DX LISTENING DIGEST 9-037, May 2, 2009 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 2009 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1458, April 29-May 6 Wed 0500 WRMI 9955 Wed 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 1900 WBCQ 7415 Thu 0530 WRMI 9955 Thu 1900 WBCQ 7415 Fri 0000 WBCQ 5110-CUSB Area 51 Fri 0100 WRMI 9955 Fri 1130 WRMI 9955 Fri 1900 WBCQ 7415 Fri 2030 IPAR/IRRS/NEXUS/IBA 7290 [not 1930 as previously listed] Fri 2030 WWCR1 15825 [or 2029] Sat 0800 WRMI 9955 Sat 0800 IPAR/IRRS/NEXUS/IBA 9510 [except first Sat] Sat 1630 WWCR3 12160 Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1515 WRMI 9955 Mon 0500 WRMI 9955 Mon 2200 WBCQ 7415 Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 Tue 1530 WRMI 9955 Tue 1900 WBCQ 7415 Wed 0500 WRMI 9955 [or new 1459 starting here?] Wed 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 1900 WBCQ 7415 Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html or http://schedule.worldofradio.org or http://sked.worldofradio.org For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE: http://podcast.worldofradio.org or http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org ** AFRICA. I just updated http://www.africalist.de.ms Contributions welcome. Also Tony Rogers updated Africa on Shortwave, to be found on http://www.bdxc.co.uk [see PUBLICATIONS]! It's very useful to me and offers some more detailed background info, while africalist is mostly condensed data (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, May 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA. KNLS, 7355, April 28 at 1413 in English with Stories from the Bible in Contemporary English, ID; good signal. Could not hear the other transmitter in Chinese on 9795 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7370, presumed KNLS Anchor Point, 1132-1151, April 29, Russian. Talk poking thru band noise; very weak; music featuring wind instruments; cheesy Richard Marx tune in English at 1148; very poor; first hint of audio, on any KNLS frequency, after countless, early morning checks at my locale (Scott R. Barbour Jr., Intervale, NH-USA, NRD-545, RX-350D, MLB1, 200' Bev's, 60m Dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALBANIA. 9344.975, R Tirana, Shijak, 2035 - Man and woman talk, listed Albanian. 100 kW to WEu, 242; 5/1 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. Re gh`s comment, 9-037: Yes, there is no such place as "San Gabriel" in the Argentine sector of Antarctica. The location is Base Esperanza, the largest of several Argentine Army bases on the Antarctic Peninsula (others include Base San Martín, Base Gen. Belgrano, etc.) I think, perhaps, the Archangel Gabriel is a patron saint of the Argentine military. Because the base -- albeit small and barren -- is a stopping off point for various Antarctic cruise ships, and their passengers are welcome ashore, Esperanza is an odd mixture of scientific work and tourism. It has a permanent population of only about 55. There is a school for the 22 children among them. Because there are quite a number of visitors, there are lots of great photos on line including great panorama views that one can both pan and zoom to get great detail! One also can find a map of the various buildings. Using it for comparison with the panoramic photos on other sites, (gigapan.org and others) one easily can see, close up, the exterior of RN Arcángel San Gabriel, and its antenna tower, some distance away from the "station" on a rocky bit of high ground. It is quite interesting (Don Jensen, WI, April 26, HCDX via DXLD) ANTARTIDA, 15476, LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, 1847-1905, 28-04, canciones latinoamericanas, tangos, comentarios, locutora. Señal débil hoy. 14321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ANTARCTICA, 15476, LRA-36 heard 4/28 from 1903 tune via Global Tuners UK (8,500 mile path length) with decent signal on peaks, but fading in and out, S1 to S3. Argentinian folk songs, frequent men and women announcers. Average SINPO 25432. Faded by 1940-45 (Bruce Churchill, CA, CumbreDX via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 15820, Radio Continental, Buenos Aires, Spanish, 1640, 21/04, OM with news, dado o e-mail da emissora, transmission em LSB 45333 (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso (SWL1033B). Bandeirantes/ PR, Brasil, Engenheiro Agrônomo, Receptor: Degen DE1103, Antenas: LW do Degen e RC3-FM, dxclube pr yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1458, DXLD) Haven`t seen any of these feeders reported in longtime (gh) ** ARGENTINA. Horarios y frecuencias del programa ACTUALIDAD DX, de Gabriel Iván Barrera, emitido por la R.A.E. (Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior) ACTUALIDAD DX: Martes 1250 & 2250 UT aproximadamente 6060, 11710 y 15345 kHz Suplemento de ACTUALIDAD DX: Viernes 1250 & 2250 UT aproximadamente 6060, 11710 y 15345 kHz 73 (José Bueno, Spain, April 28, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) A RAE - Radiodifusão Argentina para o Exterior tem uma frequência em 49 m - 6060 kHz que anda com o transmissor mal regulado. Na frequência de 6000 kHz (da Rádio Guaíba do RS) harmônicos da RAE, no período matinal, se espalham, prejudicando a QRG. Em 6060 kHz parece que a RAE está normal com suas transmissões, embora com áudio um pouco baixo. Alô colega Slaen, entre em contato com eles. 73 (Luiz Chaine Neto, Limeira SP, April 29, radioescutas yg via DXLD) RAE appearing on 6000 is not a harmonic! It`s a spur. All harmonix are spurs but not all spurs are harmonix (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 15345 RAE German service on SW test transmission in May, June, and July 2009: 1700-1755 15345 kHz + Livestream (repeat of the previous transmission) 2100-2155 15345 kHz + Livestream (Live program) Rayen Braun von RAE aus Buenos Aires teilt gerade mit, dass es ab 4. Mai 2009 eine Neuerung beim Auslandsdienst Argentiniens gibt. Ab diesem Datum wird das deutsche Programm zusaetzlich um 1700 UT (bis 1755 UT) auf 15345 kHz und auf dem Livestream gesendet. Hierbei handelt es sich um die Wiederholung der jeweils letzten Sendung. Das aktuelle Tagesprogramm wird weiterhin auf den selben Frequenzen um 2100 UTC live gesendet. Also nochmal zum Mitschreiben: Ab 4.5.2009 1700-1755 15345 kHz + Livestream (Wiederholung der vorherigen Sendung) 2100-2155 15345 kHz + Livestream (Livesendung) Die zusaetzliche Sendung wird testweise fuer drei Monate durchgefuehrt, wenn die Resonanzen der Hoerer positiv sind, wird die neue Sendezeit beibehalten. Weiterhin gibt es natuerlich den Podcast: (inkl. netten Fotos). (via Douglas Kaehler-D, A-DX Apr 28) Initiative von Christian Milling von Radio 700 Euskirchen (all via Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) You might think the 1700 experiment is to avoid Morocco collision on 15345 during the original German broadcast at 2100; but Morocco is also on 15345 at the earlier hour. At least I think so, since Aoki still has B-08 info as neither RTVM nor RAE participates in HFCC: 15345 RTV MAROCAINE 1500-2200 1234567 Arabic 250 110 Nador MRC 00255W3502N RTV b08 What RAE really needs, duh, is a frequency change of even 5 kHz, inconceivable to them. Also per Aoki it looks like 15340 is available 1700-2200! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) If they also had changed their frequency they would have more luck in reaching Europe! 73, (Erik Køie, Denmark, ibid.) 11710.69, RAE, 0202-0215+, May 2, tune-in to opening English ID announcements. Instrumental music. English News at 0210. Weak. Poor in noisy conditions. 15345.09, RAE, 1955-2100, May 1, tune-in to IS/ID sequence at 1955. Opening ID announcements at 2000 & into French programming. Local Argentine music. IS/ID sequence again at 2055 and into unidentified language at 2100. Too much QRM from Morocco at 2100 to identify the language. German listed. Poor, weak signal colliding with a strong Morocco 15345.0 during this time period (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See MOROCCO [and non] 15345.09v, RAE, General Pacheco, 2035 - 15345.085 kHz at tune-in, Spanish talk by woman, ID, poor modulation. Morocco on top despite RAE with stronger signal. Had drifted up 10 Hz to 15345.095 at 2130 re- check. 5/2 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA. 7270, Russian International Radio Yerevan, 0218-0232; April 30, Russian. Easy-listening pops; ID at 0220; W with talk & sound-bites; dance music at 0224; ID at BoH; good (Scott R. Barbour Jr., Intervale, NH-USA, NRD-545, RX-350D, MLB1, 200' Bev's, 60m Dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA. Re 9-036: A fascinating story from an obscure corner of international radio history. My World Radio TV Handbooks from the Cold War period do not list any Kurdish language broadcasts on Radio Yerevan, either the international or domestic services. Kurdish is part of the modern International Service of the Public Radio of Armenia. Posted: 01 May 2009 (Kim Andrew Elliott, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 15400, HCJB Kununurra, 1203-1224, April 29, English. M & W announcer in slo-English re global warming; "Spotlight" program ID and contact info at 1213; HCJB Australia ID & phone number at 1218 into language lesson re "our animal friends"; poor-fair (Scott R. Barbour Jr., Intervale, NH-USA, NRD-545, RX-350D, MLB1, 200' Bev's, 60m Dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. SW TRANSMITTER site news --- A trip yesterday out to Radio Symban (last week) revealed that they are now longer located at: 825 New Canterbury Rd, Hurlstone Park. Their NEW studio/office address is now: 867 New Canterbury Rd, Hurlstone Park, NSW 2193. Unfortunately no one at office/studio at time of visit, as is so often the case with these small and mostly automated radio stations. Interestingly whilst also checking out their former 2368.5kHz SW outlet on the ACMA website, I now see no further reference to their (now) former SW TX site at: Peats Ridge, NSW. Licence expired - ? It would appear that they intend to recommence SW operations using the same frequency 2368.5 kHz from a new SW TX site location within Sydney at: 177 Victoria Lane, Marrickville NSW (an inner Sydney suburb). Their is no precision information associated with the licence so the SW TX site doesn't have to be located at the above address. The new HF radio licence became effective from: 24/11/2008 valid for one year until renewal. Interestingly, I don't find 177 Victoria Lane when looking at Google Maps, although I do find 177 Victoria Street. Taking into account a nominal 200m GE coordinate correction, the coordinates do appear to be around the 177 Victoria Street address, which incidentally is a timber yard. We shall wait n see what eventuates. Station is using: 151.6750000 MHz from the new studio site. You can find images of the studio (old & new) & VHF antenna at the following website: http://shortwavesites.googlepages.com/other (Ian Baxter, AUSTRALIA, shortwavesites Yahoo Group - The group devoted to SW transmitter site info & history, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BANGLADESH. Bangladesh Betar heard on 7250 from 1629 with local songs and announcer in Bengali. Vatican Radio seems to take a break at 1630 or changes transmitter beam (Edwin Southwell, England, May World DX Club Contact via DXLD) It's a change in transmitter beam from 326 degrees to 10 degrees 1630- 1930 per the HFCC registrations (Mike Barraclough, ibid.) So I guess BB only is in the clear for a minute or less (gh, DXLD) ** BELGIUM [non]. 9785-9790-9795, CANADA (DRM), TDP Belgium, Sackville, 2304 - Non-stop dance music, frequent audio-drop outs despite 16-17+ dB SNR. 20.96 kbps EEP AAC+ P-Stereo encoding. Test message: **From Sackville NB, Canada for your listening pleasure, to North-East USA.** Personally, I would find much more pleasure from something besides dance music!; 5/1 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BIAFRA [non]. REINO UNIDO, 12050, Radio Biafra, 1900-1910, escuchada el 28 de abril, sintonía, cuña de ID “Radio Biafra ... London”, presentación, locutor con comentarios, referencia a Biafra, SINPO 55555 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Whew, what a SINPO. I haven`t looked for this every day, but when I do, there is barely a carrier detectable (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) GREAT BRITAIN: 12050, Radio Biafra (tentative); *1900-1959+*, 30 Apr; Afro-unknown language discussion to music break 1919-21, then English discussion; another music break 1931-41 then English discussion continued; mentions of Nigeria and Biafra. Barely detectable at s/on, then occasional copyable peaks, but too much QRN for continuous copy; best in LSB. Nothing detectable on 17530 (Harold Frodge, MI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Why would there be anything on 17530? (gh, DXLD) ** BIAFRA [non]. A reception report for a V. of Biafra broadcast on 15665, mailed to 1629 K St. NW, Ste. 300, Washington, DC 20036, per PWBR, in early March was returned unopened yesterday. I have sent an email to biafrafoundation @ yahoo.com in hopes of a QSL, but the broadcast aired two months ago today, so my chances may be slim. The good news is, the email didn't bounce back, so it seems to be active. 73, (Dan Malloy, Everett, MA, April 28, ODXA yg via DXLD) Yes, I agree that the e-mail systems works but whether you will get a verification back might be doubtful. Last year (July 2008), I sent the organization a postal report and, yes, it was returned. While waiting (during this time) for the postal report, posted a report via e-mail and waited. Since then nothing has transpired as a reply. Fortunately I have them (Voice of Biafra [International]) verified already. Initially when they first came on the air their response time to listeners` requests was quite good and very little problem of getting a QSL from them. I hope you fare better than I did on this second attempt. On a secondary note, a postal report with a CD (for the Voice of Biafra) to WHRI yielded no reply; yet a report for another 'clandestine' resulted in a verification card, complete with details and the program name, in the same postal package to WHRI? (Edward Kusalik, ODXA's QSL Editor, ibid.) The WDC postal address above is the same as displayed on the website http://www.biafraland.com/vobi.htm so how could it be wrong? (gh, DXLD) V. of Biafra International, 17520 via WHRI, routine weekly check Friday May 1 sometime during the 19-20 UT hour reconfirmed it is still airing there, sufficient reception (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Via WHRI, U.S.A. 17520, Voice of Biafra Int, *1900-1959*, May 1, sign on with African flutes & drums along with opening English ID announcements. Anthem at 1901 followed by religious music and English news. Many IDs. Talk about the Biafra-Nigeria conflict. Fair signal. Fridays only (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 4699.32, Radio San Miguel, Riberalta, 0950 OM en español, fair signal 28 April. 4716.73, Radio Yura, Yura, 1015 usual excellent music, fair to good signal. 28 April. 4796.4, Radio Lípez, Uyuni, absent 1000 to 1100 on 27 and 28 April. 4834.93, R. Virgen de Remedios, Tupiza. Presumed 2330 to 0010 fair signal, per Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec tips and logs 27 & 28 April (Bob Wilkner, Pómpano Beach, Florida, NRD 535D ~ Drake R8, 60 meter band dipole, Noise Reducing antenna, Longwire, WORLD OF RADIO 1458, DX LISTENING DIGEST) New 4834.90, 0110-0120 27.04, R Virgen de Remedios, Tupiza (tentative), Spanish (tentative) talk, 13111. Brazilian DX-er Lúcio Otavio identified this station which has moved from 4554.3. First I could only hear a rather strong carrier, but later I think I heard a man talking very, very weak. The carrier had disappeared at 0147. Moderate CODAR QRM (Anker Petersen, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire here in Skovlunde, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) BOLÍVIA, 4835, Radio Virgen de Remedios, Tupiza, Spanish, 0011, 26/04, ID OM: "Radio Virgen de Remedios ----- Tupiza, Bolívia" 45333 (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso (SWL1033B). Bandeirantes/ PR, Brasil, Engenheiro Agrônomo, Receptor: Degen DE1103, Antenas: LW do Degen e RC3-FM, dxclube pr yg via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. Tips with some measured frequencies (RF Space SDR-14) 5952.484v, 28/4 2320, Radio Pio XII, mx, talks, QRM Family Radio on 5950 kHz, poor/fair 6155.26v, 29/4 Radio Fides, 0002 reports, fair, stopped at 0018 by AIR. Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Italy, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also BRAZIL, PERU ** BRAZIL. Tips with some measured frequencies (RF Space SDR-14) 4914.955v, Radio Difusora, Macapá, nice songs, fair/good [time?] 4925.229v, 29/4 0110, Rádio Educação Rural, Tefé, song, fair to good Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Italy, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also BOLIVIA, PERU ** BRAZIL. 11780.0, RN da Amazônia, 2104 - Portuguese, full ID by man, talk, weak +/- 60 Hz spurs noted. Much weaker carrier noted on 11779.994 kHz. 333; 5/1 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. Just tuned in 9800 at 2229 May 2 to hear the Minute Waltz played on a wind instrument, weak signal off at 2230* without announcement. Since it`s an -00 frequency, the prime suspect is R. Bulgaria, and indeed nothing but it is scheduled there, at 2130-2230 in Spanish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 9795-9800-9805, (DRM) RCI, Sackville 2110 - RCI DRM broadcast in English, The Link program, talk about Somalian pirates. Dream demodulator is showing Vatican Radio rather than RCI. Excellent 25 dB SNR and no drop-outs; 5/1 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also BELGIUM [non] ** CANADA. 9795-9800-9805, (DRM) RCI, Sackville, 1526 - RCI English, occasional drop-outs, 14-20 dB SNR, 17.16 kbps EEP AAC+ Mono encoding; 5/2 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. May 25: Now that the Pickle Lake, Ontario FM radio station is on the air, the Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada wants to extend the broadcast signal with a short-wave broadcast. Pray for direction and resources (Galcom Prayer Bulletin March-May 2009 via DXLD) Previous mentions of this implied it would be a SW station, but maybe they only mean getting a program on an existing SW station? (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA [and non]. PASTURES UNSUNG --- Every June hundreds of Canadians and Americans volunteer to participate in the Breeding Bird Survey, helping to track trends in bird populations. Four decades of these counts show that the birds that are declining the most rapidly in North America are the prairie birds at the heart of the continent — the birds that need grassland. Forty years of data is enough to prove that grassland bird decline is for real — not merely cyclical or temporary. Yet it doesn’t give much in the way of historic background. How many Sprague’s Pipits were there 60 years ago? What did the prairie sound like before it was settled, or even shortly after settlement? http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/features/pastures-unsung/index.html I`ve just been listening to this two-part Ideas program about the burrowing owl and other species that are disappearing. You may recall that every year there is ham radio activity to track those owls, and in this show you learn a lot more about them and the background to this problem. (Altho tracking the radio-equipped birds on VHF does not require a transmitter, just the proper receiving equipment and the time to devote to the project, so ham radio is really not pertinent.) Excellent programming, available on demand (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM The Birds! The Birds! ** CANADA. CJRC-1150 Silent --- More than two years after their FM went on the air, and after several extensions to their simulcast period, my local blowtorch CJRC finally pulled the plug today. I don't usually celebrate the demise of another radio station, but in this case, I'll make an exception. Yowzah! There has been some talk about new ownership acquiring the station and reviving it, so I'd better get busy mining 1150 (and 1140/1160), just in case. Too bad conditions aren't so hot these days (Barry McLarnon VE3JF Ottawa, ON, May 1, ABDX via DXLD) ** CANADA. REPRIEVE FOR THREE CANADIAN STATIONS http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/05/01/ctv-stations-shaw.html Three stations whose owner had threatened to not renew have received a reprieve. CTVGlobemedia has sold the stations to cable operator Shaw Communications -- for $1 each. The stations in question are CHWI-16 Wheatley (Windsor), Ontario; CKNX-8 Wingham, Ontario, and CKX-5 Brandon, Manitoba. If "unrenewed", these stations would go dark this summer. CTV had reportedly offered the Manitoba station to the CBC for the same price (the station is a CBC affiliate) and was turned down. CTV and other Canadian OTA broadcasters are asking the CRTC government regulator to establish a mandatory carriage fee, to be charged of cable operators for access to OTA signals. Quoting the CBC article: "Cable is rolling in money and can obviously afford to underwrite the losses. Good for them," Ivan Fecan, president and CEO of CTVglobemedia and CEO of CTV, said in a statement. CTV and other Canadian OTA broadcasters still plan to not convert dozens of relay transmitters to digital by the 2011 deadline, a move which would leave most rural Canadians without access to OTA TV. This proposal isn't being taken lightly by the regulators. -- (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, May 1, WTFDA via DXLD) Gee, I might have bought CKX for a loony (gh, DXLD) ** CHILE. CVC still running on 15410 in Portuguese, May 2 at 1344 check with SAH, two days after projected closedown of Brazilian service on SW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) More: CVC A Sua Voz continues on SW: see U S A [non] ** CHINA. CHINA JAMMING AND NEWSREADER --- Re: ``Does Keith Perron have any evidence for this? I heard several years ago the newsreader concerned was then working for a satellite TV station in Hong Kong (Dave Kenny, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` During this period many people at CRI were turned into authorities for support of the students. The satellite TV station you are thinking about is Phoenix TV which is based in Guangzhou, with headquarters in Beijing. The founder of Phoenix, Liu Changle, who is also the CEO was a news editor for what was then known as Radio Beijing. After he was turned into authorities for his part of the broadcast, which was allowing the newsreader to go on air with it, he spent four years in jail. But because of his connections within the communist party, he only had to serve his sentence at a government retraining camp. I remember a few times asking people what was the name of the announcer. The reaction was that of swearing. All they did was change the subject and give the typical answer. That was so long ago I don’t remember. One day when I was looking for a tape of an old cooking show once done at CRI by Stuart Parkins, I found a row of tapes from 1989. Strangely, tapes and program logs from the last week of May all the way to July were missing. I’m sure that somewhere in Beijing those tapes exist, but it won’t be until things change that they surface. One more footnote: Dr Jiang Yangyong, who exposed the SARS cover-up in 2003, also wrote a letter to the CPC to re-examine the events surrounding June 4th. His niece who works at CRI, Cui Hong, told me in 2004 that her uncle and his wife went missing, but then two weeks later were released by Chinese authorities. But since that time, his passport was taken away and his home in Western Beijing is heavily watched. Anyone who looks foreign is turned away at gate by Beijing Public Security Police. The only thing protecting him from going to jail is the fact he is a high ranking communist party member with many friends in the party. One thing about Cui Hong which people outside China don’t know is that her mother Wei Lin was CRI’s first English announcer. She worked at Radio Peking and Radio Beijing from 1947 until she retired in 1983 (Keith Perron, Taiwan, April 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [and non]. Re 9-036: Correct date for this report is April 27, not 24: Firedrake, very good, and equal level on 8400 and 9000, at 1321 check, so I `enjoyed` the music for a while. At 1400 monitoring 9000, as usual went to open carrier; 1421 recheck both still going but weakening. On other occasions when both frequencies are on, one has been much weaker than the other, so something must be changing dynamically as to sites, powers and/or azimuths (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake check April 28: at 1341 fair, about same level on 8400 and 9000; at 1423 found VG Firedrake on new 15600, // weakening 9000 and 8400. At 24 past the hour the segment features a ramshorn-like instrument, slow with some pauses, then into slow drumming, before building up to breakneck percussion again. This is when one might be able to detect its victim underneath, but could not. I quickly scanned the entire 13-19 MHz range but did not find any other FD. Ron Howard has been hearing 15600 12-13 hours earlier, so it may be on long hours in response to Sound of Hope which it seems has stepped up transmissions and frequency-jumping. Keith Perron says this time of year before Tiananmen anniversary is when ChiCom jamming reaches a peak, and additional censorship is imposed on CRI programming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re 8-036: Hi Wolfy, Looks as if SOH did not stay long on 15150. April 28 heard Firedrake instead on new 15600. 0234-0300*; good signal; after *0305 was poor, so assume they changed antenna and/or transmitter. At 0255 heard a break in the Firedrake feed and for about 3 seconds heard only a CNR-1 (assumed) feed, then back to just Firedrake again. This happened twice. Parallel to 13970 and 18320, both of which had noticeably improved reception after *0305, perhaps also indicating a change of antenna and/or transmitter. No Firedrake was heard on 15150, so is probably back to just being heard from the usual 0000 to 0200, against the VOA. Aoki has updated his list for 15150 to show SOH from 0400 to 0800, but per my observations think it was really on for 24 hours. Noted strange occurrence on 18000. April 28 heard very strong Firedrake from 0225 to 0230*. Listed as against SOH for 24 hours, but on subsequent checks did not hear Firedrake again (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, USA, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1458, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also on 15100 at 1335z (Jerry Lenamon, Waco Texas, Eton E-1, T2FD, April 28, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15635, at 0616 April 29, two programs in Chinese mixing. Per Aoki, this is a R. Free Asia Chinese frequency at 0300-0700, 500 kW, 152 degrees via Irkutsk, RUSSIA, plus ChiCom jamming. I cannot be sure whether I was hearing RFA at all or just double jamming. See also USA [non] 11605. Firedrake check April 29: At 1436, just barely audible on 13970, where we used to hear it months ago; At 1438 stronger on 15150, and even stronger on 15600, all // and presumably against inaudible Sound of Hope. At 1440 I thought I heard a couple of words spoken among all the music. At 1451, still audible on two more //, 8400 and 9000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, April 29 scan from 7100 to 19000, from *1504 to 1530: Firedrake heard with good signal on 15150 after their start-up again after their break at ToH, but was totally off-the-air during re- checking from 1511 to 1530 (so not a 24 hour operation here?). Did hear parallel Firedrakes on 8400, 9000, 13970 and 15600, all with fair to good signals (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake music sound on 18320, at 0930 UT Apr 29 S=5, 16800, weak only S=2, 15600, fair at S=6 [x15900 x15840, x15820], 13970, weak S=2. Xi Wang Zhi Sheng SOH Sound of Hope Taiwan ? 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, in Germany, ibid.) Not only does the new Firedrake frequency 15600 block the newly discovered RHC mixing product in our mornings, Commies vs Commies, but at 2145 UT April 29 I was again hearing Firedrake on 15600, now underneath some religionist in Spanish, which would be WFYR 44 degrees to Europe at 1900-2245 including this hour in Spanish. Per Aoki, other collateral damage victims on 15600 are Iran in English at 1030-1127, and CRI in Malaysian via Kunming at 1230-1327. East Asian conditions were excellent the morning of April 30, on 9-12 MHz but not higher: 13970 Firedrake was just barely audible at 1305, but not on 15600; and 13970 was missing at next check 1312. Perhaps the ChiCom monitors determined that Sound of Hope was off the air by then. At 1338, FD on 9000 was good but much weaker on // 8400. Numerous CNR1 program jammers were to be found inside the 9 and 11 MHz bands, such as 9605, 9845, 11775, 11785, 12040 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also EAST TURKISTAN 7335, 04/29 0955 (TWN) TAIWAN, Xi Wang Zhi Sheng SOH, *presumed*, Firedrake, according to Aoki with 1 kW, only folk music, end of the transmission 1000 UT, to restart in 1005, 25332 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana BA-Brasil, HCDX via DXLD)) Jorge, So from your description, you were hearing the ChiCom Firedrake jamming against Sound of Hope, NOT Xi Wang Zhi Sheng, Sound of Hope itself. Don`t ever assume you are really hearing Sound of Hope unless you hear their Chinese ID in the mix. SOH does what it can to get its message into China. Aside from the 100 kW transmitter on 9450 (and others?), the only purpose of the low- power transmitters is to tie up jammers which could be doing more damage if they were on the high-power frequencies. 73, (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Music Jammer, 15600, 1807 drum music, 333, Apr 29, continuous drum beats (Stewart MacKenzie, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake: April 30, random checking from 1336 to 1516. Every day finds something different with FD. After 1510 only heard FD on 9000 and 15600. 8400 fair; last heard 1506, when they were not // to the other FDs; gone by 1510. 9000 good signal. 13970 at 1340 not heard; 1435 good signal; heard 1506; gone by 1510. 15600 no FD at 1336, but instead had CNR-1 program jamming (echo), clearly // 5030; at 1506 FD was heard. This frequency much weaker today than usual (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Xi Wang Zhi Sheng SOH Sound of Hope Taiwan ? also 7335, 8400, 9000, 11300, 13970, 14420, 16100, 16800, 17300, 18000, 18320 kHz 6280 7310 22-24 UT. 7280 11-13 UT 9450 14-16 UT 9635 22-23 UT 11750/11760 09-10 UT 11765 16-17 UT and Unid 15150* approx. 0400-0700 15635* 1300-1400 (Wolfgang Büschel, April 25, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 1 via DXLD) Dear BCLs, dear Intruder Busters, dear Ham Friends, In our IARU MONITORING SYSTEM we had discussed the subject "Is the Firedrake Jammer from PR China still active?" or do the Chinese use China National Radio instead as a jammer. Well, I have heard the Firedrake Music Jammer today, May 1st, starting to jam after the usual 5 minutes break at 0905 UT on 13970 kHz. The jammed station was possibly Sound of Hope from TWN. No good news! China, the Land of Smile? Regards, (Ulrich "Uli" Bihlmayer, DJ9KR / DL0IW, DARC MONITORING SYSTEM Intruder Watch and Spectrum Control, German PTT Liaison Officer, May 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The ``land of smiles`` is Thailand, altho they are rather grumpy lately. I see that EiBi now lists Firedrake as its own ``station`` on numerous frequencies, e.g. 16800 and 13970 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Besides 7185 each morning in the Taiwan/China radio war, another persistent broadcaster in the 40m hamband is 7105, much weaker signal, but May 2 at 1315 I was hearing what resembled scat singing in Chinese(?), W&M alternating, 1319 announcement unseemed Chinese, and into vocal music ballad. Presumably this is PBS Nei Menggu, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, as in Aoki, 50 kW at 52 degrees favorable usward too. Firedrake check May 2: at 1342 good on 13970 but no sign of it on 15600; at 1354 about equal on 9000 and 8400; at 1459 still going on 13970. 11615, the other kind of ChiCom jamming, heavily echoing programming presumably originating with the CNR1 network, at 1457 May 2. Victim is VOA Chinese via Saipan at 14-15 only, which was totally buried. Perhaps it is about time for IBB to make a more aggressive response to ChiCom jamming, like jumping frequencies up or down 5-10 kHz without notice, where this can be done without affecting other stations. As it is, all IBB frequency usage and changes are immediately known to the enemy thru HFCC, making it a piece of cake to keep them blocked. Or use spare IBB transmitter capacity to jam CRI broadcasts, making it clear that this is nothing but retaliation, not a US policy against China`s freedom, ha ha, of speech (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also NETHERLANDS ** CHINA. China National Radio CNR1 in A-09 FM 106.1 MHz / Shortwave SW 1955-1735 (not Tue 0600-0850) UTC 17890 572 0000-1000 (=17725) 17725 723 1000-1200 (=7290) 17605 572 0030-1000 (=11710) 17595 723 0100-1230 (=6125) 17580 725 2330-0900 (=11925) 17565 572 0100-0900 (=9830) 17550 572 0100-1030 (=9845) 15550 572 0000-1100 (=7345) 15480 572 0100-1300 (=5945) 15390 725 0200-0500 0700-0900 1000-1100 15380 572 2300-1100 (=7275) 15370 723 0100-1100 13700 725 0200-0500 0700-0900 1000-1100 13610 954 2300-1300 (=9810) 12055 725 0200-0500 0700-0900 1000-1100 12045 572 2300-1200 (=9860) 11960 572 0000-0900 (=6175) 11925 725 1955-2330 0900-1735 (=17580) 11760 723 0000-1200 (=7365) 11750 723 2200-1000 (=7305) 11720 723 2330-1100 (=9710) 11710 572 1955-0030 1000-1735 (=17605) 11630 725 0200-0500 0700-0900 1000-1100 (=6180) 9900 572 1955-2300 (=12045) 9890 725 1955-2400 (=13700) 9860 572 1200-1735 (=9900) 9845 572 1955-0100 1030-1735 (=17550) 9830 572 1955-0100 0900-1735 9810 954 1955-2300 1300-1730 (=13610) 9710 723 1955-2330 1100-1735 (=11720) 9675 572 2300-1000 (=5030) 9655 725 1955-2400 (=CNR8/15390) 9645 572 2330-1100 (=4460) 9630 916 2300-1200 (=6080) 9630 725 1200-1400 (=CNR8) 9500 723 1955-1735 9455 725 1955-2400 (=CNR8/12055) 9420 725 1200-1400 (=CNR8/15390) 7365 723 1200-1735 (=7215) 7345 572 1955-2400 1100-1735 (=7345) 7305 723 1955-2200 1000-1735 (=11750) 7290 572 1955-2400 1100-1735 (=17890) 7275 572 1955-2300 1100-1735 (=15380) 7230 594 1955-1735 off 7215 723 1955-2400 (=11760) 6180 725 1955-2400 1200-1400 (=11630) 6175 572 1955-2400 0900-1735 (=11960) 6125 723 1955-2300 1230-1735 (=17595) 6080 916 1955-2300 1200-1735 (=9630) 6030 572 1955-1735 5945 572 1955-0100 1300-1735 (=15480) 5030 572 1955-2300 1000-1735 (=9675) 4800 916 1955-1735 4750 2021 1955-1735 4460 572 1955-2330 1100-1735 (=9645) China National Radio CNR2 English National Business Radio FM 96.6 / Shortwave 2055-1600 (not Wed 0600-0855) UT 17625 491 0000-1000 (=9515) 15540b 0100-1100 not Tue 0600-0900 (=11740) 15500 491 0100-1000 (=6155) 15270 491 0200-0900 (=9775) 12080 724 0200-1000 (=9755) 11915 724 0030-1000 (=7335) 11845 594 0000-1100 (=9820) 11835 594 0000-1300 (=7425) 11800 491 2300-1200 (=7375) 11740b 2100-0100 1100-1600 (=15540) 11670 491 2330-1200 (=6065) 11685 724 0200-0400 0500-0800 (=7350) 11660 594 0100-0900 (=7315) 11610 491 2300-1300 (=7370) 11660 594 0100-1100 (=7315) off 9820 594 2100-0100 1100-1600 (=11845) 9810 724 0100-1230 (=7265) 9775 491 2100-0200 0900-1600 (=15270) 9755 724 2100-0200 1000-1600 (=12080) 9720 722 0000-1000 9620 491 2300-1300 (=7245) 9515 491 2100-2400 1000-1600 (=17625) 7425 594 2100-2400 1300-1600 (=11835) 7375 491 2100-2300 1030-1600 (=6040) 7370 491 2100-2300 1100-1600 (=11610) 7335 724 2100-0030 1000-1600 (=11915) 7315 594 2100-0100 1100-1600 off 7265 724 1230-1600 (=7255) 7255 724 2100-0100 (=9810) 7245 491 2100-2300 1300-1600 (=9620) 6155 491 2100-0100 1000-1600 (=15500) 6065 491 2100-2330 1200-1600 (=11670) 6040 491 2100-2300 (=11800) site QH 916 100kW 9570gm 0100-1000 (=6090) 7220gm 2300-1300 (=3985) 6190gm 2100-2300 (=7220) 6090gm 2100-0100 1000-1600 (=9570) 3985gm 1300-1600 (=6190) China National Radio CNR5 Taiwan Sce 1st px, Voice of Zhonghua Tx site 491 0055-0615, 0955-0005 UTC 0055-0615 11935 11620 9685 0955-0005 9410(0955-2200) / 9665(2200-0005) 7620 5925 China National Radio CNR6, Voice of Shenzhou Tx site 491 2055-0105, 0355-1805 (not Thur 0605-0955) UTC 15710 0355-1100 / 9170 2055-0105 1100-1805 11905 0355-0900 / 6165 2055-0105 0900-1805 China National Radio CNR8, Voice of Minorities Uighur 0000-0100 15670 11810 11630 9890 9655 9455 1422 1143 0600-0700 15415= 11780= 15390+ 13700+ 12055+ 11630+ 1422 1143 (13670 11885 9560 7275 XJ) 0800-0900 15415 15390 13700 12055 11780 11630 1422 1143 1100-1200 11720 9690 13700 12055 11630 9420 1422 1143 1500-1600 9645 7120 9890 9630 9420 6145 1143 (7195 6120 4980 3990 XJ) Kazakh 0100-0200 15670 15390 11810 11630 9890 9455 1422 1143 0500-0600 15415 11780 15390 13700 12055 11630 1422 1143 (9470 7340 XJ) 0900-1000 15415 11780 15390 13700 12055 11630 1422 1143 1300-1400 9890 9645 9630 9420 7120 6180 1422 1143 1400-1500 9645 7120 9890 9630 9420 6180 1143 (6015 4330 XJ) Korean 2200-2300 5975 5955 1143 0200-0300 9610 7250 1143 0400-0500 9610 9440 1143 1000-1100 9785 7410 1143 1017 (1206 HL) Mongolian 2300-2400 7445 5955 1143 0300-0400 11815 9610 1143 (9750 7270 7210 NM) 0700-0800 11815= 9610= 1143 (9510 7230 XJ) 1200-1300 9610 5955 1143 1600-1700 9645 7120 9890 9645 9630 9420 6145 1143 (6190 4500 XJ) + not Tue / = not Wed China National Radio CNR11, Tibetan 2155-1605 not Wed 0600-0855 105.7 FM (Lhasa), 1098 MW (Beijing) 6010 2155-2400 1030-1605 7350 0900-1605 7360 2155-2400 9480 2155-0100 0800-1605 9530 0000-1030 11685 0000-0900 15570 0100-0800 Tibet People's Broadcasting station XZDT Chinese 2000-1800 UTC (not Tue 0600-1000) 2230-2300 0030-0100 1030-1100 relay of CNR1 11950(290d) 0158-0857 / 7240(290d) 2000-0157 0858-1800 11860(085d) 0200-0857 / 7170(085d) 2000-0157 0858-1800 6050 (nd) 5935 CNR1(085d) 4820(nd) 2000-1800 Tibetan 2100-1805 UTC (not Tue 0600-1000) 2300-2357 0400-0457 1300-1357 relay of CNR8 0700 1630 UT in English "Holy Tibet 9490(085d) 0200-1000 / 7125 CNR1(085d) 2100-0200 1000-1805 9580(290d) 0200-0930 / 7385 (290d) 2100-0200 0930-1805 6200 CNR1(nd) 6130 (290d) 6110 (220d) 5240 (nd) 4920 (nd) 4905 (nd) Sichuan PBS (SCBS) 1st px Chinese 9740 12015 kHz (off the air October 8-) 2nd px Chinese, Yui, Tibetan 7225 6060 kHz (2155-1700) Voice of Pujiang 1155-1600 5075 4950 3280 FM 97.7 Qing Hai People's Broadcasting Station (QHBS) Chinese 9780(0230-0900)/6145 4750 2200-1600 (not Tue 0600-0855) QHEBS Radio 1413AM, 107.5FM 2255-1600 QINGHAI Traffic & Music Broadcasting Station Chinese 1377AM, 97.2FM 2255-1500 Tibetan (Amdo dialect) 9850 (0230-0830)/5990/4220 2250-1600 (0800-0900 relay CNR8) Yushu People's Broadcasting Station 6075 kHz Tibetan 2255-0100, 1025-1230 UTC (1135-1230 relay CNR1) off Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Gannan People's Broadcasting Station 2220-0100, 0950-1400 UTC Tibetan / Chinese 5970 3990 (2300, 1300 relay CNR8) Nei Menggu Radio Station Chinese Service MHz 89.0 675/765/1494/ 2150-1605 (Tue not 0600-0850) 9520 2150-1605 Azi. 36 7165 2150-1605 Azi.263 7105 2150-1605 Azi. 52 Mongolian Service 1098/1395/1458, MHz 95.9 2150-1605 9750 2150-1605 Azi. 36 7210 2150-1605 Azi.263 7270 2150-1605 Azi. 52 Trafic 105.6 2150-1600: Economy: 101.4 Music Radio: 93.6 102.8 3kW 91.9 Xinjiang People's Broadcasting Station (XJBS) Uighur UTC: 2330-1800 (not Tue 0800-1100) 13670 0200-1200 7195 2330-0200 1200-1800 11885 0300-1200 4980 2330-0300 1200-1800 9560 0300-1200 6120 2330-0300 1200-1800 7275 0300-1200 3990 2330-0300 1200-1800 Chinese Service UTC: 2330-1800 (not Tue 0800-1100) 11770 0300-1200 5060 2330-0300 1200-1800 9600 0300-1200 7310 2330-0300 1200-1800 7155 0300-1200 3950 2330-0300 1200-1800 5960 2330-1800 Kazakh UTC: 0000-1800 (not Tue Thur 0800-1100) 9470 0300-1200 6015 0000-0300 1200-1800 7340 0300-1200 4330 0000-0300 1200-1800 Mongolian UTC: 0000-0330 0530-1030 (Tue Thur -0800) 1230-1800 6190 0000-0330 1230-1800 9510 0530-1030 7230 0000-0330 0530-1030 4500 1230-1800 Kyrgyz UTC: 0330-0530 1030 (Tue Thur 1100-)-1230 9705 0330-0530 1030-1210 4500 1210-1230 7120 0330-0530 1030-1230 6190 1210-1230 The People's Radio Station of YunNan (YNDT) 6937 2255-0300 0630-0830 1055-1500 6035 2230-0130 0945-1415 Guangxi Foreign Broadcasting Station (GXFBS) 9820 5050 2300-0100 1000-1200 1400-1600 Vietnamese 1200-1430 Cantonese Voice of Jinling 5860 1345-1605 Chinese 50kW 161deg Nanjing 0100-1600 UTC (April 10, 2009) SARFT Sites used for Int'l MW and Int'l and domestic SW: CAH Changchun: 1017kHz DOF Dongfang: 603/684kHz 600kW HDN Huadian: 1323 kHz 600kW HDU Huadu: 1341kHz HEI Heilongjiang Province: (*) 1323kHz xxx Heihe: unk freq 100kW HNL Changzhou, Henglin: 1044 kHz 1000kW HTB Hutubi: 1521 kHz 500kW KAS Kashgar: 1422 kHz 600kW KUN Kunming: 1080/1296kHz LHA Lhasa: 1323kHz NEI Nei Menggu Aut. Reg.: (*) 963kHz xxx Shuangyashan: unk freq 200kW XJG Xinjiang Uighur Aut. Reg.: (*) 1323kHz XUW Xuanwei: 1188/1269kHz 600kW (*) Exact location unknown SW (approximate transmitter numbers) BEI Beijing, three sites: Doudian (G.C. 39N38 116E05) 4x150, 6x500kW; Matoucun 12x100kW; Shuangqiao 8x100, 6x150kW GEM Golmud: 4x100kW HUH Hohhot (Bikeqi): 3x100kW JIN Jinhua: 3x500kW KAS Kashgar (Saibagh): 4x100, 8x500kW KUN Kunming (Anning): 4x100, 4x150, 4x500kW LHA Lhasa: 13x100kW LIN Lingshi: 6x100kW NNN Nanning: 2x15, 3x100, 1x150kW SZG Shijiazhuang, two sites: Nanpozhuang 2x500kW; Huikou: 6x100kW URU Urumqi, Hutubi: 9x100, 8x500kW XIA Xi'an, three sites: Xianyang 4x150, 6x500kW; Baoji, Sifangshan: 6x100kW; Baoji, Xinjie 1x150kW For Beijing, Shijiazhuang and Xi'an shortwave, it is possible to identify specific sites for almost all frequencies as follows: BEI 150/500kW CRI from Doudian BEI 100kW CNR-1 from Matoucun BEI 100/150kW CNR-2, CNR-5, CNR-6, CNR-8 from Shuangqiao SZG 500kW CRI from Nanpozhuang SZG 100kW CNR from Huikou XIA 500kW CRI from Xianyang XIA 500kW RCI from Xianyang XIA 150kW CNR-2 all from Xianyang except 9820kHz XIA 100kW CNR-1 and CNR-8 from Baoji, Sifangshan XIA 150kW CNR-2 9820 kHz only from Baoji, Xinjie XIA 150kW CRI from Baoji, Xinjie XIA 150kW VOR from Baoji, Xinjie (Nagoya DX Circle Japan Apr 10, all via BC-DX May 1 via DXLD) A few points: Is Nei Menggu PBS really gone from 7270 (and 9750)? Would be very good news, as it would free up 7270 for Wai FM/Limbang FM, both via RTM (Sarawak/Malaysia). Needs to be confirmed. Sichuan PBS-2 on 6060 and 7225, per my frequent observations, consistently off at 1515 (not the scheduled 1700). Thanks again! (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. A09 CHINA RADIO INTERNATIONAL As of Apr 26, 2009. All relay transmissions of CRI via Bonaire, Montsinery-GUF, Meyerton- AFS, and Santiago-CHL ceased now. a = additional, d = delete, - according to A-08 summer schedule 0000-0057 Cambodian 11990nnn, 9765nnn, 684dof Cantonese 17495bei, 11820xia Chinese 13655xia, 13580bei, 12035xia, a11975kun, 11930sac, 11900bei, 11780jin, d11650uru, 9435kun, d7160kun, a5960sac English 15125bei, 13750bei, 11885xia, a11790xia, 11730kun(0030-), 9570cer, 7415kas, 7350kas, a6180kas, 6075kas, 6020cer Hakka 15100jin, 9610kun, 9550kun, 9460kun, d6140kun Mongolian 11875bei, 9470xia Portuguese d11850guf, 9710kas, 9560bei Russian 7405huh, 5990huh, 5905kas, 1521 Spanish 15120hab, 9800kas, d9745bon, 9590kas, 5990hab Vietnamese 13770xia, 11770bei, d9665kun, 603dof 0100-0157 Amoy 17495bei, 15425xia, 15100bei, 11980kun, 11945kun, 9610kun, 9550kun, 9460kun Chinese-EA 15160jin, 13655xia Chinese 15140xia, 11650uru, a9560kas English 15785xia, 15125bei, 11870kas, 11730kun(-0130), 9790sac, 9580hab, 9570cer, a9535kas, a9470uru, 9410kas, a7415kas, a6175kas, 6075kas, 6020cer 6080sac[DRM] Hakka 15140xia, 13580bei, 11650uru Russian 13600xia, 5905kas, 1521 Spanish 9710kas, 9665bra, 9595kas Urdu 9695kas, 7240kas 0130-0227 Nepalese 13780kun, 11860kun 0200-0227 Pashto 15435xia, 11870kas, 9765kas 0200-0257 Amoy addit a17495bei, a15425xia Bengali 11640kun, 9655kun Chinese-EA 15160jin, 13655xia Chinese 11695bei, a9825kas, 9815kas, 9690E, 9580hab, 9570cer, a6065kas(0230-), 6020cer English 15435fr0227, 13640kas, 11770kas, 9550kas Hakka 17495bei, 15425xia Russian 17615xia, 5915kas, a963por-FIN Spanish 9710kas, 9595kas Tamil 15260kas, 13600kas, d11650kas Urdu 11650kas, 9450kas 0230-0327 Nepalese 13780kun, 11730kun 0300-0357 Chinese 17540bei, 15230xia, 15160jin, 15130bei, 9570cer, a9450kas, 6020cer English 15785xia, 15120bei, 15110kas, 13750bei, 11770kas, 9790hab, 9690E, a738msk Hindi 15350kas, 15210kas, 13720kas, 11640kas Spanish 9560sac, 9665bra Russian 17710jin, 15435uru, 15425xia, a5915kas, a963por- FINLAND Tamil 13730kas, 13600kun 0400-0457 Cantonese 15230xia, 15160jin, 9790hab Chinese 15170kas, 15130bei, 13640kas English 17855bei, 17730xia, 15785xia, 15120bei, 13750bei, 6080sac, 6020sac Hakka 17710bei, 17540kas, 17505xia, 15350kas Russian 15665kas, 15445kas, 15425xia, a5905kas Vietnamese 17740xia, 11650kun, 684dof, 603dof 0500-0557 Cantonese 15230xia, 15170jin Chinese 15785xia, 15130bei, 15120bei English 17855bei, 17730xia, 17540kas, 17505kas, 15465kas, 15350uru, 11895kas, 11710cer, 9560sac, 6190sac, 6020sac German 15245uru Russian 15665kas, 15445kas Vietnamese 17740xia, 11640kun, 684dof, 603dof 0500-0657 Arabic 17485kas, 11775cer, 9590cer, 9515cer 0600-0657 Chinese-EA 15230xia, 15170jin Chinese 17740xia, 17650kas, 17615kun, 15785xia, 15120bei English 17710bei, 17540kas, 17505kas, 15465kas, 15350kas, 15140kas, 13660xia, 11895kas, 11870kas, 11710cer, 1215fla German 17720kas, 15245uru Italian 17515kas 0600-0757 French 17865kas Spanish 17680kas 0700-0757 Cantonese 15230xia, 11640jin Chaozhou 17560xia, 15145xia Chinese a71830kas, 17740xia, 17650kas, a17615kun, d13610bei, 11785cer English 17710bei, 17540kas, 17490kas, a15625kas, 15465kas, 15350kas, a15125kas, 13710cer, 13660xia, 11895kas, 1215fla 0800-0857 Chinese-EA 15230xia, 11640jin Chinese a17830kas, 17650kas, 17560xia, 15565xia, 11785cer, 9880bei English 17540kas, 17490kas, a15625kas, 15465kas, 15350kas, 15125cer, 13710cer, 11895kas, 11620xia Hausa 7295bko Russian 15665kas, 15335kas 0830-0927 Indonesian 17735kun, 15135kun 0900-0957 Chinese 17670kun, 17560xia, 17540bei, 17530xia, 17500kas, 15565xia, 15525uru, 15440kun, 15250kun, 13620xia, 11980kun, 9880bei, 7430jin English 17750kas, 17690jin, 17570uru, 17490kas, a15625kas, 15350kas, 15270kas, 15210kun, 11620xia Romanian 9440cer, 7285cer Russian 15665kas, 15335kas 0930-1027 Malay 17680kun, 15135kun 1000-1057 Cantonese 17670kun, 15440kun Chinese 17650kas, 17540bei, a17530xia, a17500kas, a15535uru, a15525uru, a15250kun, a13850bei, a11980kun, a9890xia, 9880bei, a6040sac English 17690jin, 17490kas, 15350kas, 15210kun, 15190kas, 13720xia, 13620xia, 13590bei, 11635bei, 11610xia, 6040sac Hakka 17530xia, 17500kas, 15525uru, 15250kun, 13850bei, 11980kun, 9890xia Hungarian 15220kas, 13685kas Japanese 11620xia, 7325jin Russian 11935szg, 9725huh, 7390huh, 1323uru, 1116, 963huh 1030-1127 Cambodian 17680kun, 15160nnn, 684dof Indonesian 17605kun, 15135kun 1100-1157 Bulgarian 7220cer Cantonese 13580kun, 9645bei, 9590kun, 9540bei, a603dof Chaozhou 11875kun, 9440kun Chinese 17650kas, 15440kun, 13755kas, d13610kas, a12070xia(-1130), 11750bei, 7435bei Czech 15225kas, 13685kas English 17490kas, 13720xia, 13650cer, 13645kas, a13610kas, 13590bei, 11795kas, 11750sac, 11660kas, 11650uru, a6060bei(-1130), 6040sac, 5955bei 1269yun Esperanto 15110uru, 11635uru Japanese 11620xia, 7325jin, 1044 Changzhou Henglin Korean 13620xia, 1323cah, a1017 Changzhou Henglin Mongolian 11610xia, 7390huh Portuguese d9870sgo Russian 11935szg, 9890bei, 9725huh, 1521uru, 1323lha, 1116, 963huh Vietnamese 17530xia, 11600xia, 9550bei, 1296yun 1130-1157 Burmese 11780kun, 9880kun, 1269yun Filipino 12110kun, a12070xia, 7390jin, 1341 Huadu Guangdong 1130-1227 Thai 9785xia, 7360kun 1158-1400 Chinese a11790bei, a9665bei - news radio 1200-1227 Filipino 17505xia, 12110kun 1200-1257 Cantonese a11850sac, a9570hab Cambodian d17680xia, 11680nnn, 9440kun Chinese a17650kas, d15440sgo, 15110uru, 13755kas, 13610kas, d11855sac, d11640xia, 9855bei, d9570hab, 9540kun, 7440nnn, a7390bei English 17490kas, 13790uru, 13650cer, 13645kas, 11980kun, 11760kun, 11690xia, 11660kas, 11650uru, 9760kun, 9730kun, a9645bei, 9600kun, 9460kas, 5955bei, 1341 Huadu Guangdong, 1269yun, 1188, 684dof French d17650kas, 15205kas Japanese 11620xia, 7325jin, 1044 Korean 13620xia, 1323cah, 1017 Mongolian 5990huh, 5915huh, 100.9ula, 103.7Darkhan Russian 17575szg, 13600xia, 11935szg, 9685uru, 7400kas, 6100bei, 1521uru, 1323lha, 963huh Serbian 7345cer Vietnamese d11990kun, 11600xia, 9550bei, 1296yun 1230-1327 Laotian 9785kun, 7360kun Malay 15600kun, 11955kun 1300-1327 Burmese 11780kun, 9880kun, 1188 1300-1357 Bengali 11610kun, 9600xia, 9490kun Chinese 13670uru, a13650uru, 9855bei, 9540kun, 7440nnn, 7205bei English d15440sgo, 15260sac, 13790uru, 13755kas, d13630bko, 13610kas, 11980xia, 11760kun, 11665xia, 11660kas, d11640bko, 9870xia, 9765xia, 9760kun, 9730bei, 9650sac, 9570hab, 5955bei, 1341 Huadu Guangdong, 684dof Esperanto 11650xia, 9440nnn French a17880bko, 13710kas, 13685bko Hindi 11675uru, 9635kas, 1422kas Japanese 7325jin, 7215xia, 1044 Korean 13620xia, 1323cah, 1017 Mongolian 7285bei, 6100bei, 100.9ula, 103.7Darkhan Russian 13600xia, 9675szg, 7400kas, 5990huh, 5915huh, 1521uru, 1323lha, 963huh Vietnamese d11990kun, 9685xia, 9550bei, 1296yun, 603dof 1330-1357 Burmese 11780kun, 9880kun, 1188 1330-1427 Indonesian 11955kun, 9535kun Thai 9785xia, 7360kun, 1080 1400-1457 Amoy 11650xia, 9655kas Bengali 11610kun, 9490kun, 1269yun Cambodian 9880nnn, 6055kun, 684dof Chinese 15220sac, a11780xia(-1127), 11610uru, 9730kas, a7400xia(-1127), 7210bei, a6040xia English 17630bko, 13790uru, 13740hab, 13710kas, 13685bko, d13610kas, d11775kas, 11765uru, 11675uru, a11665xia, d11660kas, 9870xia, 9765xia, d9560kas, a7325bei(-1430), 5955bei, 1422kas Japanese 7430jin, 7395xia, 1044 Korean 5965xia, 1017 Mongolian 5990huh, 5915huh Nepalese 7445kun, 7425kun, 1269yun Russian 9525szg, 7330xia, 5905kas, 1521uru, 1323lha, 963por-FIN Sinhalese d15145kun, 11900jin, 7265kas 1188 Tamil 13600kas, 11685kas, d9665kun Urdu a11660kun, d9610kas, 9435kas, d7285kas, 1422kas Vietnamese 12010xia, 9550bei, 684dof, 603dof 1400-1557 French 13760cer, 11920cer 1430-1457 Filipino 12110kun, 11695xia, a7325xia, 1341 1430-1527 Laotian 9675kun, 7360kun, 1080 1500-1527 Pashto 11880kun, 9665kas Persian 11700kun, a9620kas, 9570uru 1500-1557 Albanian 1215fla Bengali 9690kun, 9610kun Chinese 15220sac, 13755kas, 13680kas, 9560kas, 7360kun(1530-), 7265kas, 7255bei, 5910bei English 17630bko, 13740hab, 13685bko, 13640kas, 11965kas, 9870xia, 9800jin, a9720uru, a9600kas(1530-), 7405uru, 7325bei, d6100mey, a6095kas, 5955bei, 1323lha, 1188 Hindi 7235kas, 7225uru, 1323lha, 1269yun Japanese 9585xia, 7220jin, 1044 Nepalese 7250xia, 7215kun Russian 13860szg, 11790uru, 9880xia, 5990huh, 5965bei, 5915huh, 5905kas, 1521uru, 1323cah, 963por-FIN Tamil 11800kas , 9490kas Turkish 9565cer, 7345cer Urdu 9435kas, 7285kas, 1422kas Vietnamese 9550bei, d9455kun, 684dof, 603dof 1530-1557 Pashto 11880kun, 9665kas, 9570uru 1600-1657 Arabic 17880bko, 15125bko, 13790kas, 12065spb, 11725cer, 9555cer Bulgarian 1458fla Chinese a7335szg, 7220kas English 13760kas, 11965kas, 11940kas, 11900jin, a11650xia, 9760jin, 9570kun, a7420kas, a7235uru, 6180kas, a6145xia, d6100mey, a6060kun, 1323lha, 1080, a963por-FINLAND Esperanto 1215fla Hakka 11825xia, 9770uru Hindi d9690kun, 7395uru, 7235kas, 5915kas, 1422kas, 1269yun, 1188 Russian 13860szg, 13655uru, 11875uru, 5905kas, 1521uru Swahili 7245xia, 5985bei Turkish 7325kun, 6165uru Vietnamese d11990xia, a9550bei, 7315kun, d6010xia, 684dof, 603dof 1600-1757 French 11690kas German 7380cer, 5970cer 1630-1727 Hausa 9665kun, 9620kas 1700-1757 Arabic 13790kas, 11725cer, 9555cer Cantonese 9770kas, 9435uru English 13760kas, d11940kas, 11900jin, 9695bei, 9570kun, 7420kas, a7410kas, 7335bei, 7315jin, 7265kun, a7235bei, 6165xia, a6140kas, d6100mey, 1323, 1080 Esperanto 11650xia Italian 1458fla Romanian 1215fla, a963por-FIN Russian 13655uru, 11875uru, 9470xia, 7450xia, d7105uru, 5905kas, 1521uru Swahili 15125bko, 13645bko, 11600xia, 5985bei 1730-1827 Chinese 11660szg, 9745kun, 9685uru, 7385uru, 7315kun Hausa 13645bko(1800-), 11640bko(1800-), 9685kun, 9450kas 1800-1827 Persian 9670bei, 7415bei, 7245spb-RUS 1800-1857 Chaozhou 13700uru, 11895xia Chinese d6100mey English 13760kas, d11940kas, 9600bei, a7265xia(-1830), 6030bei, a6020xia(-1830) Italian 7435jin, 7340kas Russian 9765szg, 9555xia, 9535iss, 7205uru, 5905kas, 1521uru 1800-1957 French 11695cer, 9455cer, 6055cer, 5970cer German 11775kas, 11650uru, 7395kas, 1440-LUX, a963por- FINLAND 1830-1857 Bulgarian 9695jin, 7265xia, 6020szg Persian 9670bei, 7415bei 1830-1927 Arabic 13685bko, 11640bko, 9470msk-RUS 1830-2027 French 9645kun, 7350kun 1900-1927 Czech 9515bei, 7415xia Hungarian 9560uru, 7440jin, 1458fla(-2000) Romanian 7305iss, 6090uru 1900-1957 Albanian 7385kas, 6020szg Cantonese 11895kas, 7235szg English 9435kun, 7295uru, a7285xia Portuguese 13630bko/11640bko fr1930, a9765bei, 9620kas, 9535xia, 7405xia, 7335jin, 5985bei Russian 9525bei, 7245xia, 6110xia, 5905kas, 1521 Turkish 9655kun, 7255kun, 7225msk-RUS(1930-), 1170arm-RUS(1930-) 1930-1957 Czech 7415uru, 7305iss Romanian 7440jin, 6090uru 1930-2027 Esperanto 9745uru, 7265kas 2000-2027 Serbian 7390xia, 7355kas, 7325uru 2000-2057 Chinese 9865kun, 7440xia, 7335uru, 7305xia, 7245kas English 13630bko, 11640bko, 9600kas, 9490xia, 9440kun, 7415kas, a7315kun(-2030), 7295uru, 7285cer, 5985bei, 5960cer French 1440-LUX, a963por-FIN Polish 7305uru, 6145iss-F, 6020szg Romanian 1548gri-MDA Russian 9525bei, 7255xia 2000-2157 Arabic 7235cer, 6185cer, 6100xia 2030-2057 Bulgarian 9720uru, 7315kun Hungarian 9585kas, 7390jin 2030-2127 Italian 7345kas, 7265uru Polish 1458fla 2030-2227 French 11660kas, 9430uru, 7320sam-RUS(-2127) 2100-2127 Albanian 6145iss-F English 13630bko, 11640bko, a9490xia Serbian a7445kun, 7410jin, 7325xia 2100-2157 English 9600kas, 7415kas, 7325bei, 7285cer, a7225uru, a7205xia, 6135bei, 5960cer, 1440-LUX, a963por-FIN Korean 7290xia, 1323, 1017 Portuguese d17640sgo Serbian 1215fla Spanish 9640kas, 7335szg 2130-2157 Hungarian 7445xia, 6145iss-F English a7365uru, a7325xia 2130-2227 Czech 1458fla French 13630bko, 11975bko 2200-2257 Chinese 9675bei, 9460kun, 7430jin, 7395uru, 7325kun, 7265kun, 7220kun, 7215kun, 6140kun, 5975kas English 9590bei, 7360msk-RUS Esperanto 9860kas, 7315kas Japanese 13640jin, 9535xia Korean 7290xia, 1323, 1017 Portuguese 9685kas, 9410kas, a7260uru, 6175cer Spanish 13700sac, 9640kas, 9490bei, 7335szg, 7250uru, 7210cer 2230-2257 Chinese 15505bko, 11975bko 2300-2357 Cambodian a11990nnn, 9765nnn, 684dof Cantonese 15100jin, 11945kun, d11650kun, 9460kun, 7325kun, 6140kun Chinese 11975bko, 11900bei, 7370uru, 7330kun, 7295bko English 11840sac, a11790xia, 11690bei, 9610kun, 7410kas, a7350kas, 6145sac, 5990hab, 5915kas Japanese 13640jin, 11680xia Mongolian 12085xia, 9810xia Portuguese 13650hab, 9560bei Russian 7405huh, 5990huh, 5905kas Spanish 13700sac, 9800kas, 9590kas, 7250uru, 7210cer, 6175cer Vietnamese 11620bei, 7220xia, 603dof 2330-0030 Sinhalese 7260kas, 6100kun (CRI list of A-08 NDXC-JPN, updated by wb, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Apr 26) SARFT SW sites only used for jamming: DOF Dongfang: 150, 5x500 kW NAN Nanchang: 6x100 kW QIQ Qiqihar: 6x100, 1x500 kW Quanzhou: 150 kW (Nagoya DX Circle Japan Apr 10 via BC-DX May 1 via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. Listed below are a number of amazing examples of God answering prayers and providing results beyond imagination... • In Colombia, Russell Stendal is given a radio license by the government for “Emergency Broadcasting” and he is allowed to use the station for Christian broadcasting at all other times [WTFK? So something additional to 1530, 5810v, 5910v, 6010v, 6110v?] April 13: To date, missionary Russell Stendal has distributed almost 70,000 Galcom radios to military and guerilla [sic] forces in Colombia and lives are being changed there. Pray for Russell’s ministry and the resources to provide him with 30,000 more radios (Galcom Prayer Bulletin March-May 2009 via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. Glenn, http://www.rfpi.org is officially up and running. As stated on the website, "This website is dedicated to maintaining the legacy of Radio for Peace International, whose voice on the airwaves was silenced in 2003." The website is a work in progress, so if something looks out of whack, check back later, or E- mail me - the less-than-perfect webmaster - at info @ copyexchange.net 73s (Franklin Seiberling, (KC0ISV), Iowa City, April 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. RHC must have changed their program feed routing, and/or transmitter site arrangement for English, checked at 0622 April 29. Previously, 6000 and 6010 had been an echo apart, but now they are synchronized, altho 6000 is still modulated very much less than 6010. 6000 also has a squeal audible on the low side. 6140 is also undermodulated, 6060 normal modulation, and all of them synchronized. BTW, after about four days, the outdated schedule on their redesigned website has been replaced by more or less correct one. 1431 April 29 on 12000, monitored RHC frequency announcement. Got most of it right, but omitted 11760, which I quickly confirmed was really on the air as usual. Altho previously RHC English on 6000 and 6010 were found to be synchronized, they were again an echo apart with different feed routings when checked at 0528 UT April 30. My local noise level abated, I fear only temporarily, April 30 at 1312 so I could make out RHC in Spanish on 13880 during upfades, the weak leapfrog mixing product of 13680 over 13780 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Habana Cuba a partir del 1 de Mayo emitirá para Europa de 2000 a 2300 UTC por 11770, ex 11820 para evitar colisión con Arabia Saudí. 11770 2000-2030 CUB Radio Habana Cuba P Eu 11770 2030-2100 CUB Radio Habana Cuba A Eu 11770 2100-2300 CUB Radio Habana Cuba S Eu Información facilitada por el Profesor Arnaldo Coro (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RHC, 11820 in Spanish, at 2222 check April 30, much stronger than // 11800, altho 11820 is for Europe. Little did I know that this was the farewell broadcast of RHC on 11820, as José Miguel Romero reports that per Arnie Coro, RHC moves May 1 to 11770 for this European transmission in Portuguese, Arabic and Spanish at 2000-2300. Arnie has not notified me directly, nor thanked me for bringing their collision with Saudi Arabia immediately to attention! How will 11770 be? Nothing there that I can find, not much on 11765, but it may be tough for Barbi Bridges from a Lesser Antille on 11775 until 2215v. 16m was cooperating at 2212 April 30 with RHC on new 17660 in French, good signal but distorted modulation; no ID needed as who else would be talking about Committees for the Defense of the Revolution? About same signal level on 17705 in Portuguese, but more distorted. 9640 confirmed as the new Mesa Redonda frequency, ex-9820, apparently just getting under way at 2230 April 30; undermodulated. Nominal span is 22-24, but I think it usually starts at 2230, and not necessarily on the air every weekday. I wonder how the ChiCom feel about this overlapping their own Spanish broadcast daily from Kashi to Spain until 2300 on 9640. It`s a big day in Cuba, not only MayDay, but the official 48th anniversary of RHC (which started earlier in 1961 as Onda Corta Experimental Cubana; I remember hearing that from the outset.) At 1326 on 13780 I found a phone interview in Spanish with Arnie Coro in progress, as he was recounting the foundation of RHC in which he was heavily involved, how they started out without any studios but were provided space on the fifth and sixth floors of Radio Progreso (where they still are??). Didn`t yet have steel towers in place for antennas at Bauta. The first frequency was 11760, still beloved and still in use. Arnie asserted that he had already received congratulatory messages from English speaking listeners in the USA, where tnx to the journalistic quality of RHC, people are better informed! He is missing the celebrations in the Plaza de la Revolución as he is staying home to monitor to be sure everything is going well, and says all transmitters are well-modulated (if so, that would be a first!). Ended at 1333 and more lo-fi phone reports from correspondents around the country about local celebrations. The interview with Arnie would normally repeat in the 17 UT hour on the webcast-only playback of Despertar con Cuba, but might be pre- empted today for live coverage of the festivities. Still one might tune in earlier than 1726 to try to hear the rest of it. I also would not be surprised if there are additional SW broadcasts today when RHC normally takes a siesta between 15 and 20 UT. [later: none noted, but the Coro segment did repeat at 1724 on webcast, and turns out I had not missed anything]. BTW, he is commonly addressed as Coro in Spanish, not Profesor, not Arnaldo, just Coro (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11770, Radio Habana Cuba, La Habana, 2100-2115, escuchada el 1 de mayo en español, sintonía, ID “Esta es Radio Habana Cuba...”, anuncian frecuencias, para Europa de 2100 a 2300 por 11770, locutora y locutor con presentación, titulares, segmento musical, SINPO 44444 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RHC on new 11770, May 1 at 2140 in Spanish; OK reception except het from Anguilla 11775. This replaces 11820 where it had been since April 13, colliding with Saudi Arabia which had already been using this frequency to Europe for sesquiyears (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA: WRMI Radio Habana Cuba. On Saturday, May 2, from 0000 to 0500 UT, the new unlisted frequency of 6120 was heard with a fair to good signal in Spanish. Thanks to DXLD for the tip. At 0155 tune in on 6220 the same in Spanish with fair to very good signal. Still on at 0430 when I last checked. Is this a new frequency or a "mixing product"? There appeared to be repeated broadcasts of what I assume was Raul Castro's speech on occasion of the May Day celebration in Havana. The listed frequency of 6180 was still not heard. All the other listed frequencies were heard (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, Ontario, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Bernie, 6220 is a mixing product of 6060 (Spanish) over 6140 (English), another 80 kHz higher. Should also be there after 0500 when all in English. I guess 6120 replaces 6180 in the evenings. They still haven`t caught up with the latest changes (also 11770 ex-11820 at 20- 23) at http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/c_frecuencia/frecuencias.htm 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** CUBA. 9570, CRI relay, 1315 - English news talk, transmitter with significant +/- 60, 120 and 180 Hz spurs; 5/2 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. Re 9-036, R. República on new 9840 at 2128: Yes, it`s new. As soon as I saw this, at 2355, I checked 9840 and nothing there, nor jamming, but R.R. still going on 9545 with jamming at this hour. How was reception on 9840, strong enough in Spain to be UK? Any jamming audible? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saludos Glenn, es probable que si emitan desde el Reino Unido, aquí no se escuchó ningún jammer; sin embargo la interfería mucho CNR 1 jammer contra Radio Free Asia en 9850, esta emisión saturaba desde 9840 a 9860. Ernesto Paulero en Argéntina la captó con un SINPO similar al que yo capté en Valencia, 44444. Señal fuerte, interferencia ligera por CNR en 9850, también ligero fading. Un saludo (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1458, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Now we need to establish the transmission span on 9840. Radio República added another broadcast. Tnx to tip from José Miguel Romero, Spain that it was very strong on 9840 during the 21 UT hour April 27, I started checking the frequency April 28. During the 19 UT hour, WHRI was still on it; nothing heard after 2000. At 2115-2135 I was getting R. República, only fair signal with deep fades, no jamming, so suspect UK site instead of Canada. 2200 ID with no frequency announcement, ``Entre Jóvenes`` show. Not heard at 2302 recheck. So schedule on 9840 is tentatively 2100-2300, then over to jammed 9545. I expect the jamming on 9840 will start ASAP. Lingering jamming against R. Martí, 7365, instead bothering WHRI at 0627 April 29, ID in English with contact info atop jam pulses. (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1458, DX LISTENING DIGEST) R. República`s new 9840, via UK? Survived another day without being hit by the DentroCuban Jamming Command, as still in the clear at 2145 check April 29; presumably running 2100-2300. Altho Radio República`s new 9840 had been heard the past three days, both before and after 2200, it was missing on April 30 when checked at 2207. Nor was there any jamming on the frequency. Possibly it was still on during the 2100 hour, but more likely a brief test period has ended. A quick scan of other bands 7-18 MHz failed to find a replacement for 9840. I was standing by on the other frequency 9545, which at 2259 already had jamming ramping up, and a few seconds after 2300 on came R. República with theme, ID, no frequencies mentioned, and into ``Encuentro Informativo``. 9840 again absent on May 1 check at 2140 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGST) CANADA, 9545, Radio República, 2348-2355, escuchada el 30 de abril en español, especie de tertulia entre varios hombres, ID “Ahora en Radio República...”, reportaje sobre el 1 de mayo, fin de emisión, SINPO 45444 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS TURKISH. Radio Bayrak 6150 kHz --- Chiunque può verificare se Radio Bayrak è ancora in onda? E se sì, qual è l'esatta frequenza? Grazie! -- Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN. See this document of Brandon: http://www.bcdx.org/?p=55 Hi Brandon, well, I think they are off SW; even in their WEB they still declare to use SW. http://www.brtk.cc/index.php/lang/en/cat/89 However their WEB is also offering live stream of 105 MHz so you may have a reference to look at // channel, if they have reactivated frequency on SW. The International channel is offering OLDIES songs !!! Good Monitorings 73's Dario (Monferini via Brandon Jordan, playdx yg via DXLD) ** DEUTSCHES REICH [and non]. Glenn, the recent item about Soviet and Chinese rebel announcers reminds me of an earlier example of a dissident broadcaster. The US journalist William Shirer, who worked for a US network in Berlin prior to Pearl Harbour, once reported that an announcer on Berlin's Yugoslav Service had said the following: 'Ladies and Gentlemen, what you are about to hear from Berlin tonight is a lot of nonsense, a pack of lies, and if you have any sense you will turn your dials.' The audio was cut off at this point and the announcer presumably ended up in the tender care of the Gestapo. In another incident (in the 1980s?)there were problems at the BBC when it was found that announcers on its Portuguese Service were making pro-communist comments. There was an investigation and at least one person was sacked (Roger Tidy, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. RD SE PREPARA PARA ADAPTARSE A LA RADIO Y TELEVISIÓN DIGITAL 2:55 PM - FERIA DEL LIBRO, Santo Domingo. - Las televisoras y radiodifusoras en el país se preparan para pasar de análoga a digital, aunque se registran algunas resistencias de empresarios del ramo debido básicamente a causas económicas, en razón de que algunos propietarios de medios se verán en la necesidad de realizar nuevas inversiones para adaptar sus empresas a la nueva tecnología. El señalamiento lo hizo el radiodifusor Teo Veras durante una charla acerca de la Historia de las telecomunicaciones dominicana, orientada a la radioafición” que ofreció en el pabellón del Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel) en la XII Feria Internacional del Libro “Profesor Juan Bosch”, que se celebra en la Plaza de la Cultura, en esta capital. Indotel patrocina en su pabellón de la Feria una serie de charlas y paneles acerca de la televisión digital, portabilidad numérica, comunicaciones vía satélite para radioaficionados, la tecnología como herramienta de apoyo para resolver las problemáticas sociales, banda ancha rural y los desafíos para que la tecnología de la información y la comunicación se use como factor positivo para el desarrollo humano y de las pequeñas y medianas empresas (pymes), entre otros temas. “Las televisoras ya están prácticamente listas para (la tecnología) digital, yo supongo; no la mayoría porque hay 40 y pico de canales aquí, pero muchos de ellos ya están preparados para hacerlo desde el punto de vista de estudios, hay algunas (televisoras) que tienen hasta los transmisores aquí”, expresó. . . http://elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=149318 (via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) Does this article ever mention WHAT DIGITAL SYSTEMS are involved? Of course not! ATSC for TV like in USA? `HD` for radio; or DRM? Or are we again like Guatemala talking about pure hype, ``digital`` studio equipment, not necessarily transmission (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** EAST TURKISTAN. Looking thru Aoki to see if 11770 is clear for Habana, I noticed some strange listings for ``TKS`` as the country where some Chinese transmissions come from, the Kashi site and even the Urumqui [sic] site! Apparently these parts of China are now considered to be East Turkistan! E.g.: 11765 R.CANADA INT. 1900-1959 1234567 French 100 239 Kashi- Saibagh 2022 TKS 07545E3921N RCI a09 11770 CHINA RADIO INTER. 0200-0257 1234567 English 100 174 Kashi- Saibagh 2022 TKS 07545E3921N CRI a09 11770 CHINA RADIO INTER. 0300-0357 1234567 English 100 174 Kashi- Saibagh 2022 TKS 07545E3921N CRI a09 11770 PBS Xinjiang 0300-0800 1234567 Chinese 50 230 Urumqui TKS 08653E4408N XJBS a09 11770 PBS Xinjiang 0800-1100 12.4567 Chinese 50 230 Urumqui TKS 08653E4408N XJBS a09 11770 PBS Xinjiang 1100-1200 1234567 Chinese 50 230 Urumqui TKS 08653E4408N XJBS a09=5060 Turns out that Aoki consistently has TKS as the `country` for countless other listings of Urumqi and Kashi frequencies (not to be confused with TKM being Turkmenistan on its few frequencies). TIBet also gets separate country status in Aoki, which we are much more familiar with, but the movement to separate East Turkestan, as it is alternatively spelt, from China is also a fascinating story. Here`s one website for starters, based in Virginia: http://eastturkistangovernmentinexile.us/ It seems that any DX reporting of TIBET as separate from China should also grant country status to TURKESTAN EAST for Kashi and Urumqi, as Aoki has already done. Or EAST TURKESTAN under E. It may seem we are inconsistent about directional country names, but WESTERN SAHARA [non] goes under W since there is no EASTERN SAHARA, unlike KOREAS N & S which both go under K. HFCC lists the coordinates for Kashi as KAS Kashi CHN 39N30 076E00, which are close but not matching the Kashi-Saibagh 2022 version in Aoki above (nor does HFCC have a separate site listing for Saibagh). Not much can be found by Googling Saibagh, aside from SW frequency listings, but one Japanese site does connect it historically with Kashgar, which is another name for Kashi (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. 4814.95, Radio El Buen Pastor, Saraguro, Loma Loja, 1010 to 1100+ April 24 to 28 with good signal (Bob Wilkner, Pómpano Beach, Florida, NRD 535D ~ Drake R8, 60 meter band dipole, Noise Reducing antenna, Longwire, and other Florida DXers, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. HCJB enters yet another month announcing its own frequencies incorrectly; caught the morning Spanish broadcast May 2 just before 1500* on 11960 with automated ID at 1459:30 promoting Ecuador as a cacao-producer and still claiming to be on ``11690, 21455 y 11960`` despite 21455 having been canceled years ago (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15275-15280-15285, (DRM), HCJB Voz Global, 2117 - Listed Low German, inspirational talk, Dream software incorrectly showing Portuguese. 14 dB SNR at tune-in, occasional drop-outs, 4 kW to Europe; 5/1 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15275-15280-15285, (DRM) HCJB Voz Global, 2055 - Spanish, inspirational vocals, ID. 14.76 kpbs EEP AAC+ Mono encoding, 13-17+ dB SNR and no drop-outs. Nice signal. 4 KW to Europe; 5/1 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) You mean 5/2 on second log? (gh, DXLD) ** EGYPT. R. Cairo, 11590 in English to NAm, April 30 at 2310 with Arabic music, undermodulated but sufficient. At 2315 timesignal 17 seconds late, so why bother if you can`t do better than that? News march theme, and YL with presumed news in English, but now the modulation is so low I can`t make anything out; the propagational fading is louder than she is from the speaker. Par for the course for this totally incompetent station. 15255 with Qur`an, May 2 at 1502; I thought that would be handy for those prevented by the buzzy Saudis from clearhearing the muezzin on 15435. 15255 turns out to be R. Cairo`s Albanian service, also aimed usward, so I expect it was only a brief introduxion; there are lots of Moslems in Albania of course, thanks to the Ottoman legacy, but do the Orthodox get their due from Cairo? Fat chance (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 15190, Radio Africa (Bata), 1649-1701, 4/28/2009, English. Prayer by man. Closing announcements for Tony Alamo Ministries program. Hymn at 1651, then man with opening announcements for the next fundamentalist segment, prayer, and sermon. Audio for the Alamo program was slightly low, while the following segment's audio was stronger with some distortion. Signal strength was poor-to-good with fading (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, Eton E1, Random Wires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. 6090.00, 0259-0310 25.04, Amhara Reg. State R, Geja Dera (tentative), vernacular announcement, weird music, 44433. Stronger than University Network, Anguilla in English (Anker Petersen, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire here in Skovlunde, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 6090.04, Amhara Regional State R, Geja Dera (presumed), *0258-0310, Apr 25, light music, some few announcements in Amharic (presumed), IDing something as "Amhara Radio", also giving internet addresses twice, local music, 44433 with University Network, Anguilla underneath broadcasting religious preaching in English. AWR, The Voice of Hope signs on in Farsi at *0330 (Anker Petersen, Denmark and Johann Wiespointner, Schörfling, Austria, DSWCI DX Window April 29 via DXLD) Also heard fading in 1623-1755, Apr 10 and 13, Amharic talks, best heard after 1700, ID: "Amhara Radio", website http://www.amma.gov.et andmusic from Horn of Africa, 35433 (Roland Schulze, Stuttgart, Germany, ibid.) Also tentatively heard 1750-1803, Apr 23 and 24, with Horn of African music under BBC (heard in Dari and Pashto *1700-1800* via Oman, and from *1800 to 1900* in Dari via Thailand). Only audible in USB due to heavy DRM QRM from 6085, 31442 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, ibid.) ** ETHIOPIA. 7110.10v, Radio Ethiopia, 0303-0330+, May 2, Horn of Africa music. Talk in listed Amharic. Fair to good. 7 MHz not usually off frequency. Was on 7110.11 at 0303, slowly drifted down to 7110.08 by 0330. // 9704.19 - fair. // 5990.65v - very weak (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Ethiopia's external service is now free of broadcast interference on 7165, noted here in English April 29 with rap, rock and Horn of Africa music at 1617. Identification at 1630, three chimes, time in local and UT followed by news bulletin starting with the headlines. SINPO 24433. Radio Ethiopia Home service on 7110 also clear of broadcast interference now, heard at 1855 April 24 with talk in local language and Western pop music, fair strength,. Schedule per Eike Biewirth`s A09 frequency list is 0300-0500 and 0800-2100 weekdays, 0500-2100 Saturday and Sunday (Mike Barraclough, England, May World DX Club Contact via DXLD) Monitoring 7165/9560 in the evening, I found the following schedule there, with help of Mauno Ritola: MWF: 1800-1830 Voice of Peace and Democracy of Eritrea, TTSat: 1800-1830 "Dimtsi/e Ertra(n)", pronounced more like "Dimtsi Ertraai". Sunday frequency clear. A similar "Dimtsi Ertran" ID can be heard on 7165 on some days also earlier, this is jamming against ERI with another transmitter, if that transmitter changes downwards from 7175. 73 (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, http://www.africalist.de.ms May 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE [and non]. RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONALE A09 RFI website don't have any more SW schedules listed on one page, you must go thru web site and you can barely find the listings. I've rearranged HFCC data for RFI, sorted by language + aoki data (for MW and TAInan). (I was wondering why RFI is not listed via TAI in HFCC?) [because the ChiCom, the world`s number one jammer, and number one obstacle to freedom of information, forbids HFCC from carrying any Taiwan listings --- gh] Is it possible RFI currently broadcasting on SW only on following languages/frequencies? 73 (Dragan Lekic, Serbia, April 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONALE A09 ------------------------------- CHINESE 7325 0930-1030 Tainan 100 352 CHINESE 11875 0930-1030 Tainan 100 352 CHINESE 12025 0930 1030 43,44 IRK 500 152 290309 251009 1503 1200-1300 Fangliano 600 247 12045 2200 2300 43,44 VLD 250 230 290309 251009 747 2200-2400 Minhsiung 300 CHINESE 1098 2200-2300 Kouhu 300 CHINESE 9955 2300-2400 Tainan 250 352 CHINESE 11665 2300-2400 Tainan 100 352 [I guess you deleted all the 1234567s on the assumption that all broadcasts are daily, but as recently discussed in DXLD, in reality the morning broadcasts in English are M-F only; are there others??] ENGLISH 11995 0400 0430 38E,47E,48,53,68 ISS 500 135 290309 251009 9805 0400 0430 38E,47E,48,53 ISS 500 135 290309 251009 11995 0500 0530 38E,47E,48,53 ISS 500 135 290309 030509 13680 0500 0530 38E,47E,48,53,68 ISS 500 135 290309 251009 15160 0500 0530 38E,47E,48,53,68 ISS 500 135 030509 060909 11995 0500 0530 38E,47E,48,53 ISS 500 135 060909 251009 9765 0600 0630 37E,38W,46E,47 ISS 500 170 060909 251009 15160 0600 0630 38E,47E,48,53,68 ISS 500 135 290309 251009 17800 0600 0630 38E,47E,48,53,68 ISS 500 135 290309 251009 11610 0600 0630 37E,38W,46E,47 ISS 500 170 290309 060909 13675 0700 0730 37E,38W,46E,47,52 ISS 500 170 290309 251009 21620 1200 1230 38E,47E,48,53,68 ISS 500 130 060909 251009 17800 1200 1230 38E,47E,48,53,68 ISS 500 130 030509 060909 21620 1200 1230 38E,47E,48,53,68 ISS 500 130 290309 030509 17605 1600 1700 38E,47E,48,53,68 ISS 500 135 290309 251009 15605 1600 1700 37E,38W,46E,47,52 ISS 500 170 290309 251009 FRENCH 7265 0400 0500 37E,38W,46E,47,52,57N ISS 500 155 290309 251009 11700 0400 0500 38,39W,47E,48 ISS 500 120 290309 060909 9790 0400 0500 38,39W,47E,48 ISS 500 120 060909 251009 9790 0400 0500 37E,38W,47,52,57N ISS 500 155 290309 251009 13695 0500 0600 38,39W,47E,48 ISS 500 120 290309 060909 7265 0500 0600 37,46 ISS 500 185 290309 251009 11700 0500 0600 37E,38W,47,52,57 ISS 500 155 290309 251009 11700 0500 0600 38,39W,47E,48 ISS 500 120 060909 251009 5925 0500 0600 37,46 ISS 500 185 060909 251009 9790 0500 0600 37,46 ISS 500 185 290309 060909 7265 0600 0700 37W,46W ISS 500 204 060909 251009 11700 0600 0700 37,46 ISS 500 190 290309 251009 13695 0600 0700 37,46 ISS 500 185 290309 060909 13675 0600 0700 37E,38W,47,52,53,57 ISS 500 155 290309 251009 9790 0600 0700 37,46 ISS 500 190 060909 251009 9790 0600 0700 37W,46W ISS 500 204 290309 060909 15300 0600 0800 37E,38W,47,52,57 ISS 500 155 290309 251009 11700 0700 0800 37W,46W ISS 500 204 290309 251009 13695 0700 0800 37,46 ISS 500 195 290309 251009 15170 0700 0800 46SE,47SW,52 MEY 250 328 290309 251009 17850 0700 0900 37E,38W,47,52,53,57 ISS 500 155 290309 251009 15300 0700 2000 37,46 ISS 500 190 290309 251009 11700 0800 1000 37S,46 GUF 500 75 290309 060909 13675 0800 1000 37W,46W ISS 500 204 290309 251009 17620 0800 1600 37,46 ISS 500 185 290309 251009 17525 1100 1200 52,53 MEY 250 355 290309 251009 6175 1130 1200 27 ISS 500 270 290309 251009 MeteoMarine 17800 1130 1200 7S,8S,10E,11,12N ISS 500 270 290309 030509 MeteoMarine 15365 1130 1200 7S,8S,10E,11,12N ISS 500 270 030509 060909 MeteoMarine 13640 1130 1200 7,8,10E,11W GUF 250 320 290309 251009 MeteoMarine 17800 1130 1200 7S,8S,10E,11,12N ISS 500 270 060909 251009 MeteoMarine 747 1200-1300 Minhsiung 300 17850 1200 1330 37E,38W,47,52,53,57 ISS 500 155 290309 251009 684 1300-1400 Dongfang Hainan 300 1296 1600-1700 Kunming 300 13685 1600 1700 37,46 ISS 500 185 030509 060909 17620 1600 1700 37,46 ISS 500 185 060909 251009 17620 1600 1700 37,46 ISS 500 185 290309 030509 17850 1600 1800 37E,38W,47,52,53,57 ISS 500 155 290309 251009 15300 1700 1900 37E,38W,47,52,57 ISS 500 155 290309 251009 13695 1700 2000 37,46 ISS 500 190 290309 251009 17620 1700 2200 37,46 GUF 500 75 290309 251009 11705 1800 2000 37E,38W,47,52,57 ISS 500 155 290309 251009 9790 1900 2000 37E,38W,46E,47,52,57N ISS 500 155 290309 251009 9790 1900 2100 37W,46W ISS 500 204 290309 251009 11700 2000 2100 37,46 ISS 500 185 290309 251009 5895 2000 2200 38,47,48W,52N MEY 250 355 290309 251009 6175 2100 2200 37W,46W ISS 500 204 060909 251009 9790 2100 2200 37W,46W ISS 500 204 290309 060909 HAUSA 9805 0600 0630 37E,38W,46E,47 ISS 500 170 290309 251009 11995 0600 0630 37E,38W,46E,47 ISS 500 170 290309 251009 11615 0700 0730 37E,38W,46E,47 ISS 500 170 290309 251009 13685 0700 0730 37E,38W,46E,47 ISS 500 170 290309 251009 15315 1600 1700 37E,38W,46E,47 ISS 500 170 290309 251009 PERSIAN 15360 1430 1500 28S,29S,39N,40 ISS 500 80 290309 251009 17850 1430 1500 28S,29S,39N,40 ISS 500 80 290309 251009 11695 1700 1800 28S,29S,39N,40 ISS 500 85 290309 251009 PORTUGUESE TO AFRICA 11830 0600 0700 46S,47S,52 MEY 250 330 290309 251009 11765 1700 1800 37W,46W ISS 500 204 030509 251009 15530 1700 1800 46,47,52,57N ISS 500 160 290309 251009 RUSSIAN 15160 1300 1330 18S,28,29 ISS 500 55 290309 251009 17805 1300 1330 28,29,30S ISS 500 80 290309 251009 15215 1500 1530 28,29,30S ISS 500 80 290309 251009 13625 1500 1530 18S,28,29 ISS 500 55 290309 251009 11715 1800 1900 28,29,30S ISS 500 80 290309 251009 9805 1800 1900 29S,30W,39N ISS 500 55 290309 251009 SPANISH TO LATIN AMERICA 5995 0100 0130 7S,8S,10,11,12N GUF 250 295 290309 251009 9750 0100 0130 7S,8S,10,11,12N GUF 250 295 290309 251009 5970 1000 1030 7S,8S,10E,11 GUF 250 295 290309 251009 9825 1000 1030 7S,8S,10E,11 GUF 250 295 290309 251009 13640 1200 1230 10E,11 GUF 250 295 290309 251009 17630 2100 2130 7S,8S,10,11,12N GUF 250 295 290309 251009 VIETNAMESE 7380 1400-1500 Tainan 100 250 1296 1500-1600 Kunming 300 (Dragan Lekic, Serbia, April 29 dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Wertachtal: Googling I found 14 images of the site at: http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0029009 Click on shortwave transmitters and it's one of 9 entries. Put transmitters into their search engine and there are many other transmitters with images there (Mike Barraclough, England, April 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. MV Baltic Radio is on this Sunday the 3rd of May at 0900 to 1000 UT on our normal channel of 6140 KHz. MV Baltic Radio relay service Schedule for summer 2009 1st Sunday – MV Baltic Radio 3rd Sunday – European Music Radio 4th Sunday – Radio Gloria International --- We wish you good listening and good reception! 73s (Tom Taylor, May 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. RADIO JOYSTICKs studio moved from Northrine [sic]- Westfalia to Rhineland-Palatinate 2 weeks ago. That may excude [sic] the little errors in the actual RADIO JOYSTICK show which will be broadcasted this Saturday morning on 9510 kHz. It's worth listening anyway, not only because of the playlist ... BEATS INT.; Dub Be Good To Me (ext. Version); Metronome Al HUDSON & PARTNERS; You Can Do It; MCA THE THREE DEGREES; Take Good Care Of Yourself; EPIC THE PLAYER'S ASSOCIATION; Turn The Music Up (ext.) ; Vanguard Lonnie Linston SMITH; Expansions Part 1; StreetBeat HET GOEDE DOEL; Belgie (Is er Leven op Pluto?); CNR Esther PHILLIPS; What A Diff'rence A Day Makes; Metronome Paul HARDCASTLE; The Wizard; Chrysalis RE-FLEX; The Politics Of Dancing; EMI THE EMOTIONS; Best Of My Love; CBS YARBROUGH & PEOPLES; Don't Stop The Music; ZYX THE GAP-BAND; Zibble Zibble; RCA Morris DAY; Fishnet; WEA ... but also because of the sensational background news from Malta: Why won't the plans for a underground parking deck near Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta be realized? The answer is given in the new show (German language)! Tune in - and remember: Everyone who writes in with return postage will receive the brandnew, 4coloured and weather-proof mini-sticker of RADIO JOYSTICK which shows the pittoresque view on Popeye Village, the famous movie set on the island of Malta. The NEW address: RADIO JOYSTICK DJ Charlie Prince P. O. Box 23 31 55512 BAD KREUZNACH ALLEMAGNE Cell: +49 179 3 615 394 (Charlie Prince, HCDX via DXLD) This was the monthly pre-emption of World of Radio via Slovakia at 0800 Saturday May 2 (gh) ** GERMANY [and non]. ALEMANIA, 11770, Xradio Tambov, Juelich, 1510- 1520, escuchada el 1 de mayo en ruso a locutor presentando temas de música pop ligera internacional, cuña de ID “Xradio...”, se aprecia en colisión con el servicio en suahili de la Voz de Nigeria que emite en la misma frecuencia de 1500 a 1530, SINPO 33443 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A- 108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. DRM on 6125-6130-6135 outstix like a sorethumb in middle of 49m, April 29 at 0623. Surely strong enough to decode, altho listed as DW English via Sines, PORTUGAL, 0600-0700, 90 kW at 30 degrees, far from usward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Hessischer Rundfunk shuts down 594 kHz Frankfurt-based Hessischer Rundfunk will no longer broadcast on mediumwave as of 2010. All programming produced for mediumwave distribution will be discontinued, including the broadcasts for immigrants in Spanish and Greek. This measure is part of a today released program to save 64 million Euros until 2012. Director Helmut Reitze says that the primary goal of this program is to ensure the existance of Hessischer Rundfunk as an independent body. http://www.hr-online.de/website/derhr/home/presse_meldung_einzel.jsp?rubrik=4820&key=presse_lang_36885900 Exact deadline not specified, but could be 31 Dec 2009. The remarks by Helmut Reitze are not exaggerated, gossip had it recently that a worst case scenario for Hessischer Rundfunk would be to become the Frankfurt outpost of Südwestrundfunk. The program line-up on 594 contains also live coverage of sports and events that matter, as well as broadcasts in other foreign languages, originating from Cologne and Berlin (i.e. just relayed, thus not mentioned in the press release). This doomed mediumwave program is also carried on Astra 1H, as "hr- info +", besides the regular hr-info (as on FM). But this is not a real name, just a satellite channel designator (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 28, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, once HR has left 594 kHz, Croatia has no reason anymore not to use the frequency for their DRM broadcasts after 1500 UT. And then there's a 250 kW transmitter in Bulgaria too on that frequency as well as a very strong Arab (2000 kW). 73 (Herman Boel, MWC via DXLD) ** GERMANY. The DRM test via Burg 1575 kHz ceases "this weekend". Original press release see at http://www.digitalerrundfunk.de A slightly different version of this release appears at http://www.satnews.de/mlesen.php?id=797a4b78cdae75d99456134c6983a643 It includes a further statement that certainly qualifies as key fact: "Due to the low number of receivers in the market a regular digital mediumwave service is not convenient at present." No word about what will happen with 1575 kHz, but presumably it will continue with Voice of Russia in AM throughout the day. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Burg 1575 goes dark --- According to Douglas Kähler, Voice of Russia German service announced today that 1575 will be closed down as of next week. Well, when this pilot project started in August 2006 it had been explained by Medienanstalt Sachsen-Anhalt that it includes analogue VoR relays "temporarily". Now, with the DRM bubble bursting, they apparently prefer silence over VoR relays, and Media Broadcast can write off all recent investments for 1575, like these http://www.waniewski.de/id509.htm So it is quite possible that Sunday or Monday will be the last day of broadcasting from Burg ever. And I just noted that the aerial images at present available from Google have been taken in the right moment: http://maps.google.de/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.287945,11.908633&spn=0.002422,0.004828&t=k&z=18 Cf. http://www.waniewski.de/id502.htm (and more interesting material in this series, including photos of 139 and 531 kHz transmitters, the latter silent for almost a year now, on page 5) (Kai Ludwig, May 1, ibid.) ** GREENLAND [non]. Hi Glenn: This little kumquat about the so-called International Broadcasting Corporation. It changed its name to Copper King Mining Corporation. Well, don't all broadcasting companies eventually get into copper mining? I have no idea if Copper King is still a going concern. Its website is "under construction." 73 (Kim Elliott, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: ENFORCEMENT PROCEEDINGS - Daryn P. Fleming and Mathew C. Bruce Fri. May 01, 2009; Posted: 06:03 PM http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2304057/ May 01, 2009 (SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION RELEASE/ContentWorks via COMTEX) -- The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that on April 14, 2009, the Honorable Robert H. Whaley of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington entered final judgments against Defendants Daryn P. Fleming and Mathew C. Bruce in the above captioned matter, to which Defendants Fleming and Bruce consented, without either admitting or denying the SEC's allegations against them. The final judgments permanently enjoin Defendants Fleming and Bruce from violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The final judgment against Defendant Fleming also prohibits Fleming from acting as the officer or director of any public company, and orders that Fleming pay disgorgement totaling $20,844 in ill-gotten gains, $3,865 in prejudgment interest, and a $35,000 civil penalty. The SEC previously alleged that Defendant Fleming issued false press releases about the business operations of International Broadcasting Corporation, including nonexistent broadcast affiliations with various radio stations. The SEC has also alleged that when Bruce and Fleming were later questioned by investors about these supposed affiliations, they made public misrepresentations live on an International Broadcasting internet radio show to conceal the fact that the original press releases were false. The SEC previously filed a settled civil injunctive action against International Broadcasting Corporation, in which the company consented to the entry of a permanent injunction from violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. [SEC v. Daryn P. Fleming and Mathew C. Bruce, CV-08-029- FVS (E.D. Wa.)] (LR-21021) (via Elliott, DXLD) ** HAWAII [and non]. AFN, Pearl Harbor, 10320-USB, barely audible broadcast talk as I was scanning for Firedrake, April 28 at 1416. Not // Florida 12133.5, but seemed // to equally weak 5765 Guam. Aoki lists the power for each of these as 3 kW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 10320, AFN, Lualualei, 0735-0814, 30 Apr, infos, pops, some chatter; 25442. This was not parallel to 5446.5 Florida. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Lisboa, Portugal, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII. 'B-ROCK'S' THIRD TOUR ON KPOI DRAWS TO CLOSE by Erika Engle POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 30, 2009 http://www.starbulletin.com/columnists/thebuzz/20090430_thebuzz.html Brock Whaley has not been on the air at KPOI-FM 105.9 since last week. He was informed late Tuesday that he is no longer employed by Maui- based Visionary Related Entertainment LLC. "All I can say is that yesterday was Brock's last day," John Aeto, general manager of VRE's Oahu stations, said yesterday. "We are in the process of looking for a new director of programming." Whaley's return to Honolulu in April 2007 launched his third tour at KPOI, though on a different frequency this time around. He recently oversaw its format change from classic rock to classic hits and its rebranding to "The Ride." "I will of course miss my listeners, but also the tremendous staff it was my pleasure to work alongside, during my most recent tour in Honolulu," Whaley said. Not everyone was a fan, as listeners loyal to former afternoon personality Dave Lawrence were bitter about Lawrence's disappearance from the station. Those who were "B-Rock" fans, however, were also avid Hawaii Public Radio listeners, research recently showed. After years in large mainland markets, Whaley did mornings at KPOI-FM 97.5, "98 Rock," from 1983 to 1993, when its format was album-oriented rock. He left when the format flipped to alternative rock under the moniker "The Edge." He worked at KRTR-FM 96.3 and was enlisted by longtime Hawaii broadcaster Austin Vali to help launch "The Blaze," a classic-rock format at the former KDEO-FM 102.7 that was short-lived. Whaley returned to KPOI from 1995 to 2000, when he moved to the mainland, then was recruited to return in 2007 as director of programming for all five Honolulu VRE stations. These comprised KPOI, KQMQ-FM 93.1 "The Zone," KUMU-FM 94.7/AM 1500 and KDDB-FM 102.7 "Da Bomb," but his main oversight was over KPOI and KUMU, he said. "To my ears the KPOI-FM morning show has just been spitting out music from a computer. While it is an understandable cost-cutting move, even the most advanced hard drive can't make a Mufi Hannemann joke," Whaley quipped. Given widespread radio layoffs since deregulation in 1996, up to and including yesterday's cuts of longtime local talent at Clear Channel stations, Whaley said that "this is a difficult time for those who lost their jobs, but it is also a difficult time for anyone who realizes radio's past local service and its potential to entertain." (via Brock Whaley himself, April 30, DXLD, who adds:) Glenn, I guess I have a little more time to track down Mongolian long wavers. Regards, (Brock Whaley, HI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sorry to hear this and best of luck to you wherever you land next (Glenn) ** INDIA. AIR DRM: Checking through the reception reports of their European DRM service on the drmrx.org forums, there are several mentions of hum, distorted sound, low audio, intermittent screeching noises and over modulation. The latest criticism (April 26) from a poster in Switzerland reads; the muck they are transmitting now at 2030 probably makes no sense to the people who speak the language either (Mike Barraclough, England, May World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** INDIA. 5010, AIR Thiruvananthapuram, 0038-0102, April 28, English/ vernacular. End of news with talk re Sri Lanka; at 0040 into Hindi vocal music, similar to Kor'an recitation; W at 0058 thru ToH; poor- fair at t/in; weak by t/out (Scott R. Barbour Jr., Intervale, NH-USA, NRD-545, RX-350D, MLB1, 200' Bev's, 60m Dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) AIR Kolkata is noted today 30 Apr 09 from 0230 on 7200 instead of 7210. On 17 Apr 09 also they were noted on 7200. The sked on this frequency is 0230-0401v (Sat,Sun 0501), 0700-1000(Sun 1030) (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, Camp: Cuttack, Orissa, dx_india yg via DXLD) cf MYANMAR Sorry for the Indian engineers and technicians - I hope they would hit the correct keys in their transmitter site. Fraternally yours in Amateur Radio, (Uli, DJ9-Krishna Radha, ibid.) Today May 1, 2009, AIR Kolkota is noted again on 7200 instead of 7210 from 0230 UT (Jose Jacob, Camp: Cuttack, Orissa, ibid.) ** INDIA. New website of Prasar Bharati, Civil Construction Wing http://ccwprasarbharati.nic.in/ Lot of photos of AIR transmitters/buildings in the photo gallery section : http://ccwprasarbharati.nic.in/gallery.asp?langid=1 ---- (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, May 1, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. Hi Glenn, In response to the AIR e mail address request: The correct e mail address for AIR is spectrum-manager @ air.org.in Best Wishes (Chris Lewis, England, April 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Correct, perhaps, for QSLing reception reports if not for programming (gh, DXLD) ** INDIA [non]. 12085, RUSSIA, TWR India, Novosibirsk, 0038-0045, April 30, listed Bhojpuri. M announcer until 0042 when W announcer with TWR contact info, Lucknow postal address; phone number & URL; brief wind instrument & W; pulled the plug during music bit at 0045; fair at best (Scott R. Barbour Jr., Intervale, NH-USA, NRD-545, RX- 350D, MLB1, 200' Bev's, 60m Dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. VOI, yet another Tuesday with input from RRI Banjarmasin, Kalimantan. 9525 at 1320 April 28, usual features but interspersed continuity is conversation between YL in Jak(?) and OM in Banj; 1330 Focus, on the VP elexion, which is apparently separate from the presidential; 1338 a feature about Banjarmasin, but too much accent and too much noise level to make much out of it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9524.97, VOI, 1320 - English service, +/- 50 Hz spurs, 242; 5/2 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. 7100-7200 kHz log [mostly without times!]: 7100, only carrier / Voice of the Broad Masses? 7104.994, R. Ethiopia, no Chinese, SIO 354, 50-Hz-Buzz: -33 dB 7124.998, carrier. -125 dBm, Conakry? 7124.993, Tibet in En \\ 5240, SIO 322 7129.994, CNR jammer 433 7130.000, Taiwan. 322 7134.994, Belarus Radio, 242-3, 50 Hz -40 dBm 7145.037, Hargeisa, 444 (-73.5 dBm), 50 Hz -46 dBm! 7164.999, Radio Ethiopia in En and ID, 1659 UT, Fr, SIO 444, 50 Hz -55 dBm 7169.890, and 7169.992 UNID, one should be Xizang. 7174.985, Broad Masses Eritrea, jammed by ETH, -75 dBm, 50 Hz -37 dBm (Nils Schiffhauer, Germany, DK8OK, A-DX Apr 26 via BC-DX May 1 via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [and non]. PROJECT BLUE HORIZON. A Cornell University student experiment with a high-altitude balloon traversing the Atlantic was scheduled for launch early UT April 30, but delayed until May 3. Includes CW communications on 40 meters. If interested, look around the website http://courses2.cit.cornell.edu/sysen5960/ which included this on April 30: PBH-10 Launch Date: Sunday May 3, 2009 Launch Location: Owego, NY Launch Time (EDT): 21:00 (01:00 UTC 4/30) [sic] Flight Objective: Trans-Atlantic Flight Flight COMMs: HF CW Frequency: 7102.5 kHz +/-300 Hz Notes: If you’d like to be added to the mission map (on homepage) please send your location and call-sign to pbhdata@gmail.com. Please check back to this site for updates and details regarding PBH-10. And they are also on Twitter. Tnx to Andrea Borgnino tip on bclnews.it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS. THE BOAT THAT ROCKED - DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY If anyone hasn't yet seen the Boat..Rocked film yet, let me try & save you some money. I went last night with my good lady Ann & our son Mike (age 17). What an absolute load of drivel. I still can't work out what the story was - there wasn't one. I am a self confessed anorak, but left my anorak at home knowing that this was likely to be very factually incorrect. That didn't worry me, but I did at least expect some form of story line with a reasonable level of humour. Well - if you like playground humour of the base kind & stereotypical characters, then you won't be disappointed. When you think of the rich history there is for this subject, you'd think something a bit more inspiring & uplifting could have been created. I feel sorry for the actors having had to peddle this rubbish around all the talk shows for the last few weeks, knowing what the film was really like. I suggest if you want some decent easy going 60's drama, then record 2 episodes of Heartbeat instead. Oh yes - what happened to the LV18 ? Finally - if you want confirmation of my view, the cinema was virtually empty, Ann (normal viewer) thought it was useless & so did Mike (normal teenage viewer). Still - at least I won't have to waste £15 on the dvd (James Salmon, April 30, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) Thanks for the no-punches-pulled review Jim! It's now a month since we asked for no further mention of TBTR, so that members could view it for themselves. It's had mixed reviews. There's 287 at: http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/86395/the-boat- that-rocked.html But I actually quite enjoyed the film (as did the other moderators). More surprising to me, teenagers at our screening in Henley quite enjoyed it. There's a couple of reviews also in May 'Communication' (now at the printers). Sadly, the LV18 ended up on the cutting-room floor I think (Alan Pennington, moderator, ibid.) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [and non]. BBC London: Tony Blackburn's Pirate Radio Special --- Spotted by a Digital Spy poster: BBC London 94.9, Monday May 4 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. UK time (UTC+1) [1400- 1800 UT], Tony Blackburn's Pirate Radio Special --- A lookback [sic] at the era of pirate radio with Tony Blackburn, great guests and music. http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/radio/ (Mike Barraclough, worlddxclub yg via DXLD) ** IRAN. 15150.01 (presumed), Voice of Iran, Sirjan, 1345 - Arabic news talk by man and woman, weak +/- 100 Hz spurs, 232; 5/2 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [and non]. These young Iranians trust VOA and BBC. [axually, VOA MORE THAN BBC --- gh] In an internet survey of Iranians, aged 20-29, "when asked what media sources they trusted, only 10% said they trusted the Islamic Republic’s sources, while the majority trusted Voice of America and BBC." http://www.iranpresswatch.org/2009/04/iranian-identity/comment-page-1/ Iran Press Watch, 27 April 2009, with link to pdf of complete findings. (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Not a representative survey, but very detailed, with an N of 4,024, including 2,523 inside Iran. The male respondents say they trust: VOA TV and radio (54%), Radio Farda (27%), BBC (23%), Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (10%). Women: VOA (40%), BBC (30%), Radio Farda (19%), IRIB (10%). Posted: 29 Apr 2009 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) The IPW link above starts with some startling figures about the decline of Islam in Iran (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. LITHUANIA, Iran relayed on 1386 kHz. VOIRI in Russian is relayed on 1386 kHz from 1700-1800 UT probably via Sitkunai, Lithuania. At the end of their transmission they mention this new frequency which covers the western part of Russia, Ukraine and Baltic countries - I mean EST, LTU, LVA. Excellent signal in Czech Republic. Yesterday (Apr 23) I heard it for the first time, so it is a real news (Karel Honzik, CZECHIA, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews May 1 via DXLD) ** ISRAEL [and non]. 15785, weak mix of music and talk, fading out, modulation seems distorted, but carrier is stable, May 2 at 2146 and still there at 2201 presumably in Hebrew as nothing else known here but Galei Zahal, IDF station. HFCC ignores it; Aoki has it only at 07- 16 with 5 kW non-direxional, so I`ll have to go with EiBi showing time as 06-24. Only other station at any time on 15785 is CRI via Xi`an not continuously between 0100 and 0700 in English, Chinese (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. Kol Israel Persian service now scheduled 1500-1600 on 9985 and 11595 per the Eike Bierwirth frequency list. Audible here well above the jamming on 11595 at 1515 April 27 but only heard jamming on 9985 (Mike Barraclough, England, May World DX Club Contact via DXLD) I.e. KI`s ONLY external SW service left, ex-13 MHz band (gh) ** ITALY. AFN FACES RADIO SILENCE IN ITALY American Forces Network radio in Naples is out of commission while AFN officials await Italian approval to use a new transmitter. The transmitter is on a site that is home to a number of radio, television and cell phone towers perched atop Collina dei Camaldoli. The site is "hot [with electromagnetic field emissions] and there have been many complaints from residents in the area," said Giuseppe D'Antonio, with Agenzia Regionale Protezione Ambientale Campania, the regional equivalent of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For decades, AFN broadcast from a tower at the monastery atop Camaldoli. An extended lease expires Thursday, and AFN cut the radio signal 10 a.m. Monday to give crews time to disassemble and clear away the transmitter and tower, according to Maj. Tom Bryant, senior commander of AFN operations in Italy. AFN contracted with Italian state-run station RAI to use an existing tower for a new transmitter, off monastery property but still atop Camaldoli, which at 1,482 feet, is the highest site in Naples and prime real estate from which stations broadcast unimpeded signals. AFN is the only English-speaking radio station in the Naples area. "It's really important for us to resume broadcasting, " said Bryant, the senior commander of AFN operations in Italy. "It's critical we be able to get timely and accurate information to our listeners." But the cumulative emissions from the dozens of towers atop Camaldoli have raised potential health concerns in addition to public outcry, D'Antonio said, making Italian officials leery of granting permission for more. "There is a lot of controversy" with the site, he said Tuesday. Italian environmental experts are scheduled to meet with Naples officials on Thursday to discuss the whole issue of electromagnetic field emissions at Camaldoli - but U.S. officials have not been invited to attend. Bryant says cumulative readings notwithstanding, AFN's new transmitter emits EMFs below Italian legal standards. Italian law sets two standards for emissions. In areas where people are spending less than four consecutive hours, such as driving by a tower on a highway, the maximum level is 20 volts per meter for each transmitter. In areas where people are present for more than four consecutive hours, such as homes, offices, or schools, the maximum level is 6 volts per meter for each transmitter. On April 6, RAI technicians conducted two tests of AFN's new transmitter on the RAI tower, "on the top of the hill in the middle of woods on uneven terrain," Bryant said. Results showed emissions of 4.3 volts per meter, and 4.25 volts per meter, Bryant said. On April 7, Naples environmental experts from D'Antonio's office conducted a second set of tests, showing 5.2 volts per meter and 5.4 volts per meter. Bryant did not know why there was a difference in readings. "Perhaps it was the calibration of the equipment. Regardless, both tests were below the Italian standard of 6 volts per meter," Bryant said. The U.S. consulate in Naples is monitoring the situation, but would say little else. Any request to use the transmitter has to be approved by the Italian authorities, and "must respect all relevant Italian health and environment regulations, " consulate spokeswoman Amy Bliss said in an e-mailed statement. "We're following the matter, and hope that it can be resolved soon." AFN TV programming is not affected, and people with access to TV can listen to the radio programs. Base residents can listen to 106 FM on the television's program guide channel, and those with AFN decoders off base can listen to 106 FM on channel 182, and 107 FM on channel 183 (Stripes.com via Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, May 1, bclnews.it yg via DXLD) ** JAPAN [non]. Apr. 29, 1710z, [UT Wednesday] 13740 kHz, Radio Japan in Japanese via DHAbbaya [UAE] 500 kW, 285 degrees, EXCELLENT reception. OM just stopped talking and a wonderful instrumental HOT JAZZ music program started. I enjoyed very much. I didn't know they have weekly jazz program. Really worthy of listening. Sweet memories of old hot jazz (Dragan Lekic, Serbia, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [and non]. 9665v, April 30 at 1347, harmonious Juche music from KCBS, low het no doubt from Mongolia as confirmed by Martien Groot, Netherlands. VOM might have picked a better new frequency. VOK also inbooming in stilted English, different music on 9335 and 11710 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 5910, Shiokaze/Sea Breeze via Yamata; *1400- 1407, April 28. In not often heard Chinese, but with heavy accent; fair with no jamming. 5910, Shiokaze/Sea Breeze via Yamata, *1400-1430*, April 29 (Wed.). On with piano IS; “JSR. This is Shiokaze Sea Breeze, the shortwave radio program from Tokyo, Japan. This program is broadcast by the Japanese private organization COMJAN, which has been investigating missing Japanese”; program in English with detailed personal information about the abductees; fair. Heavy jamming heard from 1358 to 1400, then off till started again at 1415, after which was heard intermittently; jamming still on after 1445. Have posted audio file of the introduction announcement to “Files > Station Sounds” (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KUWAIT. 11670-11675-11680, (DRM) MOI Kuwait, Sulabiyah, 2208 - Occasional decodes beginning at 2208 with Arabic talk, music. 11.64 kpps EEP, aac, Mono encoding. Strong Cuba on 11670 until shortly before 2300, then REE from 2255 on 11680 kHz interfering, or vice versa; 5/1 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LAOS. Re 9-036: Just checked to find out that Lao National Radio website is back: http://www.lnr.org.la/ Related webpage of Ministry of Information & Culture with links for provincial radio stations: http://www.culturalprofiles.net/Laos/Units/142.html (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, 1056 UT May 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MADAGASCAR. MADAGASCAR GOVERNMENT GUILTY OF CENSORSHIP - watchdog Thu Apr 23 17:08:23 UTC 2009 * Media watchdog criticises return of censorship * Calls for new law preventing abuse of media PORT LOUIS, April 23 (Reuters) - A media watchdog has criticised the return of censorship and curbs on the freedom of expression under Madagascar's new army-backed government. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the island's media was the target of alarming measures, often carried out in a heavy-handed manner under President Andry Rajoelina -- who took power after deposed leader Marc Ravalomanana quit under pressure from the army. "The current political climate and institutional instability does not justify the return of censorship," RSF said in a report released on Thursday. "While punishing appeals for hate or violence, President Andry Rajoelina must guarantee the free expression of opinions as well as complete neutral coverage of demonstrations." RSF said authorities ordered state-owned Television Nationale Malgache (TNM) and Radio Nationale Malgache (RNM) to impose a news blackout on near-daily opposition demonstrations but welcomed the creation of Madagascar's first ministry dedicated to communications. . . http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSLN977015 (via Dale Park, HI, April 25, DXLD) ** MALI. 5995, RTV du Mali, Apr 27 0535-0545. Splendid listening. Tribal music of drums, guitars and whistles, some vocals. Reminiscent of the sound track from one of those long-ago Tarzan movies. OM with Radio Mali ID's throughout. Fair to good signal (Bruce Barker, Broomall, PA, NRD535D and an Alpha Delta DX Sloper antenna, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1458, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [and non]. UABC Radio 1630 --- Here is what I am listening to now: http://extension.rec.uabc.mx/dgeu/radio/escuchanos.htm Really neat classical station! XEUT Tijuana 1630 was coming in here for a while over KRND Fox Farm, WY. Now it is buried below. (BTW - - KRND transmits without a lower sideband, oddly.) (Dave Walcutt, Eugene OR, 0546 UT May 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 6009.96, Radio Mil, 0815-0840, May 1, local music. IDs. Ads. Jingles. Announcements. ID jingles. Romantic ballads. Fair to good and in the clear. No sign of either Colombia or Brazil (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MICRONESIA. April 26: In Micronesia, Pastor Norbert (Nob) Kalau has an FM radio station that reaches the island of Pohnpei and a SW station that reaches several hundred other islands. Pray that many turn to the Lord through this Christian broadcasting (Galcom Prayer Bulletin March-May 2009 via DXLD) No, it doesn`t; the SW station on 4755 has been silent for a sesquiyear after a brief period of activity. But admitting that here might hurt fundraising. They keep making excuses for its absence (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONGOLIA. 12085, Rádio Voz da Mongólia, Ulaan Baatar, English, 1027, 25/04, music English, YL, news, 35233 (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso (SWL1033B). Bandeirantes/ PR, Brasil, Engenheiro Agrônomo, Receptor: Degen DE1103, Antenas: LW do Degen e RC3-FM, dxclube pr yg via DXLD) ** MOROCCO. 15345, RTV Marocaine, Nador, 2030 - time pips, Arabic talk, Berber vocals, huge het from RAE, even better signal at 2130 re- check; 5/2 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MOROCCO [and non]. 15345, RTM, fair with Arabic music, May 2 at 2148, no sign of Argentina, altho Chile was VG on 15410; but RTM still on at 2201 with YL in Arabic news, and now a low het barely audible, BFO confirming two carriers on slightly different frequencies. Morocco still on at 2205, back to music, so suspended efforts to hear RAE at the moment (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ARGENTINA/MOROCCO, 15345.07 kHz At 2000 UT on May 2nd RAE Spanish Saturday program signed-on S=9 to S=+10 dB in Europe. Very weak Nador Morocco in Arabic on 15345.00 towards 125 degrees at Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen, S.Arabia, traced from 1700-2000 UT with only S=1 tiny signal, hardly could recognize Arabic language, here in southern Germany. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also ARGENTINA, 15345.09 ** MYANMAR. On new 7200, ex 7185 kHz, heard on April 17-19th as follows: carrier at 0025 (SIO=454), without IS; 0030 sign-on, with national anthem, a lady voice in vernacular language ID "Radio Myanma" and talking, next sermon slow song Buddhist, lady voice, and folk songs but fade out around 0100 UT or maybe the transmissions were shortened? Ten days before, the observations on 7185 khz gave the results that in English the programs were only Mon-Fri UT (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, May 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. Radio Seagull and Radio Waddenzee From Wednesday 20 May to Saturday 6 June. Radio Waddenzee/Radio Seagull will be broadcasting on 1602 kHz (188 meters) offshore near the island of Griend which is a small, uninhabited, Dutch island in the Wadden Sea. This from the Radio Seagull website: http://www.radioseagull.com/ Offshore Radio in the 21st century !! Yes, we are doing it again! After having challenged history by anchoring a radio ship 8 miles out in the high seas last year, we are going to do it again in 2009 !!! One of the only two radio ships left in the world, the LV Jenni Baynton, will be anchoring in the Wadden sea off Holland from May 20th till June 6th. Mind you, this is not a private owned ship temporarily fitted out as a radio ship, this is a real genuine radio ship. Radio Seagull (together with her sister station Radio Waddenzee) broadcast on the Medium Wave, 1602 AM. The ship, home of both stations, is usually moored alongside a pier in a small Dutch seaport called Harlingen. Once a year the ship is towed out at sea, manned with DJ's and engineers and broadcasts using the ship's transmitter. The land site, from which we usually broadcast, is switched off for the occasion. When the ship is out, you can arrange for a tendervisit. How many chances do you think you'll get to actually visit a transmitting radio ship in your life? This might be the last chance to actually experience the feeling we all know so well from the 60's, 70's, 80's and a bit of the 90's! If you want to come over, please send an email to radioseagull@home.nl or call 0031-628 34 97 78 and leave name and number or send a text message. The Radio Waddenzee website is in Dutch at http://www.radiowaddenzee.nl/ The stations are usually landbased and can also be heard online (via Mike Terry, May 2, dxldyg via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 9650, CRI at 1300-1400 via Sackville in English, 250 kW aimed 240 degrees rather close to my azimuth, puts in a big reliable signal, but as I have been noticing ever since A-09 began, has considerable co-channel QRM from R. Netherlands in Dutch via Philippines, despite the latter supposedly aimed 200 degrees from Tinang. Serves the ChiCom right for all their deliberate blockage of Western broadcasts into China, to get creamed by this unintentional collision! RN is registered only at 1300-1327 but I have previously noted this staying on until 1330, and May 2 it was strong enough to make out the content. After the Dutch NA until 1327, switched to English for 3 minutes of The State We`re In, as I heard mentioned World Press Freedom Day, the very topic shown in this week`s RN programme previewwes. And it cut off at 1330* sharp. This is not the first time IBB has failed to match the exact times it should be relaying RN, but hey, it`s two additional sesquiminutes of well-deserved QRM to CRI (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. News from Deborah Rey/fka Dody Cowan I received an email from Deborah Rey advising that the text of her semi-autobiographical work, Rachel Sarai's Vineyard, has been published online at http://www.immasgirl.blogspot.com/ Deborah voluntarily withdrew her work from bookstores last year, reportedly after suffering harassment. From her bio: Deborah Rey (1938) was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. During, and after finishing High School she worked in radio, (later) television, publicity and the theatre, as a broadcaster, entertainer, scriptwriter, translator, editor, and actress, in the Netherlands, Canada and the USA. Rey is recognised by the Dutch Foundation 1940-1945 as a participant in the Dutch Resistance during the German occupation of The Netherlands during World War II. Today, she lives at the French Atlantic coast with her husband, two dogs, and five cats. ---- Deborah Rey was once known as Dody Cowan. She and her former husband Jerry produced an immensely popular weekly request program on Radio Nederland that is still well remembered by their fans. Dan Lewis interviewed Deborah last June on WBCQ and they spoke about her life on an off the radio. The interview may be heard at http://johnlightning.com/11LRNI/RNI-Firesale-Shows/Dan%20Lewis%2007-20-08-Hr1.mp3 --- The next Dan Lewis show will be heard live on WBCQ on May 31, 2009 at 8 PM EDST (June 1 0100 UT [sic: it`s either 0000 UT or 9 pm EDT -- gh]) on 5110 kHz and streaming online at http://johnlightning.com:8000/listen.pls (Dan Lewis, May 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. 15715-15720-15725, (DRM) RNZI, 2125 - Consistent data decode displaying RNZI English with 4-7 dB SNR. Slowly strengthening to 8-11+ dB SNR from 2140 to 2200 with occasional 1-2 second audio decodes then fading after 2200 UT. 17.08 kbps EEP AAC+ Mono encoding; 5/1 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 9690, VON, Apr 27 *0800-0835, Abrupt sign-on with no fanfare or s-on announcement. OM talking in listed Hausa until 0830. Sounded like news and maybe a commentary until ID in English and Hausa at 0830: "This is the Voice of Nigeria...(?) Lagos." Musical bridges separated more talk until tune-out at 0835. Fair signal with deep fades (Bruce Barker, Broomall, PA, NRD535D and an Alpha Delta DX Sloper antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9690, Voice of Nigeria, 1120-1135, May 1, tips on how to make a dress. IDs. Contact information. Preview of upcoming programs. Local drums. Fair (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. Hi Glenn, Just in case you haven't heard about this, check out the 'Beware - Marco Hommel is the "German Bellabarba"' thread in the "The Grapevine Pirate Shortwave" forum over at www.frn.net/vines web site. Looks like the pirates baited a DXer in Europe sending faked reception reports for some time now, and caught him red-handed. . . http://www.frn.net/vines/Forum1/HTML/003554.html (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6925 USB, PIRATE, Yellow Rhino Radio, 0008 - Rock music, Stones, Cream, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc. Man with ID repeated and giving yellowrhinoradio @ gmail.com email address; 5/2 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. QSL: CSIC Voice of the Great White North CANADA, CSIC Radio - 7425 kHz & 7413 kHz, 2 f/d form letters, QSL #524 and #535, along with a CSIC Radio International Information Sheet June/93. In 185 months for $1, no f/up. V/s Rambo. Many thanks to Andrew Yoder who discovered these QSLs which had been returned to the CSIC being marked undeliverable. I have to say, 15 years and 5 months for a QSL is my personal record! -- (Brandon Jordan, Memphis, TN, USA, http://www.bcdx.org May 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) But do we KNOW CSIC was in Canada, or just pretending? Thus placement here, continentally (gh, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. Note To Neilsen: KRMG and KTOK Have All the Listeners They Want! « on: April 25, 2009, 06:28:02 am » I am not a radio guy. I’m at the other end of the wire that comes out of the back of that Electro Voice RE20. Last Thursday, I was working in Norman and had an almost unreadable KRMG signal on my walkman radio. I decided to listen using Wunderradio on my iPhone, but when I tried to load the KRMG stream, it wouldn’t load. Thinking I had a poor signal, I tried KTOK with the same result. The help screen informed me that KTOK no longer worked because Clear Channel has developed it’s own iPhone application exclusively for CC streams (not gonna happen guys ). To solve the KRMG problem, I searched Wunderradio for other stations streaming the Boortz show and listened to WSB in Atlanta. Later, I sent a bug report to Wunderradio about KRMG and got an almost immediate response telling me, to my amazement, that the stream was no longer available! I have heard the phrase “doubling down on stupid” often recently and I think that I now know what it means. What is the deal with radio stations ignoring potential listeners by withholding their programming (and their commercials) from portable devices like the iPhone. I understand that even Sirius/XM is developing an iPhone application that will allow subscribers to access programming. Radio out of a single stick is well and good, but radio out of every cellular stick in the world seems like a good plan as well. I don’t think having a Clear Channel application and a Cox application and . . . is a very smart idea either. I wonder what Bob Hurley Ford and Joe Marina Honda or the New Balance Store would think knowing that people who would otherwise be listening to KRMG are instead, out of necessity, listening to commercials for a Ford dealer in Atlanta. It just doesn’t make sense (woodyrr, April 25, radio-info.com Oklahoma board via DXLD) Look for ooTunes in the app store. I just pulled up both streams and they worked. Look under Tulsa... (OKCRadioguy, ibid.) Radio's in a tough way when it comes to the internet; as you pointed out, they can't NOT be available to their audience. At the same time, they don't want to pay the bandwidth bill to stream to listeners in Lithuania who is most certainly out of the 6-county survey area & isn't likely cared about by Bob Hurley Ford and Joe Marina Honda or the New Balance Store. I don't have a good answer to this one. Do you limit your listening audience to a certain set of cell towers & zip codes & risk ticking off people on vacation, transplants to or from the market, & possibly an out of state owner of a local business, or do you open it all up & risk building an (expensive) fan club in Germany? I've had this discussion with a station owner. It's not an easy decision to make. Thankfully, so far most stations are at the least leaving themselves open to the continental U.S., & I think most are globally available. Another problem arises when you realize these stations are trying to pay for their streams often with banner ads and pre-stream video ads. Trying to pull this in over a cell phone can easily break the system, either leaving them without the revenue to pay for your stream or you without the stream. As a cell phone listener you are on the bleeding edge of technology. Which I applaud! If I had my way, internet radio would be factory- standard in every vehicle rolling off the assembly line next year. (There may not be too many, so that might not be too hard to accomplish. *rim shot*) However, as a trail-blazer, you'll need to keep in mind there may be a few hiccups along the way, or the occasional app you'll need to download to make your phone & the internet streams "play nice." Normally these apps will only help you listen, not spam you or anything weird like that. I hope you'll give them a shot. Some day, internet radio will be standard everywhere, & our grandkids will ask, "did you REALLY lose the signal when you left town?" In the meantime, stations continue to work to make themselves available wherever & however they can... and, sometimes, it's not all smooth sailing. Hang in there, & keep trying! (Nightaire, ibid.) Thanks for the information. I don't know how any of this actually works, but I know that when I first downloaded the application, KRMG, KTOK, KMGL (Magic 104.1 OKC), Mix 96 (Tulsa) and KAAM (Dallas) were the stations that I was interested in listening to and all were available. Today, Wunderradio tell me that Clear Channel (KTOK) has asked them to remove all CC streams from their list of available stations, and for reasons not explained, KRMG is no longer available, and those, especially KRMG are the two I depend on most. The bottom line is that I work alone and I like listening to the radio while I'm working. I'm on the fringe of technology out of necessity rather than choice. I see devices like the iPhone as the wave of the future. In addition to audio (iTunes, podcasts, and radio streams), I have an application from amazon.com that allows me to download and read Kindle ebooks anywhere I am. Removing streams that were previously available while they work out the details seems to be the wrong approach. Maybe they could come up with a radio stream clearing house, like iTunes or amazon.com (which is where I prefer to buy my mp3s) that could offer subscriptions to feeds, but it would have to be at a very reasonable fee (like the mp3s). I have XM and it costs me over 250.00 a year for 2 radios which for me is tolerable for now, but not indefinitely. Until some bright ten year old comes up with a plan, at least with syndicated programming, there are other stations like WSB that are streaming to the iPhone. I will have to think before purchasing ooTunes. I have no assurance that Clear Channel stations and KRMG won't be pulled from it in the near future as well. I realize that radio stations are having a tough time of it, but for the listener, I see these as the best of times. Gone are the days when one has to pick one of the few local stations and make the best of it. If I want to listen to Boortz, I find Boortz and listen. If someone else is partial to music played on the Theremin, I'll bet there's a station for that. I'd just rather see the opportunities for choice expanded rather than contracted. As NightAire says, we just have to figure out a way to pay for it (woodyrr, ibid.) KRMG's stream will return (Matt Bradley, APD K95.5 FM, Cox Radio - Tulsa, ibid.) Unfortunately radio companies in general are very backwards in their thinking. Instead of trying to work towards getting the most listenership regardless of the type of signal they worry about control. They lost that control years ago, similar to the other relic industry called the record company. Radio needs to pull it's head out of it's butt soon or it will be too late. We are content providers. Pay the costs and move on. They should fight the record jerks for their rape-tax with all guns blaring but pure streaming costs are insignificant. It's all the other leaches that need to be controlled before it ruins us (OKCradioguy, ibid.) ooTunes costs $4. That's the real answer to your question. Frankly it seems like a pretty small gamble to me if you enjoy radio that much. Have you looked around the podcast section of iTunes? You might find something there you like as much or more than the live stuff you hear on KRMG. It might be a day or so behind, but it'll have fewer or no commercials! Terrestrial radio will kill itself and probably sooner than later. I bet I haven't listened to an hour of live radio since I got an iPhone and plugged it into my car stereo three months ago (Bryan Pennington, ibid.) ** OKLAHOMA. KRMG LOSES ALL CREDIBILITY « on: April 17, 2009, 03:49:39 pm » http://krmg.com/features/teapartytulsa.html http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=62867554108 Wait, who's that on facebook? Oh it's Joe Kelley, host of the KRMG Morning News, inviting you to come to the Tea Party. How do KRMG and KFAQ come away from April 15 as having any credibility with anyone besides the tea party crowd? [there follows a long thread:] http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,124856.0.html (Glenn Quagmire, radio-info.com Oklahoma board via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. On KGMC-DT, 44-3 (which simulcasts KSDI-LP 33 analog) has switched from "The Sportsman's Channel" to "The Pursuit Channel". Dennis [Smith, CA] says the programming is similar and he suspects it may just be a new name for the same network (TV News, May VHF UHF Digest via DXLD) This reminds me that KXOK-32, and KXOK-LD-31 in Enid have also been displaying a PURSUIT bug in the lower right much of the time. It comes and goes even during that net`s programming, and is rather hard to make out. There is a silhouette of an antlered creature on top of part of the U and the R, and something else later in the word. BTW, entering 32 on the STB does not remap to 31-1. One must enter 31 directly to get their digital channel. The strange remapping to 12 was deleted weeks ago, but they still don`t have it quite right. Yes, analog 32 is still on the air. 31 is still so low power that it breaks up unless the antenna is pointed right at it, which it usually is not, a different direxion than OKC (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. ``WECS`` the kiddie plaything at Emmanuel Christian School on West Garriott in Enid, was heard again several times during April as I drove by within a few blox, very low power part-15 on 97.7, with a quick loop over and over mentioning birthdays, school activities, Bible verse, etc. Each was supposed to cover a single week tho one kept running for two weeks. But April 30 at 1857 it was missing. I still spy the presumed antenna on the roof; we shall see if it`s gone for good and/or whether it is on at all for VBS this summer. Of course it could have QSYed and I did not scan the entire FM band looking for it while in range. KHEV, 90.3 in Fairview OK west of Enid (and the transmitter site is a little further, SW of Fairview), is on the air and audible here tho not solidly, monitored April 30 from 1859 UT. KHEV was airing a full- blown minute-long COMMERCIAL for Nationwide as I tuned in, and then illegal ID for its primary, KHYM 103.9. The location of KHYM was never mentioned, but there were two separate lists of some of its relays/translators in places such as Woodward, Guymon, Laverne, Keyes, Shattuck OK, Elkhart, Ulysses KS, NOT including the one I was listening to. Nor was there any ID for KHEV Fairview at all. Then SRN `News`, the slanted network favored by gospel huxters. 1904 promo for Great Plains Christian Radio, ad for church activity in Ulysses, etc. Slogan ``Praise and Encouragement KHYM``. Strangely enough there does not seem to be a station or frequency list at http://www.khym.org/ but we see it is an alternate outlet to the better-known KJIL network (Jesus Is Love) based in Meade KS, which also has a lot of relays in KS and OK cluttering up the NCE band. As for KHYM, per FCC info the 103.9 transmitter is 100 kW near Copeland KS, which is off US 56 SW of Dodge City, and forms an isosceles triangle with Garden City. Meade itself, whose other claim to fame is a Dalton Gang Hideout, is on US 54 halfway to Oklahoma, SE of Copeland. FCC says this 103.9 is ``Commercial channel reserved for Noncommercial Educational use`` -- o yeah? They are not even allowed to run commercials on 103.9 yet do so anyway. They deserve a big fine for that plus failure to legally ID. This is of interest here because, as previously reported, the new 90.3 transmitter in Fairview, tho only 490 watts, is not a translator and thus was able to bump off the Enid gospel huxter translator on 90.3, which tho even lower powered, 250 watts, was downtown and enough to interfere with OKC`s classical outlet, KCSC on 90.1. Now in Enid KCSC no longer gets ACI from 90.3, but depending on tropo still can struggle against the full-power Hutchinson KS classical station, KHCC on 90.1, especially on antennas with no front-to-back rejexion. The Enid 90.3 K212EL is being replaced by 100.9, still listed by FCC with same callsign, but of course a different one is required on a different channel. Both are licensed to Bible Broadcasting Network. Bill Hale`s final FCC FM news column in the May VHF-UHF Digest says it`s K265EJ, on the air on 100.9, but it is not on the air, and FCC search fails to find that callsign. Periodic chex of 99.7 show that frequency is still empty. It`s already been several months since the Enid/Alva 99.7 KNID transmitter was turned off to be moved to the more lucrative Mustang/OKC market, with KNID reborn on 107.1. Its site is the one on State Hwy 132 NW of Enid originally occupied by 96.9 before that was moved halfway to OKC (Glenn Hauser, Enid, April 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. We notice that despite the fact that KOSN 107.5 Ketchum- Tulsa has been off the air for weeks, IDs heard on originating station KOSU 91.7 Stillwater-OKC still jointly mention KOSN! Too much trouble to recut all the automation IDs? But is it ethical to keep IDing for a station that is not on the air? Checking the website May 1 we find this update; will the new one be better protected than the old ones, and is this why that commercial station was for sale and so easily bought? ``Lightning Update: New Antenna Needed --- KOSU has ordered a new antenna for 107.5 to replace the antenna that was damaged for the second time by lightning on March 30. The new antenna is currently being built and is tentatively scheduled to ship on May 8. Weather permitting, it is our hope to return 107.5 to the air within the next three weeks. KOSU apologizes for the continued outage at 107.5 and we thank our NE Oklahoma area listeners for their understanding and support.`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OMAN. 15140, Radio Sultanate of Oman (Thumrait) (presumed), 1624- 1642, 4/28/2009, Arabic. Pop music. Announcements by woman at 1629 followed by news. Music resumed at 1641. Signal was initially good with fading, but had deteriorated badly by 1641. Haven't heard this station for over a year (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, Eton E1, Random Wires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. Radio Pakistan A09 schedule --- Hi Glenn, May 1, 2009. Today I monitored the following frequencies of Radio Pakistan announced for A09 season. 1030-1130 UT, 9345 kHz for Hindi service. The transmitter was API-9, the new one, but the signal was not as clear as should be for a new transmitter. Hindi service was also monitored on 7470 which was via a buzzy transmitter; perhaps it was API-4. 1300-1400 UT, 5860 for Pushto service. The transmitter was API-9, signal was clear, audio was fine but the transmitter buzz was quite high for a new transmitter. Propagation problem was also noted. Anyhow, no transmission breakdown occurred, which is peculiar for Radio Pakistan shortwave services. 1430-1530 UT, 5860 for Dari Service. This transmission was also via API-9. The signal strength was weak as compared to Pushto service which ended on the same frequency 30 minutes back. Distortion in audio was also noted for brief period during the transmission. 1200-1330 UT 3790, Voice of Jammu Kashmir Freedom Movement was noted on this frequency. The transmitter howl was very loud.I sometimes fail to understand the logic of keeping such transmitter on air.Poor and distorted audio coupled with transmitter noise makes it impossible to understand what is being broadcast. [is 3790 correct? WRTH 2009 has it on 3975 or 3995, one UT hour later before DST --- gh] The remaining services like Bangla, Persian and Chinese were not heard in my region on that day. The Gujrati service which is scheduled at very odd time 0400-0430 UT (which is 0930 AM in India, the target area) at 9345 kHz has not been heard in Lahore since long. I wonder which is the target segment for this transmission in India. Perhaps it is to ensure that least number of listeners are at home at that time, if at all this service has any listener now in India. Regards (Aslam Javaid, Lahore, Pakistan, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 3329.62, Ondas del Huallaga, Huánuco 1020 to 1040 OM en español, music after 1030, yipping excellent Perú high flutes, and variety of music, Ondas del Huallaga ID by locutor. 28 April. Noted 0000 and 1020 for last week or two. 4824.50, La Voz de la Selva, Iquitos, 1020 to 1050 blasting in with traditional Perú music. "repeated "Ai ya ya ya" in one musical selection, 24 April, very hyper OM DJ 1045 with music. 23 April. 4826.45, Radio Sicuani, Sicuani noted 1020-1045 under CODAR, OM with music, 28 April (Bob Wilkner, Pómpano Beach, Florida, NRD 535D ~ Drake R8, 60 meter band dipole, Noise Reducing antenna, Longwire, WORLD OF RADIO 1458, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. Tips with some measured frequencies (RF Space SDR-14) 6019.34v, 28/4 2330, Radio Victoria, female religious talks, weak 6195.808v, 29/4 0022, Radio Cusco, talks, great ID by woman at 0052, Peru[vi]an music, fair (sometimes almost good!) (Giampiero Bernardini, Italy, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also BOLIVIA, BRAZIL ** PHILIPPINES. VOA, 9760, April 28 at 1405 news in English but occasional audio breakups and transmission also cut off for several seconds. Aoki shows between 13 and 15 there are two 250 kW Tinang transmitters here, one at 21 degrees usward and the other 270 degrees westward, so when one fails, VOA may still be heard more weakly (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also USA [non] ** PHILIPPINES. 5990 QSL, Far East Broadcasting Company verified with a full data "Sailing Vinta in Southern Philippines" card in 42 days from v/s Ms. Menchie Marcos who included a nice personal letter my reception of their "Lu Mien Broadcast" from Thailand using BSW4 Transmitter plus an official receipt for my return postage (Rich D'Angelo-PA-USA, DXplorer Apr 26 via BC-DX May 1 via DXLD) ** POLAND [non]. See RUSSIA: 7330 ** ROMANIA [and non]. 9690, R. Rumania International, inglés 2030-2100 UT // 9765 y 11810. Saludos cordiales, hoy 28 de abril estoy escuchando servicio de Radio Rumania International en inglés, servicio de 2030-2100 UTC en paralelo por las frecuencias de 9765 y 11810, ¿nuevo servicio?, no listado en la web de la emisora, en colisión con el servicio en francés de REE que emite de 2000 a 2100. No listado en EiBi ni en Aoki (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Both Aoki and Eibi lists contain these English transmissions of RRI. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) 9690 is not among the 4 frequencies in the latest RRI sked in DXLD for English at 2030; but the following explains it (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) On Radio Romania mailbox (May 1), they announced two English broadcast frequency changes as of April 29: 0530-0600ut to Asia/Pacific 15435 remains the same 17760 is new, replacing 17770. 2030-2100ut to North America 11940 remains the same 9690 is new, replacing 15465. Sincerely - (Dean Bonanno, Durham, CT, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA [and non]. As I tuned across RRI in English on 9790, Thursday April 30 at 2227, they were just starting their mailbag program, reading a report from one Joseph Padula in Mont Albert, Australia. This fellow born in 1939, touts his professionalism, an award he got, his restored California bungalow. I suspect he is very closely related to Robert J. Padula, a.k.a. Bob. But why would anybody switch from a perfectly good first name to a middle name? Perhaps he is starting over his QSL-collecting career under a new identity. RRI was also well audible when checked earlier at 2213 on // 9675 and 11940, the latter bothered by buzz bleeding over up to 11950 from the DentroCuban Jamming Command on 11930 vs Martí, but not on the low side. Commies vs ex-Commies! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [and non]. VOR check at 0302 UT April 28: 7395, gone, replaced by 9735, q.v. 9665, VOR English UNDER CRI in Spanish via Brasília, with fast rippling SAH. This is a monumental failure in frequency management, a collision going on year after year at 01-02 [not 01-03 as in original post] and 03-04, plus additional periods of open carrier from Brasil 9735, VOR Spanish via French Guiana, very good, ex-7395 9890, fluttery signal in Russian; scheduled earlier in English 15425, VOR English, good via Far East Another check at 0422: 9665, VOR in Spanish, now QRMless; apparently new, not on schedule 9735, VOR still Spanish via GUF, not English as claimed by some downunderite during this hour 13775, VOR English, good, having switched FE site from 15425 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1458, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RUSIA, 9665, Voz de Rusia, 0445-0500, escuchada el 28 de abril en español a locutor con boletín de noticias, locutora leyendo poema, despedida, sintonía, emisión en paralelo por 9880, sin emisión en 9735 ni en 9945, SINPO 44444 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See above: 9735 certainly on air, audible here (gh) 7330 in English, May 2 at 1309 introducing a classical music excerpt, with heavy QRM from RCI and CRI colliding on 7325. 7330 must be VOR in English to Asia via Vladivostok as scheduled 12-15 in http://www.ruvr.ru/files/File/WORLD_SERVICE/09_FREQUENCY_SCHEDULE.doc And the Saturday 1300+ show is Music and Musicians, per the handy 24- hour grid at http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&w=225&p= This raises doubts about my previous log of English before 1300 on 7330, which I assumed to be Poland via Germany as it is also scheduled there. In fact I should retract that. 9850 with VOR news in English at 1403 May 2, beneath splash from ChiCom jamming on 9845; VOR 9850 was running about 1 second ahead of // 15605. The sites are respectively Chita and Moskva, per Aoki. So like in the VOA 17585/9760 case, at VOR too it takes longer to get the program to a nearby site than a faraway one (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Following a unID report from Hans Jürgen Karius in A-DX, I checked the frequency 8886 and found it's most likely Voice of Russia in Russian there, heard today, May 2nd, at 1800. Weak/Fair. No idea which way it gets there (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, May 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Smax of a MW/SW A+B or B-A mixing product. Who can outfigure it? (gh, DXLD) ** RUSSIA [non]. VOR 1575 Burg relay goes dark: see GERMANY ** RWANDA [non]. BBC Kinyarwanda FM service suspensions in Rwanda (Increased SW?) --- The WS's Africa and Middle East head was on their feedback program "Over To You" this week (2 May edition), talking about the suspension of Kinyarwanda FM service in Rwanda. In asking about the eventual restoration of the service, the presenter mentions that they've increased Kinyarwanda programming on SW. In response the higher up says that they've "made special efforts to ensure the programs can still be heard" and that "they are clearly audible on shortwave". No further details on the SW side were given, though if you're interested they did briefly touch on the events leading up to the suspension, the editorial process, etc. If you want to listen online the segment begins around 5 minutes in at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002ysc7 (Joe Durso in Louisville, KY, May 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAINT HELENA. Radio St. Helena Day 2008 QSL Cards: Hello Glenn, here is an EXCLUSIVE news item for you. ------------------------------------------- Below is a list of the numbers of reports received sorted by country. This list has already been (at least in part) announced by DSWCI, JSWC, and RMRC in February / April. I include it here as background information. Regarding the RSD 2008 QSL cards, Gary wrote recently: "The QSL cards look fantastic and I am sure that DXers who are eagerly waiting for their cards will be pleased to have one in their collection." Regarding the order of processing the RSD 2008 QSL cards, Gary wrote: ".... the first who will be receiving their QSL cards sometime early May will be our friends in Japan. The reason for this is because we received the highest number of reports from Japan ....". --------------------------- List of countries and numbers of reception reports for RSD 2008 received at Radio St. Helena as of the start of February 2009. During February and April, several more reports were received. --------------------- Japan 124 Japan, therefore, has the biggest Radio St Helena fan base!! USA 35 Germany 33 UK 15 Italy 12 Spain 9 Sweden 7 Brazil 4 Austria 3 France 2 Belgium 2 Greece 2 (Athens) Mexico 2 India 2 Ukraine 1 Finland 1 Luxembourg 1 Czech Republic 1 Denmark 1 Indonesia 1 (Bali) Canary Islands 1 (Las Palmas) Portugal 1 New Zealand 1 Seoul Korea 1 ----------------------------------- The RSD 2008 QSL cards arrived on the island on schedule on 16. April. Mrs. Cherry Walters, the wife of Gary Walters (Station Manager of RSH), entered all the vital information from the reception reports into her PC. This made the processing of the QSLs a lot easier. Gary, his wife, and the kids (Helena, 8 and Emily, 11) then addressed the envelopes and attached the stamps. It was a real family effort this year. As a result, ALL the reception reports received for RSD 2008 have now been processed and the QSL cards issued. The cards should start to arrive at their final destinations around the world about the middle of May. This is about two months earlier than we had estimated at the start of 2009. Congratulations to Cherry, Gary, and the family!!! On 30. April, Gary Walters wrote the following letter to all radio listeners everywhere. ----------------- Dear FRIENDS of RADIO ST HELENA, it is with great pleasure to announce that all reports that have been received by DXers from around the world have been logged and that your QSL cards have been signed and dated by Mr. Gary Walters, Station Manager. All cards will be delivered to the St Helena Post Office shortly whereby the stamps on the envelopes will be cancelled individually by hand. The stamps are very attractive, indeed depicting the different species of fish that live in the cool clear waters around the Island of St Helena. Another set of stamps depict flowers and the Royal Airforce. Once date stamped and bagged, the QSL cards will then await the arrival of the Royal Mail Ship St. Helena (RMS) which has now departed Capetown (Wednesday 29th April) and is expected to arrive back to the island on the 6th May and departs on the 8th May for Ascension Island. Once onboard the RMS, the mail will be shipped to Ascension Island where the bags will then be loaded onto an aircraft and flown to the military base at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire UK. From there the bags of mail will be taken to London Heathrow Royal Mail Distribution Hub where the mail will then be processed and re-bagged and sent on their way to their individual destinations around the world. It has been quite interesting reading all of your letters and kind comments from people around the world and looking at postcards of where you live, some of you even enclosed photographs of yourselves sitting at your equipment. Recordings that you sent of the broadcast were also interesting. A majority of you wrote complaining about the poor reception that was experienced on that evening of November the 15th 2008. This as we all know was due the Sun`s inactivity. Hopefully the next Radio St Helena Day (RSHD) will be fruitful (fingers crossed). Our friends in Japan enquired that we begin broadcasting an hour later to that part of the world, this we shall do so that everybody has time to tune in and experience the special broadcast. Work has already begun for the next RSHD and it is hoped to be packed full of local information and great music. Until we meet again on the friendly Airwaves on 11092.5 kHz USB Short Wave, RADIO ST HELENA Best wishes to all, Gary Walters, staff and local DXers. ------------------------------------------ With best 73's to SWL's everywhere, (Robert Kipp, Radio St. Helena Day Revival Project, May 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAINT HELENA. In various e-mail of Apr 17-24, Gary Walters, the Station Manager of R St. Helena (RSH), wrote to me: - the Radio St. Helena Day 2008 QSL cards have arrived at RSH on Apr 16 and they look fantastic, and I am sure that DXers who are eagerly waiting for their cards will be pleased to have one in their collection. - My wife has played a big part in collating all information / addresses and putting it directly onto her laptop, this will speed things up dramatically. - Last night I spent two hours signing the QSL cards for JAPAN and my wife was putting them into their appropriate envelopes and sealing them down. If we spend two hours per night we should get through them pretty quickly. - So, the first who will be receiving their QSL cards sometime early May will be our friends in Japan. The reason for this is because we received the highest number of reports from Japan. - The QSLs will be sent to Ascension, because that postal route has proven to be much safer. - I have enclosed a compliment slip with each card and some will receive a small map of the island and other info from the tourist office. I thought this would add a nice touch. I did this because I have received many kind words from nearly all who sent me a report. I found this to be very uplifting indeed. - RSD 2008 QSL cards for Germany are also ready to be posted. Now we just have to wait for the ship to return from Cape Town to take all these QSLs to Ascension. - I have read every single letter from DXers from around the globe where each one contains words of friendship saying how pleased they were to have heard R St Helena, even if they could not make out some of the broadcast, it was still a thrill to many who managed to receive us from so far away. For me, starting the broadcast was like riding on the crest of a wave! Love to do it again!! (Walters via Robert Kipp, Langen, Germany, DSWCI DX Window April 29 via DXLD) ** SAO TOME. Saludos cordiales, desconozco el motivo por el cual los servicios de la VOA en francés desde Pinheira en Sao Tomé emite fuera de frecuencia, adjunto dos logs que corroboran que algo ocurre. SAO TOMÉ, 12077, Voz de América, Pinheira, 2003-2010, escuchada el 28 de abril en francés a locutora con noticias y segmento de música pop, SINPO 45444. 9827, Voz de América, Pinheira, 2115-2125, escuchada el 27 de abril en francés a locutor en conversación con invitado, noticias de Dakar, locutora con ID, locutora anunciando E-mail y dirección web, música de sintonía, SINPO 45444 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1458, DX LISTENIG DIGEST) SAO Tome noted at 1930 UT close to 12071.16 and hetting powerhouse Moscow Russia 12070 S=9+40dB, Apr 28 (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) see also USA ** SAUDI ARABIA. 11915 with Qur`an, fair with SAH April 30 at 2212, but NO BUZZ. This has often been reported with buzz, same BSKSA Riyadh transmitter as we hear on 15435 at 15-18 and on several others before and after. It is sporadic, and I doubt the problem has been permanently fixed. Saut ul-Buzz, Riyadh, 15435, May 2 at 1501 with frying sound atop Arabic talk leading into Qur`aning. Should be // 15225, but too weak to unearth from CRI Sackville adjacent. However, those in need of a Qur`an fix could find one on 15255: see EGYPT. BSKSA, non-buzzy 11820, again in the clear, May 2 at 2158 check with Qur`an, tnx to RHC`s move away May 1 to 11770 after we exposed their big mistake in ever going on 11820 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA. 9869.987 (presumed), BSKSA, Riyadh, 2101 - Arabic talk, possible news, 232. 5/1 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 17895, BSKSA, Riyadh, 1340 - Arabic talk, good 333 signal, // 15379.98 kHz; 5/2 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SERBIA. Here is the English text of a union's appeal for the survival of the International R of Serbia (formerly R Yugoslavia). The text is available in 11 languages at: http://www.glassrbije.org/ap/en/content/survival-radio-yugoslavia-called-question The Trade Union of Radio Yugoslavia (International Radio Serbia) hereby wants to inform the public of the very difficult situation which employees in this media house have faced 73 years after its foundation. The reason for such a situation is not only the undefined status of our house, but also the irregular financing of its activities, which includes the issue of employees' salaries. Although there is a 2009 budget rebalance ahead, Radio Yugoslavia has not received any official information from the Ministry of Culture on the amount of this year's budget installment intended for the activities of our house. The financing of Radio Yugoslavia being defined in the budget under the entry subsidies, employees rightly fear that there will be a lump sum reduction of an annual installment, which will threaten the functioning and future of our house. After the previously adopted 2009 budget, monthly funds for Radio Yugoslavia were reduced by 12% compared with last year's monthly budget installment, which led to a reduction of employees' salaries to the same extent early this year. On the other hand, the irregular transfer of funds has threatened programme functioning, due to unsettled debts for electricity, satellite, internet, telephones, etc. If the financing of Radio Yugoslavia is not precisely defined in the budget of the Republic of Serbia and the total annual installment is reduced by another 20% judging by the announced Ministry's measures, employees in Radio Yugoslavia fear with much reason that the future of our media house and the existence of their families as well will be seriously threatened. We expect the competent institutions of the Republic of Serbia and above all the Ministry of Culture and Minister Nebojsa Bradi´c to take the problem we have faced seriously and to offer a solution to the future financing of Radio Yugoslavia as soon as possible, which solution would not differ to the financing of employees in the Ministry of Culture. If not, employees in Radio Yugoslavia will be compelled to radicalize their battle for the survival of their radio. The Trade Union hereby appeals to its colleagues in Serbia and abroad and to listeners to support the efforts of Radio Yugoslavia to preserve one of the oldest radio stations in the world. You can send your e-mails of support to the address radioju @ sbb.rs (via Luigi Cobisi, Italy, Apr 25, DSWCI DX Window April 29 via DXLD) see also YUGOSLAVIA ** SLOVAKIA. 1098 kHz - another change in Slovakia Radio Patria - a program for national minorities is stronger again on 1098 kHz. Now via Nitra-Jarok (pron. Yahrock) with 10 kW. A new weak transmitter on the Slovak Radio building in Bratislava was switched off and when the DRM module arrives they start testing DRM on 1287 kHz. During the night the Slovak Radio 3 - Devin is relayed on 1098 kHz. Otherwise this cultural program is on FM only (Karel Honzik, CZECHIA, May 2, mwdx yg via DXLD) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 9541.50, SIBC (presumed), 1434-1447, April 28. In English with British accents; news (Mexico and virus, etc.); poor to almost fair. Seems to be off-the-air on some days (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9541.5, giveaway off-frequency for SIBC, making a good het with China 9540.0, April 30 at 1329 during above normal FE conditions. I was able to make out a bit of BBC English and // 9740 Singapore altho not synchronized during news headlines on the half-hour. But at 1332 they went their separate ways. I wonder which BBC stream feed SIBC is getting to relay? I also wonder why they bother as BBCWS is surely better audible on several of its own frequencies in the Pacific during these hours, but no complaints as this at least audiblizes Solomons even unto Central North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Fairly good reception with local programming (lots of local EZL music) at 0511 UT on 9541.552 (according to my Perseus SDR). S4 to S5 signal. Few announcements. Mostly one song into another (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria, BC, April 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9541.50, SIBC, 1450-1500, April 30. With BBCWS programming; sports news before ToH, after which was covered by strong 9540 sign-on (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9541.53, SIBC/R. Happy Isles, 0756 1 May, usual W mentioning Solomon Islands at tune-in. Complete day`s program rundown for Saturday. 0758 romantic pop song. 0759 ad by M for hardware and plumbing shop, nice ID, TC, date, and MW and shortwave frequencies at 0759, carnival music signature, then same W with news. Was getting heavy DRM 9545 QRM after 0800, and finally discovered the signal was most audible in 12 kHz aux. bandwidth at 0815. 0815 nice ID/promo, ment of "SIBC, the Voice of the Nation". Program promo, then live W returned with program on PM Sikua`s cabinet members, and Desmond Tutu`s visit to the Solomon Islands. Program of (many) local messages to 0858, then "Bible Reading For Today", then back to more messages (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, May 1, HCDX via DXLD) 9541.54v, SIBC, 0845-0920, May 1, Presumed. Talk in presumed Pidgin. Some English at 0859 and back to Pidgin at 0902. Local music at 0913. English religious talk at 0916. Fair level but carrier slightly unstable-wobbly and audio a little distorted. Some DRM QRM by 0913 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA [and non]. 6915, 0345-0348, USA, 26.04, WYFR Family R, via Okeechobee, FL. English quotations from the Bible, 35343. Actually I was looking for the new station in Somalia on 6915, R Hage, Galkayo, but this was not audible (Anker Petersen, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire here in Skovlunde, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1458, DXLD) O yeah, WYFR is on 6915 at 0300-1200, a bit of a problem (gh, ibid.) Hi folks, The Radio Hage site is located to the far north of Galkayo in a new building constructed in 2006. Exact location unknown (sorry). Radio Hage antenna [and many other photos] https://sites.google.com/site/somaliahamradio/radio-hage-somalia If anybody wants to know the exact location then please kindly donate a plane ticket to Somalia for Sam & he'll obtain this info for us (Ian Baxter, April 24, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) ** SOMALIA. The e-mail address of R Hage is: radiohagesom @ gmail.com An impressive list of active radiostations in Somalia as of Apr 2009, edited by Australian radioamateur Sam Voron! This unruly country has a size bigger than Spain and Portugal together, but only a population of about 7 million. There are just two stations on SW, but 50 on FM as follows from NW: Autonomous Somaliland: 3, Puntland: 19, Galmudug: 1, Central Somalia: 5, Mogadishu area: 18, South Somalia: 2 and SW Somalia: 2! (Anker Petersen, DSWCI DX Window April 29 via DXLD) ** SOMALIA. Hi folks, I've recently been in contact [with] humanitarian, amateur radio operator & instructor Sam Voron of Australia regarding further info about Radio Galkayo located in the Puntland region of Somalia. I can report that following extensive communications, research & time with Sam & with work on the PC I am able to report with the following material. It hasn't been easy as Sam doesn't have a broadband Internet & so can't view mapping images from GE or webpages. First SW transmitter site of Radio Galkayo commenced broadcasts from the Police Compound in Galkayo located here: 06 46 19.76N, 47 25 46.27E using a log-periodic antenna perched up high above the ground. So high & large was this antenna that it remains there today due to the difficulties in removing the antenna. This site was used for SW broadcasts from 18/8/1993 to August 2000. See images of this antenna/mast at: https://sites.google.com/site/somaliahamradio/travel-to-somalia The second site for Radio Galkayo is also the present site where there has been two masts used since August 2000 for supporting the 2 element SW Yagi. The old thick pole mast (seen on GE) is located at 06 46 19.76N, 47 25 46.27E was the first mast used to support the SW antenna. Some time later the SW antenna was moved to the newer lattice mast (which can't be presently seen on GE) & which also supports the FM antenna at the very top of the mast. It is located at: 06 46 20.20N, 47 25 46.36E. See images of this antenna/mast at: https://sites.google.com/site/somaliahamradio/radio-gaalkacyo Both sites/antennas can also be seen on You Tube at this address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53yDSzkghHs&source=GE The old mast/antenna can be seen 40 seconds into video. The new mast/site can be seen from 54 seconds to 1m12s into the video. The video is accompanied with some great Somali music More info about Somali broadcasts can be found on the regularly updated webpage of Sam's at: https://sites.google.com/site/somaliahamradio/somalia-short-wave- radio-broadcasts Thanks Sam for your great work. I hope the members enjoy accessing this material. Regards (Ian Baxter, AUSTRALIA, shortwavesite yg via DXLD) Before heading off to Somalia as a volunteer for one of Sam`s projects, one should ask Joe Talbot about his experiences (gh, DXLD) ** SOMALILAND. 7145, R Hargeisa, 1605-1901*, Apr 20 and 25, Somali news, political reports, music from Horn of Africa, 1700 ID, news mentioning Somalia, Oman, Nigeria, London, Israel, Tehran and Switzerland, ex 7120.1, 35433 (Anker Petersen, Denmark; Roland Schulze, Germany; and Johann Wiespointner, Schörfling, Austria, DSWCI DX Window April 29 via DXLD) 7145.06, 1650-1740, SOMALIA, 25.04, R Hargeisa, Somaliland. Somali announcement, folksongs, 1700 news, 34233, CWQRM and noise (Anker Petersen, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire here in Skovlunde, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) R. Hargeisa 7145 kHz - Konsularische Vertretung of the Republic of Somaliland - Zedernweg 6 - 50127 Bergheim - Germania con QSL in 27 giorni. Si 0.70 Euro. 193mo country (Roberto Pavanello, Vercelli / Italia, via Roberto Scaglione, bclnews.it via DXLD) They sent me a partly detailed card (time missing) from the Bergheim, Germany address in three weeks for return postage and a recording on CD. According to v/s Baldur Drobnica, there still is no direct postal route available into Somaliland (Harald Kuhl, Germany, in DXplorer, Apr 25 via DSWCI DX Window April 29 via DXLD) ** SPAIN [non]. 9765.01, COSTA RICA, REE, Cariari, 2056 - In clear after RRI s/off at 2055, Spanish, ID by woman, vocal. Weak +/- 60 Hz spurs noted, 342. 5/1. Before 2055, RRI was hardly bothered by REE at equal carrier level (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Which means, I guess that REE was very undermodulated (gh) ** SPAIN [non]. ENLACES WEB RELACIONADAS a RADIO ESPAÑA INDEPENDIENTE: http://parecequefueayer.espaciolatino.com/Pirenaica.html VERY GOOD AUDIO !!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.fsap.ccoo.es/comunes/temp/recursos/22/34640.pdf BANDERIN HISTORICO http://personal4.iddeo.es/mende/pirenaica/inicio.htm http://www.publico.es/culturas/062703/voz/libre/franquismo%20-%2061k (via Dario Monferini, Italy, DXLD) ** SUDAN. 7200, SRTC, 0215-0325+, May 2, tune-in to local Mid-East style music. Arabic talk. “Huna Omdurman” IDs. Qur`an at 0226-0249. Chirping birds. Radio-drama. Time pips at 0301:20, ID and possible news. Good. Strong. Sign on time seems to vary quite a bit. Appears to sign on anywhere between 0200-0237 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. 15650, *1700-1710, CLANDESTINE, 25.04, Miraya FM, Juba, via Rimavska Sobota [SLOVAKIA], Arabic announcement, IDs, reports via phone, children singing, talk 35444. Best 73, (Anker Petersen, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire here in Skovlunde, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) Really? Supposed to sign on at 1500, until 1800 (gh, DXLD) ESLOVAQUIA, 15650, Radio Miraya FM, Rimavska Sobota, 1522-1530, escuchada el 1 de mayo en dialecto africano sin identificar a locutor en conversación con invitada, referencias a Sudan, cuña de ID “Miraya FM”, cuña en inglés “Sudan Tunay” [Today?], locutor con comentarios en inglés, SINPO 45554 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. PORTUGAL, 17745, Sudan Radio Service, via Sines, Arabic, 1643, 21/04, OM, news, music local 35333 (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso (SWL1033B). Bandeirantes/ PR, Brasil, Engenheiro Agrônomo, Receptor: Degen DE1103, Antenas: LW do Degen e RC3-FM, dxclube pr yg via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. 15790, CYPRUS, BBC Darfur Salaam (Zyyi) (presumed), 1720-1730*, 4/28/2009, Arabic. Talk by man followed by music. Announcements by man at 1728. Gone at 1730. Very poor signal, barely above noise threshold (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, Eton E1, Random Wires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWAZILAND [and non?]. TWR Africa Shortwave Cutbacks Due to financial constraints as a result of the current global economic crisis, Trans World Radio has had to reduce the number of hours that we broadcast on short wave in English to southern Africa in order to wisely utilize our available resources. As a result, we have cut an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening. From 3 May 2009, the morning short wave broadcasts will end at 10:00 and the evening short wave broadcasts will end at 22:00 except on Saturdays, when it ends at 22:30. This reduction is considered as a temporary measure and we hope to resume broadcasts as soon as we are able. Many Africans, especially in rural areas, rely solely on radio as their means of information. The short wave cutbacks mean that they will lose valuable hours of Christian teaching (Source : TWR Africa e-newsletter April 2009 via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, dxldyg via DXLD) How vague; I put it under SWAZILAND, but we have no idea if they are really referring only to site there, only to English? Times presumably UT +2 (gh, DXLD) ** SWITZERLAND. swissinfo attracts more Swiss abroad http://www.swissinfo.ch:80/eng/news_digest/swissinfo_attracts_more_Swiss_abroad.html?siteSect=104&sid=10630853&cKey=1240932913000&ty=nd April 28, 2009 --- swissinfo, the multilingual news website of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, is gaining in popularity, particularly among Swiss abroad, an independent study has found. Mediapulse, a market data firm for electronic media outlets in Switzerland, said on Tuesday that swissinfo.ch had 55 per cent more unique visitors in 2008 than in 2007. During the past six years, awareness of the site, which now covers news about Switzerland in ten languages for an international audience, grew from 14 per cent to 37 per cent. The study found that 94 per cent of Swiss abroad who used the site said they were "happy" or "very happy" with the content. swissinfo replaced Swiss Radio International, a shortwave international broadcast that was phased out ten years ago (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) So there, useless SW! (gh) ** SYRIA. Dear Radio Friends, Radio Damascus' English program is now also available as a high speed download with excellent audio quality, rss feed and podcast : http://radiodamascusenglish.podomatic.com You can add the Radio Damascus English podcast to your podcasts in Apple's Itunes and take it with you on your Ipod or other media player as an MP3 file. http://www.radio-damascus.net email : radiodamascusenglish @ yahoo.com http://www.radio-damascus-listeners-club.tk or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/radio_damascus Greetings (Kris Janssen, Belgium, April 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. 11875 in soft Indonesian talk about saxophone, then sax music, 1418 April 29; 1428 ID as RTI. Good signal in the clear. Per Aoki it`s 250 kW, 205 degrees from Tainan at 1400-1500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND [and non]. 9455, R. Thailand via Udorn, April 30 at 1336 in Thai, but with co-channel QRM, off-frequency enough to make a rumble. Seems to be another Asian language! 1345 heard the QRM giving an address in USA, and YFR theme. Theme again at 1358. R. Thailand also had QRM from the Brother Scare spur on 9453 from WWRB 9385, no thanks to Dave Frantz, and as usual that was even stronger on the 9317 match. Thailand has English after 1400, but altho the co-channel was off by then, reception deteriorated, as Thailand switched from favorable 54 degree azimuth to unfavorable 132. Per Aoki, the offender is YFR in Vietnamese via Tainan, Taiwan, 1300- 1400, 100 kW at 267 degrees. So during that hour we have Taiwan and Thailand crossing beams on 9455. During the first semihour, Thailand is 54 in Japanese, then 30 in Mandarin. Taiwan transmissions are forbidden by the ChiCom to appear in HFCC, so IBB, which handles frequency management for NBT Thailand, may have assumed there is no collision. If one actually monitors the channel as far away as Oklahoma, or consults the unofficial Aoki list, one learns the truth. Perhaps IBB should also get together with the YFR frequency manager (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND. 15275, R Thailand, Udon Thani, 0220 - English service, IDs, "That concludes our transmission" at 0229, IS, into listed Thai, 232; 5/2 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TIBET. 7350, CNR-11 (Tibetan service), 1430-1500, April 26. Holy Tibet program in English; starts with C.N.R. and Holy Tibet IDs; usual Sunday Tibetan music show, along with explanation about Tibetan Buddhism symbols; // 6010; both mostly fair. 7350, CNR-11 (Tibetan service), 1430-1500, April 29. Holy Tibet program; “China National Radio. China National Radio. Welcome to our English program from Tibet”, “Hello friends, now you are listening to the English program Holy Tibet”; about agriculture, animal husbandry, Tibetan farmers, etc.; segments “Tourism in Tibet” and “Eyes on Tibet”; played a lot of Tibetan music; // 6010; both poor to fair. Have posted an audio file of ID to “Files > Station Sounds” (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. VOT, 9830, English to North America, Saturday May 2 at 2221 had Seref reading letters from listeners; did not sound like mere reception reports, but hard to make much of it due to severe co- channel RTTY QRM; yet it was indeed ``DX Corner`` as announced ending at 2226. I tried various bandwidths on two receivers, USB and LSB, stepping up to 3 kHz either side, and could not get rid of the RTTY which must be centered exactly on 9830.0. Therefore VOT would be well advised to get off this frequency, which has been occupied by RTTY for ages, and should never have been chosen in the first place. At this time there was nothing on 9825 or 9835, so a 5 kHz shift should fix it. Per online listings, 9825 is clear during this hour, altho VOA starts Spanish at 2300 from Greenville and probably would be running open carrier long before then; I did not check. Portugal could run as late as 2300 on 9820, which would be a problem, altho not today, off earlier. Nothing listed on 9835. If Radio República were to resume 9840 at 21- 23 drawing Cuban jamming, that could be a problem, but no sign of that. Overall, the better choice would be for VOT to shift up to 9835, unless they want to look for an opening further afield (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [non]. Re 9-036: Frequency changes of BBC: 1500-1700 on 7385 MEY 500 kW / 005 deg English, x1500-1900 1700-1900 NF 7385% MEY 250 kW / 005 deg English, x7385* 1800-1830 NF 17660 ASC 250 kW / 070 deg French, x 17640# * to avoid CRI in Chinese 1730-1827 # to avoid CVC in Portuguese in DRM (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, April 27 via DXLD) % should read 7405 (x7385). Yes, 7405 kHz is correct. 7405 1700-1900 48SW, 52E, 53W MEY 250 kW 5 degrees G BBC VTC Still via NAK THA, 7400 1700-1800 41 NAK 250 300 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Frequency changes of BBC: 1500-1700 on 7385 MEY 500 kW / 005 deg English, x 1500-1900 1700-1900 NF 7405 MEY 250 kW / 005 deg English, x 7385* 1800-1830 NF 17660 ASC 250 kW / 070 deg French, x 17640# * to avoid CRI in Chinese 1730-1827 # to avoid CVC in Portuguese in DRM (DX Mix News Update April 28, via DXLD) See also RWANDA [non] ** U K. Re 9-036, ``REHABBING KERSHAW ON R4 --- On Radio 4 this week in the "On The Ropes" series. Tuesday morning 9 am repeated 9:30 pm. [0800 and 2030 UT April 30] This week on Radio 4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jxb02 `` Glenn - the programme on Andy Kershaw was not broadcast today - see BBC Radio 4 Blog for explanation from Mark Damazer, controller of Radio 4 (and a long list of comments from listeners in response): http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio4/2009/04/on_the_ropes_andy_kershaw.html I didn't hear any on-air explanation for why the programme was not aired this morning. There's also an item about pulling the programme on the Manx Radio website: http://www.manxradio.com/newsread.aspx?id=35217 73 (Alan Pennington, Caversham, UK, April 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Mark Damazer, Radio 4 Controller, Radio 4 blog 0900 UK time April 28: It is not often that we remove a programme from the schedule at short notice. The 'On The Ropes' we had hoped to broadcast this morning in the end did not work. We were mindful of the background and, in particular, the strained domestic circumstances surrounding the break- up of Andy Kershaw's long-term relationship and the legal order, the result of which makes it very difficult for him to have significant access to his children. We had hoped that we could explore the events leading to his personal and professional crisis and his subsequent efforts to recover while bearing in mind the interests of other parties and providing them with the appropriate degree of privacy. In the end that was not possible. The programme was recorded and edited close to the day of transmission - hence the lateness of the decision. 43 comments posted as of 1800 28/4, no on air explanation was provided: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio4/2009/04/on_the_ropes_andy_kershaw.html Media Guardian report: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/28/bbc-radio-4-andy-kershaw-interview (via Mike Barraclough, DXLD) [Guardian also via Tom Roche, DXLD] Andy Kershaw: 'I've never laid a finger on anyone' After a drink-fuelled breakdown and a jail sentence for repeated harassment, the DJ Andy Kershaw says that he is a new man who's ready to rock'n'roll again: http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article6181380.ece Andy Kershaw bewildered as BBC drops interview: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6188280.ece (via Mike Barraclough, England, April 30, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. Re 9-036: KIM'S COMMENTS ON BBG AS WORST PLACE TO WORK First, as employees of VOA and its various parent agencies, our main job is to improve the performance of US international broadcasting and to increase audience share. Achieve that, and job satisfaction should follow along. The working environment is, nevertheless, not always pleasant. While most workers in most agencies have regular office hours, many VOA broadcasters and studio personnel must work evenings, overnights, or from 3 to 11 a.m. (in which case they must move their cars from the parking lot at 8 a.m. to make room for the senior executives’ cars, then look for metered spaces on the streets, and keep those meters fed until quitting time). Employees of most agencies have offices, with doors, and window blinds that can be opened or shut. VOA broadcasters work in cubicles, often in windowless interior rooms. They must run one direction down the corridor to the booth to record interviews, then run the other direction to make it the studio by deadline. (Actually, when I was a broadcaster, I liked that part of my job.) I think part of the problem is the identity of whom we work for. When I came to the Voice of America in 1985, it was VOA the radio station, with VOA transmitting sites, operated by the VOA Office of Engineering. There was a VOA Office of Personnel, VOA Office of Administration, VOA Office of Audience Relations, etc. Oh, sure, we were under the U.S. Information Agency, which occasionally required that USIA be placed on signs above, and in bigger letters, than VOA. But things were simpler then. Now, there is still VOA, but the transmitters and Office of Engineering are International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), as are the various administrative offices. And beyond the VOA front office, beyond the IBB front front office, is the Broadcasting Board of Governors front front front office. Besides that are the various other broadcasting entities: RFE, RL, Radio Farda, RFA, MBN, Radio Sawa, Alhurra, Radio Martí, TV Martí, OCB. And it’s not one big happy family. These entities fight among themselves like a sackful of civets for budget, audience, talent, transmitters, and frequencies. Another dilemma is that there is too much ambiguity about whether US international broadcasting is in the news business, or in the public diplomacy/advocacy business. It can’t be in both businesses. This lack of mission clarity occurs from the ranks (I am part of the ranks) right up to the exalted BBG executive suite. I suspect the biggest concern of VOA employees is that the BBG will shut down even more language services, or make them part of “excepted” corporations like RFE/RL Inc, RFA Inc, or MBN Inc, where staff can be dismissed much more easily than VOA’s civil servants. But international broadcasting is as fluid as all media endeavors. When people hire on to USIB, they should realize, or be informed, that target countries will come and go as the inevitable changes take place in international affairs. New media will displace old media in popularity. Most of these changes are not sudden. Management could give affected services three years’ rather than a few months’ notice. Some of my colleagues in the ranks are salivating at rumors that, because President Obama has not nominated new members to the BBG, there are plans that the BBG will go away. (H.R. 363, the United States Broadcasting Reorganization Act of 2009, sponsored by Rep, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R-FL] would also abolish the BBG). Instead, there would be one CEO of US international broadcasting. I think a single CEO of USIB is a good idea. But that CEO must be appointed by a bipartisan board with fixed and staggered terms. This will keep the politics out of –well, at least reduce the amount of politics in – US international broadcasting. If the BBG is eliminated, presumably the CEO of USIB would be appointed by the president, with Senate confirmation. Thus, if the president, whatever president, doesn’t like what USIB is reporting, he/she can appoint a new CEO. When a new president is elected, there will be a new CEO of USIB, and a new tone for its content. Under this new configuration, USIB will lose its independence. Without independence, it will lack credibility. Without credibility, it will have no audience. Without an audience, it will be a complete waste of the taxpayers’ money. But we will have better job security and give the agency better scores in the Federal Human Capital Survey. Posted: 29 Apr 2009 (Kim Andrew Elliott, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** U S A. SPECTER OF THE DEPRESSION IN THE VOA BUILDING Subject of new exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, during the Great Depression, "[m]ore than 3,000 artists were enrolled in the Public Works of Art Program and were paid a weekly wage to make art. ... The Public Works of Art Program ended in June, 1934, after just six months, when the money ran out. But ... a series of murals by Ben Shahn, adorns the walls at Voice of America headquarters here in Washington, D.C." VOA News, 24 April 2009 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Even if you have no interest in broadcasting (unlikely if you are reading this website), take the VOA tour to see these murals. What is now the BBG/IBB/VOA headquarters building was constructed at the Social Security Building from 1939 to 1940. Posted: 29 Apr 2009 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** U S A. AN ARRANGEMENT TO DO WHEELIES ON THE GRAVES OF SMITH AND MUNDT "So what do you do when you have lots of newspaper experience and a year's salary from a recent buyout at The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J.? You start a Website. That seems to be the view of some 40 former Star- Ledger staffers who took the lucrative early retirement last fall and have since banded together to form newjerseynewsroom.com. ... An arrangement with Voice of America also allows the site to use that outlet's content." Editor & Publisher, 27 April 2009. See, for example, VOA report on swine flu via NewJerseyNewsroom.com, 28 April 2009. http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/international/swine-flu-outbreak-reminds-hong-kong-of-sars (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Gartner v. USIA ruled that VOA cannot distribute its materials within the United States, but any U.S. media operation can, of its own accord, use VOA material. See previous post. VOA might therefore deal with US domestic media outlets on a don't ask, don't tell basis. Posted: 29 Apr 2009 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) see also IRAN ** U S A. VOA/GW PLAN MAY 5 TOWN HALL - OBAMA & THE WORLD: 100+ DAYS Live broadcast offers audience interaction Washington, D.C., April 29, 2009 - Audiences around the world will interact with guests, including Sen. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., and Aspen Institute President Walter Isaacson, during a May 5, 2009 special live, international television broadcast, Obama & the World: 100 Days. The Global Town Hall, co-hosted by the Voice of America http://www.VOANews.com/english/Obama100DaysTownHall.cfm and The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, will be held at the Newseum in downtown Washington from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. Panels will examine President Obama's impact on the world, including segments on Muslim communities, foreign policy challenges, the global economy and Obama's change agenda. VOA's 45 language services, which reach an estimated 134 million people weekly, will cover the event. VOA's worldwide audience can participate in advance by sending written questions to Obama100days@voanews.com . They can also send video questions by logging onto http://www.VOANews.com/english/Obama100DaysTownHall.cfm In addition, they can follow events at http://www.twitter.com/obama100days Other guests include Michael Brown, dean of GW's Elliott School of International Affairs; Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center; John Pendergast of the Enough Project; Jonathan Alter of Newsweek; Kristin Downey of The Washington Post; Joe Shirley of the Navajo Nation; Adrian Talbott of GenerationEngage, Robert Satloff of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Michelle Bernard, president of the Independent Women's Forum. Paula Wolfson, VOA's White House correspondent, will anchor the Town Hall. Experts from around the globe, including Beijing, Kabul, London, New York, Miami and Los Angeles, will participate by satellite (VOA Press release April 29 via DXLD) Standard inquiry. So will there be additional SW frequencies at 15-17 UT May 5, which is Tuesday? And if so, will they be kept secret? Will existing frequencies normally scheduled for only a portion of this bihour cut on and off abruptly without continuity or apology? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not mentioned in the press release is that Senator Kaufman was a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees VOA and other elements of US international broadcasting. See previous post. Posted: 01 May 2009 (Kim Andrew Elliott, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. 9760 via Tinang, Philippines, VOA English at 1250 April 29, report on Kokomo vs auto industry cuts, 1255 USG editorial on LTTE. But marred by audio dropouts every few seconds. Standard remarx about weakest link, anyone paying attention, need for backup feeds. Same programming repeated two hours later at 1450 without the dropouts; at least they have redundancy. 11605, April 29 at 1315, a total mess, must be at least three programs mixing. Two of them would be ChiCom jamming as the only thing really scheduled is R. Free Asia in Tibetan via TINIAN, 250 kW, 309 degrees at 1300-1400. Recheck at 1414 found Vietnamese in the clear, which is also RFA, but now 250 kW, 250 degrees via Tanshui, TAIWAN, at 1400- 1500, per Aoki. Moral: Tibetans should learn Vietnamese. VOA News, 9760 via Philippines, VG May 1 at 1305 with in-depth report by Dan Robinson, about Somali piracy, many clips of comments from Capitol Hill. One of the many `improvements` in VOA`s website redesign is that a gallery of its English-language broadcasters is no longer to be found. Just these 12 mostly non-English despite the word in the URL: http://www.voanews.com/english/About/talent-gallery.cfm This news hour is presented by one Philip Alexia (spelling?). But that name, nor any other likely spelling, is not even on the long drop-down list of correspondent names where one can search out text reports via http://www.voanews.com/english/search.cfm But then, he`s an anchor, not a correspondent. He puts a lot of expression into his announcing, so much that it may be a turnoff to some listeners; I wonder if he`s a refugee from commercial radio (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, his name is PHILIP ALEXIOU. And, by the way, he is my favourite anchor. Not to me :) I love his voice exactly because he puts a lot of expression into his announcing. Regards, (Dragan Lekic, Serbia, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Wow, he`s really obscure at the VOA site. Googlesearching Alexiou at site:voanews.com there are only five hits (+ 3 duplicates), one including this photo; he is second from left: http://www.voanews.com/english/About/images/Daily_Download_group.jpg (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. 17585 with open carrier, fair signal, May 2 at 1350. Finally at 1359 VOA sign-on and English news // 9760 but 17585 running one or two words behind 9760. Does that mean it is further from studios than Tinang? No! 17585 is in fact Greenville, 1400-1430 only in that wacky split hour, continued after 1430 from Udorn, Thailand site (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. SÃO TOMÉ, 4960, VOA, 0011 27 April, on at this odd unsked time with President Obama press conference. 0058 wrap-up by VOA announcer mentioning "special simulcast coverage here on VOA radio TV and Internet", and upcoming special. 0100 TC and news, "It`s 1 hour Universal Time, and here is the news from the Voice of America". News to 0105, then "World News Now". 0115 program and station ID, "Yankee Doodle" to 0116:39*. Signal stayed on with OC until it went off at 0139:47. Good and // much weaker 4930 Botswana (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, May 1, HCDX via DXLD) See also SAO TOME itself So maybe those will be regulars when there is a 00 UT event, such as another PCC; but would VOA publish such an auxiliary sked? (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. Haven`t heard KJES on 11715 in weeks, but there again April 28 at 1420: s9+20 signal but barely audible modulation, adult OM with catechisms in English, mixed with someone singing. Once again this seems to correlate with sporadic E opening on HF if not VHF, as WWCR 13845 was strong vs usual barely audible, and 15825 was poor vs usual inaudible. KJES, Vado NM, again audible April 29, at 1415 on 11715, YL proclaiming Biblical quotes, immediately repeated robotically by OM. Very undermodulated still, and also with SAH, which per Aoki is VOA English via Tinang, PHILIPPINES at 1400-1500, 50 kW, 220 degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 15600, WYFR preaching in Spanish bothered by squealing, extremely distorted modulation, May 2 at 2149. At first I thought its own transmitter was defective, but then it became clear the QRM was from an external source, since it did not match WYFR modulation and worsened during WYFR fades. Same situation after 2200 when WYFR switched to French. Right next to it at S9+20 on 15610 is WEWN, 250 kW at 40 degrees in English, and guess what --- matching spur on 15620 except it was not noticeable because it had nothing to beat against, until I turned on the BFO. So this is the WEWN transmitter we have recently complained about putting out plus/minus 10 kHz spurs, e.g. on 9330 and 9350 from ex-fundamental 9340, but the same problem goes back many years on many frequencies. Any station daring to broadcast only 10 kHz away from WEWN is asking for it. Catholix vs Protestants! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) YFR: see also THAILAND [and non] ** U S A. Ted Randall has been wanting to interview me for a long time, so we finally got together on the phone April 29. We talked for almost a sesquihour, so with breaks added, that could occupy most of a 2-hour QSO with Ted Randall show. He says it will air first on Tuesday May 5 at 2100-2300 on WBCQ 7415, and probably repeat the following Thursday, as well as various other times, also on WRMI 9955 Sundays at 0500, and become available for download. Many thanks to Ted for his promotion of WORLD OF RADIO, which he says, more hams ought to know about (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WWCR, 15825, assisted by sporadic E to reach an adequate signal level, May 2 at 1500 with James Hickey, back from surgery, to cite Revelation III: 1, which is about the Seven Stars – Pleiades? Was strong enough to hear the squeal, one of the neglected legacies of WWCR`s former CE. The Saturday 1630 airing of WORLD OF RADIO on 12160 started on time this week, or maybe even a bit early, as checked on webcast. WWCR, 13845, inbooming May 2 at 2154 evidently with HF sporadic E assistance, so strong that under DGS I could hear modulation from another WWCR transmitter bleeding thru, confirmed as // 7465 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Altho new WOR 1458 was available almost 2 days earlier, the previous 1457 still aired on Area 51, UT Friday May 1 at 0000; the new edition did appear an hour later on WRMI (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. Re 9-036: ``UNIDENTIFIED. Some Media Broadcast frequency changes: UNIDentified station to SoAs: 1600-1700 on 11885 WER 125 kW / 090 deg Sat from Apr. 25 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, April 27 via DXLD)`` New WRMI/RMI transmissions Glenn: Just to let you know we have some new programs as of May. We have a new relay transmission of the programs "Your World Your Way" and "Power Learning" that are now on 1600-1700 UT Saturday (each is a half-hour, in that order) on 11885 kHz to South and Southeast Asia via Media Broadcast in Germany. These same programs are on the air to the Americas on 9955 kHz UT Saturday 1600-1700, 1800-1900; Sunday 0200- 0300, 1600-1700, 1800-1900; and Monday 0200-0300. Also we will be airing Encontro DX (produced by Cassiano Macedo at Rádio Aparecida in Brazil) UT Saturday at 0100-0130 on 9955 kHz to Latin America. This is a series that will run for at least 8 weeks. They are not the current editions of Encontro DX, but a selection of recent (2008) programs (Jeff White, WRMI, April 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WRMI still has not resumed weekday afternoon broadcasts on 9955. Nothing there, no jamming either, at 2207 check April 30. Jeff White says they are still waiting on some maintenance to be done. Unless time is sold, the 8-hour period of 16-24 UT M-F is scheduled to be filled by World Radio Network relays in English, as I assume it still is on WRMI`s webcast. Maybe in May? WRMI, 9955, Saturday May 2 at 1455 with a Jesus show, listed as Zion Teacher, and mixed with DentroCuban jamming. Do the Cuban Commies have it in for Jesus and Zion? No, they are just totally incompetent (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Sem Limites, the CVC Brazilian service show of snippets of popular classical music bits mixed with evangelism, on 15410 via Chile, April 30 at 2239 until 2257 when cut abruptly to rock music. This show is a travesty, not presenting any piece in its entirety, just chopping them up and cutting them off abruptly, such as at 2248. These people have no appreciation or respect for classical music, but are just using it for one hour a day to try to reach a different audience than otherwise. Here`s their hard-sell announcer: http://www.radiocvc.com/Grfx/Jose001.jpg Per schedule at http://www.radiocvc.com/programas2008.htm this is supposed to be at 20-21 hours Brasília time, and so I had expected it to be at 2300 UT, its original time before Brazil started fooling with DST. That ended this year already on February 15, but apparently CVC did not shift its Miami-based programming one UT hour later to keep it at the same local time in parts of Brazil going on and off DST! So it is still running at 22-23 UT. Despite my disgust, I kept listening for a while, as this could be the final SW broadcast of CVC in Portuguese, which was previously reported to be ending at Aprilend for financial reasons, tho continuing on internet and satellite feed to affiliates. Yet to be confirmed, but just try to find any mention of their last remaining SW frequency on website. We`ll find out on May Day (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CHILE. Despite reports in April that the Brazilian service of CVC, A Sua Voz, would cease SW at the end of the month, it was still there on 15410 May 1, at 1336 check, Portuguese mixing with Hausa from DW via Rwanda, 5 Hz away. Other collisions are 15-17 Radio Farda via Lampertheim, 1730-1900 VOA English via Greenville, but after that should be in the clear until closing at 0100, or is it 0200? So did the service get a reprieve because of Brazilian SW listeners` objexions, or what? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CHILE A Rádio CVC havia anunciado o corte de suas transmissões em ondas curtas para o final de abril, por medida de economia com seus transmissores de Santiago, no Chile. Entretanto, levando em consideração a audiência conquistada nos últimos tempos em ondas curtas, a medida poderá ser evitada. A intenção é manter a emissão em 15410 kHz entre 9h e 22h, na hora de Brasília [12-01 UT] (Célio Romais, Brasil, May 1, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** U S A. WWRB, 9385 with plus and minus 68 kHz spurs on approx. 9317, and weaker 9453, April 30 at 2237 as Alex Scourby was ponderously pontificating. With E-W longwire aimed at Manchester TN and preselector peaked on each frequency, I read the FRG-7 S-meter as S9+22 on 9385, +15 on 9317 and +12 on 9453 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Is anyone hearing DXing with Cumbre this A-09 season at any time on any WHRI/WHRA/T8WH frequency? You can probably find a bunch of times in the online schedules but that doesn`t mean they axually radiate on SW. I was reminded of this conundrum as I tuned by 11785 Saturday May 2 at 1457 and still heard a gospel huxter instead, in a time once occupied by DWC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9369.89v, WTJC, Newport, NC, 2040 - English religion, My Walk With Jesus program. Distorted audio and slightly drifting up and down a few Hz, 342; 5/1 (Brandon Jordan - Memphis, TN, USA, bcdx.org @ gmail.com - http://www.bcdx.org Perseus SDR - Wellbrook ALA100, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Another ORGY month is underway at WHRB, Harvard: Schedule in UT-4: http://www.whrb.org/pg/MayJun2009.html Tho WHRB is a commercial station, their ad breaks have been unobtrusive, but now I am hearing some external fully produced hard- sell commercials; barf (Glenn Hauser, OK, May 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. Hi, Glenn, Have you noticed the hole in the MW spectrum at 1000 kHz in the wee hours? KOMO has been missing --- maybe something to do with the economy. It is not for tests. Since I am usually asleep around 0700 UT, I do not know when KOMO has been shutting down, but they were certainly off by 0800. Yesterday they were still off at 1100, and I do not know when they have been signing on in the morning. So here, now (0854 on 30 April) I have Winnipeg on 990 and Calgary on 1010 and on a very weak station in Spanish on 1000 kHz. WMVP in Chicago is hardly audible, and I wondered why until I checked the latter's nighttime antenna pattern: http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1170992-97761.pdf I cannot think when I have ever seen a US AM channel open up like this for DXing; there is a weak "graveyard" rumble but until propagation opens something else up, only the Spanish station can be heard. 73 (Dave Walcutt, Eugene OR, April 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No, I certainly haven`t, as KTOK occupies 1000 here; you might hear them too. I expect KOMO absence is very temporary for some maintenance work. Spanish is probably XEOY in Mexico City. See if it`s // 6010. (However, XEOI is not the only SS on 6010 --- HJDH La Voz de tu Conciencia too.) If you can get past Mexico City, there is a 200 kW in Brasil and a 50 kW in Colombia on 1000. BTW, don`t forget that in WRTH 2009 S American MW frequency list, Brasil is missing to save space and you have to go directly to Brazil pages for those listings (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, On Monday night KOMO announced several times that they would be signing off at around 1 a.m., to return about three hours later. That apparently didn't happen, though. I woke up several times during this period, and they were on each time. However, Tuesday and Wednesday nights they were off for an extended period during the night. I don't know if any more downtime is planned (Rick Lewis, Seattle WA, April 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Coincidentally, I had the Perseus running at the right time early this morning and caught KOMO announcing they were going off for transmitter maintenance, and went off a few seconds before 0800 UTC after playing the national anthem. The announcer said they would return by 4:30 am (i.e. 1130 UYC) at the latest. At this QTH left a very weak WMVP mixing with a Spanish station (likely XEOY as you say). 73, (Nigel Pimblett, Dunmore, Alberta, Canada, April 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) When I was in high school in the mid-late 60's, KOMO signed off at midnight every night. Unfortunately, they followed the s/off announcement with a 1000 Hz test tone until 5 am sign-on. From what I understand, KOMO was a regional skywave station for the Emergency Broadcast System, so they had to stay on the air all night even though they didn't run any actual programming. The test tone certainly gets my vote for the most boring all-night program of all time . Eventually, KOMO hired someone for the midnight-5 am shift Tue-Sun AM. The Monday morning silent periods continued until some time in the 1980s, as I recall (Bruce Portzer, WA, IRCA via DXLD) Glenn, KOMO back on today at 1045 UT check. While I was at the radio I took a look at Radio Mil on 6010. Actually it is a regular here. At 1056 several "Radio Mil" jingles and full ID at 1058, "XEOY-AM" [oh- jay-ah-emay]. Azimuth measured as (very approximately) 125 degrees from my location. 73, (Dave Walcutt, Eugene OR, May 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 89.9 FM changes call letters Portland Business Journal - April 29, 2009 /portland/stories/2009/04/27/daily31.html Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 10:02am PDT Portland’s 89.9 FM classical radio station is now broadcasting under different call letters, and the nonprofit that runs the station has changed its name. Previously known as KBPS Public Radio, the nonprofit is now All Classical Public Media and its call letters are KQAC. The “AC” stands for “All Classical.” Management remains the same. Benson High School will take back the old call letters, which All Classical obtained from Portland Public Schools in 2003. “BPS” stands for “Benson Polytechnic School.” All Classical’s signal is re-broadcast on Oregon’s North Central Coast and in The Dalles on 88.1 FM, and in the Hood River area on 90.1 FM. It is also broadcast online at http://allclassical.org The nonprofit depends on community donations to fund more than 80 percent of its stations’ budgets. Local businesses and arts organizations also underwrite programming through on-air sponsorships, and a small portion of All Classical’s budget is funded through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and grants (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) They`ve always downplayed the KBPS calls ever since I started listening online, for the All Classical monicker. Obviously they felt they were stuck with bad calls. Their main announcer has a genuine British accent, presumably born with it (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. Dependable old KFWB News Radio (AM-980) turns its weekends over to round-the-clock infomercials. "Give us 22 minutes and we'll give you the world," KFWB has promised since I can remember. But now, on Saturdays and Sundays, it's "Give us 22 minutes and we'll give you . . . fish oil, gold coins, cut-rate mortgages." The change crept on me one recent Saturday. Everything seemed normal through a "Traffic on the Ones" freeway update, then a weather report. But instead of following with its regular staple of headlines and terse field reports, KFWB jumped to an interview program. The earnest host assured us we would get to the bottom of this sticky mortgage mess. He bantered lightly with an expert guest, who sounded as blandly affable as the computer Hal in "2001." Together, they promised a wondrous payoff, if only I would call this toll-free number or visit that website. Somewhere before the next segment ("Experience the miracle of fish oil!") I emerged from my haze, realizing that dear old News 980, "All News All the Time," survived in name only. . . http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-onthemedia29-2009apr29,0,5486788.column This is why AM is dying (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. FCC CALLS RADIO STATION ILLEGAL, CLOSES IT By JARED MILLER, Casper Star-Tribune CHEYENNE - After blasting alternative tunes across downtown Cheyenne airwaves for six years, a tiny radio station went off the air with a whimper Tuesday, forced to stop broadcasting by the Federal Communications Commission. Station operator Michael Stugelmayer said agents from the Denver FCC Enforcement Bureau ordered him to cut his FM signal, at 95.5 megahertz, because of alleged violations of federal broadcasting rules. Stugelmayer, a fast-food restaurant employee with aspirations to work in the broadcasting industry, had been running the 24-hour station out of a tiny attic space above a historic downtown building since 2003. "It's like someone dying on you," Stugelmayer said Wednesday. "I turn on the radio and forget it's not there." . . . http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/04/30/news/wyoming/45-pirateradio.txt (via Artie Bigley, OH, and via Terry Krueger, FL, who feels Cheyenne is on the tundra, and via Dave Alpert, DXLD) It must be the Cheyenne in WY instead of OK, as we are unaware of another Cheyenne in MT, but why don`t they say so? Also, WTFK is answered, but not: WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE STATION? Duh, Journalism 101 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. UABC Radio 1630 --- Here is what I am listening to now: http://extension.rec.uabc.mx/dgeu/radio/escuchanos.htm Really neat classical station! XEUT Tijuana 1630 was coming in here for a while over KRND Fox Farm, WY. Now it is buried below. (BTW - - KRND transmits without a lower sideband, oddly.) (Dave Walcutt, Eugene OR, 0546 UT May 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. One of our favorite shows on KOOP, Austin TX, The Graveside Service, has disappeared from their new schedule. The hosts had been mentioning a periodic schedule jumble coming up in May but they didn`t say their show was being dropped. Now the grid at http://koop.org/index.php?page=schedule tho still dated November 2008-April 2009, shows something else Saturdays at 2-3:30 pm [1900-2030 UT], Around the Town Sounds, which used to be Thursdays at 11 am. The Graveside page is still there, at http://koop.org/index.php?page=schedule§ion=thegravesideservice as one of many inconsistencies on the KOOP website: ``The Graveside Service is the show about dead celebrities! Each Saturday afternoon from 2-3:30 PM, your hosts Mr. Spradling and Mr. Harris mark the death anniversaries of musicians, actors, authors, politicians and celebrities of every sort and ilk with music, information and good ol' fashioned fun. You may email the Graveside Service at graveside98@yahoo.com`` It companion show, Adventures In Sound, remains on the schedule at 1-2 pm Saturdays [1800-1900 UT]. [Later:] Graveside Service is in fact still on the air after 1900 UT Sat May 2. So the sked grid must be wrong --- or prescient (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WTND-LP-106.3 Macomb, IL is back on the air after a "lack of funds" hiatus. They had to be back on by May 1 or lose the license. I put up this webstream using the Sony XDR-F1HD: http://67.212.189.10:8002/wtnd.m3u 73, (Jeff Kadet, Macomb IL, May 1, WTFDA via DXLD) Used to be a WORLD OF RADIO affiliate; wonder if resuming. Or will they turn it off again ASAP (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. THE POSSIBLE DEMISE OF ONCE-LEGENDARY WARM (590 SCRANTON) The AM station that once pulled a 70 share in the Electric City had long since become a forgotten spot on the dial even before falling completely silent a few weeks ago. Under current owner Citadel, transmitter maintenance was all but nonexistent in recent years, reducing WARM's once-booming voice across all of northeast Pennsylvania to a staticky, undermodulated signal that would have been hard to listen to, even if it had been programming anything listeners still cared about. (Not that it was; the most recent in a long string of automated formats was Citadel's "True Oldies Channel.") WARM had occasionally gone off the air for short periods over the last couple of years, but the latest silent period may be more permanent. Citadel isn't talking about the future of the station, but NERW's hearing that the company is unwilling to make the big investment needed to reverse years of neglected work at the station's tower site, including a non-existent ground system and two nonworking transmitters. Could the legendary WARM really be gone for good this time? We'd bet that it will at least be resurrected in time to avoid the loss of its license after a year of silence. Citadel has reportedly turned down several offers to buy the station in recent years, and might be even less likely to accept a lowball offer now that station prices are sagging. Any new owner would, of course, have a lot of work to do to get the signal humming again. But a new owner would also inherit plenty of good will from the community, at least if the coverage of WARM's apparent demise is any indication; the story led the TV news late last week, a rarity for any story about radio (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch April 20 via DXLD) ON THE DEATH OF WARM* *even if slightly exaggerated By itself, the story of Scranton, PENNSYLVANIA's WARM (590) is a fairly common one: a once-dominant AM station falls on hard times, fades from public attention, gets neglected in a cluster full of bigger FM sister stations, and ends up as not much more than a satellite dish connected to a transmitter. But the last couple of weeks in WARM-land have been unusual ones, and worthy of special note for anyone who's still even mildly hopeful that there's still some life remaining in the bigger corners of the AM dial. As we told you last week, the overall lack of maintenance at WARM's five-tower transmitter site finally took its toll earlier this month, taking the station off the air. That wasn't WARM's first silent period, but for whatever reason, this one got the attention of the local media, which made WARM's absence - and rumors of its outright demise - a lead story on TV newscasts and in the local papers. Whatever Citadel's original plans for WARM might have been, all that attention seemed to light a fire under the company, and by Thursday there was once again a signal on the air at 590 over Scranton, still carrying the True Oldies Channel satellite format that WARM has been running for the last few years. End of story? Maybe, maybe not - because even if Citadel is prepared to let WARM continue to linger in a near-death fugue state, there's still ample evidence that at least in this one case, the listeners who once loved this AM station aren't ready to let go of their memories yet. Consider, for instance, the front page of Sunday's Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. What's that lead story taking up most of the page? It's WARM's longtime morning man, Harry West, sharing his memories of life as one of the "Sensational Seven" DJs, with avid listeners everywhere from north Jersey to Binghamton. Times change, to be sure, and we'd never dream of suggesting that a station like WARM - even if restored to its full-throated 5,000-watt glory - could ever attract more than a small fraction of the 70 shares it once pulled in Scranton. But in a market that's full of older listeners, most of them native to the area, it's hard to believe there's not some way that all those "warm" feelings still out there about this legendary radio station couldn't be harnessed, with a bit of an investment, into a new WARM that could keep alive at least some of the magic of the old "Mighty 590." If Citadel's not up to the challenge, will it at long last find a buyer who is? (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch April 27 via DXLD) ** U S A. NO TV AT 1 WORLD TRADE CENTER When the new One World Trade Center rises in a few years as NEW YORK's tallest building, it won't have the city's TV stations broadcasting from its spire 1,776 feet above ground level. The Metropolitan Television Alliance (MTVA), the group formed by the stations after the 9/11 attacks destroyed their old sites atop the original 1WTC, is pulling out of a deal to build a new master-antenna site at the top of the new building. MTVA president Saul Shapiro says technology and circumstances have changed since 2001, making the new site (and its reported $10 million annual rent) unnecessary. Some history here: when the original WTC towers began to rise in the early 1970s, New York's TV stations had all settled in at what was then the tallest building in town, the Empire State Building. Originally the exclusive domain of NBC, Empire began opening its doors to other broadcasters in the early fifties, and within a few years it was home to pretty much all the TV stations in the city. But construction of the taller Trade Center buildings caused multipath and ghosting issues for viewers in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, essentially forcing most stations to move to the new 1WTC mast. Several FM stations (WKCR 89.9, WPAT-FM 93.1, WNYC-FM 93.9 and - for a time - WPIX 101.9) eventually joined the TV stations downtown at the Trade Center, drawn there mainly by lower rents than at Empire. As we chronicled back in 2002, the destruction of the Trade Center site sent those broadcasters rushing back uptown to Empire, where much had changed in the quarter-century since the TV stations had moved out. The space those old analog TV antennas had occupied on the Empire mast was by then filled with a new master FM antenna and antennas for several newer UHF TV stations that had moved in when the bigger stations moved out. At the time, the idea of returning the rest of the TV stations to Empire was seen as temporary. With promises being floated of a quick start to construction of a new skyscraper at the old Trade Center site, all the same multipath issues that plagued the Empire TVs in the seventies were bound to resurface, and with easy credit in plentiful supply, the cost of building a new master TV antenna setup downtown (or even a massive new TV-specific tower in New Jersey) seemed to be no obstacle. Then everything changed. As the so-called "Freedom Tower" kept getting delayed and delayed again, the TV stations began to settle into more permanent homes at Empire or at another new site a few blocks uptown, the Durst Organization's Four Times Square. The economic slowdown turned the cost of a Trade Center master site into a major obstacle. And perhaps most significantly, broadcasters realized that in the DTV era, they no longer need the additional 300 feet of height that the 1WTC tower will give them, since DTV receivers have no issue with the kind of fixed multipath reflections that caused intolerable ghosting on analog signals after the original 1WTC was built. So what happens now? There's still more work to be done at Empire, where the end of analog TV in June will free up some antenna space (particularly at the very top of the mast, now home to analog channels 4 and 5, and near the bottom, home to analog channel 2), setting in motion another reconfiguration of that constantly-changing site. Four Times Square continues to sign new clients for primary and backup use. Downtown at 1 WTC, developers say they'll still put up the spire that would have supported the new TV antennas, but at least for now it will be purely decorative. While we're eighty-plus floors above ground at Empire, the changing of the locks on the transmitter-room door at WBAI (99.5) is once again provoking the sort of controversy that seems to swirl around the Pacifica station every few years. The tension, as usual, comes between WBAI's New York programmers and Pacifica's California-based national management, and this time it appears to be largely financial. The national office says WBAI is $800,000 behind on money it's owed, as well as being several months behind on its transmitter and studio rent. The national office also says WBAI's fundraising has been declining, leading to a monthly deficit of at least $30,000 - which is why the order apparently came down from Pacifica's national office to change the locks in order to maintain control, if need be, of WBAI's broadcast signal. At the local level, the usual accusations of racism, race-baiting and anti-Semitism that seem to be a constant thread in WBAI's internal disputes have once again surfaced, and the usual factions are once again battling it out on the airwaves and all over the internet. Can WBAI remain relevant in an era when it's no longer the sole (or even the biggest) public forum for alternative political and cultural viewpoints in New York? Stay tuned... (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch April 13 via DXLD) ** U S A. WBNS TO OFFER 24-HOUR LOCAL WEATHER CHANNEL Wednesday, April 8, 2009 3:06 AM By Tim Feran THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH WBNS-TV (Channel 10) will launch a local 24-hour weather channel -- Doppler 10 Now -- on June 12 on the station's digital channel 10.2. Doppler 10 Now will include national information provided by AccuWeather but will focus on round-the-clock local weather and information provided by WBNS meteorologists Chris Bradley, Mike Davis, Brandon Roux and Carlos Gonzales. . . http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/04/08/WBNS_WEATHER.ART_ART_04-08-09_A8_QJDG3QO.html?sid=101 (via Artie Bigley, OH, DXLD) Also re other stations multicasting ** VATICAN. UNIDENTIFIED. 9310, 0230-0305, Apr 26, mainly vernacular talks, but with the odd song. At 0300 a church service in English with heavily accented speakers, good signal. I have no idea just who it is. (Ian Cattermole, New Zealand, DSWCI DX Window April 29 via DXLD) The Vatican R added this frequency to 12070 for its broadcast during A09 from Santa Maria di Galeria in Italy (250 kW, 086 degrees) towards India in Hindi/Tamil/Malayalam/ English at 0200-0330, according to HFCC (DSWCI Ed. Anekr Petersen and Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, via Alokesh Gupta, India, Apr 27, DSWCI DX Window April 29 via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [non]. RNVCI via CUBA, 13680 // 15250, VG April 30 at 2302 as YL is opening in stilted English with program summary, the latter part of the hour to be back in Spanish. Gave date April 30. Then starting with ``Informative Short News`` about Venezuela preparing for swine flu tho no cases yet (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** YEMEN. 9780.2, Rep. of Yemen R, San'a, 2056-2120, 28 Apr, Arabic, talks & phone-ins; 45433, but deteriorating fast. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Lisboa, Portugal, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** YUGOSLAVIA [non?]. DX HISTORIA RADIO YUGOSLAVIA LIBRE AYER RADIO RUMANIA INTERNACIONAL PASÓ UN BUEN PROGRAMA HISTÓRICO SOBRE ESTA EMISORA EN LA VOZ DE UNO DE SUS TRABAJADORES: MILAN PETROVICH. Si alguien le interesa, haría bien en intentar conseguir la grabación a través de la web de la emisora rumana, dentro del espacio MEMORIA: RO. Merece la pena, especialmente para los diexistas. Radio Yugoslavia Libre dejó de transmitir en 1954 tras la caída de Stalin y el posicionamiento comunista de la época. CORDIALES SALUDOS (JUAN FRANCO CRESPO, April 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZAMBIA [and non]. 13590, April 30 at 1310 a guy in English sounding rather like Keith Perron until he started going on and on about God -- - i.e. CVC Lusaka at 315 degrees toward Upper Michigan. But with co- channel from something unintelligible. That must be VOR Mongolian service via Novosibirsk, as scheduled with 100 kW, 110 degrees per Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 3389.0, assume spy station, 0217-0219, April 28. Woman with groups of numbers in Spanish; fair. Sounded similar to woman heard in the past on 3292v (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 6105.0, 0326-0403, April 28. Very weak station here in what sounded perhaps like Spanish; segment of phone calls (sounds of phone ringing); after BoH mostly man and woman in conversation (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Strong S9 signal here in western NY, 7049.7 AM, playing Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty, if my memory is still intact), audio off and on towards end of song at 1535 UT. Voice at end of song but cut off before I could make out language. Pirate ? (Andy O`Brien, May 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Otra emisora en árabe no identificada en 11665, captada a las 0515 UT. 11665 NO ID, 0515-0527, escuchada el 28 de abril en idioma árabe a locutora con entrevista a invitado, larga entrevista con referencias a "Darfur y los Talibanes", música de sintonía, segmento musical y se corta la emisión bruscamente, SINPO 34433 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11665 ALSO REPORTED IN 9-037. 13650 is covered by Radio Kuwait Arabic to same North & Central African target now. So I'll trace Darfur Salaam 12015 and 13650 soon, maybe latter replaced by 11665 kHz now ? 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) Wolfy, Checked 11665 tonight. Nothing audible at 0500+ or at 0520 May 1. Band open only from Cuba and New Zealand, it seems. 73, (Glenn to Wolfgang Büschel, via DXLD) Re: UNID Arabic Darfur program on 11665 --- Hi Glenn, still, still a puzzle. I woke up for 15 minutes at 0515-0530 UT this morning. BBC "Arabic Darfur special Darfur Salaam" via Cyprus STILL on registered 13650[mess with R Kuwait co-ch] and 12015 kHz. But 11665 with different Arabic service program with Darfur 'touch' was stronger than 12015 kHz this morning. See page 497 WRTH under Sudan. Still puzzles me. Unfortunately doesn't checked 13800DHA and 13840MDG Dabanga also til 0530 UT, against 11665 today. Website shows outdated times/frequencies http://www.radiodarfur.nl/index.php?page=1#URI=%3Fpage%3D4 see also SRS 13720 but a full hour til 0600 UT: http://www.sudanradio.org/timetable.php 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, May 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. 12070: Saludos cordiales, hoy 28 de abril estoy escuchando una emisora no identificada en árabe por la frecuencia de 12070, a las 1836 UTC, en esta frecuencia está emitiendo el servicio en inglés de VOR, cuando se producen silencios en VOR se escucha mejor, servicio no listado ni en EiBi ni en Aoki (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12070 in Arabic at 1800-1930 is IBRA radio via Woofferton despite VOR also on 12070 (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ BROADCASTS IN ENGLISH A09 / BDXC WEB SITE UPDATES The A09 (Summer 2009) edition of Broadcasts in English has just been published by the British DX Club. Copies were despatched yesterday to club members and everyone else who ordered it in advance. As usual this 32-page booklet lists all the various external and domestic broadcasts in English which can be heard on shortwave in a handy hour-by-hour format, along with frequencies and transmitter site details. It also includes a guide to external services in English which are available on the internet. See http://www.bdxc.org.uk - Home Page for ordering details. The various frequency guides which are maintained by Tony Rogers on the BDXC web site have also now been updated for May 2009: *Africa on Shortwave [see also AFRICA far above] *Middle & Near East on Shortwave *South Asia on the Tropical Bands *UK on Shortwave See http://www.bdxc.org.uk - Articles Index (BDXC-UK, dxldyg via DXLD) PACIFIC ASIAN LOG AM Radio Guide Covers the Region and now Fully Updated and Available for FREE The classic Pacific Asian Log of mediumwave [AM] radio stations on air across the entire region has now been updated at http://www.radioheritage.net Produced by Bruce Portzer in Seattle WA, this extensive radio guide covers literally thousands of AM radio stations and is hosted by the Radio Heritage Foundation. It draws on monitoring by many volunteers across the region, as well as information directly from broadcasters so it's accurate and up to date. You can search the database or download a pdf version for your own non-commercial use by visiting www.radioheritage.net/PAL_search.asp today. Many revised entries --- you'll find 1,379 AM listings for China alone, plus 630 for Japan, 352 for Australia. Each entry contains up to 7 data items, so that's almost 10,000 separate bits of data for China alone!! On 1170 kHz, there are 35 stations across the region, the most powerful being DWVA Poro, Philippines with 1,000kW power, as well as KJNP North Pole [Alaska] and 2CH Sydney, Australia. You'll find the Pacific Asian Log Radio Guide useful for business and vacation travel [just print out the stations from the countries you're visiting], radio monitoring, advertising and PR campaign media planning and much more...it's up to date and it's free. The Pacific Asian Log traces its origins back to radio station call lists first published in New Zealand during the 1930's, and is volunteer supported and produced as a free service for everyone. If you'd like to make a donation towards upgrading today's Radio Guides with even more information please use your VISA or Mastercard this today and just click on the donation button at www.radioheritage.net. All donations of NZ$5 or more are tax deductable for New Zealand taxpayers. Thank you for helping us continue to maintain our free services. Watch for lots more new content soon, thanks to people like you. The Radio Heritage Foundation, host of Bruce Portzer's Pacific Asian Log Radio Guides, is a registered non-profit organization connecting radio heritage and popular culture across the Pacific. You'll find us at: http://www.radioheritage.net where we're open 24/7. Come and visit us soon (David Ricquish, RHF, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DBS-11 Dear friends, A new edition of the Domestic Broadcasting Survey has been published by the DSWCI. Please read about DBS-11 at http://dswci.org/news/2009/0904/dbs.pdf Best 73, (Anker Petersen, Denmark, April 30, HCDX via DXLD) viz.: The DOMESTIC BROADCASTING SURVEY 11 (DBS-11), May 2009 edited by DSWCI Chairman, Anker Petersen. ISSN 1399-8218 The 52 years old DSWCI which counts experienced DX-ers in 33 countries all over the world as members, has just issued the 11th Edition of its annual Domestic Broadcasting Survey. This survey is divided into four parts: Part 1: The 37th edition of the Tropical Bands Survey covering all ACTIVE broadcasting stations on 2300 - 5700 kHz. Part 2: Domestic stations on international shortwave bands above 5700 kHz broadcasting to a domestic audience. Part 3: All ACTIVE Clandestine shortwave stations are now listed in one frequency order with schedules and identifications. Category 1: Opposition groups in exile and other Non-Governmental Organizations leasing airtime by international broadcasters. Category 2: State authorized clandestine programmes. Category 3: Covert broadcasts by opposition groups via own or local transmitters. Part 4: Deleted frequencies between 2 and 30 MHz which have not been reported heard during the past five years, but may reappear. This new Survey is based upon many official sources and DX-bulletins. A09 schedules are included when available. In order to make the DBS reliable, our own monitors around the world have checked throughout the period May 2008 - April 2009, if each of the 1000 station frequencies is on the air. ACTIVE stations are marked with an A (”Regular”), B (”Irregular”) or C (”Sporadic”) in the list. D means ”Likely inactive”. A unique feature is the right column called ”Last log”. It shows the last month and year before DBS deadline on April 27, 2009 when the particular station was reported logged by a DX-er somewhere in the world. This is another way of indicating the current audibility of the station. To avoid inactive stations in this DBS, most frequencies which have not been heard during the past year, have been deleted and are moved to Part 4. Other useful features for easy identification (ID) are the parallel frequencies and reference to Station ID slogans. Reviews can be found on http://www.dswci.org All buyers of DBS-11 will get a username and password to the monthly updates on the tropical bands published as "Tropical Bands Monitor" on our website. The similar data from 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 are available at http://www.dswci.org/tbm to anybody. The 35 pages A-4 size DBS-11 is available by e-mail as pdf-format (about 452 KB). A limited number is also available printed on paper. It is sold by the treasurer: DSWCI, c/o Bent Nielsen, Egekrogen 14, DK 3500 Vaerloese, DENMARK E-Mail edition: DKK 40,00 or USD 8.00 or EUR 5,00 or GBP 5,00 or SEK 60,00 or IRC 5. Printed edition: DKK 80,00 or USD 16.00 or EUR 10,00 or GBP 10,00 or SEK 120,00 or IRC 9. Payment by cash notes are accepted whereas checks and postal money orders are not accepted. DSWCI Bank is Danske Bank, 2-12 Holmens Kanal, DK-1092 Copenhagen K. BIC/SWIFT : DABADKKK. IBAN: DK 44 3000 4001 528459. Danish buyers please use: Reg. 3001- konto 4001528459. If you have EURO as national currency, you are advised to pay to our representative in Germany, Andreas Schmid. If you want to pay via PAYPAL, please unconditionally contact Andreas Schmid for information. Andreas Schmid, Lerchenweg 4, D-97717 Euerdorf, Germany. Account 2912472076 at Citibank BLZ: 30020900. BIC: CIPRDEDD. IBAN: DE24300209002912472076. Best 73's, (Anker Petersen and Bent Nielsen, DSWCI DX Window April 29 via DXLD) LATIN AMERICAN QSL LIST On my Latin America on Short Wave blog I added a section with several QSL information about LA stations. The list can be useful to DXer looking for QSL from this continent. It was possible thanks to PlayDX list of QSLs received in last 12 months. If you are interested: http://lasw.blogspot.com/ Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italia, April 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) SAD NEWS - "MONITORING MONTHLY" MAGAZINE TO CLOSE This sad news was posted on the Monitoring Monthly newsgroup - monitoring_monthly@yahoogroups.com - this afternoon (I don't think the newsgroup has any connection with the magazine): "I just received a letter telling that Monitoring monthly will no longer be published, it is finished. They will not honor actual subscription and refund the remaining of subscription. I have a year left in my subscription; it is lost. Thanks very much, Francois VE2 MHF" [also via Dave Alpert, CA] No mention on the website at http://www.monitoringmonthly.co.uk/ Monitoring Monthly - or, to give it its full name, Radio and Communication Monitoring Monthly - appeared on the news stands for the first time with a very well received bumper February 2006 http://radio.intco.biz/magazine-monitoring-monthly.htm [Later:] The newsgroup is connected to the magazine and the sad news is confirmed (Thanks to Mike Barraclough) (Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) TROTS: Editor Kevin Nice lost his job at another publication, Shortwave Magazine, now known as RadioUser, as the publisher wanted to broaden its appeal (or, dumb it down?) so Kevin started up MM along the same lines as SWM. But he had the cards stacked against him, as RU had an existing subscription base to build on. This is all UK stuff (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ POWERLINE BROADBAND JUST WON'T DIE IBM and IBEC fuel BPL interest in Wisconsin... 04:43PM Monday Apr 27 2009 by Karl Bode Last fall, as it appeared that broadband over powerline (BPL) technology was going to die off completely, IBM announced a new partnership with a small outfit called International Broadband Electric Communications, aimed at exploring the use of BPL in rural markets. The announcement came just as two of BPL's highest profile deployments fizzled, and many BPL hardware vendors begin focusing their attention on smart electrical networks instead of broadband delivery. IBM's sudden interest in BPL came on the heels of largely fruitless investments in the sector by Earthlink and DirecTV, both of whom were hoping for a magic pipe to help them circumnavigate the telco and cable duopoly. Instead of pretending that BPL is a major broadband pipe, IBM and IBEC seem willing to accept that if BPL ever succeeds, it will be a slower speed, niche player in rural markets with the help of smaller, electrical cooperatives. IBEC currently only serves about 1,400 customers with broadband (if you call symmetrical 256kbps broadband), but with a $9.6 million cash infusion from IBM and $70 million in loans from the government, the company believes they can build a network in two years that will serve 340,000 homes in Alabama, Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. . . http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Powerline-Broadband-Just-Wont-Die-102129 (via Benn Kobb, DXLD) UK - SECOND E-PETITION AGAINST PLT DEVICES Following the publication of an unsatisfactory answer to the original e-petition submitted to the Number 10 website and the increasing proliferation of home networking power line adapters, pressure group UKQRM has now started a second e-petition calling on the relevant authorities to remove these devices not conforming to the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulation 2006. Users of the HF spectrum are urged to sign this petition which can be found at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveShortwave2 The Society supports the work of this group while continuing to negotiate with Ofcom in its own right (RSGB News http://www.rsgb.org/news/ via Mike Terry, May 2, dxldyg via DXLD) Since I posted this earlier today the May issue of "Communication" has arrived from the BDXC-UK. It contains a full page article about the new petition and gives a link to more details at the club website http://www.bdxc.org.uk and also a link to http://www.ukqrm.org Please note that you need to be a British Citizen or UK resident to sign the petition (Mike Terry, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM see also: BELGIUM; CANADA; CHINA; ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DOMINICAN REPUBLIC; ECUADOR; ETHIOPIA; GERMANY; INDIA; KUWAIT; NEW ZEALAND; SLOVAKIA; SOLOMON ISLANDS; UK UNIWAVE DI-WAVE 100 DRM RECEIVER Information, including the manual, on the Uniwave Di-Wave 100 DRM receiver, to be released in limited quantities in June, has now been posted at: http://uniwave.fr/index.php?rubrique23&lang=en (Mike Barraclough, England, April 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Uniwave website has been finally launched. Here's the URL : http://uniwave.fr/?lang=en And here are the downloads for the much awaited Di-Wave 100 DRM receiver : Radio Guide http://uniwave.fr/download/RadioGuide_Di-Wave100.zip Installation Guide http://uniwave.fr/download/Di-Wave%20100%20%20Radio%20Guide%20installation.pdf Product Sheet http://uniwave.fr/download/DRM-2472%20UNIW%20-%20SPEC%20SHEET%20rev5.pdf Manual http://uniwave.fr/download/DRM-2472%20IB%20UNIW%20001%20REV0%20-%20GB.pdf (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dx_india yg via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING – DTV see also DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NTSC LIVES ON IN CUBA AND CENTRAL AMERICA Sporadic E openings this Tuesday brought TV signals from Central America, where the analog blackout is not going to happen soon !!! Cuba will also keep using the NTSC-M TV standard for some time in the future. 73 and DX, (Arnie Coro, CO2KK, Host of Dxers Unlimited, April 28, blog via DXLD) DTV I don't understand!! There is something I don't understand about some of my local DTV broadcasters. They take an HD signal (widescreen) and broadcast it as 480i (and the quality looks awful!). They have it set so that on the converter box you can't change the aspect. If I change the aspect on the LG lcd tv that I have the converter box running to (via my surround system), it zooms in and loses the sides of the picture. I know this isn't really a 'dx' subject, but I know I'll run into this with other broadcasters when I receive DTV dx. I have a handful of locals that are doing this. Is it possible they don't have an SD signal available and yet cannot broadcast a true HD signal? Just curious (Jim Thomas, wdx0fbu, Milliken, Colorado, (40 miles north of Denver), 40 18.642'N 104 52.566'W, April 30, WTFDA via DXLD) Jim, Even in 'major markets' such as San Francisco and Atlanta, they do the same. The exception, oddly enough, is PBS. Perhaps some of our experts, who work in the field, can explain (Tim Alderman, ibid.) Without knowing which stations you're referring to, it's hard to give a comprehensive answer, but here are a few possibilities: 1. If it's not one of the major-network affiliates, the station may not have the ability to pass 720p or 1080i HD. That gear costs money, and many small stations don't have that money right now. 2. If it's syndicated programming, rather than live network programming, most stations (even in larger markets) still don't have the ability to receive HD feeds, record them and replay them. So even though a show like "Oprah" or "Friends" may be available now in HD, most stations are still showing them only in SD. 3. Some stations are running an x.2 or x.3 subchannel that is nothing but a 4x3 480i simulcast of the main HD service. This is meant for feeding cable systems in outlying areas. 4. Some programming that was produced in 16x9 is not, in fact, HD. Most of our local studio programming at WXXI is now being done in 16x9 480i. That's because PBS got rid of its 4x3 SD network feed last fall, forcing us to stop running separate SD and HD feeds. With our local programming now running as part of what had been the "PBS HD" channel on 21.1, the decision was to go 16x9 with all our local programs, even though we don't yet have the gear to do local studio HD. With a little more information about what stations are giving you this problem, I might be able to diagnose it further. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) The major culprits are KRMA-DT 6, which is multicasting with black bars top and bottom...... 6-1 PBS 16:9 (broadcast says 4:3, ditto with subs) 6-2 V-Me 16:9 6-3 Create 16-9 6-5 Reading (no video) and the other is KPXC-DT 59...... 59-1 Ion Television (4:3 and subs) 59-2 Qubo 59-3 Ion Life 59-4 Worship However, I am noticing as of this morning that KPXC-DT has switched everything to 4:3, and the aspect cannot be changed. However, its fullscreen on the LCD (not zoomed in). It would make sense to me that if a format is 4:3, that what you would see, is the black spaces on the right and left of the screen on an LCD tv. Is that what they call stretch-o-vision, when they take a 4:3 product and fill out the screen on an LCD 16:9 screen? I'm seeing that some on some channels and it looks really weird, such as KPXC-DT. Almost everyone else in the Denver market is running some content in HD and the rest of the time the SD content is where you see the black spaces on the right and left. Cheyenne's two channels I get - KGWN-HD 5-1 is 16:9 (CBS affiliate) KGWN-FC 5-2 is 4:3 (Northern Colorado subchannel - CBS with Northern Colorado newscasts) KLWY-DT 27-1 is 4:3 (Fox affiliate) KLWY-HD 27-2 is 16:9 BTW, one thing I noticed about the Zenith stb converter box - IF a channel changes anything about their aspect ratios, YOU HAVE to turn the box OFF and back on for the converter box to recognize it, otherwise it does odd lines on a 16:9 ratio at the top and bottom of the picture (widescreen). (Jim Thomas, Colorado, ibid.) Sounds to me like KRMA-DT isn't yet passing (or can't yet pass) PBS HD. Because PBS has now adopted 16:9 as its standard for all network- fed video, and because not all of the 16:9 programming that PBS provides is "center-cut safe" (in other words, there's graphic or video content that extends outside the 4:3 box at the center of the screen), they've chosen - as have most PBS stations - to letterbox the 16:9 content (black bars top and bottom) for presentation via their 4:3 SD broadcast. At least on my Sony HDTV, it's possible to watch such video in fullscreen 16:9, correctly proportioned, by using one of the "zoom" settings. Ion has been testing HD in some markets. I don't know if KPXC-DT was part of those tests or not. Hope that helps! s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) WKNO/MEMPHIS DEATH MARCH As I type, WKNO-10 has just over an hour left before its VHF analog goes dark. Fortunately, unlike some of the other snippets I have seen of station sign-offs, they are sending the analog into history with style and grace. The last show, it seems, is the documentary from a few years ago of the history of the station -- produced for WKNO's 50th anniversary -- along with some new inserts about such things as the on-going construction of their new studios. Prior to that, they ran a show about the larger history of Memphis TV. WKNO holds a CP to build a new DTV on 10 as a companion to their current DTV on 29. I am told, though, by a "high-ranking official" with the station, they are unsure when -- if ever -- that will be built. An open channel for a while? Works for me. Maybe I'll get a shot at WSMV. 'Not sure if I want to stay up 'til midnight. [later:] I suppose I should have taped this. I think the WKNO-10 analog sign-off last night was graceful and interesting. Up until midnight, they ran a replay of their 50th anniversary special that had new inserts about such things as construction of the new studios and offices. Then, the moderator was shown sitting with CE, Pat Lane (W4OQG). The moderator asked Pat what he would like to see, to which Pat replied, "an Indian head test pattern." So, they played the national anthem, then a few seconds of test pattern, then it went dark. My TV displayed, "no signal." That's how it should be done (Peter, N4LI, Baskind, J.D., LL.M., Germantown, TN, May 1, WTFDA via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING – IBOC see also DOMINICAN REPUBLIC +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DISNEY IBOC DISASTROUS The Disney network stations all sound like they have the bass severely rolled off. The only other music station I have heard with IBOC is the same. I can only assume that low frequency response must somehow be destructive to the IBOC lock. I know that any sideband activity at all is really detrimental - lightning strikes that were barely audible in analog caused loss of HD lock on KMKI, certainly there is no lock on WOAI even though it is almost blowtorch status over parts of West Houston. Given that it will be years before HD is widespread, if ever, adopting it for an AM music network is disastrous. Radio Disney recently moved its studios out to Los Angeles and the quality of the programming drastically improved - they are now virtually a cleaned up version of top 40, with heavy emphasis on some of their artists. But with live interviews with artists, recognizable songs from top-40 dominating their charts, acoustic "unplugged" exclusive editions of songs, artists stopping by their new LA facility all the time - they have a nice, much more viable network going there. Too bad most listeners can't hear the network in high quality stereo. It sounds pretty good on satellite, but compression on satellite is always fatiguing to listen to. It is a shame they didn't back C-Quam over iBiquity and make cheap receivers widely available. I remember Disney C-Quam, it had plenty of bass and sounded incredible! That would have finished AM HD, I think, with Disney's good experience being noticed by other AM owners (Bruce Carter, TX, April 28, ABDX via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ DOING WITHOUT TELEVISION I almost never watch television at home. I do have C-SPAN, CNN International, and raw news feeds on the television in my office. I also (unlike the writer) almost never carry a cell phone. Radio is my preferred medium. Too bad the quality of programming and (due to IBOC) the quality of reception are deteriorating so quickly. 73 (Kim Elliott, DC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: NO TV WEEK --- In our hectic world you can greatly improve your life if you merely unplug some of the chaos. BY Ashley Goetz PUBLISHED: 04/28/2009 Think about how many hours you watch television each week. Take that number and multiply it by four. This is likely the amount of time you waste each month. Now times that number by zero. What? No TV? Exactly. It would be great for your psyche if you could go a week without it... http://www.mndaily.com/2009/04/28/no-tv-week (via Kim Elliott, dXLD) OVER THE HORIZON RADAR Glenn. A respeito do OTHR e sua atuação na faixa de HF veja esses artigos: http://www.sige.ita.br/IX_SIGE/Artigos/GE_06.pdf http://www.geocities.com/toamazon/toasivam.html Esse tem um ítem sobre o OTHR: Veja essa foto do parque de antenas com 1 MW de potência: http://www.etl.noaa.gov/technology/archive/othr/gifs/pg4othr.jpg (Jorge Freitas, Brasil, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The question is whether the US is currently doing OTHR on the SWBC bands as someone alleged was the source of some QRM (gh, DXLD) MORSE CODE OR VAIL CODE? On Monday, we [and Google] celebrated the birthday of Samuel Morse, who is generally credited with the invention of Morse Code. However, in an interesting article by Neal McEwen, K5RW, he poses the question 'Did Samuel F. B. Morse Invent the Code as We Know it Today?' The opening paragraph of this article says: 'The invention of the Morse code is generally attributed to Samuel F. B. Morse. Have we been mislead by historians? Have historians overlooked important documents? Or have historians just not shared all the facts with us?' Read the full article - then make-up your own mind... http://www.telegraph-office.com/pages/vail.html (Southgate http://www.southgatearc.org/news/april2009/morse_or_vail_code.htm via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) This is about the concept of dots and dashes, each group representing a letter, number or character coming from Vail. Of course, the ``Morse`` code we use today, more properly the Continental Code, does not match the F.B. one (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) HOUSTON REPRESENTATIVE INTRODUCES AMATEUR RADIO BILL IN CONGRESS ARRL April 30, 2009 [revised May 1, 2009 13:37 ET] On Wednesday, April 29, Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) introduced HR 2160, the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009 in the US House of Representatives. This bill, if passed, would "promote and encourage the valuable public service, disaster relief, and emergency communications provided on a volunteer basis by licensees of the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio Service, by undertaking a study of the uses of Amateur Radio for emergency and disaster relief communications, by identifying unnecessary or unreasonable impediments to the deployment of Amateur Radio emergency and disaster relief communications, and by making recommendations for relief of such unreasonable restrictions so as to expand the uses of Amateur Radio communications in Homeland Security planning and response." The bill has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce... Full story http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/04/30/10792/?nc=1 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) This appears to be the heart of the matter: ``Recommend whether Section 207 should be modified to prevent unreasonable private land use restrictions that impair the ability of amateurs to conduct, or prepare to conduct, emergency communications by means of effective outdoor antennas and support structures at reasonable heights and dimensions for the purpose in residential areas.`` (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) THE BIRDS! THE BIRDS! Radio World - The Leslie Report by Leslie Stimson April 30, 2009 http://www.radioworld.com/article/80344 The migratory bird people are back with a vengeance in the debate over whether communications towers kill migratory birds and negatively affect the environment. The FCC is looking for people to comment on a petition for expedited rulemaking "and other relief" from the American Bird Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife and National Audubon Society. They want the commission quickly to adopt new rules - rules they say are necessary to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This relates to the long-simmering issue of whether towers, their lights or their guy wires kill birds. Environmentalists say they do. We've covered this issue in Radio World several times; and broadcast engineers I've talked to about it say they've never or rarely seen a dead bird at a tower site, despite anecedotes about large kills. The commission first studied the issue under Chairman Michael Powell, then took that a step further by initiating a proceeding under Chairman Kevin Martin. Comments to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau are due May 29. Be sure to reference WT Dockets WT 08-61 and WT 03-187 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) see also CANADA: burrowing owls PROPAGATION +++++++++++ Geomagnetic field activity was at quiet levels during most of the period. ACE observations indicated no significant activity in the solar wind during the period. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 29 APRIL - 25 MAY 2009 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 increase to high levels during 08-11 May. Normal flux levels are expected during the rest of the period. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at mostly quiet levels through 05 May. Activity is expected to increase to quiet to unsettled levels during 06-09 May, with active conditions possible on 06 May, due to a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream. Activity is expected to decrease to predominantly quiet levels during 10-25 May. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2009 Apr 28 1952 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 2009 Apr 28 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2009 Apr 29 70 5 2 2009 Apr 30 70 5 2 2009 May 01 70 5 2 2009 May 02 70 5 2 2009 May 03 70 5 2 2009 May 04 70 5 2 2009 May 05 70 5 2 2009 May 06 70 15 4 2009 May 07 70 8 3 2009 May 08 70 8 3 2009 May 09 70 8 3 2009 May 10 70 5 2 2009 May 11 70 5 2 2009 May 12 70 5 2 2009 May 13 70 5 2 2009 May 14 70 5 2 2009 May 15 70 8 3 2009 May 16 70 5 2 2009 May 17 70 5 2 2009 May 18 70 5 2 2009 May 19 70 5 2 2009 May 20 70 5 2 2009 May 21 70 5 2 2009 May 22 70 5 2 2009 May 23 70 5 2 2009 May 24 70 5 2 2009 May 25 70 5 2 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1458, DXLD) ###