DX LISTENING DIGEST 7-091, August 2, 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 NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1369: ** tentative Fri 0630 WRMI 9955** Fri 1030 KAIJ 5755 Fri 1100 WRMI 9955** Fri 2030 WWCR1 15825 Sat 1630 WWCR3 12160 [confirmed July 14] 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 [irregular] 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 ** ALBANIA. Radio Tirana, German new colour QSL serie. Postcard format 1) Bay of Saranda 2) Himara beach 3) Voskopoja near Korca 4) Beach and hotel at Jale Look at http://rthk.agdx.de/ or http://www.agdx.de/rthk/ Radio Tirana, Deutsch: ab Sommer neue Farb-QSL. Auf Initiative und Erledigung durch den deutschsprachigen Radio Tirana Hoererklub, dessen Klubleiter Werner Schubert, gibt es nun (ab Sommer 2007) vier neue QSL fuer Deutsche Sendungen von Radio Tirana: FarbQSL der Serie A: Tourismus (ab Sommer 2007; jeweils Postkartengroesse 10,5 cm x 15 cm) Die 4 Karten dieser Serie zeigen: 1) Bucht bei Saranda 2) Strand bei Himara 3) Voskopoja bei Korca 4) Strand und Hotel in Jale Auf der Web Site des deutschsprachigen Radio Tirana Hoererklubs sind diese FarbQSL anzuschauen: http://rthk.agdx.de/ bzw. Auch http://www.agdx.de/rthk/ Zur Erinnerung: derzeitiger Sendeplan von Radio Tirana in Deutsch Mo-Sa, 1800-1830 UTC, 1458 kHz Mo-Sa, 1930-2000 UTC, 7465 kHz (via Dr. Anton J. Kuchelmeister, Germany, DK5TL, wwdxc BC-DX July 29 via dxldyg via DXLD) Nothing to do with Hong Kong! (gh) ** ALBANIA [and non]. Re 7-090: Can`t remember whether is was Albania or Bulgaria where they always sounded "down in the mud" like they were in the bottom of a barrel, no high frequencies at all in the voice. I am surprised I am receiving at ALL with the sunspot cycle so "focacta"! (Yodar in Orlando, RX320, Kaito 1103, DX 398, North Country voltage probe antenna, DX LISTENING DIGSEST) ** ALGERIA. Re 7-085, Radio Algérie Internationale: >> Says initially it will be operating 12 hours a day from local noon to midnite. The five linx at the top still go nowhere, and the listen link mms://193.194.64.116/elbahdja wants to launch some unknown external application, we are warned to suspect << Firefox told me that it wants to launch Real player which happens to be associated with WMA on the system here. A behaviour one would expect on a Microsoft Media Server Protocol connection of course, and opening it directly with the media player rather than putting it in the URL field of a web browser should start the stream without popping up further warnings. It is this stream: Titel Radio Algerie Internationale Interpret / Quelle Radio Algérienne Urheberrecht cerist 2002/2003 Dateiname mms://193.194.64.116/elbahdja Format Windows Media Audio Qualität 22 Kbit/s Audiokanäle 2 The quality of this 22 kbps stereo signal is appalling. The audio input itself indeed appears to be stereo, as far as I could make out from a talkbed (used under a phone connection, always a bad idea) in all the artifacts warbling around, but it is out of balance, with the level of the right channel being too high. Right now the programming is in Arabic, put perhaps it is worth to keep an ear on it. This stream should be // to the "International Radio" channels on Hotbird 6, Nilesat 102 and NSS 7, so it is not only webcast but on satellite for Europe, Africa and the Middle East as well (Kai Ludwig, Germany, 1451 UT August 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I tried opening the mms URL directly on my WM player, but it could not find it (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) Same for me --- WMP can't find data file. ``Windows Media Player kann die Datei nicht finden. Wenn Sie ein Element aus der Bibliothek wiedergeben, brennen oder synchronisieren, zeigt das Element möglicherweise auf eine Datei, die verschoben, umbenannt oder gelöscht wurde.`` 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) Right now again no problem to access the mms://193.194.64.116/elbahdja stream here via file -> open. Until 2000 they had programming in Spanish, now Arabic is on again. Enclosed a recording off Eutelsat Hotbird at 1659, with a change from Arabic to French. Same defective audio than on the webstream where the insufficient 22 kbps encoding makes matters even worse of course. The same TOH opener had just been used for starting Arabic, too, with headlines being read out on the talkbed that had been faded down immediately for the opening announcement of French. So the schedule includes French 1700-1800 and Spanish 1900-2000, assuming that these are hour-long programmes each. English could be 1800-1900, which would be 19:00 local time, probably explaining mentions of this time. Altogether this is obviously a revival of what they once offered via their now shut down shortwave transmitters (and at times on LW/MW, too, like Spanish on 252), just this time via satellite. Apparently Radio Algerienne no longer considers shortwave as a suitable distribution platform to reach Europe, since at the same time they lease shortwave airtime to reach Africa. It is also quite remarkable that they consider religious programming as more suitable for Africa than this secular service (Kai Ludwig, Germany, 2035 UT August 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. 15:01 --- SE INCENDIÓ LA ESCUELA ARGENTINA DE LA ANTÁRTIDA Estaba ubicada en la base Esperanza. El incendio se originó por una falla en el sistema de calefacción y el establecimiento, en el que cursaban 17 chicos, quedó totalmente destruido. Las clases continuarán en una vivienda destinada al personal de la base. "Los chicos no van a perder ni una hora de clase", dijo el jefe de base, Sergio Pietrafesa. (TN) Un incendio originado en el sistema de calefacción destruyó totalmente el edificio donde funcionaba una escuela argentina en la Antártida, en el ámbito de la base Esperanza, sin que se registraran heridos, informaron hoy fuentes oficiales. El jefe de la base Esperanza, mayor Sergio Pietrafesa, aseguró que el incendio "destruyó la totalidad del edificio" que ocupaba la escuela Julio A. Roca, que tenía dos aulas, una sala de computación, salón de usos múltiples, cocina y baño. Pietrafesa aclaró que, pese a la magnitud del incendio en la única escuela argentina en el continente blanco "no hubo que lamentar heridos" entre las 62 personas de la base, de la cuales 22 son chicos y 17 de ellos cursan en ese establecimiento que depende del Ejército argentino. El siniestro se produjo el sábado a las 17:35, y duró una hora y media, pero recién trascendió esta mañana de fuentes del Ministerio de Educación de Tierra del Fuego, del que depende la Escuela. Las clases continuarán en una vivienda destinada al personal de la base que reúne similares comodidades. A esta altura del año la base esperanza se encuentra aislada del continente debido a que ningún medio de transporte, ni marítimo ni aéreo puede llegar hasta esa latitud. (Fuente: DyN) http://swli05639fr.blogspot.com/ (via Franceso Cecconi, July 30, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1369, DXLD) Of course, for us the question immediately arises, whether LRA-36 facilities were in the school or affected. Quite possible, in such a small base. Do we hear it still on 15476, M-F 18-21? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) LRA36 would appear to be on. I have a very weak signal on 15476 at 1925. Steve Lare Holland, MI USA, ibid.) ** ARGENTINA. Brasil, 6214, Rádio Harmonia, 22/7 1020, SINPO 35434. Religious talk in Portuguese, invitation to a religious happening on 8-9 August, mention of the union of bus drivers in Buenos Aires on 8-9 August. ID by jingles as "Harmonia, ...... FM e ondas curtas 6215 kHz". This station not listed in WRTH. Received in Ilha Grande, near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Robertas Pogorelis, August 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I think it`s axually across the border in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, not exactly licensed, a.k.a. R. Baluarte (gh, DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 15344.05, R.A.E. Buenos Aires, 1/8 2253 about Jerusalem and Condalisa Rise + ID in Spanish, verry good, 45444. Gr. from (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. I heard all 3 transmitters of the NTSS network on all 6 frequencies - all for the first time! 26 July, 1902 UTC, phone-in show about football coaching, on 2485 (SINPO 35333), 2325 (25322), and 2310 kHz (22322). ID as "ABC Darwin" after the 1930 news. A little later I heard them sign off at 2130, and re-appear on 60m: 4835 (SINPO 33333), 4910 (33333) and 5025 kHz (42333) with another news edition (Eike Bierwirth, RMRC DX camp in Langenselbold, near Hanau, Central Germany. Conditions seemed favourable, and the good performance of the RMRC dipole antenna helped a lot. The dipole was approx. 10 meter long each side, and the central point was hoisted up a flagpole. I used it on my JRC NRD-525 receiver, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BANGLADESH. Dear friends, Received the following message from Bangladesh Betar external service. Please monitor from your end & report directly to Bangladesh Betar, Dhaka. Thanks, (Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, Aug 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Senior Engineer, RRC, BB; Dhaka rrc @ dhaka.net Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh Research & Receiving Centre Bangladesh Betar 121, Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue Shahbag, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. Tel : +880-2-862-5538 Fax : +880-2-861-2021 E-mail : rrc @ dhaka.net URL : http://www.betar.org.bd Dear Listener, Thanks and warm greetings from Research & Receiving Centre on behalf of Bangladesh Betar. We really appreciate your interest on tuning our SW frequency and all of you are welcome to enjoy our SW programmes. For your kind notice, We would like to inform you that recently we have brought some changes in our broadcasting time-frame and frequency for External and Home service programmes. At present, we have three SW transmission frequencies. You can reach our external service programmes at frequencies 7250 and 9550 kHz and home service programmes at 4750 kHz. Please monitor our time and frequency schedule for External and Home service programmes as shown below: *Shortwave Transmission (External Service) *** 1 English (General Overseas Service) 1230-1300 S & SE Asia 7250 41.38 2 Nepalese Service 1315–1345 Nepal 3 Urdu Service 1400–1430 Pakistan 4 Hindi Service 1515–1545 India 5 Arabic Service 1600–1630 Middle East 6 Bengali Service 1630–1730 Middle East 7250 41.38 9550 31.41 7 English (Voice of Islam) 1745–1815 Europe 7250 41.38 9550 31.41 8 English (General Overseas Service) 1815–1900 Europe 7250 41.38 9550 31.41 9 Bengali Service 1915–2000 Europe 7250 41.38 9550 31.41 You are requested to monitor these frequencies for the time being and report us accordingly. Thanks in anticipation. With best regards, (Mahesh Chandra Roy), Senior Engineer, Research & Receiving Centre Bangladesh Betar (via Patrick Robic, Austria; Swopan Chakroborty, India, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) But the skeds via http://www.betar.org.bd/progSch.htm remain outdated showing only 7185 and 4750. The original table layout in the above makes it not completely clear, but I think until 1630 it`s only on 7250, and after that on both 7250 and 9550 (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Hello Glenn, I hope you are well. Sorry for not having been in touch for a long time. I just came back from my two-weeks holiday in Brazil (around Salvador and Rio de Janeiro). As usual, I had my SONY ICF SW-7600 GR and 15 m long wire with me. Although my time for DX-ing was limited, I still made some observations, which I would like to share with you (perhaps you will find them useful for your news, or otherwise would like to comment on some of them). I tried to arrange them in the format of WOR, to save your time. Best wishes, (Robertas Pogorelis, August 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [as edited by gh with accents, etc.; a selexion here. His full report on Brasil and other countries appeared in the DXLD yg] 1080, Rádio Subaé, Feira de Santana, 28/7 1034, SINPO 35333. Adverts, ID and mention of "Prefeitura Feira de Santana". Received near Salvador, Brazil. 1440, Rádio Mil Stereo(?), 17/7 0032, SINPO 23333. Many mentions of Bahia, religious station, announcement of next day's programme, tentative ID. No station from Bahia listed in WRTH on this frequency. Received in Salvador, Brazil. [there is one, but not with this name: BA38) ZYH466 1440 10/0.5 kW R. Independência, Santo Amaro --- gh] 6010, Rádio Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte (tentative), 25/7 1002, SINPO 45544. Discussing the accident in Congonhas, weather forecast, later talk about National Writer's Day, advert of Petrobras. // 6073 (the latter frequency not listed in WRTH). Received near Lençois, Bahia, Brazil. 6073, Rádio Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte (tentative) // 6010, 25/7 1017, SINPO 33433. Talk about heat in central Europe, then about a festival in Belo Horizonte. Not listed in WRTH on this frequency. Received near Lençois, Bahia, Brazil. [must be a spur --- gh] 5990, Rádio Senado, Brasília, 22/7 1041, SINPO 45544. Talk about women in Brazilian society. Received in Ilha Grande, near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 6370, Rádio Senado, 25/7 1047, SINPO 23433. Some kind of image from 5990. Received near Lençois, Bahia, Brazil (Robertas Pogorelis, August 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Leapfrog 5990 over 6180 Brasília halfway between (gh, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Brasil Central em 3715. Estou louco ou é isso mesmo? Olá pessoal! Puxa, eu sou daqueles caras que simplesmente adora procurar coisas fora das bandas de radiodifusão. O que cair na rede é sempre peixe: emissoras de números, emissoras utilitárias, radioamador, px e por aí vai. Mas hoje achei, pela segunda vez, que eu estava louco e meus ouvidos estavam me traindo. Dia 07/04, ouvi a Brasil Central numa frequencia muita diferente: 3715 kHz (pelo menos nunca li nem achei nada a respeito dessa frequência). Eis que volto a ouví-la nesses mesmos 3715 kHz, por volta das 0300 UT deste dia 31/07. Impossível ser um harmônico. Seria imagem do receptor? Imagem da onde????? Acionando o botão SSB do rádio, percebi que dá batimento perfeito na frequencia... Alguém mais consegue captar a rádio nessa frequencia aí? Por favor, confirmem. Acho que não estou louco não, e meus ouvidos escutam muito bem. 73! (Marcelo Xavier Vieira, Chapadão do Sul-MS, July 30, radioescutas via DXLD) As freqüências da RBC são 4985 e 1270: 4985 - 1270 = 3715. 73, (Guilherme Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** CANADA [and non]. No one has given us any monitoring info yet on when WHRI is axually signing on 7335, if they are still using it at all, tho it remains on their website sked at 0600-1100. July 31 I woke up just before 0800 and found CHU in the clear a minute before and after that hour. But August 2 at 1046 check, WHRI was on 7335 and CHU not even audible under (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CHTO-1690 noted testing all day with variety of Greek songs, instrumentals, and IDs in English and Greek. They're still on, past local sunset. Soon to become "my big fat Greek pest"! 73 (Mike Brooker, Toronto, ON, July 30, ABDX via DXLD) I heard them spot-on 1690 yesterday, but this morning they seem to be around 1690.7 kHz causing a strong het on 1690; can anyone close to them (Mike Brooker?) verify this? Thanks! (Brett Saylor Central PA, Aug 2, IRCA via DXLD) ** CHAD. Correlating with Carlos Gonçalves` log of this in the evening, the extremely distorted, extremely off-frequency 6165 transmitter of RNT heard on about 7262v, same characteristics as previously when identified on 7310v, 7290v, warbling variable beat against a weak signal on 7260, which at 0548 Aug 2 would be Algeria via UK. This must be a big problem back in the NAf target area, but who cares? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHILE. Hi Glenn: Grupo PRISA, the largest media group in Spain and also publisher of EL PAIS, just completed a deal to purchase the largest radio network in Chile. Here's the story as it appeared today's EL PAIS (Marty Delfín, Spain, DXLD) PRISA COMPRA LA MAYOR CADENA DE RADIO DE CHILE ELPAIS.com - Madrid - 31/07/2007 Unión Radio, empresa que opera los negocios radiofónicos del Grupo PRISA, ha firmado la compra del 100% de Iberoamerican Radio Chile (IARC) a Claxson Chile S.A., una vez obtenida la aprobación de las autoridades de competencia. El valor de la operación es de 74,6 millones de dólares. . . http://www.elpais.com/articulo/economia/Prisa/compra/mayor/cadena/radio/Chile/elpepueco/20070731elpepueco_9/Tes (via Marty Delfín, Spain, DXLD) CLAXSON SELLS IBEROAMERICAN RADIO CHILE TO PRISA http://digital50.com/news/items/BW/2001/07/14/20070802005941/claxson-sells-iberoamerican-radio-chile-to-prisa.html BUENOS AIRES, Argentina & MIAMI-(Business Wire)- August 2, 2007 - Claxson, the multimedia company that provides and distributes branded entertainment content to Spanish and Portuguese audiences around the world, announced that on July 31, 2007, after obtaining regulatory approval by Chilean antitrust authorities the company closed the sale of IberoAmerican Radio Chile to Grupo Latino de Radiodifusión, an affiliate of Prisa Group. As a result of this transaction, all radio networks of IberoAmerican Radio Chile (Pudahuel FM, Rock & Pop, Corazón, FM Dos, Concierto, Futuro, FM Hit and Imagina) will be controlled by Grupo Latino de Radiodifusión. The total purchase price for IberoAmerican Radio Chile was US $74.6 Million. "We are very pleased about this transaction with Prisa Group. I believe that the management of IberoAmerican Radio Chile has played a key role in the success of the radio networks and the creation of shareholder value. I am very proud to have worked with them all these years," said Roberto Vivo, Claxson's Chairman and CEO (via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. La Voz de[l] Guaviare, 6035, ID, jingle, national anthem and sign off, heard on 28 July at 0258 UTC, SINPO 33322 (Eike Bierwirth, RMRC DX camp in Langenselbold, near Hanau, Central Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CROATIA. Re 7-086: ``6165, 9.7 1400, Radio Rijeka (Radio Fiume in Italian) with news in Italian via Hrvatski Radio. At 1430 a transmission from Radio Herzeg-Bosne [= Bosnia-Herzegovina?] was heard.`` Indeed Bosnia-Herzegovina, in particular Hrvatski Radio Herceg-Bosne from Mostar. Glas Hravtske also relays 1630-1700 the Hungarian programme of Radio Osijek (in this case also with an AM //, their own 1557 outlet). (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Aug 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. Hi Glenn I did my checks while I was away camping July 22-29. Things were fine on the 1st two days. After that, the situation returned to normal. I use 9560 as my 'Canary in the Cave'. When Cuba [CRI] comes on, white noise almost covers this frequency. 9580 is fine at start, as is 9590 BUT, as I suspected when the signal strength goes down on 9580, the noise appears on that frequency too. If they have done anything on the transmitter, the situation is not much improved. I doubt this transmitter from Cuba will ever behave in a normal state. I hope they consider changing the frequency this fall. I consider Radio Australia in our mornings, 'Shortwave 101'. It is a long established broadcast that can [normally] be picked up by almost any SW receiver. I still am amazed to this day, that this signal from Shepparton - on the other side of the earth, puts in such a signal here. It is a real shame this broadcast, and two of RA's other frequencies, has been ruined by the transmission from Cuba/CRI (Andy Reid, Ont., July 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. New 100 kW transmitter for R. Martí, Marathon, 1180: see U S A ** ECUADOR. 3279.93, LV del Napo, R. María, Tena, 1/8 0120, Male and Female talks in Sp. Poor 22222. Gr. from (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. After almost 13 months, a QSL card together with a schedule and a letter signed by a Sally Saleh arrived from Radio Cairo. Received it on the 25 July 2007. Address is : English To Asia Radio Cairo P. O. Box 566 Cairo, EGYPT (Peter Ng, Malaysia, July 31, dxing.info via DXLD) ** ERITREA. Voice of Broad Masses noted back on 7100 kHz, nothing on 7090. HoA music and talk, 29 July, 0410 UT, SINPO 22322 (Eike Bierwirth, RMRC DX camp in Langenselbold, near Hanau, Central Germany, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1369, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. Radio Ethiopia was heard in Somali on 26 July, 12.22 UTC on both frequencies in parallel: 7165.0 and 9560.6 kHz, with SINPO 32432 and 33322. It was heard again on 28 July at 1358 UTC, now on 9560.3, listed as Afar language, which may well be so to the sound of it, then at 1400 heard their IS and then the Arabic program, SINPO 32422 (Eike Bierwirth, RMRC DX camp in Langenselbold, near Hanau, Central Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. MV Baltic Radio is on this Sunday 5th of August 2007 at 1200 UT on 6045 kHz. Good listening (Tom Taylor, August 2, DX LI STENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Here is an official announcement (in English) about Media&Broadcast being a legally independent company since June 1: http://www.t-systems-mediabroadcast.de/tsi/en/205974/Home/AboutMediaBroadcast/PressCenter/PressArchive/DetailPagePressRelease/2007-06-01-spin-offt In their website they now frequently use the short variant of the name (i.e. without T-Systems). (Kai Ludwig, Germany, August 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also DIGITAL BROADCASTING ** GERMANY. Summer A-07 of DTK T-Systems Media & Broadcast. Pt 3 of 3: Trans World Radio (TWR): 0530-0545 6130 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg Mon-Fri CeEu Slovak 0830-0845 6105 JUL 100 kW / 105 deg Tue-Sat CeEu Hungarian 0830-0845 7210 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg Tue-Sat CeEu Hungarian 1030-1100 9490 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg Sat CeEu Slovak 1030-1100 7225 JUL 100 kW / 105 deg Sat CeEu Slovak Radio Luxemburg: 0530-1630 5990 WER 090 kW / 270 deg Mon/Tue WeEu French DRM 0530-1730 5990 WER 090 kW / 270 deg Wed WeEu French DRM 0530-1630 5990 WER 090 kW / 270 deg Thu/Fri WeEu French DRM Christian Science Sentinel: 0900-1000 6055 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg Sun CeEu German 1800-1900 9585 JUL 100 kW / 070 deg Sat EaEu Russian Evangelische Missions Gemeiden: 1030-1100 6055 WER 125 kW / non-dir Sat/Sun CeEu German 1100-1130 13710 WER 250 kW / 035 deg Sat FE Russian 1500-1530 11615 WER 250 kW / 060 deg Sat EaEu Russian Missionswerke Arche Stimme des Trostes 1100-1115 5945 WER 250 kW / non-dir Sun CeEu German Mecklenburg Verpommern Baltic Radio: 1200-1300 6045 JUL 100 kW / non-dir 1st Sun WeEu German Radio Traumland: 1300-1430 5945 JUL 100 kW / non-dir Sun WeEu German Radio Huriyo: 1630-1700 11640 JUL 100 kW / 130 deg Tue/Fri EaAf Somali Voice of Oromiya Independence: 1700-1730 15650 WER 125 kW / 135 deg Sat EaAf Oromo/Amharic Voice of Democratic Eritrea Int. 1700-1800 15315 JUL 100 kW / 125 deg Thu EaAf Tigrinya/English Radio Reveil Paroles de Vie: 1830-1845 15675 JUL 100 kW / 160 deg Tue/Thu SoAf French Voice of Ethiopian Unity-Ethiopian Forum for Democracy: 1900-2000 9480 WER 100 / 135 deg Wed/Fri/Sun EaAf Amharic Radio República: 2300-0400 5910 WER 100 kW / 285 deg Mon-Fri CeAm Spanish Pan American Broadcasting (PAB): 2000-2030 9430 WER 250 kW / 150 deg Fri NoAf English 1930-2030 9430 WER 250 kW / 150 deg Sat NoAf English 1930-2015 9430 WER 250 kW / 150 deg Sun NoAf English 0030-0045 9640 WER 125 kW / 090 deg Sun SoAs English 1401-1416 15205 NAU 100 kW / 090 deg Sun SoAs English 1416-1431 15205 NAU 100 kW / 090 deg Daily SoAs English 1431-1446 15205 NAU 250 kW / 090 deg Sun SoAs English 1401-1416 15205 NAU 250 kW / 104 deg Tue/Thu CeAs Armenian 1401-1416 15205 NAU 250 kW / 090 deg Sat ME Persian 1600-1630 13830 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg Thu ME Persian 1545-1630 13830 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg Sun ME English 1431-1446 15650 JUL 100 kW / 090 deg Sun ME English Last minutes changes: Minivan (Independent) Radio again on air from August 1, 2007: 1600-1700 11965 JUL 100 kW / 090 deg Daily SoAs Dhivehi [this item via WORLD OF RADIO 1369] Bible Voice Broadcasting Network to SoAs from August 15, 2007: 1500-1600 15140 WER 250 kW / 090 deg Mon/Thu/Fri Bengali, ex 15530 1530-1600 15140 WER 250 kW / 090 deg Tue Hindi, ex 15530 1515-1600 15140 WER 250 kW / 090 deg Wed Hindi, ex 15530 1500-1515 15140 WER 250 kW / 090 deg Sat Hindi, ex 15530 1500-1530 15140 WER 250 kW / 090 deg Sun Bengali, ex 15530 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, July 31 via DXLD) ** GERMANY EAST. Re 7-086: You brought up the topic of the BBC's "Doctor Who" series. . . [see U K] Perhaps this raises the question about archive material of GDR radio and TV. No reason to worry; 15,000 reel-to-reel video tapes, 50,000 Betacam SP tapes and 140,000 cans of film from GDR TV as well as almost half a million tapes from GDR radio (300,000 reels with music, 150,000 reels of talk material) are here: http://www.dra.de/bestaende/ddr/index.html (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Aug 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. 4052.5, Radio Verdad, Chiquimula, 0532-0559*, 30-07, programa en inglés "Spiritual Songs", canciones religiosas y comentarios religiosos. Identificación a las 0556 "Radio Verdad, Chiquimula, Guatemala Central America", himno y cierre a las 0559. Extraordinaria propagación entre las 0532 y las 0540, con SINPO 45444, entrando como las más potentes emisoras internacionales; luego se fue debilitando la señal para caer hasta SINPO 25322. Muy sorprendente la potencia con la que llegó entre las 0532 y las 0540. Llevo rastreando esta emisora durante muchos años y nunca antes la había escuchado tan fuerte (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, escuchas realizadas en Camping de Reinante, provincia de Lugo, Mar Cantábrico, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G , Antena de cable, 10 metros, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4052.50, R. Verdad, Chiquimula, 1/8 0057 gemale talks about GTM. + ID, verry good, 33333. Gr. from (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA: Using Grundig G5 at Estell Manor Park, I noted this: on 9910 at 2234 (which should be nothing but carrier!) July 28, I noted All India Radio carrying domestic news in English, then after "And that is the end of this news bulletin", went into news in another language, likely Hindi. All this after the end of the GOS programs to Australia/NZ and Europe on this channel, and before tones begin at around 2245 (is there a break for a beam change?) to warm up the transmitter for the 2300 broadcast to SE Asia in Hindi, all from Aligarh (Joe Hanlon, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. GOVT MAY TWEAK PRASAR BHARATI REVAMP PLAN 2 Aug 2007, 0201 hrs IST, Meenakshi Verma & Joji Thomas Philip, TNN NEW DELHI: The government is considering to review its earlier proposal to split Prasar Bharati vertically. It had earlier decided to split the state-run broadcaster into two entities - one Asset Corporation, which will hold all assets, and a Programming & Broadcasting Corporation, which will oversee programming and other operations - to take on competition from private broadcasters more effectively. Unlike the earlier proposal where the assets and operations were slated to be held under two different entities, the new plan involves retaining the assets and operations of Doordarshan and programming and operation of All India Radio (AIR) with Prasar Bharati, while leaving the assets of AIR with the government. The assets of AIR will then be leased out to Prasar Bharati for a fee. The information and broadcasting ministry is of the view that if this plan is followed, the restructuring of the PSU will be less painful, except for the documentation process for leasing out AIR assets to Prasar Bharati. Sources said the government has not shelved the earlier proposal, yet. A group of ministers (GoM) set up to examine various issues pertaining to Prasar Bharati will study both models before arriving at a decision. The ministerial panel has met only twice since it was set up on March 7, 2006. The government wants to restructure Prasar Bharati to take on private sector broadcasters. This comes as Prasar Bharati has accumulated a revenue deficit of about Rs 4,000 crore over the past five years. . . http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Govt_may_tweak_Prasar_Bharati_revamp_plan/articleshow/2249486.cms (via Mukesh Kumar, India, DXLD) AIR, DD STAFFERS SHAKEN BY 400 TRANSFERS -- By Rashme Sehgal New Delhi, Aug. 1: Newly-appointed Prasar Bharati CEO Baljit Singh Lalli's decision to transfer 400 Doordarshan and All India Radio staffers has led to shockwaves within the organisation. Not only have several employees resisted, but it is an open secret that large sums of money have changed hands within the organisation in an effort to stop these transfers. Many of the transfers, to the Northeast in particular, have been perceived as "punishment postings", carried out with a sense of vindictiveness and not to strengthen the public broadcaster, a senior producer who has worked with Doordarshan for the past 20 years told this newspaper. . . http://203.197.197.71/presentation/leftnavigation/news/top-story/air,-dd-staffers-shaken-by-400-transfers.aspx (via Mukesh Kumar, India, DXLD) ** ISRAEL. Voz de Israel en castellano --- ¿Alguien puede confirmar si exista todavía la emisión de las 1715 a 1730 en 9345, 11590, 13675, a pesar de anularse la otra a las 1945? Y ¿cuál del sábado en mezcla con ladino a las 15-1525 en 11605, 15640, 15760? Gracias, Glenn. Can anyone confirm whether Israel still has a Spanish broadcast at 1715 on 9345, 11590, 13675. I`ll be compiling my Spanish DX report shortly and need the latest info on this. Tnx, (Glenn Hauser, Aug 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, unfortunately I missed Spanish segment, due of RAI Rome checking action, but French was at 1700, and En now at 1730 UT on 9345, 11590, and 13675 kHz, all with S=9 +10 dB signal level. Noted Roumanian at 1625-1645 UT, on 11590 and 15760 kHz. But missed 9345 in 16-17 UT segment. Maybe Romero checked the Castellano segment too? 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, ibid.) Yes indeed. I heard this transmission [1715] last Sunday, just after the French segment, on the frequencies you mention (Jean-Michel Aubier, France, August 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9345 // 9400 // 11590, Kol Israel, 1900-1910, escuchada el 1 de agosto en ruso a locutor con boletín de noticias, cuña de identificación, a las 1904 segmento musical y locutora con comentarios, conversación con invitado, segmento musical. SINPO 45544. ¿Se trata de algún servicio nuevo o cambio de horarios? El servicio en ruso se anuncia de 2000 a 2100 en 9345 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia) España, ibid.) Como discutimos antes, es en reemplazo a la hora en inglés, francés y español. Parece que los locutores rusos no se enteran del cambio. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Acabo de escuchar el cierre prematuro a las 1957; en la página web de Kol Israel no se menciona el cambio: http://israelradio.org/sw.htm Tampoco está registrado en el Aoki ni en el EiBi. 73 (JMR, ibid.) 1945-1959 close-down, Kol Israel in Russian instead, noooooooo castellano. 9345 9400 11590. Late changes at Kol Israel recently? WRTH PDF file entry is partly correct. Sorry http://israelradio.org/sw.htm is out of reality ... 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) Saludos cordiales. 9345 // 11590 Kol Israel, 1645-1700, Español. Este parece ser el nuevo horario de Kol Israel en español; hoy 2 de agosto he podido escuchar el servicio en español de 1652 a 1657. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, ibid.) También. Also Spanish at 1720 UT on 9345, 11590, and 13675. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) El servicio en español de 1715 a 1730 se mantiene igual en 9345, 11590 y 13675. 73 (José Miguel Romero2, ibid.) ** ISRAEL. ISRAEL BROADCASTING AUTHORITY DELAYS STAFF SALARIES, FACES "COLLAPSE" | Text of report in English by Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post website on 30 July Israel Broadcasting Authority's threats that employees would not receive their July salaries came closer to reality Monday when IBA Chairman Moshe Gavish said Monday [30 July] at the weekly meeting of the IBA management committee that there would be a delay in payments. Licence fee revenues have been coming in at a trickle, and the IBA's financial deficit simply makes it impossible to pay out salaries on the due date, said Gavish. He was, nevertheless, hopeful that salaries could be paid on 7 August, when last quarter licence fee payments should arrive at the bank. In the interim, Gavish said he hoped that Bank Yahav would demonstrate sensitivity and understanding towards those IBA employees who sought to get loans from the bank to tide them over until their salaries were deposited. Members of the management committee expressed doubts about there being sufficient funds to pay out salaries, even by 7 August, and said that this was a major sign of the impending collapse of the IBA. Most were certain there would also be a delay in paying August salaries, if they would be paid at all. Source: The Jerusalem Post website, Jerusalem, in English 30 Jul 07 (via BBCM via WORLD OF RADIO 1369, DXLD) ** ITALY. Rai still on SW? Please confirm whether Rai, Italy is still on SW as usual, as there were rumors it might close at the end of July. Tnx, (Glenn Hauser, Aug 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes (Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, ibid.) 6140, 7130, and 9845 kHz 1700-1800 UT August 1st, noted Rai Rome in Italian, playing "Volare" chanson song of Domenico Modugno and Johnny Dorelli, the 1958 San Remo and Eurovision contest success. Best signal on 6140 kHz. Not propagating into Europe: 11970 and 15390 towards African target. But no chance on 5985 kHz, due of co-channel T-systems Wertachtal broadcast R LUX French DRM jamming from 5982 to 6002 kHz tonight. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, ibid.) Mi amigo italiano me ha dado algo más de información sobre el cierre de las emisiones en OC de la RAI. Según fuentes de Ray Way, la propiertaria de los transmisores que usa la RAI, el 1 de agosto deberían haber finalizado las emisiones para los países de Europa del Este. Pero, el 31.12.2007 cerrarán definitivamente todas las emisiones en OC de la RAI... por tanto, apenas quedan unos meses para escuchar a la emisora internacional italiana, una de las decanas de la OC. Un saludo (Pedro Sedano, Madrid, España, Aug 1, Noticias DX via DXLD) Says broadcasts to E Europe should have closed by Aug 1, and everything else will go Dec 31. So these broadcasts should now be missing. Are they? Russia 0345-0405 Russian 6135 9710 11830 0600-0620 Russian 9670 11795 1605-1625 Russian 9705 11885 2000-2020 Russian 6185 9565 11775 East Europe 0405-0425 Ukrainian 6135 9710 11830 0505-0525 Lithuanian 9670 11795 0530-0550 Romanian 9670 11795 0625-1300 Italian 6140 1335-1355 Albanian 9610 1400-1415 Slovene 9570 1415-1435 German 9570 1435-1455 Croatian 9570 1500-1520 Turkish 9870 11895 1520-1540 Greek 9870 11895 1540-1600 Bulgarian 9870 11895 1810-1825 Czech 6130 1825-1840 Slovak 6130 1840-1900 Polish 6130 1910-1930 Serbian 6130 1935-1955 Hungarian 6130 2115-2135 Romanian 5970 2135-2155 Czech 5970 2155-2210 Slovak 5970 2210-2225 Polish 5970 (DX MIX NEWS) last update june 27, 2007 (via http://www.bclnews.it/a07schedules/rai.htm via DXLD) The service at 1605 on 9705 and 11885 was heard to start after bird chirps, but I can't confirm 100% that it was in Russian due poor reception. Italian on 9670 and 11855 to WEu was much better. 17790 to EAf was not audible if on air, and neither is 15320 or 15390 at 1700 - WEWN is using the latter (Noel R. Green (NW England), Aug 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RAI is still on SW to East Europe. Heard at 1825 in Slovak on 6130 after the Czech programme (JM Aubier, France, Aug 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Rai Czech and Slovak still on air; news on Prodi politics, 6130 around 1815-1828 UT, S=9+10dB signal. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) Pero ese no será sino hasta el último día del año, cuando levantemos la copa para brindar por su larga carrera, mientras tanto disfrútemosla por lo que queda. Yo como de costumbre sigo recibiendo sus señales de intervalo en 9840 y 11800 alrededor de la 0100. 73 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.) ** KURDISTAN. IRAQ/KURDISTAN. Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan apparently still there, oriental music heard under heavy utility QRM on 6335 kHz (29 July, 0440 UT) with SINPO 42432 (Eike Bierwirth, RMRC DX camp in Langenselbold, near Hanau, Central Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATVIA. Special LIVE broadcast of the Rhein-Main Radio Club with reports about the DX camp where I heard this broadcast, featuring interviews with participants, myself included, recorded a few hours earlier on the camp site (not a campsite!). 9290 kHz via Ulbroka, on 28 July, 1700-1900 UT, booming in with 55555 (Eike Bierwirth, RMRC DX camp in Langenselbold, near Hanau, Central Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9290 kHz relays this weekend: August 4th Latvia Today 0800-0900 UT Radio Joystick 0900-1000 UT August 5th Latvia Today 1900-2000 UT Good listening (Tom Taylor, Aug 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA [and non]. Sawt al-Amal y afro-pop, cancelados?? Saludos cordiales. Desde hace varias semanas se aprecia que la emisora clandestina para Libia, Sawt al-Amal, está inactiva; todo parece indicar que el servicio en Onda Corta se a cancelado, ya que no se encuentra frecuencia de reemplazo. Lo que más me ha sorprendido es que hasta ayer mismo la emisora afro-pop estaba emitiendo en 17660 kHz; sin embargo hoy también la he encontrado inactiva a las 1230 UT y a las 1403 se escuchaba libre de interferencias el servicio en francés de BSKSA Riyadh. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, August 2, dxldyg via DXLD) It`s apparent that Sawt al Amal has ceased, not reported for several weeks, altho it would be nice to have it confirmed from the source, as they could have changed time and/or frequency as yet undiscovered. Perhaps Gabon will finally find something else to do with the Afro-pop music jamming transmitter (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. 5010, Radio Madagasikara, music, national anthem, 3 x IS and sign off. Heard on 26 July at 1854 UT with SINPO 33322 (Eike Bierwirth, RMRC DX camp in Langenselbold, near Hanau, Central Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALDIVE ISLANDS [non]. Minvian on 11965 from today --- a reminder that Minivan Radio is due to be back on the air from right now, 16-17 UT on 11965 via Germany. Anyone confirm, and how is reception outside the Maldives? (Glenn Hauser, 1602 UT August 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Is that a wise frequency selection? Noted usual powerhouse of CRI English Kashi 500 kW, 308 degrees towards Europe on co-channel, -- and a weak UNID station underneath. Though my location is in the dead zone of Juelich propagation, 500 kms away. I guess back lobe of Kashi at 128degress will also reach the South Asia target of Minivan Radio. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Stuttgart, ibid.) Saludos Glenn, desde Valencia en 11965 se escucha CRI en inglés con un SINPO 54544. De fondo se aprecia otra emisora, la señal es debil, pero se aprecia la voz de una mujer. 73 JMR. (José Miguel Romero, Spain, ibid.) Glenn: I just got the recording of yesterday's Minivan broadcast as heard in the Maldives. It sounded completely in the clear to me -- no QRM from China or anyone else (Jeff White, RMI, August 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. Re 7-087: ``5995.0, RTV du Mali, 23 July+, 2030. Glenn, hearing this every Hawaii evening. Tuning down to SSS LSB 5994.8 or so to try to get clear of Habana on 6000. In the clear after 0700 RHC signoff. Fair to poor. Not sure if it fades out before 08, or just signs off. Sure lasts awhile after Mali sunrise. Disappearing tonight into the hash around 0714. Great music listening. Southern African 60 meters is quite good just now around S. Af sunrise (David Norcross, Hawaii Kai, Oahu, Hawaii, ICF2010 & Satellit 800 w/longwires, WORLD OF RADIO 1369, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Southern Africa (around Botswana, but not Mali) is antipodal to HI (gh, DXLD)`` Oops, that first time mentioned, 2030 must be local HST of UT -10 = 0630 UT (gh, DXLD) ** MALI. 11960 ORTM, Bamako, in French, 26/7 1025, SINPO 33433. Talk about elections in Mali and some legal proceedings in Bamako. I was really surprised to hear this one in Brazil! Received near Lençois, Bahia, Brazil (Robertas Pogorelis, August 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. No luck hearing XEXQ, 6045 again, as reported to be reactivated. But it`s always a challenge with 250 watts. July 31 [not July 30 as I misspoke on WOR 1369] around 0530 could not detect it, but at 1240 there was a fairly good carrier peaking at S9+10 which I at first overlooked; barely audible modulation which may not even have been from XEXQ (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1369, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MOLDOVA. The breakaway station Radio DMR from Pridnestrovye, 5965, was heard with their English broadcast on 26 July, 1600 UT at SINPO 53443. Pridnestrovyan officials seemed to be annoyed by a declaration of the EU parliament that human rights were neglected in the arrest of two terrorists in that forgotten part of Europe (Eike Bierwirth, RMRC DX camp in Langenselbold, near Hanau, Central Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONACO [non]. This morning I had a recording running on 1467 starting at 0355 UT to find out if I could hear the new Monte Carlo station. Till 0415 I heard strong German from TWR Monte Carlo; ID and IS at 0415, than off. Silence. Around 0427 suddenly weak-moderate French with news. Sometimes interfering with music which suddenly got strong at several moments during minutes and than weaker again; the French news was still in the background audible. Anybody an idea what is going on here? (Max van Arnhem, Netherlands, July 29, MWC via DXLD) Hallo Max and others, Today 01 August 2007 fair reception on Zone 80 Azur with News and music on 1467 kHz. Begin transmission at 0430 UT and fade out at 0530. Jingles: Classic Hit Radio Zone 80 Azur. At 0500 identification: Zone 80 Azur, Classic Hit Radio. Direct from Monaco at 1467, this all in France. Greetings (Ge Huijbens, Beffe, Belgium, ibid.) Re 7-087: (Probably the following has already been clarified in something I have not read yet.) The site for Zone 80 Azur 0400-1630 on 1467 has not been specified so far, so which one is it? Col de la Madone is the usual suspect for such daytime operations of course, but now take a look at this: http://www.zone80azur.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 If this coverage map is worth anything it fits in my opinion much better to Roumoules, run with a southeastern beam, than Col de la Madone. Roumoules is located about 10 km west of Moustiers-Ste-Marie, north of the unspecified lake in this map. For Col de la Madone it would have to be a really tight pattern, like generated by the big Russian directional MW systems (Zarya, SV 4+4), quite unlikely to originate from humble two-mast systems as in place at Col de la Madone. But again: This considerations are of course valid only if this sketch at least roughly shows the technical coverage and not just their commercial target. See also http://mcstory.free.fr/antennes.html (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Aug 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONGOLIA. 4895, Mongolian Radio, Murun, 2204-2207, 29-07, música mongol, locutora, comentarios en mongol. 24322. 4830, Mongolian Radio, Altay, 2207-2212, 29-07, locutora, comentarios en mongol. En paralelo con 4895. 24222 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, escuchas realizadas en Camping de Reinante, provincia de Lugo, Mar Cantábrico, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. Full frontal nudity on KOCO: see last item under U S A ** PHILIPPINES. 1125, Davao City, DXGM, received a totally unexpected MW QSL from the RGMA Network in Davao City, Pilipinas, from last October. Really pleased with this as I have very few Filipino stations ever hrd, much less QSL'd. I had a great report on this one with lots of the programming and commercials were in English or a mixture. The verie signer is Nelson T Canete with a "n-yea" over the n. He is the new station manager and found my reception report and CD on the desk when he took over from the out-going manager. Although the WRTH got through to them, the correct address is: DXGM Radio, RGMA Network Inc, Penthouse Amesco Bldg, Damaso Suazo Street, Uyanguren, Davao City 8000, Davao del Sur, Philippines (John Bryant, Eastsound WA, DX Worldwide West, IRCA DX Monitor via DXLD) John, this station has been friendly as they have QSL'd other reports including mine from earlier in the year. The old manager said in his letter that he was leaving. I guess your report arrived in between managers. I am very happy you got the reply. Great going and may you get many more. Filipinos are great to hear and QSL. My favorites (Pat Martin, ed., ibid.) ** RUSSIA. Rusia en español en el nuevo horario. 12040, Voz de Rusia, 2008-2015, escuchada el 1 de agosto en español a locutor con boletín de noticias, música de sintonía en paralelo por 7310, SINPO 44444. Lamentablemente la frecuencia de 7310 está fuertemente interferida y es prácticamente inaudible; el servicio en español queda de 2000-2100 en 7310 y 12040, el portugués de 2100 a 2200 por las mismas frecuencias. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA. Dear Wolfgang, Saudi Arabic Radio Riyadh In English at 0757 till 0800 UT with news read by woman announcer, then station info about what next to expect. 0800 French service with talk, then Kor`an readings. 2/8/2007, SIO 444. Note the English slot seems to be new at this time; it is normally the Arabic service. Best wishes for now, 73,s (Costa Constantinides, Cyprus, via Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks Costas, frequency is 17785? Supposed to be 17785 scheduled 0800-1000 UT via RIY 500 kW 270 degrees, FRENCH FOREIGN language service. But technicians at Riyadh switch over much earlier on-air, like 12 minutes before the hour. And Radio Riyadh is scheduled 0600- 0800 UT in English; see p345 in WRTH (Büschel, BCDX, ibid.) ** SINGAPORE. A whole bundle of Mediacorp stations also made it around the globe on 27 July: The Malayan Radio Warna, heard at 2325 UT on 7235 kHz with SINPO 53443, chatting about a festival and numerous references to Malaysia and Singapora (sic). The Tamil Oli 96.8 FM on 7275 kHz, heard at 2335 UT with SINPO 43433 (ads and music). The English 938-LIVE on 6150 with report and jingle/ID at 2342 UT, SINPO 32432. And traces of the Mandarin channel (dunno which FM station actually was relayed) could be heard beneath RHC and Radio Prague on 6000 at 2348, SINPO 22422 (Eike Bierwirth, RMRC DX camp Langenselbold, near Hanau, Central Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN. The state radio from Omdurman was heard with equal level to Radio Bulgaria (in Russian) on the same frequency on 7200 kHz (29 July, 0300 UT) with news in Arabic. SINPO 52432 (Eike Bierwirth, RMRC DX camp in Langenselbold, near Hanau, Central Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAHITI. Tahiti had a pen/ink drawing of a huahine/mermaid (can't remember which) & Brazzaville had a sort of "National-Geographic : Africans-in-their-native-dress" card (sub-Saharan Africa, that is) Dunno if RFO-Tahiti is still active [long gone --- gh] (15170a used to be heard quite well here) (Dan Sheedy, CA, ABDX via DXLD) Not a mermaid. You`ll find the Tahiti QSL in my gallery at: http://www.worldofradio.com/QSL.html (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Wow! Neato! Thanks, Glenn (Michael n Wyo Richard, ibid.) The QSL I received from Radio Tahiti in 1966 or 1967 was on white paper, with a vertical orientation, showing a similarly topless woman with what looked like (at least to me) a fish tail, sailing through the air in a seashell. It was one of the rare confluences of sex and DXing, and left me traumatized for days afterward (Harry Helms, W5HLH, Smithville, TX, ibid.) Harry, Sounds like the same card I got. Here's a link to a photo of that card http://members.aol.com/wpe8eum/qslindex.html http://members.aol.com/wpe8eum/images/qsltahiti.jpg Scroll down to the "Tahiti" [sizing ``largest`` throws off alignment] link. This is NOT my web page, but it's a good picture of the card. BTW, when I received my Tahiti QSL card, I was attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth. Imagine the looks I got when I went to the campus post office to sign for a registered mail from Tahiti, which, of course, was that card! :0) 73s & Great DX! (Steve N5WBI Ponder, Houston TX, ibid.) ** TURKS & CAICOS. Re 7-090: Stuff about Turks and Caicos You Didn't Know: I want to thank Bob Cooper. It's always great to hear from Bob with his personal insight and experiences. I suspect the Turks and Caicos stations increased power or improved their antenna system since they mentioned "now a bitter signal" several times while I was listening (Girard Westerberg http://www.DXFM.com Lexington, KY, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U K. COLD WAR INTRIGUE IN THE HISTORY OF A WORLD SERVICE TRANSMITTER SITE. BBC2's "Coast" visits Orford Ness, on the Suffolk shore, home of "the experimental radar site from where the Cobra Mist operation was run to spy deep into the Soviet Union and China during the Cold War. A fan-shaped area of giant aerials was used to bounce signals off the atmosphere to watch missile tests and aircraft movements. No-one is sure whether the system actually ever worked despite the millions of pounds spent on it. Today there is little evidence of the American military's use of the site except the bomb- proof buildings, which are now used to transmit the BBC World Service." http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?brand=ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=ESTOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPED31%20Jul%202007%2014%3A00%3A13%3A627 Evening Star (Ipswich), 31 July 2007 Posted: 01 Aug 2007 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) 1296 kHz ** U K. LANDMARK RADIO MASTS DEMOLISHED [Rugby] BBC News 2 August 2007 (Photo on site) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/6928334.stm Four radio masts which dominated the skyline on the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire border for 81 years have been demolished. Explosives were used to knock down the 820 ft (250 m) high transmitters [sic] at BT Rugby Radio Station which BT said were structurally unsafe. Eight masts at the site were knocked down in a similar operation in 2004. BT said the masts had been superseded by satellite and other methods of communication. Rugby Radio Station was opened on 1 January 1926 with the intention of broadcasting messages to the rest of the Commonwealth. It allowed the first transatlantic phone calls to be made and was also used later to transmit signals to submarines when the MoD took it over during World War II. The masts were also famous for transmitting the atomic clock signal, which allowed people all over the world to set the time precisely. (via Mike Terry, DXLD) GBR 16 kHz, recently moved elsewhere (gh) Video uploaded to youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx2lhSUuGqU (via UDXF yg via Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U K. Re 7-086: You brought up the topic of the BBC's "Doctor Who" series. Another interesting aspect is that "Doctor Who" is perhaps the most infamous example of TV programming being destroyed because the BBC introduced appropriate archiving practices not before 1978. See, also for further links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_missing_episodes Perhaps this raises the question about archive material of GDR radio and TV. . . (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Aug 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See GERMANY EAST ** U S A. BBG/IBB TO INSTALL NEW MEDIUMWAVE TRANSMITTER AT MARATHON The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) is soliciting bids for the manufacture and shipping of one 100,000 Watt MW all solid-state broadcast transmitter, transmitter spares, and associated support documentation configured specifically for the BBG Marathon Transmitting Station, Marathon Key, Florida. This transmitter will be used on the existing frequency of 1180 kHz. The Marathon site is used to broadcast the programmes of Radio Martí. Full details of solicitation http://www.fbodaily.com/archive/2007/08-August/01-Aug-2007/FBO-01355940.htm (August 2nd, 2007 - 11:32 UTC by Andy, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** U S A. WBCQ Schedule Update, July 31, 2007 From Allan: New show, "Above All Things," replaces encore presentation of This Week In Amateur Radio International Sundays at 2100 on 7415. "The Last Roundup" moves to Saturdays at 1900 on 7415, replacing The Overcomer Ministry. Christian Media Network takes the Tuesday 2100 at 7415 slot vacated by The Last Roundup. New eclectic music show, "Playing With Electricity," debuted a couple of weeks ago Saturdays at 2100 on 7415. New music show, "Bluegrass State of Mind," replaces Pab Subgenus Project Fridays at 2200 on 7415. Jen's music show, "867-5309," will be filled by a rolling three-week rotation of Jen, Larry & Jane, and Timtron starting in July 2007. 867-5309 runs Fridays at 2300 on 7415. Don't expect Tim and Larry & Jane to follow Jen's format. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Expect the unexpected. The full WBCQ schedule for all services is online at http://www.zappahead.net/wbcq Regards, (Larry Will, MD, Aug 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9955, Radio Miami Internacional, 0810-0828, 29-07, inglés, programa "World of Radio", de Glenn Hauser, con las últimas novedades en el mundo de la radio en general y de la onda corta en particular. A las 0827 fin del programa e identificación de la emisora por locutor: "this is WRMI". 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, escuchas realizadas en Camping de Reinante, provincia de Lugo, Mar Cantábrico, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G , Antena de cable, 10 metros, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sin jamming? ** U S A [non]. Glenn Hauser, I would like to inform that the Radio Station "CVC - ITS VOICE" [A Sua Voz] in the program "Radio DX" will transmit in the following days, frequencies and schedules: 03/08/2007 Sixth: frequency 15410 kHz 1530 UT 04/08/2007 Saturday: frequency 15410 kHz 1100 UT 05/08/2007 Sunday: frequency 11745 kHz 0200 UT 06/08/2007 Second: frequency 11745 kHz 0000 UT Will present in the program "Talking with the Radio Listeners" especial information and a recorded transmission made by a Norway DX- er, that has listened to Eldorado Radio of São Paulo 700 kHz - from Brasil. QRV (Ulysses Galletti, São Paulo, Brasil, Membro do DX Clube do Brasil, as he machine-translated it, Aug 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BTW, ``A Sua Voz`` is deliberately ambiguous --- could mean ``Your voice`` or ``His voice`` with a capital H, but surely not ``its`` (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. Detailed info about NOAA transmitters can be found on their web site: http://www.weather.gov/nwr For instance, the page /CntyCov/nwrCA yields a list for California showing county, the county "SAME" code, transmitter location, frequency, call, and transmitter power. The listed transmitter location is not precise. 162.425 is on Mt. Diablo but is listed as "Contra Costa County." 162.550 Monterey and 162.450 Monterey Marine are on Mt. Umunhum, 162.400 San Francisco is on Mt. Pise in San Mateo County, and 162.500 San Francisco is on Big Rock Ridge in Marin County. The preceding more exact locations were gleaned from on-air monitoring of the IDs (Art Peterson, Richmond, CA, July 30, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. JOIN A WAY WITH WORDS RADIO! Dear listener, In the past, you sent a message to A Way with Words, public radio's lively one-hour show about language, so we're sending you this bit of good news. We have a new home on the web! http://waywordradio.org There you'll find updates about new episodes, upcoming topics, our talks and public appearances, and book give-aways. Soon, we'll also have a discussion forum where you can meet your fellow listeners. We'd also like to invite you to join our new email list. You'll receive no more than a couple of messages a week. As always, we welcome your messages. Our inboxes are overflowing, but we do read everything and respond when we can. Your letters help us plan the show and they keep us in touch with one of the smartest audiences in radio. Thanks, and keep listening. Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett, Hosts of A Way with Words http://waywordradio.org words @ waywordradio.org PS: This summer we've been offering some online-only content on the web and via podcast. You can find it, along with an archive of our past shows, at http://kpbs.org/words/ (via DXLD) ** U S A. Re 7-089, you asked for it: ``Just a reminder that the apologist for Catholic sexual abuse in Los Ángeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony, is also a ham, W6QYI --- look it up at http://www.arrl.org Wonder how much time he has for hamming lately? Can anyone come up with some colorful fonetix for his call? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Why sure. My vote for the most appropriate fonetix for the pedophile priests and their senior apologist: "Why Six Queers Yearned Intimacy" Runners Up: We're Six Queer Youngster Injectors We're Six Queer Youth Indoctrinators I could go on but I will leave room for Al Q... in Albany to expand on these. Maybe he can come up with something in Latin which I hear is legal again in the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Dominus Vobiscum, (Joe Buch, N2JB, DX LISTIENING DIGEST) ** U S A. The new WCXH, 780, Monticello ME: Well, obviously in my subject line it said "WCXJ" but in fact, in Scott Fybush's report, it said "WCXH". The WCXJ call letters belong to 1590 in Kersage, PA. Thanks to Brent Taylor, I have an audio clip which I posted for everyone http://www.walkerbroadcasting.com/wcxj.mp3 (Paul B Walker, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. Re ``moving`` a broadcast license hundreds of miles from one part of the US to another: I understand this is a legal loophole, allowing a licensee to operate somewhere else without facing competition for the frequency as would be the case if they were starting new (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) {Re 7-090 WAMI} ** U S A. I could hardly believe my eyes. After noticing several stories about The Nazca-like Giant in Dorset, next to Homer Simpson, with the naughty bit censored, on ABC`s Nightline, at least as seen on KOCO-5 OKC UT August 1, The Giant and his giant upward-pointing, altho two-dimensional, penis, were visible in all their glory over and over. Thank you, ABC/Disney, not to mention Hearst-Argyle, for your daring expression of freedom (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UZBEKISTAN. 9975, CVC, 0053-0110, July 31, listed Hindi. Usual format of banter between pop music and ballads. ID at 0101 into short newscast. Several CVC IDs and promos. Weak but clear. (Barbour-NH) 11790, CVC, 0108-0132, Aug.1, English. "Life" program with usual format of banter, pop music, ballads and CVC promos including one for free iPods. This day in History feature and brief CVC newscast at BoH. Fair though a bit choppy (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10, MLB1, 200' Beverages, dxldyg via DXLD) Harrumph, no substitute for R. Tashkent (gh, DXLD) ** VATICAN. Re 7-090: ``VR in German at 2210 UT on 4005 kHz, followed by English at 2230 UT. Later, Esperanto at 2320. Must be a switching error; this frequency is due to end at 2210. Regards (Jean-Michel Aubier, France, July 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` I´ve heard the German programme at 2210 UT in past on this unlisted frequency, but I didn´t check it regularly. I think that began when 1530 kHz switched to DRM. So maybe a service for those who can´t receive DRM, but why then not listed? 73, (Patrick Robic, Austria, July 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. LONELY VOICE --- Venezuelan Cable Station Faces Chávez Showdown; After Loss of License, Feisty RCTV Returned; A Second Crisis Looms --- By JOSE DE CORDOBA July 31, 2007; Page A1 CARACAS, Venezuela -- A samba band snaked through the studios of Radio Caracas Television on July 16 to celebrate the broadcaster's return as a cable station just seven weeks after President Hugo Chavez refused to renew the station's broadcast license, knocking it off the air. The new cable version of RCTV, called RCTV International, was just as feisty as the broadcast version had been. Popular anchorman Miguel Ángel Rodríguez started his show with a Chávez critic who blasted the arrest of four university students for handing out political leaflets during a soccer game. Next, a Catholic bishop warned that Venezuela was sliding toward totalitarianism. "I'm so happy to be back," beamed RCTV co-anchor Luisiana Rios. But the celebration turned out to be premature. The Chávez government last week announced legal requirements that may force RCTV International off cable outlets tomorrow, possibly silencing the opposition broadcaster for good. Essentially, the Chávez government is requiring RCTV International -- a Miami-based company which gets much of its programming from Caracas-based RCTV and transmits to Latin America -- to register as a Venezuelan content producer. The registration requirements, which include airing Mr. Chávez's marathon speeches, would make the cable venture economically "unfeasible," says Marcel Granier, RCTV's chief executive officer. RCTV International's managers are considering their options. So are Venezuela's cable and satellite-TV operators, who worry that if they continue to carry RCTV International programs, the Chávez government will hit them with heavy fines, says Mario Seijas, the president of the Pay TV Association of Venezuela, whose members include both satellite and cable operators. RCTV's travails show how difficult it has become to remain politically independent during the tenure of Mr. Chávez, who has said he needs to exert a "new hegemony" over most aspects of Venezuelan life to create "21st-century socialism." In recent years, Mr. Chávez has moved to squelch political opposition and to extend his brand of left-wing politics to neighboring countries. His efforts to control the domestic media threaten to silence a key mass outlet for opposing views. Since winning a landslide re-election in December, he has nationalized the country's leading telecommunications and energy companies and taken majority control of major oil projects from foreign oil companies. He's tightened his grip as well on the country's armed forces, who now salute superiors with a slogan popularized decades ago by Cuban dictator Fidel Castro -- "Socialism, Fatherland or Death." In the weeks ahead, Mr. Chávez plans to unveil a draft of a new constitution that is expected to include an end to presidential term limits. 'Four Horsemen' Mr. Chávez has had a turbulent relationship with Venezuela's media since he was first elected in 1998. As disenchantment grew over Mr. Chávez's radicalization and over his close relationship with Mr. Castro, the four major private broadcasters, together with the nation's unions and business association, moved to fill the power vacuum caused by the collapse of Venezuela's established political parties. Mr. Chávez dubbed the broadcasters the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." During three turbulent days in April 2002, when Mr. Chávez lost power in a coup attempt and then regained it, private broadcasters lined up with the opposition and didn't broadcast pro-Chávez protests. That, together with the broadcasters' support later that year for a two- month general strike against the Chávez government, earned the broadcasters Mr. Chávez's enmity. The broadcasters deny having anything to do with the coup and say they couldn't report events because it was too dangerous for their reporters to do so. Mr. Chávez has denounced broadcasters as tools of the rich, and has used their need to renew government broadcast licenses as a pressure point. Billionaire Gustavo Cisneros, who with his brother Ricardo owns RCTV's main rival, Corporación Venezolana de Television CA, known as Venevisión, met with Mr. Chávez at a Caracas army base in 2004. Afterward, Venevisión softened its news coverage and canceled a show by Napoleón Bravo, an acerbic political commentator. "We stopped putting salt and pepper on the news," says Mr. Cisneros. "It was a matter of survival." RCTV, however, kept hammering at the Chávez government. Its newscasts focused on a growing crime wave in Caracas and provided a voice both to Chávez foes and to supporters who complained about the government's inability to provide housing and other services. "Facing a totalitarian regime, you can either adapt to it, thinking you will survive, or you can confront it," says Mr. Granier, RCTV's chief executive, who owns a large stake in the station. RCTV's management figured that the station's popularity would protect it from attack by the Chávez government, which already was being criticized internationally. But in December 2006, shortly after Mr. Chávez was re-elected, he announced that the government wouldn't renew RCTV's broadcasting license this May. He cited the station's alleged links to the failed 2002 coup. [photo] Chávez supporters carrying a coffin decorated with image of RCTV executive Marcel Granier, depicted as Hitler, and a sign that reads in Spanish, 'RCTV Rest in Peace.' When the government closed the station, it seized RCTV's transmitters and equipment worth $130 million to use for a new government station that is now using RCTV's broadcast frequencies, Mr. Granier says. The shuttering of RCTV sparked international criticism and a nationwide student movement to defend civil liberties, but Mr. Chávez refused to budge. Now Globovisión, an all-news channel that reaches about 20% of Venezuelan households, is the only remaining broadcaster that sharply criticizes Mr. Chávez. It too has been threatened with closure by the government. Another broadcaster, Televén, has made compromises, taking a program that regularly disparaged the government off the air, although it still broadcasts some news that is critical. Meanwhile, over the past five years, the number of government channels has gone from one to six. Venezuela's congress and other Chávez- controlled government entities such as the municipality of Caracas have started TV stations that take the government line and criticize Mr. Chávez's enemies. The loss of RCTV's broadcast license crippled the station, which had revenue of about $250 million a year, says Mr. Granier. RCTV and Venevisión have been perennial rivals for the top spot in Venezuela's ratings race. RCTV's broadcasts had reached 95% of Venezuela's more than 5 million households. Venezuela's cable and satellite-TV channels, by comparison, reach just half of the nation's households. If it remade itself as a cable station, RCTV figured, it might lose 80% of its advertising revenue. It was unsure how many of its 3,000 employees it could retain. Even so, RCTV thought it could survive. It could count on the goodwill of many Venezuelans. In some public opinion polls, eight out of 10 Venezuelans, many of them supporters of Mr. Chávez, opposed the president's move to close RCTV. During the seven weeks RCTV was off the air, Globovisión provided an hour of broadcast time for RCTV to air its news show, which quickly won top ratings. RCTV executives also figured that the company's international visibility would enable it to line up new cable customers elsewhere in Latin America and among U.S. Hispanics. New technology also held promise. Even though the Chávez government had banned RCTV reporters from many government offices, including those of the president and vice president, the station kept reporting news events. The reports were carried on the station's Web site and on cable by Caracol TV, a Colombian broadcasting ally. When RCTV's Web site crashed due to heavy traffic, the station posted segments on YouTube. The station's on-air personalities tried to keep the station alive in the minds of viewers. Stars taped future episodes of soaps. RCTV presented top-rated shows such as "Radio Rochela," a long-running satire, and quiz show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" live in two town squares in Caracas's suburbs, drawing large crowds. "None of us knew how important we were to our public," says Juliet Lima, the young star of Camaleona, one of RCTV's top soaps. RCTV began laying plans to transform itself into a cable channel that would use Miami-based RCTV International, a related company that shares some stockholders with RCTV, to transmit its programming to cable subscribers in Venezuela and other countries. It already had experience in that field. It long had sold programming to RCTV International, which was already marketing RCTV shows and programming from other nations around the world. [photo] David Pérez Hansen, an RCTV journalist, protests his station's removal from the air. By sending programming through RCTV International, RCTV figured it wouldn't be required to follow Venezuelan domestic broadcast regulations, including having to air Mr. Chávez's hours-long speeches and news conferences. Last week, for instance, Venezuela's domestic stations had to broadcast 13 hours of Mr. Chávez's ruminations about the health of his friend Mr. Castro and the high quality of Cuban cows, among other things. On July 16, RCTV relaunched as a cable station. In its new incarnation, it increased the amount of time devoted to news and opinion to six hours a day, from 4 1/2 hours. The first two weeks looked promising, with the station drawing high ratings. Caracas newspapers ran front-page stories describing how poor Venezuelans in shantytowns ringing the capital, in order to get RCTV International, were pooling resources to buy satellite dishes and subscriptions to cable television. A photograph in El Universal, a leading newspaper, showed a barrio family of eight watching the predawn inaugural broadcast on its newly purchased satellite service. RCTV's executives cautioned that the cable company would face immense financial challenges. "We won't make money for many years," said Julian Isaac, RCTV's vice president in charge of marketing. "We are not even talking about breaking even." Some major advertisers remained supportive, such as Empresas Polar, a beer and food maker that is the largest private company left in Venezuela. Others canceled their ads, says Pablo Mendoza, RCTV's vice president of market studies. Heavy Fines Last week, the Chávez government further increased the pressure. Writing to cable-TV carriers, Telecommunications Minister Jesse Chacón told them that Miami-based RCTV International must register as a domestic content producer, subject to Venezuelan domestic regulation. If RCTV International doesn't comply, cable and satellite- TV operators will be required to drop the channel by tomorrow or pay heavy fines. Mr. Chacón told reporters he saw no difference between RCTV and RCTV International because "they generate all their information in Venezuela and their production is aimed at Venezuelan society." RCTV International, he said, was just a "mechanism" to try to avoid Venezuelan regulations. "We don't have a choice" about dropping the channel, says Mr. Seijas, the president of the Pay TV Association. One association member that carries the RCTV signal is DirectTV, 39% owned by News Corp., which is negotiating to buy Dow Jones & Co., the publisher of The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Seijas says that DirectTV's position is the same as the association's. RCTV's Mr. Granier contends that "the government is trying to intimidate the cable operators," and that the requirement is illegal. As an international cable operator, he says, RCTV International is comparable to the Disney Channel and CNN, and shouldn't have to register as a domestic firm. Although most of RCTV's programming is still produced in Venezuela, the company says, its channel includes content from other international providers, such as Televisa and TV Azteca of Mexico and Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Brothers Entertainment unit in the U.S. RCTV International's signal also is carried by cable operators in Aruba, Curaçao, and Trinidad and Tobago. Mr. Granier says he plans to appeal the government's decision, and hopes to persuade satellite-TV stations to continue to carry RCTV International. He also is planning to beef up what he calls "strategic alliances" with other broadcasters and cable operators in the region to carry RCTV programming. Some of those stations, like Colombia's Caracol TV, are seen on Venezuelan cable TV. A fallback position is for RCTV to continue producing soaps and other programming. Mr. Granier is not sure he'll be able to continue the aggressive news coverage and political satire that has so irked Mr. Chávez. "We will have to re-evaluate things," he says. Ms. Lima, the soap-opera star, is disheartened. Two weeks ago, she felt her station's own drama would turn out to be a defeat for Mr. Chávez. "Like all soap operas, there is a villain who makes life impossible for everybody, but then in the last chapter, the villain gets his just deserts," she says smiling. Now, she says, she's not so sure. "I feel we are starting out from zero again," she says. (Wall Street Journal via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ADMITIDO RECURSO DE AMPARO DE CAVETESU: RCTV SIGUE EN EL AIRE. La Sala Constitucional del Tribunal Supremo de Justicia se declaró "competente" y "admite" la acción de amparo interpuesta por Cavetesu, por "protección de intereses difusos y colectivos". Así mismo, declaró procedente la medida cautelar solicitada, por lo que RCTV internacional debe continuar al aire. La decisión aparece en la página web del TSJ, con ponencia de la magistrada Luisa Estella Morales Lamuño. La sala estableció preliminarmente que la no existencia de un marco regulatorio que dé una definición de quiénes son Servicios de Producción Nacional Audiovisual, a los fines de dar cumplimiento a los actos administrativos objeto de la presente demanda, así como del análisis de las actas procesales, evidenció la existencia de una situación que ameritaba la utilización, por parte de esta Sala Constitucional, de sus amplios poderes cautelares, por lo cual declaró procedente la medida cautelar innominada solicitada y, en consecuencia, se suspendieron los efectos de los actos administrativos emanados del Director General del Instituto Autónomo Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CONATEL), contenidos en los Oficios Nros. 001503 y 0001511, ambos del 23 de julio de 2007 Fuente: Globovision. 01-08-2007. Nota: ¡Caramba! ¡Por fin RCTV gana una! (Jorge García Rangel, Venezuela, August 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) VENEZUELA SUPREME COURT STEPS IN TO KEEP RCTV ON AIR (UPDATE1) By Matthew Walter http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aIF_L223Qqag&refer=latin_america Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuela's supreme court suspended a government order that would have shut down RCTV International, the cable version of the TV network kicked off the air by President Hugo Chávez in May. The court ruled in favor of a petition from Venezuela's cable television association and asked the government to clarify telecommunications laws related to the case, according to a statement on the court's Web site. The network, based in Miami, began broadcasting on cable on July 16. Chávez's decision earlier this year not to renew the broadcast license for Radio Caracas Television triggered weeks of protests at home and condemnation abroad over what critics viewed as an attack on free speech. The television network, the country's oldest and most widely viewed, has been a staunch government critic. ``What's happening in Venezuela is a tragedy,'' RCTV Chairman Marcel Granier said today in comments broadcast by Globovision after the court's decision. ``Nobody is allowed to express themselves freely.'' At issue is a government ruling that Radio Caracas Television International must register with the telecommunications agency as a domestic media outlet. That would require the network to abide by laws that include pre-empting regular programming to transmit Chávez's speeches. Without registration, cable providers that carry RCTV could have been fined. RCTV International says it should be considered an international channel outside Venezuela's jurisdiction like Cable News Network or Fox News because of its distribution beyond the country. The government argued that almost all of RCTV International's facilities, including production staff, are in Caracas. Its audience is almost entirely Venezuelan, making it a domestic broadcaster, according to the government. The Supreme Court today asked the government to provide a more clear definition of what constitutes a domestic media outlet (Bloomberg via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Run Runes del periodista Nelsón Bocaranda. 02-08-2007. El periodista Nelson Bocaranda y sus Run Runes: RABIA: El régimen enfrenta a RCTV por los cuatro costados y se ufana repitiendo: "No la ve nadie... sólo llega a 3,5% de la audiencia... hasta Globovisión tiene más audiencia.. .van a quebrar pronto". Si eso fuera verdad, ¿por qué se empeñan en sacarla del aire y hacerla transmitir todas las cadenas de Chávez, cumplir la ley mordaza y registrarse como canal nacional y no internacional? ¿No será que el aumento de las suscripciones al cable y satélite subió más de 20% en las zonas populares y que los vecinos se agolpan en torno a los televisores que gozan del servicio para escapar de las fastidiosas y repetitivas cadenas? Un amañado, sumiso y rojo "comité de usuarios" - integrado por cagatintas y adulantes del régimen encabezado por una de las más reconcomiadas abogadas del proceso - establece diferencias entre Telesur y RCTV, sin poderlo justificar, sólo para que la televisora en cuya grilla hay menos de 10% de opinión y noticias sea censurada. ¿O es que esto es parte del plan gubernamental de medios 2007/2011, que impone la hegemonía comunicacional y su entrega al control popular? Fuente: http://www.noticierodigital.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=232544 Publicado: Jue Ago 02, 2007 (via Jorge García Rangel, Venezuela, DXLD) Here`s another site to look for news about RCTV: http://www.unionradio.com.ve/ On August 1 JGR sent us three long ones from there, top stories on the home page, but by August 2 they were further down. Check the Avances. The search funxion errored out when we tried it (gh, DXLD) ** VIETNAM. Those who have not received the VOV questionnaire, can download using this link: http://alokeshgupta.googlepages.com/vov_ques.pdf (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, July 31, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 11975, 28/7 1042, SINPO 34233. Traditional music and short announcements in an unknown language. Until 1100 together with Adventist World Radio-Asia, Guam, in Chinese. At 1130 ID three times (in male and female voices) as "Radiosta(n)tsiya..." - but NOT in Russian. This suggests a location in ex-USSR (Central Asia??). What could it be? Nothing similar listed in WRTH. Received near Salvador, Brazil (Robertas Pogorelis, August 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) EiBi says Kyrgyz: 11975 1030-1230 CHN PBS Xinjiang KG CHN u (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 12135, an unID station scheduled on air in the 1530-1630 UT slot in the Far East, probably to Korea or Chinese mainland. Nothing noted so far yesterday Aug 1 and today Aug 2 (John Briggs, NWRDXC, Aug 2 via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Saludos cordiales. USA, 12165, WWCR NASHVILLE?? 2025- 2032, escuchada el 1 de agosto en inglés, locutor y locutora con comentarios; se aprecia otra emisora en la misma frecuencia. A las 2030 cambia a 12160 y se aprecia que en 12165 hay dos emisoras, probablemente una en portugués. SINPO 32322. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DXLD) I really don`t know what to make of this. WWCR should always be on 12160, and nothing listed on 12165; maybe receiver images? Checked about the same time on Aug 2, I could only get a very weak signal on 12160, tnx to skip zone and low MUF (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see GERMANY; ITALY; VATICAN ++++++++++++++++++++ HD RADIO TEST AT HEIDELBERG Mannheim-based commercial station Radio Regenbogen and the transmitter operator T-Systems Media&Broadcast will start a test of the HD Radio (aka. IBOC) system in late August. It will take place on the 102.8 frequency, run with 50 kW from the Königstuhl site at Heidelberg, and the digital component will contain two additional digital channels, Regenbogen Gold and Regenbogen Comedy. No simulcast of the analogue signal will take place (I fail to see the rationale behind duplicating an analogue signal in digital format with a mere 48 kbps anyway). Lab tests were done in advance by the Karlsruhe college, but observers think that it still remains to be seen how compatible HD Radio, which consists of digital components in a range as wide as +/- 0.2 MHz from the center frequency, is with the crammed FM band in Germany. http://www.regenbogenweb.de/fileadmin/user_upload/presse/2007/Juli/2007_07_24PM_Start_HD_Radio_layout_final.pdf DAB BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG COLLAPSED This HD Radio experiment starts only a few months after DAB in Baden- Württemberg has been entirely abandoned by commercial stations after the licensing body Landesanstalt für Kommunikation (LFK) stopped to subsidize DAB transmissions. During April and May the commercial stations disappeared from the DAB ensembles, leaving the L band ensembles empty until they were finally shut down on July 20. Only a single ensemble on VHF ch. 12B is still on air, carrying Deutschlandradio Kultur (192 kbps) plus relays of four Südwestrundfunk programs in compromised quality (SWR1, SWR2, SWR3 and Das Ding with 128 kbps and thus noticeably poorer quality than on FM, Cont.Ra with 48 kbps mono which sounds hardly better than mediumwave). This situation led to a row between the promotional organization Initiative Marketing Digital Radio (IMDR) and LFK. IMDR issued on June 28 a press release in which they accused LFK head Thomas Langheinrich of requiring a DAB switch-off, shouting out "then why not switching off the Internet in Baden-Württemberg or prohibiting the sale of iPod's?" In a response LFK stated that they rather want to see a successful "new digital radio" with AAC audio coding in the VHF range. "Nothing has to be switched off" until this new system will start for real. IMDR press release: http://www.digitalradio-suedwest.de/aktuell/alle_news.php?navi=newsarchiv&id=1183106259&page=1 LFK response: http://www.lfk.de/presseundpublikationen/pm/2007/07-13.html Note that the LFK response omits any reference to specific systems, away from the AAC audio codec. This means that this "new digital radio" could be DVB-H as well. Elsewhere the head of engineering at Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg a while ago remarked that in his opinion DVB-H could be an option for mobile digital radio services if it does not turn out to become yet another flop. At the same time Media&Broadcast could sell after all the ex-Megaradio transmitters also a DAB slot to Voice of Russia: Since recently the DAB ensemble covering the whole of Berlin and Brandenburg carries a 128 kbps mono (this is really good quality) feed of Voice of Russia. Otherwise this ensemble contains only the two Deutschlandradio programs plus two services of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (Antenne Brandenburg and Radio Eins). Use of DAB by commercial stations in Berlin and Brandenburg is meanwhile limited to a single L band ensemble in the Berlin area, carrying only two stations (Mallorca 95,8 and Radijojo) anymore. Voice of Russia had in fact been moved from this ensemble to VHF, and observers already speculate if this probably signals an imminent shut-down of the L band service (Kai Ludwig, Germany, August 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) HD DISCUSSION ON WXXI As I'd mentioned in a posting last week, my part-time employers at WXXI in Rochester officially launch their HD Radio services over WXXI- FM 91.5 on Wednesday, 8/1 - and I get to do the honors. I'm guest- hosting the "1370 Connection" talk show from 12 to 1 PM EDT on WXXI (1370) and WXXI-FM-HD2, and invite anyone who's interested to tune in to our streams at http://wxxi.org and to call in if you'd like. (585- 263-9994 is the number) The program repeats at 9-10 PM EDT [01-02 UT Thu Aug 2]. I promise it will be more than just cheerleading for an unproven technology! s (Scott Fybush, NY, IRCA et al., via DXLD) I caught the playback. The guests from WXXI and Clear Channel were only there to promote HD, and it was left to some listeners to bring up drawbacks. Such as power-hogging making portable HD receivers untenable, FM HD range being limited compared to the analog signal. Not even Scott brought up the imminent prospect of nighttime IBOC, to the WHAM CC guy. I still don`t get it. Here I am 1100+ miles away hearing WXXI stream clear as a bell, and people in Brockport supposedly need WXXI (AM) on WXXI (FM) HD2 in order to hear it at night, meanwhile noising up the adjacent frequencies preventing some other stations from being audible. Scott said he does a tech segment during ATC discussing such things further (for 4 minutes?), I believe he said Wednesdays at 6:45? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Since we're not running HD on our AM, and have no plans to do so, bringing up the AM interference issues seemed a bit off-topic. And yes, we really do have a very hard time being heard in places like Brockport and Fairport, well within our market, thanks to an AM signal that was designed to cover the market as it existed in 1944. Streaming is part of the solution to that problem, but the FM HD2 simulcast may well be a part of it, too. We'll never know if we don't try. Adjacent frequencies? When we were out at the get-together at Jim Renfrew's place in Clarendon (just west of Brockport, 20 miles or so from Rochester), I had no problem at all hearing CJLX on 91.3 from Belleville, Ontario. I can't recall if we heard anything on 91.7; if we did, it would have been CIXL from Welland, Ontario. The tech segment in question is called "Mixed Media"; it airs Wednesdays at 5:44 ET [2144 UT] during All Things Considered, and we have archives of the segments here: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wxxi/news.newsmain?action=section&SECTION_ID=2446 There's also a podcast of today's show here: http://www.wxxi.org/radio/hd/index.html It's true, as Glenn says, that the guests were there to promote HD. That, after all, was the purpose of the show - if the system is to have any chance of succeeding, it had better have some promotion from broadcasters themselves. s (Scott Fybush, ABDX via DXLD) Also I meant to add that near the beginning, one of the WXXI guys amazingly said ``HD doesn`t interfere with anything you hear on your analog radio``. I guess here too the AM situation was not intended. Added Mixed Media to MONITORING REMINDERS CALENDAR next update (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I also caught the replay last night; well done, Scott...!! I am not dipping my foot into the IBOC discussion, but the show was well done and I enjoyed it. In order for anything to succeed, the information MUST get to the general public. That's what this show was all about (Lee Freshwater, Ocala, FL, http://www.bgs.cc IRCA via DXLD) Both Scott and Lee acknowledge that they work for Clear Channel (gh) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ UNLICENSED DEVICE TESTS: NOT VERY SUCCESSFUL... The FCC has proposed allowing unlicensed wireless devices to operate in unused UHF TV channels. They propose to require such devices to automatically determine which channels are in use and must be avoided. Two prototype devices have been tested by the Commission, to determine their ability to accurately find occupied channels. They didn't do very well. Between 11 and 28% of the time, the prototype devices determined that a channel was unoccupied and good to use even though there was, in fact, a protected-contour analog signal on that channel. It was far worse for DTV. Between 40 and 75% of the time, the prototype devices claimed a channel was available when, in fact, a protected and usable DTV signal was present. One would hope the full Commission will use the engineering advice they're paying good tax money for, and not do like they did with IBOC and LPFM and listen instead to the lobbyists bearing campaign contributions (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN, WTFDA via DXLD) AM RADIO TOWERS MAY BE LINKED TO LEUKAEMIA July 30, 2007 Health24 Children who live close to an AM radio transmission tower may have an elevated risk of leukaemia, a study suggests. South Korean researchers found that children who lived within 2 kilometres (about 1-1/4 miles) of an AM radio transmitter were twice as likely to develop lymphocytic leukaemia as children who lived more than 20 kilometres (approximately 12-1/2 miles) away. There was no such link found for childhood brain cancer or any cancer in babies, according to the researchers, led by Dr Mina Ha of Dankook University College of Medicine. The findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, add to the conflicting body of research on electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and cancer. EMFs are emitted by a wide variety of sources, like home appliances, cell phones, power lines and radio and TV transmission towers. Researchers have found limited evidence that living close to power lines might be a risk factor for childhood leukaemia. Studies on the possible health risks of radio and TV towers have produced mixed findings, according to Ha's team. For their study, the researchers attempted to get a more accurate assessment of the relationship between children's exposure to radio wave energy and their risks of leukaemia and brain cancer - the two most common childhood cancers. The researchers took measurements of the electric and magnetic fields surrounding AM transmission towers in various areas of South Korea, and used a mathematical model to estimate nearby residents' exposure to radiation from the towers. The study included 1 928 children with leukaemia, 956 with brain cancer and 3 082 healthy children. Ha's team found that children who lived less than two miles from a radio tower were twice as likely to have lymphocytic leukaemia than those who lived more than a dozen miles away. Similarly, when the researchers looked at estimated exposure to radiation from the towers, children with the least exposure had the lowest leukaemia risk. The risk was 39 percent higher for those with intermediate exposure, and 59 percent greater for those with the highest exposure. The results, Ha's team concludes, "suggest a possible carcinogenic effect" of energy from AM radio towers. However, they say more research is needed to confirm the findings, and to figure out the biological mechanisms that may be at work. SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology (Reuters Health) http://www.health24.com/news/Enviro_Health_/1-1308,41325.asp (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) Precisely; it is a fundamental, but much misunderstood, statistical principle that correlation does not necessarily imply causation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spurious_relationship (Mike Barraclough, UK, ibid.) There are AM towers, and there are AM towers. A quick look at WRTH shows that powers in SK range from 1 to 1500 kW, and there are several 500 kW, and more over 50 kW. Which tower are they talking about???? This is an extremely important variable, not to mention any concentration of signal due to directional patterns. I for one would not want to live within 2 km of the 1500 kW monster, not just because of leukemia (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ABOUT CLASSIC HF VACUUM TUBE RECEIVERS Hi All: I've been told that the 390/390A receiver is the best "tube" receiver of all time. I'm thinking of getting and restoring a 390 or 390A. Is this truly a good receiver for SWLing? Which is better, the 390 or 390A? Sincerely /b (Rasputin Novgorod, odxa yg via DXLD) For a number of years, I used a Collins R-388/URR-51J3, (1974-1990) which proved to be the best of the units I had. Other then an odd tube, the receiver almost worked perfect for the years I had it. I also had the opportunity of using a R-390A, which I found to just as equal to the R-388. The one advantage was the mechanical filters vs the crystal filters, also the ability of 'zeroing in' on the frequency counter (pre-digital). The proof was logging of Mauritius on 7260, Zanzibar on 3339. The one disadvantage was the frequency changing. You had to have a good 'strong wrist' to the frequency you wanted to change; for example from 3385 way up to 15190. Like all tube receivers, you can not beat the sound of the audio. If you have the opportunity, I would go for the R390/A (Edward Kusalik, AB, ibid.) Amigos: Also consider the Collins 51J4; and the Russian R-250 series, of which the latest model R-250-M2 is the best example of that excellent design. But do your weight lifting training well before buying your R-250-M2, as the radio tips the scale at 85 kilograms or approximately 185 pounds. It uses a 215 kHz last IF, an intermediate variable IF that goes from 1.5 to 3.5 MHz (extremely well shielded and filtered against feedthrough from the antenna) and a front end that essentially is a crystal controlled converter, with crystals to switch 2 MHz wide bands (à la COLLINS style, but these are 2 MHz wide instead of the 30 bands of the classic 51J COLLINS receivers). IMHO it is also a collectors item. 73 and DX (Arnie Coro, CO2KK, Host of Dxers Unlimited Radio Hobby Program, Radio Havana Cuba, ibid.) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ The geomagnetic field was quiet during 23 - 25. Activity increased to quiet to active levels during 26 - 27 July. Activity decreased to quiet levels on 28 July. Activity increased to quiet to active levels on 29 July. ACE data indicated the 26 - 27 July and 29 July disturbances were associated with recurrent coronal hole high-speed wind streams. The recurrent coronal hole wind stream associated with the 26 - 27 July activity commenced on 26 July and eventually reached a peak velocity of 516 km/sec at 27/0457 UTC. Solar wind velocities associated with the 29 July activity reached a peak of 637 km/sec at 29/1531 UTC. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 01 - 27 AUGUST 2007 Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels during 03 August and 12 - 15 August. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels during 01 - 06 August. Activity is expected to increase to unsettled to minor storm levels on 07 August due to a recurrent coronal hole high-speed wind stream. Quiet to unsettled conditions are expected during 08 - 09 August as coronal hole effects subside. Another recurrent coronal hole wind stream is forecast to affect the field during 10 - 11 August with unsettled to minor storm levels expected. Activity is expected to decrease to quiet to unsettled levels during 12 - 24 August. Activity is expected to increase to unsettled to active levels during 25 - 26 August due to another round of recurrent coronal hole effects. Activity is expected to decrease to quiet to unsettled levels on the final day of the forecast period. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2007 Jul 31 1953 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 Jul 31 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2007 Aug 01 70 10 3 2007 Aug 02 70 5 2 2007 Aug 03 70 5 2 2007 Aug 04 70 5 2 2007 Aug 05 70 5 2 2007 Aug 06 70 5 2 2007 Aug 07 70 20 5 2007 Aug 08 75 8 3 2007 Aug 09 75 5 2 2007 Aug 10 75 20 5 2007 Aug 11 75 15 4 2007 Aug 12 75 8 3 2007 Aug 13 70 5 2 2007 Aug 14 70 5 2 2007 Aug 15 70 5 2 2007 Aug 16 65 12 3 2007 Aug 17 65 12 3 2007 Aug 18 65 5 2 2007 Aug 19 65 5 2 2007 Aug 20 65 5 2 2007 Aug 21 68 5 2 2007 Aug 22 68 10 3 2007 Aug 23 70 8 3 2007 Aug 24 70 5 2 2007 Aug 25 70 15 4 2007 Aug 26 70 10 3 2007 Aug 27 70 8 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1369, DXLD) ###