable Wire Antennas is available in two formats - paperback or Kindle editions. I bought the Kindle version and it worked well in that format. Current prices (as of January 6, 2017) on Amazon.com are $11.99 for the paperback edition and $3.90 for the Kindle edition (Rob Wagner, VK3BVW, May Australian DX News via DXLD) DX-PEDITIONS ++++++++++++ CRAIG BARNES' TP-DXPEDITION TO PRINCEVILLE, KAUAI, HAWAII (PART ONE) Craig Barnes of Wheat Ridge, Colorado is currently enjoying a vacation in the Hawaiian Islands, which will include stays in both Princeville, Kauai and Kona on the Big Island. For DXing purposes he is using a stock Tecsun PL-310 Ultralight model boosted by one of the new 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antennas. This is a new type of compact FSL specifically designed for long distance airline travel, constructed to easily pass through TSA security screening checkpoints while still providing serious inductive coupling gain (roughly similar to that of a 4' air core box loop). Whereas TP-DXing in Colorado might feature weak audio from one or two big gun Asians on a good day, the situation in Kauai is drastically different! Craig has suddenly had a huge amount of strong TP-DX every morning-- in unfamiliar languages on unfamiliar frequencies. At the same time he is doing his best to master operation of his new FSL antenna, which depends on razor-sharp tuning and optimal inductive coupling ranges for its best performance. Overall he is doing a great job in tracking down the TP-DX in his first Hawaii DXpedition, considering the multiple challenges he is suddenly facing all at once. In an effort to assist him I am posting this list of the TP-DX that he has received so far in Princeville, Kauai, together with the links for the many related videos that he has already uploaded to YouTube. 549 China CNR5? Chinese female speech received on April 23rd at fair- good level (with 1 kHz het) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHM2Zr5rw-M 594 JOAK Tokyo, Japan Japanese male speech on April 23rd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpu9Pfe4bSg 603 HLSA Namyang, S. Korea (presumed) Korean-sounding music April 23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP9qXtW8Z50 Korean speech on April 23rd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMtJTDlN6C0 657 Pyongyang BS Pyongyang, N. Korea (presumed) Typical music April 23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gqomMDgMkM 693 JOAB Tokyo, Japan Strong (S9) recording of 1600 TOH on April 25th https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIvrt7wZdLA Strong (S9) recording of ID and sign off (NHK2 music box) on April 25 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifkMafDYFEY Bizarre Portuguese transmission on April 23rd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHQ9Trh7wSI [? Portuguese is not bizarre; a lot of Japanese emigrated to Brasil, and perhaps now some vice versa --- gh] 711 HLKA Seoul, S. Korea (presumed) Strong Korean-sounding music Apr25 https://youtu.be/L3JUkr0_Is0 765 China CNR5? Strong Chinese speech received on April 24th https://youtu.be/i1tmWDUwkeY 783 China Voice of Strait? Strong (near S9) Chinese male speech Apr 23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI-3LZ_dwFg Craig Barnes (of Wheat Ridge, Colorado) DXing in a Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii Condo, Stock Tecsun PL-310 Ultralight + 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna (via Gary DeBock, IRCA via DXLD) 549, is a straits-area dialect (Fujian, Guangdong area). Very likely CNR-5. 603, Neither of these is KBS Happy FM in Hwaseong (Korea). There is a lot of noise, so I can only say that much. You're dealing with a Chinese station here. Likely CRI in Hainan, but could also be RTI. I'm unsure if RTI is still on the air on 603. Their other station at this site was knocked off permanently from typhoon damage. But absolutely NOT Hwaseong. [No RTI on 603 kHz; they moved from 603 to 612 kHz and then closed it. 73, Mauno Ritola] 657, Yes, this is Pyongyang. 693, This is Portuguese and it's Brazilian Portuguese. My cousin in Brazil confirmed this fact, but no more specific than that. 711, Your recorded song is in English, so this is KBS 1R Seoul in Siheung as you presumed. 765, CNR-5 news jingle (if you could call it that) is heard 783, Yes, same. Taiwanese dialect. (Chris Kadlec, Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide http://www.beaglebass.com/dx/seoul/ IRCA via DXLD) Thanks for your comments, Chris. Craig has recorded about 40 videos (on his iPhone) of TP-DX that he has received in Kauai, almost all of which is completely unfamiliar to him (he is a DXer from Colorado, where big guns like 774-JOUB and 1566-HLAZ might show up with weak audio on a good day). As time allows, I'm attempting to help him sort out all the unfamiliar languages and stations, as well as give him tips on using the new "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna. The challenge at this point is to organize all the information into a format which will be useful to the other TP-DXpeditioners. Craig probably was hoping to receive a lot of TP-DX during his Hawaii vacation, but in this case it seems to remind one of the admonition "Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it." But I'm sure that he will catch on. <<< 693 This is Portuguese and it's Brazilian Portuguese. My cousin in Brazil confirmed this fact, but no more specific than that. >>> Yes, that 693 video has already been run by European language experts in the Yahoo Real DX group, who have not only confirmed that the language is Brazilian Portuguese, but that the source was the all-too- common NHK2 (Japanese) big gun station JOAB in Tokyo. What better way to clutter up a high priority DX frequency? Gary (IRCA via DXLD) CRAIG BARNES' TP-DXPEDITION TO PRINCEVILLE, KAUAI, HAWAII (PART TWO) As reported previously, Craig Barnes of Wheat Ridge, Colorado is currently on a Hawaii vacation to Kauai and the Big Island. He took along a new 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna, and has used it to receive multiple Asian and Pacific island stations with his stock Tecsun PL-310 Ultralight. The quantity and strength of the TP-DX that he received in Kauai was a little overwhelming for Craig, so I'm attempting to post his DXing results. This is the second part of his Kauai TP-DX loggings. The links are for reception videos taken with his iPhone. 558 JOCR (Kobe, Japan) and HLQH (Daegu, S. Korea) apparently the two in a mix on April 26th https://youtu.be/_hU6JW1J-x8 747 JOIB Sapporo, Japan Male and female Japanese speech on April 24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl-cxL8EqM0 774 JOUB Akita, Japan English lesson at good level on April 24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C12uR17KbUo 819 KCBS Pyongyang, N. Korea Presumed the one (its typical music) on April 26th https://youtu.be/FGtFuXtL6_Q 837 China CNR5? Chinese speech at a fair level on April 26th https://youtu.be/ZsSl9D0ur_M 918 China Shandong Modest level Chinese speech on April 25th https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoTgKe1IGRk 936 China Anhui? Apparent Chinese speech at a weak level on April 23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tX3oxExqDo 1008 China CNR1? Good level Chinese speech on 4-23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKJzStoiJIA Craig Barnes (DXing in Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii) Stock Tecsun PL-310 and 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna (via Gary DeBock, IRCA via DXLD) Just throwing in my two cents to mostly confirm your (Craig's) presumed stations: 558, I agree. I hear Pohang in there as far as the non-Japanese signal goes. 819, I hereby confirm your presumed signal as my old local Pyongyang. :) Couldn't be more obvious. 837, Because you don't have an actual audio input and a lot of that sound is lost between the radio and your phone, it's hard to confirm this as much. Though you are likely correct on your assumption. Mandarin nonetheless. 918, I don't know what exactly is what here, but I recognize that voice from my old local (as mentioned, Shandong People's Radio). This used to be one of my regulars on FM which I often listened to, not as much on AM due to a bazillion echoes. And it sounds like it's echoing in your recording as well. 936, Yep, probably Anhui Comprehensive Radio. And some other clips I spy on YouTube from this session now that I have a laptop to listen on: 1170, HLSR Kauai 4/23: Yep, sounds like KBS Hanminjok 2R with their Japanese programming, which runs 1100-1300 UT. My old daytime local. 1314, presumed JOUF 4/25: this is indeed Radio Osaka OBC, 50 kW playing Sexy Zone "Rock Tha Town" (despite the English title, it's a Japanese song and group). (-Chris Kadlec, Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide http://www.beaglebass.com/dx/seoul May 2, ibid.) Chris, Thanks very much for providing your own assessment on Craig's Kauai TP-DXing videos. <<< 837 Because you don't have an actual audio input and a lot of that sound is lost between the radio and your phone, it's hard to confirm this as much. Though you are likely correct on your assumption. Mandarin nonetheless. >>> Sooner or later I'll probably need to convince Craig that much (if not most) of the TP-DX signal strength of these different Asian stations is being lost by the recording format of using an iPhone to shoot a video. The S/N readouts on the PL-310 indicate quite a bit more Asian signal quality than what is showing up in the videos. On the other hand Craig is doing his best to record a torrent of Asian DX in his first major DXpedition, most of which is in unfamiliar languages and on unfamiliar frequencies for him. He is certainly doing his best with the limited gear that he brought along for the trip, and will certainly become a more skillful DXpeditioner as he gets more experience in various travel opportunities (Gary DeBock, ibid.) CRAIG BARNES' TP-DXPEDITION TO PRINCEVILLE, KAUAI, HAWAII (PART THREE) This is the third installment of the TP-DX loggings made by Craig in Princeville, Kauai, during which he (a Colorado DXer) was a little overwhelmed by powerful Asian signals all across the band on his Tecsun PL-310 and 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna. Most of these stations and languages were totally unfamiliar to Craig, so I'm attempting to assist him as best I can. These signals were recorded on iPhone videos, many of which have already been posted to YouTube (but several new ones were just posted tonight). Thanks also to Chris Kadlec for his own assessment of these signals (some of which will be repeated below). Other Loggings: 1089 China Pretty strong Chinese, maybe from CNR6? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rysa6SVTZaI 1089 TP-Mix a Chinese station mixes with the tail end of an NHK2 English lesson program (presumed JOHB) https://youtu.be/IdMJQ67mqnI 1134 KBS (HLKC) Hwaseong, S. Korea Presumed the one with male Korean speech (with weak UnID underneath) https://youtu.be/lQho97rAXRA 1143 Chinese Pretty strong Chinese signal; BEL3 in Taiwan is the usual suspect here, but no ID clues that I can dig out https://youtu.be/cpkPF9oaGdM 1188 UnID Either Japanese or Korean, but just not enough audio to be sure which one. Maybe Chris can dig it out? https://youtu.be/CCSGnDLOIbM 1242 JOLF Tokyo, Japan (Presumed) Pretty strong music believed to be from the Tokyo station, the usual suspect on this frequency https://youtu.be/mbVpIsEiYrA Craig Barnes (DXing in Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii) Stock Tecsun PL-310 Ultralight + 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna (via Gary DeBock, May 4, IRCA via DXLD) FIRST EARLY MORNING KONA DX SESSION Good Morning, My first impressions of sunrise DX at my current Kona location bring Mark Connelly's observations to mind. While I currently have an unobstructed view of the ocean, I am about 3 miles inland "up the hill". Mark commented that even a short distance inland reduces the DX significantly. In Kauai, I had the good fortune of being sited in a condo on a bluff approximately 50 ft above the ocean. DX was jumping off the dial at Kauai, reminiscent of a fabulous Grayland session I had the pleasure of attending in 2006. Sunrise DX at Kauai cane in so hot and heavy that keeping up with it was a glorious challenge. It seemed like there were signals on one out of three frequencies. As opposed to TP DXing in Colorado, where the slightest of hets are pursued with the hope of snipets of audio, I hardly noted any hets in Kauai due to the plethora of Asian audible DX to be had. Here on Kona, I found my first morning session here in Kona resulting in more subdued DX, with a handful of DU stations at reduced, most at barely audible levels. I need to review the videos, but I believe I received one Kiwi, as well as a few Aussie stations. Spot checks revealed no Asian stations present when orienting the FSL in that direction this morning. Listening around 1000 UT the other night at my Kona location, I received a weak 2AP in Samoa on 540, what I believe was R. Tuvalu on 621, a probable 4QR on 612, and V7AB R. Marshalls on 1098. I tried for these stations in Kauai to no avail. Here in Kona, I will certainly return to the dials again during both time periods as I will be on Kona for another week. Many thanks to Gary for the tips AND the marvelous "airport friendly" FSL. More to come. 73 (Craig Barnes DXing from Up the Hill in Kona, HI, Tecsun PL-310, DeBock 5" FSL, Sent from my iPhone, 1512 UT May 2, IRCA via DXLD) APRIL 2017 KONA, HAWAII DXPEDITION ARTICLE For those interested in exotic Pacific island DX or in the latest "airport-friendly" FSL antenna designs, a 7-page article describing the first long-range test of the new 5 inch (127mm) "Frequent Flyer" FSL model has been posted at http://www.mediafire.com/file/d793vhcvsi5v01r/April_2017_Kona.docx Detailing a four day DXpedition conducted in a 6th floor oceanfront room in Kona, Hawaii, the article describes the design challenge of making "airport-friendly" FSL models, the three new classes of "Frequent Flyer" FSL antennas and the first model's performance in tracking down exotic Pacific island DX at S9 levels. Included are 37 transoceanic DX MP3 links, including the full sign-off routines of 621-Tuvalu and 1440-Kiribati, as well as multiple recordings of 540- Samoa, 1017-Tonga and 1098-Marshalls. Thanks to Colin Newell of Victoria, B.C. for introducing this DXing paradise! 73 and Good DX, (Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA), IRCA via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ NASB 2017 ANNUAL MEETING http://www.shortwave.org/index.php/annual-meeting-info/ Meeting Dates: Wednesday, May 17-Saturday, May 20, 2017 Meeting Location: KVOH/KWSV studios at Simi Valley Town Center in Simi Valley, California Conference Host: KVOH, Voice of Hope, Strategic Communication Ministries Costs for Attendees: There is no cost to attend the meeting itself, and the meals indicated in the agenda will be provided free of charge. Attendees must pay their own travel and accommodation expenses. HOTEL INFORMATION Meeting Hotel: The Grand Vista Hotel in Simi Valley, California. The hotel is just under one mile from Simi Valley Town Center (a five- minute drive or 15-minute walk). Transportation will be provided between the hotel and Simi Valley Town Center. Hotel Address: Grand Vista Hotel, 999 Enchanted Way, Simi Valley, California 93065 Hotel Website: http://www.grandvistasimi.com Hotel Room Rate: $89.00 per night, including breakfast, a nightly complimentary cocktail, and complimentary wi-fi. Local room tax is 12% extra. Hotel Reservation Deadline Date: April 26, 2017. Reservations made after this date are subject to availability of rooms and at the current room rate. Hotel Cancellation Policy: Rooms may be cancelled without penalty up until 6pm on the day of arrival. Hotel Check-in Time: 3:00 pm. Early check-in on Wednesday may be possible (before 3:00 pm), but it is not guaranteed. Hotel Check-out Time: 12:00 pm Hotel Reservation Procedure: Attendees should make their hotel reservations directly with the Grand Vista Hotel. Reservations may be made either online through the hotel website http://www.grandvistasimi.com or by phone. By phone, just asking for the NASB rate should be sufficient, but online, you will have to enter our "Group Code," which is 2075. The hotel reservation phone number: (800) 455-7464 / (805) 583-2000. Grand Vista Simi room.png Meeting Registration Form: At the time you make your hotel reservation, please also fill out the following Meeting Registration Form: http://apps.wrmi.net/webform/?event=form.show&formId=10009&key=F0BC4DC203 Transportation from/to the airport: If you do not have a rental car, please provide your flight arrival/departure information on the meeting registration form, and the organizers will arrange for shuttle drivers to be there to pick you up. TENTATIVE MEETING AGENDA: Wednesday, May 17 Morning - Most flights to the West Coast arrive in the morning. Shuttle transportation to the Grand Vista Hotel will be provided from Burbank Airport (35 miles) and from Los Angeles International Airport/LAX (45 miles). 1:00-2:00 pm - Lunch and tour of KVOH/KWSV studios 2:00-5:00 pm - Conference Sessions (including an afternoon break). Topics will include shortwave station construction projects in various parts of the world. Also an update on DRM developments from DRM North America’s Christopher Rumbaugh, including a new Powerpoint presentation from the DRM Consortium and some literature and giveaways. George Ross will also update us on TWR’s DRM transmissions and he will have a prototype of the Titus II DRM receiver to demonstrate. Evening - Dinner in a local restaurant Thursday, May 18 8:00-9:00 am - NASB Business and Board Meetings 9:00-10:45 am - Conference Sessions. Topics will include: shortwave listener clubs and meetings 10:45-11:00 am - Coffee Break 11:00 am-2:00 pm - Tour to KVOH transmitter site (morning broadcast to Latin America ends at 12:00 noon). Lunch will be at a local restaurant. 2:00-3:30 pm - Conference Sessions. Topics will include: FCC regulations regarding shortwave stations in the United States 3:30-3:45 pm - Afternoon Coffee Break 3:45-5:00 pm - Conference Sessions and Closing. Topics will include recent HFCC conferences in Miami and Jordan Evening - Possible local event Friday, May 19 9:00 am-4:00 pm - Visit to Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, including lunch. The library is 5 miles/15 minutes by car from the hotel. Transportation will be provided, but attendees must pay the entrance fee ($16.00) and for their lunch. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Website: https://www.reaganfoundation.org/library-museum/ Evening - Dinner at a local restaurant Saturday, May 20 Early Morning - Transfers to airports for flights home (via DXLD) Altho above info does not say so, previous NASB meetings have been open to individual SWL guests (except maybe not the business & board meeting?) Before committing, better check with Jeff White. NASB website lists the following as current Members, only a fraxion of the existing US SW stations: KSDA/AWR, WEWN/EWTN, WRMI, KVOH, KTWR, KNLS, WWCR Associate Members: Broadcast Belgium, Continental Electronics, KFBS/FEBC, Galcom International, George Jacobs & Associates, Hatfield & Dawson Consulting Engineers; International Broadcasting Bureau, Rohn Products, TCI International, TDF Division Radio (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 2017 IRCA/NRC/DecalcoMania CONVENTION IRCA will be hosting the 2017 IRCA/NRC/DecalcoMania Convention held Thursday August 17-Saturday August 19 (checking out on Sunday) at the Best Western Airport Plaza hotel, 1981 Terminal Way, Reno NV 89502. For reservations use phone number 775-348-6371 and request International Radio Club of America rate of $100 per night plus tax. Major credit cards accepted. (Attendees are encouraged to double up, share a room and save). Airlines serving Reno include Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United, and Volaris. Amtrak passenger train service is available as well. Registration fee (not including banquet) is $25 payable to Mike Sanburn, PO Box 1256, Bellflower CA 90707-1256. Or, by PayPal (add $1 to cover fee) mikesanburn@hotmail.com Include contact info and club affiliation(s) if any. Information on activities, banquet, and station tours will be announced shortly. Visitor’s information can be found online at http://www.visitrenotahoe.com This year’s IRCA/NRC/DecalcoMania convention in Reno will be an excellent chance to re-connect with old friends and to share DX stories. Speaking of sharing, we issue our annual call to action for those who wish to present a talk or paper during the convention. As you know, this can be as formal or informal as you want. To make it easier, we can provide you with audio-visual support, including slide- preparation and display. If you’re interested in sharing your experiences; or if you want to present questions for discussion that might lead to a better understanding of a particular aspect of your own DXing, please contact Mark Durenberger at Mark4@durenberger.com (IRCA DX Monitor May 6 via DXLD) 2017 WINTER SWL FEST: SELECTED FORUM RECORDINGS At the 30th annual Winter SWL Fest, representatives from the Wave Farm recorded a number of Fest forums and events. Many thanks to David Goren who recently shared a link to these recordings on the Wave Farm’s website. https://wavefarm.org/ta/calendar/zb6vk1 For convenience, here is a list of the recordings below which link directly to the Wavefarm archive: Enjoy! “Turn Your Radio On” performed live at the 2017 Shortwave Shindig: Mar 4, 2017 Performed by Saul Brody Pirate Radio in Continental Europe – A Personal View: Mar 4, 2017 Presented by Andy Walker Shortwave Shindig Part I: Mar 4, 2017 Hosted by David Goren Pirate Radio Year in Review?: Mar 3, 2017 Presented by George Zeller Farewell to the BBG: What’s Ahead for U.S. International Media and the VOA?? : Mar 3, 2017 Presented by Dan Robinson Radio 101 Part II: Mar 2, 2017 Presented by Charles Hargove Radio 101 — The Past, Present and Future of Radio for Newbies and Significant Others of Radio Geeks: Mar 2, 2017 Presented by Charles Hargrove Radio on the Road: Mar 2, 2017 Presented by Janice Laws + Steve Karlock SDR on the Cheap: Mar 2, 2017 Presented by Dan Srebnick SWL Winter Fest memories: Mar 2, 2017 (May CIDX Messenger via DXLD) WORLD OF HOROLOGY +++++++++++++++++ INTERNATIONAL NON-MARCONI DAY Don`t wish to start WW3, but regarding Marconi day special event stations on the hambands, did not Popov invent the wireless before Marconi. That's what I was taught at school (Jon Collins, Birmingham UK, Tecsun PL-660, April 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) MAY 7 IN RUSSIA - RADIO DAY Radio Day is a celebration of employees of all communication branches May 7 (April 25 old style), 1895 Russian physicist Alexander Popov demonstrated a communication session. For the first time this date was solemnly celebrated in the USSR in 1925, and since 1945 the festival is celebrated annually (RusDX via DXLD) OUR NZ TIME SIGNALS The pips we currently hear on RNZ National are an analogue feed of pulses sent from the atomic clock at the Callaghan Institute in Gracefield, Lower Hutt. Plans are underway for the analogue feed to be replaced by RNZ using the Measurement Standards Lab’s (MSL) network time signal via RNZ servers being synchronised with the MSL network time (Arthur DeMaine, May NZ DX Times via DXLD) RADIO PHILATELY +++++++++++++++ RADIO STAMPS AUCTION CATALOGUE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE DISTRIBUTION To radio and philatelic contacts close to home, across the continent, and around the world. Good evening friends from the Mississippi Valley of eastern Ontario, Canada. Spring has arrived, the leaf buds are opening, and our neighbourhood is busy from sunrise to sunset with all the birds that have returned from winter lands. My radio stamp collections have been presented in the Sale 24 catalogue as 5 lots by Sparks Auctions of Ottawa, Canada. Catalogue details are available at these links. https://stampauctionnetwork.com/IK/ik2437.cfm#128 lot 846 https://stampauctionnetwork.com/IK/ik2461.cfm#160 1466 1467 1468 1469 The auction is confirmed for May 23 + 24. Details are available at this link. https://stampauctionnetwork.com/IK/IK24.cfm My contact at Sparks Auctions is Brian Wolfenden. 613-567-3336, 844- 252-2032 toll free,