DX LISTENING DIGEST 11-52, December 29, 2011 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 2011 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 WORLD OF RADIO 1597 HEADLINES: *DX and station news about: Afghanistan, Belgium non, Bhutan, Botswana, Canada, China, Cuba non, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Europe, Germany, Greece, Japan, Kuwait, Mali, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Sikkim, Spain non, Sudan, Taiwan non, UAE, USA, Vanuatu SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1597, Dec 29, 2011-Jan 4, 2012 Thu 2200 WTWW 9479 [confirmed] Thu 2230 WBCQ 7490 [confirmed] Fri 0430 WWRB 3195 [confirmed] Fri 0600 WRMI 9955 Sat 0900 WRMI 9955 Sat 1600 WRMI 9955 Sat 1830 WRMI 9955 Sun 0500 WTWW 5755 Sun 0900 WRMI 9955 Sun 1630 WRMI 9955 Sun 1830 WRMI 9955 Mon 0330v WBCQ 5110v-CUSB [maybe] see http://www.worldmicroscope.com Tue 1030 HLR 5980 Hamburger Lokal Radio Thu 0430 WRMI 9955 [was on air and webcast last week, anyway] 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://193.42.152.193/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN: http://www.wrn.org/wrn-listeners/world-of-radio/ http://www.wrn.org/listeners/world-of-radio/rss/09:00:00UTC/English/541 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg without delay. When applying, please identify yourself with your real name and location, and say something about why you want to join. Those who do not, unless I recognize them, will be prompted once to do so and no action will be taken otherwise. Here`s where to sign up: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** AFGHANISTAN [and non]. NOTE: altho many of the logs below are NOT Afghanistan, we are grouping them here, to keep track of what all is on 7200; but see also ERITREA; ETHIOPIA (gh) 7200, continued from 11-51: Walt, you were listening the day before. Was it in Arabic? Do you have any recorded audio? Anyway, I got the impression that also then there might have been more than two stations. Namely, today the situation was again different: At 1400 I could hear Sudan with definite ID. At 1500 Eritrea and Ethiopia were on 7205 kHz. At 1640 Eritrea and Ethiopia were on 7200 kHz. At 1800 Ethiopia signed off, with French then. At 1830 Eritrea signed off and left Sudan alone. 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, Dec 22, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7205, V of Broad Masses 1 (Dimtsi Hafash) from Asmara should be forced to hop to 7195 kHz instead, and Ethiopian jamming will follow...;-) 73 wb Dec 23, At 1435 UT I hear Sudan in Arabic on 7200.000 nearly even, little bit stronger with definite ID. At 1440 UT measured Horn of Africa music, like Asmara Eritrea on 7199.983 wandering to x.982 kHz. The Ethiopian security guys on WHITE NOISE mode didn't hit them yet. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) At 1633 R. Ethiopia in English there alone, because they didn't notice that Eritrea had moved to 7205 kHz. At 1638 they did and at this time 7200 kHz is empty, not even Sudan. Merry Christmas to everybody! (Mauno Ritola, Finland, Dec 23, ibid.) Am hearing R Afghanistan sign on in English at 1530 on 7200, still announcing 6100, and with their ear catching signature tune. No Sudan. Vy 73, (Erik Koie, Copenhagen, 1026 UT Dec 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) National Radio of Afghanistan 7200 good at s/on around 1530 today. At tune in 1530 standard South Asian type vocal, at 1531 a few seconds of Afghan music, and then opening ID in English. Seemed to announce 49 meter band. Then news in English. No trace of other stations under Afghanistan (Olle Alm, Sweden, 25 Dec 2011, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Afghanistan [non]: ETIÓPIA, 7200, R. Ethiopia-external service, Geja Jawe, 1640-1659*, 25/12, English, talks, local songs, interviews with foreigners; unclear audio; 35433. Parallel to 9558.7, rated 33421, adjacent QRM 73 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [non] My Christmas morning DX - 7200, Radio Ethiopia, 1600 25 Dec, weak with IS matching what's posted on intervalsignals.net, then ID in English, of which I caught "...external service of Radio Ethiopia broadcasting in English in the 31 meter band and 41 meter band, (unintelligible) medium wave". News followed, but quickly covered by ham QRM. Aoki has them listed in English at this time on 7235 & 9560. 7200 seems like an odd choice for an external service, with Sudan and Eritrea using the frequency as well. I also had talk and distinctive theme music, presumably from Ethiopia, in unknown language with fair signal at 1520-1535 (Bruce Portzer, Seattle, WA, Winradio Excalibur, K9AY antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Bruce, as Mauno Ritola in Finland explained before, 7200 Ethiopia is a domestic program jammer against Eritrea V of Broad Masses 1 (Dimtsi Hafash) Asmara-Selae Daro program, latter usually and registered on 7205 kHz, latter which hopped away 5 kHz down to 7200 kHz past days to meet Omdurman Sudan, and Kabul-AFG adjacent channel too, and Ethiopian jammer followed as a twin 5 kHz down. 73 wb df5sx (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Walt, 7200 on Dec 25 from 1446 to 1600 again heard the fairly strong African station, but was NOT Sudan, instead was in fact ETHIOPIA. Also during a portion of this time period, from 1501 to 1530, heard only one UNID station underneath, with Moslem call-to- prayer at 1528; gone at 1530. Who? Certainly after 1530 I did not have any hint of Radio Afghanistan underneath Ethiopia. At 1600, just like the excellent report from Bruce Portzer today, I also heard the clear, positive and definite ID in English: "This is the external service of Radio Ethiopia broadcasting in English in the 31 meter band and 41 meter band in shortwave". So I can confirm the recent observations of Mauno, Victor and Sei-ichi that the station here has indeed been Ethiopia (Ron Howard, San Francisco, Calif., ibid.) Hello fellow DXers, Just a quick comment, the only station that would broadcast the Azan (call for the prayer in Arabic) is Om Durman / Sudan, as none of the other stations on 7200 would broadcast a live Azan. Best regards (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, Dec 26, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Afghanistan, 7200, Dec 26, Initially when I tuned in around 1430, there was not even one carrier visible. Even just before 1530 it wasn't very promising but the signal came up nicely at 1529:30 with the "National Radio of Afghanistan" ID in English. They seemed to be very close to 7200.000 and all alone. 10 or 15 minutes later started to hear other audio here - someone maybe up a bit like 7200.002 and not too long after then ~7199.983 came up too. Quite a jumble at 1600 UT, did catch a mention of "41 meter band" but nothing else. So that might have been Ethiopia as per Bruce Portzer`s logging yesterday. Not too much aurora today but the carriers are still smeared a bit so hard to get too precise a reading on the frequency (Don Moman, Lamont, Alberta, Dec 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7200, Ethiopia, Quickly reviewing a Perseus recording from this morning Dec 27 starting around 1510, a real jumble here and some auroral smearing too, so no definite ID of Afghanistan or anything at 1530; however at 1600:25 heard "External Service of Radio Ethiopia broadcasting in English in the 31 meter band and the 41 meter band in shortwave and 303 meters on medium wave. Our transmission begins with a news summary." (Don Moman, Lamont, Alberta, ibid.) 7200 kHz was too weak this morning, tentatively two stations on air, Sudan and new-Ethiopia services. 73 wolfy df5sx (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 28, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7200, R Afghanistan Kabul started with transmitter crash start into an Afghan song at 1521:53 UT today Dec 28. S=8-9 here in Europe. Well ahead of tentative SUDAN transmissions, which heard before on very weak level til 1520 UT. Terrible mixture today at 1622 UT on 7200 kHz, three string lines visible on browser: on 7199.9790 seemingly R Ethiopia English 16-17 UT, which had English news at 1635 UT, 7199.9995 - which left at 1630 UT - seemingly R Afghanistan, and 7200.0015 kHz, seemingly SRTC R Omdurman in Arabic. 73 wolfy df5sx (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** ALBANIA [and non]. 7425, still here Dec 25 at 0018, Albanian music from R. Tirana, marred by fast SAH and CCI from China underneath, while 7420 is vacant (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7389.979, Radio Tirana morning service in Albanian, S=9+30dB (equal signal level like Croatia 7370v), at 0808 UT Dec 26. Talk interview by two female about popular cultural matter (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC- DX TopNews Dec 27 via DXLD) ** ANGUILLA. Re: Relatório de escutas caribenhas 24/12/2011- horario Caro Fran, Como sugeriu o amigo Rubens Ferraz Pedroso há alguns dias, provavelmente voce está ouvindo a Rádio Anguilla em 95.5, o que é muito significativo. A BBC tem forte atuação no Caribe através de canais que a retransmitem integralmente ou com notícias e outros programas em meio a programações locais. Vendo sua informação de que ouviu o noticiário da BBC nos 95.5 , entrei no site da BBC, no espaço reservado sobre retransmissões do noticiário (BBC News) no Caribe e lá consta Rádio Anguilla 95.5 MHz, é um grande passo para a identificação desta emissora. 73 (Samuel Cássio, São Carlos SP, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Sim Samuel, grato pela informação, também olhando no mapa do Caribe percebi a proximidade das 2 ilhas Anguilla e Antigua que pelo jeito quando a propagação TEP abre é focado para uma região próxima Eu postei no Youtube 2 videos feitos em horários diferentes, 9:50 e 1:00 da madrugada [both 95.5; typical TEP distortion] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjfPyEEtDmI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhPiSAKfM0A 73´s (Fran - Itapecerica da Serra SP, Sony XDR-F1HD Antena Yagi 10 elem. ibid.) ** ANTARCTICA. 15476, still zilch from LRA36 on the one day of the week it used to be active, Thursday Dec 22 at 1335. How about someone contacting Esperanza on what the prospects are for ever reactivating? Thu Dec 29 at 1435 check, still nothing from LRA36 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTIGUA. Caros amigos, Seguem os dados da última escuta efetuada em FM: 89.7, 08/12 0241, Catholic Radio, St. John's, programa "Catholic Answers Live" 45454. Informe de recepção preparado e áudio pronto para breve publicação em meu blog. Equipamento utilizado: Receptor Quicksilver QS1R Perses Downconverter WB-80-120-TP Amplificador Kitz Technologies KT-100VG Antena FM5 Local da escuta: Apiaí/SP 73 (Ivan Dias Jr. - Sorocaba/SP, http://ivandias.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/ivandiasjr 23 Dez, radioescutas yg via DXLD) So delayed a biweek in reporting this? (gh, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [non]. 9965, PALAU, R. Australia, Koror, 1358-1406 Dec 27, Chinese/English; Ballad in English at tune/in; announcer in Chinese at ToH with ID & URL info; language lesson re "We were wondering if you would like to come to dinner?"; fair (Scott R. Barbour Jr. Intervale, N.H. USA, NRD-545, MLB-1, 200' Beverages; 60m dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. 6155, ORF with German YL and OM reading news items. In really well, 4+54+4+4+ at :15. English scheduled for 0707-0709 so I decided to record that segment, and see what they were doing then. The recording showed German news about Liechtenstein and Václav Havel, etc., but no English at all. I miss their English broadcasts! Have they dropped English entirely or was this a 'one day' issue? 4554+4+ 0615-0625 live, recorded 0659-0715 21/Dec --Zichi MI 6155, ORF with German OM DJ playing (mostly) Mozart piano pieces. (Nice stuff.) Into feature about Laurel and Hardy with English movie clips (odd stuff.) and bit about Curaçao and 'space development' -- as in outer space -- on the island (even odder stuff!) with lots of English clips during the German items. Continuing on in German at ToH with shorter items (news I presume) and continuing again without switching to English at any point up to the end of the transmission which ended abruptly at :15 without ID or other fanfare 4+54+4+4+ but fading to 3+5444 by 0715 0640-0715* 22/Dec (Kenneth Vito Zichi, Williamston MI, MARE Tipsheet Dec 23 via DXLD) Standard remark (gh) ** AZORES. AFN SAYS GOODBYE TO MILITARY’S FIRST OVERSEAS T.V. STATION Posted 12/15/2011 Updated 12/15/2011 [illustrated] by 1st Lt. Mara Title, 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs http://www.lajes.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123283659 12/15/2011 - LAJES FIELD, Azores -- It was the year the Soviet Union stopped demanding war reparations from East Germany, Marilyn Monroe married baseball player Joe DiMaggio, the U.S. Congress and President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized the founding of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, and the war with Vietnam was just around the corner. It was 1954, the same year when the first overseas military T.V. station, which was also the first T.V. station in Portugal, broadcasted live from Lajes Field, Azores. And in November, 2011, due to its old age and inconvenient off-base location, this historical piece of military history, Building T-252, was torn down. "Lajes first started broadcasting from the bachelor's officers' quarters," said Jose Borges, American Forces Network Lajes Field Logistician, who's worked at AFN over 20 years. "The studio space was limited, and there was very little equipment, only used for broadcasting made-for-television movies and film." According to Borges, a decision was made to upgrade the equipment and move to an alternate location in 1957, and the base received a special grant from the Consolidated Non-Appropriated Welfare Fund of the Military Air Transport Service to build T-252. Within the new building, The Air Force Broadcasting Service, was located on top of Santa Rita Hill, behind the water tanks adjacent to the base. The original T.V. transmitters and antennas are still located there. Jose Mendes, AFN Lajes Field Operations, arrived in 1964, when live 30-minute newscasts at 6 p.m. were the norm, beginning with the Portuguese and American national anthems. He says the wars in Vietnam and Persian Gulf were the most memorable for him. "There was a video operator, an audio operator, maintenance man, three cameras in the studio; news, sports and weather broadcasters," said Mendes. "This generation doesn't understand how hard it was to run a T.V. station back then," he said. Mendes said it would be much easier to report a large-scale war today, since in the past, they had to report events live. Satellites have also dramatically improved the AFN mission in many ways. The sound bites they had to listen for were often very poor through radio, he said. Although his English was extremely limited, Mendes started working in the office typing out lines for the broadcasters. With only one other Portuguese person working, the secretary, they also had to type out the song titles from different artists. According to Mendes, 36 people manned the station; now there are 16. The local military audience was approximately 3,000; now there are roughly 700. Not only was Lajes Field the first station to broadcast to a military audience, it's the last T.V. station to still have an over-the-air signal, rather than cable. This allows the Portuguese audience in the local community the ability to watch AFN, and partake in the American culture. Eventually the over-the-air signal will not be available due to outdated equipment, and only military members will have access to AFN. "At the time, television's primary function was entertainment, not news," said Mendes, "and we received loads of shipments of tapes and films. The primary outlet for news was radio." In contrast to T-500, the current AFN station was renovated two years ago, specifically as a T.V. station; with a double-wall for sound- proofing, it was one of the best T.V. facilities in Europe. Although the new AFN location is on base, it was adapted to be a T.V. station and studio during its renovation, but isn't as ideal as T-252. "T-252 went through the whole gamut of television, from movie reels and splicing films from tapes, to digital--what we use today," said Borges. "The equipment was so intense; we were more mechanical, which meant a lot more equipment, and rooms full of editors. Today everybody edits from a laptop computer on their desks. T-252 had four editing suites, with a lot of electronic and mechanical equipment. It was a different world." Borges went on to describe a room with thousands of LPs -- "long playing "vinyl records -- and a tape library with multiple television shows, to include Star Trek and Bonanza. He said not only was the working environment completely removed from today, but acclimatizing the local Portuguese to American culture through music and movies was a relatively new concept. "The interesting thing is 20 or 30 years ago, AFN was crucial in maintaining the American and Portuguese relationship," said Borges. "People in this area are so accustomed to American culture -- everybody knows a little English; everybody knows a little American music and films, and it's so much easier for the U.S. military to exist here and to exist well and be comfortable because of the fact that over the years, we've gotten so used to drinking in that American entertainment." AFN was undoubtedly an enormous influence on the host nation relationship between the U.S. and Azores, and it affected its local national employees just as much. "I spent the best years of my life working there," said Mendes. "The U.S. and Portuguese partnership over the years was great. It was kind of a family, because we had to work together. We depended on each other; I had to help the American broadcaster just as he had to help me." Even through all the change, that family-oriented mentality has persisted. The average time frame the Portuguese local nationals have worked at AFN Lajes Field is between 30-40 years. Mendes has worked the longest, with 48 years of service. Plus, AFN is a small career- field, so the local national staff tends to see the same military members come through again. "It was kind of sad to see the building go, to tell you the truth," said Borges. Although the nostalgia for the old building will resonate for a while with those who saw it in its heyday, the history will live on through the stories they tell. "I was very lucky to work there," said Mendes. "I consider myself a very lucky man...even though it was very hard work!" (via Kevin Mikell, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** BELGIUM. VRT WORKING ON NEW OFFER FOR FOREIGNERS IN FLANDERS As previously reported, Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal (RVi) is closing down. From 1 January 2012, VRT Radio 1 and Radio 2 will be broadcast worldwide by satellite. VRT says it is also working on a new offer for foreigners in Flanders. Currently, the VRT has an online offer in English, French and German. The subsites of Deredactie.be bring a selection of general and sports news, plus foreign language fragments. A detailed overview of the reception opportunities abroad can be found at VRT.be. VRT has also published a statement about the closure of mediumwave 927 kHz as of 1 January. It says the closure follows the European trend whereby more and more mediumwave stations are being closed. It says 1.7 million kW hours annually (equivalent to 745 tons of CO2) will be saved. According to VRT, relatively few people listened on mediumwave. (Sources: VRT/RVi websites) (December 24th, 2011 - 14:01 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) See also GERMANY, Pur Radio 6085 ** BHUTAN. [Re 11-51:] 6035.043 kHz, 100 kW non-dir Thimphu. Bhutan BS schedule in Aoki list: 0000-0300 Dzongkha, 0300-0400 Sharchop, 0400-0500 Lhotsham/Nepali, 0500-0600 English, 0600-0700 Sharchop, 0700-0800 Dzongkha, 0800-0900 English, 0900-1000 Sharchop, 1000-1100 Lhotsham/Nepali, 1100-1500 Dzongkha, 1500-1600 English. This newer transmitter is a Thalès-Thomson/Thomson Grass Valley TSW 2100D, delivered with a new 5/6 MHz quadrant antenna. Old 50 kW still on 5030.000 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 17, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27 via DXLD) Bhutan 5030. Based on GlobalTuners site at Johannesburg SA, Bhutan is not on the air tonight (12/23 UT) with morning program, no signal heard on 5030 kHz at nominal 0000 UT s/on or to past 0030 UT. Normally this site is excellent for subcontinental transmitters on 60 mb. [later] 5030 / 6035 Bhutan active. BBS also heard during morning broadcast via Global Tuner in UK on 5030 kHz at 0019 UT tune with special broadcast of man speaking followed by man announcer with distinctive Bhutan instrumental music in background at 0051 UT, woman announcement at 0052.5, two Bhutanese vocals at 0053 UT, program music at 0100 and into news or feature programm at 0100.5 with lots of remote feeds, man announcer, occasional short [sic] to 0126 UT. Traditional Bhutan instrumental music and woman announcement at 0026 UT and a Bhutanese vocal at 0128-31 UT. Good S4 signal. Splash QRM from Cuba on 5025 - AIR Jeypore on 5040 kHz in the clear but noticeably weaker. Transmitter had a strong hum. Don't know if this is evident on 6035 channel. SINPO 44544 - sounds like the full power 100 kW transmitter. Except for special speech, programming follows typical morning schedule heard from past years - nominal s/on is 0000 UT. Nice to have BBS back on SW! (Bruce W. Churchill, CA, DXplorer Dec 22 via BC-DX 27 Dec via DXLD) 5030.00, BBS, Thimphu, presumed here at 1226 up against heavy splatter from Cuba on 5025. Listened to 1406*, with talking, local music with singing, children and conversations, no English heard, and // 6035 under PBS Yunnan with only bits of audio under Chinese. No TS at 1300 or 1400. Didn't seem as strong as on 12/15. Strange audio sounds weakly in background during entire time period (Jim Young, Wrightwood, CA, ICOM IC-756 ProIII + 40-M yagi, 1433 UT Dec 21, NASWA yg via DXLD) No date in log, but presumably promptly posted (gh, DXLD) 6035.05, BBS, Thimphu, BHUTAN (presumed). Carrier first heard here at 0015, December 22, 2011. Also found extremely weak carrier on 5030.00 same time. No audio detected with adjacent splatter for both frequencies. Peaked around 0050. AIR Gangtok, INDIA carrier on at 0058 on 4835.00. Gangtok is only 100 km west of Thimphu. 6035 and 4835 same strength at 0110, whereas 5030 was never easily heard at all! 5030 and 4835 gone by 0126, and 6035 gone by 0150. This was first time heard on 6035/5030 in their morning time, after daily checks since December 16. (Jim Young, Wrightwood, CA, ICOM IC-756 ProIII + 40-meter yagi, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, ibid.) ** BHUTAN. 5030.0, BBS, 1248 to tune out at 1355, Dec 22. Testing their transmitter; mostly with reduced modulation (hum) and sporadically testing with full modulation; some indigenous music; usual phone conversations with young girls singing songs; at 1341, when they played some indigenous music, found them clearly // 6035.05. Yesterday Jim Young (Calif.) and some Japanese DXers could hear the //, but I was unable to make it out until today; some CW QRM. MP3 audio at http://www.box.com/s/t9in5i2h3n33i78isenc (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I received something similar today in Romania at 1400-1428 UT on 5030 kHz. Transmission went off completely at 1428. Here is the recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lroxk8C1IPU Best regards, (Tudor Vedeanu, Gura Humorului, Romania, Dec 22, Etón E1XM, 100m longwire antenna with Wellbrook UMB balun, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. 6035, Dec 22 at 1312, with BFO I can tell there are two very weak carriers on slightly different frequencies, so must be BBS and Yunnan PBS; others are reporting Bhutan is 40-50 Hz on the high side. If I were to keep monitoring this carefully for the next two hours, I might detect when one of them goes off, and by matching that to reports from those who can really hear Bhutan, clinch a catch without hearing any modulation. Nothing at all detectable on 5030, which is still testing sporadically. Ron Howard in California was hearing it during this period. Alokesh Gupta, Cumbre DX, hears from BBS that when the 5030 transmitter is ready for regular service in January with a second program, they may put it on a good clean frequency --- but this one seems good enough to me (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I had the great pleasure to hear BBS for the first time after nearly two years last night at *0003-0045 UT on 5030 with 34433 // 6035 with a weak signal of 14211. Best 73, (Anker Petersen, Denmark, via Alokesh Gupta, Dec 23, dx_sasia yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) 5030.00, 22.12 *0003, Bhutan Broadcasting Service, Sangaygang, Thimphu Dzongkha, abrupt s/on, Bhutanese instrumental music, but not the religious morning mass [sic] as previously, 0011 ann, horn fanfare, a fast talking man initially with music in the background 34433, at 0040 increasing QRM from R Rebelde, // 6035.06 Not heard at 0000-0030 on 23 or 24.12 AP-DNK (Anker Petersen, Denmark, SW Bulletin Dec 25 via DXLD) 5030, 24.12 1352, Bhutan very strong here at this time with mostly talk. Also checked 6035.04 at the same time but Yunnan too strong with Bhutan very weak in the background. TN (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, ibid.) 6035.045, 17.12 1250*, Bhutan, (tent.) Noted Dec 17 at early sign off 1250z on 6035.045 kHz, disturbed by Yunnan Kunming Voice of Shangri-La program on 6035.0 kHz. Nothing noted on 5030v at this day (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Dec 25 via DXLD) 5030.00, BBS, Thimphu, BHUTAN (presumed). Carrier noted here at 1152, December 22, 2011. Seemed there was testing in progress with signal levels changing up/down, with some audio at times. Same continued to 1355, when signal level testing seemed to quit. Signal strong, with audio through 1403. No TS at TOH. Then considerable audio difficulties until transmission went off around 1429. While testing, the carrier had raspy sound, except when audio applied. During audio portions, similar noisy background was heard again (as reported yesterday). 6035 kHz had SAH with PBS Yunnan, and went off at 1429 also, but no audio under Yunnan heard (Jim Young, Wrightwood, CA, ICOM IC-756 ProIII + 40-meter yagi, NASWA yg via DXLD) 5030.0, BBS, random listening from 1224 to 1428:38*, Dec 23. Their best reception so far with good audio quality; in vernacular with music (indigenous songs and EZL music); 1330 very distinctive assume Bhutanese bagpipe band. MP3 audio at http://www.box.com/s/nf1ln2o184ovx4xjqhom with bagpipes and nice indigenous songs; 1224 confirmed // 6035.05. Very pleasant listening! (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) BHUTAN?? 5030.007, 1159 talk by M, then instrumental filler music to ToH. Talk by different M. M and W later at 1206. 1212 music definitely sounding like west India or Pakistan. 1213- talk by M. Horrible 5025 Rebelde slop QRM. Tried to reduce the lower side but still couldn't make it any more readable. A little more clear at 1229 with soft vocal music. M again at 1230 but still not good enough. Slop returned then and fading as well. (23 Dec.) 73 and a Merry Christmas to everyone!! (Dave Valko, Dunlo, PA USA, HCDX via DXLD) [and non]. 6035, Dec 23 at 1423, once again with BFO I can detect double-carriers on slightly different frequencies, presumably Yunnan and BBS; and nothing audible on 5030 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 24 Dec 2011 - BBS 5030 & 6035 both on air at 1048 UT tune in. With Season's Greetings! At 1327z both freq's still on air, 5030 // 6035 (Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, India, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Good to Fair on 5030 kHz, Fair on 6035.04 kHz in Japan (S. Hasegawa, 1406 UT Dec 24, ibid.) 5030 is the strongest here in CAL than 6035 kHz still on the air around 1415. Perhaps 5030 is from the new transmitter (Alok Dasgupta, Kolkata, via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, ibid.) 5030 from here, 1334-1400 phone calls from girls and women, songs, 1400-1415 presumably news and reports, followed by talk by OM then YL with traditional music behind, before off abruptly on 1427. Was that BBS? I have no knowledge of the language. SINPO 34333 to 44333 (Tony Ashar, West Java, Indonesia, Dec 24, ibid.) Hi Everyone, First hint of this one here, except for weak carrier. 5030, Bhutan Broadcasting Service, Thimphu from 14 to sign off at 1427 UT. Before 14 just a carrier then weak audio. At 1358 OM and YL then flute music OM at TOH, Asian music briefly at 1413 (30 secs). Then OM and more Asian music at 1419 (At start of recording) then YL announcements perhaps. Into music at 1421 and off during the music at 1427. Not an easy time to copy this station (or any) on this band. http://www.box.com/s/bp7jjgtk7lfz8bnxfxbk Nadolig Llawen Pawb (Mark Davies, Anglesey, Wales, Dec 24, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I made a recording yesterday, pretty good signal on 5030 kHz here in Romania, nothing on 6035 kHz. [1400 UT, 5+ minutes, starts with music] http://youtu.be/HGE9QNo_xak Best regards, (Tudor Vedeanu, Gura Humorului, Romania, Dec 24, Etón E1XM, 100m longwire antenna with Wellbrook UMB balun, ibid.) 5030, fading in 1335-1345 24.12, Bhutan Broadcasting Service, Sangaygang, Thimphu, Dzongkha, male interviewing a female, 25232, but 1345 no audio, however still a carrier. Possibly heard also on 6035.04 with just an open carrier. Not heard same time 26.12 (Anker Petersen, here in Skovlunde, Denmark, used my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in 9 metres altitude, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 5030.00, 0101-0124, Bhutan Broadcasting Service, Thimpu, 25/12, Dzongkha, OM news with many OM (mostly) and YL reports, 0116'16 OM talk with typical Tibetan music in the background, etc. - fair with local noise, // 6035.05 poor with transmitter switching off approx. at 0114-0118 (there were no any signs of them starting from 0000 this night) 73! (Mikhail Timofeyev, St. Petersburg, Russia, HCDX via DXLD) 5030.0, BBS. Nice to see so many reports of this being heard on Dec 24. Noted that day from 1335 to 1345 with almost fair reception; in vernacular with usual segment of phone conversations with young girls. Dec 25 do not imagine many people were able to hear them, as they went back to testing their transmitter again; 1321 to 1348 with long segments with reduced modulation/power (hum) and brief spots with full modulation/power and no hum; played some indigenous music and again with phone conversations with young girls; while under reduced power was barely heard, but almost fair with full power (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Bhutan, 5030 kHz --- yesterday, at 0100 UT, heard in Northern Germany: http://bit.ly/v5jDey Can anyone help with a (phonetically) identification? I just can hear "Druk Yul", the name of the country in Dzongha. -- 73, (Nils DK8OK Schiffhauer, Germany, Dec 26, ExcaliburPRO, SDR-IP/GPS, W-Code, 2 x 20 m active quad loop (90 ), dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Nils, Afraid I can not help with a language ID for BBS, but attached audio has their distinctive theme music that they play before their ID in English. Hope that when 5030 starts regular broadcasting they will use this ID during their transmission. Good luck! (Ron Monterey, California, USA, via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks, Ron - that's nice! The tune is "A Touch of Velvet - A Sting of Brass", originating from Mark Wirtz and the Ladybirds (aka "The Mood Mosaic"), back from 1966. Will try to trace it these days on Bhutan Radio; now they seem to be silent. 73 (Nils Schiffhauer, Wilhelm- Henze-Weg 12, 31303 Burgdorf, 05136 873377, 0170 2347383, http://www.schiffhauer.tv via Ron Howard, DXLD) Bhutan BBS email: Dear Ron Howard, Thanking you for your reception report. After verifying the frequency with Short wave coordination conference which is conducting in Kualalampure, Malaysia, we may use or look for good free frequency and will do our second channel broadcasting. Are you coming to KL Malaysia to attain 8th global shortwave coordination conference? With warm regards, Thinley Dorji, Transmission head, Thimphu, Bhutan (via Ron Howard, Dec 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6035.0 (tentative), BBS audio snippits overcoming co-channel slop at 1145Z. Rebelde dominating the general 5025.0 area. Can "see" the signal via Perseus display on frequency but audio is submerged in co- channel slop on both frequencies. 12/27/11 (Chuck Rippel, Chesapeake, VA, Microtelecom Perseus, EAC R390A, 60 & 90MB Sloper at 80', NASWA yg via DXLD) Nothing heard of BBS Bhutan today, 5030 / 6035 kHz. 73 wolfy df5sx (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Dec 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Noticed the following announcement regarding the Global Shortwave Coordination Conference, at the BBS website: "Announcement: Please make an announcement on the following in our BBS website, TV and Radio: BBSC is pleased to invite sealed quotations from the eligible travel Agents for the following sectors: Date of Travel: Delhi, India to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - 8th January, 2012 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia --- Delhi, India --- 14th January, 2012 (Validity three months) The bidder should deposit EMD along with the bid in form of Demand draft or cash warrant of Nu. 5,000 (five thousand) in favour of Managing Director, BBS. The bid without EMD will be rejected. Failure to deliver the tickets on time, the EMD will be forfeited. The last date of submission of the quotation is 1500 hours on 27th December, 2011 and the same will be opened at 1530 hours on the same day." Very nice to see that BBS will be attending the conference. Interesting to note they will travel via New Delhi (Ron Howard, Dec 28, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [later:] Thanks to Anker Petersen (Denmark) of DSWCI for explaining why they have to travel via Delhi. "When I visited Bhutan last year, I learned that Bhutan still is a closed country which only allows that air traffic is done to or from Bhutan by Druk Air which only owns two passenger aircraft. They only fly to nearby airports like Delhi, Kathmandu and Kolkata, so it is very clear, that a flight to Kuala Lumpur has to change aircraft in Delhi." (Ron Howard, ibid.) ** BOLIVIA. 6134.83, Radio Santa Cruz, *0851:30-0915, sign on with Bolivian music. Spanish talk at 0856. Flute IS at 0857. Opening Spanish ID announcements at 0858. “Santa Cruz” song at 0900. Test tone at 0902. Spanish pop music and Bolivian music after 0903. Fair. Dec 23 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** BOLIVIA [and non]. R. Logos, 4864.975 was exact frequency when heard on Dec 20 at 2235 /TN) R. Verdes Florestas, 4865.015 was exact frequency when heard on Dec 20 at 2235. /TN) (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Dec 25 via DXLD) ** BOTSWANA. Shortly after posting my last logs, under USA [non], the likely explanation for VOA appearing on 15570 instead of 15580 at 21- 22 UT Dec 26 occurred to me: because 15580 is used right up until 2100 by another site (Bonaire), Botswana tunes up before 2100 on 15570 instead, and simply stayed on it that day instead of switching to proper 15580. Such off-channel tuning up is common practice at IBB, tho not always avoiding open carriers/tones mixing with other stations or IBB Sites. Likely will be back on 15580 today Dec 27. 15570, Dec 27 at *2058, my tune-up theory is confirmed, as I was waiting for VOA on both 15570 and 15580. The lower came on with carrier at 2058, by 2059 VOA Bonaire was off 15580, but 15570 Botswana did not cut to 15580 until a few notes of the VOA opening had played on 15570 at 2100. Well, that`s quite an improvement over staying on 15570 well into the hour if not the whole hour like yesterday (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL [and non]. R. Verdes Florestas, 4865.015 was exact frequency when heard on Dec 20 at 2235. /TN) R. Logos, 4864.975 was exact frequency when heard on Dec 20 at 2235 /TN) (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Dec 25 via DXLD) 4865.0, BRASIL, R. Verdes Florestas, Cruzeiro do Sul, 21/12 1030-1112, 33333, programa religioso, ID ”Por Radio Verdes Florestas”, música religiosa y luego news (Pedro F. Arrunátegui, Lima, Dec 22, EL CHASQUI DX PFA – DICIEMBRE 2011, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See PERU ** BRAZIL. 4876.19, R. Difusora Roraima. Strong signal at 0915 studio M chatting with phone caller. Finally off the phone at 0928 and into lively ZY pops. 0932 canned morning greeting "Bom dia Roraima", and more music to 0934. R. Roraima ID amid chatter with several people in the studio. Was hoping for an official ID at BoH but they didn't play it. (23 Dec.) (Dave Valko, Dunlo, PA USA, HCDX via DXLD) 4876.19, R. Difusora Roraima, programa Radio Retro às 00h20 tocando Djavan Oceano. Usa Indiana - Radio WBOH - 5920 kHz TALK (Neto Silva, Degen 1103, Planaltina DF, Brasil, 24 Dec, radioescutas yg via DXLD) I hope his Brazilian info is more accurate than his American: WBOH has been off the air for years, and was never in Indiana. Time? If you hear a US gospel huxter on 5920 now, it`s WHRI, which used to be in Indiana (gh, DXLD) 4876 muito forte aqui em São Bernardo ontem à noite, com sequencias musicais de canções brasileiras, sem identificação (R. Grimm, Dec 24, radioescutas yg via DXLD) 4875.73, presumed R. Difusora Roraima, Boa Vista 2351-0003 Dec 26 Portuguese; M & W announcers with talk; music bridge at 2355; more talk thru ToH with no discernible ID noted; very poor (Scott R. Barbour Jr. Intervale, N.H. USA, NRD-545, MLB-1, 200' Beverages; 60m dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Essa Historia da Gaúcha e Farroupilha é fantastica, pois com 50 kW era mais potente; a Gaúcha hoje ta méio fraca mas mantém as ondas curtas que é muito importante pois esse Pais é enorme. Já fui salvo diversas vezes pela onda curta em viagens; a Globo do Rio errou feio em acabar com a onda curta, e acho que se a Tupi fosse mais esperta teria uma onda curta. PARABENIZO A RADIO BANDEIRANTES EM MANTER OS 49M, 31M E 25M, e com qualidade, A BRASIL CENTRAL DE GOIANIA EM 60 E 25M, E OUVIDA BASTANTE NO NORDESTE; sinto saúdades dos 60M nos anos 80, onde tinhamos Jornal do Brasil e Mundial fora as outras de municípios Paulista, etc.; a onda Tropical de 60M a partir das 16 horas era espetacular. Quem se lembra da Excélcior de Sampa nos 31 metros e a Nacional do Rio; era emoção ouvir Haroldo de Andrade na Rádio Globo do Rio nos 25 metros. As emissoras acham que o Brasil é coberto por internet em todo território, pois acha que quem mora no interior nas fazendas, longe da área urbana não merece a onda curta até mesmo nas grandes cidades (Neto Silva, Planaltina DF, 23 Dez, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Rádio Itatiaia de BH harmônicos [sic] --- A Rádio Itatiaia de BH, que transmite também em ondas curtas de 5970 kHz 49m, é ouvida também, logo pela manhã, em 6900 kHz. Coincidência ou não, o sinal da Itatiaia está mais forte por estas plagas. Depois dessa possível alteração na potência é que o sinal está "vazando" em 6900 kHz. Seria esse o motivo? Talvez. Já enviei e-mail à emissora. A Bandeirantes de SP em 49m também tem espúrios nessa mesma faixa, acima e abaixo de 6090 kHz, que é a sua frequência real. Ouve-se o áudio da emissora em meio a um ruído infernal, atrapalhando outras emissoras em 49m.Não corrigiram até agora. É o que há. 73 (Luiz Chaine Neto, Limeira sp, 24-12-2011, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 9695, 24/Dec 2022, BRASIL, Radio Rio Mar, in Portuguese. Local music “Zeca Pagodinho”. QRM unidentified, probably electrical noise. Vignette of the program, "Flavia…??". OM with ads. At 2032 “…Rio Mar” by OM. Very Weak (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W, Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. 15600, Dec 22 at 1335, strong open carrier, R. Bulgaria kilowasting kilowatts, long before its 1400 Bulgarian broadcast; with a ringing sound, perhaps beating against the WEWN 15610 spur on 15601 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BURMA [non]. Confirmação recebida_Democratic Voice of Burma --- 17790 kHz - Democratic Voice of Burma, Noruega (via Madagascar) Recebido PPC assinado + carimbado, 267 dias, V/S: ilegível, IR enviado por carta, QTH: Democratic Voice of Burma - Pb. 6720, St. Olavs plass - 0130 Oslo - Norway Visualização em breve no http://pqslfabricio.blogspot.com/ Desde já um Feliz Natal a todos! 73 (Fabricio Andrade Silva, PP5002SWL, Tubarão, SC, 22 dez, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** CANADA. 990, Dec 25 at 0630, CBW Winnipeg is playing Satchmo`s Santa Claus song, quite a contrast to 1000 KTOK OKC with Handel`s Messiah. CBW is our only regularly listenable Canadian here, often dominant from before sunset to after sunrise, but the channel is hardly `clear` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 1610, Dec 22 at 0050 UT on the caradio I am surprised to hear something in Spanish here vs the IBOC noise from KATZ-1600. Unfortunately, I am in no position to DF it. Woman speaking, seems to be giving local addresses, thought I heard Monterrey mentioned, then a few seconds of ``Jingle Bells Rock``, mentions 8 de la noche. I was hoping for XEUACH, R. Chapingo, but it`s not yet 7 pm there and here, if that was a partial before-the-hour timecheck. So was it from EST zone? That would be CHHA Toronto, Radio Voces Latinas, which is listed as Spanish + ethnic format. It`s more likely to be heard anyway, about same distance but much greater power, altho also a rarity here. Then it lost out to the IBOC. Program grid at http://www.sanlorenzo.ca/espanol/Program_Schedule.html shows the weekday 7-8 pm program is `Panorama` which could be in any tongue! The have quite a lineup of languages, UT: 0100 English, 0200 Portuguese, 0300 Tagalog, 0400 Italian, 0500+ Spanish. Also in the afternoons at 19-21 UT M-F there are 20 half-hour shows each named for a different Ibero-American country, and they do webcast via http://www.voceslatinas.ca (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also heard by at least two New Zealand DX'ers in the past few weeks. CRTC licenced as multilingual. There are no unilingual "non- English/non-French" stations licenced by the CRTC (Theo Donnelly, BC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 1610, Dec 25 at 0615 jingle and ID in English ``You`re listening to 1610 AM --- Radio Voces Latinas``, onward with music in Spanish, i.e. CHHA Toronto. Was KATZ 1600 IBOC noise off? Probably just in a lucky fade, as IBOC peaking 1613 was certainly bothering CHHA at 0640 recheck (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Since the TSA's along the Kansas Turnpike have shut down, CHHA has been an almost-nightly regular here, sometimes "forgetting" to drop their power, making them an easy catch (Paul Swearingen, Topeka KS, NRC-AM via DXLD) Hi Glenn: Thanks for the info concerning 1610 CHHA - clears up a mystery on this channel. I've been hearing Spanish programming mixing with The Caribbean Beacon (typically after 0500) over the last few nights. I was able to match the audio with the website that you listed. Also, XEUACH is easily heard in Austin on a nightly basis and usually signs off at 0300 UT. Programming includes a fair amount of music that ranges from Psychedelic to Cajun - you name it they play it. Regards, (Mike Beu, KD5DSQ, Austin, Texas, Dec 28, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CHHA has a permit to go 6250/6250 U3. I believe that facility has been implemented, as they're now a regular (and loud!) visitor here in Pleasant View. (IOW, I don't think they're required to reduce power at sunset anymore) -- (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** CANADA. 1690, CHTO, ON, Toronto - 12/20 2300 [EST] - Noticed CHHA- 1610 local-like so tuned up to 1690; Greek instrumental music audible under WPTX and WMLB with WVON nulled. Woman with "CHTO, AM 1690 - Toronto" at 2302. #3210 heard, CHTO is 1690 #5 and completes the ten Toronto AMs here (Steve Francis, Alcoa, Tennessee, Realistic TRF, Select-a-tenna, Dec 22, IRCA via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) ** CANADA. Can you ID *too often*? Apparently so. David Eduardo's historic publications site http://www.americanradiohistory.com has posted a copy of the 1947 Canadian Radio Annual, including a copy of the Canadian broadcasting regulations at they existed at the time. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive%20Radio%20Annual/1946_Canada_Annual/Canadian_Radio_Annual_1947-48.htm Regulation 6 stipulates that: "6. Each station shall announce its call letters not less than once nor more than four times an hour, during hours of operation." -- (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** CANADA. La Premiere Chaine de Radio-Canada is offering a three-part series this week called "L'invention de la Radio," billed as a three- hour series telling the story of one of the best inventions of the last century. It airs from 7 to 8 pm Eastern on December 28-30. The program was apparently originally aired in September and three shows are available on demand at http://www.radio-canada.ca/emissions/l_invention_de_la_radio/ (Mike Cooper, GA, Dec 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CFVP Page http://www.odxa.on.ca/CFVP.html (via Fred Waterer, ODXA yg via DXLD) Plus lots of historical info and photos about Canada`s other SW stations, compiled by Harold Sellers, mostly gone now (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. 6160, Dec 22 at 1408, CKZU Vancouver with CBC news about sexual harassment against a woman firefighter in Richmond BC, new poet laureate from Nelson BC; 1410 into `Early Edition`, more local news, weather and 12>6 timecheck. Fair signal attaining R5 tnx to lack of QRM even from CKZN at this hour. I expect it`s pure luck, as major broadcasters don`t pay any attention to this unregistered 500-watt pipsqueak, even RCI, listed in HFCC via Korea during this hour, but unheard, and unlisted in Aoki, EiBi and RCI`s own website schedule. HFCC shows nothing else but Murmansk (a.k.a. Arkhangelsk, a.k.a. Monchegorsk) on 6160 between 0945 and 1800, and the Brazilians can be ignored in the daytime. Anomalies about the 6160 Canadians: Aoki claims CKZU is off the air on Sundays, surely not true. EiBi claims both CKZU and CKZN are off the air overnight, but surely they are both still 24 hours (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Currently I often hear, although I can't copy much of, CKZN on 6160 due QRM from Arkhangelsk and low signal strength at around 0730+. I think that's 0400 in Newfoundland, which is definitely overnight for me (Noel R. Green (NW England), Dec 23, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) AFAIK, CKZU is 24 NSP, though I'm not usually wandering across 49m in the early hours of Pacific Time. Thursday afternoon, I called CBC / Vancouver and asked to speak with Engineering. I was put through to an un-named Information Officer who initially recommended I consult RCI about the hours their transmitters operate! Flipping heck, but after establishing I knew what I was talking about, he transferred me to Engineering. Unfortunately, I hit voice-mail... left my request... and don't hold much chance of a reply. "IF" I wake up in the wee hours over the Festive Season, I'll try to check on CKZU. I also notice Aoki lists the power of CKZN as 300 watts. Er, It sure has put in a fantastic signal then here in Metro Vancouver the past couple of fall seasons when it was screamingly and slightly off- frequency. I thought it was upgraded to 1 kW years ago (Theo Donnelly, BC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WRTH 2012 shows CKZN as 1000 watts, CKZU as 500 (gh, DXLD) CKZU noted on-air at 1.25 a.m. PST/0925Z Fri 23 Dec, and 4.30 a.m. PST/1230Z Mon 26 Dec so apparently 24 NSP. TD (Theo Donnelly, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. At 1020, found CKZN St. Johns on 6159.985, CKZU Vancouver 6160.061 just a little weaker, and an UNID. station on 6160.006. Who would be the UNID. station?? (24 Dec.) 73 and a Merry Christmas!! (Dave Valko, Dunlo, PA USA, Cumbre DX yg via DXLD) Murmansk/Monchegorsk, Manaus? (gh, DXLD) According to Vancouver remote receiver, the lower one should be CKZU. UNID could be R. Rio Mar, if active. Arkhangelsk looks like being on 6159.999 kHz (also very near to greyline at that time). 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** CANADA [non]. 9635, Dec 29 at 1506, ``The Link`` introducing Lynn Desjardins with a report about North Korea (but I assume she remains in Montreal), fair signal but heavy flutter, so RCI, having abandoned its North American audience, may still be heard here, i.e. 500 kW, 252 degrees from Xi`an, as RCI remains in bed (embedded?) with the ChiCom. Much better signal than nearby Sackville 9625 with CBCNQ (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. On highway 33 just as you cross the Trent Canal south of Trenton and are approaching Carrying Place in Prince Edward County you will see an antenna farm that belongs to the Department of National Defense. These are the HF antennas for CFB Trenton (Mark Coady, Ont., Helping Hand, Jan ODXA Listening In via DXLD) ** CANADA [non]. Am enjoying the new Montreal episode of `Layover`, with Anthony Bourdain, on Travel Channel (US), UT Tuesday at 02-03 --- mostly about food, but there is a radio angle. Repeats at 0500 UT. And probably other times in weeks to come. 73, (Glenn Hauser, OK, Dec 27, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Firedrake, 22 DEC 2011: 12230 VG at 0009. I logged this, outdoors, on a Grundig G6 portable. 61F at the time. 13850 Fair/Good at 0033 (Leonard J. Rooney, Delaware County, Springfield PA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake Dec 22, before 1400: 12980, poor at 1342. No others heard between 19 and 7 MHz. Not on 11980 either as heard 23.5 hours earlier Firedrake Dec 23 before 1400: 12980, very poor at 1358; none others audible 7-18 MHz, like yesterday; altho my hi local noise level (Xmas lites in the neighborhood?) may have obscured some Firedrake Dec 24: None found 7-18 MHz before 1500, nor in a less thoro search before 1400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Today (Dec. 26) around 1050 UT I was trying to receive a DRM transmission on 15896 kHz and I noticed Firedrake broadcasting on 15900. Best regards, (Tudor Vedeanu, Gura Humorului, Romania, Etón E1XM, 100m longwire antenna with Wellbrook UMB balun, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake Dec 26: 1430-1436, and 1555-1600, complete bandscans from 7 to 19 MHz found none at all. I was hoping for some, as at the earlier hour, CNR1 + jammers were all over the 6 and 7 MHz bands with VG signals. Dec 26 at the late hour of 1622, I tune the 6 MHz band to see if anything is still audible some 2.5 hours after sunrise here: yes! On 6145, Chinese with poor signal, virtually the OSOB, and // better signals on 7365, 7415. Since 6145 and 7365 bear RTI, and 7415 bears RFA via Tinian, it`s obvious that I am hearing neither of those but the CNR1 jamming; site? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9355, 9455 at 1650, both spoken word jamming. At 1700, both switched to Firedrake music. 18 + 19 hrs, Firedrake continued. At 20 hrs, both switched to spoken word jamming (Leonard Rooney, Delaware County, Springfield PA, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I heard FD on 6075 kHz between 1725 - 1759 this morning, 26/12/11. First time I've heard one down there in a while, but then I'm usually asleep at that hour. [later:] On 6025 at the moment, 1828 UT, 6075 an hour earlier. JM (Julie Murphy, NSW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) FD 1830 & 1945 UTC 26/12/11 and other FD items 1830 - 1850 UT: 6025 poor, v fluttery 7385 good, fluttery 7395 v poor, v fluttery 7415 v poor, v fluttery 7445 good, v fluttery 1927 - 1959 UT: 5860 poor, v fluttery 6025 good, fluttery 6095 poor, fluttery 7385 good, fluttery 9355 good, fluttery 9485 poor, fluttery 9875 poor, fluttery 9905 poor, fluttery 11790 fair, v fluttery 11945 good, fluttery RX: Sangean 909 + wire, outdoors at dawn and post-sunrise until it started raining, again. I haven't heard FD on most of those frequencies before. I saw in one of your previous logs that you haven't heard FD above 21 MHz. I did, once, on 05 October 2011 at 0450z. Here are my notes from that log: 21495 FIREDRAKE Strong but fluttery, 0500 pips, into CRI IS & S/O ZH M announcer 'Beijing' M & F with presumed news. SINPO 55444 RX: Sony 2001D + AN-1 I also receive FD as images/mixing products/I don't know what. I hear them around 2447 kHz between 0000-0200 UT. Nothing but R. Australia is usually heard at that time of day on higher frequencies and I never hear FD anywhere else when I've got it on 2447 kHz. I haven't figured out just what it is, but then I haven't your knowledge and experience. I hope to crack it one day! 73, JM (Julie Murphy, NSW, ibid.) Firedrake Dec 27, circa 1435 UT: none found, 7-19 MHz. Firedrake Dec 28: 1350-1355, none found 7-18 MHz. Tnx to several other monitors who are still hearing it at various times, reports all collected in DXLD in date/time order (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 5050, Beibu Bay Radio, Nanning, 1135-1202 Dec 27 listed Thai; Lengthy format of W announcer between music bridges; ballads at 1150 & a bit of talk over music; no discernible ID at ToH; fair at tune/in; unusable by 1200; // 9820-poor under co-channel CNR-2 (Scott R. Barbour Jr. Intervale, N.H. USA, NRD-545, MLB-1, 200' Beverages; 60m dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 5965, Dec 22 at 1355, Korean talk and then usual end-of-hour CRI music fill, 1400 reopening another hour of Korean after Chinese ID. Het from perpetually off-frequency Malaysia was JBA, weaker than usual. HFCC shows CRI Korean runs 11-15, 500 kW, 73 degrees from Xi`an. VOR Vladivostok also registered 10-14 westward on 5965, no sign of it, presumably yet another wooden one, lest there be a big collision in the area (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. 5990, Dec 24 at 2337, CRI via CUBA is playing ``Silent Night`` in Chinese by women`s choir with organ and chime accompaniment, very nice rendition, so I hasten to the much better- modulated relay via CANADA on 6040. Announceress then explains that Xmas is observed more and more in China than it was two decades ago, but Chinese people are able to ``discard all the religious connotations and go right to the fun part``. Well put! Considering it the western equivalent of the Chinese new year/spring festival celebrations. Next is ``Carol of the Bells`` except she calls it ``Xmas Bells``, originally Ukrainian. A 2010 survey found that there are 23 megaChristians in China, and 5.7 megaCatholix (not stated whether counted separately or as part of the Christian total). Next: ``Sleigh Ride``, allegedly the No. 1 Xmas tune around the world. Can we trust these stats coming from the ChiCom? 2347 ``Jingle Bells`` except the chorus sings the English (?) words ``Ding-Ding-Dong`` instead. Says it was originally composed for Thanksgiving, not Xmas. Finally, the ``Hosanna in the Highest`` carol, did not catch what she called it. Program outro as `China Horizons` featuring a Chinese women`s singing group, whose name I did not catch either, but they were excellent, and retrieving this program would be worthwhile if they ever include it at http://english.cri.cn/08webcast/horizons.htm (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) China Radio International's "China Horizons" programme on December 25 (already available for download on the CRI website) features Chinese version of these Christmas classics: * “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” * “Silent Night” * “Christmas Bells” * “Sleigh Ride” * “Jingle Bells” * “Ding Dong Merrily on High” A very pleasant programme and worth tuning-in, or downloading at http://media.iphone.cri.cn/features/horizons/2011/1225horizons.mp3 China Horizons is scheduled from xx.30 - xx.55 on Sunday at 00, 01, 02, 03,04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, and 22 hrs UT (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The Chinese Christmas music is beautiful; people please check it out! Thank you for providing it Glenn - best wishes!- (Robin in SF CA USA Springer, ptsw yg via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. 6055, Dec 27 at 1414, R. Nikkei, JAPAN, has about equal-level co-channel QRM I had never noticed before, in Cambodian, still same past 1430. HFCC shows it`s CRI Khmer service at 14-15, 100 kW, 200 degrees from NNN = Nanning. Perhaps propagation from there was unusually favorable today. Other Japan signals were also weakish, such as 5985 and 6190 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. [Re PBS-2 Sichuan, 6060, logged Nov 18 by Harold Sellers, and Ron Howard`s reply with schedule:] Hi, Ron – I hear them on 6060 kHz around 1400 UT in a language which not Chinese, and most presumably not Tibetan. Two questions: the schedule’s time are local or UT? do you know the (phonetically) IDs in Tibetian & Yi? Thanks and 73, (Nils Schiffhauer, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sorry Nils, I am not much help to you. Not sure how current this schedule is. I know that in past years 6060 signed off about 1515. I do not know if their SW is a different schedule than 954 kHz medium wave. I have never worked out any language IDs for them, except when they had an English one years ago, which I really miss. For me, I feel confident it's them when I hear a clear // on 7225, but that's as good as it gets. I briefly listen to them every day, so I am happy to see your posting (Ron Howard, San Francisco, CA, ibid.) ** CHINA. 7220, Dec 26 at 1358, the REE IS is clearly heard until 1400 timesignal, CRI theme, Chinese ID and opening in a S Asian language, amid heavy SSB QRhaM. They`re doing it again. In B-09 we were hearing this when there was *no* REE transmission scheduled before or after this hour on this frequency from anywhere. Spain does have a 12-14 UT relay in Spanish to the Philippines on 11910 via Beijing site, sometimes audible here too, so the ChiCom are *still/again* feeding the REE IS by mistake to the Kunming site. I suppose the Nepali service must be on the same satellite feed channel as the preceding relay of Spain, and the operators at Kunming (or whoever programmed the automation) fail to skip the REE IS prior to the CRI Nepali service. 7220 is a very busy frequency, with overlapping transmissions by Ethiopia, Vietnam, China and Russia, but at this particular time, only CRI in Nepali via Kunming is scheduled at 14-15. See my previous more detailed analysis from Feb 2010 in http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld1008.txt (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 9170, CNR-6, V. of Shenzhou, Beijing, 1053-1104 Dec 27 Chinese; Up-beat music; W announcer between music bits; W announcer over music at ToH; M announcer with same into presumed news; fair (Scott R. Barbour Jr. Intervale, N.H. USA, NRD-545, MLB-1, 200' Beverages; 60m dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 11945, Dec 26 at 2124, huge signal in Chinese from CNR1; it really stands out, as there is nothing like it anywhere else on 11 MHz or higher bands. Not in schedules, so we have R. Free Asia to thank for this, since if it were not broadcasting Mandarin at 95 degrees from Tajikistan overnight, all the way from 15 to 22 UT on 11945, CNR1 would surely not have accidentally landed on the same frequency. I did find a weaker // on 9455 running about two seconds ahead of 11945. That of course is also a jammer against RFA Mandarin, 16-22 via Saipan (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Back in 1985, China Radio International was called "Radio Beijing." Just like today, the station broadcast in English to people around the world. But in the Eighties, China itself, was a very different place. Caroline Frantzis hasn't been back to Beijing since 1987. But in 2011, she returns to the capital for the 70th anniversary of China Radio International. In the mid-80s, Frantzis worked as a foreign expert in the English department of Radio Beijing, where she hosted a weekly Chinese cooking show. In this video, she takes on a trip down memory lane. See video of Caroline's return to Beijing at the link: http://english.cri.cn/7146/2011/11/30/2361s669591.htm (Fred Waterer, Programming Matters, Dec ODXA Listening In via DXLD) ** CHINA. There are new laws and rules being discussed in Beijing right now to fight against those who access micro blog sites and post information. As is already known, those in China who know how to access twitter, facebook and other social network sites do so by accessing IP software that make you go around the great firewall wall of China. China has with many of SOE (state owned enterprises) software companies something that will even block IP software. The Computer Science Department of Tsinghua University and the Beijing Public Security Bureau are testing it together. And at the last Communist Party Meeting the Minister of State Security Geng Huichang told an inner circle meeting his department along with two other government departments invested over 10 million (USD) on R&D for this system. Now I know some countries are working on software to get through the internet jamming in China. But it seems there is something not being discussed outside China. That I have heard directly from government ministers in the PRC. They have told me flat out the day this software comes available all we need to do is change China’s internet system. How? Very simple. Instead of being (HULIANWANG or INTERNET) they would simply change it to (JUIUWANG or roughly translated INTERNALNET) and uses in China would only have access to website within China. Internalnet would also block email. This is one of the reasons given to me that almost all Western Embassies and some companies in Beijing and Shanghai use satellite for their internet connections (Keith Perron on Dec 27th, 2011 at 05:09, RNMN blog comment via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. ESTAÇÕES CLANDESTINAS, 7105 Sound of Hope R Int'l, Tianshui, TAIWAN, 2233-2245, 23/12, Mandarin, talks; jammed by CHINA with a "regular" broadcast signal; 33442; parallel to 6280 & possibly others. 73. (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. 839.97, R. HJ doble K, Neiva, 6/12 1003-1022, 22222, ID “HJ doble K, la emisora que le da la hora”, música, ID “HJ doble K siempre con usted” 1149.97, R. RCN [sic], Neiva, 21/12 1005-1025, 33333, ads, ID, “Noticiero RCN, qué está pasando en Colombia y el Mundo”, news, ID “RCN radio, desde Colombia una nación libre de drogas..” [sic] 5909.92, Alcaraván Radio, Lomalinda, Antioquia, 22/12 0945-1016, 33333, música religiosa, ID “Por Alcaraván Radio”, música, ID “1530 AM Alcaraván Radio”, música cumbia pero con mensajes religiosos (Pedro F. Arrunátegui, Lima, Dec 22, EL CHASQUI DX PFA – DICIEMBRE 2011, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not ALCAVARAN --- See PERU ** COSTA RICA. 5954.3, Radio República, Spanish pops from 2345. ID by OM at 2357 then into M-F talks, mentions of Cuba. 12/25 (Chuck Rippel, Chesapeake, VA, Microtelecom Perseus, EAC R390A, 60 & 90MB Sloper at 80', NASWA yg via DXLD) And then did it sign off? See CUBA [non] (gh) ** CROATIA [non]. 7375, Dec 25 at 0019, Croatian hymn with YL narration talk-over, maybe credits; 0022 cut to ID jingle for Croatian Radio program I, then different carol by soprano with electronic music accompaniment, more unfamiliar Xmas music with a beat; 0028 a `Kyrie Eleison` version. Voice of Croatia relay via GERMANY is a great source of mostly-music all evening until 0600*, usually with an outstanding signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 530, CM--, Guantánamo - 11/30 2340 [EST] - Radio Rebelde mostly under Cuban Radio Enciclopedia; dueling overlapping anthems make for fun listening nightly at 0000 EST. Neither is a sign-off, though. Cuba #105; thanks to Fritze H Prentice Jr. and Doug Smith for the tips on this one (Steve Francis, Alcoa, Tennessee, Realistic TRF, Select-a-tenna, Dec 22, IRCA via DXLD) ** CUBA. [Re 11-51]: I attach a copy of the post which I sent out on MWMasts. The coordinates for the Chambas towers are around 22 22 27N, 78 53 36W. For Martí the coordinates are 23 00 06N, 80 54 51W. I wonder whether the SW community have thoughts on this discovery of mine. 73's (Dan Goldfarb, (owner of MWMasts Yahoo Group), shortwavesites yg via DXLD) Not a Zarya, I think. Too short. It appears to me that the six tower arrays are parasitic, made up of (starting at the south end) one reflector (about 5% longer), one driven element and 4 directors (about 10-15% shorter). The two arrays are about 2400' apart. The westerly array uses shorter towers and closer spacing (total length about 1010'). The easterly array is about 1450' long. Both arrays are aimed at 350 . The easterly feed line is puzzling though, it extends far past the line of the towers, perhaps a matching stub ???? The westerly feed line is less clear but it may be similar. South of the six tower arrays are two 2 tower phased arrays, arranged in a 0 / 180 line. JL (Jerry Lenamon, Waco TX, ibid.) My thoughts are identical to Jerry's on all counts. Interesting the chosen name of IBB's 'Radio Marti' when you consider the Cuban Village of Marti is so close to one of the Cuban MW sites. Thanks for the post Dan. Perhaps you might receive more feedback after xmas when the pace of life & activities return to normal. X-mas Cheers (Ian Baxter, NSW, ibid.) Hi Ian. Kudos on your fine work! I'm sure you're aware that Radio Marti was named after a Cuban hero from the late 1800's -- Jose Marti. Pissed Castro off so much he not only jammed/jams the hell out of it but also started a short-duration operation called 'Radio Lincoln' to mock the U.S. on 1040 kHz MANY years ago. I find it interesting that a couple of 6-element arrays are pointing either due North or due South [almost certainly the former considering the signals Cubans put in here!] from the north coast of Cuba! Kind of hard to claim you're trying to cover Cuba with that, eh!? (Bill Whitacre, IBB, DC, ibid.) But they still shy away from using these facilities for Radio Habana Cuba. Seems they feel themselves that in this case it would be too silly to cry for the ITU because of 1180 kHz (and, if I understand it right, Radio Martí on shortwave as well). However, I understand that in the old days Radio Moscow in English was transmitted from Cuba on mediumwave, right? (Kai Ludwig, ibid.) Right ** CUBA. WRTH 2012: The Cuban country section shows great improvement. There are 36 (!) Rebelde outlets listed on 1180, 7 on 1550, and 2 on 1620 (Guantánamo and Guanaboacoa in addition to Radio Bayamo, which has been heard with full ID in the UK and in Sweden). (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nice, but have each of those 36 sites actually confirmed by monitors? I can confirm maybe 4-5. There is a lot of smoke and mirrors set forth by Arnaldo. Don't believe everything you read until confirmed by actual loggings and DFing (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, ibid.) ** CUBA. 6050, Dec 22 at 0659, Spanish music here from RHC not // English closing on 6010 and 6060, then to open carrier on 6050 at 0700. Quickly checked the fourth ``English`` frequency, 6125, and it was still playing the same music in Spanish until it cut off at 0703* by when 6050 was also off the air. Apparently, RHC had just cut half of its English frequencies to Spanish feed just before closing down, typical slipshod operation (= slopperation). 13730-13770, Dec 22 at 1339, DentroCuban Jamming Command centered on 13750 against our Voice of America in Spanish, not even a Cuban service, but Cuba doesn`t want anyone in Latin America to hear it, is bleeding out this far (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5040, Dec 25 at 0607, RHC is still on with news past nominal 0600*. It seems the programming feed keeps playing back whether the transmitters run late or not (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. 7210-LSB, Dec 23 at 1421, Nelson Roig`s ranting tones are easily recognized, aided by a weaker broadcaster on AM in Japanese (CRI via Xi`an) so no BFO is required. He`s better heard in the 12 UT hour; wonder how long N1NR in Pennsylvania typically goes on each day? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. 5954.2, Dec 24 at 2356 I an hearing a tell-tale het between this weak signal and something weaker on 5955, hinting that the ELCOR transmitter in Costa Rica is back. Yes! At 2357 I can barely make out the R. República theme before it cuts off at 2357:40*. Then there is still a het, now between 5952+, no doubt Bolivia, and whatever is on 5955 (Iran in Chinese? CNR in Mongolian?). Maybe República has been there all along but on a much reduced schedule. Why should they keep running this pipsqueak anyway on a Saturday night when they are about to come up on a big Sackville transmitter? Anyhow, there was NO Cuban jamming on 5955, and when I listen after 0600, 5955 has also been blessedly free of the radio war allowing RNW to be clear. 9490, from 2358 I am awaiting R. República via RMI via Sackville, which finally cuts on air a few sex before 0000 UT Dec 25, plays short instrumental version of Cuban NA (much like that heard on RHC), then the R. República theme and sign-on but not mentioning any times or frequencies. 0001 starts `Recuento Semanal` week-in-review program. Noise jamming has started, but still an hour later, RR/SAC is well atop it here; scheduled 00-03 UT Sundays and Mondays only (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. 9565, Dec 26 at 2159 as I tune in R. Martí, there is a story about OVNIs, (UFOs), necessarily in Cuba?? I`ll never know, as cut off the air while jamming continued, resumed at 2200 with ID, weaker signal, i.e. the site switch from Sackville to Greenville (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. 9885, 13750 and 15590, Dec 28 at 1345, all three VOA Spanish frequencies are free of jamming, during `Buenos Días América` correspondent reports from Venezuela, Argentina. Hardly could be coincidental so hope it is a change of policy by the DentroCuban Jamming Command, which continued as usual with walls of noise on R. Martí frequencies 5745, 11930 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 5883, Dec 29 at 0652 tune-in, a few words of Spanish, including ``inflamante``, then back to open carrier. This is an erstwhile spy-numbers frequency, and I`ll bet the Spanish came from the RHC program feed which is nowhere else on SW at this hour. 12134, Dec 29 at 1427, cut numbers in CW, likely another Cuban spy transmission, not very strong, but way over AFN on 12133.5 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. COMMENTATOR OFFERS RADIO/TV MARTÍ AS CANDIDATE FOR "BIGGEST GOVERNMENT BOONDOGGLE." Posted: 24 Dec 2011 FOXBusiness, 20 Dec 2011, John Layfield: "I have undertaken ... the attempt to find the biggest government boondoggle and waste -- and to offer solutions. I have a leading candidate in the Office of Cuban Broadcasting (OCB), Radio and TV Marti. ... The current budget of Office of Cuba Broadcasting is $60.6 million ($54.2 million public cost and $6.4 million intra-government cost) as part of a larger strategy of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) budget of $798.3 million. ... The Cuban vote is a swing vote in a swing state (Florida) and as such no politician wants to appear soft. So, we treat Cuba differently than every regime in the world and keep implementing the same policies that have achieved virtually no results in an effort to get the Cuban vote in Florida. ... TV Marti is effectively blocked throughout Cuba -- a survey done by International Broadcasting Bureau showed less than 2% of Cubans listen to Radio and TV Marti and only a third of 1% in another survey watch TV Marti. Both radio and TV are blocked in Havana and in most of Cuba. ... A 2009 GAO report stated that 30% of Cubans had watched CNN in 2005-2006. CNN has an audience in Cuba and we spend over half a billion sending a signal that is blocked?" (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) These thoughts about US international broadcasting to Cuba: 1) Cuba needs some source of independent, outside news. 2) It is impossible to get an adequate estimate of audience size in Cuba, but two percent is fairly typical in international broadcasting. The quality (i.e., opinion leading ability) of the audience might make up for the lack of quantity. 3) "Martí" would be a predictable name for an anti-Castro clandestine station, but it was a poor choice of name for a station that has any intent to establish its credibility. 4) The move to combine the efforts of Radio/TV Martí and VOA Spanish should continue. 5) It's unclear whether CNN's audience in Cuba is watching its satellite channel, or seeing CNN reports on Cuban television. If CNN en Español is successful in attracting audiences in Cuba, then USIB should not compete with it. 6) US international broadcasting to Cuba should combine radio, internet (keeping in mind that internet access in Cuba, even via mobile phones, is still very limited), and not more than an hour a day of programs on a television channel that is viewed in Cuba via satellite. A 24-hour television channel was a bridge too far. If elements of the Cuban American community want a 24-hour channel, they are certainly free to fund it themselves. They should also be welcome to take the name Martí off the back of USIB (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** CUBA [and non]. BAJO EL MICROSCOPIO Martes, Diciembre 27, 2011 | Por Ernesto Santana Zaldívar LA HABANA, Cuba, diciembre, www.cubanet.org - A juzgar por la más reciente encuesta, parecería que el Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión quiere hacer cambios en su programación para que esté más a tono con el gusto del público. Aunque no se trata de la primera encuesta que se realiza. De manera que lo más lógico es suponer que procura hacer los cambios mínimos para que la programación siga siendo en esencia la misma. Es curioso que esta vez la encuesta no sólo incluya los programas de la televisión nacional, sino también los programas de “la antena”, o sea, aquellos que, gracias a la colocación ilegal de antenas parabólicas, muchísima gente prefiere ver; programas de canales extranjeros, principalmente de Miami. La encuestadora le llenaba a la persona que aceptaba ser encuestada un pequeño formulario con la edad, dirección particular, el grado de escolaridad y alguna otra menudencia, incluido el nombre del encuestado. Aunque la encuestadora explicaba de inmediato, y no de modo muy convincente, que se trataba nada más que de una referencia que no iría incluida en la planilla de la encuesta. Por supuesto que pedirle a cualquiera que reconozca que se dedica a ver programación extranjera a través de una antena ilegal y, al mismo tiempo, pedirle todos sus datos personales, es algo casi gracioso, porque la policía, que tanto persigue el uso de esas antenas, sigue órdenes que vienen desde donde mismo provienen las que mueven al instituto de radio y televisión. Es algo que no desconoce aquí ni el más ingenuo. . . http://www.cubanet.org/articulos/bajo-el-microscopio/ (Via Oscar de Céspedes, condiglist yg via DXLD) ** CYPRUS [and non]. 17590-17615 and 17690-17715, Dec 28 at 1424, matching OTH radar pulses, presumed from here, QRMing broadcasters despite their strong signals: 17595 Spain, 17615 and 17705 Saudi Arabia, 17690 France via Guiana French (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECHIA [non]. 9955, Dec 22 at 0706, R. Prague via WRMI, good signal now, tributes to Václav Havel altho the state funeral has not yet taken place. Good signal I was surprised to find as was not hearing much before 0700. Kept listening as long as I could stay awake until my 0715*. BTW, several ignorant American journalists keep mispronouncing his name, e.g. Charlie Rose, unaware that the c in Czech represents a ts sound, not a k. The least they could do in his honor would be to pronounce his name correctly (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 990, HI.. R Eternidad, Santo Domingo, ex 1700 kHz (Jim Solatie, Dec ARC Latin American News Desk via DXLD) WRTH 2012 shows it on 1700, 5/1 kW, 11-24 UT, no callsign. There was an HISA on 990 in Cibao, but irregular (gh, DXLD) ** ECUADOR. 829.96, R. Huancavilca, Guayaquil, 3/12 1010-1050, 22222, música, ID “Por Radio Huancavilca de Guayaquil, 830AM”, música, ID “Huancavilca 830 AM” 889.97, R. Superior, Machala, El Oro, 20/12 0958-1020, 22222, música, ID “Radio Superior, 890 kHz y Radio Superior 92.7… de la cadena Líder”, música. 1159.92, R. Vía, Machala, 15/12 1002-1020, 22222, comentarios sobre el fútbol ecuatoriano, programa noticiero, ID “Buenos días, amigos de Radio Vía, desde Machala”, news, ID “Un saludos a los amigos de los cantones de la provincia El Oro” 1269.97, R. Universal, Guayaquil, 8/12 0840-0905, 22222, ID “Se acerca la Navidad en radio” música boleros, ID “Son las 3 y 48 en Radio Universal..” (Pedro F. Arrunátegui, Lima, Dec 22, EL CHASQUI DX PFA – DICIEMBRE 2011, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See PERU ** ECUADOR. 6050, HCJB. 2223 December 26, 2011. Clear, fair with Spanish Christian vocals, 5X time sounders 2230, non-Spanish (some Andes lingo) male with brief talk, back to vocals in Spanish (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. Winter B-11 of Radio Cairo: [N.B.: Many (most?) of these frequencies have severe technical problems such as extreme distortion and/or undermodulation --- gh] 0400-0600 13650 ABZ 100 kW / 170 deg CEAf Swahili 0700-1100 17510 ABZ 100 kW / 250 deg WeAf Arabic General Service 1015-1215 17480 ABZ 250 kW / 090 deg WeAs Arabic 1215-1330 17870 ABZ 250 kW / 090 deg SoAs English 1230-1400 15710 ABS 250 kW / 106 deg SEAsdonesian 1300-1400 15065 ABZ 250 kW / 070 deg WeAs Dari 1300-1600 15080 ABS 250 kW / 241 deg WeAf Arabic 1330-1530 15040 ABZ 100 kW / 070 deg WeAs Farsi 1400-1600 15065 ABZ 250 kW / 070 deg WeAs Pashto 1500-1600 15160 ABZ 250 kW / 050 deg CeAs Uzbek 1500-1600 13580 ABZ 250 kW / 330 deg EaEu Albanian 1530-1730 17810 ABZ 250 kW / 170 deg CEAf Swahili 1600-1700 15450 ABZ 100 kW / 160 deg ECAf Afar 1600-1800 6270 ABZ 250 kW / 090 deg SoAs Urdu 1600-1800 15345 ABZ 150 kW / 195 deg CSAf English 1630-1730 15285 ABZ 100 kW / 160 deg ECAf Somali 1700-1900 9280 ABS 250 kW / 005 deg N/ME Turkish 1730-1900 15285 ABZ 100 kW / 160 deg ECAf Amharic 1800-1900 6270 ABZ 250 kW / 315 deg WeEu Italian 1800-2100 9990 ABS 250 kW / 241 deg WeAf Hausa 1900-2000 6270 ABS 250 kW / 330 deg WeEu German 1900-2000 9280 ABS 250 kW / 005 deg EaEu Russian 1900-2400 9305 ABS 250 kW / 315 deg WeEu Arabic General Service 1900-0030 11540 ABZ 100 kW / 160 deg ECAf Arabic R. Voice of Arabs 2000-2115 6270 ABS 250 kW / 330 deg WeEu French 2000-2200 9855 ABZ 250 kW / 110 deg AUS Arabic 2030-2230 15210 ABS 250 kW / 241 deg WeAf French 2115-2245 6270 ABS 250 kW / 330 deg WeEu English 2215-2330 9290 ABZ 250 kW / 245 deg SoAm Portuguese 2300-0030 6270 ABZ 250 kW / 325 deg NWAm English 2330-0045 9250 ABS 250 kW / 282 deg CeAm Arabic 2330-0045 9290 ABZ 250 kW / 245 deg SoAm Arabic 0000-0700 9305 ABS 250 kW / 315 deg NoAm Arabic General Service 0030-0430 6270 ABZ 250 kW / 325 deg NWAm Arabic 0045-0200 9315 ABZ 250 kW / 315 deg NEAm Spanish 0045-0200 9250 ABS 250 kW / 282 deg CeAm Spanish 0045-0200 9290 ABS 250 kW / 241 deg SoAm Spanish 0200-0330 9315 ABZ 250 kW / 315 deg NoAm English (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Dec 29 via DXLD) 13580, Dec 29 at 1518, open carrier with flutter, then maybe a trace of just-barely-modulation in R. Cairo`s Albanian service, no doubt causing great frustration among the Tiranans if not the Qahirans (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello DXers, Listening to 17480 kHz around 1045 I can hear the ID as the Arabic service beamed to Asia from Cairo. The modulation was really great, though I'm not in the target area. Best regards (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA [and non]. 7200, Observed and heard on Dec 19: Eritrean Radio 1st program was on 7200 kHz interfering with Omdurman, Iran, Afghanistan. Eritrea 1 with s/on at 0256 UT with IS (IS was \\ 7100, 7175, 7200 and 9705(!) kHz used from 0300 UT in Arabic for their 2nd program) and close down at 1829 UT when they [were] playing the National Anthem. The 2nd program`s close down was at 1759 UT with same Anthem. Eritrea 2 during Dec 19-23 used at several times the following frequencies: 7099, 7100, 7102, 7158, 7160, 7176, 7180, 7191, 9705, 9715, 9800 kHz and oftenly 4770 kHz. May be easy find due to the DRM jammers of Ethiopia which there are specific sound (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Dec 26, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27 via DXLD) ERITREA/ETHIOPIA: Once again on Dec 28th some twins of Asmara-ERI program and Ethiopian white noise jamming. Sometimes the engineers of regular Radio Ethiopia site at Gedja "MIX UP" their WHITE NOISE jamming audio with regular Radio ETH programming feed, -- very strange. 9705.034 Asmara ERI mixed with broadband White Noise jamming at 0455. 7101-7119 White Noise jamming, fake by ETH, no peak of ERI visible, 0515 UT. 7184.992 Asmara ERI mixed with broadband White Noise jamming at 0520. 7161-7179 White Noise jamming, covered Asmara-ERI on 7159.992 at 0533 UT on Wed Dec 28. 7235.023 kHz at 0525 UT - Despite of different times mentioned on WRTH 2012 and Aoki list, I noted a HoA station in Unknown language, like Tigrinya of Voice of Democracy via Addis Ababa Gedja, which schedule is one hour earlier in WRTH 2012. Normally 7235 even is covered by Belarus Radio, but failed this morning (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 28, DXLD yg via DXLD) see also TAJIKISTAN, reported on 7235, we thought by mistake (gh) ERITREA/ETHIOPIA, 7159.992, Asmara ERI mixed with broadband White Noise jamming at 1450 UT. 7149.992 at 1502 UT, 7119.992 at 1515 UT, 7184.992 at 1524 UT. (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 28, DX) 7110.03, Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea, 0314-0330, Horn of Africa music. Vernacular talk. Weak but readable. Better on // 7175. Dec 28 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 7110, 29/Dec 0357, V of Broad Masses 2, in vernacular (listed). OM talk. Occasional strong QRM from ham. At 0400 short local music and OM talk. // 7175, very weak signal. On 7110 for me, a little better than in 7175. At 0407 YL comment what appears to be a taped interview. At 0416 short local music, then YL talk (Jorge Freitas-B) 7195, 29/Dec 0420-0424, UNID, language is not identified. OM talk, at 0421 what appears to be tribal music. At 0424 off the air. 7205, 29/Dec 0430, V of Broad Masses 1, (PRESUMED) in Tigrinya (listed). Tribal music. At 0433 OM talk. QRM from VOR on 7210. Very weak signal (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W, Brasil, Degen 1103 - All listening in mode of filter Narrow the 6 kHz. Dipole antenna, 16 meters - east/west - Balun 4:1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. 6110, Radio Fana, *0258-0320, sign on with IS. Opening announcements at 0300. Amharic talk. Horn of Africa music. Fair. // 7210 - weak with adjacent channel splatter. Dec 28 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** ETHIOPIA [and non]. 9558.87, Radio Ethiopia, Geja Jewe. 1417 December 25, 2011. On the low side for a change, with Horn Of Africa vocals poking through with their usual low audio. Should be Arabic in this hour block (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Checked Dec 27 at 0420 UT, is very odd frequency 9558.912 kHz, with endless Horn of Africa music, usually morning prop path on S=9+15dB strength level. Frequency wandered 25 Hertz upwards within 10 minutes. "Super Radio Deus é Amor" on 9564.857 kHz. ETH left 9559v, only PBS Xinjiang Urumqi-CHN in Uighur noted at 0500 UT. Same Ethiopian program on 9705.030 kHz at 0440 UT Dec 27, less level compared to 9559v kHz. But noted a puzzle, I heard some White Noise jamming, like Ethiopian jamming also on this 9701 ...9711 kHz range, TX engineer fault to put the wrong audio feed on? At 0505 UT jamming still there as well as ETH 9705.030 remained, also PBS Xinjiang Urumqi-CHN in Kyrgyz on even 9705. At 0455 UT V of Broad Masses 2 (Dimtsi Hafash) in Amharic{not Arabic} from Asmara appeared suddenly on 7159.991 kHz. Accompanied Ethiopian White Noise jammer traced 7114-7126 and 7156-7171 kHz in 0445-0500 UT time slot. When checked again at 0510 UT Dec 27, ERI/ETH twins hopped at 7179.990 kHz. At same time jamming only of ETH appeared on 7103...7116 kHz. And at 0520 UT on 7184.990 kHz til 0522 and 0542 UT. Down at 7174.990 kHz from 0523-0540 UT. 7200 at 0510 UT Dec 27: R. Omdurman Sudan in Arabic ahead, left suddenly 0518 UT. At 0520 UT noted Asmara' HoA music on 7205 kHz, but on equal level another spoken Arabic? program co-channel, I guess ETH hopped 5 kHz at 0518 til 0531 UT. Measured 7204.987 and 7205.004 kHz. At 0535 UT Dec 27 again two stations on 7200 even and 7199.984 kHz. (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27 via DXLD) See also AFGHANISTAN [and non] ERITREA/ETHIOPIA: Checked Dec 27 at 0420 UT, is very odd frequency 9558.912 kHz, with endless Horn of Africa music, usually morning prop path on S=9+15dB strength level. Frequency wandered 25 Hertz upwards within 10 minutes. Splatter from Brazil stn "Super Radio Deus é Amor" sermon ROARER on 9564.857 kHz. Ethiopia left 9559v, only PBS Xinjiang Urumqi-CHN in Uighur noted at 0500 UT. Same Ethiopian program on 9705.030 kHz at 0440 UT Dec 27, less level compared to 9559v kHz. But noted a puzzle, I heard some White Noise jamming, like Ethiopian jamming also on this 9701 ...9711 kHz range, TX engineer fault to put the wrong audio feed on? At 0505 UT jamming still there as well as ETH 9705.030 remained, also PBS Xinjiang Urumqi-CHN in Kyrgyz on even 9705 kHz frequency (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27/28 via DXLD) see AFGHANISTAN [and non] ** EUROPE. Radio Star International on New Years Day 2012 Dal sito di *Radio Star International* http://freeradio.awardspace.info/ RSI will be back on the air on New Years Day 2012. We will be broadcasting on 6285/7600 kHz (to be confirmed) from 0800 to 1400 UT with the following line up: 0800 Bright and Early (light classical music) 0830 Morning Melody (easy listening) 0900 Good morning Sunday with Roger Dale 1000 The Matt Roberts radio extravaganza 1100 Robert Murray's Classic Rock show 1200 The Lunchtime show with Roger Dale 1300 Mailbag with Christopher Phillips 1400 Close Down RSI PO Box 2702 6049ZG Herten Netherlands -- (via Roberto Rizzardi, SWL I/0216/GR, Porto S. Stefano (GR) Italy, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) ** FAROE ISLANDS. 531, Kringvarp Førøya informs that the power is now 25 kW instead of 100 kW, due to power saving. The head of technology, Mr. Hans Andor Johannesen, reports that "our transmitter is not shot- down yet." (Bengt Ericson, ARC mv-eko, via NRC IDXD Dec 23 via DCXLD) 531, Very strong signal from The Faroes – I think they must be back on full power for Christmas! -13dBm! Sidebands audible to past 700 kHz. Exc, 1200 24/12 mah 73 and Merry Christmas! (Martin A. Hall, Clashmore, Scotland. Perseus SDR, RPA-1 preamp, MFJ-1026 phaser (modified), beverages: 550m at 338 degrees, terminated, 506m at 279 degrees, terminated. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/clashmoreradio/ MWCircle yg via DXLD) Kringvarp Føroya 531 khz --- Faroer, komt aardig binnen met 25 kW? SINPO 44444 till 43433 af en toe zwak Algerije vanuit de achtergrond, 2152z 27-12-2011 non stop mx. // stream ;-) on 531 khz (Marc van Gerwen, Ede Gld., Netherlands, http://radiospotting.blogspot.com/ BDX via DXLD) Faroes 531 --- Right now, rap music in English right after an English rock song and parallel with G4BKH's Perseus server in the UK. Sounds like them (Sylvain Naud, Portneuf, QC, Perseus with the 1500ft Beverage @ 35 degrees, 0043 UT Dec 27, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) Yes, and it was during a good peak here. Last time I heard them was two years ago if I recall correctly (Sylvain Naud, 0103 UT Dec 27, ibid.) ** GERMANY. WDR switches off 1593 kHz DRM signal and announces this through the transmit signal itself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Mr86vo8UU Another recording in the quality as transmitted: http://www.hochstrasse.ch/forum/drm_langenberg_1593khz_2011-12-24.wav This comes to no surprise, as already months ago the program audio was no longer Kiraka but this looped announcement that hammered the message into the non-existant listeners by saying "if you hear us please keep in touch with us": http://web.me.com/nils.schiffhauer/Website/Monitoring/Eintr%C3%A4ge/2011/12/3_Audio_Clips_-_Medium_Wave_(&_Longwave)_files/1593%20WDR_DRM%200630.mp3 Here is a photo of the Transradio TRAM transmitter system for 720 and 1593 kHz, installed in 2006: http://www.deutsches-drm-forum.de/Anlage-Langenberg.jpg More pictures of the Langenberg site are here, the latter one page also featuring the former mediumwave gear and the analogue VHF TV transmitter that has in 2007 been shut down in the most possible shabby way (out of the ongoing program, they not even managed to bid a farewell in the simple way of putting their test card on air for a last time): http://www.verstaerkeramt.eu/html/sender_langenberg_2011.html http://www.velberteransichten.de/sender.htm The former gear, replaced by the TRAM system in 2006, consisted in the case of 720 kHz of a 200 kW transmitter, delivered by Siemens in 1978 to put this frequency on air at Langenberg for the first time. In the case of 1593 kHz it were two 600 kW Telefunken transmitters from 1966, used as a pair to produce an output of up to 800 kW. They had to be shut down at yearend 1993 because as of 1994 it was no longer permissible in Germany to continue the operation of equipment with condensers that contained more than one litre of PCB each, and upgrading the old beasts was out of question. Back then WDR decided to keep 720 kHz because 1593 kHz provided a marvellous skywave service but a measly groundwave coverage of just 80 km when being run at 800 kW, just too little bang for too much money. WDR arranged with the USA to leave 1593 to the Holzkirchen transmitter, allowing WDR to use the former daytime-only frequency 720 around the clock. After this the Holzkirchen transmitter has been used on 1593 with a single ND mast for Balkans services, for which it was not so terribly good, resulting in its final closure in April 2001, freeing up 1593 for WDR again. As a reminder, since it has been announced already a year ago: On New Year's Eve all analogue mediumwave transmitters of Südwestrundfunk will be shut down as well. Their DRM on 711 kHz ceased already in last July. What will be left as of New Year's Day in this regard in Germany are only the 855 kHz signal from Berlin-Britz plus the three hour token at night on 177 kHz, left there when the conversion of this frequency, made for IFA 2005 and loudmouthly announced there ("they received listeners calls that the transmitter would be broken, since it transmits only white noise anymore, hahaha, it's so funny") had been reversed after a few months (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 26, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SEVERAL GERMAN MEDIUMWAVE STATIONS ABOUT TO CLOSE Several mediumwave stations in Germany are due to cease transmissions within the next couple of weeks. The first to go, on Friday 30 December, is the low power (0.6 kW) SWR station at Ulm on 1413 kHz. The following day it is the turn of high power (700 kW) gospel station ERF at Mainflingen on 1539 kHz and the WDR mediumwave transmitter at Langenberg on 1593 kHz which has been broadcasting in DRM mode. On 8 January SWR will cease its mediumwave broadcasts of the “Bodensee Sender” on 666 kHz (150 kW). In addition, the broadcasts of the WDR mediumwave transmitters at Muhlacker on 576 kHz (100 kW), Freiburg on 828 kHz (10k W) and RheinSender/Wolfsheim on 1017 kHz (100 kW) will close. (Source: Mediamagazine.nl) Andy Sennitt comments: The closure of Freiburg on 828 kHz is interesting, as it may improve reception of Dutch broadcaster Radio 10 Gold in some locations after dark, though there is still an NDR transmitter at Hannover active on this frequency (December 28th, 2011 - 17:10 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) ** GERMANY. 6085, Pur Radio 1 ab 7 UT auf 6085 kHz. Hier in Euskirchen (Nahbereich) kaempft PUR 1 mit starkem selektiven Fading / SINPO 43323. Der Klang des mittels OPTIMOD gefuetterten R&S-SK1-Senders in Kall->Krekel ist wie immer wunderbar und wohltuend (fuer KW-gewohnte Ohren). Das untere Seitenband klingt uebrigens insgesamt weicher als das obere Seitenband. Vielen Dank fuer die Blumen. Wir haben uebrigens die Sendestrecken und damit auch die reorganisiert. Bisher waren die Sendewege 6085 und 3995 kHz \\ geschaltet. Jetzt mussten wir das Ganze aufdroeseln, weil nun in Spitzenzeiten in Kall 4 Sender gleichzeitig drehen. Daher die neuen Streams: KW 3995 kHz: KW 5980 kHz: KW 6005 kHz: KW 6085 kHz: Im Sound "so wie es bei SINPO 55555 klaenge", Guten Empfang! (Christian Milling, Germany, A-DX Dec 18 via BC-DX Dec 27 via DXLD) PUR RADIO 1 IN GERMAN/DUTCH ON 6085 KHZ Pur Radio 1, based in Eupen, Belgium, is broadcasting an expanded schedule on shortwave since 18 December, and is now heard with programmes in German and Dutch on 6085 kHz at 0700-1200 UTC. Good reception reported today in Almere, the Netherlands by Ehard Goddijn. Pur Radio 1 rents airtime from German broadcaster Radio 700. The transmitter is located at Kall-Krekel in Germany. Photos of the transmitter are on this page. Pur Radio 1 previously broadcast on 6005 kHz on Sundays at 1200-1400 UTC. The station says it is run by a team of audio and video producers, directors, speakers, camera people, Web professionals, musicians and computer animation specialists. To get into the Benelux and Europe optimally it works from three countries. (Sources: Ehard Goddijn/Pur Radio 1)(December 27th, 2011 - 13:02 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) ** GERMANY. German Army Radio Radio Andernach 2011. Due of copyright problems only access allowed for broad audience during Christmas time. [until Jan 2 only] Radio Andernach hat auch in diesem Jahr wieder einen Stream geschaltet: Livestream Der Stream soll vom 22.12.2011 bis 2.1.2012 laufen. Klappt bei mir nur mit dem Windows Media Player, weil Benutzername und Passwort eingegeben werden muessen. Die Zugangsdaten sind aber oeffentlich auf der Webseite zu finden: access password: Klicke einfach auf einen der drei Links am Seitenrand und gibt die Zugangsdaten fuer den Stream ein. Benutzername: RadioAndernach Passwort: Weihnachten2011 Alternativ kannst du aber auch die URL mit deinem Mediaplayer oeffnen und dann die Zugangsdaten eingeben. Kurzwelle historisch: (Manfred Hueppelshaeuser, Germany, Dec 23, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Re RL Russian 9705 instead of registered 11705 kHz, 08-10 UT, I guess it was a PUNCHING ERROR at Biblis engineering staff. IBB Monitoring on 22rd only single entry: 12/22/11 09:40:47 Sound [11705 AM RFE RU BIB ] 11705 RFE / R. LIBERTY 0800-1000 Russian 100 65 Biblis IBB/RFE b11 in the Far East, 15555 from Tinian has the same 8-10 UT service so far ---- vy73 de Wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GOA. 12024.965, AIR Panaji Goa, 1615-1730 UT in Hindi to Near East. Heard at 1705 UT Dec 25, ID at 1707 UT. S=7 signal in Europe (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 25, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27 via DXLD) ** GREECE. 7475, Dec 25 at 0030, VOG with YL in Greek mentioning ``olive oil``. No Xmas music here --- that would be unorthodox. [then we found special program schedules via John Babbis, including Xmas] 15630, Dec 27 at 1548, VOG with Greek music, good signal. Probably just came on, earlier than nominal *1600 in the curtailed 12-hour broadcast day. 7450, Dec 27 at 2041, good with sacred choral music, sounds like Monteverdi; 2047 Greek announcement and more modern classical music, 2100 Greek news. Is ERT3 Macedonian service; checked 9420 which would not be //, but main VOG channel not audible there (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re my previous report of 9420 missing, John Babbis says: ``Glenn: When I sent my Reception Report for December 28 to these people at the Voice of Greece, all 4 of the ones at ERA5 bounced back, as below. The one to Keramidas at ERT3 did go through. I wonder if they took the computers away from these 4 or maybe laid them off as part of the austerity in Greece? The 9420 transmitter has been off the air since December 22; saving electricity? John Babbis`` The bounce messages all say ``554 – rejected for policy reasons`` Could be just offline for the holidays. John also reports Dec 28: WEB SITE OF VOICE OF GREECE DOWN FOR SEVERAL WEEKS --- http://www.voiceofgreece.gr/ ``The webpage cannot be found`` (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. 4055, Dec 25 at 0008, ever since someone reported hearing cuckoos on R. Verdad, I have wanted to too, and now I have! As soon as I tune in, then ID (Glenn Hauser,, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII. I was out for most of the day yesterday Christmas shopping in Inverness, but set Perseus to record while I was away. Once again conditions were interesting, with an odd mix of stations coming in, and some strong signals with deep fades. All on the 338 degree beverage: [including] 1540, KREA Honolulu HI; noted under KXEL with same ID as 1200, F/P, 1100 21/12 mah 1540, KREA Honolulu HI; Christmas music, Radio Seoul jingle, then ID “AM 16-50 K-fox – you’re listening to southern California’s number one Korean language radio station”, Korean announcements, Christmas music, F, 1200 21/12 mah 1570, KUAU Haiku HI; light songs, YL ID “… you’re listening to KUAU Haiku 15-70 …” and back to light songs, W/F, 1200 21/12 mah 73 (Martin A. Hall, Clashmore, Scotland. Perseus SDR, RPA-1 preamp, MFJ-1026 phaser (modified), beverages: 550m at 338 degrees, terminated, 506m at 279 degrees, terminated. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/clashmoreradio/ MWCircle yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. AIR Kurseong 4990.1 [sic] --- AIR Kurseong noted on 4999.1 [sic] today 26 Dec 11 from my tune in at 0124. Their original frequency is 4895 and the sked is: 0055-0430 1130-1700 (Sat, Sun 1741) 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Raj Bhavan Road, Hyderabad 500082, India, dx_india yg via DXLD) Jose, Which new frequency is correct, 4990.1 in the subject, or 4999.1 in the body, or neither? Both quite a distance from original 4895, so maybe you meant 4900.1?? 73, (Glenn Hauser, Oklahoma, ibid.) 4999.1 was noted only one day morning (26 Dec 11). Sorry for error in subject. 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, Dec 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4895, AIR Kuresong 1146 Dec 26 Hindi mx; poor under CODAR (Scott R. Barbour Jr. Intervale, N.H. USA, NRD-545, MLB-1, 200' Beverages; 60m dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4895.00, 1430-1440 26.12, AIR Kurseong, Nepali (presumed) ann and folkmusic - back from 4999 kHz, 43433, QRM Mongoliin R with talk in Mongolian // 4830 (35333) AP-DNK (Anker Peteersen, Denmark, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. English news from the AIR Regionals today at 1530 was very poor, other than 4970. Only detectable parallels were 4810 4880 4940 and 9425 (Don Moman, Lamont, Alberta, Dec 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. AIR carrying live commentary for India vs Australia cricket series --- At 0405 UT noted foll AIR stn's carrying live commentary: 4860 - Kingsway, Delhi 4880 - Lucknow 7270 - Chennai 7430 - Bhopal Schedule as follows: 26-30 Dec 2011 - 1st Test Australia vs India Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne - 2330 UT ONWARDS 3-7 Jan 2012 - 2nd Test Australia vs India Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney - 2330 UT ONWARDS 13-17 Jan 2012 - 3rd Test - Australia vs India W.A.C.A., Perth - 0230 UT ONWARDS 24-28 Jan 2012 - 4th Test - Australia vs India Adelaide Oval, Adelaide - 0000 UT ONWARDS 1 Feb 2012 - 1st T20 - Australia vs India ANZ Stadium, Sydney - 0835 UT ONWARDS 3 Feb 2012 - 2nd T20 - Australia vs India Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne - 0835 UT ONWARDS --- With season's greetings! (Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, India, Dec 25, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. 9425, AIR-Nat’l Channel, Bengaluru, in Hindi at 2110, Dec. 22. Beautiful subcontinental vocals. Signal coming through pretty well, much better than // 9470 (Aligarh). (Mike Bryant, KY, Sony ICF- 2010, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11670, Dec 22 at 2045, `Namaskar`, GOS of AIR opening English transmission with frequency lists for Europe/UK, and for Australia/NZ. // 9445 was best, also audible on 7550. Into press review about North Korea. 9425, Dec 23 at 1442, AIR National Channel playing ``It`s Christmas Time``, YL in English with Xmas 101 explanations including derivation from Roman Saturnalia, 1445 ``Silent Night``. Alan Roe notes from the AIR blog at http://gosair.blogspot.com/ that AIR GOS will have a special musical feature entitled "Joy to the World" at 1350, 1830, 2130 and 2330 UT Dec 25 on the usual frequencies 9425, Dec 24 at 2230-2235 AIR news in English, good with flutter on National Channel, 2235 into Hindi. Which goes first alternates from hour to hour; at 2130 it was Hindi, then English. This cast mentioned Christmas being celebrated in India by the Christian minority. 9445, Dec 26 at 2128, AIR GOS is in weekly Monday mailbag `Faithfully Yours`, informal M&W hosting conversationally, reading and replying to reception reports, at the moment one from Germany in October. Next one they politely refuse to verify due to insufficient details; try again. More reports from Germany, Austria, until 2135 change to Film Music. F.Y. starts at 2120. I could also hear it on 11670 and, perhaps better, on 7550. I should have, since at 2136-2137, 9445 cut off the air, but the others were on as soon as I checked them. After a stint with Romania next door on 9435, at 2201 I was back on 9445 for the news, but it cut off and on and off and on and off again until 2204; meanwhile I found a much better signal with music on the National Channel 9425. 2210, commentary which I thought was rather smug, about Pakistan`s perilous balance among the government, military and intelligence agency. It seems India has a name for this, something-gate, but I couldn`t understand or Google it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) It`s ``memo-gate`` per this item: http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/pakistan-information-minister-withdraws-resignation (Glenn Hauser, Dec 28, ibid.) ** INDONESIA. 9526-, Dec 26 at 1600, VOI is on as confirmed by checking its characteristic off-frequency, very poor signal with hum, music, pause, announcement maybe in Arabic, as is usually the case per http://rri.jpn.org/ tho the start time varies widely. Meanwhile, the English hour at 13-14 remains a total loss here, weak and undermodulated carrier, barely detectable, blocked by huge signals from China radio war on 9530 until 1400. We had it so good in the summer when VOI English could be heard well some mornings in North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. L'ONA CURTA AMB MUSICA Nº 59 12/11 DISSABTE 0900 KBC RADIO 6095 0900 R. JOYSTICK via IRRS (1r DISSABTE DE MES) 9510 0900 R. CITY via IRRS (3r DISSABTE DE MES) 9510 0945 IRRS “39 DOVER STREET” (2n, 4t, 5è DISSABTE DE MES)9510 1003 R. NETHERLANDS INT'L “CANTA AMERICA” 5955 9895 1100 R. MARABU (3r DISSABTE DE MES) 6085 1900 VOA AFRIQUE “DU BLUES AU JAZZ” 15225 12080 1935 VOA AFRIQUE “REGGAE” 15225 12080 2000 VOA AFRICA “MUSIC TIME IN AFRICA” 4940 15580 2305 R. EXTERIOR DE ESPANA “MUNDOFONIAS” 6125 9535 9620 DIUMENGE 0900 R. GLORIA INTL (1r DIUMENGE DE MES) –REPETICIO– 9480 0900 XVRB RADIO (3r DIUMENGE DE MES) 6045 0900 KBC RADIO 6095 0912 R. ROSSII “BALLOON” 12075 1000 R. JOYSTICK via R.700 (1r DIUMENGE DE MES) 6005 1000 MV BALTIC RADIO (1r DIUMENGE DE MES) –REPETICIO 1300–9480 1000 EUROPEAN MUSIC R. (3r DIUMENGE DE MES) –REPETICIO 1300– 9480 1000 R. GLORIA INTL (4t DIUMENGE DE MES) –REPETICIO 1300–6005 9480 1033 RFI AFRIQUE “L'EPOPEE DES MUSIQUES NOIRES”21690 17620 15300 1230 IRRS “39 DOVER STREET” –REPETICIO– 9510 1300 VOA “JAZZ AMERICA” 7575 12150 1505 VOICE OF NIGERIA “MUSIC HERITAGE” 15120 1900 VOA AFRIQUE “SOUL USA” 15225 12080 2000 VOA AFRIQUE “DU BLUES AU JAZZ” –REPETICIO–9780 12080 15225 2000 VOA AFRICA “MUSIC TIME IN AFRICA” 4940 15580 2010 R. ROSSII “EXOTICA” 5905 DILLUNS 1510 RFI AFRIQUE “COULEURS TROPICALES” (DIL A DIV) –REPETICIO–21690 17850 15300 2000 VOA AFRICA “AFRICAN BEAT” (DILLUNS A DIVENDRES) 4940 6080 15580 2010 RFI AFRIQUE “COULEURS TROPICALES” (DIL A DIV) 7205 9790 2105 VOA “AMERICAN GOLD” 6080 15580 DIMARTS 2012 R. ROSSII “DOCTOR BLUES” 5905 2105 VOA “ROOTS & BRANCHES” 6080 15580 DIMECRES 1815 VOICE OF NIGERIA “EVERGREENS” 15120 1835 R. TAIWAN INTL “JADE BELLS & BAMBOO PIPES” 3965 2012 R. ROSSII “BALLOON” –REPETICIO– 5905 2105 VOA “CLASSIC ROCK SHOW” 6080 15580 DIJOUS 2100 WWCR1 “INTO THE BLUE” 7465 2100 WWCR2 BLUES 9350 DIVENDRES 1930 VOICE OF NIGERIA “NIGERIAN POPULAR MUSIC” 15120 2012 R. ROSSII “ENDLESS APROXIMATION” 5905 DIES I HORES UTC. LA SELECCIO DE PROGRAMES ES TOTALMENT PERSONAL I SUBJECTIVA --- A més de les frequències recomanades, els grans serveis internacionals com la VOA o RFI en fan servir altres en parallel. Moltes emissores emeten via satèllit i alguns programes es poden escoltar als webs d'aquestes en streaming o descarregar en podcast. Per a més informació consulteu Internet (Rafael Martínez, Barcelona, via Dario Monferini, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. CHRISTMAS AND SEASONAL PROGRAMMING 2011-12 ***PLEASE NOTE: In some cases I have added programs that have already aired, but are available for 7 days or more via the internet archive. Be sure and watch for this aspect.*** I would appreciate your comments, criticisms, suggestions, corrections and additions to this survey of Christmas Programming. You can contact me via the contact page on this website. Its a work in progress, so check back often. I hope you find it useful. “Christmas Programming” is perhaps a bit inaccurate. There is other “seasonal” programming information available, including Hannukah, New Years’ Eve and New Years’ Day. There are also some non-radio items for your entertainment, amusement and amazement. . . http://doghousecharlie.com/christmas-and-seasonal-programming-2011-12/ (Fred Waterer, Dec 23, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [and non]. 2182, 4125, 6215, 8291, 12290 and 16420 kHz --- 2182 is used as a medium-range maritime distress call frequency, while the others are recognized as long-distance maritime distress call channels (Joe Robinson, Beginner`s Classroom, Jan ODXA Listening In via DXLD) 6215? That should be reason enough for out-of-band broadcasters to avoid even if they go elsewhere above 6200. Indeed, HFCC shows 6205, 6225, but nothing between. However, Aoki reminds us that YFR is on 6215, 100 kW via outlaw TAIWAN at 22-24, not to mention the Argentine pirate someone recent thought they heard, R. Baluarte 24 hours. We also hear routine coastal maritime traffic in SSB on 6215 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See log of Point Reyes, USA ** IRAN. 13650, Dec 23 at 0641, poor signal in Italian, but it`s the SSOB rather than anything from Australia. Turns out to be VIRI, 0630- 0730, 500 kW, 289 degrees from Kamalabad. 17720, Dec 22 at 1330, poor signal with unrecognized anthem, brief announcement in unrecognized language and off by 1331*. HFCC shows it`s IRIB in ``Melau`` = Malay, 500 kW, 109 degrees from Kamalabad (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. 9965, Dec 27 at 2015, rather traditional ME music, so did not think at first it would be R. Farda, but so IDed at 2025 and more of same, not the usual Persian/American pop. Maybe just an aberration. Quite a good signal, from the other worldside, 250 kW, 332 degrees USward from Iranawila, SRI LANKA at 1900-2130 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. 7635, Israel's Army radio station Galei Tzahal noted with identification at 0536 UT Dec 20. But hit heavily by ute station in two tone like RTTY mode, latter S=9+10dB signals on both 7634.755 and 7635.255 kHz. \\ 15850 kHz very poor S=4, just above threshold in dead zone at this hour (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27 via DXLD) ** ITALY. 5000, Time Signal Station IBF, Turin, 23322. Time signals, morse code and identification, male, Italian, French and English: “IBF, IBF, IBF, standard frequency and time signals from the National Electrotechnical Institute, Turin, Italy”. 23322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Friol, Sony ICF SW 7600 G, wire antenna, 10 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. 6055, Dec 22 at 1349, R. Nikkei in American English lesson alternating with Japanese translations, about supersonic jets, light years, bank X and its non-performing assets, company A moving operations overseas. Probably regular on Thursdays, for those who would like to report them in English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I believe you mentioned Radio Nikkei's 15 Minute English programs. If anyone is interested, their program schedule is here: http://www.radionikkei.jp/timetable / I do warn; it's in Japanese. The website for their English language learning program is: http://www.radionikkei.jp/15me/ Most of that is also in Japanese. Perhaps I am a biggest fan of the fact that Radio Nikkei actually offers a number of Podcasts of their shortwave broadcasts. I'm a particular fan of a show they host about video games and Japanese animation. It's called Bandai Namco Games. If anyone is curious, their Podcast line up is at: http://www.radionikkei.jp/style/podcast/ One can find quite a list for some shows that go back quite a while. (John `Wolfgang`, ptswyg via DXLD) ** KASHMIR. This is RADIO KASHMIR SRINAGAR by RUKHSANA JABEEN Radio Kashmir Srinagar --- With a period spanning over half a century Radio Kashmir has become an inseparable part of Kashmir’s modern history. It was once a household voice but things have changed a lot. Many now call it a shadow of the institution it once was. GK Magazine’s ALTAF KHAN talked to the officials and noted broadcasters about its glorious past and the challenges ahead. PROGRAMME HEAD RADIO KASHMIR, SRINAGAR ABOUT THE PAST The people, who have administered this station, were all stalwarts in their profession. Hats off to their services. They were trend setters. It was the only institution that used to cater to all sorts of problems even the politicians would listen to radio and take action on the basis of our reports. There were some special programmes like Zoon Dabb, which used to highlight the day to day problems in a very light hearted manner. It was the only means of entertainment. Dramas that were broadcast are popular to this day, and there is a demand even now for those dramas. ABOUT THE DECLINE When we talk of the standards in script writing set by, the likes of Ali Mohammad Lone, Akhtar Mohi-ud-Din, Sajood Sailani and Shabnam Qayoom, to name a few, it is evident that there is a marked contrast. THE DAYS OF ZOON DUB AND ZAAFRAN ZAR, ARE GONE! Every new product looks better and it has its time. Zoon dub won’t be as popular today as it was then. Today’s listener is different, his priorities are different. IMPACT OF PRIVATE FM CHANNELS ON RADIO There is no effect because of private FM channels. Ours is a serious audience, nothing can skip their observation. A slight bit of mistake in pronunciation and accent is noticed and reported in the feedback. We are not only entertainers we realize our responsibility of being educators as well. That calmness which audience expects can definitely be had from Radio Kashmir Srinagar. ABOUT THE FUTURE Well our programmers are trying their best to do justice with the ever increasing expectations of the listeners. We have an advisory board to advise us time to time, to overcome our lacunae. Our active listeners who comprise people from all walks of life, are free to put their suggestions forward to meet the future challenges. SYED HUMAYUN KAISAR, PROGRAMME HEAD, RADIO KASHMIR KARGIL NEW TRENDS IN RADIO In early 90s Kashmir was trouble-torn, professionals left, gradually talent stopped coming. But inspite of that people were listening to us. At that time we took risk and started doing programmes in a different way. I went informal in my presentation my colleagues objected they said you are talking to people as if you are talking at home. But it was helping is in getting listenership suddenly the profile of the talker had a change from 50 to 70, to 20-35 years of age. It gave an opportunity to youngsters; today all of them are doing well. This became possible when you allowed them to speak their mind out. PROFESSIONALISM IN RADIO The adherence to AIR code, every channel, has its own restrictions. Even in the sport channels you have a cardinal rule, you have to follow, and somebody like Ravi Shastri is asked to remove his moustache. DHADKAN AND ITS SUCCESS I started it in 2002 I thought why not something on the lines of “Kon banega Crorepati”. I did not have the lure of one million in my programme but had to have some sort of anxiety. Then I took recourse to sports. I started 16 rounds. Public wants change over a period of time; I kept bringing in an innovation that is why it survived. SOCIAL NETWORKING AND ITS ADVANTAGE Dhadkan has a facebook page. Same is true for my other programmes. Some administers keep on feeding questions and receive answers throughout the day. Even if we have to make announcement we make it on facebook page. So, in that sense we are using it to our advantage. RADIO, PAST AND PRESENT Whatever is gone from our hands is golden, whatever we have is not gold. If you start Zoon Dub today it will fail within two weeks. We can’t compare Bradman to Tendulkar, why compare different eras. No doubt, yesteryears’ broadcasters did wonderful job, but some of them had elitist attitude. Today when I say something seventy percent people should understand, people are wrapping us on knuckles. We need to be updated and connected. RADIO’S FUTURE Radio will survive; when we had print and radio came, print survived. Then when television came radio survived. Come satellite television, radio stations multiplied. Same is the case with facebook. Radio can be taken anywhere, it goes to most private places. As long as it keeps changing and catering to public needs it will survive. TULHA JEHANGIR, BROADCASTER YOUR DAYS IN SHEHARBEEN Based on the feedback that we have about Sheherbeen, it is still very popular. The popularity among audiences as you would know is relative; it differs from listener to listener. But I don’t see any decline in the popularity. Regarding format, with times you have to makes changes and popularity doesn’t decline with changes. Sheherbeen is a public grievance programme people do listen to it. YOU MADE PEOPLE LAUGH Umar kai sath admi sanjeeda hota hain. Zafran Zar is still being broadcast from the station. Myself, Late Ghulam Ali Majboor, Zareef Ahmad Zareef, Makhanlal Mahau used to do that. Honestly speaking there are not many people around who can write and handle satire. Radio is trying newer lot in the popular programme Zafran Zar. Obviously it takes some time. We can’t produce Ghulam Ali Majboors every day. FUTURE OF BROADCASTERS We have two universities training students in Media. Panos South Asia and BBC World Service are doing commendable job in this regard. They hold workshops to train professionals. They say show must go on and it doesn’t stop, there are youngsters who have a thing or two to teach us. NOT MANY URDU BROADCASTERS ARE COMING UP It is a cause of concern for me, as a student of broadcasting. Media students don’t have Urdu in their syllabus. This is the area where we need to get our policies right. ABD-UR- RASHID, BROADCASTER YOUR MEMORIES WITH RADIO People who worked for the station then created benchmarks. No doubt there are still good broadcasters working for the station but I get very disappointed when I hear most of them erring in diction, pronunciation, and accent. No less disheartening is step motherly treatment we do to our mother tongue Kashmiri. ABOUT THE PAST The glorious past of Radio Kashmir Srinagar gives enough reason to believe that institutions are made by the people; but then the show must go on. It is time to not only move on but move ahead with times. SOURCE: This is RADIO KASHMIR SRINAGAR http://bit.ly/uTKDK7 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Radio-kashmir-srinagar/201595706548670 Air Radio Kashmir Srinagar 4950 kHz. 8.8.2011. - YouTube ? 0:56? 0:56 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ_rlDaCWC013 Ago 2011 - 56 s - Subido por SanttuDX 4950 kHz 2235 Air Radio Kashmir Srinagar Hindi/Kashmiri IND Srinagar. My dx-pedition to Koli National Park (Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. North Korea watch --- The death of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il, announced on 19 December, has turned the world's attention to the secretive and perhaps least accessible state. News of the death was announced at 0300 GMT by Korean Central Broadcasting Station, with sombre music played following the announcement. The country's radio service beamed towards South Korea and Japan, Pyongyang Broadcasting Station, announced the death at the same time as domestic TV, and then broadcast music. The Voice of Korea - the country's international radio broadcaster operating in Korean, German, Russian, French, Arabic, English, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese, has carried programming devoted to the life of the Kim Jong Il and the station's website has nothing but news of the death and associated stories that, in the west, can only be described as propaganda. It's possible to watch North Korean TV thanks to a website operated in the South. Former North Korean soldier and defector to the South Lim Young-sun streams the North's TV service for eight hours a day from 0800 GMT. Available at http://sptv.co.kr the Korean-language website also carries a relay of KBS. To watch the North's single TV channel, click on the link in the blue box to the right of the video window - the upper link provides KBS from Seoul, the lower link streaming of the Pyongyang TV channel (AIB found that the site only appears to work in Internet Explorer, not Chrome or Firefox). As AIB compiled this briefing on the morning of 22 December, the channel was showing footage of Kim Jong Un, the new leader, receiving condolences from what appeared to be officials of the North as well as ambassadors. Then the channel cut to music played by an immense military orchestra - including a lengthy rendition of the Internationale. A further section of news footage shows visitors signing the condolence book, with sobbing attendants in shot (the programming continued in the same way until closedown at 1450 GMT). It's reminiscent of the way the media in the Soviet Union operated following the death of someone like Brezhnev. Meanwhile, to get an insight into life in North Korea, AIB recommends Vice, a magazine website that has extensive video, much of investigative. Earlier this year, AIB highlighted an off-beat report about a trip to North Korea undertaken by Vice co-founder Shane Smith, available at http://www.vice.com/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3 AIB also recommends a Vice report produced by Smith and journalist Simon Ostrovsky about secret North Korean labour camps in Russia, online at http://www.vice.com/en_uk/vice-news/north-korean-labor-camps-full-length (AIB Industry Briefing 22 Dec http://www.aib.org.uk/AIB_Nx_brief_221211.asp for further linx, via DXLD) KIM JONG IL LOOKING AT THINGS http://kimjongillookingatthings.tumblr.com/ (via Terry Krueger, Dec 23, DXLD) KIM JONG-IL'S FUNERAL ON PYONGYANG FM It's early Thursday morning here and for the first time I've ever heard, Pyongyang FM broadcasted a live event, the funeral of Kim Jong- il Wednesday morning with rebroadcasts in the afternoon hours as well (quite spiffy, since I slept through the funeral itself as they refused to report when the heck it would be until just before it happened!), before returning to its regular music programming later in the evening. The audio appears to be the same that is heard in Reuters video clips on the US news sites with the same background music, whether it was played live or a pre-recorded song in a loop playing over speakers. In the late afternoon, a lot of dead air, talking in the background within the studio and outside, and multiple mentions of "Kim Jong-il, the strong worker" (in Korean of course) in an accent most South Koreans have trouble understanding. Overmodulation was especially bad at times in the late afternoon due to the very over-emotional announcers that maxed out the audio, at times even causing the signal to turn to static momentarily, expanding so far beyond its assigned frequency. But there's nothing I can do about. The national memorial service is reported to be tomorrow with a few minutes of silence at noon and I'll be getting up early to see what's on the air. I have two clips totalling 25 minutes (had to slip out of work, so I couldn't get as much as I wanted) and will likely post clips after all the "festivities" - or whatever you'd call them - have finished. Fritze told me recently that DXing isn't only about logs and catching the stations, but also about hearing unique content at certain times. Well, I can check *that* off my list! (Chris Kadlec, Songtan, Korea (30 mi. s of Seoul), 1459 UT Dec 28, WTFDA via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. N. Korea (DPR). Voice of Korea, 9345, Kujang. Dec 20 2011, Tuesday. 0335-0400*. Choir singing martial songs, but almost unreadable. Could just make out YL giving frequency announcements at 0354, before sign off at 0355. Very poor, at noise level. Jo'burg sunrise 0312. Voice of Korea, 9990 Kujang. Dec 20 2011, Tuesday. 1645-1732. Difficult to read, but talking about the life and achievements of Kim Jung Il. Mentions of "History of ??? Land", several of "Korea", "The Great Leader", "National Economy", "His wise leadership". ID at 1654 "Voice of Korea", followed by YL with frequency announcements and at 1655* sign off. At 1700, VOK interval signal then at 1701 Korean anthem ?? and sign on again, in Arabic to the middle east (EiBi). Followed by choir with martial music, then into Arabic talk with mentions of "Kim Jung Il". Poor, lots of atmospheric QRN, especially lightning. Jo'burg sunset 1659. Voice of Korea, 7210 Kujang // 9975 Kujang. Dec 21 2011, Wednesday. *1900-2008. At *1900, IS followed by id "This is the Voice of Korea", repeated twice, into anthem ??. At 1902 YL says "Now we begin the English transmission from Pyongyang from the Democratic Republic of Korea". Martial songs at 1903 then at 1908 the next edition of the life and times of Kim. Tuned back in at 1942 to find miserable music, it makes the Funeral March sound positively bouncy. Then went back to praising Kim. At 1955 YL with frequency announcements (including 11910 to southern Africa, which really is NOT working tonight). English service signs off at 1957*, quickly into Korean music, signs on again at 2000 with another language. Now quite inaudible due to co-channel QRM, presumed Radio Fana in Oromo from Addis Ababa. Head-on smash, both inaudible with rapid flutter. 7210 (to Southern Africa, EiBi) poor at first, but readable with a struggle. No entertainment value, it certainly wouldn't make me a fan of Kim or his sycophants. Lots of lightning QRN, not local to Jo'burg. By 1940 quality greatly improved, quite readable. // 9975 started and remained very poor, almost inaudible, targetted to the Middle East (EiBi). Jo'burg sunset 1700. Voice of Korea, 7210 Kujang // 11910 Kujang. Dec 22 2011, Thursday. 1920-1940. Tuned in half way through the next episode of the life and times of Kim. Mentioned receiving condolences from (people and NGO's in ??) Mexico, Russia, South Korea, the USA, and mentions of media reports in China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, not to mention reports by Reuters, UPI, CNN, Jordan News and others. At 1936 the morbid music started, so its time to try Zambia for some entertainment. 7210 is good tonight, readable with no difficulty. // on 11910 is only JBA, with no sign of Riyadh on 11915 tonight. This supports my earlier observation that propagation from north Africa (and clearly the Middle East as well) must be really poor tonight - see Zambia. Jo'burg sunset 1700 [and non] United Arab Emirates. Voice of America relay, 11905 Dhabbaya. Dec 21 2011, Wednesday. 1920-1950. Listening for Voice of Korea on listed 11910 to southern Africa, but that frequency is wiped out by very strong splash from the Voice of America in Tigrinya to east africa (EiBi) on adjacent channel 11905. VoA jamming the commies for a change, even if un-intentional ??? ID at 1929* "This programme has come to you from the Voice of America". But even after VoA sign off, still no sign of VoK on 11910. Now it is being zapped by Arabic from Radio Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on adjacent 11915. Even narrow passband couldn't eliminate it at first, although it improved greatly by 1945, but still no Korea. Seems that the Democratic Republic of Korea is having a bad week in more ways than one. Jo'burg sunset 1700 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9665, Dec 29 at 1508, while RCI via Xi`an on 9635 was reporting about NK, the real deal could be heard here, still hyper-emotional about something or other. No pulsing noise jamming mix audible unlike continuously on the VOK external frequencies, at this hour English on 9335 and 11710 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 6135, Dec 23 at 1356, Shiokaze via JSR JAPAN is still here but in Japanese ID instead of usual English on Fridays: must be thrown off by holidays. Furthermore at 1425 wrapping up in Korean and piano music until 1430*, also with a very weak het of less than 1 kHz, maybe Madagascar or Yemen long-path? No NK jamming audible 6135, Shiokaze/Sea Breeze/JSR via Yamata. Randomly from 1345 to 1410, Dec 23. Special emergency programming the result of the death of Kim Jong Il; unusual for two reasons: was a non-English Friday (rare!) and played emergency siren before ID. Fair with very light jamming; MP3 audio posted at http://www.box.com/s/ar7xhpe5try77o4h5fpy (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6135, Dec 24 around 1400, Shiokaze audible tho poorly, via JSR Yamata, JAPAN. S. Hasegawa explains in the DXLD yg why we were not hearing English the day before on Friday: ``Special emergency Service of Shiokaze is a plan on Dec. 23 to Dec. 25 and Dec. 30 to Jan. 1 (Fri-Sun) at 1330-1430 on 6135 and 2000-2100 on 5910 kHz. Broadcasted in Japanese at 1330-1400, Korean at 1400-1430 on 6135 kHz on Dec. 23``. Apparently the `emergency` is that KJI died a week ago. 6135, Shiokaze is missing for the first day, Dec 27 at 1358 and later, so I search elsewhere on 49m for it. 5985 must be the new/reactivated frequency from JSR Tokyo/Yamata, poor signal making het with off- frequency Myanmar at 1404, altho it doesn`t sound like the usual Shiokaze with sad piano music. Instead there is violin with piano music in the background of talk, in Japanese or Korean? None of the usual Shiokaze stingers either. 1423 still same, 1427 ID in Japanese, and still not the usual music, off after 1430 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5985, Thursday Dec 29 at 1358, Shiokaze ID in Japanese; pause, and 1400 Shiokaze ID in Chinese with piano, poor signal via JSR Tokyo/Yamata. Per S. Hasegawa, we should not expect English on Friday to resume before January 6 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. JAPAN (non), Furusato no Kaze, 9550, transmitting from Taiwan, in Japanese with talk by female and male announcers. Heard at 1337 UT on 23 December. Announcements were interspersed with short instrumental jingles or sound effects. SINPO 45434. Positive ID at 1345. They've had a bit of jamming in the past, but today I noticed nothing. I wonder if North Korea has its hands too full with other matters at the moment? 73 (Al Muick, Whitehall, PA USA, WinRadio G303e, Wellbrook ALA1530P active loop, oriented NNW-ESE, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH [and non]. 6003, Dec 27 at 1401, bit of William Tell Overture, but then no Al Weiner, just Korean talk by YL, from Echo of Hope, well atop the continuous grind noise of Juche jamming. Also audible on 6348 but not so well vs jamming, which Aoki says is 250 kW vs 100 kW from EOH on both. V of the People modulation could also be heard vs jamming on 6518, 6600 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH. HLO, Seoul Radio Coastal Station, 12843, heard at 2250 UT on 23 December pounding the brass with a Morse CQ channel marker. SINPO 25522. Unusual to hear them at my QTH this time of day. I presume it's due to the loop antenna. This station is a very friendly QSLer, BTW. 73 (Al Muick, Whitehall, PA USA, WinRadio G303e, Wellbrook ALA1530P active loop, oriented NNW-ESE, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KUWAIT. 21540, Friday Dec 23 at 1402, MOI with Arabic music and reverent talk is STILL here at the end of another week, altho registered in B-11 for 21520. It`s the SSOB, way atop collidee REE Spain. 15540, no sign for weeks of R. Kuwait here for the 18-21 UT English broadcast, again checked at 1830 Dec 27. I suppose it is still on the air, and they just don`t care or understand that it`s not propagating in the dead of winter. Can it be detected in Europe? Also check 11990, the long-announced imaginary ex-frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15540, 28/Dec 1748, R Kuwait, in Urdu (listed). Local pop music. At 1750 short talk of YL, then local pop music. At 1759 OM talk. At 1800 signal beep and OM talk in English, ID, then what can be the national anthem. At 1803 OM and YL talk. Until 1817 in air, with pop music. Weak signal (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S, 38 58´W, Brasil, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KUWAIT. Winter B-11 of Radio Kuwait in Arabic: 0200-0900 on 5960 KBD 250 kW / non-dir to N/ME 0500-0900 on 15515 KBD 250 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Holy Qur`an service 0800-1000 on 7250 KBD 500 kW / non-dir to WeAs Farsi 0930-1600 on 11630 KBD 250 kW / 230 deg to CeAf Holy Qur`an service 1000-1500 on 21540#KBD 500 kW / 310 deg to WeEu 1100-1600 on 9750 KBD 300 kW / 275 deg to NEAf 1600-2200 on 6080*KBD 500 kW / non-dir to N/ME 1700-2000 on 13650 KBD 500 kW / 350 deg to NoAm 1800-2100 on 15540 KBD 500 kW / 310 deg to WeEu English 2000-2400 on 17550 KBD 500 kW / 350 deg to NoAm # unregistered freq., co-ch REE in Spanish, registered freq. 21520 * unregistered freq., co-ch R. Minsk and VOA, registered freq. 6050 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Dec 29 via DXLD) ** LAOS. 6130.0, Lao National Radio, Vientiane mixing with presumed Xizang 1150-1202. Talks by YL abruptly interrupted by Laos TOH signature tune at 1159, then into "Big Bells" 1200. ID by OM then into talks. Best yet reception of Laos this season. 12/26 (Chuck Rippel, Chesapeake, VA, Microtelecom Perseus, EAC R390A, 60 & 90MB Sloper at 80', NASWA yg via DXLD) ** LIBYA. 11600, Radio Télévision Libye - Radio Libye, *1603-1640, sign on with lite instrumental music and opening French announcements. Lite French music. IDs. French talk. Poor to fair in noisy conditions. Audio slightly muffled at times. Dec 24 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 11600, 1745-1750 25+26.12, LBY was not heard. Best 73, (Anker Petersen, here in Skovlunde, Denmark, used my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in 9 metres altitude, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 11600, Radio Télévision Libye - Radio Libye, *1603-1622+, sign on with lite instrumental music and French talk. Fair, but only heard an open carrier during 1630-1703 time period. Dec 28 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** MALI. 9635, RTM, Bamako. *0800 December 26, 2011. Transmitter brought up abruptly seconds after 0800 with fantastic local highlife vocals in progress, most sounding like very vintage recordings, French male quick ID between tracks at 0809 and 0815. Very good, but signal dropping off rather fast by 0825 tune-out (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MAURITANIA. 7245, IGIM, *0642-0715, abrupt sign on with Arabic talk. Short breaks of local music. Some local chants. Late sign on today. Fair to good. Dec 23 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 7245, Dec 25 at 0603, IGIM is on and chanting. Signal has not been as strong as usual lately. 7245, Dec 26 at 0609, IGIM is on with chanting. Tonight the MUF is unusually low, about 8.5 MHz, with the 9 MHz band dead, while many nights the MUF is somewhat above 10 MHz. 7245, Dec 27, IGIM still not on at 0637 or 0656 chex. 7245, Dec 28 at 0631, IGIM is on and chanting, weaker than Vatican neighbor 7250. Yesterday it was missing at this hour. 7245, Dec 29 at 0639, IGIM is on with chanting; poor signal while adjacent 7250 Vatican was stronger but disturbed by CME, fluttery (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Good Morning Glenn, This morning's DX session was really a goodie! Three new stations were logged. All of them were heard on the tiny Sony T-615. [see also USA: KBOI] 930, XEU, Veracruz, VZ, 1215 UT, 12/22/11, Tuned in to two SS stations. At first it was hard to tell which one was our semi-local WKY (OK City). At 1217, this one faded up over WKY with a full ID with call letters. XEU stayed dominant on the channel for about 5 minutes with all Spanish talk. I have an old pennant from these guys that I received from hearing them on SW back in the 80's [6020]. Back then their slogan was "Radio Núcleo Oro." The pennant sez 930 kHz with 5000 watts and is one of the classiest pennants I ever received from a Latin station back in the day. 1090, XEAU, Monterrey, NL, 1300 UT, 12/22/11, Three SS stations audible at this time. Just like the reception of XEU, I copied this one's full ID with call letters except this one was at the TOH. They were over and under XEMCA (Veracruz) and an UNID Formula station. I didn't catch any slogans announced. Fortunately the call letters were quite clear. I'm not sure why it took so long to hear this one for the first time here in Oklahoma. Better late than never! Take care, amigo (-Kirk- Allen, Ponca City OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Since I am awake before 0700 Dec 23, I look for Mexican national anthems on MW probably from the UT-7 zone: 710, Dec 23 at 0655 UT, choral anthem is underway; 0657 fanfare and then super-patriotic speech about the flag, but fading by 0700. It had been well audible in null of Cuba, probably from SW/WSW direxion, likely XEDP in Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, a regular around sunrise too, but there are two other MST stations in Sinaloa and Sonora, per new IRCA Mexican Log. 850, Dec 23 at 0656 UT, multiverse choral NA past 0658, 0701 finally ID as 5 kW from Chihuahua, i.e. XEM. Was easy to null attenuated KOA Pre-sunrise logs Dec 25, UT: 710, Dec 25 at 1320 UT, PSA calling for denouncing delinquency to the (federal) army with phone numbers, complicated e-mail address, also mentions Chihuahua and Cuauhtémoc, so one more time for XEDP. 760, Dec 25 at 1325 promos for station website, 1326 ID in passing as R. Geny, live timecheck for 6:22: not exactly. Is XENY in Nogales, Sonora, not likely on nite power of 100 watts vs day power 5000. 850, Dec 25 at 1311 UT, NA is playing at odd time, 1312 sign-on for XHHM on FM and XEM 850 Chihuahua, right into ``Put Your Head On My Shoulder`` song in English. This is R. Renacimiento per Cantú but did not hear that name, and confirms their FM is XHHM on 103.7. KOA easily nulled again from roughly 90 degrees away. 1040, Dec 25 at 1330 UT, PSAs for IFE, 1332 singing ID for 104.1 Radio Fiesta(?). Nulling what there is of WHO, I expected the usual Guaymas or Chihuahua, but the 104.1 match fits for XEGR in Jalapa, Veracruz, listed as OK Radio by IRCA, WRTH and Cantú. I still suspect it was not XEGR. 1050, Dec 28 at 1401, choral NA is in progress, but of course it fades out before ID/sign-on. Loops E/W, and surely from the PST zone where it is 6 am, i.e. XED in Mexicali BCN a kilomile away (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 920, MÉXICO, XERCA Planeta, Torreón, Coahuila. 1158 December 26, 2011. Man and woman chatter, into anthem from 1159, a couple of "Planeta" slogans, rooster sound effects, into Mexi-vocals. Listed as XHRCA Planeta 102.7 simulcast. Presume this or XELE was the one with nice non-traditional (Mexican, I suppose) Christmas vocals, female announcer the day before, same-ish time. 920, XELE, la Preferida, Tampico, Tamaulipas. 1216 December 26, 2011. Bubbled up briefly with "la Preferida" slogan, laser gun sound effects. Quite the busy channel with two Mexicans and four domestics heard here in the 1200-1300 hour in two days (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [and non]. Hi Glenn: Thanks for the info concerning 1610 CHHA - clears up a mystery on this channel. I've been hearing Spanish programming mixing with The Caribbean Beacon (typically after 0500) over the last few nights. I was able to match the audio with the website that you listed. Also, XEUACH is easily heard in Austin on a nightly basis and usually signs off at 0300 UT. Programming includes a fair amount of music that ranges from Psychedelic to Cajun - you name it they play it. Regards, (Mike Beu, KD5DSQ, Austin, Texas, Dec 28, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 6010, Dec 25 before and after 1400 UT, I am having a hard time hearing any sign of XEOI, Radio Mil, altho it`s fortunately between the Korean jammers on 6003 and 6015. Nor at various other chex lately. I wonder if it`s off the air, or at reduced power? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Mil onda corta 6010 kHz está al aire y con su misma potencia nominal de 1 kW. Que tengas felices fiestas y un año 2012 de maravilla (Julián Santiago, DF, Dec 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Current scheduling in Aoki of the big QRMers Cuba, Iran, RFA, indicates best windows for R. Mil should be 0000-0030, 0330-0500, 0700-0900. Except Colombia is also on 24 hours. [and non]. 6010, Dec 28 at 1330, very weak signal fades up enough to tell it is in Spanish, so XEOI R. Mil is there between much stronger Juche jammer noise on 6003 and 6015. Might be better an hour earlier. In last report I indicated best window ending at 0900, but that`s only because Brasil supposedly starts 6010 then; that would soon fade out, and the only other stations scheduled co-channel are HJDH Colombia, which suppresses its signal to the north, would also have outfaded, and CNR-11 Tibetan service from Beijing starting at 1030, not much of a factor here. Carlos Gonçalves in Portugal and Manuel Méndez in Spain hear XEOI as late as 1000. RHC started with one hour at 12-13 on 6010 but then shifted to 6000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. MEXICO'S CARTELS BUILD OWN NATIONAL RADIO SYSTEM [WTFK??] By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN Associated Press Dec 26, 3:46 PM EST MEXICO CITY (AP) -- When convoys of soldiers or federal police move through the scrubland of northern Mexico, the Zetas drug cartel knows they are coming. The alert goes out from a taxi driver or a street vendor, equipped with a high-end handheld radio and paid to work as a lookout known as a "halcon," or hawk. The radio signal travels deep into the arid countryside, hours by foot from the nearest road. There, the 8-foot-tall (2-meter-tall) dark- green branches of the rockrose bush conceal a radio tower painted to match. A cable buried in the dirt draws power from a solar panel. A signal-boosting repeater relays the message along a network of powerful antennas and other repeaters that stretch hundreds of miles (kilometers) across Mexico, a shadow communications system allowing the cartel to coordinate drug deliveries, kidnapping, extortion and other crimes with the immediacy and precision of a modern military or law-enforcement agency. . . http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_DRUG_WAR_CARTEL_COMMUNICATIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (via Horacio Nigro Geolkiewsky, Montevideo, Uruguay, dxldyg via DXLD; and via Joe Buch, FL, DXLD) If you go to this link for the story, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/26/zetas-drug-cartel-radio-r_n_1170219.html There is a picture of several ground plane antennas. They look like UHF to me. The mention of repeaters would also point to that band (Brock Whaley, HI for DXLD) ** MOROCCO. MARROCOS, 711.05, SNRT-"R", El Aiún, 2254-2343, 24/12, Castilian, western music including c&w, news bulletin at 2300, plenty of pops; 44443, QRM de E+F. Better modulation this time, but not entirely fair. 73. (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MOROCCO. 15349.13, RTVM, Found here at 1400 with usual ID/news opening routine. Good signal. (24 Dec.) (Dave Valko, Dunlo, PA USA, Cumbre DX yg via DXLD) 15349.138, SNRT / RTMaroccaine [IMM] Nador relay, short HQ prayer at 1729-1730 UT Dec 25. S=8-9 side lobe signal into Europe, but main lobe at 110degr towards Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Djibouti, Somalia (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [and non]. THE FUTURE OF RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE 23 December 2011 Radio Netherlands Worldwide - Facebook https://www.facebook.com/radionetherlands In response to a comment about the possible abandonment of shortwave, the station wrote: "The Dutch government has cut our budget by 70 percent from 1 January 2013. If we were to continue to use shortwave at the level we do now, due to the high cost we wouldn't have enough money left to produce any meaningful content :-( The exact situation after 1 Jan 2013 has still not been finalised. We will definitely close or sell our relay stations in Bonaire and Madagascar, as there will be no budget to pay staff to work there. We *may* retain a limited number of shortwave broadcasts, but this hasn't yet been decided. As soon as we know definitely, we will inform our listeners and Web users." (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) "The station" didn't write that. I did. Please do not take our comments in Facebook to be official statements from RNW. It's nothing new, I am simply repeating what we know so far, as the person I was replying to didn't seem to understand what's going on :-) If official announcements are made, these will be on our website (Andy Sennitt, ODXA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) What a sad end to Radio Nederland short wave. It was Eddy Startz on the Sunday 'Happy Station' programme complete with 'Tulips From Amsterdam' on the Dutch street organ and his regular 11'ses playing of 'I Like A Nice Cup Of Tea' that got me first really interested in short-wave listening when I was 11, I used a very normal but good 'Allander' superhet' and long wire through our loft having been severely reprimanded by my Dad for even suggesting using a connection (via a condencer/capacitor ) to our phone line! "Do you want to blow us up". I later saw the idea put to use technically illegally, but very successfully. By the way, does anyone know of a web site or other means of getting a collection of station theme. I.D. tunes of the 1950 / 1960's short-wave stations? (Rog Parsons (BDXC 782), Hinckley, Leics., BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. 9765, Radio New Zealand Int, *0759-0820, sign on with chirping bird IS. Time pips and English news at 0800 about New Zealand earthquake. Local music at 0806. “Sounds of the Pacific” music program at 0813. Fair to good signal. Dec 23 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 6089.859, R. Nigeria Kaduna-Jarji on right night/grey line DX path, 0550 UT Dec 27. Well stronger than English prayer from co- channel CBB Caribbean Beacon (University Network) Anguilla even frequency (Wolfgang Büsschel, Dec 23/27, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27 via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. 7275, 24/Dec 0637-0702, R. Nigeria, Abuja, (PRESUMED) in English. OM talk, at 0654 local pop music. At 0701 YL and OM with comments. The signal degrades rapidly. Weak signal. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S, 38 58´W, Brasil, Degen 1103 - All listening in mode of filter Narrow the 6 kHz. Dipole antenna, 16 meters - east/west - Balun 4:1 Escutas (listening, my blog): http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006 dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) KOREA Rep/CHINA, 7275, On Dec 26 at 07-09 UT slot, nothing heard from Nigerian regional stn Abuja. Only KBS World Kimjae in Japanese, and underneath XJBS PBS Xinjiang Urumqi in Uighur domestic service of China heard on this channel (Wolfgang Büschel, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, ibid.) The complete recording of the presumed R. Abuja Nigeria http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006/11958521/ Sorry the recording, very electrical noise. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana Bahia 12 14´S 38 58´W, ibid.) 7275, 29/Dec 0600-0620, R. Nigeria, Abuja, in English. OM talk “Radio Nigeria”, then OM and YL presents news. At 0607 YL says “Radio Nigeria”. At 0610 OM says “Radio Nigeria”, then taped interviews. At 0612 the signal begins to degrade. At 0612 I definitely hear “Radio Nigeria”, by OM. At 0613 American music, a vignette advertising of a bank, then ads. At 0616 new ID by OM. Light QRM RTV Tunis, on the same frequency. Fair signal. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W, Brasil, Degen 1103 - All listening in mode of filter Narrow the 6 kHz. Dipole antenna, 16 meters - east/west - Balun 4:1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 7255, 28/Dec 2149-2203, Voice of Nigeria, (PRESUMED) in vernacular (listed). OM seems to present news. Strong QRM from CRI in 7250, probably also the CNR2 and PBS. At 2156 local music. I think the azimuth should be a little further north. At 2159 OM talk, starting the program in Hausa and increased the QRM (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. Winter B-11 for Voice of Nigeria: 0500-0700 on 15120 IKO 250 kW / 007 deg to NoAf English 0700-0800 on 15120 IKO 250 kW / 007 deg to NoAf French 0800-0900 on 9690 IKO 250 kW / 248 deg to WCAf Hausa 0900-1500 on 9690 IKO 250 kW / 248 deg to WCAf English 1500-1600 on 15120 IKO 250 kW / 007 deg to NoAf English 1600-1730 on 9690 IKO 250 kW / 248 deg to ECAf Swahili/Yoruba/Igbo 1730-1800 on 15120 IKO 250 kW / 007 deg to NoAf Arabic 1800-1900 on 15120 IKO 250 kW / 007 deg to NoAf English 1900-2100 on 7255 IKO 250 kW / 248 deg to WeAf English/French 2100-2300 on 7255 IKO 250 kW / 248 deg to WeAf Fulfulde/Hausa (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Dec 29 via DXLD) 248 is a strange azimuth for this, toward nearby Accra, and then right out into the Atlantic, next stop Brazil, and onto Brasilia. Maybe it`s really a broad beam covering W Africa (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, on tropical zone 7 and 9 MHz are working fine either side 30 degr of main lobe, 260 degrees and at 1600 km distance to Monrovia, are the target served like Benin, Togo and Ghana in between too. 6200 km to Brazilia is far too far distance. 73 wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. MW Pirates and wierdities: 1710 am, Undercover Radio - 0651 UT 11/17/2011 - Via remote Perseus receiver in North Carolina, poor copy with music and announcements by Dr. Benway mentioning a show from 2007. Unheard here. (TROMP-MI) 1710 am, Undercover Radio - 0412 UT 11/18/2011 - Very poor copy but occasionally rising up above the noise floor with talk and at least one clear ID. Seemed to be gone by 0430 (Tim Tromp, Muskegon MI, MARE Tipsheet Dec 23 via DXLD) No luck here so far with any 1710 (gh, DXLD) 1710, USA (PIRATE) Undercover Radio. 0422 December 25, 2011. Very poor with Dr. Benway's usual eclectic programming. Thanks D. Crawford cell text tip (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, Abridged pile of junk: JRC NRD-535; ICOM IC-R75; Hammarlund HQ-180A; Aqua Guide 705 Radio Direction Finder; Sangean PR- D5; Sony ICF-7600GR; GE SuperRadio III; RadioShack DX-399; 1 X roof dipole; 1 X in-room random wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Busy night above 1700 kHz right now, UT: 1710: Pirate "The Big Q" with a massive AM signal signing on at 0557 1720: Pirate "Undercover Radio" weak AM signal fading in and out at 0600 UT (Tim Tromp, West Michigan, 0600 UT Dec 25, IRCA via DXLD) ** NORTH AMERICA. [Pirate]. 6930, Radio Ronin Shortwave, 2300-2330, IDs. Rock music by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Santana, Blood, Sweat and Tears, plus others. Strong, but became very weak at 2330. ID announcements slightly muffled. Dec 26 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** OKLAHOMA. 960, my local KGWA Enid, Sunday Dec 25 at 1306 UT in `Cowboy Corner` with Red Steagall, nationally syndicated show I have run across on various stations, but not KGWA. His affiliate list http://www.cowboycorner.com/stations.html shows instead KGWA`s FM side, KOFM 103.1, Sundays at 7 am. Maybe they were unusually simulcasting for the holiday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENIG DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. Xmas causes lots of anomalous programming, even news/talk format stations going musical, such as 1000 KTOK OKC, Dec 25 at 0627 playing Handel`s Messiah – the whole thing? Replacing `Coast to Coast`. Contrast with CBW on 990, see CANADA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. October 30, 2011 --- This is from the Manager’s Desk. Next week, you are going to hear more about a national test of the Emergency Alert System on Wednesday, November 9th at 1pm local time. The EAS connects broadcast stations and cable systems to emergency response centers and is designed to get information out quickly in a state or national emergency. Here’s the interesting part. Each state has just one station with a direct connection to FEMA in Washington, D.C. and for Oklahoma it is KRMG in Tulsa. But the lead distribution station for the state is WKY in Oklahoma City. A lead station starts the process of broadcasting a test (or a real alert) and other stations monitor the lead station with special receivers to get the message and then rebroadcast it. It is like the childhood game of "Secret" where one station gives the test alert to another, who gives it to another, and on in order to cover the entire state. The problem is -- WKY can’t hear KRMG to get the original test. But they can hear KGOU. Turns out, NPR is the only national network that offered FEMA use of a satellite system for distribution. KGOU will take the test from NPR and broadcast it. WKY will rebroadcast our signal, and thus distribute the test to other stations throughout Oklahoma. KGOU is playing a vital role in serving our communities and all of Oklahoma for this national test. More next week. Click here to link to the FEMA web site that is discussing the national EAS test. http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm From the manager’s desk, I’m Karen Holp (Manager`s Desk archive at KGOU.org via DXLD) ?? KRMG tho in Tulsa some 100 miles away puts a near-local signal into OKC by 50 kW direxional daytime groundwave thru our high-conductivity soil, and WKY can`t get it? Well, being right next to their own 5 kW 930 kHz transmitter can`t help. Similar issues are likely elsewhere in this antiquated system dependent on off-air reception of AM stations elsewhere in a state. WKY itself surely doesn`t reach the far corners of OK with a sufficient signal, and besides, they speak Spanish! (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 1340, KJMU Sand Springs, OK has been silent since 07NOV11. FCC paperwork says "landlord will not allow access to transmitter site" (Bruce Winkelman, AA5CO, Tulsa, OK, Dec 26, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. SW Utes Wierdness and other Spooks: 3449.9/cw, HiFER Beacon "OK" - 1304 UT 11/17/2011 - CW "OK" repeated, fading in and out but strong during the signal peaks, haven't heard this one in a while (Tim Tromp, Muskegon MI, MARE Tipsheet Dec 23 via DXLD) 3450/cw, OK, HiFer beacon in weak but clear -- thanks to a tip from Tim Tromp -- heard for the first time this season. The HiFers have been scarce this year! 0720-0725 22/Dec (Kenneth Vito Zichi, Williamston MI, MARE Tipsheet Dec 23 via DXLD) They did not mention OKlahoma as the location, but listed as such by HiFER. I haven`t heard it either this season tnx to my hi local noise level --- I`m lucky to hear carrier from Palangkaraya! Allegedly in northern OK, so with a quiet location I might even hear it in the daytime. Would be a fun one to DF, track down, but if I did find it, should I keep it secret? Who knows, someone we know might have set it up. Of course, QTH OK could just be disinformation (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. We made our annual circuit of Xmas lite neighborhoods in Enid early UT Dec 24, including the ones with FM transmitters. The one at the western edge of inhabited Enid on 99.9 ex-99.7 last year, was in play, audible only at close range, sufficient to overcome Fort Smith which at ~200 miles away puts in a surprisingly audible signal much of the time on caradios. Finally found the new one on 89.5. We had previously concluded from signal levels that it was close to the intersexion of Oakwood and Chestnut; and there it was, a few blox south, visible from Oakwood in the 3500 block of West Oak. Turns out it`s in an otherwise vacant lot, except for two port-a-potties, not attached to a house, fenced off according to a sign, by Grand Operating (with an oil drop), Batchelder 11-1, http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5sign.jpg i.e. the name of a well, probably horizontal drilling, which are cropping down all over Enid within the city limits (who knows, someone may be extracting oil from under my very house! and I get nothing for it). In fact we had visited this site months before, to look at the drilling rigs. Will have to go back in daytime to see what it looks like and whether can spot the antenna, which is putting out far more ERP than the one on 99.9. Both leave their stereo carriers on all day when no music is playing. 89.5 is cuter than the 99.9 one, with three singing Xmas trees http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5trees.jpg to go with the music, which is on a rather short loop, maybe 10-15 minutes before repeating. If you dare and have a fast connexion, download will take a while, here`s a sample of 3+ minutes, huge .mov file of 338 MB, with sound picked up from the caradio speaker, but much higher-fi in situ: http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5xmas.mov Dec 24 around 2130 UT we went back to the 89.5 singing-Xmas-trees to have a look at them in the daytime and take a few more photos of the site, in the 3500 block of West Oak in Enid. It`s obviously a temporary installation, anchored by sand/trash bags. Nothing I could recognize as an FM transmitting antenna. No signs reveal who is sponsoring this, other than the Grand signs about the well, and we have seen no local publicity about it. Does this layout look familiar, out of the box, perhaps duplicated elsewhere? We could detect it modulating again at 0011 UT Dec 25, at home on the YB-400, not the DX- 398, aside heavy 89.7 signal from a real House station. Cover shots: http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5cover1.jpg http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5cover2.jpg Close-up: http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5cu.jpg Animated letterbox: http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5idbox.jpg In the middle of the lot is what`s left of the oil well, which is apparently capped off, a dry hole, or exhausted? Last year we saw a huge drilling rig in this spot: http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5well1.jpg http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5well2.jpg Facilities are still available for human workers: http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5ppots.jpg (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OMAN. 15140, R. Sultanate of Oman. Wasn't on during frequent checks to 1400, but did find it at 1405 with usual pop music program. 1408 pop music countdown/2011 events in Oman program promo "...the biggest stories that happened in Oman...". Back to rap music. Went off the air at 1413:15. Signal back up at 1418:02 but weakly and then went off again for about 10 seconds before coming back on again and suddenly increasing to full power at 1418:45. Music returned at 1422:27. 1429 jingle promo, quick Big Ben [-like] chimes, ID by W "This is Radio Sultanate of Oman, the time is ??". Fanfare, then news by W. Getting some local noise by the time the news ended at 1440. Brief anthem, filler music, simple ID by M, then back to dance music. 1445- 1446 minute of deadair. 1446 M with "Dear listeners, now it`s time for Call to Prayer" with mention of Muscat and ID, then more deadair, and back to pop music. Good signal with western-flavored programming. (18 Dec.) (Dave Valko, Dunlo, PA USA, HCDX via DXLD) So they mentioned call-to-prayer time, but did not broadcast it (gh, DXLD) R. Sultanate of Oman, OC 1356-1400, then came back at 1401 and found Dance music. Fairly strong but audio seemed a little weak. (24 Dec.) (Dave Valko, Dunlo, PA USA, Cumbre DX yg via DXLD) 15140 15140, Radio Sultanate of Oman, 1435-1455, tune-in to English news. Usual theme music. ID. Radio-drama at 1439. News program at 1447. Fair to poor in noisy conditions. Dec 24 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** PAKISTAN. 15725, 27/Dec 0940-1038, Radio Pakistan (TENTATIVE), in Urdu (listed). Clear voice of YL talk. At 1010 OM talk. At 1011 short native music. At 1013 an emphatic speech recorded, then excerpts of the speech with comments by OM. From 1018, longer stretches of speech recorded. Signal very weak, but remained until 1038, when the signal faded (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S, 38 58´W, Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. Hi Glenn, Merry Christmas and Happy new year to you. Hope you are having nice holidays. Reference to your comments in DXLD issue No 11-51 dated December 21, 2011 regarding Radio Pakistan external service frequency 5095 khz for Pushto and Dari from 1345 to 1545 UT. I have monitored the frequency a couple of times during B11 season. The signal was very weak and noisy and faded away within ten to twenty minutes of signing on. However from last two weeks no activity is being noted at my location on all those frequencies of Radio Pakistan external service on which transmission is carried via 100 kW transmitter. I think some technical problem has occurred due to which the transmitter is off air. Regards (Aslam Javaid, Lahore, Pakistan, Dec 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. API5 - Radio Pakistán - 15725 kHz - QSL Ayer por la mañana me encontré con la excelente señal del transmisor API-5 de Radio Pakistán en 15725 kHz y decidí enviarles un informe de recepción por correo-e. Esta mañana tenía en mi buzón una primera confirmación, anunciando el envío de una tarjeta QSL: "Dear Sir, Thank you very much for the mail and a very useful reception report of our broadcast towards Europe. The reception is very clear and I am sure you would have enjoyed it. The Transmitter sign is API-5. Your report will be verified with QSL Card very soon. Best wishes and Happy New year 2012. Regards (IFTIKHAR HUSSAIN MALIK), Deputy Controller, Frequency Management Cell, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, Headquarters, Islamabad, PAKISTAN". El informe fue enviado a fmcell @ radio.gov.pk Publicado por Mauricio Molano jueves 22 de diciembre de 2011 en 16:21 (Molano blog http://moladx.blogspot.com/ via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) ** PAKISTAN. RADIO PAKISTAN ONLINE --- Radio Pakistan in its sound archives has treasures that represent multifaceted history and heritage of Pakistan starting from emergence as an independent nation on 14th August 1947 to downward. These national sound treasures include speeches of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah‚ Quaid-e-Milat Liaqat Ali Khan‚ Mother-e-Milat Fatimah Jinnah‚ Quaid-e-Awam Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Shaheed‚ Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and other national leaders. Our archives also have speeches of foreign heads of friendly nations that frequented Pakistan in the passage of last six decades. Our cultural collections include rare specimens of Pakistani music stemming from Gilgit-Batistan‚ AJK‚ Khyber Pakhtunkha‚ Punjab‚ Sindh and Balochistan in all languages spoken in different parts of the country. There are thousands of literary programmes‚ mushairas‚ dramas and documentaries preserved in our archives. We are going to open our archives to the people of Pakistan and to the world to give them glimpses of our rich history and heritage that is different from the image of country and its people being projected abroad from last few years due to incidents of terrorism. We are going to place this treasure of our sound archives on YouTube channel called RadioPakistanOnline. This channel is meant to portray the real face of Pakistan and its people that are custodians of Indus Valley and Gandhara Civilisations and a tolerant and peaceful heritage of Islam. These recordings are available on following link http://www.youtube.com/radiopakistanonline SOURCE: http://www.radio.gov.pk/newsdetail-112 (Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) ** PAKISTAN. SPECIAL RADIO PROGRAMMES ON BB’S ANNIVERSARY http://ppp.org.pk [Pakistan = UT +5] ISLAMABAD - All the FM and AM stations of Radio Pakistan will broadcast special programmes to mark the fourth death anniversary of former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto Shaheed today (Tuesday). A number of programmes have been produced to eulogise the services of the great leader, and will be broadcast in various chunks. Special messages from President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will also be broadcast during the morning programme ‘Subh- e-Bakhair Pakistan’. Federal ministers, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Nayyer Bukhari, Taj Haider, Fauzia Wahab, N D Khan, Sharmela Farooqui. Faisal Raza Abidi, Rahim Dad Khan, Farzana Raja besides analysts Nazir Naji, Mujeebur Rahman Shami, Prof Mohammad Arif, Prof Husn Aara Magsi and others will express their views on various aspects of Benazir Bhutto’s life in a series of interviews that will be aired during various programmes of the National Broadcasting Service from all the four provinces. The last speech of the former prime minister, which she delivered at Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi on 27 December 2007, will be broadcast at 5:05 pm. Special songs, prepared by different stations as well as radio reports regarding functions held across the country in connection with the anniversary will also be aired. The programmes of China Radio International and Voice of America will not be aired on Tuesday. SOURCE: [Pakistan Today] Special radio programmes on BB’s anniversary http://bit.ly/vhT8Up 4th Martyrdom Anniversary of Benazir Bhutto The 4th martyrdom anniversary of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed is being observed on Tuesday throughout the country and Azad Kashmir. It was on this day in 2007‚ the former Prime Minister and PPP Chairperson was assassinated immediately after addressing historic public meeting at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. Pakistan Peoples Party and social‚ literary and cultural organizations as well as educational institutions have finalized programmes to highlight different aspects of the life of the popular leader. Fateha and Quran Khawani would be offered at the Mazar of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto at Ghari Khuda Bux in Larkana. People would also visit the site of the tragedy at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi where Quran Khawani will be held for her soul. Radio Pakistan has planned to air special transmissions from 07.00 am to 11:00 pm on the 27th in connection with the day. 07:00- Urdu News Bulletin 07:10- Special Marathon Transmission Ø President and Prime Minister’s messages on the Death anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Ø Shaheed-e-Jamhoriat Ki Awaz (Sound quotes of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed’ Addresses Ø Special song: Wafa ki Khushboo by Hamid Ali Khan Writer: Khawja Pervaiz Ø Zinda hai Bibi zinda hai ( Public Feelings and openions) Ø A report from Garhi Khuda Baksh regarding anniversary of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Ø Kalam –e – Shair Bazuban –e – Shair (poet on poetry) poetess : Kishwar Naheed 08:00- English News Bulletin 08:10- Aaj Kay Akhbar 09:00- Urdu News Bulletin 09:05- Shaheed Jamhorreet ki Awaz (Sound quotes of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed’ Addresses) Ø Special Package Progra Host: Professor Sikandar Abbasi. Interviews: Mr. Khalid Iqbal Memmon Leader Pakistan Peoples Party Mr. Muhammad Azam Memmon Prinipal SZABIST Mr. Akbar Haider Soomro Vice Chancellor Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical University Larkana Ø Kalam-e-Shair ba Zuban-e-Shair “Deep Jaltay Rahay” Poet: Ahmad Solangi‚ Sarmad Chandio Ø Kathan Rahoon ki Safeer Special Feature (Biography of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutoo) Ø Zinda Hai Bibi Zinda Hai (Public Feelings and openions) Ø Special song (Har Dil hai teri tasveer) by Anwar Rafi writer: Nisar Nasik Via Radio Pakistan: http://www.radio.gov.pk/newsdetail-14399 Benazir Bhutto http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhutto (Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, Dec 26, via dxldyg in advance, DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3205, NBC Sandaun, 1352-1405*, Dec 24. Running later than normal; in Tok Pisin with pop and island songs; 1400 usual full ID; choral National Anthem; poor (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. ADMIRALTY ISLANDS, PNG, 3315.0, R. Manus (Presumed) here 1204-1238 on an excellent PNG AM. OM in Pigin TOK with a variety of western music. 12/27 (Chuck Rippel, Chesapeake, VA, Microtelecom Perseus, EAC R390A, 60 & 90MB Sloper at 80', NASWA yg via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 5960, R. Fly, 1310 "Oh Holy Night" followed by couple more pop songs. Not a bad signal for this time of the morning. Still decent at 1320. And still getting some music by 1350, but another weaker signal was on 5960.12 causing a bit of QRM. A little more audible at 1352 with soft music and possible short canned announcement, then back to music. Some simple piano music at 1354. Just strains of music at 1402. Would have been much more audible at this time from a quiet location. (18 Dec.) (Dave Valko, Dunlo, PA USA, HCDX via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7324.946, Wantok Radio Light, Port Moresby, 0840 UT Dec 27, much talk in Pidgin, with English snatches of conversation, 0900 UT relay of NBC National News, read by a man. Heard on remote Perseus unit at AOR Tokyo-JPN headquarter (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC- DX TopNews Dec 27, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Wantok: blocked by VoR's DRM service with SNR 33 dB (!) that time. Tried Wantok often, but had success only on remote Perseus receivers (Nils, DK8OK, Schiffhauer, Germany, 0834 UT Dec 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. CQ, CQ, CQ; Aquí Pedro F. Arrunátegui para compartir algo con los que disfrutan y aman el DX latinoamericano; todas las horas son UT. Desde la tierra de los Incas, les informo mediante este Quipus lo siguiente: 609.94, PERÚ, R. Santa Mónica, Chota, 9/12 2350-0010, 22222, ads, atención amigo chotano .. ID “Por Radio Santa Mónica”, programa El Informativo por Radio Santa Mónica, news, ID “Manténgase al día por Radio Santa Mónica,`` ads Banco Agropecuario, ID “Amigos de Radio Santa Mónica” 969.98, R. Líder, Cajamarca, 10/12 1040-1100, 33333, música folklórica andina, programa `Yo te canto, Perú`, ID “Desde Cajamarca, Radio Líder, la mejor en los 970 AM``, ads, ID ”Radio Líder informa, da la hora, 6 de la mañana, Radio Líder, la hora puntual..” 979.98, R. Primavera, Huancayo, Junín, 21/12 0216-0300, 33333, música folklórica huayno, ID: "Por Primavera", músicia folklórica huaylas, Slogan "El cambio se siente, se sienteee, Primavera Radio, se pone bien", música folklórica huayno. 1040.10, R. San Marcos, San Marcos, Cajamarca (tentativo), 30/11 1019- 1050, 33333, ads, Consejo Provincial de San Marcos, música folklórica, ID “En el campo, en la ciudad, Radio San Marcos, la voz andina”; música folklórica cajamarquina, ID “Radio San Marcos, presencia y calidad en el norte peruano”, ads Laboratorio Dental Hermanos Paredes, al costado de Radio San Marcos en Leoncio Prado 550 de esta ciudad de San Marcos, ID "Radio San Marcos, la única, saludos a la gente de Aguas Caliente” 1049.97, R. Bendición Cristiana, Chiclayo, Lambayeque, 30/11 0935- 1010, 33333, música folklórica huaynos de la zona de Cajamarca, ID “1050 AM Radio Bendición Cristiana…”. Música folklórica y ads, ID “Radio Bendición Cristiana, su verdadera señal, ahora en Chiclayo, Alfredo Lapoint 950, quinto piso, trasmitiendo un mensaje de amor y esperanza para todos..” http://www.corporacionrbc.com/p/nosotros.html/ 1169.95, R. Layzon, Cajamarca, 2/12 0330-0400, 33333, ID “A través de Radio Layzon, la señal más potente del norte peruano”, música folklórica andina, ads, ID “Layzon, su radio, 1170 kHz en Cajamarca” 1269.96, R. Horizonte, Cusco, 7/12 0054-0110, 22222, música folklórica huayno, ID “Está usted escuchando Radio Horizonte desde Cusco”, música folklórica y ads. 1310.00, R. Chota, Chota, Cajamarca, 5/12 1010-1040, 22222, música folklórica andina, ID “A través de Radio Chota el Perú”, ads y música folklórica, ID “Por Radio Chota” 5039.15, R. Libertad, Junín, 12/12 1105-1140, 55555, música folklórica huaylas, ads bilingüe quechua y español, ID “Con nuestros amigos de Radio Libertad”, música folklórica huaynos 5120.40, R. Ondas del Sur Oriente, Quillabamba, Cusco, 9/12 2225-2312, 55555, música salsa peruana, ID “Radio Ondas del Sur Oriente”, ads ENACO (Empresa Nacional de la Coca) le pide entregar su hoja de coca para una mejor utilización [NOTE: NEW STATION!] [WORLD OF RADIO 1597] 6059.99, Aroma Café Radio, Pichanaki, Chanchamayo, Junín, 12/12 1146- 1300, 55555, ID “Por Aroma Café radio” …en av. Marginal, salida a Satipo, Centro Médico Virgen de Guadalupe, Miguel Grau 120, Pichanaki. ``Programa Radio Noticias por Aroma Café Radio”, música LA moderna, ID “Amigos, recuerden de mandar sus saludos por 106.9 FM, Aroma Café Radio”, música, Slogan: ``Desde la futura capital de la selva central, Pichanaki, trasmite Aroma Café Radio.” NOTA: Pichanaki proviene de un dialecto selvático, significa: Picha = barrido y Naki = rio. TAMBIÉN: 12/12 0014-0054, no hay señal de la radio, escucha con el fin de verificar si salen de noche. TAMBIÉN: 13/12 0949-1207, no hay señal de la estación, con el fin de tener su s/on. TAMBIÉN: 14/12 1105-1227: a las 1120 inician su trasmisión con el Himno Nacional del Perú y de frente ponen pieza musical (huaylas) en forma continua, ID “Por Aroma Café Radio”, música LA romántica. Slogan: “OAK4K y 106.9 FM Estéreo, trasmite Aroma Café Radio” NOTA: después la monitorié en forma alterna a las 1515, 1850, 2100, 2130 y continúan en el aire; se chequeó a las 2228 y no había señal de la radio. Aparentemente el s/off es a las 2200 para dar operatividad a las estaciones internacionales que ocupan esa frecuencia y también salen al aire en forma alternativa. En ningún momento indica la frecuencia de onda corta, sólo la FM. [NOTE: nominal 6090, confirmed active:] [WORLD OF RADIO 1597] 6088.97, R. Universal, Cusco, 1/12 1050-1130, 44444, ID “Por Radio Universal”, música folklórica andina, ID “La Corporación de Radio Universal, desea para usted una Feliz Navidad y un próspero Año Nuevo 2012”, ads. Radio Universal anuncia el concurso del nacimiento más pequeño en papel origami, música folklórica, ads, ID “Radio Universal, presenta el Informativo Universal en FM Stereo y AM, Radio Universal, trasmitiendo desde Cusco.`` DATOS: OCZ-7C FM 103.3 MHz, OCX-7Q 1150 KHz, OAZ-7C 6090 kHz, QTH: José Santo Chocano G-11, Urb. Santa Mónica, distrito de Wanchaq, Cusco. http://radiouniversalcusco.com.pe/ TAMBIÉN: 1/12 23:55-:10 [sic] con el afán de ver si trasmiten de noche, no hay señal alguna. 2/12 0941-1100 para ver s/on y no hay señal, 2340-2350, no hay señal. La recepción la he efectuado del 30/11 al 22/12 en compañía de mi sabueso Icom ICR72 acompañado del Mizuho KX-3, una grabadora Alesis Palm Track, una antena de hilo largo de 15 metros y una antena loop. Muchos 128´s PFA NOTA: Amigos, no tengo inconveniente que la información del Chasqui DX PFA que reporto se comparta en el mundo del DX; les agradeceré que siempre ponga la fuente de información (Pedro F. Arrunátegui, Lima, Dec 22, EL CHASQUI DX PFA – DICIEMBRE 2011, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Other items from this report are at BRAZIL; COLOMBIA; ECUADOR ** PERU. 3355.00, 22.12 2355, Radio JPJ, Lima, ex harmonic on 3360 Spanish talk, but only a few words heard 15111 AP-DNK (Anker Petersen, Denmark, SW Bulletin Dec 25 via DXLD) who said it was a harmonic? (gh, DXLD) 3355, Radio JPJ, Lima, 2320-2345, Dec 17, for the first time I heard a station playing music from Peru and a male announcer, however it was too weak to identify. The same on Dec 18, too weak for ID, but on Dec 19 I had more luck: At 2316 I found again Peruvian music and between the music segments a male Spanish shouting announcer: “Radio Jota P Jota, hacienda gozar a todo el mundo”. The signal disappeared a bit after 0000. Weak but understandable signal // http://www.radiojpj.com/ This station is earlier reported on 3360, being a second harmonic, however this 1680 kHz pirate station is not listed in the WRTH (Max Van Arnhem, Netherlands, DSWCI DX Window Dec 28 via DXLD) Also heard very weak on Dec 19 at 2325, 15111 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, ibid.) ** PHILIPPINES. [tentative], 9580 next to even RA Shepparton, noted an UNKNOWN station on odd 9579.448 kHz, tine S=4 signal on remote unit in Tokyo-Japan. Probably PBS Radio ng Bayan/DZFM/DZRM from Quezon City- Marulas, at 0855 UT Dec 27. Poor S=4-5 signal. Listen recording, deep notch filter set to 9580 even, to avoid RA Shepparton news (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No traceable signal here. ABC is some 15 Hz under 9580 kHz, measured with SDR-IP, GPS-controlled. 73 (Nils, DK8OK, Schiffhauer, Germany, 0834 UT Dec 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The PBS on 9579.45 kHz relays Radiyo Magasin DZRM - 1278 kHz in Tagalog. ID at around 15 min. every hour (Sei-ichi Hasegawa, Japan, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27 via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, dxldyg via DXLD) 9579.44, DRZM, PBS Radyo Magasin, 0738-0741, Dec 27, Filipino, popular song, ID: ”...DZRM Radyo Magasin” at 0740, 34333. In Japan it is possible to receive well pop songs from between seven and eight UT every day (Tomoaki Wagai, Wakayama, Japan, DSWCI DX Window Dec 28 via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. 9760, Dec 27 at 1539, VOA Spe-cial Eng-lish news is quite undermodulated with hum from the ailing Tinang-2 transmitter; tho at least as strong as BBC Singapore on 9740, much softer sounding 9760, Dec 28 at 1507, VOA via Tinang-2, poor thing is in sad shape, strong carrier, but lowly modulated with `New Dynamic English` lessons. Can turn volume almost up to max for normal listening level, but that also brings up big hum (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PUERTO RICO. Radio Noti Luz 1660 --- Saludos amigos un fuerte abrazo para todos. Esta es la señal de la nueva Noti Luz 1660, según ellos mismos lo dicen en su programación. Lo cierto es que en Puerto Rico hay una Radio Luz en los 1600 khz. Se tratará de la misma radio? será que ha cambiado de frecuencia? Atte: (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Venezuela, Radios Grundig S350DL y Sony SRF-M37, Dec 28, condiglist yg via DXLD) WRTH 2012 shows WLUZ 1600 with a different address, format (gh) ** ROMANIA. 17820, Dec 24 at 1416 RRI ID with Enescu`s wonderful ``Romanian Rhapsody`` full-orchestra IS we don`t hear enough any more, mixed with beeps as if a timesignal at this odd hour, then introducing pop music from the archives, Romanian service better than // 15170 which on Saturdays has no QRMadrid. I have a hunch RRI`s ubiquitous interval signal derives from Enescu but can`t find anything about it on their otherwise comprehensive website, nor do WRTH 2011 or 2012 deal with identifying or describing interval signals any more, let alone their musical notation. How about bringing those back next year? 15280 // weaker 17540, Dec 26 at 1547, America is deeply indebted to RRI for broadcasting our pop music in its Arabic service, almost incomprehensible YL English lyrix including ``Bring me down``; 1549 Arabic announcement and more. 7310, Dec 27 at 0638, RRI with `Pro Memoria` feature on the Romanization of Dacia, how the Latin language was leading to Romanian, like it overtook the Celtic dialect in Gaul. Just as this was getting deeper into the subject, it was over, 0642 on to `Song of the Day`. I had heard the same talk earlier Dec 26 after 2230 on 9435. 7310 is the biggest signal from Europe at 0630, loud & clear. 15460 // 17530, Dec 28 at 1352, RRI playing ``Bring Me Down`` again, by YL pop singer in English, same as heard Dec 26 at 1547 in Arabic service on 15280 and 17540, but this is the German service. Found a YouTube of Kanye West rapping it plus Brandy on chorus, altho I did not hear the rap part either time, so maybe different version. What is the point of RRI playing this stuff? I am less and less impressed by their playlist (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Re 11-51, QRM to 6160 Canadians: ``HFCC shows nothing else but Murmansk (a.k.a. Arkhangelsk, a.k.a. Monchegorsk) on 6160 between 0945 and 1800.`` What? That's rather creative "aka" geography by someone: when did Murmansk/Arkhangelsk/Monchegorsk become one and the same? Aoki Dec 22 shows Monchegorsk only on 6160 (Theo Donnelly, BC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Different references refer to same site by different names (gh) ** RUSSIA. 6195, 1315-1325 24.12, GRTK "Buryatiya", Selenginsk, Ulan Ude, Siberia, Russian conversation, 34333; sideband QRM (Anker Petersen, here in Skovlunde, Denmark, used my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in 9 metres altitude, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) You mean GTRK; don`t often see this one reported (gh, DXLD) ** RUSSIA. 7205, Dec 27 at 1502, poor signal sounds like Persian, 1507 Russian-sounding music, so VOR Persian service, at 15-16, 200 kW, 147 degrees from Petrograd/Popovka. Aoki shows Eritrea and CNR13 = PBS Xinjiang from Urumqi in Uyghur are also on 7205 at this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7205, RUSSIA, Voice of Russia, St. Petersburg-Popovk[a], 1530 listed Persian. Woman speaker, Russian pop music, 1538 sounded like a language lesson or simple translation, woman in Persian, man in Russian. Fair, depending upon level of ham QRM, but usually better than //5935 which had QRM and was poor, Dec 24 (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening from my car with the Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna on the car roof, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 9680, Voice of Russia's Russian service to Europe, coming from refurbished Samara site, 05-07 UT. But 800 Hertz tone of opening tuning match procedure noted already at 0453 UT. S=9+25dB in Germany. Difficult east-west path on grey line time in eastern Europe (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 28 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. 9840, Recipe tip "Otra Na Kuchne" in Russian of R Rossii, Moscow, noted at 0445 UT Dec 27, suuuuper powerful S=9+40dB in western Europe, accompanied by two FM audio signal like spurs at 9824 and 9856 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA [and non]. 9885, Dec 24 at 1400, VOR SE-ward via TAJIKISTAN has just gone from Hindi to Urdu, but much stronger VOA Yankee Doodle Dandy sign-off runs almost until 1401 following Greenville in Spanish; wall-of-noise jamming from Cuba is over, but still residual pulse jamming, Commies vs ex-Commies (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 9996, Dec 22 at 1309, RWM sent over and over in CW, during the ID-minute of Moskva`s timesignal station; 1310 back to time pips (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RWANDA. 6055, Radio Rwanda, 2045-2300, once again, on late for Christmas with vernacular and French talk. Many mentions of Rwanda. Local African and English Christmas music. Crying Baby Jesus at 2201- 2203. (Same as 2 years ago). English Silent Night at 2203 and other traditional Christmas music. Interviews. Fair, but some co-channel QRM from India after 2245. Completely covered by a strong Spain at their 2300 sign on. Dec 24. They usually stay on late for New Year‘s also (Brian Alexander, PA, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX Listening Digest) ** SAUDI ARABIA. 9675, Dec 27 at 1845 and 2045, talk in language hard to place, not sharp modulation, with reverb, but listed as BSKSA Turkish service, 500 kW, 340 degrees USward from Riyadh (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9714.932, BSKSA, Holy Qur`an program, on non-dir antenna towards NE & ME target, scheduled 03-0955 UT, noted at 0502 UT Dec 28, S=6 only in southern Germany, path is across the grey line on Turkey/Balcan (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 28 via DXLD) 15380, Dec 23 at 0643, Qur`an on poor signal but SSOB, more than weaker Nigeria on 15120. It`s BSKSA, 06-09, 500 kW, 310 degrees from Riyadh for Turkey but also USward, same as another broadcast at 12-14 when it collides with Habana (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SERBIA [non]. 6100, Dec 26 at 2223, fair signal with a rather sad Balkan-sounding song, from what? 2227 outro in English as International Radio Serbia, giving three frequencies without making clear that the other two apply only to the separate English broadcasts at different times. Contact info, 2228-2229* IS. Per Aoki, this daily 2200 transmission to Europe is on exactly the same 310-degree antenna as the 6190 transmission to NAm including English at 0130-0200 Tue-Sat (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SIERRA LEONE [non]. Cotton Tree News --- Gente: Alguien tiene el esquema de transmisiones de Cotton Tree News? Yo hoy me desperté temprano e intenté escucharla antes de las 08 UT en 11875 khz pero no habia nada de nada. Gracias & 73 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Dec 29, condiglist yg via DXLD) Arnaldo, Nada más despues de esto hace once meses: ``SIERRA LEONE [non]. Target: SIERRA LEONE --- COTTON TREE NEWS Shortwave transmission has been discontinued, but may return. (WRTH 2 Feb update via DXLD) Maybe so, but just appeared in DXLD 11-05 under the complete and updated Babcock schedules [B-10] under INTERNATIONAL as: ``Cotton Tree News 0730-0800 11875 RMP 500 kW / 190 deg CeAf English/Local``. Please check on it (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` ` En donde se encuentra alistada actualmente?? 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** SIKKIM. 4834.0, AIR Gangtok, 1502-1515, Dec. 26. Ex: 4835.0; first day I noticed them on this lower frequency; playing subcontinent music till 1512 joining the audio feed from New Delhi and becoming // with the other usual AIR regional stations with ads in Hindi after the tone/gong; poor. Time will tell if they continue on this new frequency. Perhaps someone with a Perseus SDR can provide a more accurate frequency? (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Gangtok noted several days ago on 4834.00, but returned the very next day to usual 4835.00 (both their AM and PM broadcast slots). I'm in Death Valley for the holidays, so do not have my regular logs with me. Reception here at Dantes View exceptional, but cannot find suitable location for my portable antenna yet. NO noise at all!! (Jim Young, CA, Dec 26, NASWA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Chinese Radio. 1269 Midrand (Jo'burg): Dec 22 2011, Thursday. 1609-1705. Chinese Radio has got its act together. OM and YL talking presumed mandarin, introducing chinese music and songs. Sounds like real programming, apart from the odd continuity glitch. OM talked right through TOH at 1700, but nothing that sounded like an id. Good. Jo'burg sunset 1700. Dec 23 2011, Friday. *0550-0624. After several minutes of nothingness there were a couple of false starts at 0549 (OM talking for about 2 secs, then brief silence, then YL talking for about 2 secs, then silence). It sounded like they finally signed on properly, in presumed mandarin, at *0550 but there were still a few continuity glitches after that. So are they really on air or is it still tests ?? Sometimes I wish I understood mandarin (just sometimes !) For now, I'm tentatively assuming a sign on time of *0550. Good quality reception, programming a bit glitchy. Jo'burg sunrise 0314. Dec 24 2011, Saturday. 0537-0543. Already on with YL in presumed mandarin by 0537, so sign on time is still inconclusive (or is it just because it`s Saturday, and Christmas Eve as well ??). Good. Jo'burg sunrise 0314 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Radio Sonder Grense, 9625 and 9675, Meyerton, spurs. Dec 25 2011, Sunday. 0705-0709. Spurs from fundamental 9650, five channels down and up. Jo'burg sunrise 0315. 9650 Meyerton. No noticeable spurs today, Dec 26 2011, Monday. 1325- 1329. Afrikaans song. Good. One of just 3 usable signals between 6190 and 25000 this afternoon. Jo'burg sunset 1702 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN [non]. 7220, Dec 29 at 1358, amid QRhaM, REE IS, a regular feature of Kunming site to introduce the CRI Nepali service. Are they scratching their heads in Kathmandu? (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see CHINA 7220 ** SUDAN. 7200, SRTC, *0234-0331, sign on with local chants. Arabic talk. Indigenous vocals. Chirping birds. Good, but covered by Iran at their 0329 sign on. Heard weak under Iran after 0329. Dec 28 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. RADIO TAMAZUJ BEGINS TEST TRANSMISSIONS TO SUDAN A new radio initiative of Free Press Unlimited has started test transmissions today. Radio Tamazuj will carry special programming for people in the conflict areas between North and South Sudan, such as Abyei, Blue Nile and South Kordofan. Tamazuj means “across the border”. Since November 2011 they have produced half an hour per week within the Radio Dabanga time slot. But from 5 January, 2012 they will produce half an hour a day from 0400 to 0430 UT before the existing Radio Dabanga transmissions. Until that time, test transmissions, which started today, will be broadcast at 0400-0430 on 7315 (Issoudun), 11940 (Madagascar) and 13800 (Dhabbaya) kHz. Reception reports are welcomed via this address. rnwmonitoring @ gmail.com We really would welcome reception reports from within Sudan! A website will be launched shortly at http://www.radiotamazuj.org (Source: RNW Programme Distribution) (December 29th, 2011 - 11:50 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. 15535, R. Dabanga, *1529-1544 Dec 22. Opening anmt, singing ID, then talks in Arabic. Good signal, // to 13800 also good, with multi-path echo noted on both freqs. 15535 (WER) lagged about 3 seconds behind 13800 (MDC) (Wilkins-CO) 17745, Sudan Radio Service, *1459-1529 Dec 22. Sign-on, ID, then talks in Arabic, with a short break for regional music at 1525. Good signal with multi-path echo. Via WOF (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) UAE, 11800.041, Odd frequency Sudan Radio Service Darfur via Al Dhabbaya-UAE observed around 0435 UT Dec 28, phone-in program in (Sudanese) Arabic. S=8 signal level on remote SDR unit in Russia, on daytime path, grey line is in eastern Europe at this time (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 28 via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. UKRAINE, 9940, TDP brokered UNMISS service of Miraya FM via Mykolaiev, Luch, Ukraine relay. Heard at 0510 UT with clean station identification and their internet URL and e-mail address. S=8- 9 signal here in Germany, despite only side lobe of straight southwards 180 degree curtain antenna at Luch (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 28 via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. Re SAQ VLF test Dec 24: Useful comments just posted by Jeff Woods on the longwaveradiolistening Yahoo group: All, The Alexanderson Alternator at SAQ in Grimeton Sweden will be making its annual Christmas Eve transmission on 17.2 kW at 0800z Dec. 24th. Details here: http://www.alexander.n.se/ and here: http://www.alexander.n.se/saqwharticle2.pdf The transmitter is "pre-electronic" in that it's a high frequency alternator that generates power directly at the transmitter frequency. The station was among the world's most powerful at 200 kW when it was brought on-line in 1925. The Swedish Navy used it in active service until 1995. Most LW receivers are not capable of going down to this frequency. There is at least one software package that allows use of a sound card to direct-sample VLF frequencies in this range. I have no experience with these, but they may work. I plan to use a home-brew synthesized super-het that tunes down to DC. 73 and Happy Listening, Jeff W0ODS, Eastern Iowa 52218 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) Neat callsign Missing Christmas Eve SAQ transmission --- CQ DE SAQ, We deeply regret we did not managed to get "The Old Lady" (87 years) on the air as usual this Christmas morning, due to technical reason. Anyway we wish you all, A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. We will let you know when the next planned transmission will take place. Rgds (Lars/SM6NM (Lars Kålland), Dec 24, via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** SYRIA [and non]. 9330, Dec 22 at 2201 I check to hear whether R. Damascus is audible, right after that BBC documentary about Syria, see UK. Of course not! Even tho WBCQ has lost Rod Hembree`s modulation again, only open carrier and hum. Syria supposedly has English at 21- 22, Spanish at 22-23 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Damasco, en 9330 kHz bastante pasable la señal aunque el zumbido característico en el transnisor siempre está (Ernesto Paulero, Argentina, 2241 UT Dec 28, condiglist yg via DXLD) Lo que yo escuché esta tarde en esa frecuencia fue una portadora muy fuerte sin modulación o casi (no me pregunten la hora, fue esta tardecita). Diría que "business as usual" 73 (Moisés Knochen, Uruguay, 0048 UT Dec 29, ibid.) A very strong carrier without modulation in North America, would certainly mean WBCQ, as this often happens to it, while on the air continuously; see above. Tho Syria also has modulation faults (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ojo que muchas veces es lo que se escucha en la QRG. Solo una portadora. Y el 25 a la noche, como un milagro de Navidad, entró con muy buena senal en español. Enviado desde mi BlackBerry de Personal (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, 0053 UT Dec 29, ibid.) No Señores, con algo de ruido, la emisión diaria de Radio Damasco, ID emisora, La noticia y su comentario, etc., etc., SINPO 33333 (Ernesto Paulero, 0100 UT Dec 29, ibid.) Entonces a la hora que lo escuché estarían recién calentando el transmisor. Agadezco si alguien me puede pasar los horarios de esta emisora que se reciban por esta región. La semana próxima me voy para la costa y allá tendré tiempo de escuchar de todo un poco. 73 (Moisés, 0108 UT Dec 29, ibid.) Mira Moisés, yo siempre la escucho casi a diario, a las 2230 UT inicia español y 2300 continúa en árabe, aunque la emisión en español inicia a las 22 UT (Ernesto Paulero, 0113 UT Dec 29, ibid.) Nominally ** TAIWAN [non]. 6875, Dec 26 at 0615, RTI via WYFR is still in wrong language, German instead of Spanish. I tire of logging it every night, probably as much as you tire of reading about, but such anomalies need to be documented. Yes, it is still `wrong` as in Taibei they think they are only on 75m via Skelton and Issoudun in the evenings: http://german.rti.org.tw/Content/WhatsNewSingle.aspx?ContentID=134328 I sent them a brief query about this via their website (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [See USA: WWCR] I have checked out the other scheduled RTI Spanish broadcast via WYFR, 02-03 on 9355, Dec 27 at 0213 & 0245: JBA carrier, can`t tell what it is; would expect WYFR to have a better signal than that, but nothing else is scheduled. On this transmission there is an RTI // on 11995 via GUIANA FRENCH: that is certainly on the air, but unmodulated carrier, both at 0213 and 0245 Dec 27. Also reconfirmed at 0430 that instead of Spanish at 04-05, 6890 via WYFR is still in Chinese // 6875. Would Europeans please check the 20-21 UT broadcast on 3965 via FRANCE – is it really RTI in Spanish? Dan Elyea of WYFR writes Dec 27: ``Hello, Glenn, I'm retiring from the Secretary-Treasurer position with NASB; still working fulltime with FR, though I'm well past "normal" retirement age. The meltdown is being sorted out, piece-by-piece. Mysteriously, the issues saturate the system from stem-to-stern. Progress is being made, but there still remain problems to be resolved. The RTI program feed has multiple users -- it's not tailored just for WYFR release times; normally, there is a system of automated recordings for later automated playback in the proper timeslot. 73. Dan`` 9355, Dec 28 at 0245-0250, confirmed that zero percent of the four scheduled Spanish hours of RTI are going out via WYFR. This one is in RTI English // 9680 and 5950, which are supposed to be the only two frequencies for it at this hour; makes up, I guess for no English at 0500 on 6875, Chinese instead. Unlike last night, the 9355 signal is sufficient, and the // 11995 via Guiana French is missing instead of open carrier all hour. That leaves one possible RTI Spanish broadcast on SW anywhere, 20-21 on 3965 via Issoudun, FRANCE. I`m still waiting for anyone in Europe to confirm whether it exist. Chances are not good for inpulling it here, but I may have to attempt it. Unless, of course, totally SNAFU, RTI is sending out Spanish at some times scheduled for even other languages. 6875, RTI via WYFR is missing Dec 28 at 0634 check, during the hour which for weeks has been in wrong language German instead of Spanish. Have they finally decided there is no point in broadcasting German to Mexico at midnight? Further checks for the missing Spanish broadcasts of RTI via WYFR and Guiana French: Dec 29 at 0247, not audible on 9355, but that was RTI English when last we heard it; 11995 via GUF, which was open carrier one night, and absent the next, is poorly audible this time, and modulated to boot, but can`t tell what language and what station. The 0600 Spanish broadcast via WYFR on 6875, which was off the air night before, is back and still in German. When we tuned in at 0642 Dec 29, they were playing a rock song in English, modulation rather distorted, outroed in German as `Musik aus Taiwan`, by a group called B-A-D. Tnx to Wolfgang Büschel who confirmed that as of Dec 28, RTI is still really in Spanish at 20-21 on 3965 via Issoudun, France (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN [non]. FRANCE/ U.K. Yes, all RTI relays via Issoudun and Skelton relays heard today Dec 28. 15225 ISS Russian at 1400-1457 UT. 12055 ISS English at 1600-16.57:00 tx cut off, Addresses at 1656 UT, S=8 signal at back lobe in Germany. 7465 ISS Russian at 1700-1757, at 1701 UT S=9+15dB. 15690 ISS English at 1700-1757, S=7 fluttery, back lobe heard at 1702 UT, En nx. 3965 ISS English at 1800-1857 UT, nx at 1804 UT, discount range for Taiwanese banks rised. Incredible strong at S=9+55 dBm level ! 11875 ISS French at 1900-1957 UT, S=7-9 signal, up to S=9+5dB at 1909 3955 SKN German at 1900-1957 UT, feature on 56 Taiwanese indigenous native people. Native folk example on Lanyu island. 3965 ISS Spanish at 2000-2057 UT, S=9+40dBm powerful signal in western Europe. Report about constitution de Taiwan by Pres Chiang Kai-Shek, Museo de Palacio en Taipei-TWN. 3965 ISS German at 2100-2157 UT, President candidates. Weather 17-25 cC temperature. 25 various Taiwanese indigenous native people. 500.000 native Taiwanese watch special TV broadcast medium programmes. (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 28, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAJIKISTAN. Here few tips made in Tuscany, in Pescia, with my new 60 meters long windom antenna, build by my friend Alessandro Capra. Receiver is the Winradio Excalibur Pro G33DDC. Merry Christmas 7235 [sic], 17/12 1550, Voice of Tajik, Tajikistan, some talks and national style songs, very similar to those on 4765 at the same time (but not in parallel). Fair. Stopped at 1558 by R. Romania Int. DRM not usable but jamming 3 channels! (Giampiero Bernardini, Italy, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Even tho filed before another 7235 log, I assume Tajik was supposed to be on usual 7245, which is also where RRI DRM at 1600 is centred. But see also ERITREA/ETHIOPIA, and UNIDENTIFIED 7235s at a different time (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** TIBET [and non]. Voice of Tibet jamming: TAJIKISTAN, 15503.11, Voice of Tibet, at 1255 UT on Dec 11, talks like reports with live people "sounds", ID with music like hymn at 1300 UT. Fair (Giampiero Bernardini-ITA, dswci DXW Dec 28) 15552 / 15532 / 15547 / 15537 / 15492 / 15502.000 - all even frequency. Voice of Tibet via Yangi Yul TJK site, noted with Tibetan news, mentioned many times Dalai Lama, Himalaya etc. at 1300 UT Dec 29. Very weak Firedrake jammer signal noted on 15550.000 kHz. But VoT tx hopped to 15532.000 kHz at 1306 UT, noted at 1324 UT on 15547.000 kHz, til 1330 UT on 15492.000, and at 1337 UT on 15502.000 kHz. The jammer remained on 15550 kHz, moved later to 15495 kHz. I feel dizzy; I wonder if the average Tibetan listener appreciate that speedy hopping? At same band AIR Mandarin on 15795 kHz was totally covered by China mainland jamming, latter contained CNR programm content, not Firedrake music (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. 17755, Dec 22 at 1327, VOT is back on proper frequency for German at 1230, still on air with IS alternating with English IDs, the first one of which heard skipped, ``Voi---ey``, but the next one was OK. I fervently hoped they would again neglect to change to 12035 for 1330 English, but 17755 cut off at 1329:23*. Was that with enough time to get 12035 on the air by its start? 1344 check, 12035 was very poor but recognizably the usual YL announcer in English. 5960, Dec 24 at 2325, VOT English to NAm is playing ``Here Comes Santa Claus`` by Gene Autry (an Oklahoman), 2326 YL not missing this chance to remind us that Santa Claus (St. Nicholas) originally hailed from what is now Turkey. BTW, in public I only wear a green stocking cap. 15200, Dec 26 at 1540, VOT fair signal with VG Turkish music, 1551 liner and Arabic ID as `Huna Saut Turkiye`. Fortunately, I tuned in after the collision from KTWR Guam in English until 1525/1535 depending on day of week (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U A E. 6175, on the shortest day of the year, Dec 22 at the early hour of 2042 UT I am checking whether anything is propagating on 49m besides CFRX. Yes, some weak German talk and music here, which turns out to be: Voice of Vietnam via UAE, 2030-2130, 250 kW, 315 degrees toward W Europe and thus also USward (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U A E. 11795.040, One of the 'odd frequency' transmitters on Babcock served transmitting center at Al Dhabbaya. Radio Okapi in French language, heard at 1654-1700 UT, S=7-8 fair signal. ID, and feed cut at 1659:09 UT. Three bars tones of FEBA interval signal occurred at 1659:44 UT, scheduled at 17 UT on 6180 kHz in Somali, also via UAE (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 25, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 27 via DXLD) ** U K. VINYL SET TO MAKE RADIO COMEBACK FOR ONE DAY ONLY 26 December 2011 Last updated at 00:04 ET BBC Radio 6 Music is to play only vinyl on New Year's Day Vinyl is to make a comeback on the radio, but for only one day. BBC Radio 6 Music has announced it will be playing only vinyl on New Year's Day. Most BBC stations phased out vinyl in favour of CDs in the 1990s and the majority now use digital versions of songs. Presenters Jarvis Cocker and Guy Garvey will be among those dusting off their turntables and Don Letts will be bringing his own seven-inch singles. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16330702 But 6 Music bosses have turned the clock back with an "All Vinyl" day to round off a month-long celebration of vinyl. Station editor Paul Rodgers said: "In a world dominated by digital music, vinyl is a format still close to the hearts of many music lovers and increased sales demonstrate its enduring appeal." A spokeswoman for the station said: "Listeners can expect rare gems, insights and a few crackles and pops when digital goes analogue for one day only." Singer-songwriter Richard Hawley will host a show talking to prominent acts such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead about the joys and the pitfalls of vinyl. Dance DJ and producer Andrew Weatherall and singer Cerys Matthews will be joining the vinylfest in their shows (via Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, DXLD) ** U K [and non]. 9410, Dec 22 at 2132, BBCWS with `Tales from the Arab Spring`. I have run across this a few times before in the programmiddle as I am aroundtuning, but this time I can listen to the whole thing from the start. This episode is about Syria, also comparing it to Libya, an excellent news documentary by Jeremy Bowen. It`s fruitless to try to find all the times for anyprogram on all the needlessly divergent BBCWS streams, but I highly recommend it for retrieving online. This and the two previous episodes (of three total, also Libya and Egypt) are available here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00mhpk2 Sufficient reception on 9410 at this time I assumed was Ascension or UK, but listed as due west from Seychelles, which is usually insufficient here. 11830, Dec 23 at 1509, BBCWS fairly audible with another report on Syria. This is 15-17, 300 kW, 105 degrees from Woofferton. [and non]. 9740, Dec 24 at 1529, I run across BBCWS via Singapore, during FONLAC = `Festival Of Nine Lessons And Carols`, yearly Xmas eve tradition, live from King`s College, Cambridge, reminding me to bring up a public radio station webcasting it, such as WUOT with high bitrate. Missed the first semihour, but lasts until 1700, including postlude by Michael Barone. Those who really want to hear the whole thing can find it repeated at various later times on many US public radio stations, especially Xmas Day. Tnx to tip from Mike Barraclough, BBC is also presenting previous recordings of FONLAC reprocessed as `Surround Sound thru Headphones` experiments, in various configurations. Details: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio3/2011/12/the-festival-of-nine-lessons-and-carols-in-surround-sound.shtml#more 9740, Dec 26 at 1406-1429, BBCWS via Singapore with `HARDtalk`: I was bandscanning, but encountering this starting at 1406, I could not tune any further, had to keep listening as oceanographer Sylvia Earle was being interviewed: if you care about *breathing*, what she has to say is extremely important. Audio available for only seven days: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00mb3pm (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. ARBITRATOR THRASHES CUBA BROADCASTING OVER WORKER TREATMENT By Joe Davidson, http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/arbitrator-thrashes-cuba-broadcasting-over-worker-treatment/2011/12/13/gIQAGzlgsO_print.html The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has been taken to the woodshed by an arbitrator who gave the agency a good spanking. It's a lesson to bosses all across the government. At first glance, the case involving the BBG's Office of Cuba Broadcasting appears to be a routine one about the level of involvement the agency allowed a labor union when layoffs were ordered. But as arbitrator S.R. Butler makes clear in a 94-page Nov. 19 decision, this case has more sinister overtones. It involves the use of a manager's power to demote or terminate certain employees in the guise of a reduction in force, or RIF in Washington parlance. That's particularly relevant now as government agencies seek ways to reduce staff and as larger cuts loom. Butler's opinion describes a chilling misuse of power within the Miami-based Office of Cuba Broadcasting, an anachronistic Cold War relic that promotes its Radio and TV Marti operations as "consistently reliable and authoritative sources of accurate, objective, and comprehensive news for people in Cuba, where media are controlled and highly censored by the authorities." It might be all that, but critics see Radio and TV Marti as a tool to undermine the Cuban government. Perhaps it could be if it weren't so ineffective. Butler was blunt in concluding that a 2009 Cuba Broadcasting RIF "was engineered and targeted at certain employees for reasons personal to them." Her opinion says Pedro Riog [sic], the former Office of Cuba Broadcasting director, "knew that, by sequencing certain reassignments of certain employees . . . he could shield employees whom he regarded as supporters and punish, maybe even get rid of, other employees who had spoken critically to GAO [Government Accountability Office] investigators -- all under cover of a probably-upcoming budget reduction that could be used to justify a RIF -- and no one would ever be the wiser. (He was wrong.)" Riog, Butler added, "saw upcoming budget cuts as an opportunity to retaliate -- and he took it." Butler didn't put it all on Riog, however. BBG management in Washington "either looked the other way or actively continued . . . Riog's improperly motivated RIF plan," Butler wrote and underlined. A 2009 GAO report says that from the start of Radio and TV Marti programming, there have been questions "regarding their purpose, quality and effectiveness." Surveys indicate that less than 2 percent of Cuba's population regularly watches or listens to the broadcasts. Although Butler also writes that "Riog's instructions may not have `targeted' certain employees by name for a RIF," she adds that "the record as a whole convinces the Arbitrator that this was an improperly-motivated RIF from the beginning, and must be reversed in toto." That means folks such as Roxana Romero, once a Cuba Broadcasting video-journalist, could return to their jobs with back pay. "I haven't been able to find a job in two years," she said. "I was laid off along with more than a dozen of my colleagues. . . . There is no doubt in my mind I lost my job because of retaliation" for a discrimination complaint she filed against her supervisor and an editor. Leisha Self, the American Federation of Government Employees attorney for the workers, said Riog's written instructions did not need to name individual workers because by going after certain positions he would hit the intended staffers. Telephone and e-mail messages for Riog, who is no longer with the BBG, were not returned. Butler would not comment on her decision. BBG spokeswoman Letitia King said the agency plans to appeal and "is committed to good faith implementation of its union agreements and commitments with its bargaining unit employees. The circumstances surrounding this case include the fact that Radio and TV Marti took a considerable budget cut in 2009. As a result, the agency conducted a legal reduction in force, following the standard policies and procedures covered within the current agreement with the union. The RIF process respected the agreement with the union including the rights of individuals to an impartial implementation." That's not the picture Butler paints. "The Agency's hostile attitude toward bargaining in general and/or certain Union representatives in particular deserves little respect," she wrote. "If one were to draw it as a cartoon, it would show a surgeon arriving at the operating table with golf clubs in the background saying, `Sorry, the procedure this patient needs takes too long, and I don't like him anyway.' " Follow the Federal Diary on Twitter: @JoeDavidsonWP. (c) The Washington Post Company (via Mike Cooper, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) ** U S A. VOA MARKS 70TH YEAR OF US BROADCASTS TO CHINA Washington, D.C. — December 27, 2011 — The Voice of America is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the first U.S. radio broadcasts to China, which began the 28th of December 1941, just weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of World War Two. VOA’s Yun-I T'an and Shih Pao Hu broadcasting to China. New York, 1948Voice of America was still months away from being officially established when the first Chinese language shortwave broadcasts were transmitted from studios in San Francisco. U.S. government broadcasting operations to China were eventually moved to New York and then Washington under the Voice of America. VOA Director David Ensor hailed the distinguished line of journalists who have worked at the service and transformed it into a modern multi- media platform. “Because of the professionalism and creativity of our journalists, the Voice of America is a trusted source of news to the people of China and the world,” Ensor said. “As we move forward, we plan to make VOA programming even more vibrant and dynamic.” Earlier this month, U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) hosted a reception to honor VOA’s China Branch journalists. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement congratulating Voice of America for “70 years of outstanding broadcasts to China.” VOA programs in Mandarin, Cantonese and Tibetan are delivered on radio, television, the Internet, mobile platforms, satellite, and by proxy servers designed to circumvent Chinese Internet blocking. VOA English language teaching programs, including the social media sensation, OMG! Meiyu, enjoy a large audience in China. For more information contact Kyle King at the VOA Public Relations office in Washington at kking @ voanews.com For more information about any of our language service visit our main English website at http://www.voanews.com or visit the VOA Public Relations page at http://www.insidevoa.com (VOA PR Dec 27 via DXLD) ** U S A. Re PAT GATES obit: Update: Washington Post, 26 Dec 2011, Matt Schudel: "Patricia Gates Lynch Ewell, 85, a onetime disc jockey who had a long career as a popular radio host for the Voice of America and served as the U.S. ambassador to Madagascar, died Dec. 4 at her home at the Fairfax at Fort Belvoir retirement community. ... On the VOA’s 'Breakfast Show,' Mrs. Ewell became known for her sign-off at the end of each program: 'If you meet someone without a smile, give him one of yours.' She wrote in a 2008 memoir that she received letters from people all over the world remarking on how they were touched by her simple statement." (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) *** U S A. HAVE THE VOA PERSIAN NEWS NETWORK "PARAZIT" PARTNERS GONE THE WAY OF JERRY LEWIS AND DEAN MARTIN? Posted 25 Dec 2011 illustrated Iranian.com, 19 Dec 2011, Ari Siletz, interviewing Ramin Asgard, director of VOA Persian News Network: "Q: Is there any basis to rumors that Parazit staff hasn’t been getting along? Should we expect Mr. Kambiz Hosseini to continue his 'anchor' role at Parazit? Asgard: Thank you for this question. I am sure your readers noticed that Parazit aired an original program on Friday, December 16, with Kambiz Hosseini hosting. We at VOA-PNN are very proud of the success of Parazit, which is among the most successful shows in VOA history, as well as among the most influential programs in the Persian language anywhere. We look forward to Parazit continuing its amazing success into 2012 and beyond, and have plans to actually expand Parazit in 2012 - more details on this soon. ... "Q: Parazit’s Kambiz Hosseini recently claimed on Aljazeera that VOA does not censor the content of this popular program. On the other hand, former VOA translator, Melody Navab-Safavi, has alleged that VOA fired her for expressing anti Iraq War sentiments in her privately produced music video, Demokracy. In light of VOA’s purpose to comply with the 'broad foreign policy objectives of the United States,' how can VOA also follow its mandate to be 'accurate, objective and comprehensive,' without running into contradictions? Asgard: We are greatly honored to have both of these talented individuals working alongside their dedicated and gifted colleagues at VOA-PNN. We work daily to reconcile the challenges of operating a media organization which is also a U.S. government entity. Our goal is to offer as broad and uncensored a range of viewpoints as possible to our viewership in Iran. In so doing, we use our mission goals, the broad foreign policy objectives you note, as well as journalistic standards as guidelines." -- Recommended reading, because Mr. Asgard responds to, or at least is asked about, many of the criticisms of VOA PNN leveled in the past several months. He mentions that Kambiz Hosseini returning to Parazit, but not his apparently now-previous partner, producer Saman Arbabi. Boston Globe, Ideas, 25 Dec 2011, Noy Thrupkaew interviewing Parazit producer Saman Arbabi: "IDEAS: What kind of oversight does VOA have over your work? ARBABI: I’ve never seen a State Department official or senator say what we should or shouldn’t do, not even once. Within VOA, we’ve become our own little satellite. VOA has never ever meddled; they were very proud and supportive. They didn’t know we existed, because we flew under the radar -- well, before we got in The Washington Post and on the 'Daily Show.' IDEAS: Some critics of “Parazit” say your show is a mouthpiece for the US government and that you’re insufficiently critical of the United States. What is your response to that? ARBABI: They raise some very valid points. Any time you have a government sponsoring a TV show, the first thing that crosses your mind is propaganda. But I don’t look at it that way at all anymore, because I know what we’re doing with it. We talk about the United States when there’s a direct relationship with what is happening inside Iran. We criticized [President] Obama jumping in late on what was happening in the country, for example, and talked about the sanctions and nuclear program inside Iran with Hillary Clinton. But the show is not about correcting the United States, because that’s not what people care about inside Iran. We talk about human rights in Iran, which is what their priorities are -- living under a dictatorship, child executions. If promoting nonviolence and defending human rights is propaganda, I’ll stand by that one." Jerusalem Post, 20 Dec 2011, Felice Friedson: "An elegant Manhattan apartment overlooking Central Park provided warmth and safety for American reporters representing four news agencies to speak directly with four Iranians facing drastically different circumstances. ... All four of the distant voices were disheartened by the failure of the Voice of America radio to step up to the plate. 'VoA might as well be staffed by agents of the Iranian government,' they all agreed. Although communicating with foreign journalists can cost one his or her life, it will not come as a surprise that the flow of reliable information remains atop the list of 'must haves.' Hence, the profound disappointment with VoA. But it will no doubt surprise many that all of the Iranians named Israel Radio’s Farsi channel as the 'best radio in Iran.'" See previous post with similar story. Epoch Times, 18 Dec 2011, Tom Ozimek: "Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi "alleges that Eutelsat bowed to Iranian government pressure and took two Persian language satellite television channels, the BBC and Voice of America, off Hotbird and moved them to some remote satellite that practically no one in Iran can access. A bit tangentially, perhaps, this seems oddly similar to what happened to independent Chinese language TV broadcaster New Tang Dynasty (a media partner of The Epoch Times). They also got booted off Hotbird and many are convinced it’s because the Chinese regime didn’t like them broadcasting news about human rights violations into China and knew which strings to pull and how. Ebali blasted the satellite company. Since the French state owns about a quarter of Eutelsat (Ebadi said 40 percent but latest Bloomberg figures from November 2011 show 25.62 percent), Ebadi blasted Paris for complicity. 'So my question to the French government is why are you helping the Iranian government to censor these channels?'" See previous post about same subject (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** U S A. BBG MEMBER VICTOR ASHE SAYS IT'S "SERIOUS MISTAKE" TO CLOSE THE GREENVILLE SHORTWAVE FACILITY. Posted: 24 Dec 2011 BBG Watch, 20 Dec 2011: "Victor Ashe, a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), has called for keeping open the radio broadcasting facility on U.S. territory that is capable of transmitting shortwave radio programs to China. Some Obama Administration officials want to shut down the last remaining U.S.– based international broadcast station located in North Carolina. Ashe also called for urgent reforms in the way the federal agency in charge of U.S. international broadcasting operates. ... Ashe has become an outspoken critic of the permanent BBG bureaucracy in charge of planning and day-to-day operations of U.S. international broadcasting. He has made his displeasure known by visiting broadcasting services and technical facilities that some of the other BBG members wanted to eliminate based on the recommendations they had received from their executive staff. ... In his statement, Ashe calls for keeping open the Edward R. Murrow Greenville Transmitting Station in Greenville, North Carolina, which he had recently visited despite objections from some of the BBG executives who want to close it down. Ashe said in his statement that this facility is the only one on American soil where the U.S. government has jurisdiction. He pointed out that a similar station in the Philippines, operated by the BBG, is barred from transmitting radio programs to China due to the Philippine government’s reluctance to upset the Chinese government. 'That could not happen on American territory,' Ashe noted in his statement." (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Actually, the Tinang site in the Philippines is used for VOA Mandarin transmissions to China. Radio Free Asia is not allowed to use relay sites in the Philippines and in Thailand, which will be an interesting predicament if RFA, as the BBG wishes, becomes the only USIB radio service in Mandarin. Furthermore, there are two BBG transmitting sites in US possessions much closer to China than Greenville. They are on Saipan and Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands. I have advocated that the United States should retain a global shortwave broadcasting capability for future emergencies. It's too late for that now, with the closure of the IBB relays in Greece and Morocco, and at Delano, California. Greenville should stay open. It will be needed in future crises. In a pinch, it can reach the Middle East, e.g. Iran. China is probably a stretch, though. Greenville can also be used to experiment with shortwave digital text modes, which could prove helpful as a net circumvention tool (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) Additional stories about this: http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=12576 ** U S A [non]. 5890, Dec 25 at 1343, piano jazz which must be VOA Korean service, via TINIAN, yes // 9555 Tinang, PHILIPPINES; not // the simultaneous Sunday 13-14 `Jazz America` on VOA English 7575 et al. 15570, Dec 26 at 2121, surprised to find VOA here instead of 15580, with classic rock, 2122 confirmed ID as `American Gold` from VOA Music Mix, Mondays at 21-22. Good signal here and in fact the SSOB, with only 15195 YFR/Ascension rivalling it, not much else on 19m. Mistake or deliberate QSY? Has this page been changed? http://www.voanews.com/english/programs/frequencies/ Or course not! How about this schedule? http://www.hfcc.org/data/schedbybrc.php?seas=B11&broadc=IBB Still 15580 for English from Moepeng Hill, i.e. BOTSWANA, and still nothing but 15580 for many other hours via different sites thruout the day, no 15570 at all. If this hour has changed permanently, how about the others, and why? Going by HFCC and Aoki, there is no co-channel problem on 15580, and the only possible conflict would be with 15575 KBS at 16-22, 250 kW, 290 degrees from Kimjae to Iraq/Oman/Afghanistan --- but that would still be 5 kHz away from the other side. 15570 is certainly available except at 01-08 when CNR is using it for Tibetan service from Beijing site. VOA has also been on 15580 at 03-07 via Botswana and Sri Lanka. Time will tell (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Continued under BOTSWANA [non non] 17655, 28/Dec 1720, VOA, in Portuguese. At 1722 program “"sports page". At 1724 ID. At 1728 American pop music. Transmission is not still included in the HFCC. Glenn Hauser, informed in 20/Dec ([dxld] Glenn Hauser logs December 19-20, 2011). Good signal. // 15670 with fair signal (Jorge Freitas, Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 6215-USB, Dec 29 at 0703, notice about a sailing vessel missing since Dec 17, from ``US Coast Guard Point Reyes, out`` at 0704*. 6215 is a distress frequency too, fortunately mostly avoided by broadcasters, not including YFR via Taiwan at 22-24. Where is Point Reyes in California, anyway? Just NW of San Francisco, up the coast beyond Bolinas in the National Seashore. Rand McNally via State Farm says Point Reyes Station has a population of 818 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See INTERNATIONAL WATERS ** U S A. 25910 FM, WBAP, Dallas, Texas, 1530-1555, IDs. Local ads including ad for Rusty Wallace Honda. “Car Pro Show” with phone calls about cars. Fair to good. Dec 24. 25990 FM, KSCS, Ft Worth, Texas, 1530-1555, IDs. Local ads including ad for Home Depot. “Texas most country, guaranteed.” Mostly continuous country music. Fair to good. Dec 24. 25950 FM, KOA, Denver, Colorado, 1625-1640, sports news. Local ads including ads for Colorado Supercuts and Sports Authority. Sports news with talk about the Denver-Buffalo football game. Poor to fair with deep fades. Dec 24 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC- 7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 11714.804, NEW MEXICO, KJES, Our Lord's Ranch, Vado. 1450 December 24, 2011. Kiddie scripture reading, gospel vocals. Nice that they adjusted the off-frequency to the other side of 11715 now! (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [Re 11-51] Further chex for KJES following FCC Notice of Violation for being too far off-frequency beyond tolerance: Dec 23 at 1919, nothing on 15385v. Dec 24 at 1405, 11715v is on and very poor at the outset, definitely on the low side, with catechisms. By 1520, it`s much stronger with hymns, 1525 kID, `let me know if you can hear me` from ZIP 88072. Now I measure the frequency as closely as I can, with the 40-Hz steps on the DX-398, and I get 11714.80, so looks like it is still In Violation! Anything below 11714.824 is off limits, in FCC`s far too generous allowance. They have until January 3 to reply. Still need to find how far off 7555 it is in the 0200-0330 period. WRTH 2012 says KJES transmissions are ``part of a rehabilitation program for young people``, as if brainwashing were an improvement from whatever they are being rehabilitated from. How about teaching them to transmit on accurate frequencies? Further to discussion of KJES off-frequency: checking their third outlet, 7555 scheduled at 0200-0330, Dec 25 at 0206, cannot detect it at all. 7 MHz signals are generally weakening, but WBCQ is still audible on 7490-. On 11714.8: KJES lux out by not having anything on 11715.0 to beat against for most of their maximum 14-17 UT span: Vatican does not start until 1650 (BTW, Aoki still lists as `B-11` KJES` summer timing of 13-16 UT). 15385.4, Dec 25 at 1935 check, KJES is on with VG signal, and still hasn`t done anything to get back on frequency despite the FCC NOV (which concerned 11715 only; will they have to be cited separately for each of the three frequencies?). Nor has the latter been corrected, 11714.8 still Dec 26 at 1624 check during choir. 7555.0, Dec 28 at 0245, only very weak signal here not off-frequency, so is it KJES? I guess so, as nothing else is scheduled. Current Aoki is showing the wrong timespan, 0100-0230 as in summer instead of 0200- 0330 as in winter (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 5109.75-USB, Dec 25 at 0004, `Radio TimTron Worldwide` is starting live for two hours on WBCQ Area 51, 0007 ``Xmas at Ground Zero``, which I think long predates 9/11. That`s as closely as I can measure the nominal 5110 frequency, which if correct is beyond FCC tolerance which would be up to 76.65 Hz above or below 5,110,000 Hz. 7490-, Dec 25 at 0206 when I am checking for KJES on 7555, I step thru the 7 MHz channels with BFO, and note that WBCQ is slightly low compared to its neighbors, but within tolerance, during `I Sing Radio`, hmmm, not `Icing` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 1596 monitoring: first webcast confirmed Thursday Dec 22 at 1600 on WRMI. First SW broadcast will be Thu 2200 on WTWW 9479; check also WBCQ 7490 at 2200, when WOR appeared last week instead of 2230. Also on WWRB 3195 and 5050 at 0430+ UT Friday. First SW airing on WRMI 9955 UT Friday 0600, plus the usual weekend times. Also on WTWW UT Sunday 0500 on 5755. Maybe on Area 51, WBCQ 5110v-CUSB UT Monday at 0330 if time is available. Check this weekend`s schedule of http://www.worldmicroscope.com once it is put up WORLD OF RADIO 1596 monitoring: First SW broadcast confirmed Thursday Dec 22 at 2200 on WTWW 9479; second at 2230 on WBCQ 7490, back to usual time instead of 2200 last week, when Amos `n` Andy aired as scheduled this week. Also confirmed after 0431 UT Friday Dec 23 on WWRB 3195, but no signal on 5050. This time there was a longer respectful silence of about 2 minutes after the SC preacher, amen and amen. Apparently Dave has finally turned off the // transmitter on 5050, but further chex needed other nights before 0500. Propagation was certainly OK, with other Tennesseans on 4840, 5755 very good. Next WOR airing at 0600 UT Friday on WRMI: no signal detectable on 9955, no jamming either; yet bigsigs from Eurasia on 31m, such as RNW via Pridnestrovye on 9895, Turkey on 9700. Further times when WRMI is supposed to be on 9955: Saturday 0900, 1600, 1830, Sunday 0900, 1630, 1830. On WTWW: UT Sunday 0500 on 5755. On WBCQ Area 51 (maybe, check schedule): UT Monday 0330v on 5110v- CUSB. Also on WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sat & Sun 1830, Sun 0930. WORLD OF RADIO 1596 monitoring: unless you can get WRMI 9955 on Sunday at 0900, 1630 or 1830, final chance to hear this week`s edition on SW should be 0500 UT Sunday Dec 25 on WTWW 5755, unless holiday pre- empted. As of 0330 UT Sunday, Area 51 had not yet posted this weekend`s schedule at http://www.worldmicroscope.com when WOR might appear UT Monday at 0330v on 5110v-CUSB WBCQ (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, After having observed things the last few weeks I think it is safe to say that WOR will probably only be on 5110 every other week until such time that they add back the extra hour of programming they removed. They are now carrying John Lightning for three hours when his show is on which is every other week. On the off weeks they carry Plastic Magic which is only a two hour program and thus fit in WOR and Larry's new pirate program. Of course I'm not affiliated in any way with the station, merely a listener and now that I have speculated what looks like what's happening I'll probably be proved wrong (John Carver, Mid-North Indiana, Dec 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF RADIO 1596 monitoring: confirmed on webcast of WTWW 5755, UT Sunday Dec 25 at 0500. John Carver points out that the pattern on Area 51 has been alternate weeks with Johnny Lightning until 0400 UT Mondays on 5110v-CUSB; Larry Will`s pirate show 0300 and WORLD OF RADIO 0330 the other weeks, so this would be an off-week for us. Remaining WRMI 9955 airings: Sunday 1630 and 1830 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5050, confirming WWRB is no longer heard here, 0245 check Dec 28, just on 3195 for the non-BS programming, including WORLD OF RADIO, UT Fridays 0430+. WORLD OF RADIO 1597 monitoring: while 9955 was nothing but jamming as usual, checked WRMI webcast after 0430 UT Thursday Dec 29, and there was WOR 1596, instead of `Noticiero` from Radio Martí as on latest WRMI schedule grid updated Dec 13. It seems WRMI programming is in flux, so maybe some more of the canceled WOR times are still there. SW airings should be: WTWW: Thursday 2200 9479, UT Sunday 0500 5755 WBCQ: Thursday 2230 7490; maybe UT Monday 0330 5110v-CUSB Area 51 WWRB: UT Friday 0430v 3195 (no longer on 5050) WRMI 9955: Friday 0600, Sat 0900, 1600, 1830, Sun 0900, 1630, 1830 HLR: Tuesday 1030 5980 Full schedule at http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9954.966, FLORIDA, WRMI Radio Miami International. 1400 December 24, 2011. Jeff White canned English/Spanish ID, into Radio Prague programming in English. A special tribute honoring the late Václav Havel with his first play from 1968, "Guardian Angel" as translated by Paul Wilson and originally broadcast "several years ago by Radio Prague" presented. No Arnie Coro jamming until around 1415, and then fairly weak, so a missed opportunity to jam a traitor/former- Commie. Jeff: is your engineer aware the transmitter is a bit off- frequency? Like everyone else anymore, so it seems (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Jeff, I checked the webcast this evening at 0450, and there I am with last week`s World of Radio as previously scheduled. Fine, but what`s the latest on when Radio Marti is really running? Jammed anyway. 73, (Glenn to Jeff White, UT Dec 29 via DXLD) Glenn: This is a very weird week for us. There are going to be some major changes as of January 2, so I will try to get an updated schedule online January 1. Basically, Radio Libertad is going on hiatus at least for the month of January, and we will probably only air the one hour (Cuba al Dia) of Radio Marti, although the time might switch. We have the new show, Blues Radio International, beginning UT Monday at 0200 Jan 2. I'll also send you a news release about a special DX test that I think we'll be doing on January 7 (Jeff White, WRMI, ibid.) ** U S A. 11550, Dec 24 at 1407, WEWN children`s choir is singing ``Qué Locura Feliz`` to the tune of ``Happy Birthday`` = ``What splendid madness``, which I assume is alluding to religious belief. 12050, Dec 26 at 1625 I noticed that WEWN Spanish had a heavy subaudible heterodyne of 140/minute = 2.33 Hz, tho the rate was fluxuating slightly over the 15-second period I counted 35. Per all the schedules, there is no broadcaster in the world at any time on 12050 except WEWN. Could it be test of another WEWN transmitter? But the other two should be in continuous use on 11550, 15610. FCC, HFCC, Aoki, and EiBi all show there is a one-hour gap in this otherwise lengthy 12050 broadcast between 10 and 24 UT, at 17-18, during which there is an antenna change from 155 to 220 degrees. RCM`s own schedule makes clearer what is happening: 12050 changes to 13830 at 17, and 11550 changes to 12050 at 18. Recheck at 1629 in case something else is about to sign on, and the SAH is gone, but not the squeal. Didn`t WEWN originally have four transmitters and four frequencies at once? Yes, WRTH 2012 reminds us that they have 3 x 500 kW plus 1 x 500 kW ``backup``, so they can switch around among four transmitters, and that explains the double signal on 12050, Catholix vs Catholix! Note registrations show them using only half the rated power, and there have been allegations by insiders that the real power is considerably less than that. Dirty little secret among SW broadcasters: unless brand-new, or fighting jamming, most do run less than rated power, to save costs and/or prolong tube life, or because the creaky old machines just won`t run full power, let alone full modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Talvez isso explique porque as emissoras de 500 KW não estão sendo recebidas bem por aqui. A maioria absoluta chega com sinal inferior as de 250 e 100 KW. De certa forma é até bom, para não gerar fortes interferências nas demais. 73 (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12 14´S 38 58´W, Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. I was looking at the Facebook page for WRNO Worldwide. This is the comment made on one of the posts. There was a question posed on their facebook page under comments: I asked if I can receive the Station on SW Tonight. Next Comment: ``The station should be back in full force sometime in January. We are still dealing with some major transmitter repairs. We are working hard towards being able to broadcast 24/7 when we get back on the air so stay tuned!`` This is the latest I heard on WRNO. You might be able to listen to them on internet in the meantime (Richard Lewis, Forest, MS, Dec 25, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So keep an ear on 7506v (gh) ** U S A. Trasmissioni stereo in AM --- Ciao. E' una vecchia storia. Se non ricordo male, a metà degli anni '80, una stazione americana ( WRNO ) dichiarò di trasmettere in onde corte in stereo. Chi l'ha mai ascoltata? (Giovanni Lorenzi - IT9TZZ, QTH: Messina - Italy 38.11 N 15.32 E, Dec 22, bclnews.it yg via DXLD) No, mai ascoltata; probabilmente ci fu anche lKUSW, quella che poi con la nuova proprietà diventò la KTBN (Roberto Scaglione, ibid.) ** U S A. 12105, Dec 23 at 2103 check, WTWW is missing, allowing CODAR sweeps thru unimpeded. WTWW back on, in Arabic, after 1400 Dec 24 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also VIETNAM [and non] ** U S A. 15825, Dec 22 at 1337, for the second day in a row, WWCR-1 is managing to broadcast on the correct frequency, 48 hours after staying on 7465 all morning, and perhaps all day. 5890, Dec 23 at 0647, no signal detectable from WWCR`s Brother Scare service which is supposed be on at 06-12; 5935 PMS was weak but audible // 6090 Anguilla a reverb apart, while nearby 5755 WTWW maintained a fair signal. 15825, Dec 23 at 1403, for the third day in a row, WWCR-1 is on correct frequency instead of 7465 all morning 72 hours ago. 15809.4 & 15840.6, Dec 27 at 1539, WWCR-1 spurs from 15825 are still detectable with BFO, but way down compared to the bigsig on 15825, which is not splattering over half the 19m band (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. 7465, Monday Dec 26 at 2217 as I tune in `Frecuencia al Día` on WWCR, a well put-together DX program with an impressive roster of contributors, I hear misinformation: in his AER report, Pedro Sedano is conveying the Spanish schedule of Radio Taiwán Internacional, with 0400 on 6890 and 0600 on 6875. Evidently he has ignored my almost-daily reports for several weeks that at 0600, 6875 has been in the wrong language, German instead of Spanish; and I have also reported that at 0400, 6890 is in Chinese instead of Spanish. He`s not the only DX reporter relying on `official` info instead of axual monitoring. It may well be that all the other scheduled Spanish hours via WYFR are replaced by something else, so I check the 23-24 UT broadcast on 11885: yes, it`s in Chinese, not Spanish. There is something underneath it --- nothing in incomplete HFCC to account for that but Aoki and EiBi show it`s probably CNR1 jamming --- not against the WYFR relay, but against RTI from Hu Wei, Taiwan site itself in Mandarin also scheduled in this hour! The intervening RTI Spanish broadcast is supposedly at 0200-0300 on 9355 via WYFR, which Pedro also mentioned, and 11995 via Guiana French. Maybe the latter at least has not been lost in the WYFR shuffle? What about the one other, 20-21 on 3965 via France? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) more under TAIWAN [non] 6875, Dec 23 at 0649 check, WYFR is still broadcasting wrong language German in RTI relay instead of Spanish, during Chinese language lesson. I wonder if WYFR will ever get back in whack? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. 9310, KAZAKHSTAN, YFR Almaty, 1228-1310 Dec 27 listed Filipino/English; M announcer with talk; W announcer with ID at 1240; contact info at 1252; English service at 1300 with Bible talk; Harold Camping at 1310 with religious talk instead of usual, pre-Zombie Apocalypse, "Open Forum"; fair (Scott R. Barbour Jr. Intervale, N.H. USA, NRD-545, MLB-1, 200' Beverages; 60m dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. 7395, Dec 25 at 0031, strange mixture of `Amazing Grace` and `Glory to God in the Highest` from Messiah. At first they seemed to alternate and I was wondering if someone had axually tried to combine the two on one poor signal! But then the A.G. one went to announcement while Messiah continued on the other. Aoki shows Christians vs Christians: Bible Voice, 250 kW, 90 degrees via Wertachtal, GERMANY at 0030-0100 in English Fri/Sat/Sun, Hindi other days; and, YFR, 500 kW, 215 degrees from Montsinéry, GUIANA FRENCH, at 0000-0100 in English, so both are far off-target from here and from each other (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Good Morning Glenn, This morning's DX session was really a goodie! Three new stations were logged. All of them were heard on the tiny Sony T-615. [see also MEXICO] The peak window of prime reception to the south was gone by 1315 UT. After all those signals from the south and southwest were heard, I was amazed to log this new station listed below: 670, KBOI, Boise, ID, 1323 UT, 12/22/11, very fadey signal with unscripted talk by a couple of male announcers. "No snow on Christmas" they reported, laughter, etc. ID was "670, KBOI, Boise." Take care, amigo (-Kirk- Allen, Ponca City OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 720, Dec 25 at 1317 UT, Spanish is way over WGN, but it`s not XE. SHVA [super-hype voice actor] exclaims ``104.1 FM y 720 AM, Norteña, La Raza`` which chex as KSAH San Antonio (COL Universal City). (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 770, Dec 25 at 1327, ABC report about the Arab Spring, likely yearender on `Perspective` as long scheduled on KKOB Albuquerque for 6-7 am Sundays, but far before sunrise during null toward NYC and me, may well be the co-channel non-direxional 230-watt relay in Santa Fe which is on the air only at night (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. FORMER WABC HOST LYNN SAMUELS DIES CHRISTMAS EVE AT 69 Activist took on conservatives and President Obama alike BY David Hinckley NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Sunday, December 25 2011, 12:52 PM Lynn Samuels during her WABC days. [caption] Years ago, when she was a left wing host on WABC, Lynn Samuels used to do a change-of-pace Christmas Eve show in which, among other things, she invited listeners to sing Christmas carols. This year on Christmas Eve, Samuels died. She was 69. No cause of death was immediately announced. Her body was discovered after she failed to report for her 10 a.m. Saturday show at Sirius XM radio and the company asked police to go to her Woodside, Queens, home. On the radio, Samuels was exactly what much of the country thinks New York sounds like. She had a city accent she never tried to hide or soften, even when her bosses suggested it would prevent her from ever getting a radio job outside the city. “This is who I am,” she said. “She was unique beyond words,” said John Mainelli, her WABC program director and longtime friend. “I'm so glad I knew her.” Samuels was a self-described progressive who often threw curveballs. She was a long-standing critic of President Obama, saying she didn’t believe he ever really had progressive credentials. Her periodic unpredictability didn’t serve her well in today’s party-line talk radio, but helped give her a long run in the earlier, looser talk era. Her criticism of conservatives often extended to her fellow radio hosts, but she would add that she liked a number of them personally. She became close friends with conservative host and writer Matt Drudge, serving for a time as his call screener. Mainelli said he exchanged messages with her on Friday, at which time she said she would be doing both her Saturday and Sunday shows live this weekend. “I am stunned,” Jay Diamond, her one-time WABC colleague, wrote on the New York Radio Message Board. “She sometimes got mad at me, but I loved her, and we were friends to the end. The world of radio, and the world in general, will miss this great talent, and great human being.” Aside from politics, Samuels would devote long segments to cultural matters like books, music, a movie she saw or the merits and demerits of wearing foundation garments. Her Christmas Eve show, which she said was not her favorite program, began as an attempt simply to do something fun and different on a night when most people weren’t discussing budget legislation. Her own politics ran back to the activist movements of the 1960s, about which she often talked. Her radio career began around 1979 with a late-night show at WBAI (99.5 FM). She moved to WABC in the late 1980s and remained there on different shifts for about 15 years. She was fired three times and rehired twice. After WABC she struggled at times to stay in the city, taking a job in a laundromat while keeping her hand in radio at Sirius XM. A very private person off the air, Samuels left no immediate survivors. But the local radio world was saddened. To the end, said Mainelli, she was “the same as she had always been - lively, full of curiosity, and happy, all existential things considered.” Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/television/wabc-host-lynn-samuels-dies-christmas-eve-69-article-1.996718#ixzz1hbpkTqAh (tnx for tip from Steve Thomas, Deming NM, via George Thurman, Houston TX, Dec 25, DXLD) obit ** U S A. GABRIEL ANNUNCIATING ON NPR Hi All: Thought that subject line would get your attention. WOSU AM 820, Columbus, is gone, apparently permanently. I noted WVKO 1580 running a continuous loop inviting its listeners to tune to the "New permanent home of St. Gabriel Radio, AM 820." The new call on 820, as I heard it, is WVSG and the regular WVKO programming is all there, including the usual EWTN shows and Vatican World News is on 820. There is no indication of what the new programming on 1580 will be, though having recently invested in a power increase with new transmitter & towers, I think it will stay on as something. There do not appear to have been any other changes in Columbus radio, though the 920 is almost never heard here. 73 (David Faulkner, Dec 22, IRCA via DXLD) With the EWTN programming moving down to 820, that should make ID'ing WHLY in South Bend a little easier, as I believe they are now the only station on 1580 running EWTN. I still need both WHLY and WVKO (which were easy back in Iowa City!) here. On the downside, however, I'm saddened to see WOSU shut down operations on 820. University-owned/run stations are getting fewer and fewer on AM, and we've just lost another one (I don't count KUOM-770 or KVCU-1190, which are run by the students and not by the university itself). 73, (Rick Dau, South Omaha, Nebraska, ibid.) Rick: I'm not saddened so much by the demise of university AMs as I am by the switch in the formats of so many university FMs. When I moved to this area, as pastor of Alexander Presbyterian Church in rural Athens, our church clerk, an Ohio U. professor, had built herself a very nice house not far from the church. Above the stairs leading up to her bedroom/office she had a full-sized TV antenna hanging and oriented just right so as to pick up WOSU-FM, whose classical format she loved. She also had a pair of Boxe [Bose?] 901 loudspeakers hanging from the cathedral ceiling in her living room. The sound was magnificent and the signal, even at over 70 miles, magnificent. While her death came much too soon for those of us who called her our friend, she would probably have ripped down her antenna when WOSU-FM stopped playing classical music. The demise of university AMs seems to me to suggest that even more of their FMs will carry NPR talk all day. I suppose there are those who view this as a public service, or more of a public service than playing classical music. I would disagree. What it actually does is prevent the creation of a profitable and successful liberal talk commercial media which might be comparable to what the conservatives already have, while at the same time giving the conservatives a convenient target in their campaign against the obvious liberal biases of the government and university establishments. These elites would be better off if they stopped using public funds to defend themselves and let a viable liberal voice, independent of government, make their case for them. Their FMs could then go back to playing good music, or follow the path being blazed by such multiple-outlet stations as WNKY, and become shameless promoters of their universities. 73 (David Faulkner, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. 920, TEXAS KGKL, San Angelo. 1205 December 26, 2011. Coming out of ABC News with male announcer, "The Voice of the Concho Valley, KGKL" and local store ads, another KGKL ID. Darn, just a little more west and I could be in New Mexico. 5 kW (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Jim Chenard reports that he's finishing arrangements for WKQV [sic] 1540 (Georgia) for a test Friday night December 30 (That's early Saturday morning) at 0200. I am presuming EST (Georgia time) unless Jim lets us know otherwise [0700 UT]. They're really hoping to make it to the west coast. Details to follow. Please pass this message to people / lists / sites where the news would be welcome. Thanks, Jim! (Saul Chernos, IRCA-NRC DX Test Committee, Dec 28, NRC-AM et al. via DXLD) That`s short notice; too late even for me to mention on WORLD OF RADIO. And it`s WKVQ, Eatonton, which tested once before (gh, DXLD) DX test, Friday December 30th (A.k.a. Saturday morning) [v.v.! gh] Time - 2 AM EST Duration 30 minutes Format - Xmas Music, CW ID's, Sweep Tones and Voice IDs WKVQ 1540 10 KW Eatonton, Georgia Veries to Craig Baker WKVQ Radio P. O. Box 3965 Eatonton, GA 31024 or starstation @ bellsouth.net *706-485-8792* (Jim Chenard, NRC Dxtip mailing list, Dec 29 via Dave Hascall, WTFDA AM via DXLD) ** U S A. Brockton MA's 1710 Pirate Off The Air --- For the past couple days, the strong 1710 pirate in Brockton has been off the air. A friend of mine was driving through downtown the other day and said the antenna is gone as well. I'm hearing something a lot weaker on the frequency, not sure what language, but could be another Haitian from Boston. There are now more FM pirates in Brockton than ever (87.9, 88.5, 89.3, 90.1, 91.7, 94.9, 96.5, and 100.1) so they may have moved to FM (Jeff Lehmann, Hanson, MA, Dec 26, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) 1710: NORTH AMERICA ** U S A. Cedar Rapids-KNBO 88.7 to launch in 2012 | The Gazette CEDAR RAPIDS — Corridor radio listeners might soon be able to tune in to a Spanish language broadcast of a Kernels baseball game, a Latin mass at St. Ludmila’s Catholic Church, or a live musical performance at a local nightclub. A rare FCC award of FM radio spectrum to hundreds of community groups looks to bring one of the biggest prizes, a 5,000-watt FM broadcast license, to the Cedar Rapids-based New Bohemia Group next year. The group says it will use the license to expand access to community voices and bring attention to areas emerging from the devastation of the June 2008 floods. The community arts and entertainment group was awarded a construction license in October and granted call letters KNBO to better reflect the group’s name last week. KNBO hopes to be offering an audio stream on the Internet within 90 days and to be broadcasting at 88.7 FM sometime in 2012 — the exact date depending largely on the success of fundraising for equipment... http://thegazette.com/2011/12/24/cedar-rapids-based-radio-station-to-launch-in-2012/ (via Kevin Redding, ABDX yg via DXLD) ** U S A. While checking for the 99.9 Enid Xmas light show Part 15, I noticed something new on 99.7 --- Spanish. At first I figured KZLS near OKC must have flipped format from True Oldies, but it turned out I was just in a dead spot for reception from that, as I could still hear it when driving on a few meters further. The Spanish was coming from Wichita KS, judging from the ads, and ID as ``Fiesta 99.7 FM``; also doesn`t hesitate to refer to ``La Raza`` even tho turns out it`s owned by a gringo, Daniel D. Smith. Never heard any sign of it before, and suspect newly on air. No listing for it in the final FM Atlas XXI, which is now over a sesquiyear old. This frequency became available in S Kansas once KXLS moved its 99.7 transmitter from halfway Alva/Enid to Mustang/OKC. All about it here in FCC: http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=15410 It`s KANR, which used to be the calls of Spanish on 92.7, also city- of-licensed to Belle Plaine KS, which is S of Wichita (not to be confused with Pretty Prairie, W of Wichita!). FCC still has KANR licensed on 92.7 at 12 kW with a CP for 12 kW on 99.7 and an application for 50 kW. Transmitter site is same, NW of Wellington which puts it considerably closer to Enid than it would be from Wichita proper. In fact, with 12 kW ERP, its 60 dbu service contour barely reaches Wichita and the Oklahoma border. The 50 kW will get it slightly past Wichita to the north, and a little bit into Oklahoma, but not as far as Medford, Blackwell or Newkirk. I expect they moved to 99.7 in order to increase power. Nevertheless, my reception shows that KANR 99.7 is already a nuisance for KZLS, which since it upgraded near OKC has been putting a decent signal back into Enid, after Chisholm Trail Broadcasting hijacked the frequency to a much larger market just as it did before with ex-KNID 96.9, originally a pure Enid allocation. Around noon Dec 24, the two are fighting for 99.7. And once KANR quadruples its power, it will surely be worse. KZLS is licensed for 47 kW, from a site WNW of OKC with a 60 dbu contour not quite reaching Hennessey, and has an STA for 17.4 kW from the original site SW of OKC which barely reaches the other site, which I assume is the one really in use for some months now. So what becomes of the 92.7 allocation in S KS? That has CP to become KWME in Wellington, moving from 93.5, why? Around 1800 UT Dec 24, on 92.7 I am barely getting Xmas carols (in English) and announcements, so maybe that`s already KWME, with heavy ACI from KOMA 92.5. Yes, it is, per website http://www.kleyam.com/kwme.html all about 92.7, not 93.5, including coverage map http://www.kleyam.com/kwme2.html It`s sister station to KLEY 1130 and KKLE 1550 And finally at 1901 UT Dec 24, ID for Oldies 92.7, KWME, amid a sesquiday of continuous Xmas music. So what becomes of the 93.5 allocation in S Kansas? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Glenn, Just heard your report of music along with Christmas lights. About 1/2 mile from me is a family using 89.7 MHz. I am on their fringe (Jack Smith from Newport, NC, Dec 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re: Arizona Silver Belt KIKO 1340 AM leaving for Apache Junction Does anyone know what the current regulations are for AM stations regarding studio location? I have tried to find it in the FCC R&R several times, but the wording is very confusing. In the not too distant past, AM stations were still required to have their studios located within their city of license, with the single exception that they could be located at their transmitter site, even if it was outside the city of license. It seemed odd to me that AM stations were so tightly regulated for years after FM stations were allowed locate their studios well outside of their city of license. As I remember, FM stations were originally held to the same ruling, but then one FM station in Arizona was granted a waiver to locate their studio outside the city of license. That opened the door for all FMs to do the same thing through what became known as the "Arizona Waiver." It was my understanding that because of that waiver, it was not even necessary for an FM to apply for the waiver, which could be assumed to imply that the FCC blew it when they granted the first one, essentially making it a rule change by default. Still, AM stations were never allowed the same privilege. The "Arizona Waiver" must date to at least the 70s, and it would be interesting to know which station got the first one. The only AM station I ever worked for that did not have its studios within the city of license, or at the transmitter site, was in the Denver market. It was a stand alone AM with the transmitter site in the next county to the south, and the studios were located in the city next to the city of license, so at least it wasn't as far off as some FMs that are 50 or more miles from their city of license. I never asked while I was working there if we had a waiver to be where we were, but we must have since the FCC knew where we operated from. I do know that the FCC was not generous about granting waivers to AM stations unless there was a very good reason. How and why they would maintain different standards for AM and FM stations regarding studio location for so many years has been a real mystery. 73, (Kit Sage, W5KAT, ABDX via DXLD) The rules are now the same for AM, FM and TV: a main studio has to be located within either the corporate limits of the city of license or within 25 miles of the city of license - OR it can be within the principal-community contour (5 mV/m for AM, 60 dBu for most classes of FM) of any station licensed to the same community. That opens the door to some bizarre scenarios: because the 5 mV/m contours of WFAN and WCBS brush the Long Island Sound coastline, you could put a legal main studio in New London, Connecticut for any station licensed to New York City, if for some reason you wanted to do that. The FCC currently won't generally grant waivers of those main-studio rules to commercial stations. Noncommercial stations can generally get such waivers pretty easily; nearly every K-Love and Air 1 station in America has its legal main studio in Rocklin, California, for instance. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) ** VANUATU. Hi Everyone, Does anyone know the times for Vanuatu on 3945? The ones I have seem to conflict. I seem to be getting something weak quite regularly at around 18 UT. Thanks (Mark Davies, Anglesey, Wales, Dec 22, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Today it signed on at 1824 (Mauno Ritola, Finland, Dec 23, ibid.) [and non]. 3945, R. Vanuatu, Port Vila. December 20, 0750-0800 male and female in an uncertain language. Poor but some slow and progressive enhancement, 25422 (lob-B). 5055, Brasil, R. Difusora, Cáceres, Mato Grosso. December 20, 0801- 0805 male in Portuguese religious talks “nas congregações da igreja. Mato Grosso”, religious music. 34533, (lob-B). 3945, Japan, R. Nikkei 2, Chiba-Nagara. December 24, 0753-0804 male in Japanese talks, instrumental music, back male, soft music by female singer selections. No signal of Vanuatu, 22432. Merry Christmas 73’s (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil (23 39’S-46 53’W), SW40 - Dipoles and Longwire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So both Japan and Van could be on 3945 at the same time. 5055 is an alternate frequency for Vanuatu, too (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) ** VATICAN [non]. 15470, Dec 24 at 2113, VG S9+25 signal with Xmas mass, 2116 Italian announcement mentions Vatican, more mass. This is a new frequency, or rather special one where nothing is normally heard or scheduled. 2215 recheck, still going in Spanish, hymn about Noel. I Never hear a specific Vatican Radio ID, but sure sounds like them, with Xmas eve special broadcast, and has to be a relay with reception like this, since from Europe on 19m, Spain manages only a weak 15110 signal, which had been VG in the autumn. Likely Sackville or Bonaire, VR relay sites used later in the evening. At 2220 compared to Poland via Sackville on 15260, not quite as strong as 15470, with its own non-// usual Saturday night mass in Polish. Now the SSOB is 15440 WYFR, with 15470 the second SSOB. 15470 sounds like PBXVI speaking and trying to sing, but with YL commentary in Spanish. WEWN Spanish service relays Vatican around 2200, so I check 13830 // 12050 --- those are running 13 seconds ahead of 15470, so apparently live Xmas Eve service which somehow gets into and out of Birmingham/Vandiver first. At 2307 the mass is over, and English programming is in progress, interviewing someone from Friends of the Holy Land, about helping out the few Christians left in Bethlehem. 2312 introduces `our final program today`, Xmas play ``No Cribs for a Bed``. I check the handy Broadcasts in English schedule booklet for B-11 from the British DX Club, which is excellent and comprehensive, so I don`t have to turn on a computer, http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bdxcuk/bie.html and no, there is nothing on 15470 before or after 2300. It does however show Vatican at 2300-2345 daily to NAm direct in DRM on 7370 - -- so I bet VR decided they would like to have a significant audience for a change on this special occasion by adding another frequency in AM. But it would be nice if they had publicized it. Expecting this to last until 2345 as well, I don`t check again until 2330, by when the broadcast has already stopped, open carrier until 2331*. So was it Bonaire or Sackville? Assuming Bonaire still has three funxional transmitters, is one available at least from 2100 to 2330? Searching HFCC (the individual RNW schedules are insufficient), we find 2100-2127 on 13700, 17605; 2200-2227 on 15315 and 15540 --- plus NHK relay 2200-2400 on 17605. Unfortunately I did not confirm whether the latter was still on the air this date, but why not? That makes it more likely Sackville, which has more transmitters, but hardly full usage with all the RCI cutbacks. I`ll check VR`s Special Broadcast page when I turn the computer on later. After 0100 Dec 25, I finally find it, http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/trasm_spec.asp But any Dec 24 entries have already been deleted, leaving only Dec 25, with the same info presented on a Spanish page, as specials are now broken up by language, making them harder to research; most are direct, but any relays are not specified as such; probably in UT +1: ``Special Broadcasts Sunday 25 December 2011 Christmas Message and "Urbi et Orbi" blessing at 12.00 From the Central Loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, the Holy Father's Christmas Message and "Urbi et Orbi" blessing Live broadcast from 11.50 a.m. - in English for Western Europe on kHz 17.885 SW, for the Rome area on MHz 93,3 FM and via Internet on Channel 1 - in French for Western Africa on kHz 21.660 SW and kHz 17.520 SW, for the Rome area on MHz 103,8 FM and via Internet on Channel 2 - in German for Central-Western Europe on kHz 9.645 SW, for the Rome area on kHz 1.611 MW and via Internet on Channel 3 - in Portuguese for Africa on kHz 21.680 SW and via Internet on Channel 4 - in Italian for Italy on kHz 7.250 SW, for the Rome area on kHz 585 MW, MHz 105,0 FM and via Internet on Channel 5 - in Spanish for Central America on kHz 6.070 SW and via Internet on Channel 6 - International Sound via Internet on Channel 8`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) & 15470 not heard since (gh) [non]. While looking for the Russian on 6075 I was wondering where all the splatter was coming from and found Vatican Radio on 6070 with a huge signal at 1125 in Spanish. Closed at 1130 and off the frequency. Something new, punch-up error? 25 December (Steve Lare, Holland, MI USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See my latest report [just above]. This was a special for the Urbi et Orbi papal speech. I would dearly love to know whether the site was Sackville, blowing away another Canadian, CFRX (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** VATICAN. 13765, Dec 29 at 1518 open carrier, then, vying with EGYPT 13580, very weak modulation seemingly in a S Asian language, as VR is supposed to be in Malayalam at 1510-1530 per EiBi. But I`m afraid Cairo is still more unmodulated (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM [and non]. /PHILIPPINES. 9920, Bubble whistling buoy jamming - Stoersender?, 1140 UT, 21 Dec. Ich finde momentan keine Erklaerung zur Stoerung dieser Frequenz. Weder hfcc - noch AOKI-Liste zeigt mir einen "stoerungswuerdigen" Kandidaten. Hoert jemand mit bzw. weiss jemand um die Ursache? (Herbert Meixner, Austria, Dec 21, A-DX via BC-DX Dec 27 via DXLD) Die Bekehrung der Heiden bei den Hmong und anderen Nationalitaets- Voelkern in Vietnam und im Grenzgebiet zu Laos durch evangelikale Sekten wie den FEBC Aussendungen aus Manila geht der Hanoi Regierung gehoerig gegen den Strich, aehnlich verhaelt es sich mit der Falun Gong- und Aum-Sektentaetigkeit in der PR of China. 9920 FEBC 1100-1130 ....567 Jarai 1100-1130 1234... Rade 1130-1200 ....5.7 Chru 1130-1200 1.3.... Chrau 1130-1200 .2.4.6. Bahnar 1200-1230 1...... Cham 1200-1230 ....5.7 Bru 1200-1230 .....6. Tai Da 1200-1230 ..3.... Sedang 1200-1230 .2.4... Roglai 7480 FEBC 1300-1330 .2.4... Mnong [sic] Central 1300-1330 ....5.7 Jeh 1300-1330 1.3.... Stieng Bulo 1300-1330 .....6. Muong 1330-1400 .2.4... Katu 1330-1400 1.3.5.7 Hre 1330-1400 .....6. Nung {all languages according Aoki list} Die Hmong Sendungen von FEBC aus Manila werden schon einige Monate deftig mit heulenden Bubble Toenen gestoert. Nur waren da die Stoersender hier in Europa bisher nicht so kraeftig aufzunehmen. Stoerungen auf 7480 kHz werden schon eine ganze zeitlang berichtet (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 22 via DXLD) 9990, Dec 29 at 1357, oscillating tone jammer against nothing, and Aoki, EiBi show nothing on 9990 between 1330 and 1500, but HFCC has IBB Vietnamese via Saipan at 14-15, so that explains it; by 1405 the presumed target barely detectable vs continuing jamming. Surely in January, WTWW will blow all this away on 9990, starting up #2 transmitter, which is awaiting further spur-suppression work by Continental. George McClintock tells me to expect another test transmission in a couple of weeks (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. 1550: CLAND. Polisario Front. --- For the past few days, the Castilian language program is being aired 2330-0000 although they're announcing "media noche en Aiún ocupada" (=midnight in occupied El-Aiún), which should be translated to 2300 UT, but even this may be incorrect as Morocco's time zone matches, I suppose, that of UTC just like here in POR and also in MDR, IRL, G or ISL. Today, something went wrong down there as the transmitter went off at 2330 as it normally would after the 2300-2330 program in Castilian. On Wed. 21st, however, the broadcast was 2332-0002. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, Dec 23, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZAMBIA. ZNBC2, 6165 Lusaka. Dec 22 2011, Thursday. 1800-1920. News till 1810, then several adverts before local news at 1813. Parliamentary news at 1816, then self-promotion for "Radio 2" at 1819 followed by a YL singing "Silent Night" at 1821. It seems like ages since I was last able to listen to ZNBC2 without Chad's interference, so I'll stop logging and start listening for a change. Later, 1920: It`s been an evening of afro music, christmas music and a short story. They also seem to have several new jingles, or at least ones I haven't heard before. Good tonight, just a weak and wavery het but a strong signal from Zambia with no fades, flutter or distortion. Propagation from north Africa (Chad) must be really poor tonight. Jo'burg sunset 1700 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Trans-Pacific MW carrier search Dec 23 around 1348 UT local sunrise here: very weak ones detectable on 972, 792, 774, 747 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 1110 at 10:35 pm. Got a strange one here, under KFAB I hear what sounds like asian music but at times sounds more like middle eastern type singing, (chanting) by young male, or at least with a higher voice. Been going on for nearly an hour. My contact in California says KLIB isn't having singing at this time, just a fellow talking, so I`m not sure who this could be? Link to the recording : https://rapidshare.com/files/927488807/1110khz1040pm.mp3 (Dean Wayman, 0435 ut Dec 27, ABDX via DXLD) Dominant on a remote receiver down in Atlanta right now, faintly heard under WBT on a North Carolina remote receiver, continuous chanting with no breaks, talk, or IDs. I'm guessing it's coming from a southern state, probably someone on late? Another mystery to solve (Tim Tromp, West Michigan, ibid.) This may be KVTT based on a little searching around (this from Glenn Hauser / DX LISTENING DIGEST): "UNIDENTIFIED. 1110, Friday Oct 21 at 1229 UT, I can barely hear some Qur`an amid CCI with KFAB nulled. Still wondering whether this is KVIL Dallas market or KTEK Houston market. Or something else?`` It's very strong on the San Antonio, TX. Global Tuners node right now at 0620 UT and I'm hearing it faintly here in Michigan too (Tim Tromp, Dec 27, ABDX via DXLD) This is KVTT from near Dallas TX. Not supposed to be on at night, but stations seem to have issues during this holiday period when sometimes regular staff is on vacation. 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, UT Dec 28, ABDX via DXLD) Hello Mr. Hauser, I hope you will not mind an AM-band related question. I live in western Georgia (USA) and I can hear Koranic chanting broadcast on 1110 AM from 6:30 AM (EST) to about 7:00 [1130- 1200 UT] via a car radio. I would expect the strongest signal at that time to be from WBT in Charlotte, but I can confirm that the chanting is not from WBT because I have heard them both at the same time. In fact I was treated to the surreal experience of hearing the ululating muezzin overlapped with Rush Limbaugh's barking dyspepsia. Anyway, I was just curious if anyone knows where the Islamic chant on 1110 originates. It seemed to go on past 7:00, though both signals were fading by that time. Thank you for your time, sir (Chris Slembarski, 1711 UT Dec 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Chris, I and others have also heard this. It has to be one of the Texans, we think KVTT in Mineral Wells (near Dallas, 50 kW) rather than KTEK in Alvin (near Houston, 2.5 kW) tho neither is listed with such a format. Here is a website with a lot of frequency-by-frequency Dallas-Fort Worth radio history back to the beginning, but unfortunately not updated with the latest changes, including 1110. http://www.knus99.com/amlist.html (Glenn to Chris, via DXLD) Hello Glenn, Texas makes a lot of sense. I've noticed a much better chance of hearing WBAP clearly in the pre-dawn hours than in the evening. The Islamic chanting did not seem to stop for a top-of-hour ID at 7:00 Eastern, although it was difficult to hear by then. Is that when the day-timers wake up? Thanks for the assistance! (Chris, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. Spanish on 1189.85 --- For the past month I've noticed a station that I can occasionally separate that plays nondescript Spanish music (nothing that I could say is definitely Mexican, Tropical, no Cuban) on the low side of a crowded 1190. This is best towards my south. Any ideas? 73 KAZ Barrington IL (Neil Kazaross, Dec 28, IRCA via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 1520, Dec 23 as early as 2108 UT, something skywave besides KOKC is audible by deeply nulling its 50 kW groundwave. Sounds like country music, or maybe Xmas music, which could be anything breaking nominal format (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Your unID 1520 could be KKXA Snohomish, WA, a new sign on, 20 kW nd day, 50 kw 4 tower da nights (Paul Walker, PA, NRC-AM via DXLD) Tnx for the suggestion, but I doubt it as that would be 1 pm in WA and I am a long way from there, and there are a lot more 1520s closer, especially eastward, which would fit into KOKC`s ENE/WSW null better (gh, ibid.) Your C&W with mix of Xmas music is more likely KHRW from Sikeston, Mo. They get out very well, at least in my direxion (Tom Jasinski, Joliet, IL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Where Glenn is located, a far better bet would be KRHW in Sikeston, MO (461 miles from Enid, as the crow flies, which would certainly qualify as skywave). The country format would be a match, and Sikeston-to-Enid is at a nearly 90 degree angle from Enid-to-OKC. At 8 minutes past 3:00 in the afternoon local time, the odds of anything from Washington state being heard in Oklahoma are extremely remote, even in late December. 73, (Rick Dau, South Omaha, Nebraska, NRC AM via DXLD) Ah OK, Glenn. I am replying from my phone while shopping at walmart and missed some of the details (Paul Walker, ibid.) KMSR-Mayville, ND also often "forgets" to power down and whacks KOKC with a potent signal until someone finally finds the switch. Sikeston, MO also sends a weak signal west (Paul Swearingen, Topeka KS, ibid.) I live 25 miles east of Enid and hear KRHW in KOKC's null every night. (Richard Allen, IRCA via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 1530, 1225 December 27, 2011. Spanish Christian format, with Christmas vocals and "Silent Night" male solo reading in Spanish, Spanish tropical Christian vocals, very brief break at 1231 with a definite 7:30 time check (so something Eastern Time, not Central Time or a Mexican), otherwise no commercials or breaks. Faded by 1300, with WENG, Englewood, FL poor underneath. 10 kW D3 WLLQ, Chapel Hill, NC listed as Spanish but not Christian, and WYMM, Jacksonville is English Gospel. Puzzling (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Re 11-51, 1600: Good Morning Glenn, I didn't realize until this morning that there is a "Radio Tejano" in S. Tucson, AZ (KXEW). I can't help but wonder if my reception was actually them. I just now found their online live stream...hmm, does not sound at all like the same station. KXEW sounds like a quasi-Spanish broadcaster with EE and SS combined. Kind of reminds me of stations like SIBC, Solomon Islands, with their EE and Pidgin-like language combined :) KXEW is also playing norteña and not even close to the styles heard that one morning from the UNID. I love a good mystery! (Shades of "The Gypsy" that turned out to be "The Dixie" a few years ago on MW.) (Kirk Allen, Ponca City OK, Dec 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. >>>3965 ISS English at 1800-1857 UT, news at 1804 UT [Taiwan relay] Also heard here last night with a very strong signal, but there was an UN-ID station underneath. Which one? 73, (Erik Koie, North of Copenhagen, Denmark, Dec 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 5980-5990, Dec 24 at 2355, noise jamming is disrupting this range including CRI via Cuba on 5990. Or is it DRM? None such scheduled on any of the three channels; nor does it sound much like typical Cuban jamming on 5980 which attacks R. Martí after 0700 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 7235.023 kHz at 0525 UT - Despite of different times mentioned on WRTH 2012 and Aoki list, I noted a HoA station in Unknown language, like Tigrinya of Voice of Democracy via Addis Ababa Gedja, which schedule is one hour earlier in WRTH 2012. Normally 7235 even is covered by Belarus Radio, but latter failed this morning (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 15280, Dec 22 at 1423, rapid clicking noise, but nothing known to be jammed here; maybe spur from Cuban jamming on 15330, tho sounds more like the OTH radar currently infesting 15100-15125, a spur from that? That`s bothering some broadcaster on 15120. Clicking still going on 15280 at 1518, when it`s QRMing Romania in Arabic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACKNOWLEDGED ON WORLD OF RADIO 1597: Glenn, Thanks for your good work. Best wishes, Martin Gallas, IL (with a contribution via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com) TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED ON SUBSEQUENT PROGRAMS: Thanks to Will Martin, St Louis MO, supporting WOR and DXLD with a check in the mail to P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702. A contribution in my appreciation of all your radio related activities (Kraig Krist, Manassas VA, with a check in the mail to P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702) Glenn, I wish I could give you more money. Our 5 month old, now 3 and a half years old, listens to your show because it`s some of the only good talking around. Bill and Judy liked too (Fred Jodry, New Rochelle NY, with an MO to P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702) Hi Glenn, just to testify here my gratitude for another year with plenty radio information from the world over. Now more than ever it comes clear our hobby won't be what it is without your valuable presence. Keep yourself healthy and blessed for many more years in front of our worldwide DX community. You're #1 --- Did you know that? (Raul Saavedra, Costa Rica, Dec 22, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well said, Raul and I completely 101% agree! Thank you Glenn for all you do for our global radio community. 73, (Ulis Fleming, ibid.) GH: Happy Holidays from Founder and owner of Noble West Media, Yours Truly, Noble West. Since 1982, WOR and you have enlightened and made our hobby more enjoyable and for that I am grateful of the time you put into making WOR a great success since the first airing on WRNO in 1982! May you continue to be Strong, Healthy and Vibrant to carry on a Task that has endured since Edition Number One in 1982. Happy Holidays from (NWM, Vol Country, Clinton, Tenn, Dec 22, dxldyg via DXLD) GH Inspired me to begin my global adventure in 1976 when he had a program over WUOT in Knoxville. Happy Holidays to You, GH and the contributors of this great hobby! 73's, (Noble West Media, via DXLD) Hi Glenn, Thanks for adding me to your "Logs" list. SWLing is one of the few hobby activities that I'm still able to enjoy anymore. Voice will no longer handle SSB and arthritis has severely limited my previously fairly decent CW. Will be 83 in February but my ears still work so can search and listen fine (g). Appreciate all the effort and time that you put into your reports and broadcasts. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! 73, (Mac, KR0I, Kansas City, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Eu sou dexista desde 1972. Vejo o dexismo antes e depois do trabalho do Glenn. Ainda bem que vivo durante a época de seu trabalho. Tudo fica mais fácil. Muito obrigado Glenn, por seu trabalho ímpar, constante, zeloso e insubstituível. Seus boletins são presentes mais valiosos que o de uma data comemorativa. É esforço, dedicação e amor gratuitos ao dexismo e a seus colegas. Muitos anos de vida e boa saúde. Um grande e forte abraço latino. [I`ve been a DXer since 1972. I look at DXing before and since Glenn`s work. It`s good that I am living during the epoch of his work. Everything becomes easier. Many thanks, Glenn, for your unique, constant, zealous and irreplaceable work. Your bulletins are gifts more valuable than those for a commemorative date. It`s selfless effort, dedication and love for DXing and your colleagues. Many decades of life and good health. A big Latin embrace.] (Jorge Freitas, Local time -2 UT, Feira de Santana Bahia 12 14´S 38 58´W, Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: Nascent commemoration --- Thank you Glenn; luckily, as yet, I don't feel a day older than I was! And I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for all of the excellent work that you do for we listeners. It's indispensable for anyone wanting to know what's happening in radio land. 73 from (Noel Green, England) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ Re: WRTVH status in the USA Universal in Reynoldsburg says they have them in stock. (John Figliozzi, NY, Dec 22, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Regarding Amazon, my order confirmation hit and it is scheduled to arrive Dec. 28th. Don't believe their front page Feb.-March delivery. And yes, Universal shows in stock since at least yesterday online (Terry Krueger, FL, Dec 23, ibid.) I received mine from Amazon Thrs (12/22). Had previously received that 2-3 month email, then another a day or two later saying that it is shipping. Showed up the next day (Reg Putrich, Dec 23, ibid.) Amazon know how to satisfy customers! Deliver something a few months earlier than promised (gh, DXLD) My Amazon-stocked copy arrived December 23 at 4:35 pm local via UPS, after departing Kentucky at 10:06 pm the night before! (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM NEWS FROM THE McFARLAND PROGRAMM ARCHIVES Hi there Glenn. I trust that all is well with you these days. Just in case you haven't already heard via HCDX I just wanted to let you know about a new project along the lines of the CDs that have been produced and sold via the DXer.ca website. Colin Newell has produced MP3 versions of the three CD series and they are now available for downloading at very reasonable prices from the DXer.ca website. In the coming weeks we'll also be releasing other material from my program / feature archives - things like the SW antenna Course. I'd appreciate any publicity you could give to this new project, since the beneficiary, as was the case with the CDs, is my local food bank. Cheers for now and all the very best of good wishes for the New Year. Kind regards from the west coast (Ian McFarland, De 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Ian McFarland MP3 Library online Ian and I have had a fairly successful few years selling CD sets to benefit his favorite charity - a local food bank and soup kitchen in Duncan, British Columbia Canada. The series include a historic look at Interval Signals and Idents through the years, a series on Language Identification with many bonus features and a modern roundtable look back on the recent history of SW Broadcasting... where it has been and where it is going. We are now beta testing the online library and are offering the CD's as MP3 downloads in 1 hour and 2 minute chapters for around $2 - the same end result applying - all proceeds go to Ian's favorite charity. The online library can be found at http://www.dxer.ca/cd-store As well, Ian McFarland and I have quite a few plans for new material in 2012 - so check back occasionally. 73 - (Colin Newell is a Victoria B.C. Resident and Writer, Editor/Creator - Coffeecrew dot com | coffee DOT bc DOT ca Dec 26,, HCDX via DXLD) As a few of you also know, I am creating a special download library of all the Ian McFarland Series CD's - and we will be expanding on that library in 2012. They are large downloads for a fee - typically 1 hour and 20 minute programs for $2.50 - which Ian and I think is reasonable... all the $ going to his neighborhood food bank and soup kitchen as well. 73 everyone! (Colin Newell, BC, IRCA via DXLD) SITO STAZIONI COSTIERE Voglio segnalare un interessante link dove trovare le liste molto aggiornate delle stazioni costiere e marittime attive europee e non: http://www.coastalradio.org.uk/index.html (Roberto Rizzardi, SWL I/0216/GR, Porto S. Stefano (GR) Italy, Dec 28, playdx yg via DXLD) WORLD OF HOROLOGY +++++++++++++++++ CELEBRATING NEW YEAR’S EVE ON SHORT WAVES The world uses different calendars to record time. There are many countries that use the Lunar calendar for religious and other reasons. There is a Muslim, Jewish, Eastern calendar, etc. The main one used throughout the world is the Solar calendar, which begins with the AD, the birth of Jesus Christ. The dates in this calendar change along the 180 degree meridian, and the new date comes with the shifting of the western longitude by 15 degrees. Listeners can follow the celebrations of New Year’s Eve which vary from nation to nation, by tuning in to local radio stations on short waves. The celebrations start at 11 h UTC on December 31 and go on until 10 h UTC on January 1. It is better if you tune in some 15 minutes before the hour to catch the New Year’s address of the head of state and listen to the National Anthem. First of all New Year’s Eve is marked in New Zealand on Radio New Zealand on short waves at 11 h UT on 15720 kHz. At the same time the people in McMurdo, Antarctica, Fiji, Tonga? etc, also celebrate, but there are no broadcasts from there. At 12 h the people in the Russian Far East celebrate: Radio Kamchatka on 6075 kHz and radio Magadan on 5940 & 7320 kHz. In Australia New Year’s Eve comes between 13 and 16 h UTC depending on the states, on 9560, 9590 kHz and in the Northern Territories also on 2310, 2325 & 2485 kHz. The same event is in Vanuatu on 3945&7260 kHz, in Solomon Islands on 5020 and in Pohnpei island on 4755 kHz. 19 local radios are celebrating in Papua New Guinea at 14 h and in Sakhalin, Russia on 6150 & 7230 kHz. 15 h is the time for Japan on 9750, 12045 kHz and others, for North Korea on 6251 kHz. Some of the 15 local radio stations in Indonesia mark the event between 15 and 17 h. Despite their Lunar calendar, Chinese radio stations mark New Year’s Eve at 16 h, and in Malaysia this happens on 5965, 7295, 9835 & 11665 kHz. People in Tuva celebrate on 6100 kHz and in Krasnoyarsk on 6085 kHz in Russia and on 4830, 4895 & 7260 kHz in Mongolia. It is possible that you catch a celebration from Myanmar on 5835, 9730 kHz and others at 17.30 h. At 18 h from US Force Radio in Chagos Island on 4319 kHz, in Kyrgyzstan on 4010 & 4795 kHz, in Bhutan on 6035 kHz. Several local stations India celebrate at 18.30 h on 5015, 9425, 9470 kHz, etc. On 19 h New Year’s Eve is celebrated in Tajikistan on 4635 kHz, and at 20 h in Russia on 5905 kHz, etc. [the UT +4 zone only!] At 21 h people in Uganda celebrate on 4976 kHz and in Belarus on 6010, 6040 kHz and other frequencies. 22 h is the time for Bulgaria, Greece on 9420 kHz, Zambia 5915 kHz, Zimbabwe 4828 kHz, etc. The celebration in Chad is really interesting to listen to on 6165 kHz at 23h. 23 h is also the time for Croatia on 3985 kHz, Angola on 4950 kHz, Benin 5025 kHz and Niger on 9705 kHz. 00 h UTC is the time for the BBC in the United Kingdom, Mali on 5995 kHz and [inactive] Guinea on 7125 kHz. Next is Brazil on 1 January UTC at 2 h on several frequencies in bands from 19 to 120 meters short waves. At 3 h in Suriname on 4990 kHz and Argentina on 11711 kHz. From 3.30 till 8 h in Canada, at 5 h in Cuba, Ecuador & Peru. At 4 h in Guyana on 3290 kHz and at 6 h in Mexico & Guatemala. In USA from 5 on the East Coast to 10 h in Hawaii (Rumen Pankov, R, Bulgaria DX Program Dec 16 via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM See CHINA; ERITREA; GERMANY; PAPUA NEW ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GUINEA; TAJIKISTAN; VATICAN; UNID 5980 DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- IBOC +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ iBiquity, NAB Fastroad Release Asymmetrical IBOC Sideband Lab Tests Results Here's a new report on IBOC, which may interest the FM DX'ers and radio listeners out there. If you are of a technical bent, you can download a PDF copy of the report from the article. No mention of any tests or results on the medium wave band. http://radiomagonline.com/currents/ibiquity_nab_fastroad_asymmetrical_iboc_sideband_lab_tests_results_1221/ 73 (Al Muick, Whitehall PA, Dec 22, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ LAYOVER: MONTREAL Am enjoying the new Montreal episode of Layover, with Anthony Bourdain, on Travel Channel (US), UT Tuesday at 02-03 --- mostly about food, but there is a radio angle. Repeats at 0500 UT. And probably other times in weeks to come. 73, (Glenn Hauser, Dec 27, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) THE CRYSTAL SET One for Christmas - Reg Varney and his bruvers crystal set http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYPaPelRCoQ&feature=related (from The*Watlingfen*, Rog Parsons (BDXC 782), Hinckley, Leics., BDXC- UK yg via DXLD) 472.5 KHZ SPECIAL BROADCASTS HONOUR FESSENDEN The early history of wireless contains the names of many great pioneers. While Marconi's name is most well known, the names of Fessenden and Heising are only rarely mentioned. As early as 1900 Reginald Fessenden was experimenting with the direct transmission of human speech. While during WW1, Raymond Heising was developing a method of constant-current modulation that was one of the earliest forms of AM. Since I have been one of the active CW 600m stations as part of the ARRL's Experimental License project for some time now, I decided to take a step or two further into the realm of early radio transmissions. One of the transmitters I have used for 600m CW and QRSS work has been a vintage homebrew design that could support traditional CW and Heising AM. Since the ARRL's Part 5 license only supports CW and narrow-band digital modes, the Heising modulator went unused until a new idea came to mind. Fessenden's early work includes a very unique 1906 Christmas Eve transmission of him playing the violin, a recording of a "Ombra mai fu", and him reading a Bible verse. An idea was thus born to apply for an FCC STA (Special Temporary Authorization) for 600m operation that is for amplitude modulation, in particular the Heising modulation. With the cooperation of commercial coastal CW station WNE and the FCC's OET (Office of Engineering Technology) the STA with call sign WF9XIH was granted for AM transmissions until March 1st, 2012 with a center carrier frequency of 472.5 kHz. The plan is to begin a series of evening test transmissions the week of December 18th, 2011 with a special recreation of Fessenden's Christmas Eve transmission at 0200z on Dec 25th. (That would be 9pm EST Dec 24th, 2011). Since the likelihood of a 5w AM signal being heard much beyond a few 10's of miles, a 500W solid state linear PA will be used for best DX. WF9XIH is licensed for up to 20wERP (just like the WD2XSH stations) and every effort will be made to run as close to that ERP as possible. The same antenna (a 160m dipole feed as a Marconi-T against ground) that has been used for WD2XSH/31 will be used for WF9XIH. Commercial station WNE is currently running CW marine weather transmissions at 2200z & 0100z daily. So you can sharpen your 25 WPM CW skills at those times too. WF9XIH transmissions are being coordinated with WNE and any changes to the WNE schedule will alter the WF9XIH operating times. The current plan is to at least make a Heising AM transmission most evenings at 0200z. Audio loops of speech and a series of stepped audio tones will be used most of the time. The stepped audio tones will make it easier for DX listeners to demodulate in CW or SSB mode even when they are well beyond the range of the AM signal. Extra effort will be made to try and be QRV in the evenings the week before and after the Christmas weekend. 73, (Brian Justin, WA1ZMS/4 & WD2XSH/31 & WF9XIH (via Steve Whitt, Dec 24, MWCircle yg via DXLD) AN AM STEREO CHRISTMAS Hi All, Santa didn't bring me any new radios for Christmas but I have had some good AM Stereo Listening. Saturday evening Dec 24, reception conditions were very good to KCJJ 1630 in Coralville, Iowa and KCJJ was playing music all evening and what sounded like all night long. At times reception built up to very good levels with full Stereo separation. On Sunday Christmas day I am hearing my first AM Stereo daytimer very well - 5000 watt WLWL AM Stereo 770 in Rockingham, NC. Late afternoon from about 3:30 PM on their signal has built up to very good levels for nice long term AM Stereo listening with good separation using the Delco UX-1. WLWL plays a Beach Music type format, mostly oldies it sounds like. Normally WLWL is buried in the noise down here in the daytime so unusual to have this daytime enhancement. It must be the extra short days of the year contributing to this. Looking at WLWL's coverage map, someone in Florence, Sumter and even Columbia, SC with a good DX antenna should be able to hear WLWL in the daytime, as well as someone living near the Charlotte, NC area. Merry Christmas to everyone! 73 (Todd WD4NGG Roberts, Dec 25, ABDX via DXLD) WRTH 2012 RECEVIER REVIEWS Does anybody know which receivers are reviewed in the latest WRTH? Thanks (Tracey Gardner, UK, MWCircle yg via DXLD) Alinco DX-R8E Pappradio Reuter Elektronic RDR54C WinRadio Excalibur Pro Sangean ATS-909X Tecsun PL-660 (Stefan Björn, Sweden, SM7RTQ, ibid.) WINDMILLS VS TV DX The Times They Are A-Changin' This song by Bob Dylan is probably appropriate for this note received today from long time TV DXer Bill Eckberg: "Miles of windmills 4 miles south and the new system has destroyed TV DX here. Can't get excited with 300 mile DX after seeing 900 mile DX for years." I can sympathize, believe me, although my nemesis isn't windmills. -- (Mike Bugaj, Enfield, CT USA, WTFDA via DXLD) So how do windfarms destroy TV DX, exactly? Generating RF noise too? Blocking/scattering weak signals? Affect groundwave/tropo, not Es? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Interesting. What do those windmills do to TV DX? Do they generate noise? Do they block signals like airplane scatter, or worse? (Bill Nollman, WTFDA via DXLD) According to this study, windmills can cause signal reduction (up to 8 dB) and multipath issues. Here's the last paragraph of the article: Conclusion --- Based on the TV signal measurements performed at the operational wind turbine generator site, we collected data to develop a prediction model for quantifying the impact of wind turbines on off- air TV reception. The measured data indicates that blockage from the wind turbines can cause up to 8 dB of TV signal reduction as well as multipath conditions that cause ghosting, depending on the relative location of the TV receive antenna and the wind turbines. Also, the electromagnetic noise produced from wind turbine generators is more prominent at the Low VHF channel and is a function of separation distance between the TV receiving antenna and the wind turbines. For example, it is expected that Channels 2 - 6 will be more affected by the noise generated than Channels 7 and above. These factors alone, or in combination, degrade TV reception in areas in the vicinity of wind turbine generators. Comsearch will conduct additional measurements, research, and analysis to define all of the relevant parameters that will make the off-air TV reception model a useful prediction tool for future installations. http://www.comsearch.com/newsletter/archiveWP/WirelessPulseNov02.html (via Steve Rich, Indianapolis, IN, ibid.) Thanks for that, Steve. Makes sense. The large size of those blades would be a bigger problem at lower frequencies, I suppose. Good thing we went all digital TV because now ghosting is a thing of the past ;-) (Bill Nollman, ibid.) But with up to 8 db of signal loss, he probably has all kinds of pixellation on whatever he sees. Or worse yet, black screens. But wait, there's more. The blades make noises that drive local residents up the wall. Electricity generated that way is very expensive and, as many utilities in Europe have already found out, a money loser. Losing DX is probably the least of Bill's worries. His rates could go up enough to make it hard for him to pay his electric bill, so then what? Now I know why the people of Hyannis, MA defeated a proposal to put a windmill farm off the coast of Hyannis (Mike Bugaj, Enfield, CT, ibid.) Ghosting may be a thing of the past, but multipath still can play havoc with digital signals. Especially with the older gen. tuners that many of us have in older TVs/DVRs. The province is planning to put up windmills 6+ miles south of me - but with fierce opposition from the local municipality. We already have "green" electricity here - it's called "hydro" and it's from Niagara Falls. wrh (Bill Hepburn, Ont., ibid.) What about FM? Wait five years till these are all abandoned and just spinning (Rick Shaftan, Mountaintop Media, ibid.) I notice no effect on FM (or AM) when driving past the large windmill farms in the central part of Illinois (which I do several times a year, including the week before Christmas). But 8VSB TV is considerably more susceptible to multipath. – (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) TV AND Radar --- Locally, the weather radar is "plagued" with a 24/7 line of severe "thunderstorms" lying diagonally (NE-SW) across northwestern Wyoming County, NY. Our local weather guru (Kevin Williams-WHEC) attributes these to windmills in the area. Also, I remember the need for the windmill company to build translators for viewers of the Scranton TV stations in Wayne County, PA. These are licensed to Waymart, PA and are there as a result of interference from the windmills in the area (Rick Lucas, Rochester, NY, ibid.) Do you have any pictures of the lines of storms on the radar that the windmills throw out on the radar? (Lee Molineux II, ibid.) That's what West Lincoln Township is asking - who pays to remove these suckers when they are abandoned? wrh Bill Hepburn, Ont., ibid.) How far above a windmill does the spinning affect? I didn't realize that a windfarm would have this kind of influence on radar and tropo propagation (Richard McVicar, AB2FN, On the outskirts of Navarino, New York, ibid.) Here's a link describing the effect on radar on the Buffalo National Weather Service page: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/buf/windfarm.htm I am surprised that they would have that much effect on DX and reception outside their immediate vicinity? Multipath? Wouldn't that be diminished though away from close line of sight to the wind farm? (Greg Coniglio, NY, ibid.) Who pays to remove any kind of power facility - wind, nuclear, whatever - when its life ends? (Saul Chernos, Ont., ibid.) They just built a wind farm near me, in fact, from my back yard I can see dozens of wind turbines. There is no effect on radio or TV reception here, and no noise complaints. A lot of the local opposition (including one friend of mine) played up the noise factor. They didn't like it when I told them that if they want to continue getting electricity in coming years, they should hope they put in hundreds of these things. I had a lot of trouble convincing them that the power these things make gets carried over the local area power grid. For some reason they were convinced the turbines had their own lines out of the area. Wind turbines DO show up on radar as clutter, but it is such that any weather man of any slight ability can tell it apart from anything else (Curtis Sadowski, Paxton, in scenic (and breezy) Central Illinois, ibid.) Many localities in the issuance conditional use permits or zoning variances related to erection of towers and other on-conforming structures will require the proponent to file a demolition bond and keep it in effect for the life of the project. The bond provides enough funds to demolish the structure in the event that the proponent organization ceases operations (Mike Hunter, W2MHZ, Neshanic Station, NJ, ibid.) Given the possible effects on DXing DTV, I would much prefer a windmill farm in my area than natural gas fracking, coal-fired generating plants, or God forbid, a Mountain Top Removal coal mine. (Fritze H Prentice Jr, KC5KBV, Star City, AR, ibid.) or nuclear plant Not if you worked in one of those industries (Rich Shaftan, NJ, ibid.) This thread is about to go off into areas where we don't want it to go. Time to close the windmill thread or put the list on moderation. What happens depends on what you post. Time to move on (Mike B., Enfield, CT USA, ibid.) FCC TASK FORCE STUDYING WAYS TO EXPAND THE FM DIAL For the first time in more than a year the Diversity Advisory Committee met recently at the FCC. The group's previous efforts helped motivate the agency to tackle no-urban dictates. Now one of its panels is looking at whether television channels 5 and 6 could be made part of an expanded FM band. It's still very early in the process, and the task force is coordinating its efforts with the National Association of Broadcasters which is doing engineering studies on how it could work. But the question of whether it's a solution was put on the table by the Commission itself. They've received petitions asking the FCC look at expanding the dial as a way to create new opportunities for women and minority owners. The task force's goal is to determine what impact such a move could have on existing full-power stations. The Committee's charter expires at the end of 2012 and FCC chair Julius Genachowski said they plan to re-charter the group as soon as the rules allow to give members more time to sort through the challenging issues under review (Bill Hale`s FM News column, January VHF-UHF Digest, via Mike Bugaj, WTFDA via DXLD) It'll be fun to see how the FCC screws this up, too. Merry Christmas! (Mike Bugaj, Enfield, CT, ibid.) MUSEA +++++ MARCONI RUINS SURFACE IN WELLFLEET Wellfleet, Mass December 25, 2011 The ocean has revealed a big piece of Cape Cod history in Wellfleet - ruins of the Marconi station which sent the first transatlantic wireless message from the USA to the UK. Watch Marconi ruins surface in Wellfleet here http://www.southgatearc.org/news/december2011/marconi_ruins_surface_in_wellfleet.htm On January 18, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt's message to King Edward VII was tapped out in Morse code from South Wellfleet to the station at Poldhu in Cornwall. It was to be the first wireless telegram between America and the United Kingdom. The message read: His Majesty, Edward VII. London, Eng. In taking advantage of the wonderful triumph of scientific research and ingenuity which has been achieved in perfecting a system of wireless telegraphy, I extend on behalf of the American People most cordial greetings and good wishes to you and to all the people of the British Empire. THEODORE ROOSEVELT Wellfleet, Mass., Jan. 19, 1903 (Southgate)(via Mike Terry, UK, dxldyg via DXLD) Whew! When I first read the headline, I took `ruins` to be a verb (gh) EARLY HISTORY OF RADIO - FIRST TWO DECADES While browsing through Audio Archives for Milt Rosenburg's Extension 720 program on WGN, I came across an interesting archive. It is for one of Milt`s programs titled "The History of Radio" which aired on 6/9/2005. It is about the early history of Radio in America covering the first two decades including a few early audio clips from mid 1920's to around 1940. Here is the link below. ? Enjoy! http://www.wgnradio.com/shows/ext720/wgn-x720-history-radio,0,1847867.mp3file (Tom Jasinski, Joliet, IL, IRCA via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ The geomagnetic field was at predominately quiet levels during most of the period. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 28 DEC 2011 - 23 JAN 2012 Solar activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels until 31 December when Region 1387 is forecast to rotate off the disk. Activity is expected to return to low levels with a slight chance for isolated M-class activity for the remainder of the period. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal to moderate levels during the period. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at active levels from 28- 29 December due to CME arrivals. Diminishing effects from said CME`s are expected to bring geomagnetic field activity to unsettled levels on 30 December. Mostly quiet conditions are predicted on 31 December, 3-4 and 7-23 January. Activity is expected to be at predominately quiet to unsettled levels 1-2 and 5-6 January due to recurrent coronal hole high speed streams. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2011 Dec 27 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 2011-12-27 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2011 Dec 28 150 18 5 2011 Dec 29 145 20 5 2011 Dec 30 140 10 3 2011 Dec 31 140 5 2 2012 Jan 01 135 8 3 2012 Jan 02 135 8 3 2012 Jan 03 135 5 2 2012 Jan 04 130 5 2 2012 Jan 05 130 8 3 2012 Jan 06 130 8 3 2012 Jan 07 130 5 2 2012 Jan 08 130 5 2 2012 Jan 09 135 5 2 2012 Jan 10 135 5 2 2012 Jan 11 135 5 2 2012 Jan 12 135 5 2 2012 Jan 13 140 5 2 2012 Jan 14 140 5 2 2012 Jan 15 140 5 2 2012 Jan 16 135 5 2 2012 Jan 17 135 5 2 2012 Jan 18 140 5 2 2012 Jan 19 135 5 2 2012 Jan 20 135 5 2 2012 Jan 21 135 5 2 2012 Jan 22 135 5 2 2012 Jan 23 135 5 2 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1597, DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Letter: NOT A TIME FOR GLOATING Enid News and Eagle December 25, 2011 http://enidnews.com/opinion/x1818100113/Letter-Not-a-time-for-gloating Cal Thomas’ column, written upon the occasion of the death of Christopher Hitchens, and larded with assorted Christian pieties ends with this most un-Christian sentiment. In the gospel according to Cal Thomas, Hitchens is now going to meet God face to face. “Hitchens now knows the truth, and that can only be the worst possible news for him,” gloats Thomas. In this the season of “good will toward men,” Cal Thomas chooses to join the company of those for whom, as H.L. Mencken put it, “God is the refuge of the incompetent, the helpless and the miserable. They find not only a sanctuary in His arms, but also a kind of superiority ...” Christopher Hitchens viewed people like Cal Thomas, who believed that he might reconsider his atheism in the face of death, as pitiable and insulting in their presumptions. He never flinched when faced with death. His friend and fellow writer, Simon Schama, said Hitchens’ “writing ended only when he did. There was no falling off, no retreat. He went on writing, never self-pitying, constantly clarifying, brushing away the rubbish of ignorant cant and false consolations with a swish of his bristling broom of reason.” Hitchens, was asked what he would say if he ever met his Maker. He replied: “Imponderable, sir. I presume from some, if not all of your many reputations, that you might prefer honest and convinced unbelief to the hypocritical and self-interested affection of faith ...” I have to believe that God would prefer the robust intellect of a Christopher Hitchens to the flaccid religiosity of Cal Thomas. Thomas cites Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of widsom.” Proverbs 14:15 reminds us, “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” (Rolf Carlsten, Enid, Letters to the Editor, Enid Eagle Dec 26 via DXLD) ###