DX LISTENING DIGEST 8-082, July 18, 2008 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 2008 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 1417 Sat 0800 WRMI 9955 Sat 1630 WWCR3 12160 Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1515 WRMI 9955 Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 [time varies] Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 Tue 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 0530 WRMI 9955 Wed 1130 WRMI 9955 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: http://www.worldofradsio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org ** ALASKA. ALASKA DRM LICENSE GRANTED Tuesday, July 15, 2008 8:53 PM WASHINGTON, D.C., July 15, 2008 (http://www.26MHz.us): The Federal Communications Commission today issued Experimental Radio Service license WE2XRH to Digital Aurora Radio Technologies (DART) of Delta Junction (Southeast Fairbanks), Alaska. DART told the FCC that its experiments aim to determine the impact of high latitude HF ionospheric propagation on digital audio modulation using the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) system; to determine the transmission power levels required to provide adequate signal for high reliability reception throughout Alaska; and to determine an antenna specification for delivery of the digital signal throughout Alaska. DART received authorization to transmit at 0.66 megawatts (MW) effective radiated power (ERP) in 7.1-7.6 MHz and 0.11 MW ERP in 9.25- 9.95 MHz. The license also covers a 1.09 MW ERP transmitter at 4.4-5.1 MHz and another 1.09 MW transmitter at 4.5-5.1 MHz. In correspondence with DART the FCC moved the lower boundary from 4.4 MHz to 4.5 MHz, but the 4.4 MHz frequency remains on the license. The license is conditioned on the usual requirement that the station is subject to shutdown if interference occurs to other stations licensed on those frequencies. DART's president, Whit Hicks, Ph.D., is Executive Director of Delta Mine Training Center, a nonprofit organization that offers educational programs in mining and mineral exploration. The license expires July 15, 2010 (Benn Kobb, DC, July 15, 2008, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ?? There are countless AM SW broadcasters it would interfere with on the 4, 7 and 9 MHz bands, so why in the world assign such frequencies? (gh, DXLD) If "Don Quixote" had been set in the year 2008, Sr. Quixote and Sancho would not be jousting with windmills; instead, they would be conducting DRM tests (Harry Helms W5HLH, Corpus Christi, TX EL17, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7.1 to 7.6 MHz? This includes part of the 40 metres hamband. What do the Canadian authorities think about such an authorization? See also http://klixie.textdriven.com/26mhz/index.php?id=41 1 Megawatt of a DRM signal is a lot, even when considering antenna gain. However, it could be possible, judging from the circumstance that the plan is to use old OTH radar equipment. If I recall correct the Soviet OTH radar used Kondor model transmitters, rated at 2000 kW AM carrier power, and this capability could well be representative for the Alaskan facility as well. Note this from the referenced URL: "... investigate ... how low the transmit power can go below 100 kW without jeopardizing coverage in some parts of Alaska." 100 kW? So much for the promises of DRM requiring much less power than Ancient Modulation. And interference- wise a 100 kW DRM signal equals 500 kW of AM (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Because U.S. experimental license holders must not cause harmful interference to existing services, I expect they will have to confine operations to 7300-7600 kHz. Operation in the 7100 to 7300 kHz range would set off a firestorm of protest from U.S. amateurs as well as Canadian authorities. What's also curious about this is how the original discussions involved using 26 MHz and DRM for domestic shortwave service to Alaska. This experimental license grant conveys no 26 MHz authorization. Wasn't testing 26 MHz the whole point of these tests?? I can save the DART people time and money. Even before these tests, I know 1) only a handful of people in Alaska now listen to shortwave, 2) even fewer people in Alaska will ever buy a DRM shortwave radio to hear a DRM SW service directed to them, and 3) there are not enough people in rural Alaska to make any shortwave service directed to them commercially viable. I suggest the DART people take all that money they were going to invest in DRM shortwave broadcasting to Alaska and instead go to Las Vegas for the weekend. They'll lose all their money regardless of whether they choose DRM broadcasting or going to Las Vegas, but at least they'll have more fun losing it in Vegas (Harry Helms W5HLH, Corpus Christi, TX EL17, ibid.) Not curious at all. The proponents of DRM in the U.S. have always talked about local and regional applications. The 26 MHz band is probably more appropriate for low-power local HF broadcasting. Most of the tests of DRM in this band were concerned with performance and propagation. Future tests will focus on interference. The Alaskan station is intended for statewide service. It will test bands other than 26 MHz that should be better for that wider coverage. Both types of stations would use DRM but the similarity ends there. These are technical tests only and will not by themselves answer the question of whether domestic HF DRM should be legalized. You have concluded in advance that the tests are useless and the possibilities of domestic DRM are not worth considering. Thank you for sharing (Benn Kobb, ibid.) This is your lucky day, because I have even more to share with you. Can you, or any other advocate of the DRM-on-26-MHz notion, produce any evidence or data showing any interest whatsoever in such a service in Alaska or anywhere else in the United States? Can you or any other supporters of the concept offer any evidence that such a service could be commercially viable or worth the expense on a non-profit basis (such as through NPR, etc.)? By "data" and "evidence" I mean things like sales data for shortwave receivers in Alaska (or the United States as a whole), surveys and polls showing interest in shortwave among Alaskans (or residents of the United States as a whole), etc. In other words, give me something more substantive than a strongly held opinion, and I'll be pleased to change my mind. But so far I have seen absolutely nothing factual to support the notion there is any appreciable interest in DRM on 26 MHz, or DRM on any SW frequency for that matter, in Alaska or anywhere else in the United States. For that matter, I'd like to see something----anything!----indicating there is any interest in DRM SW among anyone other than the DRM consortium. When Sangean or Eton introduces a receiver with built-in DRM operation, I'll start to believe. Until then, I'm a big skeptic. Whether DRM on 26 MHz would be a technical success in providing service to Alaska or anywhere in the United States is meaningless. The real question is whether anyone would be listening. If you have any evidence indicating there would be such an audience, please share it with everyone. Based on the total lack of objective evidence supporting the DRM-on- 26-MHz notion, it's difficult not to conclude that it is little more than an exercise in self-deception and muddled thinking (Harry Helms, W5HLH, Corpus Christi, TX EL17, ibid.) I missed making my actual point here. The release in question says: "The license also covers a 1.09 MW ERP transmitter at 4.4-5.1 MHz and another 1.09 MW transmitter at 4.5-5.1 MHz. In correspondence with DART the FCC moved the lower boundary from 4.4 MHz to 4.5 MHz, but the 4.4 MHz frequency remains on the license." Ambiguous wording; have they "moved the lower boundary" only for one of two applications or in general, perhaps to protect military or governmental services between 4400 and 4500? And the point: Why did they not likewise move "the lower boundary from 7.1 MHz to 7.3 MHz", when they should know that allowing the tests to take place between 7100 and 7300 will get them in trouble? Any explanations for this behaviour? (Kai Ludwig, July 18, ibid.) Kai, the message from the FCC to the applicant was as follows (grammatical errors in the original): "Due to a conflict using the frequency 4.4 MHz with one of the agencies. The frequency band has to been change from 4.5 to 5.1 MHz, (instead of 4.4 to 5.1 MHz). Do you concur with this? Please let me know ASAP." The message did not further elaborate on the reason for the change. The license authorizes transmission in four bands. One is 4.4-5.1 MHz and another is 4.5-5.1 MHz. It is not clear to me, in view of the above message, why the FCC authorized 4.4-5.1 MHz. The license contains another anomaly: It is conditioned on the licensee coordinating auxiliary broadcast service frequency use in the 7.1-7.125 GHz band with the SBE (Society of Broadcast Engineers). It is peculiar because the license does not authorize 7 GHz or any GHz band. It is conceivable that the station could use, say, a microwave link, but this license does not concern such an auxiliary broadcast operation. My guess is: it's a mistake. Maybe the license preparer, or perhaps some automated process at the FCC, saw 7 and thought it must be 7 GHz instead of 7 MHz. One wonders why this slipped through. I did not mention it in my brief article on www.26mhz.us because it was beside the main point. With regard to your other question, I don't have any information as to why the applicant asked precisely for 7.1-7.6 MHz. It was granted as requested (Benn Kobb, July 18, ibid.) Yes, I think it is an interesting experiment, which should prove whether DRM is viable in such a situation; only hope it doesn`t cause too much disruption to analog broadcasts (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) FCC GRANTS DIGITAL AURORA AUTHORIZATION FOR HF OPERATIONS IN ALASKA Glenn, This night I had the following GTalk chat with Benn Kobb about FCC's granting an authorization to Digital Aurora for its HF DRM tests in Alaska. Greetings, (Andy Lawendel, Italy, July 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Guest: Buona Sera Andrea from Benn Kobb me: Benn? Davvero, really? Guest: Your friend yes .. I wanted to mention that our FCC has licensed the Alaska DRM station, yesterday. me: Ehi, that's great, when do they plan to go on air? Guest: They have to build the antennas before it gets too cold in Alaska. So I estimate September - but I do not know the plan. me: Are you involved, anyway, as consultant maybe? Guest: I am not a consultant but... my good friend and colleague Don Messer is the consulting engineer for the station; I hope to persuade him to let me be QSL Manager! me: That would be good for us. Do you have a link to the FCC decision? Guest: Yes it is a PDF file. Stand by please .. me: tnx a lot Guest: It is a long URL: https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?id_f ile_num=0187-EX-PL-2008&application_seq=38793 Oh sorry that is the wrong URL me: that's an antenna sketch Guest: Yes standby. This should be it: https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/ViewGrant.cfm?id_file_num= 0187-EX-PL-2008&application_seq=38793 me: It is. A grant released the other day. I'll go deeper in that in the next hours, can I get back at you later on? Guest: OK. Let me note that there are 2 mistakes in the grant. There is a reference to 7 GHz that is wrong, also the official lower boundary is 4.5 not 4.4 MHz. me: OK, noted Guest: OK 73 I will post more info when they are willing to talk. Good bye - Grazie me: Grazie a te, I'm going to post about it right away http://radiolawendel.blogspot.com/2008/07/dallalaska-in-hf-e-drm-la-fcc-autorizza.html Sent at 2:42 AM on Thursday Guest has left. (Andrea Lawendel, Italy, July 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Second pdf is 66 pages with lots of graphs of antenna and coverage calculations, based on 5050, 7350, 9623 kHz ---- watch out, WWRB, KNLS, CBCNQ. Or these may only be random choices for theoretical purposes, rather than definite frequency-usage plans. Or was --- the second time I try it, July 18, it only goes to the bare-bones 2-page grant with no such details! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) NEXTGOV ON ALASKAN DRM EXPERIMENT --- Jul 18, 2008 A website called Nextgov: Technology and the Business of Government has published an article about the licensing of the Digital Aurora Radio Technologies (DART) experimental DRM station in Alaska. It emphasizes military aspects of DRM and notes the support exended to the station by the Defense Department. The article quoted DART president Whit Hicks: "We are still in the planning stage for our project and don't have much to talk about now," he said. "Our project is fairly basic at this point. We are just trying to determine if the theoretical propagation predictions hold up. If they do, we will see where it takes us. Until then it's just basic research. Give us a year to see how things work." The article states that DRM operates between 4.4 MHz and 10 MHz. Actually, it is the experimental station that is licensed for that approximate frequency range. The DRM standard is not limited to that range. The July 18, 2008 article, is at this link. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20080718_6523.php (Benn Kobb, July 18, 26Mhz.us via DXLD) Viz.: ALASKAN COMPANY TO TEST NEW SHORTWAVE TECHNOLOGY By Bob Brewin, 07/18/08 The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday granted an Alaska company a two-year experimental license to establish a radio station that will test new shortwave technology that the Defense Department eventually could use to support intelligence operations. Comment on this article in The Forum.Digital Aurora Radio Technologies, based in Delta Junction, Alaska, said in its license application with FCC that it planned to use a new open standards broadcast technology called Digital Radio Mondiale to blanket the entire state with crisp, near FM quality signals. It plans to transmit signals from Delta Junction, which is 95 miles southeast of Fairbanks. Shortwave broadcasters such as the BBC and Radio Australia currently use DRM. DRM could be used for military purposes in much the same way the British used the BBC’s shortwave services during World War II to transmit programming to occupied Europe and beam coded messages to agents operating behind enemy lines, radio analysts said. The company told FCC that its initial tests would be funded by and conducted for the Defense’s Joint Electromagnetic Technologies program, a classified operation whose mission is to develop technologies for use by special forces and intelligence units. Defense also will supply surplus transmitters from the closed, Cold War-era Over the Horizon Radar, located in Delta Junction. The radar system bounced shortwave signals off the ionosphere to detect aerial targets, such as Soviet bombers, at ranges up to 1,800 miles. Digital Aurora provided numerous details in its filing about its broadcast operations, but offered no information on its tests for the Joint Electromagnetic Technologies program. The company said the purpose of the project is to provide a terrestrial digital radio service for the citizens of Alaska, and if digital transmission proves reliable, it will seek partnerships with content providers with priority given to nonprofit organizations. Whit Hicks, Digital Aurora’s president who also is the chief executive officer of the Delta Mine Training Center in Delta Junction, declined to identify the military purposes of the DRM shortwave test in an e- mail response to a query from Government Executive. "We are still in the planning stage for our project and don't have much to talk about now," he said. "Our project is fairly basic at this point. We are just trying to determine if the theoretical propagation predictions hold up. If they do, we will see where it takes us. Until then its just basic research. Give us a year to see how things work." Digital Aurora did not did not indicate in its filing whether it intended to broadcast programming during its two-year test. The company said it intends to broadcast unspecified types of digital audio during testing to determine the power levels needed to provide an adequate signal so that DRM receivers can decode the signal with high reliability throughout the state. DRM easily can be adapted to fit the requirements of Special Forces, said Bennett Kobb, who runs a Web site advocating the use of DRM technology for development of a low-power broadcasting service in the United States in the 26 megahertz wave band. He said because DRM is a digital technology, it could be used to transmit data, imagery and maps to deployed forces. But the narrowband high-frequency channels -- DRM operates at frequencies between 4.4 megahertz and 10 megahertz -- limit throughput. DRM transmits at a rate between 3,600 and 5,400 bits per second, according to industry estimates. That's far below high-speed Internet connections, which provide throughput in megabits per second. Eric Johnson, professor of electrical and computer engineering at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, N.M., said DRM could be used as a one way broadcast medium to support military operations. Johnson, who has helped develop high-frequency data standards for NATO, said there have been demonstrations using DRM to send charts to a ship sailing around Europe. DRM could be used to send "change orders [and] map overlays to a team in the field," he said. "It would be hard to disguise a high-power, encrypted high-frequency broadcast, but with high-grade crypto, no one could read it so all they would get is that we're sending data. [And there is] no way to tell where it's going." Johnson said DRM is not as robust as the Navy's High-Frequency Internet Protocol system, which supports two-way transmissions at 9.6 kilobits per second. "But DRM isn't bad, and the receivers are getting really inexpensive," he said (via Benn Kobb, ibid.) But wait, there`s more, from Binary Country --- ** ALASKA [and non]. KDLG-670 now IBOC --- IBOC has reached all the way to Dillingham, Alaska. From the KDLG website http://kdlg.org/post/21/kdlg-goes-high-definition in a blog post dated April 2, 2008. "KDLG has made a major improvement to its on-air signal. You can now hear KDLG in full quality High Definition. All you need is to purchase a new HD compatible radio to experience this new sound quality. You may ask, ``What is the difference from what I already receive on my current radio?`` Well our AM signal now sounds as good as FM quality does but with all the signal coverage benefits AM currently has. With a new HD radio you can get up to date weather alerts that stream across the radio`s LED screen and artist and title info for what is currently playing." I wonder how easy it is to buy an HD radio in Dillingham? (Bruce Portzer, WA, July 15, IRCA via DXLD) Bruce, NPR seems to be in love with IBOC, so I presume the rest on the NPR stations in Alaska will go in that direction. Many have here including KUOW 1340 and KSJK 1230. If there are listeners to either KBRW-680 or KFAR-660 in the area, then they are probably out of luck. I presume I will get hash from them when Winter comes as KDLG can be quite decent at times. I think KENI 650 Anchorage has been IBOC for sometime. I don't know of any others though. At least Hawaii in AM IBOC free. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) A couple of points here: While it's true that NPR has been a strong supporter of IBOC, NPR itself does not own or operate any of the stations that carry its programming. Those are controlled by several hundred separate licensees, and they're the ones who make the decisions about whether or not to go digital. NPR in Washington can try to tell them what to do, but I promise you the local managers have minds of their own. The fact that so many public radio stations have adopted IBOC, especially on FM, stems from the simple fact that they (unlike most commercial stations) have lots and lots of programming available for multicast streams. We have more shows available for our WXXI-FM HD3 channel here in Rochester than we have hours available to plug them all in. It's a nice problem to have. In the case of the Alaska AMs, the motivation is a little more complicated. Power is ridiculously expensive in many smaller Alaskan towns, and a lot of these small AMs are operating on a shoestring. A few of them have talked about turning off analog AM completely and running their transmitters digital-only, at much lower power consumption. I've seen studies that suggest it would actually be cheaper, over the course of just a few years, to switch off the analog and buy new radios for listeners than it would be to keep running the power-hungry analog transmitters. I think, but am not certain, that if these signals went digital-only, the digital signals would fall in the station's center channel, not on the sidebands as they do in the hybrid analog/digital system. Might make for some VERY interesting DX down the road. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) Correct me if I am wrong, you west coast fellows, but I am pretty sure I read that KDLG is Public Radio. All of these NPR stations on FM are among the major cheerleaders for HD and I think ultimately it is the taxpayer that is fronting all the money for this, and not the stations. I see that WOI 640 in Iowa is due to add HD [see U S A], and, aren`t they also non-commercial? If they get "all the signal coverage benefits AM currently has" they they are doing something that not even my local WFLA-970 can do, as they suffer daily lack of lock on the HD signal at my indoor location, using an Accurian. This is a 25 kW signal at 2-and-a-half miles distant. We should track this issue and see how that pans out. The WFLA dropouts and fallback to analog seem to be thunderstorm-activity related, so perhaps KDLG will avoid that fate after all. Incidentally on `FLA, the fallback, that was perfectly timed a few days ago has now drifted about maybe 20 ms out of step so the quick double audio can be heard easily as the HD loses lock and regains it, which can get annoying. I need to try and spend some time checking the other local signals for this effect. It's a subtle thing to look for. Any one else note this and can tell if it varies in time over some few days? If my experience is any guide, it's not too hard to force an unlock (on AM) by moving the antenna, though in my case I don't need to touch the antenna, it just happens. I don't know of any HD station that "streams weather alerts" but I suppose it is more useful than just static displays of song titles. Weather alert: "snow today cold tonight" Yeah that really rocks ... One Miami area FM is actually putting "pirate radio" on a HD sub- carrier. That's actually a pretty creative idea. I have long felt that one of the Tampa stations should run Arabic language on their HD-2 to serve the many who are of Arab descent that live here (mainly in the Temple Terrace area). And then advertise it heavily in the ethnic papers, such as al-manbar. That would sell radios. What is the population there? What supports the local economy? Will they run HD at night in January when it is dark for 22 hours every day? Fascinating, I tell you. My tax dollars at work. I flew over the Dillingham area once a few years ago on the way to Narita on a NWA 747. There ain't a whole lot to see except for tundra (Bob Foxworth, Tampa FL, ibid.) Yes, they are. But there are some misconceptions here that I think need to be addressed. First, about those Alaska small-town noncomms. These stations aren't "public radio" as you or I know it. In many of these bush communities, like Kotzebue and Dillingham and McGrath and Barrow, these are the ONLY stations anyone can hear, and they function as true community voices. Most carry an hour or two of Morning Edition and All Things Considered and an hour of statewide news from Anchorage, but everything else is hyper-local, often in native languages. Most of the taxpayer funding for those stations is at the state level, and there would be political hell to pay from the listeners all over the Alaskan bush if it were cut. So is there federal money going to support HD installations in public stations in the Lower 48? There is - it's a program called the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program, and it pays for just a fraction of the cost of an HD installation. There's usually a matching grant for the cost of a new transmitter, but the burden of installing, operating and programming the new signal is squarely on the local level. (In some cases, such as WOI in Iowa, that "local level" is actually a state university or state agency; in others, like my part-time employer, WXXI in Rochester, it's a community group that gets no local government funding.) Here's PTFP's website: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ptfp/index.htm It's an interesting read - you'll learn there that most of the PTFP money actually goes to public TV, where it's keeping PBS signals in rural areas from going dark under the financial burden of the DTV conversion. And you'll also learn that it's not even your "tax dollar" at work - the total grants in the 2008 fiscal year cycle amounted to a whopping $16 million, which is something like five cents per American. I'm pretty sure I can find a lot of uses of my tax money that are far more objectionable. ``There ain't a whole lot to see except for tundra.`` Precisely so. We're talking about the kind of community where there would be no radio at all without a significant subsidy. No commercial operator could ever make a go of things in Dillingham, or Galena, or Valdez, and there's no significant out-of-market reception, especially when the sun is up 18 or 20 hours out of the day. As I explained in my reply to Patrick, it's my understanding that some of these HD installs on the Alaska bush AM stations will eventually be used to test digital-only (truly "in-band, on-channel," in that case) operation. Because the populations in question are SO very small and well-defined, it's actually possible (or so they say) to supply them with new radios, turn off the analog, and save on the obscene cost of powering the analog transmitters. Is that a silly government subsidy? Maybe from our viewpoint in the Lower 48, it may look that way. But life in the Alaskan bush is so heavily subsidized anyway - air service, telecommunication of all kinds, ice roads, etc. - that it's something Alaska seems to be willing to justify, especially since the state continues to return a budget surplus to its citizens in the form of an annual check every spring anyway. s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) Darn it, Bruce. That's all I need at my cottage on the Queen Charlottes --- IBOC. Up to now, IBOC has been a minor annoyance, barely noticeable up there. Now, I'm afraid that the 660 to 680 part of the spectrum is going to be spoiled for me! (Walt Salmaniw, BC, ibid.) Scott, You are totally correct. I lived in Alaska from 55 to 67, before much of the NPR Community radio era. However, if you check the population of towns like Galena, McGrath, Fort Yukon, they are running a few hundred souls. Valdez is an exception with an Community NPR and a commercial AM station, but the town has more population too. The community station does serve the rural areas. Some areas, groundwave reception is possible from other areas like Valdez having the commercial station and Cordova 1450 (commercial) is not far and Anchorage would be heard well enough too. But places like Galena, McGrath, or Barrow probably would get little radio in the summer. But I am sorry to note the Alaskans are moving to IBOC. When I lived there, community Christian stations were the new kid on the block with KICY Nome and KCAM Glenallen. A side note, Alaska still has their satellite service on AMC8 that offers several NPR FMs and the TV services totally free, in digital form. The town will set up a satellite service so the locals can get free TV. If a station wants to turn off the analog AM, then why not just put a tower on a mountain and run FM or a small amount of FM repeaters or some form of satellite radio? It would be a lot less than running high power AM period. AM IBOC does not have a lot of coverage and in the mountainous areas of Alaska lead in a big issue, that the stations don't always get out well on AM. 73, (Patrick Martin, OR, ibid.) As I understand it, it's a question of making use of existing resources and keeping the engineering as uncomplicated as possible under the difficult circumstances many of these stations face. Most of the bush AMs (I believe KBRW is a notable exception) operate studios and transmitters at a common site. No studio-transmitter links to go down, no remote transmitter sites to try to get to when something fails, no big networks of low-power repeaters that have to be maintained. Just a tower that's already built and paid for, right there on site. Remember, at a lot of these stations there is no resident engineer - if something breaks, someone has to be flown in at great expense. So there's a huge priority put on simplicity, and it's hard to get much simpler than a non-directional AM that's right there next to the studio. The question of coverage is still an open one - we simply don't have any field experience yet to say how robust the digital signal would be if it were on-channel, digital-only, rather than the low-power sidebands in adjacent channels in the current hybrid system. Satellite radio is challenging in Alaska, of course, because the geosynchronous birds are way down there at the horizon, and the low- orbit Sirius birds don't see that far north, either (Scott Fybush, ibid.) There are a few others with separate studio and transmitter sites in the Alaskan bush. Both Nome stations (KNOM and KICY) I believe are that way, the latter in part for its DA to beam programs to Russia. KIYU Galena is another one - it was off the air several months last year after the STL tower at the studio collapsed (a dump truck backed into one of the guy wires or some such thing). KOTZ also has a remote transmimtter site, per a verie from last year. The CE sent me a couple of jpg's of the station, and I'm now using the pic of the site as the wallpaper on my laptop. Not only must the stations deal with remoteness, lack of technical help,and shipping challenges, but the weather is usually downright nasty during the winter. KAGV-1110, as I recall, was flooded about a month after it first hit the air, and had to remain silent until the owner (a missionary group) had the time and money to make the needed repairs (Bruce Portzer, ibid.) ** ANGOLA. 4949.82, R Nacional, 0533, weak in Portuguese with no ID, so presumed only. 14th July (David Norrie, Matarangi, North Island, Coromandel region, New Zealand, AOR 7030, 100m wire on ground, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANGOLA. INDEPENDENT RADIO STATION CONTINUES TO BROADCAST DESPITE SUSPENSION ORDER Privately-owned Rádio Despertar is continuing to operate despite a ministerial order on 8 July suspending its broadcasts for 180 days. Director Alexandre Solombe explained that he has so far managed to delay implementation of the order by requesting an official explanation for irregularities in the way it was issued. Solombe said that, according to the law, the order should have been issued jointly by the minister of posts and telecommunications and the minister of social communication, who supervises the news media. The order also failed to stipulate the date from which the suspension takes effect. On the advice of his lawyers, Solombe is also considering a court appeal, which could help to delay implementation of the order. (Source: Reporters Without Borders) (July 16th, 2008 - 15:32 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** ANTARCTICA. Hoy 17 de julio, estoy escuchando LRA 36 R. Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel en 15476 kHz. La señal tiene el fading profundo característico pero en los máximos llega a ser "buena" !!! Lo que me parece que le falla es la modulación que es un poco baja; eso se nota bien en los máximos de señal donde llega a activar la mayoría de las barras del indicador de señal de la DE1103 (con antena telescópica y dentro de casa), sin embargo el audio se oye bajo y algo distorsionado. A las 1900 UT identificación multilingüe (escuché español, alemán, italiano, creo que japonés y no se si se me escapó algún otro) luego tangos y música folklórica. 73, (Moisés Knochen, Montevideo, Uruguay, July 17, congilist yg via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA [non]. Radio Austria International via Canada, 13775. Tune in 1517, Report from Austria. comment about attempts to deal with Iran`s nuclear program. English, into presumed German at 1530. Very good (Carl DeWhitt, Ponca City OK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BENIN. 1566 kHz, TWR; repeated English/French loop “This is the international voice of Trans-World Radio, Benin”; announcements and into regular programming at 0300; u/o UK stations; possible UK FIRST Fair peaks, 0258 8/7 (Martin A. Hall, Clashmore, Scotland. Perseus SDR, NRD-545, RPA-1 preamp, MFJ-1026 phaser (modified), beverages: 490m at 233 degrees, terminated; 500m at 279 degrees, terminated; 545m at 338 degrees, terminated; 50m at 321 degrees, unterminated. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/clashmoreradio/ MWC via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 2380.69, Rádio Educadora, (Tentative), 0925-0935 July 16, Hearing a male in Portuguese language comments here. Can't make out any details due to the terrible conditions this morning. The atmosphere is jumping with static pops and crashes, covering almost every band (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida - NRD545, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Re Voz Missionária, 5870: http://www.gmuh.com.br/radio/vozm.htm http://www.gmuh.com.br/radio/historia.htm Also planned on 11750 kHz in 25 mb (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX via DXLD) No mention on their sintonia page at the first site about 5870, just 9665 and 11750. Hmmm, 5870 is almost one half of 11750; could it be a semi-harmonic of mistuned 11740? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) New 5869.98, 2330-2355 12.07, R Voz Missionária, Florianópolis, SC. New station, Portuguese religious talk, hymn, occasional CWQRM, 24332, // 11750 not heard here (Anker Petersen, Denmark, AOR AR7030PLUS with a 28 metres longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** CANADA. CKKY-830 Wainwright AB has applied to the CRTC to move to FM (101.9 MHz, 100 kW, 163.4 meters: Wainwright, Alberta, Application No. 2008-0545-0 Application by 3937844 Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Newcap Inc., to convert radio station CKKY Wainwright from the AM band to the FM band. The new station would operate on frequency 101.9 MHz (channel 270C1) with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts (non-directional antenna /antenna height of 163.4 metres). The licensee is requesting permission to simulcast the programming of the new FM station on CKKY Wainwright for a period of 3 months from the date of implementation of the new FM station. The licensee is also requesting, pursuant to sections 9(1)(e) and 24 (1) of the Broadcasting Act, the revocation of the licence of CKKY Wainwright effective at the end of the simulcast period. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This station has a fair but not great daytime signal here in Calgary during the daytime, and night they can usually be heard mixing with WCCO. CKKY carries the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) hockey games and WCCO is the flagship for the Minnesota Wild so here at night one can often listen to two games at the same time. Gets interesting when Edmonton is playing Minnesota :) (Deane McIntyre VE6BPO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 6030, CFVP, Calgary (presumed) 0705 with C and W favourites; alas my knowledge of this music is just about zero, otherwise I would have sent in a report, threshold level and weak but definitely Canadian, 14th July. 6160, CBC, Vancouver CKZU (presumed) at 0554, great signal "Blue sky", Ella Fitzgerald featuring in Gregory Charles show then into "this is CBC Radio One", news from USA bank Indy Mac, 14th July (David Norrie, Matarangi, North Island, Coromandel region, New Zealand, AOR 7030, 100m wire on ground, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Can you update us on the ODXA Board and website as to the status of CFRX - which last time I checked seemed to be still off the air. Any plans to resurrect it?? (Michael Bryan, VE3CGT, ODXA yg via DXLD) I believe that they have fixed the antenna and have the new transmitter but obviously it's not installed and working yet. Hopefully very soon (Brian Smith, July 17, ibid.) ** CANADA. Starting to check out how clear 7850 is, CHU`s planned new frequency this summer. July 17 at 0557 it was OK but lite roar from some ute centered on 7845 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I am glad to hear that CHU will be moving to 7850. Perhaps, indeed, the slightly higher frequency might mean better reception in the evening, plus lack of interference. I really do wish WWV would be able to place another station somewhere here in the Southeast, as it often happens, at certain hours, that you can't hear any standard time station at all (Tim Hendel, Huntsville AL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Firedrake on 8000.0, July 16 at 1246, so Sound of Hope must have been on this frequency; not listed in Aoki. 1304 recheck, open carrier, 1304:30 Firedrake resuming, 1343 check, nothing. FD on 11590 at 1344 July 16, along with poor 11665, and quite strong signals on some of the usuals, 11785, 11990, 12040, 15285. Per Aoki, 11590 target is RFA in Tibetan via Kuwait, 12-14. Next day July 17 at 1317 no Firedrake Curtain on 8000, but yes on 9180, probably another SOH popup, not in Aoki. Next2 day, July 18 at 1251 check, neither 9180 nor 8000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. DentroCuban Jamming Command against nothing: July 16 at 1255- 1300+ on 9490, lite grinding, no pulsing, in standby mode, as R. República/Sackville has ruined this frequency by using it for one hour at 1000. At 1342 recheck, 9490 had both pulsing and grinding. 9805 with pulse jamming against non-Martí, July 16 at 1303. 11775 with grinding at 1346 July 16, against non-Martí, under Defunct Gene Scott, Anguilla, also hit by N. Korean spur het 11776v. RHC spur in Spanish on 9530, July 16 at 1257, presumably from 9550, caused by CRI relay transmitter on 9570, whose audio you would expect on 9530. 9570 itself had some intermittent buzzes; 9530 still at 1340 long after 9600 closed at 1259. July 17 at 1321, pulse jamming again on 9490 and 9640 República frequencies hours away from when they are axually in use. Before 1300 was also grinding on 9515 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6000, RHC, 0547, in English with great signal on coming Olympics and Australian listener Maureen Chester who will be supporting the Cuban athletes !!! 14th July (David Norrie, Matarangi, North Island, Coromandel region, New Zealand, AOR 7030, 100m wire on ground, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. 6 EMISORAS QUE HAN PERDIDO SUS CONCESIONES. SIN INFORME CONARTEL NO PUDO RENOVAR CONCESIONES http://www.radiosucre.com.ec/portal/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7480&Itemid=86 El Consejo Nacional de Radiodifusión y Televisión (Conartel) no conoció la objeción de varias empresas radiales como Ecuaprimicias, dueña de radio Sucre, pues la entidad gubernamental no tenía el informe jurídico. Antonio García, asesor legal de Jorge Yunda, presidente del Conartel informó que el consejo cuenta con un “número muy alto de impugnaciones, de tal manera no se pudo atender con anticipación el pedido de Ecuaprimicias y no se hizo el informe jurídico; no se pudo notificar con 48 horas de anticipación al Consejo y por lo tanto no se pudo tratar el tema; se lo hará en la siguiente sesión”. La Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones no renovó la concesión de otras seis estaciones radiales, La Voz, Dinamita 1000 AM, Radio Luz y Vida AM, Radio Matobelle AM y FM; y, El Buen Pastor; por estar inactivas durante casi dos años y por mora en el pago de sus mensualidades (via José Miguel Romero2, Spain, noticiasdx yg via DXLD) Luz y Vida and Buen Pastor are or were on SW (gh, DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. Gone again: RNGE, 6250, heard a few nites before around 0600, missing July 17. Easy to find frequency, 1000 kHz below Vatican 7250 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA/ETHIOPIA. July 14th: 7110/7115 in // at 1645, 7110 jammed at 1652, 7115 not // 5990 then. July 14th and 15th: 17xx-1828* presumed East African on 7115 weak under strong co-channel and sideband QRM, not // 5990/7110 or other Ethiopians. July 15th: 1800+ 5950//6170, the former very strong, the other very weak. Nothing heard on 8000. If 8000, as report in latest DXLD states, is // to 7175 with strong signal in the mornings, I suggest to check the following to get a hint if it is Eritrea or Ethiopia at that time (while I'll be sleeping): - is 5100 in // to these and maybe a weaker signal under that one or 7175? That would point to Ethiopia jamming R. Bana and/or Asmara 2, which seemed to be the situation a few months ago in the afternoons when strong UNID and weaker R.Bana or VoBME was reported on 5100 at the same time. - is there a carrier under the jammed 7100, or is Asmara 1 on 7090? Is there something in Arabic on 7220, or an East african signal on 7115, Anything // to 7110 or 7175 or 8000 or not? This would fit to my recent observations in the afternoon, which are, however quite tentative. Good luck! (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, July 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. Re 8-081, Dutch pirate on 4908 --- I remember it was something like 1636 * 3, just from Netherlands... (Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, http://www.bclnews.it dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Could be the third harmonic of 1636 kHz - a frequency often used by Dutch pirates. Most evenings several Dutch and Greek pirates can be heard here in the 1620-1690 kHz range. Sometimes second and third harmonics are audible in the 3270-3380 and 4900-5070 ranges (Dave Kenny, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This will most likely be a third harmonic, 3 x 1636. Many Dutch stations use 1636 and nearby frequencies so can't help with identification. I have heard these third harmonics myself, also second harmonics which appear in the 90 metre tropical band (Mike Barraclough, Letchworth Garden City, UK, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Hi Glenn: Long time listener, first time writer. As a short-wave listener (less so now that the band has lost so much to the internet), I distinctly remember listening to Larry Wayne who had a show called "Random Selection" which aired on Sunday nights back in the 80s. I managed to get Larry to read a few of my letters over the air while I was attending UConn (that was a big deal ... better than a DX card as was the fashion back then). Sort of huge thrill. I wondered what ever happened to Larry Wayne. I wrote Deutsche Welle a few years ago, and they replied via email that he no longer works there, but I thought you might know more about what happened to him and if he is still broadcasting. The web doesn't offer much reference via search, I find one of your updates, a mention I wrote I my blog in reference to shortwave listening, and an outdated DW schedule. Any thoughts? Thanks for any insight you might have. Best Wishes (Christian Tyrrell, KA1TEF, CT, USA, July 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Christian, I also enjoyed Larry Wayne, and remember it was a sad day when his DW show ended. But I don`t remember if I ever knew, what became of him. Don`t find him in my DXLD archives, except for three passing reminiscences in 2006. I can publish your query and see if anyone reading knows. Keep listening, (Glenn to Christian, via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Re: AFN Würzburg transmitter switched on again Probably the run of AFN radio in Würzburg now really came to an end on Tuesday, July 15, when the transmitters on both 1143 and 104.9 left the air. So far nobody reported that either signal returned, and so I dare to assume after three days that this time it was the final closure, especially since both mediumwave and FM have been switched off (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 18, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. [continued from MYANMAR, RIZ transmitters] In the case of Germany also the customer specifications must be disregarded. The only transmitters that are undoubtedly for shortwave here are the 500 kW from 2003 and the 20 kW from 1998 (for what was then Süddeutscher Rundfunk, it still sits at the Mühlacker site, so if anybody needs an used but quite new 20 kW shortwave rig...). I suspect all the other deliveries to Germany were mediumwave transmitters, since a 600 kW inaugurated by Bayerischer Rundfunk in 1968 had been provided by Siemens but was manufactured by RIZ, a circumstance Siemens emphasized back then because BR initially had lots of trouble with this transmitter. So all other mediumwave units in Germany labelled as Siemens (like the 10 kW at Kiel, still used for Power-Radio until this station folded but reportedly now dismantled) appear to be made by RIZ as well. And while we're at the subject of German mediumwave sites: Here is footage of the RIAS mediumwave masts at Hof being demolished on Oct 19 1994, less than three weeks after the transmitter had been closed down (on Sep 30 1994): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByqK8NCXbQU Also shows the equipment, mostly the vintage Telefunken tube transmitter. The new Nautel, installed in 1989 (delivered by Telefunken, presumably an arrangement like RIZ/Siemens), can only be seen briefly in two shots (back with fans on the amplifier modules, typical perforated front in passing). It is unknown where this almost new transmitter went to. From 1978 Hof had been used daytime only (8 AM to 6 PM local time) on 684. During the last years the German satellite radio DSR (a digital one from the pre-MPEG era, using a compression technique very similar to NICAM) had been used as audio source, resulting in an obvious delay against all // frequencies. And concerning the Wertachtal site: The single RIZ transmitter was originally meant as prototype for a thorough modernization project which then was canceled for obvious reasons. The present capabilities of the site are "2 x 100 kW, 14 x 500 kW", since the two transmitters moved in from Jülich use the connections of the antenna matrix switch previously occupied by two old transmitters. One of these transmitters has been dismantled to free the space for the new transmitters, the other one still sits on its place but is now a mere source of spare parts. So the detailed list of operational transmitters should now read as 7 x SV2500, 6 x S4005, 1 x OR 500 and 2 x S4001 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 18, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. Dear Friend Babis: When you look down at my today's reception report, you will notice that I have changed the Avlis 2 frequency from 7475 to 7450 kHz. When I monitored Avlis 2 at 2300 UT on its regular frequency of 7475, there was no ERA 5 signal there. So, I fished around on my stored VOG frequencies and found ERA 5 on 7450. It seems as though the engineer mistakenly made the changeover at 2300 from 15630 to 7450 instead of 7475. I was contemplating sending an E-mail to you, notifying you of the wrong frequency, but I do not think that anyone would be awake at 2 a.m. Athens time. This is my reception report for Tuesday and Wednesday UT Jul 16, 2008: TUESDAY 7/15 WEDNESDAY 7/16 2000 2100 2200 2300 0000 0100 0200 MHz. Az. Kw. Station 15441 25442 45344 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX 7.450 323 100 AVL 1 ERT 3 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX 15331 00000 00000 00000 15.650 105 100 AVL 1 ERA 5 25332 25332 15331 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX 15.630 285 100 AVL 2 ERA 5 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX 55555 55555 55555 55555 7.450 285 100 AVL 2 ERA 5 35333 35333 53555 24332 25332 25332 25332 9.420 323 170 AVL 3 ERA 5 (John Babbis, Silver Spring, MD to VOG, cc to DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII. There's a very curious app that got filed recently in Hawaii, too. Here's what I wrote about it last week in Radio Journal: A KRUDdy site swap in Hawaii. No, we’re not casting aspersions on the work of consulting engineers Mullaney Engineering – it’s just that KRUD is the callsign of one of the company’s client stations, the unbuilt signal on 1130 in Honolulu. KRUD is running up against the clock on its construction permit, which expires October 14. To prevent losing the CP, owner Hochman-McCann is proposing a site swap with another station it owns, KORL, Honolulu (1180). Here’s how it would all play out: KRUD would sign on with 1-kw, non-directional, from KORL’s existing facilities. (In effect, Hochmann-McCann would simply move KORL down the dial from 1180 to 1130; that’s especially easy to do because this is one of the rare non-diplexed AM sites in Honolulu.) KORL would go temporarily silent, but the move would buy it some time to relocate to a new home. It’s applying to move to the site where KRUD held its CP – 330 watts day, 140 watts night, from a triplexed site shared with KLHT (1040) and KUMU (1500). One more note on the KRUD/KORL swap. KORL’s move to the KLHT/KUMU site also includes a frequency change from 1180 to 1170. That would return the station to a frequency it called home until two years ago. In 2006, Salem moved the station (then known as KHCM) from 1170 to 1180 to get it out of the way of a signal upgrade to one of its mainland stations, KCBQ in San Diego. Now it needs to go back to 1170 to avoid interference to KZOO, Honolulu, which had applied to move from its longtime home on 1210 to 1230 but never followed through on the plan. (That move was also linked to a stateside Salem upgrade at KPRZ, San Marcos, CA on 1210.) s (Scott Fybush, NY, NRC-AM via DXLD) Not busting pirates: see USA: WOLY thread ** INDIA. Came across this unofficial website of All India Radio, Kolkata. http://www.freewebs.com/airkolkata/ Kudos to Ranjan Mitra for painstakingly compiling all these info's specially the photo of AIR buliding at Garstin Place which I beleive no longer exists. Great effort ! The components of the first transmitter used for Calcutta station are now kept at 'National Science Centre, New Delhi'. Photos can be seen here: http://www.geocities.com/alokesh05/airnostalgia.html (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** INDIA [non]. CVC has a new office in Bangalore; Indian listeners can send their snailmail for English language broadcasts at following address: CVC PO BOX 3453 KORAMANGALA PO BANGALORE 560034 INDIA. Mails for CVC Hindi shud be sent to the usual old addresses: PO BOX 1, KANGRA, HIMACHAL PRADESH 176001, INDIA. OR PO BOX 2, LUDHIANA, PUNJAB 141008, INDIA. CVC English: http://www.cvc.tv CVC Hindi: http://www.thevoiceasia.com (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, July 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Alokesh, I wonder where their Hindi programs originate. Can you tell? Queensland? 73, (Glenn to Alokesh, via DXLD) Hi Glenn, Hindi programs originate from their studios in UK. Address as follows: The Voice, Unit 21, Phoenix International Estate Charles Street, West Bromwich, United Kingdom, B70 0AY. Tel: 44 121 224 1614 Fax: 44 121 224 1613 Warm Regards, (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. Voice of Indonesia, Jakarta, 9525.98, 1458 UT July 16. At 1500 the transmission is stopping?? Gr (Maurits from Belgium Driessche, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. VOI, 9526, back to barely detectable carrier July 16 at 1341, but with an equally weak het from something on 9525, nothing listed during this hour on 9525 by Aoki or Eibi, unlike before 1300 and after 1400. Much better next day July 17 on 9526, 1259 opening English with program summary, 1300 news. Low-level hum not too bothersome, no het. And no noise problem for a change, tho signal fadey and not too solid. Major problem now is the accents of the announcers. Concentrate as I may, I can only understand a fraxion of what they say. 1312 Focus. 1319 something about UNESCO World Heritage Sites, news in brief ending at 1320 ID, Indonesian Wonders, 1325 Miscellany segment, 1331 Music Corner, contemporary Indonesian variety including gamelans. Plugged website several times during the hour. Het from China 9525 starts promptly at 1357. VOI, 9526, was back to good strength July 18 for the English at 1259, preceded by Indonesian music at 1250 tune-in. Now I have a better chance of understanding the accent of the YL announcer, especially since I taped it for later replays. Was considerably weaker during music portion when tape ran out at 1345 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Voice of Indonesia, 9526, poor-occasionally fair with news in English or feature. It was hard to understand, 1311-1316 UT July 18. Retune at 1325-1331, signal deteriorating to poor-very poor with electrical noise taking over (Carl DeWhitt, Ponca City OK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. NEW SCREEN READER FOR SIGHT IMPAIRED I know there are many fellow SWL's that are sight impaired and use the internet to help them with our hobby and many other aspects of modern life. Here's a project that may be of particular interest. http://tinyurl.com/5e364z "A new Web app from a graduate student at the University of Washington aims to help break down these barriers by bringing screen reading technology to any Web-connected computer. If the user can navigate, or have someone navigate, to http://Webanywhere.cs.washington.edu/ they'll be able to launch an in-browser screen reader. The reader, called Web Anywhere, will work on any computer with any modern Web browser, such as Firefox or Internet Explorer 7. The reader is still in early development and needs some tweaking, but it looks to be a potentially revolutionary tool for the blind. ... " (Peter Costello, July 18, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Peter, as many other SWLers know, I am legally blind and use a hand- held magnifying glass to see my receiver's functions (NRD-535D) and the computer screen. I have tried full page readers that have their own individual drawbacks. The WebAnywhere, however, looks like it overcomes my objections to other systems. Anyway, Peter, thanks for the heads up! (Bruce Barker, ibid.) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Chinese Communist Party Corrupts Free Trade and Commerce Agreements THE TURNING OFF OF THE NEW TANG DYNASTY SIGNAL INTO CHINA French-based satellite operator, Eutelsat turned off its W5 satellite signal for New Tang Dynasty Television's (NTDTV) broadcasting into communist China on June 16, claiming an anomaly in the power subsystem occurred. Eutelsat has provided no further explanation to NTDTV and the signal has remained off since then. NTDTV is an independent, not-for-profit television station headquartered in New York. The station has encountered alleged interference from the Chinese regime in the past due to the station's uncensored coverage of human rights abuses and state corruption in China. Its spokesperson Kelly Hong said, "NTDTV has tried its best to communicate with Eutelsat. According to insiders, we are certain that Eutelsat absolutely has the capability to immediately resume NTDTV's signal over Asia. However, the signal remains off due to the Chinese communist regime's pressure." What is really going on? . . . http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-7-10/73238.html http://en.epochtimes.com/211,163,,1.html (via tribby2001, dxldyg via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. KCBS, 9665.3, peppy NK choral music, before bedtime there, reminding one what a privilege it is to live in the people`s paradise, July 17 at 1236-1248+. No roar or het, but still off- frequency. Same on 11679.7 where there was a het from something on 11680.0 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATVIA. Relays this weekend via 9290 kHz Sat July 19th Latvia Today 1000-1100 UT Radio Casablanca 1100-1200 UT Sun July 20th Latvia Today 1500-1600 UT Good Listening 73s (Tom Taylor, July 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. I discovered my local KCTA-1030 was finally off last night as they're supposed to be. The channel was dominated from about 10:00 to 10:35 pm Central by XEQR, Radio Fórmula in Mexico City with its "serious talk" format and by XEYC, Radio Formula, in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, with Spanish pop music and phone calls; both stations took turns dominating the frequency. There was a third station way under those two with Spanish vocals which I assumed was previously logged XEPAV, "La Pacosita," in Tampico, Tamaulipas. But at 10:30, I heard the station give a call letter ID as "Equis, Ay, blah, blah, Emmay." The only station listed here with M as the final letter in its call is XEMPM, Las Mochis, Sinaloa. While possible, that seems like a bit of a stretch (and, no, I was not consuming any of Sinaloa's major exports to the United States when I heard the call ID). Has there been a XE call change on 1030 I've missed? (Harry Helms W5HLH, Corpus Christi, TX EL17 July 16, http://harryhelmsblog.blogspot.com/ ABDX via DXLD) ** MYANMAR. [Croatian transmitter manufacturer] http://www.riz.hr/ shows some RIZ transmitters delivered (RIZ Worldwide). Clicking the map at Myanmar, says a 50 kW SW transmitter, year 2007 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Beware, this Flash application also labels transmitters as "SW" which are not but instead for mediumwave or perhaps even FM. Thus this delivery to Burma could also be the new 594 transmitter, with Naypyitaw being its suspected location (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) More under GERMANY Kai, yes I noted the sw/mw mistakes too. But anyway happy to see some transmitter companies give us pieces of info where they're selling their products. I'm waiting the more detailed Myanmar info from RIZ, maybe they'll reply, maybe not. 73, (Jari Savolainen, ibid.) ** NETHERLANDS. Re 8-077: ``RNW ANNUAL REPORT 2007 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE The Radio Netherlands Worldwide annual report for 2007 is now available online. You can access the report on this page. http://www.radionetherlands.nl/aboutus/whoweare/080704-annual [or directly:] http://wereldomroep.uwprojectstatus.nl/annualreport// If you have any comments, please leave them on that page on our website rather than in this blog (July 4th, 2008 - 10:47 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) It`s too fancy for its own good, with flipping pages. The print is too small for my screen and eyes, but if you zoom in, the edges are cut off and you cannot toggle left-right! Why not make a plain text version available (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST, and Annual Report link page)`` I was just trying to use the zoom feature on the report itself. However, using the browser zoom feature one can enlarge it and toggle it, still rather inconveniently (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. RNW’S SPANISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMS TO AIR IN THE US Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) has closed a deal with two prominent new partner stations to broadcast its Spanish language programmes in the United States. Public broadcasters in Atlanta and Puerto Rico will transmit radio programmes produced by RNW. This brings the total number of Spanish-language partner stations in the US to 26 radio stations in ten states. Owing to the large Spanish-speaking community in the US, RNW has been broadcasting its programmes not only in English but also in Spanish for several years now. Last year, RNW closed a deal with the US’s National Public Radio (NPR) whereby a 24 hours signal with full Spanish language programming would be broadcast in several areas of the country. This included Los Angeles and Houston, where approximately 50 percent of the populations speak Spanish. In addition to this, RNW also worked with Radio Bilingüe, the oldest Spanish language public radio network, with more than 50 stations in the US and Mexico. Atlanta and Puerto Rico In Atlanta, RNW will work with the NPR station ‘WABE Atlanta’, the eighth biggest public radio station in the US. In Puerto Rico, the US island with 3.6 million Spanish-speaking inhabitants, RNW will work with the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting. In both locations, news and current affairs programmes, as well as (classical) music programmes, will be available via radio and Internet. Latin America In Latin America, Spanish language broadcasts have been available via approximately 650 partner stations for many years now. In addition, RNW also broadcasts throughout Latin America on shortwave (in particular for Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia), satellite and the Internet. The editorial staff in Hilversum is responsible not only for news and current affairs programmes, but also for music programmes and special radio series. Together with the BBC’s World Service, RNW is Latin America’s most popular international radio station. For more information, visit http://www.informarn.nl (July 17, 2008 12:51 UT by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** NEWFOUNDLAND. Re ``Turkey Farm`` --- Yes, I heard the story of the "Turkey Farm" on the radio! As I grew up in Gander I know it well - I used to ride on bike up to the airport and the turkey farm but you can't get inside the "fence" though because there were warnings about being shot on sight, etc.! This was during the Cold War of course and Russians were around all the time. Aeroflot used to refuel all the time in Gander (I flew to Moscow on them). When you fly into Gander you see the giant radar fence, which is actually an antenna. Great to hear that story! (Sue Hickey, NL, via Drita Çiço, Albania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This made me interested in Gander, and found this very informative article with some photos, including the 'giant radar fence' that Sue describes: http://jproc.ca/rrp/gander.html Good luck, (Erik in Copenhagen Køie, Denmark, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. Yesterday, July 15th, 1700-2100, and today 0700-0815+, 15120 African music only and an VON ID at 0803. Obviously testing or so, but no regular programming (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, July 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PUERTO RICO. Feds unwelcome even for aid: see USA: WOLY thread ** ROMANIA. RRI CONTEST ON “THE FASCINATION OF RADIO LISTENING” Radio Romania International has launched a new essay-writing contest on “the fascination of radio listening”. Participants are invited to write an essay on the topic “Why are you listening to the radio? Why are you listening to RRI?” and send it by snail mail, fax, e-mail or by filling in a form on the station’s website. Depending on how interesting, complex and though-provoking your essays are, you can win an interesting prize. There will be many substantial prizes and smaller prizes consisting of arts objects related to Romania and the Romanian culture, and also to the public radio. Further details http://www.rri.ro/art.shtml?lang=1&sec=16&art=13471 (July 18, 2008 12:42 UT by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. RUSSIA TODAY ON SHORTWAVE --- Hi Glenn, I was checking some frequencies on the 31 meter band, around 1955 UT this evening (7/16) and heard an English language transmission on 9795. This turned out to be Russia Today, and seems to be the audio of the TV transmission. I have never heard this on shortwave before. I checked on the website http://www.russiatoday.com and it matches (with 30 seconds or so delay) the video stream on the site. It is still being carried as of 2020. I believe this transmission is via Moscow site. Best Wishes (Chris Lewis, England, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Per Aoki, 9795 is scheduled 19-21 with VOR Russian via Moscow, 250 kW at 285 degrees; also 18-19 in French. 9795 also via Samara at 15-17 in German, 17-18 French (gh, DXLD) ** SAINT HELENA. Does anyone have any idea how long it takes to expect a reply from St. Helena Day broadcast? As I research this on Google, I see there are few ships that visit the island annually. Thanks. (Gary W. Froemming, CTC, Certified Travel Counselor, Glendale, Arizona, USA, WB7CAG / W7GWF, 33.5601N / 112.1841W, ODXA via DXLD) Gary, Waiting for a QSL from R St Helena is getting old here. I reported by postal mail to the Nov 6 - 06 broadcast. Again to the little publicized July 17 - 07 broadcast by e-mail this time. And, to the latest broadcast, by postal mail, on Dec 15 - 07. These were in- depth reports that were not just thrown together. More than enough return postage was included. I have also sent several e-mails to the station requesting the status of my reports. As of today I have had no response from R St Helena. The next time they make a big deal about a special broadcast I will do something else (Jerry Coatsworth, Merlin Ont., ibid.) Some have already received a QSL for the latest transmission. From what I remember reading, "the first batch of QSLs have been sent out" was posted a while back but I have yet to hear anything about "another" or "next batch". Like anything else these days, work gets in the way of fun stuff. 73 (Mick Delmage, AB, ibid.) I can agree with Mickey's observation. There has been some reports of QSLs for the last broadcast (a very few); the last time I got a QSL (four of them from this station), it took at least six months for the reply. The fact that e-mail reports are not accepted, only postal reports, makes the turnaround time that much longer. I've heard some were still waiting for their verifications for their last broadcast, so be patient for now (Edward Kusalik, ODXA QSL Editor, ibid.) ** SAO TOME. 4960, São Tomé, VOA, 0541, booming signal in French, with mentions of Washington and N'jamena, then into pops Britney Spears, "give it to me more" at 0556 14th July (David Norrie, Matarangi, North Island, Coromandel region, New Zealand, AOR 7030, 100m wire on ground, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKS & CAICOS. OPPOSITION QUESTIONS AUTHENTICITY OF LOCAL TELEVISION STATION --- Published on Saturday, July 12, 2008 By Tricia N. Henry Caribbean Net News Staff Reporter PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands: The legitimacy of the operations of the newest television station in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) has been called into question by members of the country's Opposition, the People's Democratic Movement (PDM). In a release issued by the PDM on Thursday, the Opposition claimed that the TCI New Media, which has been in operation for over four months, has not been given Cabinet approval to operate and questioned the legitimacy of the station as being a "quasi-government body". In a January, 2008 interview held on TCI's first television network, WIV, channel 4, the Premier of TCI, Michael Misick announced the imminent opening of the new television station, which he described as "a quasi-governmental television station". "The purpose of TCI New Media is to have a television station that provides information to the public, to keep the public informed as to the workings of government [and] the progress that we have been making," said Misick in that interview. He also said that the purpose of the new station was to "highlight TCI culture, interest and people". However, the Opposition has claimed that this has not been the case and that the station has been used by the ruling party to "spread their propaganda" and attack members of the Opposition. The PDM has said that the television station has allowed the ruling Progressive National Party (PNP) "unlimited access to this supposed Government medium", while the Opposition has been left in the dark, as they have had "less than one and a half hours of total time on that medium", adding that the TCI New Media has "refused to answer our written request for access and have refused our many calls to them". The Opposition also charged that Misick had described the media station as a "quasi government body" in response to a parliamentary question on the matter but, since that time, they have been "unable to identify any statutes or laws that would set out the governing of this new medium". "If it is that the TCI New Media is not a quasi government organization as suggested by the Premier in his answer to our parliamentary question then the subvention paid to them is probably being paid inappropriately," said the PDM. "With respect to TCI New Media, we think that this medium violates all sense of fairness in any political arena that calls itself a democracy," the PDM continued to say. The Opposition party also said that it had written to the Governor of TCI, Richard Tauwhare on July 10, requesting that he ensured the legitimacy of the television station. "We... requested that he immediately take action during the course of the day to ensure that the laws of the country are upheld," the Opposition stated in their release. Meanwhile, the Opposition has also commended the Governor for appointing a Commission of Inquiry four days after Britain's Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) recommended such a commission into allegations of corruption within government ranks in the Islands. "We believe that a Commission of Inquiry provides the opportunity for all allegations to be thoroughly investigated and for those that are innocent and have been wrongfully accused to be exonerated. It also provides an opportunity for those that have engaged in wrongful acts to be held to account," said the PDM. (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U K. BBC PROMS FRIDAY 18 JULY – SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2008 The Promenade Concert 2008 season, webcast live on BBC Radio 3, and ondemand for one week after each concert. More detailed listings than those below: http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2008/whatson/season/ The First Week of the Proms: Proms 1 - 10 Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 2008 BBC Proms and we've got a fantastic first week of events lined up, kicking off with a weekend of music including tomorrow's First Night celebrations, two Proms from Nigel Kennedy on Saturday and an entire day of folk music in Sunday's Proms Folk Day. Read all about it at http://bbc.co.uk/proms Prom 1: The First Night of the Proms, Friday 18 July The opening Prom launches our centenary celebrations of Elliott Carter and Olivier Messiaen, and features three soloists who will make return visits during the season. Proms 2 and 3: Nigel Kennedy, Saturday 19 July Maverick violinist Nigel Kennedy returns to the Proms - after an absence of 21 years - for Elgar's Violin Concerto, the work that first put him on the musical map following his now-classic recording. It's followed by a Late Night Prom showcasing his Quintet. Proms 4 and 5: Folk Day, Sunday 20 July On the first ever BBC Proms Folk Day, we're opening up the doors of the Royal Albert Hall for a special, FREE Prom, so that anyone can hear the wide range of music we offer in the spectacular surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall for free. In a day featuring a range of activities, there's the chance to explore the folk world further with Proms Family Orchestra, Proms Family Chorus, and Proms Folk in the Park - a free mini-festival in Kensington Gardens with live music, dancing and storytelling! All these events are free too! PCM 1: Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Monday 21 July (Cadogan Hall) A programme typical of the ever-questing Pierre-Laurent Aimard, blending music from different periods including Schumann, Elliott Carter, Bartók and Messiaen. Prom 6: Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Monday 21 July A double opportunity to celebrate Olivier Messiaen's instrument, the organ. Olivier Latry, who teaches at the Paris Conservatoire (as did Messiaen), presents two faces of the French organ tradition - solo Messiaen and Saint-Saëns's much-loved 'Organ' Symphony, a work written for London. Prom 7: Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (SWR), Tuesday 22 July Rossini's William Tell Overture opens the programme, and its long cello solo sets the scene for Haydn's C major Cello Concerto, which features French cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras in his Proms debut. Sir Roger Norrington and his German orchestra also perform the work with which Elgar began to win acclaim as a symphonist in Germany as well as in England. Prom 8: Tallis Scholars, Tuesday 22 July The Tallis Scholars and conductor Peter Phillips have established themselves as one of the UK's finest interpreters of Renaissance polyphonic music. In this Late Night Prom they explore two 15th- century Masses based on the chanson 'Malheur me bat', attributed to Jean de Ockeghem. Prom 9: Lars Vogt and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Wednesday 23 July A Proms reprise of a programme first given in 1958, featuring two German composers who managed to retain Classical poise in the face of burgeoning Romanticism. Prom 10: Yevgeny Sudbin and the BBC Philharmonic, Thursday 24 July Yan Pascal Tortelier returns to the Manchester-based BBC Philharmonic, of which he is Conductor Laureate, for a programme that includes the first public performance of Arnold Bax's In Memoriam, written in memory of Patrick Pearse, a leader of the failed Irish Easter Rising in 1916 (From the BBC Proms team mailing list via DXLD) ** U K [and non]. Jonathan Marks sent me details of this programme highlighted on the Radio Studies list; the broadcasts referred to were on shortwave: BBC RADIO 3 PROMOTION NOTE Sunday 20th July, 21.30 BST (UTC + 1) The Trial of Ezra Pound During the Second World War Ezra Pound, one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, a founder of modernism, a writer hailed by T. S. Eliot as `the greater master', made a series of radio broadcasts in Italy criticising American imperialism and involvement in the conflict. They were vituperative, anti-Semitic – and somewhat tedious. When the war came to an end Pound, who was then 60, was incarcerated in a small cage in Pisa, open to the heat and dust and under the glare of floodlights at night. Then he was flown home to stand trial. His broadcasts, the prosecution in Washington alleged, gave `aid and comfort to the enemy' and thus he had committed treason. This, though, was never actually brought to trial. Pound, was judged unfit to stand trial and consigned to St Elizabeths Hospital, where he spent almost 13 years. He was well enough to complete the `Pisan Cantos' which he had begun on scraps of paper in the `gorilla pen'. In 1949 they won the Bollingen-Library of Congress Prize, for the best poetry by an Amercan citizen published during the previous year. This caused outrage. Eventually, after intervention on his behalf by major writers including T. S. Eliot, Hemingway and, rather reluctantly, Robert Frost, Pound was released. He returned to Italy and lived there until his death in 1972. In 'The Trial of Ezra Pound ' the poet and historian Sean Street (Bournemouth University) investigates the case and its significance today. Did Pound commit treason or inconveniently use his right to free speech? He considers whether there are contemporary parallels – the incarceration by the state without due legal process of those it wishes out of the way. Pound's thinking was tainted by anti-Semitism, but have not some of his economic ideas have been proved true? Was he insane, and did he commit treason? Street Listens to Pound himself, his broadcasts, explanations of his thinking, and poems recorded on his his release. In a rare interview, Street also speaks to Pound's daughter, Mary de Rachewlitz, his biographer David Moody, to Helen Dennis who has edited essays on his work, and the playwright Bernard Kops who, though Jewish, wrote a play about Pound in his cage, to find out how we should respond to this great, terrible, complex, naïve, wise and foolish man, whose achievement as a poet was revolutionary and colossal. BBC Radio 3 Live/Listen Again: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/ I googled using "Ezra Pound" shortwave radio broadcasts and a lot of hits came up including: US National Archives, paragraphs I26 to I31, the Foreign Broadcast Information Broadcast Service recorded Pound's broadcasts: http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/70/introduction.html Transcript of two broadcasts: http://www.gnosticliberationfront.com/what_did_ezra_pound_really_say.htm After decades of silence, Pound explains why he had to go on Shortwave Radio from Italy and speak his mind before war broke out in Europe. He felt it was the only thing an American could do to stop the war. 7 minute ogg file, I used Winamp to play it, scroll to 16, lots of conspiracy theory etc audio files in this list!: http://www.simmeringfrogs.com/ogg/index.html Now I first became aware of Ezra Pound when I was 14 from the lyrics of Bob Dylan's Desolation Row :) Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot Fighting in the captain's tower While calypso singers laugh at them And fishermen hold flowers (Mike Barraclough, England, July 16, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U K. BBC 13865 or 13675? The last few days including today I have not been able to hear BBCWS English as usual between 17 and 19 on 13865, or on its supposed replacement 13675. Could those further east please confirm which frequency is currently in use, or neither? Tnx, (Glenn Hauser, July 17, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, a las 1816 estoy escuchando emisión en inglés en 13675, supongo BBC, SINPO 45554. 73 JMR (José Miguel Romero, Spain, ibid.) Glenn, 13675 on now at 1850 hrs. -- Springfield, Delaware County (L J Rooney, ibid.) 13865 replaced by 13675 around July 1st ! Usual superpower RMP 500 kW 62 degrees towards Russia, S=9+30-40 dB. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Stuttgart, Germany, ibid.) ** U K [and non]. A-08 Schedule of VT Communications Relays. Radio Japan NHK World 0000-0020 on 5960 SKN 300 kW / 140 deg to WeEu English 0200-0300 on 11780 SNG 250 kW / 340 deg to SEAs Japanese 0500-0530 on 5975 RMP 500 kW / 140 deg to WeEu English 0800-1000 on 11740 SNG 250 kW / 001 deg to SEAs Japanese 1030-1100 on 11740 SNG 250 kW / 001 deg to SEAs Burmese 1100-1130 on 9760 WOF 035 kW / 102 deg to WeEu English Fri DRM 1130-1200 on 9760 WOF 035 kW / 102 deg to WeEu Russian Fri DRM 1130-1200 on 11710 RMP 500 kW / 062 deg to EaEu Russian 1130-1200 on 11740 SNG 250 kW / 001 deg to SEAs Thai 1200-1230 on 17585 DHA 250 kW / 315 deg to WeEu English 1230-1300 on 11740 SNG 250 kW / 001 deg to SEAs Vietnamese 1300-1330 on 11740 SNG 250 kW / 001 deg to SEAs Chinese 1400-1430 on 13630 RMP 500 kW / 062 deg to EaEu English 1500-1700 on 12045 SNG 250 kW / 315 deg to WeAs Japanese 1700-1900 on 13740 DHA 250 kW / 285 deg to NoAf Japanese 2200-2300 on 9650 DHA 250 kW / 285 deg to NoAf Japanese Radio Prague 0000-0027 on 7275 ASC 250 kW / 245 deg to SoAm Spanish 0330-0357 on 6080 SAC 250 kW / 268 deg to NoAm English 1300-1327 on 9850 WOF 035 kW / 102 deg to WeEu German DRM Fri/Sat 1330-1357 on 9850 WOF 035 kW / 102 deg to WeEu English DRM Fri/Sat 2330-2357 on 6000 SAC 250 kW / 212 deg to CeAm Spanish [collide Cuba] China Radio International 0000-0057 on 9745 BON 250 kW / 290 deg to CeAm Spanish 1100-1157 on 9870 SGO 100 kW / 045 deg to SoAm Portuguese 1200-1257 on 15440 SGO 100 kW / 045 deg to SoAm Chinese 1300-1357 on 15440 SGO 100 kW / 045 deg to SoAm English 1500-1757 on 6100 MEY 100 kW / non-dir to SoAf English 1800-1857 on 6100 MEY 100 kW / non-dir to SoAf Chinese 2100-2157 on 17640 SGO 100 kW / 045 deg to SoAm Portuguese Gospel for Asia 0000-0130 on 6145 DHA 250 kW / 085 deg to SoAs SoEaAs langs 1600-1630 on 9810 DHA 250 kW / 100 deg to SoAs SoEaAs langs 1615-1630 on 9810 DHA 250 kW / 070 deg to SoAs SoEaAs langs Sun-Wed 2330-2400 on 6040 DHA 250 kW / 085 deg to SoAs SoEaAs langs Voice of Vietnam 0100-0125 on 6175 SAC 250 kW / 212 deg to NoAm English 0130-0225 on 6175 SAC 250 kW / 212 deg to NoAm Vietnamese 0230-0255 on 6175 SAC 250 kW / 212 deg to NoAm English 0300-0325 on 6175 SAC 250 kW / 212 deg to NoAm Spanish 0330-0355 on 6175 SAC 250 kW / 212 deg to NoAm English 0400-0425 on 6175 SAC 250 kW / 212 deg to NoAm Spanish 0430-0525 on 6175 SAC 250 kW / 240 deg to NoAm Vietnamese 1700-1725 on 9725 MOS 100 kW / 300 deg to WeEu English 1730-1825 on 9725 MOS 100 kW / 300 deg to WeEu Vietnamese 1830-1855 on 9725 MOS 100 kW / 300 deg to WeEu French 1900-1925 on 9725 SKN 300 kW / 070 deg to EaEu Russian 1930-2025 on 9430 SKN 300 kW / 090 deg to WeEu German 2030-2125 on 11840 SKN 300 kW / 110 deg to SEEu Vietnamese Adventist World Radio 0100-0200 on 15445 TAI 100 kW / 250 deg to Asia Vietnamese Sat Radio Solh/Radio Peace 0200-0900 on 11665 DHA 250 kW / 045 deg to WeAs Dari/Pashto 0900-1200 on 11675 DHA 250 kW / 045 deg to WeAs Dari/Pashto 1200-1800 on 17700 RMP 500 kW / 085 deg to WeAs Dari/Pashto Radio Okapi 0400-0600 on 11690 MEY 100 kW / 345 deg to Congo French/Lingala 1600-1700 on 11890 MEY 100 kW / 330 deg to Congo French/Lingala Sudan Radio Service 0300-0330 on 11805 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf English Mon-Fri 0330-0500 on 11805 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf Arabic Mon-Fri 0500-0600 on 13720 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf Ar/En Mon-Fri 0500-0600 on 15325 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf Ar/En Mon-Fri 1500-1700 on 17690 SIN 250 kW / 144 deg to EaAf Ar/En Mon-Fri 1500-1600 on 17690 SIN 250 kW / 144 deg to EaAf Ar/En Sat/Sun 1700-1730 on 9590 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf Dinka Mon 1700-1730 on 9590 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf Zande Tue 1700-1730 on 9590 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf Moro Wed 1700-1730 on 9590 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf Bari Thu 1700-1730 on 9590 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf Shiluk Fri 1730-1800 on 9590 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf English Mon-Fri RTA Radio Algeria 0400-0600 on 7150 SIN 250 kW / 134 deg to NoAf Arabic Holy Quran sce 0400-0600 on 7260 SKN 300 kW / 180 deg to NoAf Arabic Holy Quran sce 1900-2000 on 9765 RMP 500 kW / 180 deg to NoAf Arabic Holy Quran sce 1900-2100 on 11810 WOF 250 kW / 160 deg to NoAf Arabic Holy Quran sce 2000-2100 on 9765 SIN 250 kW / 170 deg to NoAf Arabic Holy Quran sce 2100-2300 on 7150 SIN 250 kW / 170 deg to NoAf Arabic Holy Quran sce 2100-2300 on 9710 SKN 300 kW / 160 deg to NoAf Arabic Holy Quran sce WYFR 0400-0500 on 3955 SKN 250 kW / 106 deg to WeEu German 1230-1330 on 15340 DHA 250 kW / 085 deg to SoAs Bengali 1300-1400 on 17630 DHA 250 kW / 100 deg to SoAs Kannada 1300-1400 on 17715 DHA 250 kW / 100 deg to SoAs Telugu 1400-1500 on 9595 DHA 250 kW / 105 deg to SoAs Marathi 1400-1500 on 15520 DHA 250 kW / 090 deg to SoAs Hindi 1400-1500 on 17715 DHA 250 kW / 100 deg to SoAs Tamil 1500-1600 on 15520 DHA 250 kW / 090 deg to SoAs English 1600-1700 on 11850 DHA 250 kW / 090 deg to SoAs English 1600-1700 on 21680 ASC 250 kW / 114 deg to SoAf Portuguese 1700-1800 on 9790 DHA 250 kW / 225 deg to EaAf Amharic 1700-1800 on 13700 RMP 500 kW / 105 deg to ME Arabic 1700-1800 on 21680 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg to CeAf English 1700-1900 on 15760 WOF 250 kW / 102 deg to ME Turkish 1800-1900 on 3955 SKN 250 kW / 106 deg to WeEu English 1800-1900 on 6180 MEY 100 kW / 015 deg to SoAf English 1800-1900 on 9845 DHA 250 kW / 230 deg to SoAf English 1800-1900 on 13720 SKN 300 kW / 140 deg to ME Arabic 1800-1900 on 13780 RMP 500 kW / 105 deg to ME English 1800-2000 on 11775 SKN 250 kW / 165 deg to WeEu English 1830-1930 on 17585 ASC 250 kW / 085 deg to CeAf French 1900-2000 on 3955 MEY 100 kW / 076 deg to SoAf Portuguese 1900-2000 on 5930 MEY 250 kW / 019 deg to EaAf Swahili 1900-2000 on 6100 MEY 100 kW / 330 deg to SoAf English 1900-2000 on 9685 DHA 250 kW / 260 deg to WCAf English 1900-2000 on 9775 DHA 250 kW / 210 deg to EaAf English 1900-2000 on 11970 DHA 250 kW / 285 deg to NoAf French 1900-2000 on 15165 SKN 250 kW / 105 deg to ME Arabic 1900-2100 on 3230 MEY 100 kW / 005 deg to SoAf English 2000-2100 on 9485 DHA 250 kW / 260 deg to WCAf English 2000-2100 on 9635 DHA 250 kW / 210 deg to EaAf English 2000-2100 on 11970 DHA 250 kW / 330 deg to WeEu English 2000-2200 on 15195 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg to WeAf English 2030-2130 on 11985 KIG 250 kW / 295 deg to WeAf French 2115-2315 on 11875 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg to CeAf English BBC World Service: 0400-0500 on 5875 KVI 035 kW / 190 deg to WeEu English DRM 0500-0700 on 6195 KVI 035 kW / 190 deg to WeEu English DRM 1800-1900 on 5895 KVI 035 kW / 190 deg to WeEu English DRM 1900-2200 on 5875 KVI 035 kW / 190 deg to WeEu English DRM BBC Darfur Salaam: 0500-0530 on 12015 CYP 300 kW / 177 deg to Sudan Arabic 0500-0530 on 13650 CYP 250 kW / 187 deg to Sudan Arabic 1700-1730 on 15515 CYP 250 kW / 187 deg to Sudan Arabic 1700-1730 on 17585 CYP 300 kW / 177 deg to Sudan Arabic Southern Sudan Interactive Radio Instruction: 0600-0630 on 15215 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf English Mon-Fri 0600-0630 on 15750 MEY 250 kW / 005 deg to EaAf English Mon-Fri 0630-0700 on 11905 KIG 250 kW / non-dir to EaAf English Mon-Fri 0630-0700 on 15760 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf English Mon-Fri 0630-0700 on 15530 DHA 250 kW / 240 deg to EaAf English Mon/Wed/Fri 0630-0700 on 15660 MEY 250 kW / 007 deg to EaAf English Mon/Wed/Fri 1300-1330 on 12070 MEY 250 kW / 005 deg to EaAf English Mon/Wed/Fri 1300-1330 on 15390 MEY 250 kW / 007 deg to EaAf English Mon/Wed/Fri 1300-1330 on 15760 MEY 250 kW / 005 deg to EaAf English Mon/Wed/Fri Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal: 0700-0757 NF 9590 SKN 300 kW / 180 deg to WeEu Dutch, ex 9790 1800-1857 on 9590 RMP 500 kW / 180 deg to WeEu Dutch Star Radio/Cotton Tree News 0700-0800 on 9525 ASC 250 kW / 027 deg to CeAf English/Others KBS World Radio 0700-0800 on 9870 SKN 300 kW / 110 deg to WeEu Korean 1430-1500 on 9460 WOF 035 kW / 102 deg to WeEu English Fri DRM 1800-1900 on 15360 kW / 062 deg to EaEu Russian 1900-2000 on 15365 RMP 500 kW / 168 deg to NoAf Arabic 2000-2100 on 3955 SKN 250 kW / 106 deg to WeEu German 2000-2100 on 6145 SKN 250 kW / 150 deg to WeEu French 2100-2130 on 3955 SKN 250 kW / 106 deg to WeEu English Trans World Radio Africa 0830-0900 on 11985 ASC 250 kW / 027 deg to WeAf French 1300-1315 on 13745 KIG 250 kW / 030 deg to EaAf Afar Fri/Sat 1730-1800 on 9805 DHA 250 kW / 230 deg to EaAf Tigrinya Sun 1800-1845 on 9895 DHA 250 kW / 225 deg to EaAf Amharic IRIN Radio (Integrated Regional Information Network) 0830-0845 on 13685 DHA 250 kW / 225 deg to EaAf Somali Free North Korea Radio 1000-1100 on 9490 TAI 100 kW / 002 deg to KRE Korean 1400-1600 on 11560 DB 300 kW / 070 deg to KRE Korean 1900-2100 on 7530 DB 300 kW / 070 deg to KRE Korean Eternal Good News 1130-1145 on 15525 DHA 250 kW / 100 deg to SoAs English Fri Radio Free Chosun 1200-1300 on 11540 IRK 250 kW / 155 deg to KRE Korean 1200-1300 on 12125 ERV 300 kW / 065 deg to KRE Korean Radio Taiwan International 1200-1300 on 9850 WOF 035 kW / 102 deg to WeEu English Fri DRM 1900-2000 on 6045 RMP 500 kW / 168 deg to WeEu French 1900-2000 on 6185 SKN 250 kW / 105 deg to WeEu German North Korea Reform Radio 1300-1330 on 9950 TAI 100 kW / 002 deg to KRE Korean Voice of Wilderness 1300-1400 on 11570 ERV 300 kW / 065 deg to KRE Korean 1300-1400 on 11640 IRK 250 kW / 155 deg to KRE Korean Shiokaze 1400-1430 on 6005 YAM 100 kW / 280 deg to KRE Jap/Kor/En/Ch (alt. 6020) [isn`t it on 6020 instead of 6005? gh] 2030-2100 on 5965 YAM 100 kW / 280 deg to KRE Jap/Kor/En/Ch (alt. 6045) Radio New Zealand International 1400-1430 on 9460 WOF 035 kW / 102 deg to WeEu English Sat DRM Furusato no Kaze 1330-1400 on 9585 TAI 100 kW / 002 deg to KRE Korean Tue/Thu/Sat 1330-1400 on 9585 TAI 100 kW / 002 deg to KRE Japanese Mo/We/Fr/Su 1430-1500 on 11775 DRW 250 kW / 003 deg to KRE Japanese 1600-1630 on 9780 TAI 250 kW / 045 deg to KRE Japanese Nippon no Kaze 1500-1530 on 11690 DRW 250 kW / 003 deg to KRE Japanese 1700-1730 on 9820 TAI 100 kW / 002 deg to KRE Korean Little Saigon Radio 1500-1530 on 7390 TAI 100 kW / 250 deg to Asia Vietnamese Voice of Free Radio 1600-1630 on 11640 ERV 300 kW / 065 deg to KRE Korean HCJB Global 1600-1630 on 11740 RMP 500 kW / 076 deg to EaEu Russian 2100-2145 on 12025 RMP 500 kW / 168 deg to NoAf Arabic [+ Berber] SW Radio Africa 1700-1900 on 4880 MEY 100 kW / 005 deg to SoAf English 1700-1900 on 12035 RMP 500 kW / 140 deg to SoAf English Église du Christ 1800-1830 on 15325 RMP 500 kW / 169 deg to NoAf French Thu Voice of Meselna Delina 1800-1830 on 17690 HRA 250 kW / 075 deg to EaAf Tigrigna Thu/Fri Voice of Biafra International 2000-2100 on 15280 HRI 250 kW / 087 deg to WeAf English/Igbo Fri Open Radio for North Korea 2100-2220 on 9950 ERV 300 kW / 065 deg to KRE Korean Radio República 2200-2400 NF 9515 RMP 500 kW / 285 deg to Cuba Spanish, ex 6135 0000-0200 NF 9640 RMP 500 kW / 285 deg to Cuba Spanish, ex 6155 0200-0400 on 6100 RMP 500 kW / 285 deg to Cuba Spanish Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation 2215-2245 on 5930 CYP 250 kW / 314 deg to SEEu Greek Fri-Sun 2215-2245 on 7210 CYP 300 kW / 314 deg to SEEu Greek Fri-Sun 2215-2245 on 9760 CYP 250 kW / 315 deg to SEEu Greek Fri-Sun (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, July 17, via DXLD) ** U S A. Re: DXLD 8-080 concerning Voice of America admin problem in QSLing, I would like to acknowledged receipt of one wrongly addressed QSL, detail of which is: (date) Feb. 6, 2000; (UT) 2145; (Frequency) 9565; (Site) Playa De Pals, Spain. It might be yours! (Tony Ashar, Depok, Indonesia, DX LISTENING DIGEST ) ** U S A. SENATE COMMITTEE RESTORES FUNDS FOR VOA, RFE/RL LANGUAGES -- BUT NOT FOR ALHURRA For FY 2009, beginning 1 October 2008, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee "provides $693 million for the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an increase of $23 million above the FY08 enacted level and $6 million below the request. The bill provides funding for broadcasting in languages which the Administration proposed to eliminate in FY09, such as Russian, Kazak, Uzbek, Tibetan and the to the Balkans, where freedom of speech remains restricted and broadcasting is still necessary. The Committee does not provide funds for the expansion of Alhurra programming in Arabic." Senator Patrick Leahy press release, 17 July 2008 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) First fallout of the recent reports about Alhurra? None of the mentioned VOA and RFE/RL languages would have been eliminated, though they would have been reduced, such as dropping VOA Russian radio while keeping an internet presence. Will the House of Representatives go along with this restored money for U.S. international broadcasting? See previous post about same subject. Posted: 18 Jul 2008 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid. ) ** U S A. WRNO BACK ON THE AIR! Tuned in 15590 at 1938 July 18 to hear strong open carrier with slight whine, then tone test faded up. Level increased briefly before 1944 and then cut off at 1945* *1946 back on with open carrier, 1947 tone fading up and down again. Cut off again at 1950* So far, no announcements or IDs. It`s off-frequency, more like 15590.4. If current registrations are to be believed, this is WRNO, New Orleans, on the air finally after years and years of delays, under new ownership as 15590 is for it in A-08 since KTBN went dark. Perhaps someone familiar with what`s going on at WRNO can confirm. Or Caribbean Beacon, Anguilla, since they reportedly got the old KTBN transmitter which operated on 15590, but it seems unlikely they would use that frequency again (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) We may be in the skip zone here in Central Mississippi since New Orleans is about 200 Miles from us but I tuned to 15590 and it was essentially dead air. I checked the WRNO Worldwide web site and there was nothing about a program schedule and they were still trying to get donations to fix the transmitter and tower. If they are testing the transmitter and antenna, someone ought to know what is going on (Richard Lewis, 2132 UT July 18, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) By the time my message went out, they had gone off at 1950, and not come back; I left a receiver running on 15590 past 2230. We would normally be in the 15 MHz skip zone from NOLA, but sporadic E was in play as WWCR, 15825, about the same distance, was also in well (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn! Thanks for the note. So I just got off the phone with Janet Mawire (the owner's wife). She confirms that they have been performing preliminary transmitter tests. Janet states that they will be performing test broadcasts with audio by the end of next week. Thanks again, (Dan Brown, W1DAN, http://www.danbrown.tv July 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glen[n]: After seven years I am happy to confirm that WRNO is back on the air. Right now they are putting the transmitter through its final adjustments and tuning. During next week the required testing should be completed and the FCC Form 310 will be filed. Regular programming is planned to begin on August 1. They plan to use 7505 kHz at night and 15590 kHz by day. But, they may have a very limited broadcast station for a while. 73, (George Jacobs, P.E., July 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I wonder what their programming will consist of. It'd be great to hear "The Rock of the World" return about 25 years after I first found it on my junky Heathkit receiver. 73, de (Nate Bargmann, KS, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nate, I'm afraid that's ancient history. Have seen many postings here they are bound to be a religious station. Just went to 7505 after 2300. Something is there but for its weakness I can't tell is WRNO testing. 73 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.) Nothing here around 2317, but may be on and off like 15590 (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Pastor Pete Peters audible weakly with ute QRM on 8590, July 16 at 1247 // WWCR 9980. How come? It`s 1390 kHz away, i.e. mixing with one of my locals, KCRC and thus not audible elsewhere (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re 8-081, Annunciation Radio in Toledo: Glenn, I emailed him and said that some people posted on Radio-Info that he was going to buy 1560-AM in Toledo, Ohio. So, He posted this about my email on that site: (Artie Bigley, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Re: Catholic group to buy Toledo radio station? « Reply #5 on: Today at 06:38:49 pm » ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm Deacon Mike Learned and I am the president of Annunciation Radio. As has been stated, we are running a two-hour program every Sunday for the last 6 months. This was done to help us learn the steps we will need to run our own station. To answer the question that people seem to be asking, we are not planning to purchase 1560 AM. We do hope to have our own FM station sometime in the not too distant future, but that depends on God and the FCC. When that does happen, we will do our best to let the world know (via Bigley, ibid.) ** U S A. WOLY 1500 BATTLE CREEK MI STILL ON THE AIR, FOUR YEARS AFTER DELETION Here's a trippy story out of West Michigan - four years after its license was deleted, WOLY is still on the air, and the FCC can't seem to do much about it thus far: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-1647A1.pdf So if you hear WOLY at sunset, it's not a ghost from the past! s (Scott Fybush, NY, IRCA via DXLD) Why can't someone from the FCC just go there and take the equipment? Isn't that what they do to pirate stations? (Tom Dimeo, NRC-AM via DXLD) The FCC doesn't have "radio cops" of its own. It depends on cooperation from local law enforcement to do its dirty work, as it were. And there are political factors at play, apparently, that make it hard for the FCC to get the local police in Battle Creek to come in and do the big shutdown. We shall see - this saga is far from over, from what I hear. s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) Scott, I remember Chuck Boehnke on the Big Island telling me about a Hawaiian pirate down by South Point that was operated by native Hawaiians. They are/were a strong group that do not like what has happened to the islands. The FCC showed up from San Francisco and tried to get the police to go down to South Point to shut the FM pirate down. None of the local cops wanted to play a part in that, especially the Hawaiians. So the FCC suits all headed down to South Point to close down the operation. The FCC got a big surprised. They wre met with natives with AK47's. They got back in their cars and went home. The Hawaiians did not want to deal with it, being a big political powder keg. I have no idea if the pirate is still operating or not as it was several years ago. Maybe that is the reason the NE minority pirates continue to operate (Patrick Martin, OR, ibid.) It's bizarre this one went this far. There have been quite a few stations cited recently for failing to renew properly and then operating with an expired license (enough to lead me to wonder if there's something broken in the electronic filing system?) But the stations involved have always promptly filed for STA to continue operating while ironing out the problem. This one is unusual in that after being notified of a problem, they seem to have done absolutely nothing to fix it. One might think this would come to a head next time the FCC opens a filing window for AM major changes & new stations. Someone sees the apparent gap in 1500 kHz in Battle Creek, files for a new station, gets it approved, and suddenly there are two stations operating on 1500 kHz in the same city. Except that I don't know that any new station could be authorized on 1500 in Battle Creek. New daytimers aren't allowed anymore - could someone get 250w night power there on that frequency? (I suppose with enough towers you could get it pretty much anywhere(grin)!) Then too, it could be another five years before the FCC gets around to opening another filing window... Maybe 1490 in Adrian files to move to Jackson (and/or 1490 in Whitehall files to move to Muskegon) and sues when they find severe adjacent-channel interference from an unlicensed station? (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) I can't imagine that any local authority would fail to perform the duties to which they are legally bound when requested to do so by a federal agency. The potential negative effects, such as a loss of federal funding, would be a huge risk. I also can't imagine the FCC just walking away with their tail between their legs when they could call on any number of other local, state or federal law enforcement agencies for assistance (Patrick Griffith, CBT CBNT CRO, Westminster CO http://community.webtv.net/AM-DXer/ http://community.webtv.net/N0NNK/ ibid.) Patrick, That may be the case in the lower 48, but as several have told me, Hawaii is a different World, especially the outer islands. If you threatened Hawaii with the loss of Federal money, some may care, but a fair number of naive Hawaiians would rather be left alone anyway. 73, (Patrick Martin, OR, ibid.) Well my reference was to the station in the subject line Patrick. But I can understand what you mean about Hawaii. It must be similar to Puerto Rico in that regard. In PR some of the people are in favor of statehood and the remainder are violently opposed to it. In 1998 I was sent to San Juan as a uniformed representative of the National Disaster Medical System in response to Hurricane Georges. I landed smack in the middle of that battle. I was actually in fear for my safety as I hid out from the opposition for several days while the PR government argued with DC over the details of the recovery efforts. Eventually DC gave PR a huge amount of money to allow them to perform their own recovery and I was evacuated back to the mainland (Patrick Griffith, CBT CBNT CRO, Westminster CO, ibid.) I just looked at the Battle Creek Enquirer website to review local news articles for the last week, and there was no mention of this FCC action against WOLY. Being a low power operation with Christian programming, I wonder how many of the local residents even know about this. And if I had some time available, I'd be tempted to drive there just to hear their signal. JM -- 73 de (Joe Miller, KJ8O, Troy, MI -- Grid EN82 --, ibid.) Patrick, As Ginny Boehnke also calls The Big Island "A 5th World Nation". Oahu is the 3rd World Nation. You might be legally on US soil, but things are done over there differently. Alaska is kind of like that to a lesser degree too. We lived in Alaska when is became a state 50 years ago and many natives were conned into putting their "X" on the line and many did not know what they were voting for. They were not happy campers when Alaska became the 49th state. 73, (Patrick Martin, NRC AM via DXLD) So what is the staff there for? I guess if you do what they say you're on your own and they can walk you right into a big fine. Oops; I forgot. They call it a monetary forfeiture This is absolutely ridiculous (Dennis Gibson, IRCA via DXLD) It's not quite as simple as that. What the FCC is trying to avoid is having individual low-level staffers create policy precedents, intentionally or accidentally, through verbal interpretations of the rules. By making sure everything that's legally binding is set down on paper, in public, the broadcasters who do play by the rules (you know, filing their renewal applications when they're due, for instance!) can have a clear understanding of just what those rules are, and what the consequences of breaking them will be. That's not to say that the rules are always easy for a layman to understand, or that they're not sometimes still unclear or contradictory. But it's my experience, over years of following FCC actions, that the Commission will bend over backwards to assist broadcasters who actually ask for help. Look at this case - WOLY was complaining that it couldn't file its renewal application electronically because it couldn't afford a computer, and even on the basis of that feeble excuse, the Commission said it would still have been willing to consider a waiver of the electronic filing requirement. It's also been my experience that a good communications attorney is worth his/her weight in gold when dealing with the FCC. For a fairly modest retainer fee, even the cheapest communications lawyer would have made sure WOLY had filed its renewal application on time. Instead, the station faces a $10,000 fine --- and the very real prospect that its license, an asset that's probably worth several hundred thousand dollars, will be gone for good. If it seems like I have no sympathy for WOLY (especially because it's remained on the air, openly selling its airtime and presumably making a profit), well...yeah. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) According to a couple of websites, WOLY's license had also been canceled in 1998 because it had expired, but was then reinstated a few months later. It's hard to believe the station couldn't afford a computer. A new one costs all of $500 these days, which to me seems like a small amount compared to operating costs for things like electricity, rent, salaries (though with a name like Christian Family, it might've been a volunteer operation). At the very least, one of the staff members must've had a computer they could have used to file the renewal (Bruce Portzer, ibid.) ** U S A. It seems WGN has finally deleted its real audio stream as they have been threatening to do for several weeks. That means we can`t use the `perfect play` feature which allows one to pause live feed, and then skip thru the commercial and news breaks. (Unless latest version of some other usable player does that; does anyone know?) Webcast is of higher quality now via own player, anyway, so maybe rare musical segments in Extension 720 will be bearable. Webcast used to play insipid music fill during commercials on AM 720, but now I`m hearing strings of PSAs and even some real commercials, the latter I suppose cleared for webcast. Anyhow, check out the schedule of topix and guests for one of the best talk shows on commercial radio, even if Milt is showing increasingly right-wing colors, quite skeptical about President Obama, e.g.: http://wgnradio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=167&Itemid=275 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Hi from Des Moines - the one in Iowa. I received e-mail this afternoon from the engineer at WOI (640 AM at 5 KW ND day and about 1 KW, 2-towers night) and WOI-FM (90.1 at 100 KW) in Ames, Iowa saying that FM's digital should be on by the end of the month and that digital is also in the works for AM. The stations are operated by Iowa State University and part of Iowa Public Radio. 73, (Doc Tom Gruis, amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD) See also ALASKA [and non]. Yes, whenever someone says ``Des Moines`` I always default to New Mexico, u.o.s. (gh, OK, DXLD) ** U S A. I discovered my local KCTA-1030 was finally off last night as they're supposed to be. . . (Harry Helms W5HLH, Corpus Christi, TX EL17 http://harryhelmsblog.blogspot.com/ July 16, ABDX via DXLD) See MEXICO for what he consequently heard ** U S A. A few weeks ago we had a big discussion about the status of KSSR 1340 Santa Rosa, NM; is it on the air or not? Here`s an entry which implies that it is, maybe, as sources are not cited: 1340 KSSR Santa Rosa, NM, old format: silent; new format: CHR (Broadcasting Information, IRCA DX Monitor July 19 via DXLD) ** U S A. KGA 1510 Spokane WA update: http://www.spokesmanreview.com/blogs/ontheair/archive/?postID=6341 FCC App: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=641785 (Artie Bigley, DX LISTENING DIGEST) There's no need to guess about what the 1510 situation will look like after the KGA downgrade - it's all right there in black and white (well, beige and red) at fccinfo.com. KGA's modified night pattern will be a big strawberry-shaped blob aimed northeast, with a little "stem" aimed southwest. It will actually have a little bit less of a null in Patrick's direction than it does now; taking the power decrease into account, my read is that, all other factors being equal, the KGA signal on the Oregon coast won't diminish too much from what it is now. The San Francisco 1510 will aim all its power due west in a VERY narrow lobe from its Oakland transmitter site. It shouldn't be a factor up Patrick's way. The removal of KGA's class A status will clear the way for other nearby stations to expand their night footprints - but they'll still have to provide some protection for KGA's remaining signal. So any upgrades in Salt Lake or Phoenix would still have to throw a null toward the Pacific Northwest. But 1520 in Portland can also upgrade now, and given everything else it will still have to protect, most of its extra signal will probably be aimed out at sea, i.e., over Patrick (Scott Fybush, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. KRKO UPDATE: CHEERS, FEARS AS AM RADIO TOWERS RISE IN SNOHOMISH --- By Yoshiaki Nohara, Herald Writer SNOHOMISH -- Within a few hours, three radio towers went up Wednesday in the Snohomish River Valley. Andy Skotdal, whose family owns KRKO-AM 1380, looked up at the towers in a blue sky. He smiled. "I've waited for this day for 11 years," Skotdal said. "I'm definitely very excited." At a nearby farm, Mark Craven saw the towers standing in the middle of farmland filled with rows of corn, fruit trees, flowers and grass. He winced. "I think it's very sad," said Craven, who fought the project for years with other area residents. "It's terrible." . . . http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080717/NEWS01/2677129&news01ad=1 (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. Tomorrow, Paul Harvey will be back on his program after having been off several months (Tom Dimeo, July 18, NRC-AM via DXLD) Had been looking after Angel, his now late wife (gh) ** VANUATU. These new registrations in A-08 now: 3945 0700-2000 56,51S PVL 10kW non-dir 400 Bislama VUT VBT RNZ 5055 0700-2000 56,51S PVL 10kW non-dir 400 Bislama VUT VBT RNZ means PVL Port Vila VUT 17S44 168E33, according to ITU Geneve site list. Antenna type 400 CHR(S)4/1/0.3 seems a little bit oversized ? And Emten Lagoon according to mention in WRTH 2008, p413. VTU Port Vila Emten lagoon 3945 / 5055 kHz 10 kW Unfortunately half of the area is in in low resolution in Google Earth around: 17 45 23.27 S 168 21 41.60 E 1.7 kilometers south of Montmartre village, 4.7 kilometers east of Port Vila. But much, much better visible on Yahoo Maps [at least 6 masts] or lesser at Microsoft Virtual Earth see also Emden Lagoon (lagoon Mumbato) They are frequencies to be used by Vanuatu, along with 7260 kHz which is to be the daytime frequency. 3945 & 5055 will be early morning and night frequencies. Which one will be used will depend on propagation and sunspot numbers. The new 10 kW transmitters are due on the air around October or November, but it may be as late as December 2008. The registrations are there in case the transmitters go to air before the end of the A-08 season (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 10 via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [and non]. President Chávez´s talkshow "Aló Presidente" has been discontinued "until further notice" owing to the President´s workload. This info was published on July 8 on the Radio Mundial website, http://www.radiomundial.com.ve The talkshow has been aired 313 times since 1999, the note concludes (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, July 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) That will open up some 20 SW frequency-hours Sunday mornings from Cuba, unless RHC decides to fill with more of its own programming (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA [non]. Radio Nacional Venezuela-RNV, 9630, 0310, Spanish, 433, July 13, OM with newscast and an IS plus ID. (possible a relay via Cuba??) (Stewart MacKenzie, Huntington Beach CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) It would be foolish of Venezuela/Cuba to use 9630, since that is a longtime frequency of Spain via Costa Rica at 0200-0600 (But then, Cuba is foolish enough to collide with Spain on 11680 until 0200!) Checked July 16 at 0303, nothing but strong REE heard on 9630 and // but not synchronized with Spain direct on 9620. Nor any sign of it the next two nights. 73, (Glenn Hauser, OK, ibid.) Glenn, when I ran across Radio Nacional de Venezuela via Cuba on 11680 this morning ,it was coming in at very good levels from 1510 to 1521 UT tune out July 17. But, I noticed a weak ute signal underneath with high speed data that sounded somewhat similar to the sound of a fax machine and then the CW ID of KLB. 73 to all and good DX. Radio Nacional de Venezuela via Cuba, 11680 IS at 1459, program on at 1500 July 18. English and Spanish IDs, "Informative Short News", then into feature about how U.S. used Gulf of Tonkin incident to manufacture excuse for Vietnam war with audio from Alex Wright (I think), into Spanish language at 1513 to 1515 tune out. Good-very good signal with very weak QRM de coastal station KLB (Carl DeWhitt, Ponca City OK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE. NEW CHINESE JAMMING EQUIPMENT FOR ZIMBABWE? The Harare Tribune says that the Zimbabwe government recently received another shipment of jamming equipment from China. Landing records, shown to the newspaper’s reporter at Harare International Airport by port authorities, confirmed that the government received the equipment on 17 May. The newspaper says that both Studio 7 and SW Radio Africa have taken on to broadcasting on multiple frequencies in order to beat the jamming operation carried out by the CIO with the assistance of the Chinese attachés. (Source: Harare Tribune) (July 16th, 2008 - 11:51 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE. COME IN ZIMBABWE, ARE YOU THERE? Posted at 1:03 PM on July 16, 2008 by Sanden Totten (2 Comments) http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/loophole/archive/2008/07/come_in_zimbabwe_are_you_there.shtml Zimbabwe has been having a lot of problems lately. A sketchy election, violence and astronomical inflation. Along with all that, it has become pert near impossible to get a call through to the country. I've been trying to get someone in Zimbabwe on the line for our show and I keep running into a wall of busy signals! I've dialed the country so many times I feel like a telemarketer desperately trying to make quota. The few times I have gotten through the conversation hasn't lasted long before the connection goes dead. So far this is what I've learned: the phones are failing for two reasons. First, the infrastructure is shoddy and the government has no money to fix it. When things are mended, they often fall back into disrepair in a matter of hours! Second, the government is clogging the whole system with their new "Chinese equipment" (that's how one former Zimbabwean described it to me). Mugabe's men have been blocking shortwave radio coming into the country (you know, as part of their whole, preventing free access to news and information thing). The "Chinese equipment" they bought to do it has gummed up cell phone reception across the country. To top it all off, the Zanu-PF folks have given themselves free rein to check in on people's phone calls, e-mails . . . whatever they want. So when people can use the phones, they have to avoid saying anything that might draw the wrath of their government. Just when Zimbabwe could use a life line the most, the call gets dropped (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 3985, July 17, 1000-1032 pop music selections (all disco beat) of which the first song was in English but the other with unID language, no talks. Also checked July 13 and 16, seems to be exactly the same musical selection, 23322 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Must be something westward. Didn`t LOB recently report Echo of Hope, Korean clandestine there? (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) LOB's UNID reception would seem to be too early for Echo of Hope. Have observed their sign-on time on a number of occasions and it is consistent, as in DXLD 8-068, *1056 // 6003 (Ron Howard, CA, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 9500, constant-pitch tone tests alternating continuously with audio sweeps from low to high, never high to low, 1252-1300* July 16. Also July 17 at 1315, off around 1330. Have not caught it opening or closing in case there`s an ID: fat chance. You sometimes hear MW stations checking out their equipment this way, but what`s this? And is it a broadcaster or a utility? Pretty good signal, unseems Asiatic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UNIDENTIFIED. PHILIPPINES, 11740, Voice of America via Tinang P.I. relay 1445 - 7/16 in listed Korean, but buried and garbled under one of those strange raspy "dot-dot-daaaaaasssshh" ute stations, which remained on after 1459 close of VOA. The book Underground Frequency Guide delves into this and other "things that go beep in the night" topics. I'm wondering if the author has any new or updated info on the purpose a/o locations of these type transmissions? (Rick Barton, Phoenix AZ, Drake R-8, random wire, ABDX via DXLD) This is the same thing I was complaining about in 11740 report under USA [non]. On July 16 it was equally bothering VOK on 11735 (gh, DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ BEST BUY NOW PROMOTING WIFI RADIOS AS SHORTWAVE REPLACEMENTS I use Google Mail for my day-to-day personal mail, and it is interesting to see what Google's servers come up with for targeted ads and links. Over Glenn Hauser's log e-mail was the following text: "Tired of Shortwave radio - www.bestbuy.com - stations going away. Check out our internet radio $199.99, and no fees" Interesting someone developed that copy for them, suggesting they actually pay attention to shortwave's narrow niche (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, swprograms via DXLD) Yeah, to coöpt it (gh) RIZ Shortwave transmitters from Croatia: see MYANMAR; GERMANY DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see ALASKA! And UK VTC schedule ++++++++++++++++++++ IBOC: see also ALASKA; USA: WOI THE HYPOCRISY OF HD RADIO PROPONENTS By: Tyler Savery Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:28 PM http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewarticle+articleid_2408471~title_The-Hypocrisy-Of-HD.html Anyone following the Sirius / XM merger process should be baffled. In a second year now of repeated opposition by terrestrial radio lobbyists and their congressional henchmen, it seems to be getting down again to one common thread. Hybrid Digital radio. Not high definition, although they’d like you to believe that. The reviews of HD radio clearly indicate that consumers are not at all happy with it. It’s easy to forget past arguments regarding competition and consumer choice. How odd! The same people and groups who cried foul over consumer choice when the merger began, are now suggesting choice be stripped away. They propose to do this by means of a government mandate that will have the effect of forcing all Americans to listen to hybrid digital radio, whether we want to or not. And they’d like Sirius to pay for it! This proposed mandate will guarantee every person the opportunity, to listen to up to 3 times the commercials than they are currently bombarded with on terrestrial radio stations. How about THAT for a consumer benefit?! Where may I ask does the competition lie in this? It boggles the mind that the FCC would even consider such nonsense. A conspiracy theorist might question whether or not it somehow gives the government a way of tracking people, because there is no reasonable conclusion a normal thinking person could arrive at. To see clearly the utter insanity of such a mandate is simple. This proposed mandate is the equivalent of ordering Coca-Cola to include a certain percentage of Pepsi in each bottle. It is equivalent to forcing every Apple computer to include a Microsoft operating platform. To top it off, Ibiquity would suggest that Apple should be forced to pay all costs incurred for including Microsoft XP in their computers! Why are these discussions even taking place? The NAB has had a stranglehold on the American consumer for decades. We hear what they want us to hear and we buy what they want us to buy. We read what they want us to read….as long as the price is right. This merger represents a chance to level the playing field and actually hear, read and see a perspective that might not agree with a given political candidate or party’s view. Ironically, this merger will raise the overall intelligence of America. People will be MORE informed, with access to information and entertainment from many different perspectives (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ Solar-activity forecast for the period Jul 11 - 17, 2008 Activity level: very low Radio flux (10.7 cm): a fluctuation in the range 65-71 f.u. Flares: weak (0-3/period) Relative sunspot number: in the range 0-25 Astronomical Institute, Solar Dept., Ondrejov, Czech Republic e-mail: sunwatch(at)asu.cas.cz (RWC Prague) Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period Jul 11 to Jul 17, 2008 quiet: Jul 17 quiet to unsettled: Jul 16 unsettled: Jul 13, 14 and 15 unsettled to active: Jul 11 and 12 active: 0 minor storm: 0 major storm: 0 severe storm: 0 Geomagnetic activity summary: geomagnetic field was quiet on Jul 3, 4 and from 6 to 9, quiet to unsettled on Jul 5. 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: Jul (17, 21, 25-26, 28,) Aug 1-2 active to disturbed: Jul 11-12, (13-15, 22-24) quiet: Jul 16, 18-20, 27, 29-31, Aug 3-6 Survey: quiet on: Jul 2-3, 6-9 mostly quiet on: Jul 4 quiet to unsettled - quiet to active on: Jul 5 quiet to disturbed - mostly unsettled - unsettled to active - unsettled to disturbed - mostly active - active to disturbed - disturbed - 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 (via WORLD OF RADIO 1417, DXLD) Geomagnetic field activity began the period at mostly quiet levels. Late on 11 July the geomagnetic field became active due to a co-rotating interaction region (CIR), ahead of a coronal hole high speed stream. Wind speed values increased from roughly 350 km/s on 07 July to values of over 500 km/s and interplanetary magnetic field Bz component varied between +/- 12 nT with the arrival of the CIR. As the coronal hole high speed stream became geoeffective on 12 July, wind speeds continued to increase to a maximum of around 730 km/s by the end of the summary period. The geomagnetic field was at quiet to minor storm levels on 12 July and then settled to quiet to active conditions on 13 July as the wind speed values leveled off. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 16 JULY - 11 AUGUST 2008 Solar activity is expected to be very low. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels on 16 July, 19 - 21 July, and again on 09 - 11 August. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels 16 - 18 July due to the current coronal hole high speed stream. On 19 - 21 July expect mostly quiet conditions as the high speed stream rotates out of a geoeffective position. A recurrent coronal hole high speed stream is expected to be geoeffective on 22 - 26 July, increasing activity levels to quiet to unsettled conditions with isolated active periods possible on 23 July. On 27 July to 06 August expect predominately quiet conditions as the Earth moves out of the influence of the coronal hole high speed stream. Another recurrent coronal hole high speed stream is expected to become geoeffective on 07 - 11 August. The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels during this timeframe with minor storm conditions possible on 08 August and active conditions likely on 09 August. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2008 Jul 15 2254 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center # Product description and SWPC contact on the Web # http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2008 Jul 15 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2008 Jul 16 66 10 3 2008 Jul 17 66 8 3 2008 Jul 18 66 10 3 2008 Jul 19 66 5 2 2008 Jul 20 66 5 2 2008 Jul 21 66 5 2 2008 Jul 22 66 10 3 2008 Jul 23 66 15 4 2008 Jul 24 66 8 3 2008 Jul 25 66 8 3 2008 Jul 26 66 8 3 2008 Jul 27 66 5 2 2008 Jul 28 66 5 2 2008 Jul 29 66 5 2 2008 Jul 30 66 8 3 2008 Jul 31 66 5 2 2008 Aug 01 66 8 3 2008 Aug 02 66 5 2 2008 Aug 03 66 5 2 2008 Aug 04 66 5 2 2008 Aug 05 66 5 2 2008 Aug 06 66 5 2 2008 Aug 07 66 10 3 2008 Aug 08 66 20 5 2008 Aug 09 66 15 4 2008 Aug 10 66 10 3 2008 Aug 11 66 10 3 (SWPC July 15 via DXLD) SPACE STORMS Nova Science Now, on PBS July 16, had a segment with some great auroral footage, and the WWV propagation guy doing his recording. Linx and video of the segment at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0304/02.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) VERY LOW SOLAR FLUX INDEX READING Posted on http://www.kn4lf.com/kn4lf5.htm Wednesday July 16, 2008: Today's 1700/2000/2300 UTC solar flux index readings were as follows; 64.2 64.6 64.6. The 64.2 reading is the lowest of solar cycle 23 and the lowest since the 64.5 which occurred on July 18, 1996 at the bottom of solar cycle 22. From memory (and it may be incorrect) the 64.2 is the lowest SFI ever measured. On July 11, NASA solar physicist David Hathaway published an article http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/11jul_solarcycleupdate.htm stating that the length of the current lull between solar cycle 23 and 24 is within the realm of normalcy. With all due respect I think that he missing the forest for the trees. The real issue is that the length of solar cycle 23, from its first visible spot in May 1996 through the most recent one now is 12.4 years, which is the longest recorded solar cycle in recorded history. The current lull may last into winter 2009. Take Care & God Bless, (Thomas F. Giella, Lakeland, FL, USA kn4lf @ earthlink.net KN4LF Daily Solar Space Weather & Geomagnetic Data Archive: http://www.kn4lf.com/kn4lf5.htm July 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Just an FYI! My memory was incorrect concerning the historical significance of the 64.2 SFI reading of yesterday. Thanks to Mark AB7MP for correcting me, as the reading was the second lowest ever recorded. The lowest SFI was 62.6 on November 3, 1954!!! (Thomas F. Giella, Lakeland, FL, USA, ibid.) PROPAGATION - SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG The sunspot numbers continue to be zero for most of the days in the last month. Experts are doubting whether the next sunspot cycle 24 has really started. Others are fearing that his prolonged low of sunspot cycle 23 could be one like the Maunder minimum (1645-1710) when the prolonged sunspot low brought in an "ice age" in Europe with prolonged winters and crop failures. Why does this abnormal low sunspot activity bother me as a DXer? I am perplexed when on most of the days in Mid July 2008 I cannot get usable signals on DW German 12095 [Sri Lanka, 345 degrees] and 9505 [Rampisham, 85 degrees] at 0130 UT. I have never experienced DW signals so poor in their target area. On the other hand Myanmar, Yangon 594 kHz at 1515 was coming in with booming signals, albeit some deep fades, which was even better than their SW 5985 kHz. That prompted me to look for the Bangladesh MW frequencies. I was not surprised at finding Khulna 558 kHz because it is just across the border from Kolkata. But Chittagong 873 kHz with 444 signals at 1530 is a treat! What caps it all is that this is summer and not winter when the MW bands are supposed to be difficult and I still remember how weak Chittagong was the whole of last winter (Dr Supratik Sanatani, Kolkata July 18th 2008, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###