DX LISTENING DIGEST 7-157, December 23, 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 1387 **flexible times Mon 0400 WBCQ 9330-CLSB [irregular] Mon 0515 WBCQ 7415 [time varies] Mon 0930 WRMI 9955** Tue 1130 WRMI 9955** Tue 1630 WRMI 7385 Wed 0830 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 ** AFGHANISTAN. BRAGG SOLDIERS HONOR AFGHAN SCHOOLTEACHER A STAFF REPORT --- Published on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=280206 Fort Bragg soldiers honored an Afghan reporter and schoolteacher Tuesday who lost her life fighting for the freedom of press in the central Asian country. Zakia Zaki was shot seven times in the chest and head as she slept with her son at her home north of Kabul in June. The attackers were three men armed with pistols and rifles, who broke into Zaki's house, Afghan officials told the BCC. None of her six children was injured. She was 35. Zakia was one of only a few female journalists in Afghanistan during the Taliban and headed the U.S. funded station, Radio Peace. “Zakia was and will be remembered as a true Afghan patriot and the embodiment of selfless service,” said Lt. Col. Stu Goldsmith, commander of the 8th Psychological Operations Battalion. His unit dedicated a conference room in their headquarters to her. “Through this memorial we plan on embedding her into our unit history so that she will never be forgotten,” Goldsmith said. “We chose this time, PSYOP Regimental Week, when we are celebrating the first 40 years of the 4th PSYOP Group because Zakia will forever be a member of our regiment. She and her family paid the highest price for Afghan Freedom.” (via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 6215, R. Harmonia, via Baluarte, Puerto Iguazú, português, 15/12 2322. OM: avisos religiosos, música cristã. Locutor: ‘Radio Harmonia FM 100.7, 6215, onda curta, 49 m’. TC: ‘21 e 24... igrejas evangélicas de Foz do Iguaçu...‘, 35333 (Rudolf Grimm, São Bernardo-SP, Brasil, Kenwood R-1000, Sony ICF SW7600G+GR, Degen DE- 1103; Ant.: Vert. 3 m (indoor), Horizontal 22 m, Degen DE-31; Complementos: Acopladores MCJ (reostato + capacitor) + Versa Tuner MFJ-901B, chave de antena CX-3, Conexión Digital Dec 23 via DXLD) ** BAHAMAS [non?]. 1540, ZNS1 [tentative], 0637-0700, Dec 22, Poor at first with QRM from KXEL, but I could hear some reggae music playing. ZNS1 was then fair-good between 0643 and 0700, almost completely blowing KXEL away with reggae versions of Christmas songs ("We Wish You A Reggae Christmas," etc.) and muffled talks from YL and YM. A few YLs with Caribbean accents spoke at 0658, mentioned the title of the show ("Reggae Pulse Night"?) and said goodbyes to a YM in the studio. No ID's at 07:00 but continuous reggae music. I would like to send a reception report to these guys but I can't seem to find an address, email or postal (Jon Pukila, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Jon, Would be nice but I`m afraid you may have had CHIN Toronto. Their multi-cultural format can really mix things up. According to their grid they do have ``Caribbean`` programming at 12-2 am ET Saturday: http://www.chinradio.com/schedule.php?sch2=1 People should bookmark this for the next time a strange language is heard on 1540 (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Jon, I have never heard an ID from CHIN. The best way to ID is from the commercials. Best wishes/Liz (Cameron, MI, ibid.) ** BRAZIL. 2380, BRASIL: R. Educadora, Limeira-SP, português, 15/12 2242. OM: apresentação de programa sertanejo ‘Casa de caboclo, a voz da cidade e do sertão’, ID: ‘Educadora’. Ads de produtos e serviços de Limeira. Clube de Campo Recanto das Laranjeiras, 3441-5551, Limeira, Diferentemente de outras noites, no sábado a programação trazida não era religiosa, e o sinal estava muito acima da qualidade habitualmente apresentada. 45444. 5045, R. Guarujá FM (104.1 MHz), via Guarujá AM, Guarujá-SP, PP, 16/12 1151. Mensagem Padre Marcelo Rossi, ouvinte ao telefone, OM: ‘Guarujá FM, a melhor alegria, todo o dia’. Música Roberto Carlos, 35543 (Rudolf Grimm, São Bernardo-SP, Brasil, Kenwood R-1000, Sony ICF SW7600G+GR, Degen DE-1103; Ant.: Vert. 3 m (indoor), Horizontal 22 m, Degen DE-31; Complementos: Acopladores MCJ (reostato + capacitor) + Versa Tuner MFJ-901B, chave de antena CX-3, Conexión Digital Dec 23 via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Canais abandonados? em OC no Brasil!! SUGESTÃO... Que tal fazermos uma lista de todas as emissoras inoperantes (somente do Brasil) em ondas curtas... Vou começar pelas divulgadas, informando também que a Rádio 8 de setembro que operava em ondas tropicais (2470), também está QRT há pouco mais de um ano... (Clóvis Sobrinho, Dec 2, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Clóvis, Endosso completamente sua idéia. No que eu puder contribuir, pode contar comigo. Mas, eu tenho uma lista de emissoras que não consigo sintonizar e que nunca vejo listadas nos logs. Por isso mesmo tenho cá minhas dúvidas se elas ainda estão em operação. As emissoras que não consigo sintonizar são: [STATIONS HE HAS NOT HEARD:] 2420 R. São Carlos - S. Carlos-SP 2460 R. Super Alvorada - Rio Branco-AC 3205 R. Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto-SP 3255 R. Educadora 6 de Agosto - Xapuri-AC 3375 R. Clube - Dourados-MS 3375 R. Educadora - Guajará Mirim-RO 3375 R. Municipal - São Gabriel da Cachoeira-AM 3560 R. Difusora - Brasiléia-AC 4754 R. Difusora do Maranhão - São Luiz-MA 4765 R. Rural - Santarém-PA 4775 R. Amarela - Rolim de Moura-RO 4775 R. Portal da Amazônia - Cuiabá-MT 4785 R. Caiari - Porto Velho-RO 4805 R. Difusora do Amazonas - Manáus-AM 4825 R. Educadora - Bragança Paulista-SP 4845 R. Cultura - Manáus-AM 4855 R. Por Um Mundo Melhor - Gov. Valadares-MG 4855 R. Tropical da Barra - Barra do Garças-MT 4865 R. Missões da Amazônia - Óbidos-PA 4865 R. Verdes Florestas - Cruzeiro do Sul-AC 4876 R. Roraima - Bos Vista-RR 4885 R. A Voz do Coração - Anápolis-GO 4885 R. Clube do Pará - Belém-PA 4885 R. Difusora Acreana - Rio Branco-AC 4895 R. Baré - Manáus-AM 4905 R. Araguaia - Araguaiana-TO 4925 R. Difusora - Taubaté-SP 4925 R. Educação Rural - Tefé-AM 4945 E. Rural a Voz do São Francisco - Petrolina-PE 4945 R. Progresso - Porto Velho-RO 4955 R. Clube - Rondonópolis-MT 4955 R. Cultura - Campos dos Goytacazes-RJ 4965 R. Alvorada - Parintins-AM 4975 R. Nossa Voz - São Paulo-SP 4975 R. Timbira - São Luiz-MA 5015 R. Brasil Tropícal - Cuiabá-MT 5015 R. Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro-RJ 5015 R. Pioneira - Teresina-PI 5025 R. Vale do Xingu - Altamira-PA 5035 R. Educação Rural - Coari-AM 5045 R. Cultura do Pará - Belém-PA 5055 R. Difusora - Cáceres-MT 5965 R. Transmundial - Santa Maria-RS 6080 R. CBN-Anhanguera - Goiânia-GO 6105 R. Cultura de Filadelfia - Foz do Iguaçu-PR 6160 R. Boa Vontade - Porto Alegre-RS 6160 R. Rio Mar - Manáus-AM 9665 R. Nacional - Brasília-DF 9695 R. Rio Mar - Manáus-AM 9715 R. Guarujá Paulista - Guarujá-SP 11765 R. Tupi - Curitiba-PR 11855 R. Aparecida - Aparecida-SP 15200 R. Nacional da Amazônia - Brasília-DF 15265 R. Globo - Rio de Janeiro-RJ 15265 Radiobrás - Brasília-DF 15325 R. Gazeta - São Paulo-SP Solicito encarecidamente aos colegas que, se tiverem alguma informação sobre estas emissoras que se pronunciem na lista. Estejam elas em atividade ou não. Vou ficar no aguardo. Forte 73 a todos e os melhores votos de um feliz natal (Giuseppe Settimi Cysneiros, Santa Rita do Sapucaí - MG, Alt. 810m Lat.22º15'08"S, Long. 45º42'12"W, Grid Locator GG77DR, Membro do DX Clube do Brasil, radioescutas via DXLD) Amigos, Da lista abaixo, alguns loggings e observações próprias do último período: 2460, Alvorada, Rio Branco, se não estou enganado circulou um logging há algumas semanas sobre esta emissora. A confirmar. 3255, Educadora 6 de agosto, Xapuri, ouvi nesta terça feira em Ibiuna- SP num sítio. Veja o logging que divulguei no dia 20: 3255, BRASIL: R. Educadora 6 de agosto, Xapuri-AC, PP, 19/12 0017. Mx brasileira, Locutor: comunicação com ‘o pessoal de Xapuri’, oferecimento musical, 25432 (Rudolf Grimm, Ibiuna-SP, Brasil). 4785, Caiari, Porto Velho, também circulou um logging, e num dia desses recente, ouvi uma emissora em PP sem identificação nesta freqüência que pode ser que tenha sido a Caiari. 4805, Difusora, Manaus, no ar. 4825, Educadora, Bragança-PB, no ar, captada pelo Leonaldo Ferreira (Paraíba) há uns 10 dias. Escuta divulgada pela radioescutas. 4845, Cultura, Manaus, no ar. Sai do ar por vezes às 10 da noite, nosso horário. [0000 UT] 4865, Verdes Florestas, quando em quebra de sinal da Alvorada Londrina, costuma entrar. Me confirmaram sintonia em 2007. 4885, Clube do Pará, no ar, ouvi-a nesta madrugada. Vira a noite no ar 4885, Difusora Acreana, concorre com a Clube do Pará, já ouvi identificação desta há alguns dias num fading da Clube do Pará. Notam- se duas portadoras e duas transmissões diferentes em PP nesta freqüência. 4925, Educação Rural, Tefé, veja logging divulgado em 20.12: 4925 BRASIL: R. Educação Rural, Tefé-AM, PP, 18/12 2333. OM: talks, ads, informações sobre o município de Tefé, 35543 (Rudolf Grimm, Ibiuna-SP, Brasil). 4975, Emissora paulista que tem sido usada para tx da Igreja Deus é Amor, no ar dia e noite. 5035, Educação Rural, Coari: quando a Aparecida está sem sinal nesta freqüência, surge uma ‘no fundo do poço’ em PP que pode ser a de Coari. Precisamos aguardar aqueles casos da Aparecida estar apagada em 5035 para novas tentativas. 5965, Transmundial, ouvida nesta madrugada aqui em São Bernardo-SP com bom sinal, após 0300 UTC. 6080, CBN-Anhanguera, ativa. Ouvida em dezembro na ausência da Novas de Paz. 6105, Cultura Filadélfia, ouvida há algumas semanas em concorrência com a Canção Nova. 6160, LBV, Porto Alegre, ouvida há alguns dias. 9695, Rio Mar, Manaus, possível de ser captada pelas 9 da manhã no sudeste brasileiro, no fundo do poço. 11765, Tupi, Curitiba, não se tem notícia de desativação, porém, anda meio sumida do dial. 15325, Gazeta, São Paulo, ativa. Dificil de ser captada aqui pelo sudeste, dado que 19 metros são sinais para longa distancia física. Mesmo assim, captei-a no segundo semestre de 2007, e tendo contatos freqüentes com a própria Gazeta, não se tem falado de sua desativação. 15325 Gazeta, no ar. 17815 Cultura, no ar. Estas freqüências não estão no ar durante o dia inteiro, talvez elas mesmas (as emissoras) possam confirmar quando estão no ar, ou não. Contatos na Gazeta: Benedito Leite da Costa. O contato técnico da Cultura também pode ser levantado, mas pelo que tenho percebido nas ondas curtas, os 17815 kHz estão ativos. 17815, Cultura, no ar (16 metros, para distancias maiores, não para locais, ou menos de 500 km do transmissor e antena). Apenas para contribuir com o que se discute no momento, não é o fato de não estarmos ouvindo certos sinais que se pode afirmar que estes estejam ‘desativados, anulados ou até “abandonados”‘. Existem várias que saíram sem dar aviso, mas, com um pouco de paciência e hora certa para recebermos estes sinais (tentemos noites e madrugadas em alguns casos, ou mesmo usando uma antena apropriada), podemos chegar a outras conclusões. Um abraço, e boas escutas a todos, (Rudolf Grimm, São Bernardo, SP, BRASIL http://www.radioways.cjb.net http://www.ondascurtas.com Rx: Kenwood R-1000, Sony ICF SW7600G+GR, Sony ICF2001D Ant.: Vert. 3 m (indoor), Horizontal 22 m, Degen DE-31 Complementos: Acopladores MCJ (reostato + capacitor) + Versa Tuner MFJ-901B, chave de antena CX-3, Dec 22, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** BURKINA FASO. 5030, Radio Burkina, 2315-0002*, Dec 22-23, Afro-pop music. French talk. Sign off with National Anthem. Very good. Strong (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7230, R. Burkina (presumed), Ouagadougou, 12/23, French/dialects. 0805 male talks, 0807 music maybe local, 0808 male talks, music (female choir, sometimes singing "Haleluya"), 0816 male talks, music (indefinite style) until 0821 32432 strong QRM perhaps of CNR1, annoyed this interesting listening, 73 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP, Brasil (23 33 S, 46 51 W), Sony ICF SW40, dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. *2200-2230 Dec 22, 9800 DRM, News and "Blink". Interesting program topics at intro. Unfortunately, SNR quickly dropped too low to decode. Disappointing. To those interested... Merry Christmas. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, Manassas, VA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Re 7-155, Alberta: Another question, what was the call of the CBC outlet in Calgary before CBR? I think it was a relay of CBX Edmonton, adding another letter? As for CJBC, I believe that was originally a private station which the CBC acquired and kept the old calls (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CHIN: see BAHAMAS CBR has always been CBR since it went on the air in 1964. At first the CBC tried to do what had worked well in Saskatchewan and Manitoba - serve the entire populated area of Alberta from one 50 kW transmitter. So in 1948 CBX went on the air, on 1010 kHz, from studios in Edmonton with the transmitter at Lacombe, a small town just north of Red Deer. The signal level turned out to be marginal in both Edmonton and Calgary however. Nothing was done for Calgary, but in the early 1950's a 250 watt relay, CBXA on 740 kHz, went on the air in Edmonton. Of course the final solution was separate 50 kW stations in both Edmonton and Calgary, so in 1964 this was done, with CBX Edmonton using 740 kHz and the new CBR Calgary on 1010 kHz. This still did not serve the SE corner of Alberta very well, so a 10 kW relay of CBR was built at Medicine Hat on 1460 kHz - with the calls CJMH. This station moved to FM several years ago. CJBC Toronto started as a private station, CKNC, about 1926 and was sold to the CRBC (Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission) in 1935 who changed the calls to CRCY. After the CBC took over from the CRBC the calls became CBY for a few years before being changed again to CJBC (which had been the call of the Toronto station operated by the Jarvis Street Baptist Church in the 1920's) but there is no connection between the two stations). Indeed the CBC often kept the calls of private stations they acquired, e.g. CHFA Edmonton but CJBC is nor an example. 73, (Deane McIntyre, AB, Dec 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHAD. Chad strong again this evening on 4905 from tune-in at 1740 with local music and talk in vernaculars. Alan searched through Tropical Band Logbook in the BDXC Communication archives and the last logging that we had of Chad on 60m was over 10 years ago in October 1997. A nice surprise to hear the station back again after all this time (Dave Kenny, England, Dec 21, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) 4904.97, Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne, N´djamena, 2135-2140, December 22, French, afropops, announcement by male in French, talk by same male. After, more afropops, 24432 Good reception. At 2145 the QSA was 3 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadiene, 2035-2144 UT Dec 22, 4904.5 kHz. Talk between male and female in French. Remembered enough high school French to positive ID. Songs. Overall fair with CODAR QRM (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, Manassas, VA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4905, RNT, 2225-2300*, Dec 22, French/English. Announcer with French talk between Afropops at tune-in, switching to English pop/rap music after 2232. ID/NA at sign-off. Good (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10, MLB1, 200' Beverages, 60M dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [and non]. 6280, TAIWAN: Xi Wang Zhi Sheng (Sound of Hope) (tentativo), Tanshui, chino, 15/12 2316. OM: talks na habitual comunicação da SOH. Fortissimo QRM musical orquestrado, característica de interferência nas transmissões contrárias às políticas chinesas (Mx com sinal 9 + 30), 11521 (Rudolf Grimm, São Bernardo-SP, Brasil, Kenwood R-1000, Sony ICF SW7600G+GR, Degen DE-1103; Ant.: Vert. 3 m (indoor), Horizontal 22 m, Degen DE-31; Complementos: Acopladores MCJ (reostato + capacitor) + Versa Tuner MFJ-901B, chave de antena CX-3, Conexión Digital Dec 23 via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. 20-12-2007 (Gi/Th) 1042 13970.0 JM FDRAKE Sound of Hope-TWN - SF/MB (Luca Botto Fiora, Italy, playdxyg via DXLD) Haven`t seen 13970 reported thus for months (gh, DXLD) ** CHRISTMAS ISLANDS [non]. "Christmas Island Radio" on award winning RNZI --- Station IDs and Season's Greetings in French, Spanish, Brazilian/Portuguese and Italian Join us for our special Christmas season documentary during the long running 'Mailbox' program on award winning Radio New Zealand International, on Monday, December 24 2007. This year, David Ricquish visits Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean and Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean. Two islands with the same name, different radio histories, and a very appropriate choice for this Christmas season. Hear about VLU-2, 6RCI, the Christmas Island Broadcasting Service and Radio Kiritimati --- and enjoy Christmas music from long gone Hawaiian KCCN 1420 AM, reggae and some classic Polynesian melodies designed to bring the warmth of the South Pacific into your home. Back by popular demand, Radio Heritage Foundation board member Jo Del Monaco sends special greetings to regular and new 'Mailbox' listeners in French, Spanish, Brazilan/Portuguese and Italian, one of the few times you'll hear RNZI station ID announcements in most of these languages! We hope you'll enjoy the program. You'll find more about Christmas Island Radio at our global media platform http://www.radioheritage.net along with new articles, images and the latest Pacific Asian [PAL] Radio Guides for AM and shortwave stations across the region. "Christmas Island Radio" on award winning RNZI: December 24 2007 0830 UT 9765 AM/9870 DRM, 1130 UT 13840 AM/9870 DRM, 1330 UT 5950 AM, 1530 UT 5950 AM; December 25 2007 0330 UT 15720 AM/17675 DRM. At http://www.rnzi.com --- Streaming live, podcast feed and audio on demand [including download] for several weeks after broadcast date. Click on 'Audio' at http://www.rnzi.com Happy Holidays from the team at the Radio Heritage Foundation, celebrating three years of 'sharing the stories of Pacific radio' from our global media platform http://www.radioheritage.net 24/7. Want to support our volunteers this Holiday Season? Use the PAYPAL donation button at http://www.radioheritage.net and protect our Pacific radio heritage. Thank you (David Ricquish, NZ, RHF, Dec 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Did you axually travel to either Christmas I? (gh) ** ECUADOR. 4909.2, R. Chaskis, 1102-1116, Dec 22, Spanish. Announcers with Buenos Días between musical selections. Nice signal at tune-in (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10, MLB1, 200' Beverages, 60M dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT [and non]. Re: Radio Cairo y las estaciones de números. Saludos cordiales Glenn, investigando un poco más entre la relación de las emisiones de Radio Cairo y las estaciones de números, he encontrado hasta 11 frecuencias de Radio Cairo que coinciden con Estaciones de números. Creo que esto es algo más que casualidad. Un saludo, JM Radio Cairo B-07 [from EiBi] 6140 0045-0200 ERTU Radio Cairo S SAm a 6250 1500-1600 ERTU Radio Cairo AL SEE a 6250 1800-1900 ERTU Radio Cairo I Eu a 6250 1900-2000 ERTU Radio Cairo D Eu a 6250 2000-2115 ERTU Radio Cairo F Eu a 6250 2115-2245 ERTU Radio Cairo E Eu a 6270 1600-1800 ERTU Radio Cairo UR SAs z 6290 0000-0300 ERTU General Program A Eu a 6290 0000-0300 ERTU General Program A NAm a 6290 1100-2400 ERTU General Program A Eu z 6290 1100-2400 ERTU General Program A NAm z 7325 2000-2200 ERTU Radio Cairo A AUS z 9250 1600-1700 ERTU Voice of Arabs A EAf 9250 1700-2400 Radio Wadi el-Nil A EAf 9960 1900-0030 ERTU Voice of Arabs A EAf z 11540 1500-1600 ERTU Radio Cairo UZ CAs z 11620 1430-1600 ERTU Radio Cairo PS AFG a Frecuencias de estaciones de números: http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/page30.html 6250 V15 6270 E10 6290 M17/E1 6290 M23 //5349 6918 8307 7322 E10 'FTJ' 9251 E3 9252 M54 only known freq. 9958x M68 //6840 11540x M2 special 11617 G16 11618x G2 highest (José Miguel Romero, Spain, Dec 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 5005, RN-Bata, 2240-2259*, Dec 18, vernacular. Continuous Afropops until NA at 2258. Poor (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10, MLB1, 200' Beverages, 60M dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5005, RN Guinea Ecuatorial, Bata, 12/22, Spanish, 0559 music; sounds like for children, misunderstood language but sometimes they repeat "in your heart", next sounds like music before, 0608-0614 male and female presumed news "la situación política de la nación", la RN Guinea Equatorial", "la capital del Congo", "los resultados altamente positivos", mentions of "La Paz" 33433. 73's (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP, Brasil (23 33 S, 46 51 W), Sony ICF SW40, dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5005, Radio Nacional - Bata, 2245-2256*, Dec 22, Afro-pop music. Spanish talk. Sign off with National Anthem. Fair (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. Hi Glenn, The "European Radio Project" is not the same as "Insight Central Europe" (ICE), but sounds similar to it in some ways and is also financed in part by a grant from the European Commission. ICE is "a joint project of six Central European radio stations offering a real perspective on life and events in Central Europe". I have enjoyed ICE programming in English via the External Service of Polish Radio. Schedule and audio streaming at: http://incentraleurope.radio.cz/ice/ (Ron Howard, CA, Dec 22, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Meanwhile there have been several more comments appended to the original item in the Media Network blog: Steven Allan Says: December 14th, 2007 at 3:42 am As every one of the countries involved just happens to be in the EU and taking into account that over half of the population of England wants out of the EU, one must expect scepticism. It is true that the Daily Mail is right wing, but on the issue of Europe, they are more in line with the people than the British government which has just signed us even deeper into Europe. In any case, the opportunity will be there for using the set up for propaganda, and I find it hard to believe that there will be no collusion. Whatever its intention, until we can get out of Europe, I suspect that this station will be seen by many on this side of the North Sea as Radio European Union. Andy Says: December 14th, 2007 at 11:55 am OK Steven, You are of course entitled to express your own opinion. But by using the term “collusion” you imply that you have no confidence in the integrity of the journalists who work for RNW and the other international broadcasters. That’s disappointing, but means that they will have to work even harder to convince the sceptics that they are not the voice of the European Commission. Indeed, we have a charter which would put us in hot water with the Dutch government if we compromised our independence. Steven Allan Says: December 14th, 2007 at 5:10 pm Andy, Please do not get me wrong. I listened to Radio Netherlands on Short Wave as far back as 1970. The Netherlands is my favourite foreign country. I have learnt Dutch and mostly listen to Dutch radio. I have confidence in the Netherlands and RNW. I do not, however, have confidence in the EU which has a terrible record on corruption and I do not see how it is possible to stop the occasional individual from taking backhanders etc. Indeed, with other EU countries involved, any misdeeds (including collusion) could let down the good reputation of RNW. Andy Says: December 14th, 2007 at 8:12 pm Well, as you will see from the article at http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/071214-european-radio our acting Editor-in-Chief Wim Jansen has pledged that there will be no interference from Brussels. Once the service is up and running, you will be able to form your own judgement on how successful we are at putting this into practice. Ken Fletcher Says: December 14th, 2007 at 9:25 pm Although my view has been largely discounted, already by another BDXC Member. I am still of the opinion that this is a ‘let out’ not only for Radio Netherlands Worldwide, but for other European Broadcasters. All should be making efforts to transmit these topics on their own stations to Europe. Radio Netherlands for example now only has Sky Channel 0205, for Europe, which I personally am equipped to receive, but many of your former listeners certainly will not be (unlike the BBCWS you are not on DVB-T or DAB in UK. (at least as far as I know- certainly not here in the Merseyside Area. I appreciate that you ended up by being ‘frozen out’ on Medium Wave, but believe that direct broadcasting is still possible from Flevo in ‘A’ Seasons and Bonaire or Madagacar in ‘B’ Seasons. Jürgen Bartels Says: December 15th, 2007 at 4:27 pm I hope it does not become yet another Network Europe on the same channel as RNW in English, because as a daily listener during lunch time I now hear always one item from RN broadcasted earlier the week repeated again in N.E. It may be nice for the occasional listener, but definitely not for the daily listener. In that case better use another channel Andy Says: December 15th, 2007 at 6:18 pm Network Europe is, indeed, a programme containing material already produced by the participating broadcasters. No firm decisions have been made, but I have a feeling that this new set of programmes will be separate from the main output of RNW. It’s not aimed at a worldwide audience, but as a platform for intra-European dialogue. I don’t think the intention is to replace any of the material currently broadcast on the various stations, but rather to add to it. The scheduling is one of the many things that have to be discussed. But your point is well taken. Steven Allan Says: December 15th, 2007 at 9:05 pm I have just spent hours surfing the web in respect of this to make sure that I have read all available information and not subjected myself to any propaganda. There are too many websites for me to quote. It would seem that the European Commission put out to tender for a radio station to produce news programming on EU affairs. The station (won by a consortium of 16 stations in 13 countries) could, therefore, be called Radio Brussels or Radio EU but there will be no direct interference by the EC. There will not need to be because what the EC wanted was an EU affairs station and they have got that. The editorial content will be organized and overseen by the German Deutsche Welle, the French will see to the finances and the Dutch RNW will see to the website. I had already smelt a rat, but having got to grips with the story, it would appear that the rat is real. I have no doubt that this will be a station for those who are pro European Union and the anti brigade will surely never listen. There will be good justification for saying that this is just another small step towards a United States of Europe, as radio stations are not normally run by a group of nations. Andy Says: December 16th, 2007 at 12:05 pm Neither is this one, Steven. RNW is not a nation, it is an independent publicly-funded broadcaster. You don’t seem to comprehend the difference between a state broadcaster and a public broadcaster, which is surprising for someone who has been listening to RNW as long as you have. Yes, of course the station is likely to be listened to mainly by people who are pro EU, that’s obvious. In the same way, if you don’t like football, you don’t listen to football commentaries. Of course, when the website is up and running in the middle of next year, you’ll be very welcome to make use of it to express your anti-EU views to a wider audience than you have here. I guess your beef with this project is that because you don’t approve of it, you don’t want your money being spent on it. But given that the total population of the EU is around 500 million, and the grant to the European Radio Project is 5.8 million euro a year, that works out a little over 1 euro cent per year for each citizen. Hardly worth going on the streets to complain about, is it? Steven Allan Says: December 16th, 2007 at 5:50 pm Andy, I realised straight after sending the message that I made a mistake. I should have said that radio stations are not normally run by broadcasters from a group of nations. Of course I know that RNW is not directly controlled by the Dutch government. As for radio, it has been one of my greatest interests since I was in single figure ages and finally, in respect of the EU, it is becoming more and more unpopular by the day here and I find it difficult to find anyone where I live who wants to stay in, so I am no anti-Europe fanatic; just typical in this one respect. Neither is it the money that matters; it is the pandering to the wishes of the EC with a project which makes the EU closer to becoming one country. Still, let us not fall out over this one. Your weblog is brilliant. It always astounds me how you manage to find out and write so much so well. It is an invaluable source of information and ideal for me with my interest in the Netherlands, Dutch radio and radio and electronics in general. Also, I usually agree with your views. Thanks for the weblog; it is appreciated and keep up the good work. (Media Network blog [which is on holiday break and recommends DXLD for breaking news meanwhile] checked Dec 22, via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Radio Gloria 5965 kHz this Sunday 23rd of December 2007 1300 to 1400 UT, 5965 kHz. Happy Christmas to all our Listeners from Radio Gloria International! (Tom Taylor, DX LISTENING DIGEST [and in advance on the dxldyg]) Country and site not specified, but IIRC it is DTK Wertachtal. Why omit this? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, I have now received Tom's confirmation of DTK Wertachtal (Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) Por cierto, la emisión empezó en 6140 y a las 1314 cambió a 5965 tras sufrir unos cortes y algunos titubeos: ALEMANIA, 6140, Radio Gloria Internacional, 1310-1314, escuchada el 23 de diciembre probablemente en alemán a locutor con programa musical, sin emisión en 5965, sufre dos cortes y desparece, entonces se activa en 5965, SINPO 45544. 5965, Radio Gloria Int., 1314-1322, escuchada el 23 de diciembre en alemán a locutor en programa musical, ID “..Radio Gloria..”, programa musical, sin señal a las 13:00, SINPO 45554. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, ibid.) Lucky you; one would not have been expecting it on 6140 (gh) ** GUATEMALA. Received a 2008 calendar from R. Verdad. Looks like it was home-designed rather than from some conglomerate calendar- producer. No color scenery, just a B&W photo of the junta running it. Also enclosed a tract in Spanish, and an enclosure in English saying: ``Gretings from ``Radio Truth`` --- We went on the air February 25, we inaugurated it on March of the year 2000, last year of the second millennium, and we have already celebrated our sixth anniversary! Now, we have already received reports that our signal is arriving to the whole American continent, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. We have received reports from more than 441 different place in 49 countries, which are [enumerated, including only 33 US states]. . . ``We want to inform you how we go: we have celebrated our seventh anniversary. We are transmitting during the day from our studio number one in Chiquimula, at the Quaker Theological Seminary and at night, we make it on direct from our studio number seven, in San Esteban, Chiquimula, now with 720 watts. Our programming is varied, very spiritual, genuinely evangelical and with service to the community. We are transmitting from 5:00 am up to 12:00 pm and we are achieving a great impact on our listeners from Europe and the United States, especially because of the high musical and spiritual quality of our music. Now we have our new Web Site on Internet and we are transmitting our signal on Internet at http://www.radioverdade.org Your brother in Christ Jesus, Dr Edgar Amílcar Madrid, manager and Director.`` Oops, a typo in their URL, as there really must not be an -e at the end of verdad if you want to reach it: http://www.radioverdad.org I wonder if some Portuguee work in the print shop. The unsealed envelope bore 14 Quetzales postage --- unfortunately one stamp overlapping the other two! I can remember when the Q was pegged to the US$, so I wonder how much that converts to now? $1.83 or so (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. Firebrand is a new series on the Ion (ex-Pax) TV network, UT Tue-Sat 0400-0500, at least as we receive it in the CT zone on KOPX-62. It`s a full hour of commercials, but these are the select ones, from abroad and ahome. If you tend to zap commercials interrupting programming, this makes up for it. It`s unclear whether the whole show is sponsored, or not, but there are no interruptions for `real` ads, and constant promotion for http://firebrand.com where you can see more such content. Oops, one captioner can`t tell the difference between Italian and Spanish. Spots involving nudity are suitably censored for squeamish Americans, but not censored on the web, the skinny hostess claims; yet one there was full of bleeps for language. Coming up on Monday night: classic GEICO spots. A worthy substitute for the stricken Daily [sic] Show and Colber Repor during same hour on Comedy Central (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. PsyOp soldiers wage 'battle for hearts and minds' in Iraq --- Adam Allington, KWMU RAMADI, IRAQ (2007-12-06) Since the war in Iraq began, the U.S. military has tried to establish peace by promoting a western system of democratic governance and civic responsibility. But for many Iraqis, the reality of their history and daily lives pushes them away from the systems the military wants them to adopt. Psychological Operations, or Psy-Op, specialists are the Army's front- line soldiers in the battle for hearts and minds. KWMU's Adam Allington is in Iraq with the 10th PsyOp Battalion and sent us this report. . . [audio] http://publicbroadcasting.net/kwmu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1193859§ionID=1 (via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) BTW, I understand that you should never put an -s on the end of PsyOp lest you be taken as an uninformed outsider. That means you cannot pluralize the term (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** JAPAN. NHK RADIO JAPAN NEW YEARS EVE HITPARADE SCHEDULE Do you have any information on NHK's SHORTWAVE relay schedule on New Years Eve Hitparade on December 31, 2007 ??? (Wolfgang Büschel to Sonny Ashimori, via dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Wolfgang, It's posted in Japanese here. http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/japanese/info_j.html Shortwave schedule Dec 31 - 1020-1445 UT, 9750 for Asian Continent, 11815 for SE Asia Shortwave radio is for Asia only this year. I guess most people watch it (well, those who do) on NHK World Premium on satellite and cable TV these days. TV schedule is the same time, plus re-run from 2215 (Dec 31) to 0445 (Jan 1) UT. (Sonny (on vacation in Manila, Philippines) Ashimori, via Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATVIA. 9290, Latvia Today, Ulbroka, 0840-0900, Dec 22, Presumed with English talk. Poor. Just too weak to catch any program details (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. 5995, RTVM, 2315-0001*, Dec 22-23, Afro-pop music. French talk. Sign off with National Anthem. No //s heard. Poor to fair with adjacent channel splatter (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 9599.26, Radio UNAM, Mexico City, 2256-2312, Dec 22, nice signal with opera music. IDs at 2300, 2301. Christmas music at 2302. Spanish talk. In the clear with a good signal (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 7275, R. Nigeria-Abuja, 0721-0735, Dec 18, English. Talk re Dept. of Education followed by Arabic-like music. ID at BoH. Fair/poor, quickly slipping under band noise (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10, MLB1, 200' Beverages, 60M dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OMAN. 15140, Radio Sultanate of Oman, 1430-1500, Dec 22, tune-in to English news at 1430-1438. IDs. Continuous pop music at 1439-1500. Arabic at 1500. Fairly strong carrier. Modulation level was okay but could have been stronger. 15140, Radio Sultanate of Oman, 1405-1500, Dec 23, Fair signal strength but once again heard here with low to very low modulation. At times completely inaudible. US pop music at 1405 tune-in. English news at 1430-1440, ID, followed by pop music. Chimes at 1500. Arabic talk and Arabic music after 1500 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. ``Re 7-155: David, Tnx for the excellent follow- up. One thing: I haven`t seen any reports of 4890 or 9675 for ages, so I don`t think they are an exception. Or have you heard them? 73, (Glenn to David, via DXLD)`` Olá Glenn, Talvez eu não tenha entendido corretamente o sentido da palavra "ages" no texto mas de qualquer forma ouvi aqui em 4 de julho de 2006 (feriado aí nos EUA) as 0856 UT a NBC 4890; uma parte está no audio do link http://geocities.yahoo.com.br/eefibra/clipnbcpapua.mp3 Aproveitando, bom Natal e próspero ano novo (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil, Dec 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) `Ages` is a very indefinite, exaggerative term. However, having been heard a sesquiyear ago and not (much?) since should fit (gh, DXLD) É, (much?) até que já faz um tempinho, em termos dexísticos já faz um tempão (4 de julho de 2006, NBC 4890 kHz); tenho saudades desta emissora, tinha um noticiário (news) às 0500 UT interessante (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Brasil, Dec 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 0500 UT = 3 pm PNG time, a bit too early to be getting out, it seems to me; a later hour? I also explained what (much) means in this usage (gh, DXLD) Continued at VANUATU ** PHILIPPINES. Radio Veritas Asia B07, 01 January to 30 March 2008 SHORTWAVE TRANSMISSION SCHEDULE [updated] Bengali 0030–0057 9510 1400–1430 11870 Burmese 2330–2357 9720 1130–1157 15450 Filipino 2300-2327 9720 Filipino 1500–1530 9615 Filipino 1530-1600 9615 (Wed/Fri/Sun extension) Hindi 0030–0057 9670 1330–1400 11870 Hmong 1200–1227 11935 Kachin 2330–2357 9645 1230–1257 15225 karen 0000–0027 11935 1200–1230 15225 Mandarin 2100–2257 6115 1000–1157 9615 Russian 0130–0230 17830 1500–1600 9570 Sinhala 0000–0027 12005 0000–0027 9865 1330–1400 9520 Tamil 0030–0057 11935 1400–1427 9520 Telugu 0100–0127 15530 1430–1457 9520 Urdu 0100–0127 15280 0100–0127 17860 1430–1457 11870 Vietnamese 2330–2357 9670 0130–0230 15530 1030–1127 11850 1300–1327 11850 Zomi-Chin 0130-0200 15520 Happy Hunting (via Ashik Eqbal Tokon, Rajshahi, Bangladesh, Dec 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** QATAR. GRUMBLING AT ALJAZEERA ENGLISH. "Al Jazeera International (or Al Jazeera English as we were forced to call it after objections from the Arabic news channel) was launched 13 months ago. Since then two things have happened: First, the channel has built itself a reputation as an authoritative news source on world issues, offering a different perspective from the likes of CNN and BBC. ... The second thing that has happened is that the people who have been responsible for this phenomenal innovation in the world of broadcasting have been treated like... ." http://www.friendsofaljazeera.org/node/2887 (Linda L., Friends of Aljazeera, 19 December 2007. Posted: 22 Dec 2007, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. 6075, at 1359 Dec 23, in 49m bandscan I noticed a somewhat rumbly signal from Pet-Kam, but something even stranger at 1400-1401: a Morse code message, ending in K. This was tone modulation, not carrier on-and-off, presumably from the 6075 transmitter just before it did go off a minute later. It was sent at quite a slow rate, and I might have been able to copy it if I had not been taken by surprise and my attention split (CBS Sunday Morning was just starting!). Let us try again for this strange anomaly and decode what they are saying, probably in Russian involving Cyrillic code characters (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [and non]. Voice of Russia. Relay via SW transmitters. 28 /13/2007 - 29/03/2008 [sic; means 28/10/2007 – gh also lined up columns, corrected several obvious typos in spelling, but questions apparent typos in numbers] kHz UTC kW Moscow / RUS 5900 0000-0300 500 5905 1400-1600 035 DRM 5985 1500-2000 250 6000 1630-1800 250 6105 2000-2300 035 DRM 6130 1600-2100 250 6145 1600-2200 250 7105 1600-1630 250 7105 1800-2100 250 7115 1800-2100 250 7135 1300-1600 250 7170 0000-0400 500 7195 1700-2100 250 7230 1600-2100 500 7260 0200-0400 500 7270 1500-1900 250 7290 1800-2200 250 7305 1800-2000 250 7320 1600-1900 250 7330 0000-0300 500 7330 1700-2200 250 9470 1500-1800 500 11615 0700-1500 035 DRM 11630 1200-1500 250 * 11635 0700-0900 035 DRM 12025 1200-1600 500 12055 1300-1530 500 15150 1300-1500 250 15460 1200-1500 250 ** * 28 /13/2007 - 01/03/2008 [sic; means 28/10/2007 -] ** 02/03/2008 - 29/03/2008 Sankt-Peterburg / RUS 5910 1500-1700 200 5920 1600-2100 200 5935 1500-1800 400 5940 2100-2230 200 6030 1800-2000 200 6045 1700-2000 200 6065 1800-2000 400 6195 0100-0300 500 7130 1700-1800 400 7340 1600-1800 200 Kaliningrad / RUS 5950 1800-2200 160 5975 1630-1900 160 7285 1500-2200 160 9720 1000-1100 160 Samara / RUS 5920 2100-2200 250 5940 1500-1700 250 5940 1800-2100 250 6000 1800-1900 200 6000 2000-2230 200 6020 1500-1700 250 6185 1300-1700 200 7110 1400-1700 250 7155 1900-2000 250 7290 1600-1800 250 9900 1300-1500 250 Krasnodar / RUS 5925 1500-1700 100 5945 0100-0300 500 6005 1500-1800 100 6055 1800-1900 500 6140 1800-2000 100 6175 1800-2000 100 7150 0200-0600 500 7170 2000-2200 500 7300 1700-1900 250 7300 2100-2200 250 11975 1300-1500 250 15540 1000-1100 250 Novosibirsk / RUS 5940 1200-1500 200 5945 1400-1800 500 7280 1500-1600 250 7305 1200-1400 200 7305 1400-1700 500 7310 1800-2100 500 7340 2000-2200 200 9865 1200-1300 500 Irkutsk / RUS 5920 1000-1400 100 5995 1500-1900 100 6095 1000-1100 100 6095 1200-1300 100 6125 1700-1900 250 6170 1900-2100 250 7235 1700-1900 100 9800 1300-1500 500 11870 0200-0600 100 12090 0200-0600 500 15455 0200-0600 100 17805 0600-0900 250 Chita / RUS 6140 1200-1300 500 7295 1700-1900 500 7335 1800-2000 500 7350 1200-1600 500 15195 0800-1000 500 15470 0200-0600 250 17695 0200-0500 250 Vladivostok / RUS 5930 1100-1500 100 5955 2000-2200 500 6005 0800-1000 100 6155 0700-0900 100 7260 1300-1700 500 7330 0700-0900 500 9855 0400-0600 250 12010 0200-0600 250 12040 0200-0600 250 15760 0200-0700 100 Khabarovsk / RUS 5950 0700-1000 100 6170 1200-1500 100 7155 1100-1500 100 7220 1100-1500 100 9550 0200-1000 100 13580 0200-0700 100 13660 0800-1000 100 15520 0200-0600 100 Komsomolsk-na-Amure / RUS 6005 1300-1500 250 13735 0200-0500 250 15735 0200-0600 090 DRM Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky / RUS 6180 1200-1500 250 7125 1700-1900 250 9840 0400-0600 250 12030 0200-0600 250 15560 0200-0500 250 17695 0500-0600 200 Gavar / ARM 6235 1800-2000 100 7250 0200-0400 500 11510 1700-2000 500 Grigoriopol / MDA 6240 0100-0500 500 7125 0000-0600 500 Orzu / TJK 7560 0000-0300 500 9945 0200-0300 500 11500 1200-1500 500 17495 0800-1000 500 Yangiyul / TJK 4965 1300-1500 100 4965 1600-1700 100 4975 1300-1500 100 4975 1600-1700 100 5830 1800-1900 200 7510 1500-1700 200 7510 1700-2000 100 9885 1300-1530 100 9885 1600-1700 100 Xian / CHN 9660 1500-1600 100 S. Maria di Galeria / CVA 7350 0200-0600 250 Wertachtal / D 6155 0200-0500 250 6175 2300-2400 125 13755 1500-1600 125 (Nikolai Rudnev, Belgorodskaya obl., Rus-DX Dec 23 via DXLD) FOREIGN RELAY VIA SHORT WAVE TRANSMITTERS OF RUSSIA AND COUNTRIES OF CIS. 28/10/2007 - 29/03/2008 Moscow / RUS 6000 1900-2000 250 YFR 7170 2200-2300 250 CRI 7175 1930-2000 200 CRI 7200 1830-1930 500 CRI 7335 1600-1630 250 BBC M-F 7335 1600-1700 250 BBC Sat-Sun 7345 1630-1700 250 FEB 9840 1500-1700 200 SRS 11895 0800-0900 250 RNW Sankt-Peterburg / RUS 5960 1800-1900 400 VRT 7130 1600-1700 400 CRI 7130 1800-1830 400 CRI 13685 0700-0800 400 VRT Samara / RUS 5990 1330-1400 250 VAT [sic; out of order or typo? EiBi shows 5900, but via Tashkent; HFCC agrees 5900 Samara] 5900 1400-1600 250 YFR 5935 1800-1830 250 IBR 5970 1400-1500 250 YFR 6020 1400-1500 250 YFR 7215 2030-2130 500 CRI 7220 0230-0300 250 FEB 7240 1900-2000 250 YFR 7313 1600-1645 250 TWR [sic; surely 7315 as below] Mon-Wed 7315 1600-1630 250 TWR Thu-Fri 7345 1800-2000 250 YFR 9445 1600-1700 250 EOC Mon 9445 1600-1630 250 XOR Tue & Sat 9445 1600-1700 250 DEM Wed, Fri, Sun 9445 1600-1700 250 EPF Thu 11655 0400-0500 250 FEB Mon-Thu 11655 0400-0530 250 FEB Mon-Sun [sic; not really daily? probably means Fri-Sat-Sun, cf entry previous] Krasnodar / RUS 5910 1730-1930 200 DWL 5940 1730-1800 250 RPR 5955 1600-1800 500 RNW 6040 2100-2300 500 RNW 6070 1600-1700 300 YFR 7120 0000-0200 250 DWL 7175 1400-1600 300 YER 7250 1530-1700 200 IBR 7300 1900-2100 250 YFR 7335 1700-1730 100 VOD M-F 9435 1330-1500 300 BBC Sun 11655 1300-1500 200 BBC 11900 1500-1600 250 VOU 11935 0700-0800 500 RNW 11995 0300-0330 200 FEB 12065 0500-0530 200 BVB Mon & Wed 12065 0500-0545 200 BVB Fri 13780 0400-0600 250 DWL 15390 1400-1430 200 SIR Tue, Thu, Sat 15525 0600-0630 500 SIR M-F Novosibirsk / RUS 5900 1300-1330 200 DWL 5900 2200-2400 200 DWL 5925 1730-1930 250 DWL 5950 1300-1545 250 TWR 5985 1230-1315 100 VAT 7110 0100-0130 250 FEB 7150 1000-1100 250 YFR 7150 1400-1500 250 FEB 7210 1900-2000 250 YFR 7295 1300-1500 200 VOA 7295 1600-1700 250 YFR 7300 2315-2400 250 VAT 7325 1200-1230 250 IBR 7350 0015-0145 250 TWR * 7350 2200-2300 200 RFI 9450 1200-1300 250 YFR 9885 0200-0300 250 FEB 12070 0200-0330 250 VAT * alternative 9445 Irkutsk / RUS 5900 0930-1030 500 RFI 6115 1100-1500 100 YFR 7175 1200-1400 250 YFR 7210 1500-1700 250 RFA 7265 1000-1200 250 DWL 7320 1230-1600 250 TWR 7340 1400-1600 250 YFR 9460 0900-1200 250 YFR 9485 1200-1500 500 YFR 11980 0300-0700 500 RFA 12065 1000-1100 250 RNW 15510 0230-0300 250 BBC Chita / RUS 5920 1400-1600 250 YFR 6140 1345-1400 500 VAT 7115 1300-1330 250 DEG * Tue, Thu, Sat 9850 0100-0200 250 DWL * alternative 7125, 7195 Vladivostok / RUS 7315 2200-2300 500 RFI 7330 1300-1530 300 BBC 15565 2330-0030 250 RFA Khabarovsk / RUS 5950 1130-1230 100 BVB M-F 5959 1130-1245 100 BVB Tue, Wed, Thu [sic, surely 5950 as above] 5985 1045-1130 100 BVB Sat 5985 1030-1145 100 BVB Sun 9600 2200-2245 100 VAT * 9795 1000-1100 100 RNW 13785 0000-0045 100 VAT * 28/10/2007 - 01/12/07 and 03/02/08 - 29/03/2008 Komsomolsk-na-Amure / RUS 6005 1200-1300 250 YFR Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky / RUS 5900 1200-1300 200 IBR 5910 1000-1200 250 DWL 5910 1300-1400 250 RNW 6040 1000-1100 250 RNW 5995 1100-1500 250 YFR * 9600 2200-2245 250 VAT ** 11830 2300-2350 250 DWL 15595 0000-0100 250 DWL * alternative 7165 ** 02/12/07 - 02/02/08 Almaty / KAZ 5875 2200-2400 500 DWL 7460 1630-1700 200 VOO Tue, Fri 7490 1800-1900 200 YFR 7535 1300-1500 500 YFR 7560 1200-1400 200 YFR 7560 1400-1500 500 YFR 9310 1300-1400 200 YFR 11510 1100-1200 200 YFR 12150 1100-1300 500 YFR 15430 1000-1200 500 DWL Gavar / ARM 5940 0100-0130 100 FEB 9415 1415-1530 300 DVB 15515 0400-0700 100 CVC 15735 1300-1600 100 CVC Grigoriopol / MDA 6240 200-2200 300 YFR [sic, means 2000-?] 7305 0600-0700 500 RNW 7460 0230-0315 500 RPD 7480 1800-1845 500 RPD 7540 1500-2100 500 MEZ 9355 1400-1500 300 YFR 11530 0500-1500 500 MEZ 13700 0800-0900 500 RNW 17665 1200-1400 250 SAM * [Sawt al Amal has been off for months] * + - 20 kHz Nikolayev / UKR 6225 1730-1830 200 RIN 6245 1700-2200 300 ZMN [off air for months as discussed in DXLD] 7485 1600-1800 250 YFR Tashkent / UZB 5820 1800-1900 200 YFR 6260 0000-0400 100 CVC 6260 1400-2000 100 CVC 7365 1400-1500 100 FEB 7370 1500-1530 100 FEB 7375 0015-0100 100 FEB 7435 1700-1900 200 YFR 7485 1400-1500 100 BVB Thu, Fri 7505 1400-1600 200 YFR 9310 1430-1600 100 VAT 9345 1400-1600 100 RNW 9480 0100-0300 100 CVC 9500 1100-1400 100 CVC 13630 0400-1100 100 CVC Orzu / TJK 7540 2300-2400 500 RFA Yangiyul / TJK 5830 1900-1930 200 RPR 5865 1400-1700 100 YFR 7370 0100-0130 200 BBC 7430 1330-1530 200 BBC 7475 1400-1500 100 YFR 7480 0100-0200 200 RFA 7515 1600-1700 200 RFA 7550 1500-1600 200 RFA 11540 1100-1400 200 RFA 15580 1200-1300 100 QUE * Mon-Sat 17515 0600-0700 200 RFA 16 mb 1100-1400 100 VOT ** 41 mb 1400-1600 100 VOT ** * + - 20 kHz ** [not explained, but means widely variable due to jamming] radiostation : BBC - British Broadcasting Corp. BVB - Bible Voice Broadcasting Network CRI - China Radio International CVC - CVC International DEG - Degar Voice DEM - Andenet Le-Democracy DVB - Democratic Voice of Burma DWL - Deutsche Welle EOC - Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church EPF - Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front FEB - FEBA Radio IBR - IBRA Radio MEZ - Voice of Mesopotamia QUE - Que Huong Radio RFA - Radio Free Asia RFI - Radio France Internationale RIN - Radio International RNW - Radio Nederland Wereldompoep RPD - Radio Payam-e Doost RPR - Radio Prague SAM - Sawt al-Amal / V of Hope [off] SIR - Southern Sudan Interactive SRS - Sudan Radio Service TWR - Trans World Radio VAT - Radio Vaticana VOA - Voice of America VOD - Voice of Delina VOO - Voice of Orthodoxy VOT - Voice of Tibet VOU - V of Unity VRT - Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal XOR - Radio Xoriyo Ogadena YFR - WYFR Family Radio ZMN - Radio Zamaneh [off] (Nikolai Rudnev, Belgorodskaya obl., Rus-DX Dec 23 via DXLD) ** SAINT BARTHELEMY. FJ/OH2AM is Making the News --- Most likely from the new DXCC entity St. Barthélemy, FJ/OH2AM is now fighting in an impressive manner huge pile ups, reported on 7005 and 14025 kHz CW. No QSL route is known so far (Dimiter Petrov, LZ1AF, R. Bulgaria DX Program Dec 21 via DXLD) ** SYRIA. 9330, R. Damascus, 2108-2118, Dec 20, Arabic/English. Announcer with Arabic music and talk. Anthem-like music at 2112 into OM with news in English. Rough copy with usual poor modulation (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10, MLB1, 200' Beverages, 60M dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) What about WBCQ, off- frequency below? If on, probably skipping over Scott (gh, DXLD) ** U K. BBC WORLD SERVICE: "FESTIVAL OF NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS" This annual tradition continues on the World Service as well as the domestic Radio 4 and Radio 3. Tune in on Monday, Christmas Eve, as follows: 1500 UT - Radio 4 / World Service live webcast / Europe SW / US public radio webcast including WGBH / KXPR / Vermont Public Radio / WKAR 90.5 2130 UT - West Africa shortwave (15400, 6110 kHz) 0100 UT Tuesday - Americas XM BBCWS 1400 UT Tuesday - BBC Radio 3 2300 UT Tuesday - Vermont Public Radio (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, Dec 22, swprograms via DXLD) ** U K. OUR GUARDIAN OF CULTURE --- By Harry Eyres, Financial Times Published: December 7 2007 18:32 | Last updated: December 7 2007 18:32 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7bea70d0-a46c-11dc-a28d-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1 I once went for a job at the BBC. The interview did not get off to a good start. A rather fierce woman asked me what I thought about the recent demise of a character in a popular soap opera. I had to admit that I had never heard of the character in question, or watched that particular soap opera. “How can you expect to get a job in this industry,” thundered my interlocutor, “when you are completely out of touch with popular culture – with what millions of people in this country watch and listen to?” I muttered something about everyone’s tastes being different, and how I was a devoted listener to, and viewer of, many of the BBC’s culture and news and current affairs programmes, Radio 3, Panorama, Omnibus and Today, but the damage had been done. That first question had torpedoed me below the water line. I was an out-of-touch elitist. Later, as usual, I worked out what I should have replied. I should have said that I did not consider the BBC to be an industry, but rather a public service broadcaster, the world’s original and much- copied one, still following its Reithian mission to inform, educate and entertain (in that order). I don’t suppose I would have got the job, but at least I would have stated the necessary case. Much later, I went to have an informal chat with a man I vaguely knew, whose post I had taken up when he left teaching to join the BBC in a rather senior capacity. “I think we’ve always been too patronising and patriarchal,” he said, with a charming smile. “Who are we to tell people what they should enjoy? Mightn’t they have quite a good idea themselves?” So much for the BBC’s educational mission. I might have been embittered by such experiences to the point where I felt that old Auntie could stew in her own juices, but I seem to care about the BBC. Its continuing struggles, its propensity to lose its way and its soul, as well as its great and historic achievements, affect me quite profoundly. Perhaps I still believe in the old institution. But at the moment that belief is being tested to the limit. There are many versions of what is happening to the BBC, but my impression is that it has been struck by an acute attack of creeping blandness. The Andrew Gilligan/Lord Hutton affair, in which, according to my reckoning, the BBC was 95 per cent right in exposing the fraudulent claims at the heart of Tony Blair’s case for invading Iraq, and the government 95 per cent wrong, but, being the government, was able to appoint a judge to reverse those percentages, was nothing new. The famous arms-length principle has never meant that the BBC could not be flattened by the clunking fist of government (remember the summary sacking of Alasdair Milne, considered to be too independent). Almost as soon as the BBC came into being, under John Reith, it was faced with the crisis of the 1926 General Strike. The Conservative government put pressure on Reith to keep the views of the TUC and the Labour opposition off the air: Reith gave in, fearing that the government would take over the corporation. Labour leader Ramsay MacDonald justifiably accused it of bias. But the public response to the Beeb’s handling of the crisis, as analysed by the Programme Correspondence Unit, was overwhelmingly positive. Somehow Reithian “impartiality” was different from the scared avoidance of hot potatoes which now characterises the corporation. The difference resided in the refusal to give up a moral compass. “Need we be ashamed of moral values,” fulminated Reith in the House of Lords in his speech warning of the danger of commercial television, “or of intellectual and ethical objectives? It is these that are here and now at stake.” When I travel abroad, I often turn to the BBC’s news services and appreciate afresh the quality of the corporation’s cadre of foreign correspondents, reporting with courage and independence of mind from the world’s most fraught places (remember Alan Johnston in Gaza, or Frank Gardner gunned down in Saudi Arabia). The contrast with the hysterical and superficial nonsense peddled by so many other news channels around the world, either state-controlled or commercially driven, is marked. The BBC is not just a news service. As far as I am concerned it is just as crucially an upholder of culture and a patron of the arts. The BBC is by far the most important patron of classical music in the UK, maintaining five fine orchestras, the world’s greatest classical music festival – the summer Proms in the Albert Hall – and the best classical music radio station in the world, BBC Radio 3. The BBC commissions far more new music and radio drama than any other organisation. But all this cultural work, of inestimable value, is hardly mentioned when the future of the corporation and its creaky old funding arrangements are discussed. For me, the BBC is our great 20th-century cathedral, our Urbino, the grammar school of culture set on the windy hill of the imagination (via Gerald T. Pollard, NC, DXLD) ** U S A. THE ROAD NAMED FOR A VOA MIGHT-HAVE-BEEN (updated). "The public will enter the [Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge] and the service’s offices through Voice of America Road, which winds through Clallam County’s Dungeness Recreation Area." Sequim Gazette, 12 December 2007. Kim: Voice of America Road is named for the a VOA transmitter site that was planned, but never constructed, in this northwest corner of Washington state. Objections from Senator Joe McCarthy in the early 1950s were at least part of the reason the project was never realized. Transcriptions of McCarthy's VOA hearings are available in Volume 1 at the U.S. Senate Art & History web page. Update: "A 51-year-old man reported to the Pitt County Sheriff's Office that someone broke into his home in the 3300 block of Voice of America Road in Grimesland on Wednesday and stole two rifles valued at $2,150, two shotguns valued at $800, a rifle scope valued at $500 and a set of audio speakers valued at $600." The Daily Reflector (Greenville NC), 21 December 2007. Kim: This road is named for the existing IBB shortwave transmitting sites in North Carolina. Posted: 22 Dec 2007 (see http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=2945 for linx, via DXLD) Why don`t they call it, then, IBB Road, or at least the proper percentage of it, Radio Martí Road? (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. WWCR-2, with DGS, stayed on 5935 well past its scheduled switch to 13845 at 1400, Dec 22: still going at 1419, but not at 1457 recheck, so made the change sometime between those hours. Also on 5890 with WWCR-4, PPP, at 1419, but this one lasts until 1600 currently. BTW, remark in previous report about Adam Lock on the Power Hour had him one hour too early; that was up until hourtop 1500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WNQM AM 1300 Nashville, Tenn. Found carrying Glenn Hauser's World of Radio (at 4:14 A.M. Central). No ID heard, but it's not like anyone else runs this on 1300 kHz. Received at Urbana, Illinois on my Sony SRF-M37V (Curtis Sadowski, Dec 22, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) Yes, scheduled 4:00 (or is it still 3:55?) am Saturdays; tnx for confirmation (gh, WOR, DXLD) ** U S A. Sunny Southern California Logs using the Sony SRF-59, QTH Hermosa Beach: 530, WHNV296, Los Angeles CA, 12/21/07, 0630 UT (11:30 pm local) --- Los Angeles International Airport travellers' info, ID of "Radio 530", heard from a distance of about 10 miles; FCC shows both 10 & 100 watts. 1630, WQGJ267, Redondo Beach CA, 12/21/07, 0638 UT, Relay of National Weather Service, local announcements for residents including a Farmers' Market. Very good signal from my QTH. That's it for now, 73 de (Joe Miller, KJ8O/6, CA, IRCA via DXLD) TIS stations have got into trouble for such ``programming`` (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. WVKO on air again --- The new version of WVKO 1580 AM, on the air since December 3, is filled with syndicated talk programming, not talk that is generated by members of the community. Many wonder if it will return to what it used to be instead of national syndication services that fill time slots. . . http://www.columbuspost.com/news/headlines320.html [long background article on past, present and future of station] (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. LISTEN FOR MIGRATING BIRDS ON LW Help Scientists Save the Shrikes: If you live in an eastern state and can tune away from the ham bands for a few minutes a day, you could help scientists study an endangered bird species. Every year, Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes http://www.shrike.ca/ leave their nesting grounds in Ontario, Canada, but fewer and fewer are returning in the spring. Researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario have placed radio tags on 16 young shrikes. They are asking for assistance from hams and monitoring enthusiasts to find out if the tagged birds end up in Florida as expected, or somewhere else. You can help by tuning in regularly to the tag frequencies, which are between 172-173 MHz. The primary target area is Tennessee, North Carolina and states to the south. The complete frequency list is published at http://www.homingin.com/ along with articles to help you distinguish the pulsed tags from other signals you may hear there. Please listen now, because these Loggerhead Shrike transmitters are slowly decreasing in power output and will begin to fail in mid-February 2008. -- Joe Moell K0OV, ARRL ARDF Coordinator (ARRL 12/21/07 newsletter via Mike KW1ND on December 23, 2007 at 07:41:39, LWCA message board via DXLD) ** URUGUAY. MÁS DE 260 RADIOS OPERAN EN EL PAÍS SIN AUTORIZACIÓN Relevamiento. Comunitarios admiten que habrá cierres SEBASTIÁN CABRERA En Uruguay hay 263 emisoras no autorizadas. Solo una pequeña porción será legalizada por la nueva ley. Desde la organización de radios comunitarias se admite que al gobierno no le quedará otra que cerrar los medios que no entren en la regularización. Hace dos semanas el Parlamento aprobó la ley que establece el Servicio de Radiodifusión Comunitaria, prestado por asociaciones civiles sin fines de lucro. La ley todavía debe ser promulgada por el Poder Ejecutivo y la Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones (Ursec) tiene dos meses para hacer un censo de radios comunitarias. . . http://www.elpais.com.uy/07/12/21/pnacio_320584.asp (El País, Uruguay, via DXLD) ** UZBEKISTAN. 9500, CVC-Tashkent, 1238-1303, Dec 17, vernacular. Female announcer between Hindi music selections. ID at ToH into presumed news headlines. Fair/slipping under QRN at tune-out (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10, MLB1, 200' Beverages, 60M dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VANUATU. [continued from PNG] Também saudades de Vanuátu com suas músicas; no ano passado houveram maravilhosas recepções aqui, eles transmitiram na manhã até em 7260 kHz (mais comum de manhã em 3945). Este ano foi bem fraco Vanuatu. Sobre Vanuátu lembro-me de um DXer da Nova Zelândia que você transcreveu o texto dêle para o DXLD passado mas deste ano, que achava que Vanuátu estaria transmitindo com menos potência (com menos de 10 kW, quanto deve ter sobrado então?) será que isto foi o suficiente para piorar tanto a recepção neste ano em relação a 2006? E a propagação de 2006 comparada com 2007, que eu saiba não mudou tanto assim. É curioso tanta mudança de um ano para outro, deve haver algo mais nesta história. Em 2006 Vanuatu teve picos de S=4; este ano não passou de S=2. Lembro-me também que a Nova Zelândia iria doar 2 transmissores para eles. Aproveito também para agradecer por este ano ter aprendido várias coisas diretamente com você. Abraço (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Brasil, Dec 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. Re RCTV equipment worthless --- Jajajajajajja, estos tipos sí son descarados de verdad; en pocas palabras están diciendo que los equipos de RCTV no sirven para nada y que están viejos, y sin embargo la televisora TVES que también es de Chávez está utilizando esos equipos para cubrir a Venezuela, porque sino, solamente se vería en dos estados. Por cierto la señal de TVES es la mejor de Venezuela, y eso que los equipos valen cero, jajajajajajajaajajaaja (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Venezuela, noticiasdx yg via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. YVKA R. Nacional de Venezuela is still on 631.28 - noted at fair level 0420-0430 UT Dec 23 with news in Spanish, then YV National Anthem 0430-0435. – (Marc DeLorenzo, South Dennis, MA, IRCA via DXLD) 0430 being the new ``Chavez midnight`` (gh, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. 4939.72, presumed R. Amazonas, 1055-1100+, Dec 22, Spanish. Still picking up a badly distorted signal here, albeit on an irregular basis. Spanish music and announcer at 1100. Very poor with constant, rapid "chuffing' sound. Unsure if a ute or part of the poor signal (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10, MLB1, 200' Beverages, 60M dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. RN SAHARAWI 6300.0 OFF THE AIR [from logs in time order, this was between 0747 and 0804 Dec 16, but:] 21-12-2007 (Ve/Fr) 0705 6300.0 AF RN SAHARAWI - Irregular - SF/BN (Luca Botto Fiora, Italy, playdxyg via DXLD) ** ZAMBIA. 13650, CVC-Lusaka, 1612-1632, Dec 20, English. The Planet program with music countdown, several CVC promos/IDs and "Cricket Hero" contest. Fair/poor (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10, MLB1, 200'Beverages, 60M dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE. 5975, Voice of Zimbabwe (presumed), Gweru, 12/22, vernacular, 0552-0557 studio alternating outside (sounds like outside recorded audio) male and female talks, mentions of "Nigeria". 43433 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP, Brasil (23 33 S, 46 51 W), Sony ICF SW40, dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [and non]. MADAGASCAR. 11610, Music Loop Jammer & Radio Voice of the People, 0358-0415+, Dec 23, tuned in to this frequency at 0358 to hear the music loop jammer already on the air. Radio Voice of the People came on the air at 0400 with opening ID announcements followed by vernacular talk, short breaks of African music & IDs. Both stations in at equal level most of the time (Brian Alexander, PA,DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. BBC WS was heard here on 700 kHz from approx. 0725 to 0745. From 0725, sport including coverage of the Third Test in Galle [Sri Lankla?]. Mention of BBC WS at 0730 Afterwards some current affairs, difficult to catch the programme name. I wondered whether this might be Jamaica? Sadly the signal was not audible after about 0750, so for the entire time I was listening all I could hear was BBC. 73 (Andrew Brade, UK, Dec 22, MWC via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thank you, thank you! The list of contents with a bunch of country names never meant much, and it can be tedious to scan all the text, but your one line summary of the items, though not sorted?, is most welcome. This will attract to delve in more often to the Digests (Daniel Say, BC) Dan, What you refer to is not the publication but a list of the topics, in order, on the broadcast. The WOR summaries have been available on the DXLD yahoogroup, but I recently started including them on the DXLD issue notifications such as this. The items generally come from the past week`s DXLD issues, not necessarily the one just published. And some come from issues further back. The summaries do not necessarily include every single item on the show. 73, (Glenn) SHORTWAVE MUSIC +++++++++++++++ THE IDEAL DXERS CHRISTMAS / HOLIDAY PRESENT With less than 2 days of Christmas shopping left if I thought I would give you DXers an idea for that last minute present. One of my favorite music albums is "The Failure of Shortwave" by "The Moscow Coup Attempt". Its unlikely that you will find the CD in a suburban record shop, but in a big city independent store you will find it. It`s also available instantly in iTunes which is where my copy came from. It's an album of music that uses samples of shortwave stations as the lyrical component. If you go here you can read more, and listen to some of the tracks: http://cdbaby.com/cd/tmca Anyway back to The Failure of Shortwave, here is a few paragraphs that explain it better than I can: The album "The Failure of Shortwave Radio" is a stream of unconscious interpretation of failures in communication of not just nations, but persons. A grand scale assessment of individuals. The artistic base of influence for the album lies in "Numbers Stations" and their influence on world politics, the cold war, espionage, and musical themes. Many of the motives of "The Failure..." are derived from the musical interludes of these Numbers Stations. "The Failure of Shortwave Radio" attempts to capture the creepy and mysterious essence of Numbers Stations as a broader outlook on humanity and breakdowns in communication wrapped up in the music. What appears on the surface to be an ambient electronic adventure turns into the soundtrack of a film. The purpose is to wrap the listener in an environment that is comfortable, yet unnerving... like a good suspense-thriller. Numbers Stations, also known as Spy Numbers Stations, are mysterious shortwave radio broadcasts of unknown, and unacknowledged origin. They can be found on random shortwave radio frequencies around the world, at any time of the day. Most stations consist of some kind of monophonic musical call sign, followed by sampled voices (often female) reciting repeated number sequences for an hour, or sometimes days. Some use alpha numerics ("Yankee, Hotel, Bravo"), some use languages other than English. But all remain a mystery. It is suspected that these stations have a role in international espionage, and are used to communicate instructions to spies in the field. They started to appear in the early years of the Cold War, and can still be heard today. Words above (c) Capitalist Records 2005 Also worth a look is "Radioactivity" by "Kraftwerk" who also have heavily sampled shortwave stations on the album. Cheers, (Mark Fahey, Sydney NSW, Dec 22, ARDXC via DXLD) Or `Kurzwellen` (or `Hymnen`) by the late Karlheinz Stockhausen (gh) The album-cut version of Kraftwerk's semi-hit "Autobahn", from 1975, briefly features what sounds like a SW-range sample replete with RTTY, if I recall correctly. (Last heard, personally, about five years ago on an FM 87.9 Pirate in Los Angeles.) 73z (GREG HARDISON, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ CHRISTMAS IN RADIO HISTORY http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/999825.html "One Two Three Four - is it snowing where you are Mr. Thiessen? If it is telegraph back to me." - Canadian Reginald Fessenden spoke these first words ever transmitted by radio from a site on Cobb Island in the middle of the Potomac River near Washington, in 1900. A kilometre away, Thiessen, his assistant, quickly reported by Morse code that it was snowing. This was the birth of radio broadcasting. Fessenden presented radio's first program on Christmas Eve 1906, from Boston (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) A CHRISTMAS STORY GOES SHORTWAVE, ALTERNATIVELY [spoiler alert] The date on this issue of DXN tells us it is Christmas Eve. I set aside two hours every Christmas eve or day to watch my favorite movie, “A Christmas Story,” on TBS. This year’s showing should hold a special treat for DXers. It seems that the film’s makers had several products in mind for Ralphie to obsess over before settling on a Red Ryder BB gun, and several alternative scenes were shot. This year for the first time some previously unused footage is being inserted into the old movie, introducing one of these alternate products. In the scene where Ralphie, Schwartz, Flick and Randy stand with their faces pressed against the display window of Higbees Department Store, Jean Shepherd narrates what Ralphie really wants: “Ah, there it is, the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts, the S-19-R Sky Buddy!” (Later Ralphie will describe it in excited, almost unintelligible words: “I want a Hallicrafters S-19-R Sky Buddy shortwave radio with six tubes, a frequency coverage of 550 kilocycles to 46 Megacycles in four bands and an electric bandspread!”) Ralphie soon finds opposition to his longing, as first his mom, then his teacher Miss Shields and finally even Santa himself tell him: “You’ll bust an eardrum!” Still, Ralphie finds an ally in his Old Man, who after all the other presents are handed out on Christmas morning points to a box behind the corner desk. Lo and behold, in it is Ralphie’s wished for radio! To a quizzical look from Ralphie’s mom, the Old Man gingerly says, “I had a crystal set when I was eight years old,” to which she replies, “I still think those things are dangerous!” Ralphie excitedly carries his gift to his room, soon has the electronic gem warm and glowing, puts on his headset, and quickly settles into blissful DX. Disaster strikes, however, when, straining to get an ID from a very distant station, Ralphie cranks up the volume and cups the headset tightly to his ears. Just then Ralphie’s mom turns on the Mix Master, creating an electronic bedlam which races through the air, enters the radio, runs up the headset and into Ralphie’s ears! “Oh my God,” narrates Shepherd, “I busted an eardrum!” Luckily, the loud ruckus made by the Bumpus’ dogs as they spoil the Parker family dinner proves a convenient, logical excuse for Ralphie’s sudden hearing loss. Later at the Chop Suey Palace, while the family enjoys a concert of language-butchered Christmas carols and a dinner of suddenly-headless Chinese turkey, Ralphie’s hearing returns. In the final scene, a very content Ralphie is shown tucked into bed as Shepherd says: “In the blackness on my nightstand next to me lay my steel-enclosed six-tube beauty, the greatest Christmas gift I had ever received or would ever receive. Gradually I drifted off to sleep, pulling signals from every corner of the world out of the ether and logging spectacular catches!” (Bill Dvorak, DDXD-West, NRC DX News Dec 24 via DXLD) AUDIO PHASING [Re 7-156] It sounds like what you are doing is the same thing as is done with the phasers available from Quantum, MFJ or other places, except that you require two radios to get the effect because you do it at the audio level, where the phasers out there generally do it at the antenna level and don't require two radios. Admittedly, the radios are inexpensive but have you tried a phaser and is your effect any different or more pronounced? (Rob Moore, IRCA via DXLD) Hi Rob: Thanks for your note. You're right - it's the same principle as RF phasing, only at the AF stage. I have a Quantum Phaser and numerous loops and wires, which often work in various combinations at the RF stage, but in many situations, especially with strong locals that are tough to phase, this works even better. Right now I am getting somewhat decent audio from a high school basketball game (probably Utah or Wyoming) underneath local 1210-KWMG, something I haven't been able to replicate with RF phasing. Tonight I've noticed that, once a null is established, one or both of the units can be rotated through pretty much 360 degrees to better locate the DX target station and/or get rid of the low hum that sometimes come with phasing of the pest, usually without having to tweak the volume controls. I was working with 1590 and 1680 last night, whose transmitters are less than two miles from me. I could get them down into the weeds, but couldn't locate anything to take their place: the SRF-59s could probably use some RF boost. I would imagine that this technique would work with any identical two receivers, and if two GE SuperRadio 3's were paired, with their oversized ferrites, there may be several stations waiting to step up. Of course, the radios are huge, and I have found that holding the SRF-59's one in each hand allows for quick and flexible rotation to find the sweet spot. Also, the apparent production quality on the GE's may be such that the two units wouldn't be that close in sonic quality. Still, for around $80, one could possibly have a very effective set-up (Kevin S, Bainbridge Island, WA, ibid.) Audio Phasing --- Rush to the SRF-59 Bandwagon Becomes a Stampede Kevin, That strange clicking noise you hear is the sound of previously skeptical IRCA DXers urgently ordering a pair of SRF-59's from Amazon --- before the supply runs out. I am absolutely thrilled that a fellow Puget Sound SRF-59 Fanatic has made a discovery that could truly revolutionize not only the phasing of locals (at a rock-bottom price), but also the reduction or elimination of the IBOC disease. What I have done to promote the SRF- 59 (and other Ultralight radios) is very small indeed compared to your phenomenal accomplishments. But I suppose that when you put both of us together (with other fanatics like Bruce B., Dennis, Gil, Pete, Joe and many others) we may yet turn IRCA into a supercharged group of pocket radio fanatics! I can see an urgent need for an SRF-59 alignment procedure to equalize performance among all units, since recently Bruce B also reported a possible issue with SRF-59 alignment. I do remember an IF transformer close to the loopstick which could be peaked, so as much as I am not thrilled with playing with that plastic dial gear alignment again, I think it's again time for the ex-Navy sonar repair tech to show these tiny units who is boss. Thanks again for your fantastic technical experimentation, which is a true inspiration to all Ultralight fanatics! 73, (Gary, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: CANADA; CHRISTMAS ISLANDS [non]; RUSSIA ++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL TV IN SAINT LOUIS, etc. Another interspersed reply to the conversation between Will Martin and Kai Ludwig, this from Doug Smith (DS). In order to make sense we`ll have to duplicate some of the previous portions --- WM: I recently acquired a small HD DTV & use it with an indoor antenna for off-the-air DTV viewing. KL: Hello, I live in the DVB-T world (i.e. another system than ATSC is in use for terrestrial DTV here), but nevertheless some comments: Really HD? Here in Europe much abuse of the buzzword HD takes place, with fancy labels like "HD Ready" merely stating that the set can produce an image from a HD video signal but not specifying that the display is capable to reproduce the actual image quality. Usually only larger and rather expensive displays can really do that. In doubt one should look for the pixel resolution in the technical data. WM: Maybe it isn't really "HD". It *says* it is, and I distinctly note a difference in an improved picture when the on-screen blurb says it is "HD", but I may well be fooled. DS: On the US side, "HD Ready" usually means the display *is* high definition, but the set doesn't have an ATSC digital tuner. So you have to connect an external ATSC tuner (or a HD cable box, or HD satellite box, or now a HD-DVD player) to see HD. It's no longer legal to manufacture/import TVs that have only an analog tuner, so "HD Ready" TVs are disappearing fast in the US. (I suppose it would be legal to make a HDTV with no tuner at all) But KL has a point: just because a TV receives digital signals broadcast in high definition doesn't necessarily mean it will *display* them in high definition. As many of us in the Worldwide TV- FM DX Association are aware - quite a few of us have bought HDTV tuners and set them to downconvert to analog for viewing on our old analog TVs. WM: It's not as flexible as some which have been mentioned here or in DXLD, in that, to check for the existence of digital channels, you have to let the device run its "autoprogram" process that searches for existing analog and digital channels and loads them into the TV's memory. If a channel isn't already loaded, you can punch in the explicit analog channel number and the TV will tune that, but you cannot punch in a digital channel number (like "24.1") and make it tune that if that channel isn't already loaded by the autoprogram. DS: On some TVs (like mine) if you punch in the station's digital *RF* channel it will try to tune in that DTV station (and in my case, will program it if it wasn't already programmed). For most consumers it's probably a moot point. If the station didn't show up in the autoprogram, the set won't be able to receive it if you manually punch in the RF channel. Of course, DXers have rather different needs! (and the autoprogram thing is a problem for regular viewers if the station shuffles around its virtual channels - the viewer may not be aware of a new channel unless he re-scans) KL: Btw, converter boxes as discussed in this item are the standard for digital over-the-air TV here in Germany. I think the cheapest ones meanwhile sell for significantly less than 50 Euro, thus it's no issue that analogue over-the-air TV is rapidly disappearing and will be a thing of the past in just a couple of months, away from some really special cases. DS: Unfortunately converter boxes are somewhat difficult to find in the US right now. The government will be launching a voucher program in early 2008, subsidizing the purchase of boxes - vendors seem to be waiting on the start of that program before offering converters. Converters *were* widely available a few years ago. At the time $200- $300 (~=200-300 Euro) was what they were selling for. I do think the price will drop considerably as more converters are sold - there is no technical reason for ATSC converters to be more expensive than DVB-T converters. WM: That's annoying -- if I had known that some DTVs allow that while others do not, I'd have not bought one that doesn't. It means that you really cannot TV-DX digital channels without that feature. DS: Again, WM should try manually punching in the *RF* channel he's wanting to DX. Without DX conditions, he should try punching in channel 39 (just 39, not 39-1 or 39-2). I think it's more likely than not that his TV will tune in KETC. (the station whose analog is ch. 9 and digital 39) WM: Interesting! KPLR's "The Tube" was on the air some months ago, and I could watch it with the channel designation "11.2", but they dropped the service, and, after a week or so of nothing on 11.2 but a slide saying that "The Tube" was gone, they turned it off. So are you saying that, if I told the TV to tune analog channel "26", it would actually display what it now shows me as "11.1"? I have to try this when I get home (my computer access is away from home). DS: No, you won't get anything but noise if you tune to *analog* channel 26. The signal on channel 26 is digital. Now, if one's TV is like mine, if you just punch in "26" the TV will automatically detect that the station is digital. "The Tube" was dropped by many TV stations at the start of 2007 because of a change in law that required stations to air several hours of educational programming on each subchannel (not only on the main channel). I'm guessing KPLR is thinking about restarting the second channel but with something else, and doesn't have their equipment programmed properly yet. KL: Here they discuss an audio channel "21.7", carried by the WXXI-DT transmitter on ch. 16 (= 483 MHz). I gather from this discussion that the ATSC standard also calls for channels being flagged as "hidden", thus no "ordinary" customer will get to see them, but DXers using this magic RCA set can catch them nevertheless. DS: Yes, you can have hidden channels in the ATSC standard. "Conditional Access" is the official term. I believe this was used by "USDTV" for their over-the-air "wireless cable" system in Salt Lake City. They leased bandwidth on the DTV signals of several local stations, and created several "hidden" subchannels carrying various programs. (like Disney Channel, etc..) You could receive the station's "main" channel for free but had to subscribe to the service (and plug an access card into the front of your converter box) to receive the hidden channels. USDTV failed in the marketplace - they didn't have contracts with many of the more popular services, so even with their quite reasonable price they were having trouble selling the service. KL: Of course in theory one could also do without "hiding" such audio- only channels and use them as official radio services. That's indeed done in many countries where the DVB-T standard is in use, and on the globally (i.e. also in North America) used satellite version DVB-S this is a matter of course. The difference is that the DVB standards also provide for audio-only streams being flagged as radio, so they do not appear as fifth wheel of a TV car but as genuine radio services on their own which just happen to share a bitstream with TV stations. DS: My understanding is that WXXI *does* have unhidden audio-only services. I know WMVS in Milwaukee does. KL: And they are not on channel 9 (where the NTSC transmitter operates) but are carried by a transmitter on channel 39. And doesn't PBS take some of these four channels off air during the evenings to free up the bandwith for HD transmissions? HD requires much more capacity, simply because it are no longer just 640x480 but now 1280x720 or even 1920x1080 pixels. DS: It's up to the local PBS station whether the subchannels are taken off during evening HD programming. It is definitely possible to run one standard definition program alongside a HD program on the same transmitter - some stations have tried to run two SDs and one HD, with mixed results. KL: http://www.qsl.net/n0uih/StLouisGuide.html says "Spare channel (to move to channel 24 when DTV transition is complete)". Maybe rather a legal than an engineering thing, nothing a European could explain ... but apparently this ATSC signal will have to move from ch. 56 to ch. 24 once analogue KNLC here has been shut down, presumably because ch. 56 is in future no longer to be used for broadcasting. DS: This is correct. KMOV's DTV signal is on RF channel 56 in the interim; however, this channel will no longer be available after February 2009. KMOV has been assigned RF channel 24 for its permanent DTV operation. (KNLC, whose analog signal is currently occupying RF channel 24, has its DTV signal on RF channel 14 - and will remain there permanently.) WM: (They're wasting electricity keeping the carrier up for some reason, to tie this in to gh's recent comment about such empty carriers on SW! :-) KL: No, they don't. It's just something they put on the 19.4 Mbps data stream their transmitter on ch. 24 churns out. Presumably (if ATSC behaves like the DVB variants in this regard) they not even have to waste much data capacity for this. DS: As KL says, the TV station is simply radiating a stream of data. It takes the same amount of power to radiate that stream whether the data represents a blank screen, or a single HD picture, or six different programs. You can't save electricity by dropping subchannels (and you don't waste it by adding subchannels). WM: Posting the original reminded me of one other DTV-related question I have: Do all DTVs show an "Info" line with the program title when you tune in that channel? Have you noticed how often that info is just plain wrong? Where does this data come from? I had expected it to come from something embedded in the program itself, but what often happens is that the program title shown is what had been scheduled to be on at that time, but a pre-emption or schedule change has put a different program on the air at that time. Yet the "Info" display shows the formerly-scheduled title, not what's really on. So it has to be from some other data source. Where is it originated? Maybe the local station, which is generating this from some computerized time & title database that isn't updated to cope with later changes or delays? Does it come from the network for network-fed shows? 73, (Will Martin, MO, dxldydg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) KL: That's presumably EPG data, generated by the broadcaster and included in the ATSC data stream. And it looks as if nobody at the stations pays much attention on it. DS: Yes, this is EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data transmitted by the station as part of the ATSC data stream. Stations are required by law to carry it, though no particular level of accuracy is required! In the case of the station I work for, the program schedule is sent to a service (in Chicago, I think) which forwards it to the various newspapers which wish to print TV listings. It also makes available to stations an XML file with this data. The XML file is automatically downloaded once a day and used to generate the EPG data which we broadcast. I am of the impression that many, if not most, other DTV stations use the same service. (and the company that owns KPLR also owns that service so I'd be almost certain KPLR uses it!) It is technically possible for the station to edit the data imported from the XML file but I can't imagine most stations have the personnel to do so. So, if there's a last-minute change that the outside service is unaware of, it's not going to be reflected in the EPG. The data does NOT come from the network (at least not directly). WM: Is there a website I can go to that tells me all this info about what old-style analog channels these new DTV channels are occupying? I would think that this data would be invaluable for DTV TV-DXing because then you could know to use an antenna cut specifically for old channel "39", say, to get Saint Louis digital channel 9.1 from further away than normal coverage. Also, you could adjust indoor rabbit ears to the best possible length for your favorite digital channel. Thanks again! Will KL: This one looks quite usable: http://home.earthlink.net/~w9wi/tvdb/index.htm DS: (thanks for the plug HI!). Unfortunately my site shows only the *interim* DTV channels -- they're good right now but don't reflect what will happen after February 2009. I'm surprised to see I haven't posted the *permanent* post-2009 DTV assignments - will have to work on that. GH: Seems most stations use titantv for program database, but could be zap2it or even tvguide DS: None of these (at least not at the station I work for) but I would not be surprised if all three of these websites get their data from the same service we use (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, Dec 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) He`s with WSMV, channel 4, Nashville (gh) WORLD OF DX HAIKU +++++++++++++++++ DX HAIKUS FOR THE EARS TO BRING IN THE NEW YEAR As the Holidays draw near, I thought I'd share these memories with fellow ABDX members. It is either an insight of genius, or the ill side effects of staying wired on caffeine or worse, but I don't want to speculate. Happy Holidays and Enjoy… ;-) HF Static crackling Distant voices draw near DX is what I hear Five, ten, fifteen megahertz Propagation man talks News is fair, but better than anticipated Three Two One Five Kilohertz Illuminati and global conspiracies No sleep tonight Open Forum Welcome to…. Family Bible Hour Rush of Noise Sound Log …And a VHF/UHF Haiku Ten this Ten that Scanner glowing No need for TV news at Ten …And AM W… What Think it was P something Or maybe B or C or E something Jumble of stations Null out strong Pull in weak, all night long (KD5GNN, Dec 22, ABDX via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ SHORTWAVE COORDINATION TO CONTINUE WITH ABU MEETING (21-Dec-07) http://www.abu.org.my/public/compiled/p252.htm?CFID=674030&CFTOKEN=11601695 A key conference on global shortwave coordination will be held in Kuala Lumpur on 4-8 February to try to resolve many of the potential interference problems likely to affect shortwave transmissions. The conference is hosted by United Kingdom-based VT Communications on behalf of the High Frequency Coordination Conference (HFCC), the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) and the ABU. A completely new database of frequency requirements for the shortwave radio broadcasting season from 30 March to 26 October 2008 will be on the agenda of the Kuala Lumpur conference. During the week-long conference, delegates will try to resolve, by mutual coordination, many of the potential interference problems likely to affect shortwave transmissions in the "A08" joint global broadcasting schedule. Presently, a single global seasonal database of seasonal frequency requirements, compiled by the High Frequency Co-ordination Conference secretariat, assists in the coordination process. Shortwave broadcasting has a unique position in that the radio channels used by international stations are not assigned, but regularly coordinated for two seasons each year. The coordination system is designed for efficient and economical use of the shortwave spectrum and the improvement of reception of shortwave radio broadcasting worldwide. Best regards, (via MD. AZIZUL ALAM AL-AMIN, E-65, GOURHANGA, GHORAMARA, RAJSHAHI-6100, BANGLADESH, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ SOLAR-ACTIVITY FORECAST FOR THE PERIOD DEC 21 - 27, 2007 Activity level: predominantly very low Radio flux (10.7 cm): a fluctuation in the range 66-75 f.u. Flares: weak (0-5/day) Relative sunspot number: in the range 0-15 Astronomical Institute, Solar Dept., Ondrejov, Czech Republic e-mail: sunwatch(at)asu.cas.cz (RWC Prague) _________________________________________________________________ GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST FOR THE PERIOD DEC 21 TO DEC 27, 2007 quiet: Dec 24 to 27 quiet to unsettled: Dec 23 unsettled: Dec 21 and 22 active: 0 minor storm: 0 major storm: 0 severe storm: 0 Geomagnetic activity summary: geomagnetic field was quiet from Dec 13 to 16, quiet to unsettled on Dec 19, unsettled on Dec 17, active on Dec 18. RWC Prague, Geophysical Institute Prague, Geomagnetic Dept, Czech Republic e-mail: geom(at)ig.cas.cz _________________________________________________________________ GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST FOR THE PERIOD OF ONE SOLAR ROTATION unsettled to active: Dec 23, (25-27,) Jan 8, (9,) 12 active to disturbed: Dec 21-22, Jan 6-7, 13-14 quiet: Dec (24,) 28-31, Jan 1, (2,) 3-4, (5, 10,) 11 Survey: quiet on: Dec 14-15 quiet to unsettled on: Dec 13 quiet to active on: Dec 12, 16 quiet to disturbed on: Dec 17 mostly unsettled on: Dec 19 unsettled to disturbed on: Dec 18 Notice: Days in brackets refer to a lower probability of possible solar activity enhancements depending on previous developments on the sun. F. K. Janda, OK1HH, Czech Propagation Interested Group e-mail: franta.janda(at)quick.cz (from http://www.asu.cas.cz/~sunwatch/071221.html via DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ HERETICS AND BLASPHEMERS GODLESS X-MAS PARTY Live from beautiful Kagin Manor. The fun begins at 8:00 PM ET [0100 UT Tue Dec 25] with special guests and a toll-free number you can call to share thoughts, gripes, suggestions and anything else on your mind relevant to the X-MAS -- and we do mean X-MAS! -- season. It's all airing on the hot new internet radio program "Answers in Atheism" at http://www.answersinatheism.net Call Toll Free 877.814.9287 or local 859.384.7000, or email to theshow @ answersinatheism.net Freethought music and stories of famous freethinkers will be on the program. A special two hour extravaganza! Edwin Kagin is National Legal Director for American Atheists. He and wife Helen Kagin are co-founders of Camp Quest, a national summer camp program for the children of Atheists, Freethinkers, Humanists and other non-believers. WHO & WHAT: HERETICS AND BLASPHEMERS GODLESS X-MASS PARTY hosted by Edwin & Helen Kagin and the staff of "Answers in Atheism" WHEN: "Christmas" (X-mass) Eve, this Monday, December 24, 8:00 - 10:00 PM ET, check your time zone WHERE: "Answers in Atheism" internet radio, http://www.answersinatheism.net KAGIN ON PBS NEWS HOUR WITH JIM LEHRER THIS MONDAY, DEC. 24, 2007 EDWIN KAGIN, National Legal Director for American Atheists, will be a guest this Monday (December 24, 2007) on the PBS program "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer." Mr. Kagin will be discussing the legal and cultural battle over the "Christmas" holiday, claims that America is a "Christian nation," and other topics. The program airs at different times throughout the country, but in the East the show is carried at 6:00 PM ET on most PBS channels. Check local listings, or visit http://www.pbs.com for information on the station nearest you. (AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists, Freethinkers and other nonbelievers; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.) (AA Press release via DXLD) ###