DX LISTENING DIGEST 7-067, June 5, 2007 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 2007 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1362: ** tentative Wed 2200 WBCQ 7415 Wed 2300 WBCQ 18910-CLSB or 17495-CLSB Thu 1430 WRMI 7385 Thu 1500 KAIJ 9480 Fri 0630 WRMI 9955** Fri 1030 KAIJ 5755 Fri 1100 WRMI 9955** Fri 2030 WWCR1 15825 Sat 1630 WWCR3 12160 [irregular] Sat 2130 WRMI 9955 Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1500 WRMI 7385 Mon 0300 WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 [time varies] Mon 0530 WRMI 9955** Mon 0930 WRMI 9955** Tue 1030 WRMI 9955** Wed 0730 WRMI 9955** WORLD OF RADIO, CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL SCHEDULE: Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL] http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org ** AGALEGA ISLANDS. 3B6, AGALEGA ISLANDS (DXpedition Update). Team leader, Witek, SP9MRO, sent out a press release a day before leaving (June 1st) for Agalega Island. He indicated that the 3B6SP group had finished loading the equipment to the catamaran, and that they would be leaving in the morning. The group would be passing St. Brandon Island, which is very close to the catamaran route and only one day sailing from Mauritius. He expects a 4-5 day trip to Agalega because of high level of the ocean and activity from the volcano on Reunion Island. The team will try to work on the air during their trip under homecall/mm on all bands. If everything goes as planned, they will start radio activity from Agalega on Thursday, June 6th. Their suggested frequencies are: CW - 1821.5, 3521, 7021, 10121, 14021, 18081, 21021, 24901 and 28021 SSB - 1845, 3780, 7063, 14185, 18136, 21290, 24930 and 28490 RTTY - 3590, 7040, 10140, 14084, 18104, 21084, 24924 and 28084 PSK - 7038, 10142, 18102, 21072, 24922 and 28122 (KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80, June 3 via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) ** ALGERIA [non]. Re: Rdf TV Algerienne, 7265 at 0415 in Arabic with Qur'an. Good via Skelton. // 9540 via Woofferton fair, QRM. 28 May (Liz Cameron, Metro Detroit, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Frequency should be 7260 (Cameron, ibid.) ** ANGUILLA [and non]. Rev. Melissa preaching on 11775.01 at 2012 with good signal. I haven't noted it off frequency before. 4 June. 73/Liz (Liz Cameron, Metro Detroit, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) But while WWCR 13845 and Anguilla 11775 were going, non of the Cahuita transmitters were on the air at 2200, not even a carrier of daytimers 9725 / 11870 / 13750. 73, (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, June 4, ibid.) ** ANTARCTICA. Article about LRA-36 with 4 illustrations of the building and staff; page to the bottom of: http://federachi.multiply.com/journal/item/11 (via José Miguel Romero, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. The CBN broadcast did not go ahead --- well, none of us heard it; however a note in the letterbox suggests Saturday 23rd June again a time to be determined, and whoever is organising this little shindig knows my address. (Well I make my address known, on the internet, and in these pages, for club purposes), I have no doubt that a note will be lodged in my letterbox, as to times. I can advise people by a quick call before the broadcast; if you advise me that you want to hear this broadcast in advance, let me know. The note says 7345 kHz. The 30 minute broadcast will be anywhere from 0300 to around 1200 UT. A QSL will be available from “The Manager”, 1/25 Ossary Street, Mascot NSW 2020, Australia. I assume the same location as Central Australia (Johno Wright, June Australia DX News via DXLD) Previously given as 7355 kHz, but I forget the date (gh, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. VKD963, Yolmu [sic] Radio, 5050, Aboriginal Resource and Development Services, via Humpty Doo, date and frequency letter with station brochure and goodies in 71 days from Dale Chesson, Radio Service Manager (Jim Pogue, TN, QSL Report, June NASWA Journal via DXLD) It`s Yolngu, per http://www.ards.com.au/default.html but graphics use the combined ng symbol, n with a tail, causing such confusion. If there is any mention of the callsign on the site, I haven`t found it. It does appear in the WRTH 2007, and according to search, has never been published in DXLD before (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BHUTAN. New 6035, *0000v-0045 fade out, 26-05 & 03-06 Bhutan Broadcasting Service, Thimpu, Dzongkha talk after test tones, Horn fanfare and Buddhist Monks singing, 35333, AP-DNK (Anker Petersen, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 4885, R. Clube do Pará, Belém. ID 2103 19/5, fair with Portuguese discourse; can't recall ever hearing this one in our morning before - in fact the last time I heard Portuguese here at this time was in the late 70s, when an Angolan regional was active! 4985, R. Brasil Central, Goiânia. Weak 2038 19/5 but definitely there, Portuguese talks, song, // 11815 also heard. Morning Brazilians, particularly on 60m, are the jewel in the crown for Australian DXers, at least in my view (Craig Seager, Cataract Dam DX-pedition, near Appin, NSW, June Australia DX News via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. A R. Itatiáia volta a transmitir em 5970 kHz depois de algum tempo inativo. Sds. (Jaime por bh. Soares, June 5, radioescutas yg via DXLD) In case you are wondering how this is pronounced, ee-tuh- chee-AH-yah (gh, DXLD) ** CAMBODIA. US-SUPPORTED VOICE OF DEMOCRACY BROADCASTS CUT BACK http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2007/06/popular-voice-of-democracy-broadcast.html Tuesday, June 05, 2007 Popular Voice of Democracy broadcast dealt with a severe blow after Kem Sokha's departure --- Reduced hours for Voice of Democracy broadcast Monday, June 04, 2007 Everyday.com.kh Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy Voice of Democracy (VOD), which is financially supported by USAID, had reduced its number of broadcast hours on FM105 radio station, and cancelled its broadcast on FM93.5 station. The Cambodia Daily quoted Pa Nguon Tieng, the current VOD president, saying that VOD reduced its number of broadcast hours on Beehive FM105 radio station, from 5 hours to 2 hours daily, and VOD has cancelled its broadcast through FM93.5 radio station staring 01 June. Pa Nguon Tieng said that VOD, which receives its funding from USAID, will see its funding dried up by 30 September, and VOD has not yet decided whether it will continue its broadcast or not. Pa Nguon Tieng said that he will contact other foreign aid organizations if USAID will stop VOD’s funding. VOD is a popular radio program because of its forthright broadcast of human rights issues and its coverage of democracy-related topics (KI Media blog via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. Dear OM, I can receive 24 hrs type SOH-Firedrake on newly 7300 kHz at morning of June 4 local time (i.e. 1900 UT on June 3). I cannot receive 14620 kHz; this seems to be QSY. Now receive 24 h type SOH-Firedrake on 7300, 9200, 10300, 13970 and 18180 kHz. And at 0900 to 1100 UT from mid May can receive SOH-Firedrake on 9540 and 11760 (Sat., Sun. only) too. de. S. Aoki (S. Hasegawa, NDXC, WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DX LISTENING DIGEST) What about 14-16 M-F via KWHR 9930, when SOH is also scheduled? (gh, DXLD) Dear OM, At 09-11 UT on 9540 and 11760 kHz via Taiwan, Addition schedule (S. Hasegawa, Japan, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. 5811, Marfil Estéreo, Spanish music, ID 0732 19/5. Heard ID…..”Estéreo”….poor level (John Wright, Peakhurst NSW (Icom R75 with 50 metres of copper bare wire, at 120 degrees. Cataract Dam Scout Camp Park camp 5, June Australia DX News via DXLD) That`s the mixing product, 6010v leapfrogging over 5910v (gh) 5910, La Voz tu Conciencia, Pto. Lleras. Woman singing, religious? Sing song ID "Con - cien - ci - a" at 0940 18/5 (David Stevens, Cataract Dam DX-pedition, near Appin, NSW, June Australian DX News via DXLD) That`s the frequency normally used for Marfil Estéreo instead (gh) Hola Glenn, Marfil Estéreo emite música como la reporta el colega Manuel Méndez en España; LV de Tu Conciencia sí emite música Góspel. Están con programación separada (Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, Junio 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hola Glenn, respecto a la programación de Marfil Estereo, por la experiencia que tengo yo escuchando esta esmisora, no es siempre religiosa, pues a veces ponen bonitos programas de música latinoamerica, como rancheras mexicanas, canciones románticas colombianas, llaneras, etc. Muchas veces se da el caso de que están poniendo este tipo de música y de repente cambian para canciones religiosas y luego siguen con los mismos comentarios religiosos que suelen poner en La Voz de tu Conciencia, incluso normalmente es la misma voz, que ya es sumamente familiar y que tal vez sea la de su directo el Sr. Stendall. En Marfil Estereo también ponen, a veces, publicidad, cosa que no escuché en La Voz de tu Conciencia. Cordiales saludos desde España (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5910.4, COLOMBIA. Marfil Estereo, 0412-0501*, 5/28/07. Program of Latin vocals hosted by a man announcer with Spanish talk and IDs over instrumental music after every two or three songs. Off suddenly in mid-song. Fair signal but splatter from Deutsche Welle in Russian on 5910 kHz. 6035, COLOMBIA. La Voz del Guaviare, 0010-0033, 5/29/07. News and features program with man announcer in studio talking to another man by phone line in Spanish. Various remote reports, IDs, ad string with "5+1" time pips at 0030. Poor signal but in the clear in usb (Rich D'Angelo, PA, NASWA Flashsheet June 3 via DXLD) ** CUBA. Re 7-066: Respuesta de Yandys en Cuba sobre la negativa a la entrada de receptores. Amigo, aquí le envío este mensaje para la lista. Un fuerte abrazo. Yandys: ...................................................................... Saludos listeros desde Cuba, Acabo de leer en la lista que mi Gobierno no permitió la entrada de los 500 radios como premio al Concurso de Radio Nederland y RCI; es una pena y lamento que cosas como esas estén pasando aún. Ya lo dije en una ocasión en la lista, somos los diexistas cubanos los que sufrimos las consecuencias de las emisiones del gobierno norteamericano hacia territorio cubano. Conozco a algunos jóvenes cubanos que me contactaron vía email para preguntarme si yo sabía cuando llegaban los receptores. Solo quiero que sepan que yo particularmente siento mucha pena aunque ya estamos un poco que acostumbrados a estas cosas y los cubanos no participamos en concursos por premios sino por el placer que brinda el diexismo aunque tengamos que seguir haciéndolo con aparatos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Gracias a todos por el apoyo. Atentamente, Ing. Yandys Cervantes Rodríguez, WebMaster, Sede Universitaria Municipal, Buey Arriba, Granma. Ycervantesr @ sbueyarriba.udg.co.cu (via José Miguel Romero2, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Instead of blaming his own government, which would surely get him in trouble in that land of repression, he blames the US broadcasts to Cuba for the Cuban government`s blockade against these ordinary SW receivers capable of picking up any SW station, not just the US stations, which anyway are jammed heavily. But what does he really think? Even tho he is a webmaster, he is not allowed to participate in group lists, but can e-mail some individuals with a message such as this for posting. And how can Arnie Coro go on and on about how wonderful SWLing and DXing are, and even talk about antennas and equipment to accomplish that? Disinformation, to give the impression that SWLing is OK in Cuba like anywhere else (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saludos Oscar & Jose Elias: Entre otras cosas, produce mucha tristeza que el gobierno cubano prohibiera la entrada de los receptores, inadecuada forma para echar por la borda las ilusiones de los oyentes luego de haberse esforzado en su participación en dicho concurso. (Dino Bloise, FL, condig list via DXLD) ESTIMADO AMIGO DINO: Eso era de antemano conocido, a pesar de que en la Revista "En Sintonía" de RNW abordaron el tema con mucho cuidado y quisieron enviar el mensaje subliminal del "bloqueo" indicando que los cubanos se ven privados de esta posibilidad por razones económicas o por las condiciones a la que está sometida la Isla en el ámbito internacional. De nada sirvió; sencillamente el gobierno de Cuba no quiere que los cubanos tengan receptores de onda corta. Cuanto me apena, por mis compatriotas. Cordiales 73 (Oscar de Céspedes, FL, ibid.) Totalmente de acuerdo, que pena e injusticia. Escuché Cartas a RN anoche (por otra parte que dificil se hace escuchar ahora a RNW... la propagación y su elección de frecuencias no es muy favorable para mi al menos en el sur de America) y los receptores que usan algunos de los entrevistados, escuchas de la OC cubanos para estos programas especiales en ocasión del 60 aniversario, eran antiguos, por lo menos de treinta años atrás. Para el proximo martes anunciaron un programa especial dedicado a los oyentes cubanos (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, ibid.) ** CUBA. En Conexion Digital Nro. 422 reportan el esquema de Radio Habana Cuba en español de 0000-0500 5965 (333), 6140 (333), 9600 (444), 11705 (444), 11760 (433), 11875 (444), ...pero también los escuché (junio 4) a las 0240 hasta pasada las 0300 UT en 6060 (con SIO de 333 talvez 0100-0500??) y 9550 (con SIO de 433, de 0200-0500???) (Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sked must have been based on info from RHC website, notoriously unreliable for accurate schedules of its own transmissions (gh, DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. See VENEZUELA [and non] ** ECUADOR. New schedule of HCJB Global in DRM effective June 1: 0500-0600 on 9815 QUI 004 kW / 037 deg to WeEu in German, ex 04-0630 0100-0400 on 9815 QUI 004 kW / 355 deg to CeAm in English, cancelled 1500-0100 on 15680 QUI 004 kW / 355 deg to CeAm in English, cancelled (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 5 via DXLD) ** ERITREA. Radio Bana, transmitter in Asmara, Eritrea, 5100 kHz, confirmed my report in 40 days with a full data QSL-letter. I sent an audio clip. v/s not readable. The address I used: Radio Bana, Department of Adult and Media Education, P. O. Box 609, Asmara City, Eritrea. Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italy, June 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE (Pirates). Fri, May 25 1900-1930+, 6305, 25332, unID with traditional Dutch songs Sat, May 26 1748-2017+, 6310, 24332, R. Malaisy (presumed), italo-pops Fri, Jun 01 2000-2010+, 6290, 25322, unID Dutch Sat, Jun 02 2027-2100+, 6878, 15321, Pirate Music Radio (presumed) Sun, Jun 03 0000-0230+, 6220, 44433, Mystery Radio (Serghey Nikishin, Moscow, Russia, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FALKLAND ISLANDS. NEW WEBSITE FOR FALKLANDS RADIO BBC Monitoring observes that public broadcaster Falkland Islands Radio Service (FIRS) has recently established a web presence at http://www.firs.co.fk The website features a history of the station, a programme and frequency guide and full contact details. The station transmits on six FM frequencies and 530 kHz mediumwave from studios in Stanley, carrying a mix of local programming and relays of BBC World Service and the British Forces Broadcasting Service. Formerly known as the Falkland Islands Broadcasting Station, in August 2005 the broadcaster was transferred from government ownership to the management of the Media Trust, and changed its name to the Falkland Islands Radio Service (also known as Falklands Radio). Source: BBC Monitoring research 4 Jun 07 (via DXLD) Sked shows some BBC relays, but hourly newscasts mostly from IRN News! Sure hope it`s not this far-right slanted US gospel-huxtering IRN News heard on some US SW stations: http://www.irnnews.com/ But instead this IRN News: http://www.irn.co.uk/ (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE [non]. FIP: see U K ** GAMBIA [and non]. SUD FM RADIO FINALLY CLOSED The Station Manager of the Banjul-based radio Station Sud FM, Pap Diomaye Thiare, has told The Point newspaper that his station has been finally closed down after 20 months of silence and negotiation with Gambian authorities. Mr Thiare disclosed that the transmitter and the antenna have already been dismantled and kept in a place in Banjul, adding that the decision was made by the Board of Directors of Sud FM. He said: “We regret the closure. When we started ten years ago, our mission was to strengthen relations between The Gambia and Senegal, which are two sister countries and the same people. We believe in Senegambia. We thank President Jammeh for his hospitality, the Gambian people and the press fraternity.” Sud FM had operated in The Gambia since its establishment in 1997. It was closed down on 22nd October 2005. The radio is owned by Sud Communications Group in Senegal but has Gambian shareholders. The radio was said to have employed 17 people during the time it was in business (Source: The Point)( June 5th, 2007 - 10:55 UTC by Andy, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Some changes of DTK T-Systems: WYFR Family Radio, additional transmissions from May 28 and June 1: 1400-1500 NF 15715 WER 500 kW / 090 deg to SoAs in Marathi (tent.) 1500-1600 NF 12020 WER 500 kW / 075 deg to SoAs in Urdu (tent.) Bible Voice Broadcasting Network (BVBN) in Hebrew June 1: 1800-1830 on 9790 JUL 100 kW / 105 deg Fri/Sun to EaEu Bible Voice Broadcasting Network (BVBN) in English from June 3: 1200-1230 on 5945 WER 040 kW / non-dir Sun to WeEu in DRM Free People's Mission Krefeld till June 30, ex till Oct.27: 1100-1130 on 5945 WER 500 kW / non-dir Sat to WEu in German 1630-1700 on 11640 WER 250 kW / 105 deg Sat to ME in English CVC International, English till June 30 (not July 31), ex till May 30 0500-0600 on 9430 WER 125 kW / 180 deg to WeAf 0600-0900 on 15640 WER 125 kW / 180 deg to WeAf 1500-1800 on 15715 WER 125 kW / 180 deg to WeAf 1800-2100 on 13820 WER 125 kW / 180 deg to WeAf (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 5 via DXLD) ** GREECE. Hi Glenn, -- Caught the tail end of Voice of Greece's English broadcast with woman announcer at 2055 UT on June 3 on 7450 kHz with music program. Jumped in automatically into Greek on the hour (Marty Delfín, Madrid, Spain, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I suspect that was a typo for 0255, as it was UT Sunday when there is an English hour and I am not aware of any English after 2000 (gh, DXLD) Hi Glenn, No, that is what surprised me (0255 UT is too early/late for me in Madrid). I caught the tail end of the broadcast, Sunday night my time with a woman announcer describing Greek music and songs, and after no other announcement was made, it went straight on to usual "Edo Atinne..." ID on the hour and then news in Greek. This English segment ended with a jazzy piano version of "Ta Pedia Tou Pirea" (Never on a Sunday). No English was heard Monday night so I will try again next Sunday. 73 (Marty Delfín, Spain, ibid.) ** INDONESIA. 9525, Voice of Indonesia, *0730:30 June 5, on with usual music & ID loop, mixing with STAR Radio & CTN (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. PAUL ROBINSON ON THE NIFTY NEW BBC RADIOCENTRE PLAYER | Media | MediaGuardian.co.uk {misleading headline; as below, two different competing players} http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,2094429,00.html Radio --- The player revolution is not to be feared "The player gives access to every single station in the UK - so can listen live, in real time, for free, to any station in Britain" Paul Robinson, Monday June 4, 2007, Guardian The shock departure of Emap boss Tom Moloney and the crash in profits at GCap appear to be yet more bad news for commercial radio, on the back of another disappointing set of Rajar figures and a dismal performance at the Sony awards. Internal speculation at GCap's head office in Leicester Square is dominated by suggestions that Fru Hazlett, recently arrived from Yahoo as managing director for London, could soon be lined up as the head of a merged GCap and Emap. Meanwhile, down the road at the offices of the trade body, the RadioCentre, a quiet revolution is taking place. The BBC's iPlayer may have finally been given the go-ahead by the BBC Trust, but it has yet to launch and in the interim commercial radio has stolen a march. Under the guidance of the RadioCentre's energetic chief executive, Andrew Harrison, the trade body has launched its own version - the RadioCentre Player. Although it is initially being positioned as an internal tool to get exposure for all of the UK's 300 or so commercial stations, it has the potential to go way beyond a bit of in-house marketing. So what does the player offer? At its heart is an existing piece of software developed by a US company, Ressen Design, which adapted it for the RadioCentre. This is how commercial radio has got the player out so fast; in contrast the BBC's iPlayer is being developed in-house. The RadioCentre Player features 12 preset stations, including the national services, Classic, Virgin and TalkSport; other big stations such as Heart and Capital, and a few smaller regionals from Channel 103 FM to Lincs FM. The selection of the preset list is not based on audience or any other consumer measure but on who sits around the RadioCentre board table, hence the bizarre mix. Putting such political nonsense to one side, the player gives access to every single station in the UK, either in an alphabetical format or by group ownership basis. This means that you can listen live, in real time, for free, to any station in Britain. Whether you are a record plugger wanting to assess a music format (or, more importantly, find out whether a station really is playing your artist's song), or a media buyer checking out the target audience, this is a brilliant tool. It is quick - almost every station buffers and streams live in less than 10 seconds - and there are fewer clicks than going on to the BBC website to "listen again". This brings me to the BBC, and where some commercial radio executives start to get uneasy. The player features a "search" button, which brings up all of the BBC's national, regional and local stations. So imagine if you are tuned to Magic, and the breakfast presenter Neil Fox promotes the RadioCentre Player URL. Listeners are instantly transported to a place where not only can they hear all of Magic's commercial rivals, but the BBC as well. Chris Moyles is just three clicks away. But it goes further than that. The player also gives access to thousands of internet-only and licensed radio stations from around the world: 10,227 stations, in fact, including 3,794 from the US. Commercial radio bosses, therefore, are reluctant to promote the player direct to their listeners - even though it is there to be found, should they be so minded, at http://www.radiocentre.org But I think commercial radio needs to be a bit more confident about itself. It is easy to knock UK radio, but if you compare our commercial radio stations on the RadioCentre Player with others around the world it is impossible not to come to the conclusion that they sound pretty damn good. Station bosses, though, will be nervous that if they market the player to listeners they will kill their own audiences and revenue streams. I think that is extreme. The reality is that all of these services are already out there and accessible in the UK on the net. Listeners are sophisticated and have great loyalty to their favourite stations, particularly ones relevant and salient to a target audience, whether defined by interest, like jazz, or region, like Cornwall. Now that the RadioCentre Player is launched, the genie is out of the bottle, and it will inevitably become a consumer tool because listeners will want it. * Paul Robinson is a media consultant (MediaGuardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 via Dan Say, DXLD) Not sure what the advantage of this is. I was about to listen to Ideas and Q&Q on CBC, so after some hunting I found the linx and they worked promptly, without signing up and logging in. In the roster of CBC feeds, not all Radio One cities show two linx, one hi and one lo. Nor do they have the timeshifted Radio Two linx in there yet! (gh, DXLD) ** IRAN. 3985 kHz. See KOREA SOUTH. ** ISRAEL. Saludos cordiales, cuando son las 1739, 5 de junio, estoy escuchando a Galei Zahal en 15778; esta emisora sigue moviéndose mucho por el dial. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. 15779, Galei Zahal, 2018-2026, escuchada el 4 de junio en hebreo a locutora en conversación telefónica con oyente, emisión en paralelo por 6973, segmento de música pop, SINPO 45433. 9400 Kol Israel, 1945-1955, escuchada el 4 de junio en español a locutor con boletín de noticias y segmento musical; cortan el transmisor bruscamente a las 1955. Sin embargo se observa que sigue emitiendo en 9345; dos minutos después realizan otro corte brusco y reaparece con pobre señal y acompañado de un fuerte zumbido, SINPO 34343. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) You mean, they cut off both frequencies before the Spanish programming had finished? (gh, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. Sat, Jun 02, 1750-1800*, 6399, 34333, R. Pyongyang. Light music; YL ID "P`yongyang Bangsong imnida"; brief announcement; time pips; QRT. Nothing on 6250 kHz which usually goes in parallel (Serghey Nikishin, Moscow, Russia, Rx: Degen DE11103, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. KOREA SOUTH (Clandestine). Sat, Jun 02, 1806- 1900*, 3985, 25332, Echo of Hope (towards DPRK). YL/OM talk in Korean, songs. // 6348 kHz. No jamming heard. Please take note that VoIRoI now doesn't use 3985 kHz for its Hebrew service 1900-1930 (unlike listed by EiBi & Aoki). Sat, Jun 02, 1808-1900*, 6348, 22432, Echo of Hope. // 3985 kHz. Heavily jammed. Jamming was still on after station's QRT at 1900. Sat, Jun 02, 1900-1910+, 3912, 11XX1, Voice of the People (another clandestine in the same direxion). Nothing but buzzing jammer was audible. Forgot to check 6600 kHz which must be in parallel (Serghey Nikishin, Moscow, Russia, Rx: Degen DE11103, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 9490, CLANDESTINE. Free Radio North Korea via Taiwan. Presumed this mixed up with jammer, Korean programming, mostly talks, fair 1040, 2/6 (Craig Seager, Bathurst NSW (Icom R75, R&S EK890, Horizontal Loop, 250m longwire, Dream Software, June Australian DX News via DXLD) ** LAOS [non]. Esta gente no es la que opera la clandestina Hmong Radio? (Arnaldo Slaen, condig list via DXLD) En California, Estados Unidos, fueron arrestadas diez personas que tenían planes para derribar al gobierno de Laos. Según la justicia de California, el grupo estaba intentando comprar armas automáticas y misiles por millones de dólares. Lo que se proponían era entrar a Laos a través de Tailandia, para atacar los edificios gubernamentales y el palacio real. Los sospechosos pertenecen al grupo étnico Hmong y entre ellos está Vang Pao, un ex-general de 77 años que huyó de Laos cuando los comunistas tomaron el poder en 1975. Junto a ellos fue detenido también un ex-general del ejército de Estados Unidos [¿quién?]. Los planes de golpe de Estado en Laos fueron desbaratados mediante una operación encubierta de varios meses, en la que un policía se hizo pasar por traficante de armas. En la operación de arresto participaron más de 200 agentes (info via Radio Nederland via Arnaldo Slaen, ibid.) ** LIBERIA [non]. Star Radio, 9525, 0707-0729, in English. Article on trial(s) in Liberia, another article (topic not clear due to QRN), "This is Star Radio, Monrovia, Liberia", "Contact" program - listing of people trying to get word about or contact others "since the end of the war" being the most common reason. Off mid sentence 0729. No further programming as of 0736 as I write this. (No repeat or Cotton Tree News.) (Mark Taylor, Madison, WI, June 5, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DX LISTENING DIGEST) but see also SIERRA LEONE ** MEXICO. Re 7-066: On June 3, I heard R. Bulgaria IS slightly before 0500, ID in German by M, into news in German by YL, SIO 333, something on the low side causing a het. Guess I have a better clue about what the het was now (Mike Bryant - Eton E5 Louisville, KY, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONGOLIA. V. of Mongolia, 4895 via Moron, full/data ``Tourism Corporation of Mongolia`` card with personal letter and postcards in 6 weeks. 4830 via Altay, same as above in 6 weeks, v/s Mrs. Densmaa, Mail Editor, densmaa9 @ yahoo.com (Sam Barto, CT, QSL Report, June NASWA Journal via DXLD) These are not VOM, external service, but the domestic service; apparently VOM QSLed them anyway (gh, DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Re: Una pésima noticia y, desde mi óptica, un enorme error de la dirección de Radio Nederland Wereldomroep (Arnaldo Slaen, condig list via DXLD) Pues, el mismo sinsabor que nos dejara hace una década una similar determinación de acabar con la versión radial de Media Network. Bueno, no será diferente mi posición en cuanto a que yo escuchaba RN en inglés por ese espacio, y aunque no demerita en nada sus excelentes producciones, la desparación de Radio Enlace, que siento a veces desvirtúan en buena parte el verdadero sentido del programa, esta será una razón más de peso para chequear RNW sólo de pasada. 73 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, condig list via DXLD) See also CUBA ** NEW ZEALAND. 11675, RNZI, Rangitaiki. New DRM frequency for local afternoons, peaking SNR 15.5 dB 0612 2/6 with discussion program, so not all that great (Craig Seager, Bathurst NSW, Icom R75, R&S EK890, Horizontal Loop, 250m longwire, Dream Software, June Australian DX News via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. Further checks on Voice of Nigeria over the past couple of days indicate that 9690 kHz is now used at 0800-1630 UT; then 15120 at 1630-2100 and 7255 at 2100-2300 UT. The tentative language schedule is currently as follows: 0500-0700 English (15120?) 0700-0800 French (15120?) 0800-0900 Hausa 9690 0900-1000 Fulfulde 9690 1000-1500 English 9690 1500-1530 Swahili 9690 1530-1600 Yoruba 9690 1600-1630 Igbo 9690 1630-1700 Arabic 15120 1700-2100 English 15120 2100-2200 French 7255 2200-2300 hausa 7255 Frequencies confirmed except at 0500-0800 African languages are tentative - as scheduled. Currently (1800 UT) audible with excellent reception on 15120 kHz in English (Dave Kenny, Caversham, AOR7030+ 80 ft long wire, June 4, BDXC-UK via WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. K S B I - T V --- OK, I have looked back through the post on this forum and perhaps I missed it. Can someone explain to me how channel 52 stays afloat? I mean really! Have they been showing the same old shows for about three years now? They had a chance to have a really good old fashioned "UHF" channel when Brady B. and company bought it from Locke Supply. Someone must have a little insight into this. I have often wondered while "Zapping" the channels and I come across the station, am I possibly the only person on earth dumb enough to be watching the fifth or sixth showing of a particular episode of Quincy in as many months? Their ratings have to be in the dumps? (Marko, June 4, OKCTalk via DXLD) They are really bad. I still don't know how they had the money to launch that 5:30 newscast. Brady must have investors backing him and throwing money at the station with the expectations of it becoming a big hit independent station. Its not going to happen the way Brady is running it (allseeingeye, ibid.) Some of our local millionaires put up the $$ for that newscast (ultimatesooner, ibid.) I think it's funny that they proudly boast "family programming" and then show "The Tyra Banks Show". =) Tyra is shown at 4:30pm everyday on KSBI. Not what I really consider "family" programming. LOL (Intrepid, ibid.) Brus et all have rolled a HUGE ton of money into that station, and while I think their objective are laudable, they're finding the supply of available programming to be very limited. Lots of the bigger cable networks are buying up the rights to entire libraries of old shows, so the number of any given shows available to something like a KSBI is decreasing rapidly. There may some validity to a marketing strategy that suggests, over the long term, the idea of larger statewide broadcasters (like traditional local affiliates KWTV, KOCO, and KFOR) may yield to a model in which smaller broadcasters target very narrow geographical areas for broadcast, then hope to gain some broader traction by being picked up by cable outlets. I think that may be how KSBI is trying to position itself. My guess is that the station is being run at a (substantial) loss, and perhaps is expected to for a time, until some of that strategy can be realized --- problem is it may take longer than their cash will hold out. Just a guess on my part. I loved Quincy when I was growing up, but MAN it seems cornball now... (-soonerdave, ibid.) That's not true. The only programming that KSBI CAN NOT run is that which is BROADCAST in the market. The FCC rules prohibit two broadcast stations in the same market from airing the same programs but that does not apply to cable. Example: Fox25 airs Becker at 11pm and WGN airs that same episode at midnight. KAUT airs friends and so does TBS (usually the same episodes on the same days). The issue is not that there isn't enough programming, its that the programming people are willing to watch is very expensive. IMO, KSBI took the wrong approach in trying to build a profitable station. Yes, they've invested alot of money, but in the wrong areas. They didn't need a newscast, satellite truck, or the rights to high school sports. They needed to invest that money in syndicated programming that could draw ratings and create a cash flow for the station. Adding a newscast is the LAST thing you do. You make the station profitible THEN jump into news. KSBI has the potential to be successful but needs to be run by someone who knows what they're doing. Brady is a weather guy, he doesn't know crap about running a station and that cash flow isn't going to last forever. KSBI will be up for sale within a decade (allseeingeye, ibid.) Sounds like you should buy it (Drake, ibid.) I work for an ad agency, and I know that they have a terrible time getting advertisers to buy air time. Our media buyer dreads their sales reps' phone calls (jbrown84, ibid.) Didn't he and his sister have a falling out? She is not with the Station now. Does anyone know what happened to her? (legal, ibid.) ** OMAN. Looks like Cyclone Gonu has passed close to the BBC Oman relay. Please check if any of its scheduled frequencies are missing (Glenn Hauser, June 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Heard with scheduled BBC Arabic on 6030 at 2000 (Chris Greenway, UK, ibid.) ** PANAMA. 1140 kHz, Radio Panamericana 11-40 AM, Ciudad de Panamá, junio 5, 0035-0102, 222, con música panameña, pero el tema era tan largOOOOoooooo que sólo a las 0100 UT con identificación por locutor como ``Radio Panamericana 1140 AM``; también hizo mención de Noticias 11-40 y anuncio comercial para Panadería y Dulcería la Canelita... (dijeron) "somos 100% Panameños" (refiriéndose a la panadería). (Yimber Gaviria, Cali, Colombia, Rx. Sony 7600G, Loop Experimental (prueba), DX LISTENING DIGEST) So there are other bakeries less than 100% Panamanian? What percentage of what else might they be, and is this really an issue? (gh, DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Catholic Radio Network, 4960, Vanimo is presently called Radio St Gabriel on 4960 kc/s. This is according to the bishop of Vanimo, Cesare Bonivento in an email to Dave Foster. The station will eventually join the CRN [Catholid Radio Network] now operated by Radio Maria when uplink facilities are installed in Port Moresby, probably by the end of the year (Dave Foster thru John Wright, June Australian DX News via WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DXLD) Comment: Hmmm; At the start of this year, I heard a CRN programme, actually it was Vatican Radio interval signal with it as well; lately I have heard a Radio Maria being mentioned, but come to think of it and reflect on my notes, have not heard a Catholic radio ID. Well, I never thought of why I wasn't hearing certain ID's; now we know. At Cataract heard the sermon but no ID assuming the station was the Catholic Radio Network. Well, it could be on the license; it is all in the programming. Thanks, David as usual, you`re a mine of information. Pity we couldn't have the early 70's again (John Wright, June Australian DX News via DXLD) 4960, Catholic Radio Network, Vanimo. English religious sermon 0920 18/5, poor level at best, cannot hear this at home at the present (Johno Wright, Cataract Dam DX-pedition, near Appin, NSW, June Australia DX News via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7325, Wantok Radio Light, Port Moresby. NF, as previously advised by Wayne Bastow from 4/6 - however they seem to have made the move early, 2/6, c & w music 0715, accented announcements, then more music. Is ex 7120 (Craig Seager, Bathurst NSW (Icom R75, R&S EK890, Horizontal Loop, 250m longwire, Dream Software, June Australian DX News via DXLD) Dear OM, Wantok Radio Light can be heard on 7325 at *2000-2215+ and +0700-0918 (Ko'ed RFI-Taiwan) and 1030-1057 (Ko'ed BBC-Vladivostok and China Jam. on 7330) in English and Pidgin. NBC News relay in English at 2200-2210 and 0900-0910 (S. Hasegawa, NDXC, June 5, WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. Radio Rumania, frecuencias del 15 de Junio al 31 de Julio Queridos oyentes, abrimos la edición de hoy con una información relativa a nuestras frecuencias: actualmente Radio Rumanía Internacional está instalando sus nuevos emisores para la onda corta, debido a las obras en las antenas una parte de las frecuencias en que emitimos dejarán de ser operativas. Por lo tanto, entre el 15 de junio y el 31 de julio de 2007 las emisiones en español de RRI sólo se podrán sintonizar a través de las siguientes frecuencias: de 1900 a 2000 UT en 15435 kHz; de 2100 a 2200 en 9755 y 11965; entre las 2300 y las 2400 en 9745 y 11880 y desde las 0200 hasta las 0300 en 5975 y 9520 kHz. A partir del 31 de julio de 2007 se vuelve al horario normal o sea utilizando todas las frecuencias del período de verano (Rincón Diexista el 3 de junio de 2004 por Victoria Sepciu via José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. St. Petersburg Regional Center QSL --- Very pleased to receive a reply for this long forgotten report. RUSSIA, 9480, VOR via St. Petersburg Regional Center, f/d St. Petersburg Regional Center-Branch of RTV & BCN card, with site in 61 months (1866 days to be exact) for 2 IRCs and an April 2002 English report to the old CRR-2 address. No f/up. V/S, Mikhail Timofeyev. Address last listed in Passport 2004 New address: St. Petersburg Regional Center, 3, ul. Akademika Pavlova st., Saint-Petersburg, 197022, Russia (Scott R. Barbour Jr., Intervale, NH-USA, R8, R75, MLB-1, 200' Beverages, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi, I received a nice surprise yesterday - a QSL direct from St Petersburg Regional Center. The report was sent in December 2003. The card has various pictures of antennas and transmitters on the front and full details on the back (including the power) signed by the QSL manager Mikhail Timofeyev. So after 3.5 years a special QSL. Only thing is that I had already verified this site and frequency via Voice of Russia with one of their standard cards. Regards, (Wayne Bastow, NSW, June 5, ARDXC via DXLD) Only 3.5 years? (gh) ** RUSSIA. Starting June 4, 2007 Russia Today TV got its channel on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/RussiaToday (Sergei Sosedkin, IL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA. 15250, BSKSA, Riyadh. English current affairs, including item on ethanol usage in the U.S, announcing 96.2 MHz in Jeddah, abruptly off 1226, 19/5 (Craig Seager, Cataract Dam DX- pedition, near Appin, NSW, June Australia DX News via WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DXLD) Just in time for the sign off in English, with Craig and Wayne yelling across the room, 1225 19/5 (David Stevens, ibid.) Fair in English with rap music and FM ID at 1225 on 19/5. Thanks Craig, not! (Wayne Bastow, ibid.) English maybe only on Fridays is till 1255 UT (usually till 1155). Noted on 18 and 25/5 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia Bulgaria, June Australian DX News via WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DXLD) Hmmm ... some suggestion that I should have flagged the appearance of this one earlier, but since I'd heard it from home the previous week, the novelty had worn off! -cs. (Craig Seager, ibid.) ** SCARBOROUGH REEF. BS7H PHOTOS AVAILABLE. More BS7H Scarborough Reef photos are now available for viewing at via the following Web page at: http://album.blog.yam.com/bv6gu&folder=2705675 (KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80, June 3 via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) Hundreds of them. If anyone find a slideshow button, let me know (gh, DXLD) ** SIERRA LEONE [non]. 9525, Cotton Tree News (CTN) via Ascension, 0731-0738 June 5, following the STAR Radio programming ("STAR Contact"), drums, followed by news in English (report of a Russian made helicopter that crashed while it was ferrying passengers to the Freetown International Airport, item by Mr. Farah about leprosy in Sierra Leone, etc.), seems they are back on a regular basis now, fair even with QRM from VOI (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA [non]. RUSSIA, TDP station R. Xoriyo Ogadenia in Somali via TRW from May 19: 1600-1630 on 15260 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg to EaAf Tue/Sat, ex 1600-1700 on Tue --- TRW=TV Radio Wawes (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 5 via DXLD) ** SPAIN. Hi Glenn, is R.E.E. not going to a Summer sked at all anymore? I have nothing on 15385, but they are fading in (still!) on 6055 daily at local sunset here. Have them logged tonight (6-4-07) on 6055, strong signal after 0200 and IDing as "R. Nacional de España" by woman at 0300. 73 ~rick south-west USA (Rick Barton, AZ? UT June 4, WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Guess that answers query in 7-066 ** SUDAN [non]. 5985, RWANDA. Sudan Radio Service (Kigali), 0319- 0329*, 5/28/07. Music program until man in English closed down transmission with ID. Fair signal but mixing with two other stations (Radio Martí, jammer and maybe someone else) reducing overall to poor. (Rich D'Angelo, Wyomissing PA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) Martí? Not supposed to be on this frequency, but WYFR (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** TAIWAN. Additional frequency of Radio Taiwan International: 1100-1200 NF 9735 TAI 250 kW / 045 deg to JPN Japanese \\ 7130 11605 1200-1300 NF 9735 TAI 250 kW / 045 deg to JPN Music px \\ 7130 1300-1400 NF 9735 TAI 250 kW / 045 deg to JPN Japanese \\ 7130 9635 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 5 via DXLD) ** TAJIKISTAN. Re 7-066: It's simply an error which might appear as an effect of placing Cyrillic text onto a Persian-language webpage. Note that right- and left-running lines don't alternate systematically. And each word on this page reads in the same direxion as the line it belongs to. All Cyrillic-based languages are normally written from left to right ;) -- 73! (Serghey Nikishin (Moscow, Russia), June 4, WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TIBET. Hello all, CHINA, Xizang PBS, Lhasa, on 6050 kHz, well heard here since 2045z, in Chinese, with a romantic songs music program. SINPO 34443 (José Turner, Portugal, June 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. Not sure why I keep listening to the Live from Turkey webcast, Tuesdays 1850-1920+ which is also on 9785, but something to distract me while I am putting the finishing touches on preparing to record WORLD OF RADIO. LFT is usually just three or two announcers chatting, about how bad the traffic is in Istanbul, how hot it is in the studio at 10 pm, or the current political situation, or how Turkey ought to go after the nasty Kurds across the border in Iraq. This time, June 5, they mentioned that they now know why they have not been getting any calls for several weeks. It turns out both the phone they had been using and the phone line are out of order. Some people e- mailed to tell them they tried to call but could not get thru. The German sexion finally traced the problem, so a repair order is pending. This time the IS did not start until 1924, assuming the usual webcast delay of half a minute, so VOT remains flexible about whether broadcasts last anywhere from 50 to 55 minutes (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UKRAINE. Frequency change of Radio Ukraine International from May 28: 0800-1300 NF 11550*KHR 100 kW / 277 deg to WeEu, ex 15675# (English 11-12) * strong co-ch Radio Free Afghanistan in Pashto via KWT 1230-1300 # to avoid Radio Free Afghanistan in Pashto/Dari via UDO 1030-1300 on 15680 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 5 via DXLD) ** U K. FM RADIO WAVES ARE STOPPED AT THE BORDER By Doreen Carvajal, Sunday, June 3, 2007 PARIS: When the music died one gloomy morning in April, residents of Brighton, England, who had been happily listening to illegally transmitted French radio for almost 10 years, were first stunned and then angered. There was defiant talk of anchoring a clandestine FM transmitter on a boat off the coast of Brighton to bring back France Inter Paris, or FIP, which broadcasts a quirky blend of jazz, pop and rock, Dizzy Gillespie and Jimmy [sic] Hendrix. Someone started surreptitiously putting up posters along local streets. "Missing FIP," the poster said. "Can you help?" A wistful Web site quickly appeared online with ardent testimonials to the advertising-free station. "It's just one of those cool stations," said David Mounfield, a loyal listener and organizer of the ongoing British rebellion who does not speak French. "There wasn't much talking except a sexy female French voice, and it wasn't some inane English DJ yammering on in Britain, where it's all done by demographics and key markets to push and sell music." The British listeners managed to tune in to the French radio for about 10 years through the aid of a radio engineer who set up illegal FM transmitters in well-placed houses. In April, the British media regulator, Ofcom, silenced the station by confiscating the transmitters. In the European Union, the borders for traditional radio stations remain firmly barricaded despite local demand for choice. The walls remain high in France, too, where in May the government regulator, the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel, or CSA, rejected three English-language channels, including the BBC, which sought precious FM frequencies on the crowded band in Paris. There are no English-language FM radio stations in the capital although there are FM stations broadcasting in Armenian, Portuguese, Yiddish, Russian and Serbo-Croatian, among other languages. But the French regulator granted one open frequency in Paris to Tropique, a Creole-language station, because it argued that it reached a French Antilles audience similar to that of an outgoing station, Média Tropical. Critics remain skeptical of that logic. They note that the French international broadcaster RFI has not been allowed to offer radio programming in Britain. "The back story is indeed a sort of tit for tat, but both countries are guilty of obtaining FM coverage in other countries and then refusing access to either Paris or London," said Jonathan Marks, a radio consultant in the Netherlands. "Kenya is arguing with the BBC about why they can't get access on FM to Kenyans in the U.K. when the BBC has FM outlets in Nairobi." The barriers between countries have long existed, with national regulators, rather than the European Union, presiding over the airwaves. But rapidly evolving forms of new media will soon start offering ways to circumvent international barriers, particularly with many radio stations now accessible over the Internet. "If you're an expat living in Paris, the best way to hear foreign radio in your kitchen is to install a Wi-Fi network at home and use one of the Wi-Fi radios now appearing in U.K. retail outlets," Marks said. He added that, as fixed-fee Internet service becomes more popular for portable telephones, "the alternative to FM for niche channels will be in the palm of your hand." For now, though, that is small comfort for the British pining for their French radio or for the three English-language applicants that sought FM frequencies in Paris. One of them was Paris Live, which has broadcast on cable and satellite and was founded by Ian de Renzie Duncan, an Australian lawyer. "It says to me that they have no respect for the million English- speaking people who have houses in France. Or they just don't care," Duncan said. He said the impact on his own fledging business has been devastating, since he had counted on access to the more profitable FM band. "I spent a half million euros and five years of my life working on this. And my family life is completely destroyed," Duncan said. "But I'm going to fight this with an appeal." That rebellious spirit is also shared in Brighton, where on Thursday about 150 people gathered for a fund-raiser in the Hope Pub to savor music played regularly on the French radio station FIP. The aim was to finance a campaign to bring FIP back. Mounfield, the listener who helped organize the "Vive le FIP" night, said regular listeners were weighing alternatives. He said they could take the more cumbersome legal approach, seeking a special community license to rebroadcast FIP in Britain. Or they could take a defiant approach by setting up a transmitter system timed to start broadcasting on Bastille Day (IHT via Marty Delfín, Madrid, Spain, and Zacharias Liangas, Greece, DXLD) ** U S A. Why "just straight journalism" is good enough for U.S. international broadcasting. The crackpot commentator weighs in on the Alhurra controversy and responds to the contention by Rep. Mike Pence that U.S. international broadcasting should go beyond "we report, you decide." http://www.kimandrewelliott.com/Air_of_Truth_NYT.pdf (Kim Andrew Elliott, New York Times, 4 June 2007 via Kim Andrew Elliott, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) In the article as submitted to the Times, http://www.kimandrewelliott.com/?id=1658 crackpot commentator lists four reasons why the U.S. government should fund the elements of U.S. international broadcasting while "giving them the independence necessary to provide a credible news product." Posted: 04 Jun 2007 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** U S A. Re 7-048: Revisionist web journalism Dan Robinson’s VOA report about the subcommittee hearing is thorough and definitely worth reading (and listening to). However, the version you access now at voanews.com is not the same as that which was broadcast on April 19th and originally posted on the website. The original version, as cited by BBC Monitoring and available at Glenn Hauser’s DX Listening Digest 7-048, includes this paragraph later excised: “She [McCollum] also urged that all radio and television stations under the board's responsibility be formally brought under the charter of VOA. The charter states that the long- term interests of the U.S. are served by communicating directly to the world by radio.” This passage was removed because the "general principles" in the legislation (mostly from the 1990s) governing all U.S. international broadcasting include the same language as the VOA Charter. But how many decision makers, from Congress down through the executive suites of the broadcasting entities, are aware of this? (Kim Andrew Elliott, June NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** U S A. The Bush administration is wrong to silence the Voice of America --- Soft Power Unplugged The Bush Administration's planned cuts would: - Eliminate virtually all English-language VOA broadcasts world-wide, apart from Africa, which would see its service cut nearly in half. This is occurring at the same time as governments in Russia and China that are increasingly assertive have launched 24/7 propaganda radio services in our native language. - Reduce by a third RFE/RL's Russian-language broadcasts to Russia from 24- to 18- hours a day, and take VOA's Russian-language radio off the air altogether. This would come at a time when the authoritarian Vladimir Putin is making a comprehensive effort to deny his people access to truthful information about their country and the world. What is more, Putin's repressive measures could end the Voice of America's remaining TV broadcasts in Russian at any moment. - Drop altogether broadcasts by: the VOA in Cantonese, Croatian, Greek, Georgian, Thai and Uzbek; RFE/RL's Macedonian service; and Radio Free Asia's broadcasts in Cantonese. American interests in China, Southeastern Europe, Central and Southeast Asia would be negatively affected. - Eliminate the VOA's radio broadcasts in Ukrainian, Serbian, Albanian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Hindi. Given the ongoing turmoil in Ukraine, the Balkans and Kashmir can we afford to do anything that might reduce our presence or influence there? - Reduce radio broadcasts by: the Voice of America to China in Tibetan and to Africa in Portuguese; RFE/RL's services in Ukrainian, Romanian, Kazakh and South Slavic languages in Kazakh; and RFA's broadcasts in Tibetan. The cumulative effect of these cuts alone would be to write-off more than 18 million listeners each week around the world. Who could possibly choose voluntarily to eliminate such an audience, much of which is in places critical to the future course of this war? [more] http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=28595 (via tribby2001, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. Updated summer A-07 of EWTN Global Catholic Radio: to NoAm in English 0000-0500 on 5810 EWN 500 kW / 020 deg 0500-1400 on 5850 EWN 500 kW / 020 deg 1400-1600 on 9955 EWN 500 kW / 020 deg 1600-2200 on 9450 EWN 500 kW / 020 deg 2200-2400 on 9975 EWN 500 kW / 020 deg to CeAm in Spanish 0000-1100 on 7455 EWN 500 kW / 220 deg 1100-2200 on 9885 EWN 500 kW / 220 deg 2200-2400 on 9355 EWN 500 kW / 220 deg to SoAm in Spanish 0500-1100 on 11615 EWN 500 kW / 155 deg 1100-1400 on 13615 EWN 500 kW / 155 deg 1400-2200 on 15745 EWN 500 kW / 155 deg 2200-0500 on 13615 EWN 500 kW / 155 deg to WeEu in English 0600-0900 on 7570 EWN 500 kW / 040 deg 1700-2000 on 15390 EWN 500 kW / 040 deg 2200-2400 on 15745 EWN 500 kW / 040 deg [imaginary 5010 still shown at 0000-0500: http://www.ewtn.org/radio/freq.htm --- gh] to WeAf in English 2000-2200 on 15220 EWN 500 kW / 085 deg (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 5 via DXLD) ** U S A. Updated summer A-07 of World Harvest Radio: WHRI Angel 1 0300-0600 on 5835 HRI 250 kW / 315 deg Mon-Fri 0300-0600 on 7315 HRI 250 kW / 152 deg Sat/Sun, DXWC 0330 Mon 0600-0800 on 7315 HRI 250 kW / 025 deg >>> deleted 0800-1100 on 7355 HRI 250 kW / 025 deg >>> deleted 0600-1100 NF 7335 HRI 250 kW / 025 deg [despite CHU] 1100-1200 on 6095 HRI 250 kW / 182 deg BBC Spanish 1200-1300 on 9495 HRI 250 kW / 315 deg 1300-1400 on 9495 HRI 250 kW / 315 deg Mon-Fri 1300-1400 on 11785 HRI 250 kW / 315 deg Sat/Sun HMLR 1400-1600 on 11785 HRI 250 kW / 315 deg DXWC 1530 Sun 1600-1900 on 11960 HRI 250 kW / 173 deg 1900-2100 on 17650 HRI 250 kW / 152 deg DXWC 1930 Sat 2100-2300 on 13640 HRI 250 kW / 173 deg BBC English WS 2300-0300 on 7315 HRI 250 kW / 152 deg WHRI Angel 2 0100-0400 on 7490 HRI 250 kW / 025 deg 0400-0600 on 7355 HRI 250 kW / 042 deg 0600-0800 on 7365 HRI 250 kW / 025 deg 0800-1100 on 7315 HRI 250 kW / 152 deg 1100-1300 on 9660 HRI 250 kW / 173 deg BBC English WS 1300-2000 on 9840 HRI 250 kW / 025 deg 2000-2200 on 13670 HRI 250 kW / 315 deg Mon-Fri 2000-2200 on 9840 HRI 250 kW / 042 deg Sat/Sun 2200-0100 on 9515 HRI 250 kW / 315 deg Mon-Sat 2200-0100 on 7490 HRI 250 kW / 025 deg Sun KWHR Angel 3 0100-0500 on 17655 WHR 100 kW / 300 deg DXWC 0330 Sun 0500-0800 on 13650 WHR 100 kW / 300 deg 0800-1100 on 9930 WHR 100 kW / 300 deg 1100-1200 on 9930 WHR 100 kW / 300 deg ORNK from June 11 1200-1400 on 12130 WHR 100 kW / 285 deg 1400-1800 on 9930 WHR 100 kW / 300 deg DXWC 1500 Sun [what about Sound of Hope, M-F 14-16 on 9930, still on sked the last I looked. Is it really still on the air here? --- gh] KWHR Angel 4 0500-1100 on 11565 WHR 100 kW / 225 deg DXWC 0700 Sat; 0500 Sun WHRA Angel 5 0100-0500 on 5850 HRI 250 kW / 045 deg DXWC 0230 Sun; 0230 Mon 0500-0600 on 6145 HRI 250 kW / 045 deg 0600-0700 on 7490 HRI 250 kW / 090 deg 1200-1500 on 17650 HRI 250 kW / 075 deg 1500-1600 on 17650 HRI 250 kW / 075 deg Mon-Sat, ex Daily 1500-1600 NF 15355 HRI 250 kW / 075 deg Sun, ex 17650 1600-1700 on 17640 HRI 250 kW / 075 deg 1700-1900 on 15705 HRI 250 kW / 075 deg 1900-2000 on 13710 HRI 250 kW / 090 deg 2000-2200 on 7400 HRI 250 kW / 045 deg Mon-Fri 2000-2200 on 11885 HRI 250 kW / 090 deg Sat/Sun 2200-2300 on 11885 HRI 250 kW / 090 deg 2300-0100 on 7520 HRI 250 kW / 045 deg DXWC = DXing With Cumbre HMLR = Hmong Lao Radio in Lao ORNK = Open Radio for North Korea in Korean (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 5 via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. A couple of logs from Latin America, which I am not going to attribute, but lament that neither listeners nor editors take advantage of references on line or on paper, rather than making and publishing wild, uninformed guesses: 5030, WODEU NETWORD, 0246. Música variada en inglés. SINPO 32222. 5070, WWWFV MC CAYSVILLE, 0254. Programa de variedades en inglés. SINPO 32222. 5030 must be World University Network, so-called, DGS via Costa Rica. This is all too frequently mistaken for a transmitter in the USA. Of course, it never gives any local ID, nor does Anguilla. 5070 would have been WWFV, not WWWFV, except that station is gone, and replaced for several years by WWRB in Manchester TN, except that 5070 is axually WWCR in Nashville. ``Variedades en inglés`` tells us nothing useful either (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. PERFECT PAUL RETIRED: The logging of NMN on page 20 of our May issue had the comment, “did not seem to be the Perfect Paul synth’ voice”. We now know that, during April, Perfect Paul commenced to be phased out to be replaced by ‘Iron Mike’. From this editor`s reading on the matter, this change was originally to take place back in 2002, just why it took so long is not known; back then they were even suggesting that a female voice. However the gradual change from Perfect Paul is now taking place on USCG, NOAA and other U.S. stations. Further, from my reading, I was surprised to learn that many people in the US were not happy with Perfect Paul and many broadcasters refused to relay Perfect Paul, they opted to transcribe the information and have it read live. When commencing the service from VMC/VMW, the Bureau of Meteorology opted for a different system which is based on particular individual`s voice, in their case the voice of an ABC broadcaster, since unfortunately deceased, to speak the words. A similar system is used for RAF Volmet and others. From listening it would appear the system used for Australian Volmet with the sort of sing song U.S ’supposedly’, voice is the same as that used at Bangkok Meteorological Radio and some others. Numbers stations use synthesised voices; monitors regard Lincolnshire Poacher and Cherry Ripe as being the most sophisticated (Utility DX Roundup edited by ALLEN FOUNTAIN, June Australian DX News via DXLD) ** U S A. Re KMA`s STA on 960: night ND power limited to 1.25 kW per http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=1615 (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. There's another interesting engineering story developing on the TV dial in the New York market, where the FCC has approved a proposal by the Metropolitan Television Alliance (the umbrella group representing the market's major TV players) to experiment with what's called "distributed transmission" of DTV signals in the challenging New York market. The MTA's experimental system will operate on WPIX- DT's Channel 33, as well as on the channel 12 frequency that WPIX-DT used as a temporary signal after the World Trade Center was destroyed, supplementing WPIX-DT's Empire State Building signals on both channels with lower-powered fill-in transmissions from the Brooklyn sites. (MTA will also operate from the Brooklyn sites, but not from Empire, on channel 65.) MTA tells the FCC that its goal with the project is to determine whether distributed transmission can help remedy the DTV signal issues that most of the New York stations have experienced in Brooklyn because their DTV antennas at Empire are side-mounted due to space restrictions; it also says it expects those signal issues to be resolved after 2011, when the new Liberty Tower at the WTC site is complete and the TV stations return there from Empire (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch June 4 via DXLD) ** U S A. Potty-mouthed FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is at it again: [Jonathan Adler, June 5, 2007 at 10:24am] Trackbacks IS KEVIN MARTIN INDECENT? Yesterday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit's struck down the Federal Communications Commission policy governing "fleeting expletives" as "arbitrary and capricious." FCC Chairman Kevin Martin responded with an expletive-laden statement. Given the Second Circuit's ruling, could a network air Martin's remarks without fear of federal sanction? Discuss. 50 Comments http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_06_03-2007_06_09.shtml#1181053490 (via Harry Helms, W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19, http://topsecrettourism.com DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Huxters Gone Wild! --- Glenn: -- A definite abuse of our tax-paid process, involving the FCC and FM translator applications, is being perpetrated by a group calling itself Radio Assist Ministry Inc. A perfunctory look at the FCC-FM page for El Centro, California, reveals no less than 19 applications for translators, including two competing for 94.1 MHz. Others include apps for consecutive frequencies 96.9, 97.1 and 97.3; also individual apps for ALL consecutive frequencies from 101.5 to 102.1, and from 106.5 to 107.1. Some of these clash with a series of apps from another busy bunch claiming the name Edgewater Broadcasting Inc. Its own list of some 11 applications covers (among other spots) everything from 103.5 through 104.3. The El Centro/Imperial Valley region is mostly agricultural in a harsh desert climate; the biggest burg in the Valley is the Baja California capital city of Mexicali, just across the Border. Doesn't seem like the most potentially lucrative market for plate-passers. I wonder if the FCC is capable of considering abuse of the process, when evaluating this plethora of paperwork; it seems more and more the rightist organized religionists are being rubber-stamped toward approvals (GREG HARDISON, Los Ángeles, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This abuse of the process has been going on for years, all over the country; this is just a typical example. I seem to recall a report some time ago that the FCC was finally awakening to what is going on, but I wouldn`t expect anything to be done about it under the current régime. Besides pushing the gospel-huxter agenda, companies like these are trafficking in licenses for great profit (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Who pays whom? Paul, What would be the monthly cost of a station playing music 24/7? KOHI was CW, new owner went talk to keep from paying music licensing fees. Does a station that runs syndicated talks shows have to pay the owner of the talk show? Or does the local station run the syndicated talk show commercials in lieu of a fee and insert their own local commercials? (Dennis Vroomski, Vancouver, WA, IRCA via DXLD) In bigger markets, it's usually a total barter, or sometimes, in the HUGE markets, networks pay the station. In smaller markets, its barter and cash., in smaller markets, its all cash. It's based a lot upon ratings! In my case, if I ran music 24/7, my monthly fee would be around what I`m paying PER YEAR! I run talk programming here on WABV-AM 1590, but even so I apparently hafta pay $170 a year or so for a music license because the talk network I run plays 10 to 20 second clips of actual songs going into and outta breaks (Paul B. Walker, Jr., Operations Manager/Program Director/Assistant Engineer/Sales Director/Cleaning Lady/Dog Walker/Lawn Mower/Toilet Fixer Upper, WABV-AM 1590 Abbeville, South Carolina, USA http://www.wabv1590.com http://www.myspace.com/wabv1590 http://www.walkerbroadcasting.com http://www.myspace.com/walkerbroadcasting IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. SOUND OF SUCCESS: WETA THRIVES ON CLASSICAL MUSIC By Paul Farhi Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, June 5, 2007; C01 A bunch of European composers who haven't had a hit in decades have been very, very good to radio station WETA. Since dropping news and talk programming for classical music in January, the Arlington public station has seen its fortunes soar. Ratings have more than doubled since the switchover from BBC and NPR reports to Bach and Brahms concertos. And perhaps just as important to WETA (90.9 FM), pledge contributions from listeners have been gushing. WETA's strong showing in the first four months of the year likely reflects the death of WGMS-FM, the station that called it quits in January after 60 years as Washington's commercial classical station. WETA, owned by a nonprofit foundation, coordinated its format change with WGMS's expiration, becoming the sole classical outlet on the local airwaves. The station's early success suggests that classical music isn't dead as a radio format, despite its long decline on commercial stations across the country. . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/04/AR2007060401707_pf.html (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. KXTO 1550 kHz DX Test (QRSS Mode Added!) KXTO 1550 Reno, NV Maintenance Test Date(s): July 1st, 2007 Thur July 15th, 2007 (Low Power 96 Watts ND) July 14th & 15th (High Power 2500 Watts ND) Time: 00:00AM until 04:00AM Pacific Time [0700-1100 UT] Test material of Morse Code and Sweep Tones will air twice per hour between Midnight and 4 AM daily. The station runs a Spanish Christian format as "La Voz Cristiana 1550". Test Material: Morse Code ID's, Sweep tones, and a "QRSS" (Slow Speed Morse Code ID'S). The QRSS signal is encoded at 2.5 kHz. Dot length is 3 minutes in length. You can attempt to detect the QRSS signal using only your radio, computer soundcard and some free spectrum analysis software from http://www.weaksignals.com Download the software called "Argo". Modes of Operation: Normal, except when test material is running near TOH and BOH. Night time power of 96 watts ND. July 14th & 15th ONLY- Full power of 2500 watts ND. Programming: Morse Code ID's, Sweep Tones, Voice ID. QRSS 2.5 kHz Slow Speed Morse Code Notes: Please do not telephone the station during the test or afterwards. The test is being done by remote control and automation. Reception reports are desired via e-mail (first choice) and snail mail (only if e-mail is not available) Station would prefer to received recordings of the test (MP3, CD, or cassette). Submit reports to: les @ highnoonfilm.com Please put "KXTO DX Test" in the subject line. All standard mail reports should go to: Les Rayburn High Noon Film 100 Centerview Drive Suite 111 Birmingham, AL 35216 Note: SASE Required for QSL. Our special thanks to Jose and the staff of KXTO, and especially to member Paul Walker, who arranged this test and many others! Thanks Paul! ++Best bet for up to the second DX Info is on the #mwdx chat room at http://www.starchat.net Join us during the test nights!++ (Les Rayburn, June 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) If I recall correctly, the QRSS will run once per hour during the low power test and one or two times per hour during the high power test. I do think there will also be some morse code/tone other times during the test as well (Paul Walker, SC, ibid.) Paul, Thanks for the qualifications. You're right, of course. QRSS once per hour during the low power portion of the test, and twice per hour during the high power 2.5 kW nights (Les Rayburn, ibid.) For those who wish to experiment with receiving QRSS (slow speed Morse Code) transmissions prior to the KXTO Test, Brandon Jordan who runs the very informative http://www.dxtests.info web site has posted a sample file that will closely match the actual file for the test. It's available at: http://www.dxtests.info/_files/KXTO 10 Minute File.wav You can download a free Spectrum Analyzer called "Argo" at: http://www.weaksignals.com Keep in mind, that what you're really looking at is a audio frequency spectrum analyzer, not RF. You're feeding an audio signal from your radio (headphone jack, or other output) into one of the inputs on your computer soundcard (MIc, Line, etc.) and then viewing what that audio looks like. Using this technique it's possible to detect slow speed Morse Code signals well below the noise, sometimes as much as -20db! Using this technique, world wide reception of the KXTO DX test may be possible. In advance of the test, I'd concentrate on looking at the carrier signals of various AM stations using USB, LSB, and CW modes. Adjust levels on the receiver output, soundcard input, etc. until you get nice, clean images that are free of distortion. It's easy to overdrive the soundcard with too "hot" of a signal. The actual transmission will be at 2.5khz and you should be able to literally "read" the dots and dashes of the QRSS transmission spelling out, K-X-T-O. In Morse that looks like: K= Dash Dot Dash X= Dash Dot Dot Dash T= Dash O= Dash Dash Dash It's a great mode, and potentially a nighttime IBOC-Beater! You can learn lots more at: http://www.w0ch.net/qrss/qrss.htm http://www.ussc.com/~turner/qrss1.html 73, (Les Rayburn, N1LF, ibid.) Anyone having trouble with the link in Les's email, please try: http://www.dxtests.info/_files/KXTO%2010%20Minute%20File.wav or this shortcut http://tinyurl.com/3acgbu (Brandon Jordan, ibid.) I apologize in advance for raining on anyone's parade, but there's some misunderstanding about what QRSS is and how it could impact reception of KXTO. QRSS is not "slow speed Morse code." It's slow speed CW, and that's not the same thing as Morse. Unless KXTO is planning to drop amplitude modulation and switch to actual CW --- that is, turn its carrier on and off to form the Morse characters --- for the QRSS portion of the test, then it won't be transmitting true QRSS signals. True QRSS gets its advantage for low power communications because the bandwidth of a CW signal is proportional to the keying speed. At 12 words per minute, a CW signal occupies a bandwidth of about 10 Hz. Slow that keying speed so that a dot lasts for ten seconds --- and a dash lasts for about 30 seconds --- and the occupied bandwidth drops to 0.1 Hz. DSP filtering lets you achieve such narrow bandwidths in a receiver, and the resulting signal to noise ratios are really impressive. The effect is similar to the S/N improvement you notice in an analog receiver when you switch to a narrow bandwidth --- say from 6 kHz to 2.4 kHz --- and the signal you're listening to seems to get louder relative to the background noise. You can imagine how dramatic the S/N ratio improvement is when you go from 10 Hz to 0.1 Hz! But the key point is that QRSS is a CW mode, not an amplitude modulated mode. If KXTO is going to transmit the slow speed Morse using audio tones, it's not QRSS but instead just plain old AM and the S/N ratio benefits from QRSS's narrower bandwidths will not be realized. It should also be kept in mind that almost all QRSS tests have been conducted on open frequencies where the only "QRM" is actually intermittent QRN from natural atmospheric noise and manmade electrical devices. If the QRM is from a stronger, wider bandwidth station, then QRSS gets squashed like any other flea-power signal --- and 1550 kHz is far from a clear channel! It will be interesting to see the results of this test, and I applaud the innovative thinking that resulted in the inclusion of some quasi- QRSS material. However, it's not the same thing as true QRSS and it will not realistic to expect KXTO to achieve anything remotely comparable to the results achieved when using true QRSS (Harry Helms W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19, http://topsecrettourism.com ABDX via DXLD) Hi Harry, If the AM transmitter is being modulated with morse code of a continuous tone, then wouldn't each sideband of the AM signal be the equivalent of a CW signal? OK, technically it's not QRSS, but couldn't the sidebands be detected as if it were? (Mike Westfall, NM, ibid.) No. Each sideband's bandwidth would be proportional to the frequency of the audio modulating signal (for example, modulating with a 1 kHz audio tone would produced two sidebands occupying 1 kHz of bandwidth) whereas the bandwidth of a CW signal is proportional only to the keying speed. By definition, CW involves switching an unmodulated carrier wave; if you modulate it with an audio tones, it's no longer CW. Don't forget that a signal has much "punch" when its power is squeezed into as narrow bandwidth; 1000 watts of transmitter power spread over a 5 kHz bandwidth is going to be less effective than 1000 watts occupying only 10 Hz of bandwidth. That's why, watt for watt, CW is still the most effective mode (even though newer computer-based modes, like PSK31, closely approach it). And that's why quasi-QRSS using audio tones just can't be as effective as true QRSS. ``OK, technically it's not QRSS, but couldn't the sidebands be detected as if it were?`` No; an AM signal is an AM signal is an AM signal. Unless the carrier is being switched on and off to form the characters, it's not QRSS. To say you're sending QRSS using audio tones makes as much sense as saying you're using "full carrier SSB." (Harry Helms W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19, ibid.) ** U S A. EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT THE WEATHER; ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT’S CONTROVERSIAL --- Erik S. Lesser for The New York Times [photographer] Heidi Cullen, the Weather Channel’s resident climate expert [caption] By MARIA ASPAN, Published: June 4, 2007 ATLANTA — For 25 years, they have been talking about the weather nonstop. Erik S. Lesser for The New York Times [photographer, caption] The Weather Channel’s president, Debora J. Wilson, says it is “good business” to discuss climate change. At The Weather Channel, which has its headquarters here, that talk once amounted to a reliable humdrum of forecasts and storm coverage in the United States and abroad. In addition to broadcasting weather reports, the channel has thrived by selling its utilitarian but appealing content to newspapers, radio stations and Web sites, and by developing specialty programs around everyone’s favorite elevator-ride conversation topic. “The weather is not controversial, but people are very engaged with it,” Debora J. Wilson, the president of the network, said in a recent interview in her office. The daily weather forecast is rarely controversial, but the broader topic of climate change has generated no end of debate. As the network has seen its primary subject turn into a hot-button issue, it has had to grapple with how it wants to address it — and has decided not to tread gingerly. . . http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/04/business/media/04weather.html?th&emc=th (via Tom Bryant, TN, WTFDA Soundoff topica group via DXLD) I don't have a problem with the Weather Channel taking a stand for improving the environment, but I dislike the fact that they've strayed from their original mission of providing non-stop weather information and gone into so many hour-long "specials". Sure, those features are weather related --- but if it's 7 PM and there's a tornado bearing down on my area, I'd sure as hell rather be watching LIVE REPORTS rather than "Storm Stories". In a way it's like what the (former) news channels have done by way of dumping hard news for entertainment crap and talking heads. The Weather Channel is better able to get away with it because they're the only game in the spectrum still devoted to weather. Anyone willing to share their thoughts on this? I'd be interested to know if the feature content has improved the Weather Channel's ratings --- and/or if the cost of producing it is justified (Tom Bryant / Nashville, ibid.) ** VATICAN [and non]. ITALIAN APPEALS COURT FINDS VATICAN RADIO DIRECTORS NOT GUILTY An appeals court in Italy has overturned the conviction of two Vatican Radio directors on charges of electromagnetic pollution. The decision reverses the 2005 conviction of former Vatican Radio Chairman Cardinal Roberto Tucci and former Director Father Pasquale Borgomeo, who had been found guilty of violating Italy’s tough standards for emission of electromagnetic waves. After their conviction, the two had been given suspended sentences as Vatican Radio was working with the Italian authorities to resolve the problem. (Source: News agencies)( June 5th, 2007 - 17:15 UTC by Andy, Media Network blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [and non]. Re 7-066, "Feast of the Goat" and worldwide reactions to Hugo Chávez' dictatorial closure of RCTV. I cannot resist commenting the following: Noting that the station recently aired "Feast of the Goat," a film based on the novel by Mario Vargas Llosa about a tyrannical dictator and the uprising against him; Chaderton said the intention was to "cultivate" the idea of assassinating Chávez as a solution to Venezuela's problems. The novel is very worth reading. It's the story about Dominican dictator Trujillo, who in the end was assassinated. La Voz Dominicana was his station on SW from Santo Domingo (as we know Santo Domingo was Ciudad Trujillo during that hideous regime), the very first Latin American station (beside HCJB) I got a QSL from. I was only 13 or 14 years old at the time if I remember right. The dictatorship even had its own chronology, "La Era de Trujillo", as seen in a QSL letter from Radio Deportiva Handicap in 1960. The novelist has a lot to say about the La Voz Dominicana. Vargas Llosa, himself a one-time radio reporter, and a long-time candidate for the Nobel Prize of Literature, tells a fascinating, thrilling and sometimes really atrocious story. I bought and read the novel in its translation into Swedish - "Bockfesten". In Castilian it's "La Fiesta del Chivo". Perhaps I'll find and see the film too. // 73 (Johan Berglund, Sweden, June 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. SIGNS OF INTERNET CENSORSHIP EVIDENT, SAYS WEBSITE A Venezuelan weblog, Noticias24.com, says the "first manifestations of censorship on the internet" are being felt in the country. An article posted on 31 May said users of CANTV, the National Telephone Company of Venezuela, were unable to "directly and freely" access the content of Miami-based digital radio stations Radionexx and CaracasRadio TV. It said the broadcasters were "of a radical leaning". But the article noted that "blocking them is completely illegal and a violation of the civil rights of the web users who are free to choose and judge for themselves the pages they want to consult on the internet." The posting said 80 per cent of Venezuela's internet users access CANTV, which was recently bought by the government. "These are the first pages 'censored' by CANTV that we have news of," it added. Source: Noticias24.com in Spanish 31 May 07 (via BBCM via DXLD) CANTV originally stood for Compañía Anónima Nacional Teléfonos de Venezuela, or Venezuelan National Telephone Co., Inc., commonly pronounced Can-te-vé and yes, has nothing to do with television. I remember when they ran voice mirrors on SW point-to-point frequencies (gh, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. CENSORSHIP OR DEMOCRATIZATION? RCTV AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN VENEZUELA By GREGORY WILPERT June 4, 2007 As far as world public opinion is concerned, as reflected in the international media, the pronouncements of freedom of expression groups, and of miscellaneous governments, Venezuela has finally taken the ultimate step to prove its opposition right: that Venezuela is heading towards a dictatorship. Judging by these pronouncements, freedom of speech is becoming ever more restricted in Venezuela as a result of the non-renewal of the broadcast license of the oppositional TV network RCTV. With RCTV going off the air at midnight of May 27th, the country's most powerful opposition voice has supposedly been silenced. It is generally taken for granted that any silencing of opposition voices is anti-freedom of speech. But is an opposition voice really being silenced? Is this the correct metaphor? Is the director of RCTV, Marcel Granier, actually being silenced? No, a better metaphor is that the megaphone that Granier (and others) used for the exercise of his free speech is being returned to its actual owners--a megaphone that he had borrowed, but never owned. Not only that, he is still allowed to use a smaller megaphone (cable & satellite). In other words, the radio frequency that RCTV used for over half a century is being returned to its original owners-the Venezuelan people-under the management of its democratically elected leadership. Still, while the decision about how to use the airwaves might be the prerogative of the government (as many critics concede), critics of the move have a point when they complain that the freedom to use the airwaves cannot be solely a matter of majority rule. . . http://www.counterpunch.org/wilpert06042007.html (Counterpunch via DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. I thought LV de la RASD, 6300, signed on around 0700, but June 5 at 0606 it was already going with monotonous chants, 0609 YL announcement in Arabic, an ID, I think, and into instrumental music, 0610 OM talking. Meanwhile, RHC mixing product of 6060 leapfrogging over 6180, 120 kHz further up, could be heard underneath on 6300, and the two produced a SAH of about 4 Hz, which speaks remarkably for the frequency control of both stations, unless it is just coincidental (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Solar-terrestrial indices for 04 June follow. Solar flux 86 and mid- latitude A-index 11. The mid-latitude K-index at 0600 UTC on 05 June was 0 (4 nT). No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours. No space weather storms are expected for the next 24 hours (SEC via DXLD) RASD Polisario Front on 6300.0 according to monitoring: 0600-0800 in Arabic, ex 0700-0900 1700-1800 in Spanish,ex 2300-2400 1800-2300 in Arabic, no change (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 5 via WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DXLD) I wonder if this shift is because DST started in Algeria, Morocco, or Western Sahara? None such listed for any of those in timeanddate.com (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** YEMEN. Sana`a Radio, 5950, full/data e-mail reply in 80 days. V/s Ahmed Tashy who encouraged further replies. ali_tashy @ yahoo.com (Rich D`Angelo, PA, QSL Report, June NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** ZAMBIA [non]. 9430 CVC, Wertachtal. 2/6 *0500 crash-start, "PSA" about the evils of pre-marital sex, then cricket interview. Was due to switch to Lusaka from 1/6, but signal strength indicates otherwise; sure enough, I note from a report in DXLD that the switch has been delayed, (Craig Seager, Bathurst NSW (Icom R75, R&S EK890, Horizontal Loop, 250m longwire, Dream Software, June Australian DX News via WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ GROUND CONDUCTIVITY AND COVERAGE First, from the FCC site, here`s the US conductivity... http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/m3/index.html In actuality, conductivity in most places is much lower than rated. When you do a ground for your radio, it's best to go as deep as you can. On some non DA South Carolina stations close to where the conductivity goes from 4 to a 2 the day non DA looks weird. Look at the WBT daytime coverage map. The larger area is in a 4; the smaller a 2 or less. http://www.wbt.com/programming/coverage_map.cfm (Powell E. Way III, IRCA via DXLD) DETERIORATING ANTENNA AND GROUND SYSTEMS It's a very safe generalization that the overall state of maintenance of AM antenna systems around the US (and what few are left in Canada) has gone downhill in the last 20 years or so. I can think of numerous examples of smaller stations whose signals are now pale shadows of what they once were, simply because no money or effort has been expended to keep the ground system working, the ATUs tuned up properly, the transmitter site free of weeds and obstructions, and so on. I had one local station, no longer at the site in question, whose site had been chopped up for development without ever properly repairing the ground system. Its signal, at the end, was atrocious, and even though its new site won't perform nearly as well as the old one on paper, it should sound better in reality simply because it will have a working ground system and all new components. Not to sound pro- AM IBOC, because I'm not, but the lone bright spot in the thing is that it requires stations using it to clean up their antenna systems, and that will keep paying off long after AM IBOC is (one hopes) a thing of the past. s (Scott Fybush, Rochester NY, IRCA via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ DRM: See ECUADOR; GERMANY; NEW ZEALAND IBOC REPORTS KMOX IBOC is certainly a problem here around sunset, but checking out recent report that they were running it around local midnight, June 5 at 0545 UT there was no sign of it on 1110-1120-1130. However, when I first tuned in there was some other kind of pulsing around these very frequencies --- went away once I unplugged a TV set (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WSCR AM 670 Chicago has their IBOC on tonight (Tuesday morning 06-05- 07 0043 CDT [0543 UT]). Anyone needing some practice in MW IBOC DX should try for it (Curtis Sadowski, Paxton, Illinois, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ ARE TONAL LANGUAGES GENETIC? Interesting item from this week`s Quirks & Quarks: Genes and Language Listen to or download the mp3 or Ogg files. (what's ogg?) http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/06-07/jun02.html#5 Distribution of tonal (grey) and non-tonal (yellow) languages in the old world - Courtesy, Dan Dediu [map caption] About half the languages of the world are tonal, which means that the tonal inflection of a word affects its meaning. Chinese is probably the best known, but tonal languages are common throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and Central America. Dr. Robert Ladd, a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh noticed that the distribution of tonal and non-tonal languages is similar to the distribution of variants in two genes researchers think might be important in brain development. A careful statistical study seemed to strengthen the correlation. This is interesting evidence that language and culture might be influenced by differences in our genes (via Glenn Hauser, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ HF RADIO SIGNAL PROPAGATION TOPICS... Hello, fellow SWL'er and potential Amateur Radio Operator: [not to mention fellow AROs and potential SWLs --- gh] I'm letting this list know about some additions to my website http://hfradio.org/ These new pages contain information that many radio operators will find useful (based on the feedback I have gotten from this material when the original was published in CQ Magazine and Popular Communications Magazine). One would think that ionospheric radio propagation would be reciprocal. That is, the signal strength in one direction should be the same as in the reverse, or reciprocal, direction. In HF ray-trace theory, the distance is the same and the ionospheric control points -- - the points where the wave is reflected (or more properly, refracted) back to the ground-should be the same. This is an interesting topic for those using very low power, for example. Can your signal be heard well at the distant station, and can it compete with other signals that might be originated with a higher energy level? I explored this (is HF propagation reciprocal?) in a recent CQ Magazine "Propagation" column. I've posted the meat of the text at: http://hfradio.org/ace-hf/ace-hf-reciprocal.html I've also posted another recent CQ Magazine "Propagation" column, where I explored basic HF propagation concepts (De-mystifying HF signal propagation). This is interesting from the "listener's" perspective. You can find it here: http://hfradio.org/ace-hf/ace-hf-demystified.html I'm working on posting additional texts where I take various HF propagation topics, and use modern software to model the concepts. I hope that this is helpful to those of you wishing to dig deeper into space weather and radio signal propagation (especially on HF). 73 es gud DX, Tomas Hood / NW7US / Heliophile : Propagation Editor for CQ, CQ VHF, Popular Communications : : Associate Member of Propagation Studies Committee of RSGB : : 122.93W 47.67N Brinnon, WA USA CN87 - QRP and CW/SSB/DIGI : : 10x56526 : FISTS 7055, FISTS NW 57 : Lighthouse Scty #144 : : NAm QRP CW Club 1774 : QRP Amateur Radio Club Int'l 12781 : : Contributing editor on Wikipedia - Amateur Radio/Space WX : : The journey of life http://ic-discipleship-ministries.org : (Hood, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tom, IIRC (perhaps not a given anymore, if ever), signal power reciprocity is essentially built in to the underlying prediction engine (VOACAP) upon which the software you've used is based (Dan Ferguson, SC, ex-IBB, ibid.) Geomagnetic field activity was at mostly quiet levels the entire period. Isolated unsettled levels were observed late 03 June. ACE data indicated a peak velocity of about 625 km/s at 28/0000 UTC and a minimum velocity of near 300 km/s midday on 31 May. The Bz component of the IMF did not vary much beyond +/- 2 nT from 28 May to late 31 May. By early on 01 June, the Bz began rotating through +10 nT to -6 nT, and remained so during the balance of the summary period. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 06 JUNE - 02 JULY 2007 Solar activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels with a slight chance for high activity until Region 960 rotates around the western limb on 14 June. Very low to low levels are expected from 15 - 28 June. Activity is expected to increase to low to moderate levels after 28 June due to the return of old Region 960 (S09, L=177). There is a slight chance for a greater than 10 MeV proton event from significant flare activity from Region 960 through 14 June. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal levels during 06 - 19 June, high levels during 20 June - 01 July, and normal levels again on 02 July. Quiet conditions are expected during 06 - 13 June. An increase to unsettled to active periods is expected during 14 - 15 June due to a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream. Quiet to unsettled conditions are expected during 16 - 18 June. Another recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream is expected to affect the field during 19 - 23 June. Unsettled to minor storm conditions are expected during this time with major storm periods possible at high latitudes. Activity is expected to decrease to quiet to unsettled levels during 24 - 29 June. An increase to unsettled to active periods is expected during 30 June - 01 July due to a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream. Quiet conditions will return by 02 July. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2007 Jun 05 1924 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2007 Jun 05 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2007 Jun 06 85 5 2 2007 Jun 07 85 5 2 2007 Jun 08 80 5 2 2007 Jun 09 80 5 2 2007 Jun 10 80 5 2 2007 Jun 11 80 5 2 2007 Jun 12 80 5 2 2007 Jun 13 80 5 2 2007 Jun 14 80 15 4 2007 Jun 15 75 10 3 2007 Jun 16 75 8 3 2007 Jun 17 75 5 2 2007 Jun 18 75 8 3 2007 Jun 19 70 25 6 2007 Jun 20 70 20 5 2007 Jun 21 70 20 5 2007 Jun 22 70 20 5 2007 Jun 23 70 12 4 2007 Jun 24 70 5 2 2007 Jun 25 70 5 2 2007 Jun 26 70 5 2 2007 Jun 27 75 5 2 2007 Jun 28 80 5 2 2007 Jun 29 80 5 2 2007 Jun 30 85 15 4 2007 Jul 01 85 15 4 2007 Jul 02 85 8 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1362, DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ THURSDAY, JUNE 7 -- RAISED AS AN ATHEIST After tonight's 6:35 PM Cubs game, Milt Rosenberg welcomes author Nica Lalli. The New York City art teacher talks about her upbringing in an atheist household and how it affects her outlook today in her book Nothing: Something to Believe In. That`s Extension 720 on WGN Chicago, webcast. Show ends at 0400 UT Fri June 8, whenever its delayed start after 0205 due to stupid ballgame of unknown duration possibly as much as 3 sesquihours. Here`s one review of it I found: http://atheism.about.com/od/bookreviews/fr/Nothing.htm (gh, DXLD) ###