DX LISTENING DIGEST 14-27, July 2, 2014 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 2014 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html [also linx to previous years] 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 1728 CONTENTS: *DX and station news about: Algeria, Antarctica, Argentina, Ascension, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, China non, Cuba, Cyprus and non, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Korea South, Madagascar, Netherlands non, Nigeria, North America, Oman, Papua New Guiena, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somaliland, Sudan non, UK and non, United Nations, Vietnam SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1728, July 3-9, 2014 Thu 0330 WRMI 9955 [confirmed] Thu 1230 WRMI 9955 [confirmed] Thu 2100 WBCQ 7490 [confirmed on webcast] Thu 2100 WTWW 9475 [canceled] Fri 0326v WWRB 3185 [confirmed, instead of 5050!] Sat 0630 HLR 7265-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sat 1430 HLR 7265-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio [confirmed via Twente] Sat 2330v WTWW 9930 [not on air, but presumed canceled] Sun 0030 WRMI 9495 [confirmed 1727] Sun 0401 WTWW 5830 [canceled!] Mon 0300v WBCQ 5110v-CUSB Area 51 Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 [still with France via Taiwan QRM?] Wed 0630 HLR 7265-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Wed 1315 WRMI 9955 Wed 1430 HLR 7265-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v Thu 0330 WRMI 9955 [or 1729 if ready in time] 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 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS HAVE RESUMED starting with #1701: Tnx to Dr Harald Gabler and the Rhein-Main Radio Club. http://www.rmrc.de/index.php?option=com_podcast&view=feed&format=raw&Itemid=156&lang=de http://tunein.com/radio/World-of-Radio-p198/ OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org DAY-BY-DAY ARCHIVE OF GLENN HAUSER`S LOG REPORTS: Unedited, uncondensed, unchanged from original version, many of them too complex, minutely researched, multi-frequency, opinionated, inconsequential, off-topic, or lengthy for some log editors to manage; and also ahead of their availability in these weekly issues: http://www.hard-core-dx.com/index.php?topic=Hauser 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. First - great video of BFBS in Camp Bastion - where isolation means presenters 'living & breathing' radio ! BFBS RADIO BROADCASTS FOR THE LAST TIME IN AFGHANISTAN --- Forces TV http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid2810881928001?bckey=AQ~~,AAACcS3ahoE~,OSt6CCN6H-0R_rL1tF1Y6xWx9e-7k7W6&bctid=3651534753001 (James Salmon, July 1, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. Radio Maranatha, Shortwave Relay Service in Pashto or Dari to W Asia, 1736 July 1 on 5130 Bishkek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zeu6DOCBKa4&feature=youtu.be Radio Maranatha, Shortwave Relay Service in Pashto or Dari to W Asia, 1748 July 1 on 5130 Bishkek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXw3dAP5fHo&feature=youtu.be (Ivo Ivanov, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ALASKA. HAARP SCIENTISTS PUSH FOR FUNDING FOR FACILITY IN ALASKA VOA NEWS, George Putic, KI4FNF, June 18, 2014 http://www.voanews.com/content/haarp-scientists-push-for-funding-for-facility-in-alaska/1940082.html One of the most wide-spread conspiracy theories of recent years has concerned a radio-frequency facility in a remote part of Alaska, started by the military in 1993 and known by its acronym HAARP. Critics allege the government was trying to control the weather or even peoples minds. Scientists who worked there say the fears are completely unfounded, though, and they now are fighting to preserve the project from being shut down. The late inventor Nikola Tesla, whose ideas and designs contributed to our modern electricity supply system, claimed it is possible to send power through the air. Dennis Papadopoulos, a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland, said Tesla was a genius. "He had a lot of wonderful ideas. About 10 percent were great and the 90 percent ended up being crack-pottish," said Papadopoulos. Sure, we can send some power through the air, that is how we listen to the radio, watch TV and talk through mobile phones, but radio waves deteriorate with distance, and even more so when they pass through water. That is one of the reasons the U.S. military began the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, or HAARP. The 12-hectare facility has rows of towering antennas, 180 in all, each with a transmitter. Together, they can send up to 3.6 million watts into the ionosphere, the electrically conductive part of the upper atmosphere that can 'bounce' radio signals back to earth. Papadopoulos, who was involved in the research at the Alaska facility, said one of the military's major interest at the time the project's conception was communication with submarines on patrol. "To communicate with submarines, you have to have very low frequencies, which means wavelengths which are a thousand kilometers or larger. To create those with ground stations, you have to have installations that were half the [size of the] state of Wisconsin," he said. He said the idea was to turn the ionosphere into a giant antenna to transmit signals underwater. The United States also was concerned with the possibility of a nuclear bomb blast in the atmosphere increasing the density of electrons in the radiation belt and disabling all its satellites. Papadopoulos said so little was known about the ionosphere that each new experiment led to new discoveries. "We discovered for the first time that we could create our own little ionosphere, namely we can increase the density of electrons and create patches, which we could use as reflectors of any frequency we want, so we can really guide even gigaherz waves around," he said. But controlling the weather? Or causing earthquakes? The idea that an individual project could have an effect greater than the polar vortex, the energy of the sun or even the total sum of human interactions with nature is rather difficult to believe, said George Washington University Space Policy Institute Director Scott Pace. "There are a lot of conspiracy theories because people tend to believe that somewhere, someone, some human is in control. The actual answer is that things are much more chaotic and much more not subject to our control," he said. "Mother Nature does not care and trying to understand what is going on with nature is much broader and bigger than any individual project." Scientific advances and shrinking budgets caused the U.S. military to propose closing the facility this year. Papadopoulos said the international scientific community would like to keep HAARP open, and offers to contribute to its $5 million annual budget have come from Canada, Britain and Taiwan. Congress is expected to decide soon whether to accept that help (as received via VOA Radiogram June 28 via roger, Germany, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ALASKA. 7355, KNLS at 1207 in English with Christian song followed by “The New Life Station, KNLS.”, into entertainment news - Fair June 26 (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening in my car, by the lake, with the Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna, Editor of World English Survey and Target Listening, available at http://www.odxa.on.ca dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA. 9910, July 1 at 1301, KNLS IS, 1302 opening Chinese with website smzg.org pronounced in English (I assume those letters have some significance in romanized Mandarin, meaning maybe New Life Station??). Fair signal, and am pleased to find my local high noise level is off at least for now (later, on and off intermittently, and not so pervasive thruout HF). KNLS reception is unusual enough here off the back of Anchor Point to be noteworthy (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALGERIA. I've never heard anything but Arabic/French on their SW service, but the Internet feed of R. Algerie Int'l has some English segments, available at http://www.radioalgerie.dz At the moment (0520 UT June 30), an English feature on "Women in Islam (Chuck Albertson, Seattle, Wash., WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANGOLA. 4949.75, RNA-Canal "A", Mulenvos, 2144-2153, 28/6, texto, alguma música; 35332, modulação fraca. Bons DX e melhores 73 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA [and non]. LRA36, RN Arcángel Antarctica [sic] on 15475.98 kHz at 1930 UT 1-7 with Spanish info and music, not strong. Signal drop down at 2000. At the same time Radio Inconfidência Brazil on 15190.11 kHz. Mostly with music, ID at 2006 UT. 73, RX Perseus and End Fed antenna (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, July 2, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA [non]. BBC winter solstice broadcast to British Antarctic Survey --- I don't have anything new to report about this so far. I sent the PR fellow in the Survey a very detailed message around 10 days ago, e.g. with samples of QSLs as attachments, and with plenty of email addresses for DX clubs that could spread the word if he gave them a word to spread, but he didn't reply. I thought that was rather odd. I had the impression too when I talked to him that he wasn't fully tuned in to what this was all about, and that it might take quite an effort to tune him in. Well, let's hope for a last-minute miracle. Last year they ran a test a week earlier on 5 frequencies. The broadcast on June 21 was on 3 of those frequencies. I'm guessing they will do the same this year: test a week before. I have an inquiry out to get the schedule, but I suspect it's a bit early for them to have it worked out (Dan, DXplorer June 17 via BCDX June 30 via DXLD) 7350, British Antarctic Survey special "Midwinter's Day" program via BBC Ascension Isl, 2130-2200 UT on June 21, fairly decent signal but with flutter, much better than on the fqy tests the previous day. Many recorded messages, e-mails read, greetings from various people, brief bits of music, ID 2143 UT as "This is the midwinter broadcast of the British Antarctic Survey bases coming to you from the BBC World Service in London." They certainly packed a ton of messages into the half hour, including one from "Major Tim" on the Intl. Space Station. Closed with "What A Wonderful World." No sign of // fqys 5875 and 5985 kHz (Jerry Berg-MA- USA, DXplorer June 22 via BCDX June 30 via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 1630, LRM991, R Melody, San José; Spanish talk, ID “Desde la cuña [sic --- it`s cuna, meaning birthplace; cuña means something completely different, wedge --- gh] de la colonización entrerriana, transmite Radio Melody, LRM991, San José, Entre Ríos, Argentina”, lively songs; actual 1629.832 kHz, F/G, 0400 10/5, mah 1650, LRI227, Antares AM 1650, Pilar; light music, Spanish ID “... Antares ... La Emisora de La Familia, la radio de Pilar”, F, 0505 10/5 1670, R Rubí, Rafael Castillo, Argentina; “Es la una de la mañana” and “Radio Rubí espacio publicitario ... Radio Rubí ... AM 1,670”, lively LA music, F/G, 0402 10/5, mah 1710, R Imagen, Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 0358 lively Spanish announcements, LA music; 0401 ID “... radio programa 46 92 44 ... Radio Imagen”; 0403 LA songs; ex 1310 kHz since March 2014; personal first; still there with Fair peaks at 0458 mah (Martin Hall, Clashmore, Sutherland, Scotland, Perseus SDR, RPA-1 preamp, MFJ-1026 phaser (modified), beverage: 460m at 236 , terminated, July-August MW News via DXLD) 1670, Radio Rubí, Rafael Castillo; Spanish IDs, music, 252, 0321 1/6 (Max van Arnhem, Hoenderloo, The Netherlands. Perseus, AOR7030plus, KAZ antennas 35, 70, 160, 250, 290 and 340 degrees, July-August MW News via DXLD) 1670, L---, Radio Rubí, Rafael Castillo, BA; “AM 1670 Radio Rubí ” W/F, 0300 17/6 (Paul Crankshaw, Troon, Ayrshire. Perseus SDR, EWE antenna (300 degrees), RPA-1 preamp, July-August MW News via DXLD) 1670.0, 2151-2205, 01/6, R. Rubi, Matanzas, Buenos Aires, Argentinian folk music, 35342. 1630.0, 2227-2240, 27/6, AM Diagonal (presumed), La Plata. Talks, announcements, references to Rivadavia, 34332 (Carlos Gonçalves, coastal site in Portugal, JRC NRD-545DSP & DRAKE R-E; Advanced Receiver amp.; raised, 4 loop K9AY, 30 m 180º/0º mini-Bev., 80 m 300º/120º Bev., 200 m 270º/90º Bev., 270 m 145º/325º Bev., 300 m 225º/45º Bev, radioescutas yg via DXLD) While checking my recordings I found a Spanish speaking station with Argentine music on 1710.165 kHz on June 29th, at 0305 UT. Anybody else heard this? I saw Martin`s logging in the latest MWN magazine: 1710 R Imagen, Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina I suppose I also heard R Imagen, but I wonder if the station is known to be not exactly on 1710. 73 (Max van Arnhem, The Netherlands, July 2, MWCircle yg via DXLD) Hi Max, It seems to be drifting up in frequency. My log of 10 May was on 1709.997 kHz. On 4 June it was on 1710.007 kHz, on 5 June it was on 1710.037 kHz. This morning it was on 1710.166 kHz, so this is very likely to be the station you heard. Watch out for mentions of “Imagen” during the lively Spanish announcements. I can’t make a direct comparison because I didn’t record on 29 June. 73, (Martin Hall, ibid.) Thanks, Martin, I found the NA of Argentina at 0300 UT. The signal was weak, but I am quite sure this is Radio Imagen! A first! 73 (Max, ibid.) ** ARGENTINA. 15344.49, R. Argentina al Exterior, General Pacheco. Passionate Argentinian songs at 2210, long pause with "dead air" at 2217, then into more announcements and songs 2219, fair to good on 13/6. Runs R. Nacional programming on the weekends. And again at fade/in around 2020 with French programming on 13/6 (Rob Wagner, Mount Evelyn, VIC (Kenwood TS2000, Yaesu FRG100, Double Bazooka antennas for 80 and 40 m, Par EF-SWL End Fed antenna, BHI NEIM1031 Digital Noise Eliminating Module, MFJ-1026 Noise Cancelling Module, ATU), July Australian DX News via DXLD) 15344.45, RAE, Jun 27 1144-1151, 35333, Japanese, WC Soccer news, ID at 1150 (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellit 750, DE-1121, ANT, 130m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ouvi uma emissora em espanhol na frequência de 15495 kHz, às 1922 hs UT. Pareceu-me ser um feeder da Argentina (Radio Nacional da Argentina). Alguém sabe algo à respeito? 15495, 28/06 1922 ?? (R. Nacional Argentina - 870??), OM/OM, talks about Cuba, ID OM: "AM 870 --------" , Spanish, 35333, RFP Receptor: Degen DE1103. Antenas: Loop Blindada DXCB e RC3-FM. 73! (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso (PY5-007SWL), Bandeirantes - PR, radioescutas yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DXLD) Didn`t you check whether this was on 15345v at same time?? (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DXLD) Radio Nacional de Argentina, 15345, 1400 UT 29/6, SINPO 55555, Bips/ID "La radio pública de Argentina" Buenos Aires, 12 grados 64% humidad do ar, comentários sobre jogo da Holanda, noticias de America, 2 OMS, 1 YL. Receptor Tecsun PL 660, Antena Long Wire 7 Meters http://dxbrazilsw.blogspot.com/ (DANIEL WYLLYANS, DEXISTA PT 9008 SWL, DX DESDE NOVA XAVANTINA MT, BRASIL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ASCENSION [and non]. 7355, June 28 at 0539, JBA carrier rather than one of the best BBCWS English signals we can get here. On June 11, as in DXLD 14-25, Ascension site was confirmed off the air due to unexplained power supply problems, so seems like it is again. The JBA could be BBC from a substitute site poorly propagating to here. South Africa is doing well as usual on 7285 with Radio Sonder Grense. This also audiblizes some SSB 2-way on 7352, in Chinese? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also UK [non] ** ASIA [non]. RFA A-14 Sendeplan. Da muss ich mir mal die Zeit nehmen, um die Plantage zu checken ... hier die gesammelten Werke vom 20. Juni. Das taegliche Frequenzhopping auf 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21 MHz raubt mir die Lust, den ganzen Krampf oefters anzugehen. Meine Listung vom 20. Juni pro Wochentag, kann schon in den naechsten Tagen voellig differierend sein, da kann man sich nicht darauf verlassen. RUSSIA, 648 kHz Koreanisch von der Mittelwelle Vladivostok-RUS ist eingestellt. RUSIA, 7210 Irkutsk-RUS ist eingestellt. Dafuer zeitweise die neue MW 1188 kHz aus Seoul, da kommt zukuenftig noch eine zeitliche und technische Erweiterung? Die Kurzwellen Vietnamesisch-Sendungen aus Taiwan sind auch eingestellt, - vielleicht aber nur temporaer, wegen der technischen Hardware Neu- und Umbauten in Taipei Tanshui und Pao Chung, die MW aus Taiwan gibt es aber noch im RFA Sendeplan (Wolfgang Büschel, June 20, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews June 30 via DXLD) USA [non] A-14 RFA Daily Broadcast Frequencies. GERMANY/KOREA Rep of/KUWAIT/LITHUANIA/MARIANA ISL_Saipan/ MARIANA ISL_Tinian/MONGOLIA/SRI LANKA/TAIWAN/TAJIKISTAN/THAILAND/UAE All times in UT. Burmese (4 hours daily) 0030-0130 9940IRA 12115KWT 15700TIN 1230-1330 7390IRA 9335TIN 13870TIN 1330-1400 7390TIN 9335TIN 12140SAI 1400-1430 7390TIN 9335TIN 1630-1730 9940IRA Cantonese (2 hours daily) all via Tinian Isl, variable change every week. 1400-1500 13585Sa 13595Su 13635Mo/We/Fr 13700Tu/Th 2200-2300 15260Mo 15270Tu 15280We 15290Th 15300Fr 15380Sa 15390Su Khmer (2 hours daily) 1230-1330 12140SAI 2230-2330 13740SAI Korean (5 hours daily) 1500-1700 1188SEO 5820TIN 7210TIN 7455TIN 1700-1800 1188SEO 5820TIN 9975TIN 1800-1900 5820TIN 2100-2200 7460MNG 9610TIN 11945SAI Lao (2 hours daily) 0000-0100 15690TIN 1100-1200 9325SAI 15120TIN Mandarin (12 hours daily) 0300-0400 13710SAI 17495TIN 17615TIN 17855SAI 0400-0500 13790SAI 15615TIN 17855SAI 21505TIN 0500-0600 13790SAI 15615TIN 17855SAI 21690TIN 0600-0700 13790SAI 15615TIN 17495TIN 17790SAI 17810TIN 1500-1600 9455SAI 13675TJK 15205TIN 15430SAI 1600-1630 9455SAI 13675TJK 15560SAI 1630-1700 9695SAI 11685TIN 13675TJK 15560SAI 1700-1800 5890TIN 7395TIN 9355SAI 9745SAI 1800-1900 5890TIN 9355SAI 9745SAI 11555SAI 1900-2000 1098KOU-TWN 5890TIN 7260TIN 9355SAI 9745KWT 2000-2100 1098KOU-TWN 5890TIN 6140TIN 7260TIN 7435TJK 9355SAI 9745KWT 2100-2200 1098KOU-TWN 5890TIN 7435TJK 9335TIN 9690KWT 2300-2330 9440KWT 11785TIN 15570TIN 2330-0000 9440SAI 11785TIN 15570TIN Tibetan (10 hours daily) --- TIN and KWT frequency hopping, variable change every week, variable operation day of the week change very often. 0100-0200 9680KWT 9885TJK 11695UAE 17730MNG TIN:17635Tu/Th 17665Sa 17685Mo/We/Fr 17700Su 0200-0300 9885TJK 11695UAE 11745KWT 17730MNG TIN:21550Mo 21560Tu 21575We 21585Th 21595Fr 21610Sa 21620Su 0600-0700 17510TJK 17635KWT 17700KWT 21550TIN 21690UAE 1000-1100 13680KWT 15620TIN TIN:21455Su 21465Sa 21475Fr 21485Th 21495We 21505Tu 21525Mo 1100-1200 7470MNG 13830TJK 15195UAE KWT:18930Mo 18980Fr/Tu 18990We/Sa 19000Th 19010Su 1200-1300 7470MNG 11605TIN 13830TJK 15195TJK KWT:18930Su 18980Mo/Th 18990Tu/Fr 19000We/Sa 1300-1400 7470MNG 11605TIN 13830TJK 15195TJK KWT:18930Mo 18980Tu/Fr 18990We/Sa 19000Th 19010Su 1400-1500 9920UDO 17485UDO 17515UDO 17570LAM 1500-1600 9370TJK 11795UAE 13735TIN 2200-2300 7505TJK 9370SAI KWT:11830Mo 11870Tu 11965We 11995Th 12035Fr 12045Sa 12125Su 2300-0000 6075KWT 9805UAE 9815KWT 9875TJK Uyghur (2 hours daily) 0100-0200 9350TJK 9400SIT 11640UAE 11945UAE 17540TIN 1600-1700 9370TJK 9555UAE 9975TIN 11560TIN Vietnamese (2 hours daily) 0000-0030 12125KWT 13835SAI 15675TIN 1400-1430 1503FAO-TWN 1400-1500 9720TIN 12130TIN 13825SAI 2300-2400 1503FAO-TWN 2330-2400 12125KWT 13835SAI 15675TIN (via Wolfgang Büschel, June 20, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews June 30 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Peter Tate’s Station X is certainly getting out to Sydney well the surrounding countryside! All heard from Bargo by John Wright, using an ICOM R75 with a 100 metre longwire: 1629, Believe this to be the Macquarie News relay at Goondwindi with the aerial ad for a Goondwindi business at 0930 15/6. Followed by the news relay, fair up over Bathurst and Newcastle stations, before fading down under them then resurfacing about every 2 minutes. 1674, Surf FM, 0710 f/in with pop music fair level. 1692, Station X great music programme and station X ID’s, 14/6. Throughout the night this signal faded in for say 30 minutes then disappeared then faded back in. Station X on 1692 Medium wave run by member Peter Tate went well! (Johno Wright, Bargo Wirrumbirra Wildlife Sanctuary NSW DX-pedition, Icom R75 and random wire, July Australian DX News via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 2325, ABC VL8T, Tennant Creek, at 1218 playing recording of a live music performance, // 4835 good - Poor June 26 (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening in my car, by the lake, with the Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I was pleasantly surprised this morning to wake up just before local sunset (around 0945 UTC) and find a faint signal from VL8K 2485. I usually don't hear VL8K at all this time of year, but they were in there under a lot of static with a YL announcer and some rock music. I could see a faint carrier and occasionally hear pieces of audio from 2325, but not much more than that. No trace of Vintage FM on 3210. :( (-Tim Rahto Bowman, Central Iowa, July 2, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 3210, Vintage FM, Sydney. Ear-drum blasting level of "Rock and Roll Music" by Chuck Berry at 1936 on 14/6 (Dennis Allen, Bargo Wirrumbirra Wildlife Sanctuary NSW DX-pedition, Icom R75, July Australian DX News via DXLD) One funny thing has happened at the Dxpedition was that Symban was off air and Vintage FM on air. Now a week later it`s Vintage FM 3210 off air changing to 5050 and Symban is back on air! (Johno Wright, Bargo Wirrumbirra Wildlife Sanctuary NSW DX-pedition, Icom R75 and random wire, July Australian DX News via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. ABC SHOULD DUMP DIGITAL RADIO, Charge For iView, Sell Studios, Says Review --- Coalition-commissioned review also recommended SBS carry more advertising and move to ABC offices Communications minister Malcolm Turnbull commissioned the review of the public broadcasters. Photograph: Alan Porritt/AAP Public broadcasters the ABC and SBS should fundamentally change the way they operate by charging for content, selling property, increasing advertising revenue and outsourcing production, according to the Lewis review commissioned by the government. Dumping the ABC’s digital radio service is high on the list of options for saving money outlined in the confidential efficiency review commissioned by the communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, in January. Guardian Australia understands the blueprint, if implemented, would totally transform the way public broadcasting functions and would lead to the loss of hundreds of jobs, services and the relocation of SBS staff to ABC properties. The Lewis review recommends charging a fee for iView, which would be the first time the ABC has charged the public for its services. Sources say after a free window, each download would attract a charge because it is costing the ABC every time someone watches a show on the catch-up TV service. The review also says SBS should merge its catch- up service with iView. The review has also recommended abandoning plans for the new $90m ABC studios in Melbourne, which the previous Labor government committed to funding. However, construction is already underway and it would be a costly exercise to stop building now, sources say. The Lewis review plan for a smaller ABC and SBS: • Charge fees for iView • Sell ABC studios in each state • Sell SBS in Artarmon and move staff to Ultimo • Dump digital radio channels • Increase advertising on SBS • Shutdown SBS in Melbourne and move staff to ABC • Save $90m by not proceeding with new Melbourne studios • Get out of internal production The plan is not without risk for the government. Dumping digital radio would cause a political headache because many listeners have already invested in digital radio sets which are relatively expensive. Allowing SBS to carry more advertising – which would require legislation – would also antagonise the commercial TV sector because the advertising market is already soft. Some public broadcasting executives have labelled the review "lightweight" and said some of the initiatives would cost as much to implement as they would save. For example, relocating SBS staff to the ABC’s studios in Ultimo in Sydney would result in an additional $50m from the sale of the Artarmon property but then would cost almost as much to move. One source said the whole point of the review was about "shifting production out of the ABC into a different sector". The Community and Public Sector Union has warned that outsourcing all TV programs would lead to a bland public broadcaster and risked losing the ABC’s uniquely Australian identity. But the Screen Producers Australia’s executive director, Matthew Deaner, disputed the CPSU claims. "All ABC comedy and drama is outsourced to the independent production sector," Deamer said on Tuesday. "We’ve seen landmark and hugely successful programs – both in audience and critical terms – such as the various Chris Lilley comedy series, Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, The Slap, Old School, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, The Dr Blake Series, Janet King, Nowhere Boys, Dance Academy and numerous more lauded programs made by independent producers." The ABC has a hybrid model of internal and external TV production but the level of internal production has fallen dramatically in the past five years. All ABC news and current affairs would still be made inhouse and produced in ABC studios. Turnbull said on Tuesday the Lewis review identified "very substantial savings that can be achieved from back-office matters, administration, use of properties and so forth. "The review’s terms of reference, as you know, were focused on the back of house and there is plenty that can be saved there. In the review it considered using facilities, someone else’s studio, someone else’s equipment, rather than having to own all those properties yourself." (Guardian Australia via July Australian DX News via DXLD) The review also says the ABC could abandon Radio Australia’s short- wave service to rely on FM transmission, but notes Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advice that short-wave delivery of Radio Australia is the only current source of the service in places such as Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. "Noting short-wave is a largely superseded technology, discontinuing this service would release resources for other purposes,’’ it says, explaining Radio Australia could continue to broadcast in target countries (The Australian, excerpted, ibid. via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Some correspondence from the powers that be to Phil Brennan, our member in Darwin: ``From: Turnbull, Malcolm (MP) Date: Monday, June 9, 2014 Subject: Please preserve Radio Australia Dear Phil, Thank you for taking the time to email me your thoughts in relation to the budget and the Australia Network. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will terminate the Australia Network contract with the ABC as part of measures announced in the 2014-15 Budget. Terminating the Australia Network contract will deliver savings to the Government of up to $76.6 million over four years, with further savings over the duration of the contract. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has written to the ABC to provide formal notice of termination and for the ABC to bring steps to wind up the service within the provisions of the funding agreement. My expectation is that the ABC will make more of its programming available on the Internet, without a geoblock, so that it is available globally. This is a much lower cost solution. I trust this information is of assistance. Yours sincerely Malcolm Turnbull`` and this: ``From: Kate Torney Date: 11 June 2014 15:05 Subject: RE: Please preserve Radio Australia Phil, Thank you for writing and expressing your support for ABC services and Radio Australia in particular. In accord with the ABC's Chartered responsibilities, we are currently determining how best to deliver the optimal international service to our audiences within the resources now available. We certainly understand the value of Radio Australia to our audiences and to the broader regional community, and this will be given careful consideration as we confront the very challenging task of redefining our converged international media service. Please be assured that there is no plan to cease broadcast of Radio Australia. Regards Kate Torney Director News Email torney.kate@abc.net.au Twitter @katetorney`` (via July ADXN via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DXLD) ** AZERBAIJAN [and non]. Frequency change of Ictimai Radio. Very awful modulation/audio during the time period 13-19 at least and at other time, maybe even 24 hours. 1300-1900 NF 11761v UNIDentified tx site to CeAs Azeri, ex 9677.5v. Between 1700-1900 totally blocked by R. Liberty in Russian. Other stations on 11760: 0000-0500 11760 HAB 100 kW / non-dir CeAm Spanish Radio Habana Cuba 0000-1200 11760 SZG 100 kW / 165 deg CHN Chinese China Nat. Radio 1 0023-0220 11760 KAM 500 kW / 274 deg SoAm Spanish VOIRI/IRIB 0323-0520 11760 SIR 500 kW / 336 deg WeAs Azeri VOIRI/IRIB 1100-1500 11760 HAB 100 kW / non-dir CeAm Spanish Radio Habana Cuba 1200-1257 11760 KUN 500 kW / 135 deg AUS English China Radio Inter 1300-1357 11760 KUN 500 kW / 135 deg AUS English China Radio Inter 1500-1530 11760 HAB 100 kW / non-dir CeAm Esperanto Sun R. Habana Cuba 1700-1900 11760 LAM 100 kW / 055 deg EaEu Russian Radio Liberty 1900-2000 11760 HAB 100 kW / non-dir CeAm English Radio Habana Cuba 2000-2030 11760 HAB 100 kW / non-dir CeAm French Radio Habana Cuba 2100-2400 11760 HAB 100 kW / non-dir CeAm Spanish Radio Habana Cuba Strong QRM in Sofia from other stations adjacent channels 11755/11765: 2030-2100 11755 ISS 250 kW / 165 deg WeAf Yoruba Adventist World Radio 1500-1625 11765 EMR 500 kW / 092 deg WeAs Dari/Pashto/Uzbek VOTurkey 1900-2000 11765 ISS 500 kW / 194 deg NWAf Arabic Radio TV Algerienne 2000-2005 11765 ISS 500 kW / 194 deg NWAf French Radio TV Algerienne 2005-2100 11765 ISS 500 kW / 194 deg NWAf Arabic Radio TV Algerienne Ten videos between 1345 and 1703 UT on June 23: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2014/06/frequency-change-of-ictimai-radio.html Surprisingly daytime reception of Ictimai Radio with FM mode audio on shortwave 0700-1200 on 11761v UNIDentified site to CeAs in Azeri. Ten videos from June 25: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2014/06/surprisingly-daytime-reception-of.html (DX RE MIX NEWS #858 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, June 28, 2014 via DXLD) Surprisingly daytime reception of Ictimai Radio with FM mode: 0600- 0700 on 11761v UNIDentified tx site to CeAs Azeri. 2 videos on June 28 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2014/06/daytime-reception-of-ictimai-radio-on.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, QTH: Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DXLD) ** BAHAMAS. 810, ZNS3, Broadcast Corp. of Bahamas, Nassau [sic], APR 14, 0559 - Fair-poor and fading under WGY talk with Sam Cooke’s ‘You Send me’, male announcer though no ID heard at TOH, just into another Motown piece followed by ‘Under the Boardwalk’, an overmodulated song (both on-air and on the web stream), Crazy Love, and so on to a 0634 spot mentioning Bahamas and another as ‘Hi this is (someone - unclear) and I love my country, Bahamas’. This was on a Monday morning UT and I was able to get a web parallel of the radio broadcast but next night only a TV feed from the same URL. APR 16, 0038 - Strong, in the clear with the announcer in a live interview of the Tourism Minister for the Islands (Obediah H. Wilchcombe I think, though the full name was never mentioned, just ‘Minister’ or ‘your Ministry’). Discussed how to develop and expand tourism, accommodation, parking, regattas in the smaller islands, and more local participation in tourist-related events, clearly stating, ‘I invite the Bahamian people to leave the (large?) island to attend this regatta’. He took a phone call from a ‘Mary’ mentioning localities - Long Key, Crooked Island, Cabot Hill and Akland, also mentioned ‘The Gasparilla Bar’ saying it was ‘good for Bahamians’. Lively reggae followed -- ‘This Island is a Legend’, and a tourism promo, ‘They coming from America and from Canada’, then a full ID at 0400 ‘You are listening to the Voice of Bahamas 1540 AM 104.5 FM, The National Voice of Bahamas, 810 in Freeport Grand Bahamas’. I got a good recording of this entire segment. APR 18, 0240 - Man playing Motown stuff with Weather Check ‘and overnight low of 72’ (Werner Funkenhauser, Buffalo Pan-American DX - Excalibur G31DDC, R8B/SE-3, ALA 1530S/1530S+, Wellbrook K9AY Loops, NRC IDXD July 7 via DXLD) ** BANGLADESH. 9455, Bangladesh Betar, Jun 20 1315-1325, 35443, Nepali, Opening music, Opening announce, News 15105, Bangladesh Betar, Jun 19 1244-1259*, 34443, English, Talk and Bangladesh music, ID and closing announce at 1259, 1259 sign off. 15105, Bangladesh Betar, Jul 01 1247-1259*, 44444, English, Bangladesh music and news, ID at 1248 and 1259, Closing announce at 1259, 1259 sign off (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD- 515, NRD-345, Satellit 750, DE-1121, ANT, 130m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. BOLÍVIA. 3310, R. Mosoj Chaski, Cochabamba, 2230-2240, 28/6, quíchua, música índia; 33341, QRM da Tallinn R, em 3310-BLS. 5952.45, R. Pío XII, Siglo XX, 2210-2222, 28/6, quíchua, texto; 35332. 6155.1, R. Fides, La Paz, 2215-2226, 28/6, castelhano, música e canções; 24331, QRM adjacente. Bons DX e melhores 73 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 3310, Radio Mosoj Chaski, Cochabamba, surprisingly good signal with om in Spanish 0020 to 0032. Into instrumental music at 0032; vocalist begins at 0034. 0036 back to om as musical selection ends then yl at 0037. From 0038 back to music (Robert Wilkner, Pompano Beach, South Florida, Drake R8 and Russell Scotka designed antenna system, UT July 2, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3310, 0034, R Mosoj Chaski, Cochabamba, discussion, Andean song, mention of Cochabamba. Spanish. 332 27/05. Nice to hear Mosoj Chaski again on a clear frequency – first time in months that the channel has not been obliterated (Arthur Miller, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, Wales, JRC NRD 525, NRD 545, G5RV long wire, July BDXC-UK Communication via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DXLD) Mosoj Chaski broadcasts mainly in the Quechua language to remote Andean villages in Bolivia and beyond using a 10 kW transmitter. It launched on 3310 in 1999 and is a Christian religious and community station. “Mosoj Chaski” means “New Messenger” in Quechua. To enable poor Quechuas to hear their signal, they have provided thousands of small solar-powered fixed-frequency receivers provided by Galcom International (photo right). (ed., ibid.) ** BOLIVIA. 5580.3, 2341, R San José, SJ de Chiquitos, Bolivia – talk by YL, talk by OM, song (hymn?). SS. SINPO 23211 231 26/05 (Arthur Miller, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, Wales, JRC NRD 525, NRD 545, G5RV long wire, July BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Arthur says propagation picked up towards the end of May, but it didn’t last. And he also mentions that QRN [noise] has been a problem. Re his log of Radio San José, Bolivia above he adds “I had checked 5580.3 kHz for a few nights prior to my log on 26 May; there was usually “something” there but it was too weak to determine what”. Radio San José carries Catholic programming (ed. ibid.) ** BRAZIL. Rádio Cultura de Cuiabá MT, 5015, 1450 UT 29/6, SINPO 25222, MUITOS ESPURIOS, voz do OM baixa, TRANSMISSOR DESRREGULADO, programa da IPDA Rádio Nacional da Amazônia, Brasília-DF, 5990, 1451 UT 29/6, SINPO 55555, programa Forro nordestino, Forrozeiros de Sergipe cantam. Edvaldo do Carira 30 anos de forro, começou com o pai Manoel do Carira. Falou de Dominguinhos // 6180. Rádio Filadélfia Foz do Iguaçu-PR, [6105] 1432 UT 29/6, SINPO 45333, música Gospel, Mara Lima "coroa da vida eterna`` Rádio Daqui, Goiânia-GO, 11830, 1402 UT 29/6, SINPO 45333, ``uma música atraz da outra" tocou vários estilos de música e o slogan "Essa é Daqui", depois música pagode e rock clássico. Receptor Tecsun PL 660, Antena Long Wire 7 Meters http://dxbrazilsw.blogspot.com/ (DANIEL WYLLYANS, DEXISTA PT 9008 SWL, DX DESDE NOVA XAVANTINA MT, BRASIL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. BRASIL, 4785, R. Congonhas, Congonhas MG, 2201-2204*, 27/6, anúncios informativos, ID comnpleta e anúncio da freq., ao que se seguiu encerramento abrupto; 25331. 4915, R. Daqui, Goiânia GO, 2130-2143, 27/6, programa de propaganda religiosa inclusive canções a condizer; 44342, QRM da R.Dif.ª de Macapá, B. 4915, R. Dif.ª, Macapá AP, 2132-2152, 27/6, noticiário, A Voz do Brasil, às 2200; 23341, QRM da R.Daqui, B. 4985, R. Brasil Central, Goiânia GO, 2124-2140, 26/6, relato de jogo de futebol, anúncios comerciais, comentários; 35332. 5035, R. Educação Rural, Coari AM, 2217-2230, 26/6, texto, aparentemente, A Voz do Brasil; 22331, QRM da R. Aparecida, B. 5990.1, R. Nacional da Amazónia, Parque do Rodeador DF, 2112-2125, 26/6, relato de jogo de futebol; 43432, QRM ajacente. Ligeiro atraso no áudio relativamente a // 6180, 11780. 6010.05, R. Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte MG, 2158-2212, 26/6, texto, anúncios informativos, A Voz do Brasil, às 2200; 34432, QRM da CHINA. 6089.9, R. Bandeirantes, São Paulo SP, 2205-2220, 27/6, conversa sobre a Taça do Mundial, chamadas de ouvintes; 35332. Há bastante tempo que, pelo menos por esta hora, a Bandeirantes não punha um sinal algo perceptível, nesta freq. 9586.4, SRDA, São Paulo SP, 2146-2154, 26/6, propag. relig.; 35433. 9645.42, R. Bandeirantes, São Paulo SP, 2208-2215, 27/6, comentários acerca da Taça da FIFA, chamadas de ouvintes; 32441, QRM adjacente. 9818.7, R. 9 de Julho, São Paulo SP, 0916-desvan. total 0950, 28/6, rubrica de futebol; 15331. Bons DX e melhores 73 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 4754.9, July 2 at 0118, very poor signal with music, talk on the lo side of 4755; presumed R. Imaculada Conceição, as usual off frequency (In January, Dave Valko had it on 4754.8; Scott Barbour on 4754.92). It`s 10 kW, ZYF904 in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. Not much else from Brasil on 60m now but a few other carriers (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 4865, R. Verdes Florestas, Cruzeiro do Sul. I had the radio on in the background, sitting on this empty frequency while I worked on the computer. Then over about five minutes around 1045, this station faded in with mainly talk and the occasional slow ballad. ID at 1102 then a longer talk, perhaps religious. Hangs around much later than most other Brazilians because it's over in the far west of the country. First time heard this year, fair to poor level on 11/6. Then again on 13/6 with s/on at 1029 playing a solo clarinet-like theme, followed by announcements and a hymn-like song. Fair level of carrier but the audio seemed to be down (Rob Wagner, Mount Evelyn, VIC (Kenwood TS2000, Yaesu FRG100, Double Bazooka antennas for 80 and 40 m, Par EF-SWL End Fed antenna, BHI NEIM1031 Digital Noise Eliminating Module, MFJ-1026 Noise Cancelling Module, ATU), July Australian DX News via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 4875.07, 2310-2315 27.06, R Dif. Roraima, Boa Vista, RR. Portuguese ann, pieces of music, 25222 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, Just a few recent loggings here from Skovlunde on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 4915.02, R. Difusora Macapá, Macapá. One of those dual (and usually duelling!!) Brazilian channels at 0935 with Macapá here and R. Daqui on 4914.94 approx., creating a significant het and not much else. Noted to past 1010 on 12/6. Last year, I didn't hear Macapá at all, so nice to see it appearing this time around, with excitable Brazilian pops (Rob Wagner, Mount Evelyn, VIC (Kenwood TS2000, Yaesu FRG100, Double Bazooka antennas for 80 and 40 m, Par EF-SWL End Fed antenna, BHI NEIM1031 Digital Noise Eliminating Module, MFJ-1026 Noise Cancelling Module, ATU), July Australian DX News via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 4925.23, 2315-2320 27.06, R Educação Rural, Tefé, AM, Portuguese talk, very weak, 13211 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, Just a few recent loggings here from Skovlunde on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 4985, R. Brasil Central, Goiânia. Poor, just poking through the RTTY QRM in Portuguese at 0725 on 24/6 (John Adams, Port Douglas Beach, QLD DX-pedition with Sony ICFSW7600GR, 7 Metre Reel Antenna, July Australian DX News via DXLD) same | Very weak signal via the all darkness winter Antarctic path at 2115, but gone by 2135 on 13/6. Antarctic path signals from morning Brazilians have been almost non-existent here in Melbourne so far this year. During the month, there was considerable southern auroral activity, probably due to some high solar flux numbers that occurred midway through the month. This may have had a deleterious effect on Brazilian signals coming across that wintertime path (Rob Wagner, Mount Evelyn, VIC (Kenwood TS2000, Yaesu FRG100, Double Bazooka antennas for 80 and 40 m, Par EF-SWL End Fed antenna, BHI NEIM1031 Digital Noise Eliminating Module, MFJ-1026 Noise Cancelling Module, ATU), July Australian DX News via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 5939.85, R. Voz Missionária, Camboriú. Noted at 2130 with music and discussions. Currently 5940 is clear of international broadcasters at this time, allowing the Brazilian to peep through unimpeded. Weak via the all darkness Antarctic path on 10/6 (Rob Wagner, Mount Evelyn, VIC (Kenwood TS2000, Yaesu FRG100, Double Bazooka antennas for 80 and 40 m, Par EF-SWL End Fed antenna, BHI NEIM1031 Digital Noise Eliminating Module, MFJ-1026 Noise Cancelling Module, ATU), July Australian DX News via DXLD) ** BRAZIL [and non]. 5990, June 26 at 0117, no sign of RNA`s extra frequency tonite, nor vs Cuba on alternate 6000 --- tho at first I heard some co-channel talk, but it was just voice-under being translated. And 11780 is back in whack at this time. 5990+, June 27 at 0103, RNA extra frequency is back on; it was missing 24 hours earlier. Now the signal is much better, fair, but still no comparison to supersig on // 6180. Announcing 600 kW on MW 980 just as I tune in (Maybe I misunderstood; thought it was only 300 kW: 3 and 6 almost rhyme in Portuguese and Spanish, something they should have avoided; but then 9 and 5 almost rhyme in English, so who are we to talk?). This one is just a tad higher above nominal than Chaski is above its 5980; see PERU. 5990, June 28 at 0109, RNA is gone again from its extra frequency, nor can I hear it under RHC on 6000. 5990, June 29 at 0603, RNA extra frequency is back on tonight // much stronger 6180 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Heard here as well but with QRM on 5990 and pretty weak. 6180 quite well at 0733 UT June 29. Heard with Grundig S350 (Todd Skaine, Woodbury, MN, Toyota Car Radio, ABDX via DXLD) 5990, July 2 at 0114, RNA extra frequency is on tonight, fair signal with music // much stronger 6180, also at 0543 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 0351 - 6059.7, JBA sotto R. Habana Cuba 6060 (Luca Botto Fiora, REPORT, Venerdì 20 giugno 2014 (R7 in SSB con filtro da 2.3 kHz, play dx electronic 28 June via DXLD) See also CUBA 6059.78, Super Rádio Deus é Amor, Curitiba, Paraná. 0747 June 29, 2014. Braso-Portuguese male preacher, clear but low modulation, parallel better 6120. 6120, Super Rádio Deus é Amor, São Paulo. 0750 June 29, 2014. Braso- Portuguese preacher, parallel weaker 6059.78. At least this one is on frequency (Terry L. Krueger, Clearwater FL, July 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 9818.7, R. Nove de Julho, São Paulo. Fair reception of a Portuguese talk before a pleasant Portuguese song at 0625, 14/6. Much better at 0555 on 15/6! (Dennis Allen, Bargo Wirrumbirra Wildlife Sanctuary NSW DX-pedition, Icom R75, July Australian DX News via DXLD) same ¦ Relay of Rádio Aparecida. On 5/6 ID "Rádio Nacional Com A Mãe Aparecida" // 5035. On 3/6 at 0101 Rádio Aparecida program heard on 5035, 6135, 9630, 11855 and maybe on 4949.9 also. Over 100 Brasilian stations are broadcasting Com A Mãe Aparecida program! (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF2001D, Folded Marconi ant 16 m long), July Australian DX News via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 11764.73, Super R. Deus é Amor, Curitiba. Religious programming at 2155, weak on 13/6. And again on 17/6 with a live broadcast of World Cup Brazil vs México at 2040. Fair signal but with QRM R. Algerienne on 11765 (Rob Wagner, Mount Evelyn, VIC (Kenwood TS2000, Yaesu FRG100, Double Bazooka antennas for 80 and 40 m, Par EF- SWL End Fed antenna, BHI NEIM1031 Digital Noise Eliminating Module, MFJ-1026 Noise Cancelling Module, ATU), July Australian DX News via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 11750 & 11810, June 26 at 0548, spurs from RNA 11780 are still here but much reduced, crackling barely detectable while fundamental remains supersig (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11750 & 11810, June 28 at 0524, distorted RNA spurs from defective 11780 transmitter are quite audible, but could be, and have been much worse. Additionally, now splattering directly above and below 11780, out to 11765 so with the 11810 spur next to 11815, QRMing the only two other Brazilians audible on the band at this time! Way to go, Rodeador (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No distortion visible at 0020 UT June 30 (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) It comes and goes; this is not contradictory (gh, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 11815, June 28 at 0526, R. Brasil Central must be on overnight, as here`s Brazilian music, and 0527 Brazuguese announcement; but QRMed by spur from Brasília`s 11780 transmitter around 11810 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Rádio Inconfidência --- A Radio Inconfidencia enviou um eQSL (confirmação) de uma escuta em 15190 kHz ocorrida na Alemanha. O e-mail de quem enviou a confirmação por parte da emissora é gleisonferreira@inconfidencia.com.br As frequências da Inconfidência: 880 / 6010 / 15190 kHz. Uma chance para quem desejar buscar a confirmação dos sinais recebidos da Inconfidência. Sucesso! 73, (Rudolf Grimm, 28 June, radioescutas yg via DXLD) At the same time [as LRA36, 1930 UT 1 July] Radio Inconfidência Brazil on 15190.11 kHz. Mostly with music, ID at 2006 UT. 73, RX Perseus and End Fed antenna (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, July 2, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. USA(non), Cancelled broadcasts of Brother Stair in English via Kostinbrod: 1300-1500 on 9400 SOF 050 kW / 306 deg to WeEu. The new schedule on 9400: 1500-1700 on 9400 SOF 050 kW / 306 deg to WeEu. Video from June 23 before the start on 9400 at 1300 UT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqVSDbS1s6Y (DX RE MIX NEWS #858 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, June 28, 2014 via DXLD) see also SOUTH CAROLINA [non] ** BURMA [non]. CLANDESTINE, 11560, Dem. V. of Burma, Jun 21 *1430- 1440, 45444 Burmese, 1430 sign on with opening music, ID, Opening announce, Talk (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellit 750, DE-1121; ANT, 130m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CAMBODIA [non]. CLANDESTINE, 17860, V. of Khmer M'Chas Srok, Jun 19 *1130-1142, 35333-35433, Cambodian, 1130 sign on with IS, ID, Opening announce, Talk. 17860, V. of Khmer M'Chas Srok via Tajikistan, Jun 27 *1130-1142, 35433, Cambodian, 1130 sign on with IS, ID, Opening announce, Talk (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD- 345, Satellit 750, DE-1121, ANT, 130m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. MICHAEL ENRIGHT ESSAY ON FOR THE LOVE OF RADIO http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/essays/2014/06/22/for-the-love-of-radio---michaels-essay/ (via Gerald T Pollard, NC, DXLD) Viz.: You probably missed it; I know I did. Last February 13 was World Radio Day. A day devoted to the wonders of radio. Not even a week, like World Salt Awareness Week. Or a month, like last month which was World Foot Health Awareness Month -- the whole month. Radio, universal, beloved, magical, gets one lousy day, right up there with Love Your Pet Day. Radio is always being consigned somewhere. To oblivion, to obsolescence, to the ashcan of technology or to one day a year. To many people, I suppose, radio should be consigned to history; it belongs to an earlier ancient technology field which includes rabbit ears, flashbulbs and Dictaphone machines. To others, me included, radio is a marker of the process of growing up. It is a part of youth. It is true that television was formative in that process, but radio was there first. I have trouble remembering a time when I didn't listen to radio. The kitchen radio in our apartment was always on. My mother had a passion for swing music and light classical. The floor model in the living room was turned on for the news when my father came home for work. At the tail end of the day after the world and local news, the radio was mine. On offer; programs like Mr. District Attorney, Terry and the Pirates, Suspense, Dragnet, Inner Sanctum, Lux Radio Theatre. All wonderful programs. And all American. And baseball. When my children were young, we would sometimes put on our ball caps, lie on the bed and listen to a game. I remain religious on the subject of baseball and radio. Radio, not television, is all about pictures.The human voice creates a carefully constructed architecture of mental images as alive as any photograph or video. There is an intimacy to radio that can't be found in any other medium. Listening is a deeply personal experience. It engages the mind and emotions more directly than television. Because they felt the air waves belonged to the public, several governments in the 20's and 30's created a system of public broadcasting, subsidized, but not controlled, by governments. That's how the BBC, Radio Netherlands, ABC Australia and others came into existence. In Canada, the CBC was created by a Conservative government to act as a countervail to the overwhelming flood of American programming streaming into Canada. The theory was that the CBC would be owned by the citizens, and its mission would be to cater to their needs and interests. Private broadcasting, on the other hand, had -- and still has -- as its core mission to deliver audiences to advertisers, which I think they do successfully. Radio is in constant flux, forever changing, forever evolving. The arrival of the digital universe has forced us to. People's listening habits have changed as well. We listen on a host of different devices, at different times of our choosing. Public broadcasting seems to be under extreme stress everywhere. The BBC is cutting resources and staff, as is ABC Australia. And of course the CBC is under constant threat. The signs are good, though, that public radio will survive and flourish in Canada and elsewhere. CBC Radio will continue to produce quality programs, winning awards along the way. We live in hope around here. The Sunday Edition, for example, returns in the fall with a new, two-hour version. Experts who study these things say that the last animated sound on the planet will be the rustling scuttle of the cockroach. I have to disagree. To me, that last sound cutting the obsidian gloom of the dying planet, will be, somewhere, an old fashioned, and much beloved radio (via DXLD) ** CANADA. More CBC cuts http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cbc-to-cut-back-supper-hour-news-in-house-productions-1.2688409 The link above will take you to an article on the cuts to the CBC over the next 5-6 years. It will be a smaller corporation but they are promising that no stations will be closed down as rumoured before the announcement today (Shawn Axelrod, MB, June 26, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** CANADA. CBC RADIO ONE SUMMER PROGRAMMING The Bugle and the Passing Bell Fifty years ago, CBC Radio devoted 17 hours to the voices and stories of the men who fought in World War One. This summer, to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the war, documentary producer Steve Wadhams and host Beza Seife bring those voices and stories back to life. Thursday at 9:30 am (10 NT) and Sunday at 6:30 pm (7:30 AT/8 NT) http://www.cbc.ca/bugleandthebell/ Those As It Happens interviews you just can't get out of your head. For 46 years, the show has been bringing listeners the hilarious, dramatic and downright strangest news of the day – straight from the people making it. Tune in each week to hear the show’s most compelling characters and their sagas all over again. Tune in each week this summer on Wednesday at 11:30 p.m. or Friday at 7:30 p.m. to hear the show's most compelling characters all over again. http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/asithappened/ What A Waste is a weekly summer radio program that explores how science is answering our need to redefine waste. According to host and molecular biologist Torah Kachur, there's no such thing as waste – only wasted resources. Scientists are transforming what has previously been seen as garbage into valuable materials that can be used in surprising (and sometimes profitable) ways. What a Waste breaks down complex problems into manageable pieces with practical solutions. Each week features scientists from around the world, local stories and a Waste Warrior who is pushing the boundaries to repurpose his or her personal waste. Got a waste success story you want to share with the world? Join the conversation online by using the hashtag #WasteWarrior on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram or tell Torah on Twitter (@DrTorahKachur). About the host --- Torah Kachur has a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Alberta. She teaches at the U of A and MacEwan University in subjects ranging from ecology to bacterial genetics You can catch her weekly syndicated column on CBC Radio One afternoon shows across the country. A dedicated science communicator and co- founder of http://scienceinseconds.com --- her motto is "Know Everything". Torah lives in Edmonton with her family. http://www.cbc.ca/whatawaste/ (via Fred Waterer, Programming Matters, ODXA July, via DXLD) ** CANADA. Podding Along - Issue 1 Like many, I've discovered that my regular exercise regimen is much more interesting and productive when I combine it with podcast listening. Making the mind healthier and arguably more agile, along with the body, would seem a prudent thing to do, not to mention a more efficient use of time. So, periodically, I will use this space -- with your indulgence -- to inform on podcasts from international and public radio sources that I've found particularly interesting and edifying in the hope that you might as well. In addition to via the websites referenced, these podcasts generally are made available through several other popular internet sources such as iTunes and TuneIn. ---------------------------- IDEAS - CBC Radio One Golf Some practitioners consider it to be a 'test of character' -- more than a mere game played with tees, clubs, and sand traps. Cynics simply complain that it's a 'good walk, spoiled'. Paul Kennedy celebrates his 15th season as host of IDEAS by delving into the rich traditions of Scotland's sporting gift to the world. (54") http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2014/05/12/golf/ IDEAS - CBC Radio One State Surveillance - The Munk Debate Be it resolved state surveillance is a legitimate defence of our freedoms... The monitoring of information -- legal and illegal -- has never been greater. Yet the threats of terrorism persist. So is state surveillance a legitimate defence of our freedom, or not? Michael Hayden (former head of the NSA and CIA) and Alan Dershowitz (lawyer and proponent of the "preventive state") argue that it is. Alexis Ohanian (founder of the website reddit) and Glenn Greenwald (privacy advocate) argue that it isn't. The Munk Debates are an initiative of the Aurea Foundation, a charitable organization founded in 2006 by Peter and Melanie Munk to "improve the quality and vitality of public debate in Canada." (54") http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2014/05/08/state-surveillance-the-munk-debate/ ----------------------------- (John Figliozzi, The Worldwide Listening Guide - 6th edition now available wwlgonline.com July 2, dxldyg via REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Phantom 97.9 --- Some of us are probably familiar with the old C&W song Phantom 309, so it was the inspiration for this subject line. Folks, CKEZ has me really scratching my head [that rhymes if you pronounce the alphabet like a Canadian, and this is Canada Day, but I digress]. Back on the day before Father's Day, I reported that CKEZ was testing, and indeed they were all that weekend [although honestly in the days after I felt like Bobby Ewing and that Stratford PE was really Dallas TX - and the last few days weather wise it feels like it temperature wise. In short - Maybe it was just a dream???]. At any rate, I suspected that maybe they would officially launch with a flourish on Canada Day so their 'birthday` could be Canada Day and maybe play 100% rock Cancon all day or whatever. But alas, it is nothing but CBC NB on 97.9. So, in a nutshell, "Canada`s newest FM station - testing" is not testing any more, hasn't been for a couple weeks, and appears in no hurry to get on the air, given that over two years have passed since their station was approved by the CRTC. I'll probably find out later it was a problem with the STL or something like that and the testing was just a laptop at the transmitter site. I will keep monitoring 97.9 and if there is some activity other than CBC on 97.9 I will advise ABDX first (Phil Rafuse, VY2PR, Stratford PE, July 1, ABDX via DXLD) Driving home from work today, I hit the preset for 97.9 expecting CBC NB and instead was greeted with the Phantom 979 testing again, a.k.a. CKEZ. CKEZ was on the RDS and they are giving the test announcement just as before. Currently listening as I type this. Website appears to be CKEZ.ca but there are no contents as yet. It will be interesting to see what "branding" will be given CKEZ - will it be Z-Rock, some animal name. There were reports of bears lately getting into garbage and compost bins in urban Pictou County recently, so maybe "979 The Bear" might work. Modulation seems quite a bit higher tonight than back in mid June, with some mild processing. I say mild, because even though CKEZ's RF signal strength is way stronger than 98.9 CJFX XFM, and should be at 40 miles versus 60 miles, they are nowhere near as loud as CJFX. Hector Broadcasting has always emphasized fidelity over loudness - back in its AM days CKEC was by far one of the most hi-fi AM stations anywhere - that carried over after the FM flip to 94.1 and my guess is the brother station CKEZ will also favour fidelity over brute loudness. As Arthur works its way north, there may be some DX opportunities so you may want to keep an ear on 97.9 (Phil Rafuse, VY2PR, Stratford PE Canada, July 2, ABDX via DXLD) ** CANADA [non]. Romania: Radio City via IRRS. 7290. English/German Programme. e-QSL pdf received in 1 hour for e-mail report to citymorecars@yahoo.ca The QSL letter includes a picture of Brian Poole and The Tremeloes standing in front of their Ford Transit van. The Ford Transit was introduced in 1965, so the photo dates from mid- late 1960's. The QSL letter also includes details of the tracks played during the programme (Alan Roe, July BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** CHINA. [As usual, the bulk of our reports on SW from China concerning JAMMING; here in chronological order] 10960, CNR 1, 6/21 1115. Strong up to 1117 and 2 M in Chinese. Weak // on 12910, 14920. 16100, CNR 1, 6/22, 1130. M then W in Chinese. Fair. No other // CNR transmitters or opera music jammers were found at this time. 17485, CNR1, 6/23, 1030. W in Chinese in huge multi-station collision. Also with // on 16920 (VG). 16920, CNR1, 6/23, 1200. M in Chinese, VG. No //s heard on bandsweep 9-18 MHz. 16920, CNR1, 6/24, 0945. W in Chinese, VG. CNR 1 stations on 16260, 16100 were only //s heard on bandsweep 9-18.2 MHz 14980, CNR 1, 1030 6/24. M and W in Chinese. Good. Noted just one // on 16100 (fair) 16100, CNR 1, 6/26, 1020. W in Chinese. VG, with // 14600 (poor), 12910 (fair) 12910, CNR1, 6/26, 1130. Heard with W in Chinese. No // heard on bandsweep 9-18 MHz (Rick Barton, El Mirage AZ, random wire, Slinky ant.; Drake R8, Grundig Satellit 750, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ChiCom jamming morning of June 26 with degraded propagation: 16920, June 26 at 1336, CNR1 jammer, fair with flutter 17170, June 26 at 1337, CNR1 jammer, good with flutter 19000, June 26 at 1337, CNR1 jammer, fair. None in the 18s, 14s, 13s, 12s, and only inbanders on 15 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 13680, CNR1, 6/27, 1040, loud and clear, over what should have been Sound of Hope via Taiwan. No off band //s heard this session. (Rick Barton, El Mirage AZ, random wire, Slinky ant.; Drake R8, Grundig Satellit 750, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) CNR1 jamming morning of June 27: 18970, June 27 at 1247, CNR1 jammer, fair-good with fading; this one is not against RFA Tibetan via Kuwait, but against Sound of Hope, unheard. None in the 17s or 16s 18990, June 27 at 1247, CNR1 jammer, a few seconds behind 18970. This one is against RFA Tibetan via Kuwait, its Tue & Fri frequency in the 12-13 hour 13830, June 27 at 1251, CNR1 jammer, poor; none in the 14s 13850, June 27 at 1251, CNR1 jammer, fair 11805, June 27 at 1254, open carrier with flutter; 1300 starts CNR1 jammer, good; later at 1325 with CCI from VOA Chinese via SAIPAN and now // 11785 jamming against VOA Chinese via Tinang, Philippines 15525, June 27 at 1410, CNR1 jammer, poor-fair, maybe with CCI. Only JBA carriers on 15520 (Iran?) & 15530, so not sure if they are hitting Voice of Tibet via MADAGASCAR head-on 17570, June 27 at 1412, CNR1 jammer, with CCI, making slow SAH, i.e. VOA Tibetan via Lamperthein, GERMANY, daily this hour only 17740, June 27 at 1413, CNR1 jammer, poor, not synchronized with 17570. Aoki still shows 17740 at 14-15, but no known target (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 13970, CNR1, 6/28, 1030. Long monologue with W in Chinese, VG. Noted //s on 12560 (excellent) and 12190 (excellent). (Rick Barton, El Mirage AZ, random wire, Slinky ant.; Drake R8, Grundig Satellit 750, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) New frequency of China National Radio 1 for Jamming, plus 4 videos: 1500-1700 on 9700 secret/hidden tx site to CHN Chinese, co-channel RNZI from 1551 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNviBpzTQbo&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_c1-Be1_8Q&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSAGvLExtJw&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ppcIEogyDI&feature=youtu.be (DX RE MIX NEWS #858 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, June 28, 2014 via DXLD) [and non]. Domenica 29 giugno 2014, 0519 - 15265, FIREDRAKE + CNR1 + VOA Tibetan. SF (Luca Botto Fiora, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, G.C. 44 21' 06.89" N / 09 13' 30.94" E, bclnews.it yg via DXLD) 10960, CNR1, 6/29, 1140. Monologue by W in Chinese, VG. Didn't hear any other // transmissions or Firedrakes this session. (Rick Barton, El Mirage AZ, random wire, Slinky ant.; Drake R8, Grundig Satellit 750, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake CNR1 Radio Jammer [which?], 19010, 1325 UT 29/6, SINPO 55555, Nxs/Om in language Mandarim. Receptor Tecsun PL 660, Antena Long Wire 7 Meters http://dxbrazilsw.blogspot.com/ (DANIEL WYLLYANS, DEXISTA PT 9008 SWL, DX DESDE NOVA XAVANTINA MT, BRASIL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15175, Monday June 30 at 1319, CNR1 jammer, an echo apart from // 15115; still on 15195 and 15265 this hour. New for me on 15175, and off at recheck 1344. Aoki shows it`s against BBC Uzbek via OMAN scheduled 1300-1330, this frequency only on Mon/Wed/Sat. 16360, June 30 at 1321, CNR1 jammer, fair; also at 1347, good 17480, June 30 at 1322, CNR1 jammer, good // 15175; none in the 18s. Aoki shows this too is vs BBC Uzbek at 1300-1330, in this case, via Thailand on Sun/Mon/Wed/Fri, since May 14 15970, June 30 at 1345, CNR1 jammer, fair (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGSET) 16920, CNR 1, 7/1, 1130. W in Chinese. Good. No // found. (Rick Barton, El Mirage AZ, random wire, Slinky ant.; Drake R8, Grundig Satellit 750, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 18980, July 1 at 1334, CNR1 jammer, with SAH presumably from RFA Tibetan via KUWAIT as this is its Tue & Fri frequency during this hour. No others 12-19 MHz now with degraded propagation, except: 15195, July 1 at 1337, Firedrake jammer atop victim with SAH; 1348 a little more CCI; vs IBB Tibetan via TAJKISTAN at 12-14; and the usual big CNR1 clash on 15115 9845, July 1 at 1403, CNR1 jammer, fair vs IBB Chinese via THAILAND a 14-15 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CNR 1 Jamming still continuing on ex VOA Uzbek frequencies 11810, 11920, 13650, 17600 at 15 July 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iybxR_-WjoA&feature=youtu.be (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, dxldyg via DXLD) 14920, CNR 1, 7/2, 0940. M in Chinese. Fair. //s on 14980 (good), 16100 (good) 12370, CNR1, 7/2, 1130. M in Chinese, very strong (Rick Barton, El Mirage AZ, random wire, Slinky ant.; Drake R8, Grundig Satellit 750, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 17485, July 2 at 1412, CNR1 jammer, fair vs the M/W/F 14-15 frequency of IBB Tibetan via Thailand. Cursory scan of 12-19 MHz found no others, but some probably obscured by the accursèd neighborly high noise level I have been hit with (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. (4800), 2305-2315 27.06, Voice of China, Golmud, was SILENT, while China on 4820, 4905 and 4920 were heard well (Anker Petersen, Denmark, Just a few recent loggings here from Skovlunde on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** CHINA. Temporary suspended frequencies of China Radio International due to technical reasons via transmitter Jinhua-Youbu 831 from June 18 to July 15: 0000-0057 on 11780 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Chinese 0100-0157 on 15160 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Chinese 0200-0257 on 15160 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Chinese 0300-0357 on 15160 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Chinese 0300-0357 on 17710 JIN 500 kW / 310 deg to EaEu Russian 0400-0457 on 15160 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Cantonese 0500-0557 on 15170 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Cantonese 0600-0657 on 15170 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Chinese 0700-0757 on 11640 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Cantonese 0800-0857 on 11640 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Chinese 0900-0957 on 7430 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Chinese 0900-0957 on 13790 JIN 500 kW / 150 deg to AUS English 1000-1057 on 7325 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Japanese 1000-1057 on 13790 JIN 500 kW / 150 deg to AUS English 1100-1157 on 7325 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Japanese 1130-1157 on 7390 JIN 500 kW / 172 deg to SEAs Filipino 1300-1357 on 7215 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Japanese 1400-1457 on 7430 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Japanese 1400-1457 on 11900 JIN 500 kW / 258 deg to SoAs Sinhalese 1500-1557 on 7220 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Japanese 1500-1557 on 9800 JIN 500 kW / 280 deg to SoAs English 1600-1657 on 11900 JIN 500 kW / 255 deg to SoAf English 1700-1757 on 11900 JIN 500 kW / 255 deg to SoAf English 1800-1857 on 7435#JIN 500 kW / 314 deg to SEEu Italian 1830-1857 on 9695*JIN 500 kW / 310 deg to SEEu Bulgarian 1900-1957 on 11750 JIN 500 kW / 320 deg to SoEu Portuguese 2030-2057 on 7390 JIN 500 kW / 314 deg to CeEu Hungarian 2200-2257 on 7430 JIN 500 kW / 255 deg to SoAf Chinese 2200-2257 on 13640 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Japanese 2300-2357 on 13640 JIN 500 kW / 059 deg to EaAs Japanese # confirmed, no signal on June 26, see video here * confirmed, on the air on June 26, see video here (DX RE MIX NEWS #858 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, June 28, 2014 via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. CRI NEW PROGRAMMING IN LONDON ABU Weekly News Digest 27 June 2014 http://www.abu.org.my/Latest_News-@-China_Radio_International_launches_new_show_in_the_UK.aspx On the occasion of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang‘s visit to Britain, China Radio International (CRI), announced the launch of new programming on terrestrial radio in London. Asia Radio Today reports the launch was a part of trilateral agreement between CRI and Britain- based Propeller TV and Spectrum Radio. According to the deal, CRI will offer 12-hours of locally produced English programming to air on a digital radio station in London. The shows will also broadcast via Spectrum’s AM558 service in London for ten hours every day. As part of a wider agreement, China and UK will consolidate cooperation in radio, TV, Internet, printing media, movie production, personnel exchange and resource sharing. At the signing ceremony in London, CRI also launched an English portal website english.china.com, and a bilingual magazine ‘Opportunities China’ aimed at business and trade relations with Europe (via BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) And the Chinese will still be jamming the BBC on SW in Chinese, Uzbek, Uighur, Tibetan, English --- And no BBC relays allowed on domestic radio in China --- what a deal! 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid. via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DXLD) I'm with you Glenn, this 'brown nosing' is sickening (Rog Parsons, (BDXC 782), Hinckley, Leics. LE10 0NJ, ibid.) I've just checked on Globaltuners and BBC WS is still being relayed on medium wave 675 khz in Hong Kong, albeit low power (Dave Kenny, BDXC- UK moderator, ibid., WORLD OF RADIO 1728 via DXLD) Well, that`s different, fortunately (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CONGO. -Brazaville, 6115, R. Congo, Brazzaville, 1731-1820, 29/6, dialecto local, texto, música pop' africano, emissão em francês, a partir das 1800, ID, noticiário Le Journal; 25442. Pelas 1831, a emissão estava fora do ar, provàvelmente, porque terá fechado pelas 1830. Bons DX e melhores 73 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 1188, R. Rebelde, unknown location, JUN 25 0400 - Poor in 1190 WLIB splatter; announcement with theme music into Cuba national anthem. At 0800 a fair to good signal but distorted audio in WLIB splatter; female vocal in Spanish through the hour, this time not parallel other R. Rebelde frequencies so maybe Rebelde FM (Bruce Conti, WPC1CAT, Nashua NH; WiNRADiO Excalibur, MWDX-5 phasing unit, 15 x 23-m variable termination SuperLoop antennas 60 northeast and 180 south, NRC IDXD JUNE 27 via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DXLD) Like another off-frequency Rebelde, 1179, sometimes reported and not to be confused with a trans-Atlantic frequency; I haven`t heard either lately (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** CUBA. 9740, CRI, Quivicán. Good at 0420 with Cantonese programme on 6/6 (John Adams, Port Douglas Beach, QLD DX-pedition with Sony ICFSW7600GR, 7 Metre Reel Antenna, July Australian DX News via DXLD) Supposed to be on 9790; your typo or theirs? If it was theirs, you should have pointed it out. Lately here certainly on 9790 (gh, DXLD) 11860, June 26 at 1313 and later, RHC`s missing frequency today. At 1419, noted 11760, 12010, 15340, 15370, 17580, 17730 with vocal music instead of stale revolutionary speeches, so also a schedule change on Thursdays. 12140, June 27 at 0106, RHC harmonic in Spanish, 2 x 6070 is very poor vs CODAR 14295, June 27 at 0110, JBA AM carrier, no doubt from 3 x 4765, R. Progreso as previously IDed 17730, June 27 at 1245, RHC starting `Gaceta Cultural`, but it`s barely modulated, compared to // 17580 et al. 11860, June 27 at 1255, RHC undermodulated here too compared to 11760, verging on overmodulated; even it out?? 9550, June 27 at 1258, RHC is dead air here on good signal, finally 1259 ID and IS but undermodulated too, canned announcement about 9850 going off at 1300, but not mentioning the ones which are starting: 15340 and 15370! 9550 maybe undergoing a transmitter change at this hour? 15370 et al., Friday June 27 at 1403, I am monitoring exactly one week after hearing the Cuban top-10 countdown, but not today: `Sonido Cubano` is starting a 48-minute program with some blues in English. I suppose the countdown is an irregular part of that show. Anyhow it gets rid of hoary old Fidel speeches during this hour on `Voces de la Revolución`. 11840, June 28 at 0117, open carrier/dead air from RHC here, while nominal on 11760, 11670. 13605, June 28 at 0119, DentroCuban Jamming Command against nothing, wasting precious megawatts while Cubans go hungry; R. Martí employs this frequency only at 13-20. Jamming is quite heavy now, including 3- tones, lo-hi-lo. O, for the good old days of Soviet jamming with frequent Morse identifiers of the secret sites; their Cuban lapdogs never caught on to that technique (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, 11840 kHz RHC tonight low modulated, but audio is 10% and clear to listen, despite backlobe of South Latin America target, into remote receiving posts in NY, FL, Rochester, Edmonton, Vancouver Island and CA, Arizona. 11760 RHC spreads wideband signal nearly 20 kHz at 11750.6 to 11769.9 kHz, around 0000-0030 UT June 30. 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, 0059 UT June 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6165 // 6100, 6060, 6000, UT Sunday June 29 at 0601, RHC is in weekly Esperanto show instead of English! Espo is supposed to be at 0700 Sundays on only one frequency, but I don`t stay up to check on that. 0615 still Espo music and announcement on all four. Presumably the studio jumped the gun by an hour on sending the Esperanto half-hour via the same program feed circuit (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The answer: 6000, Radio Habana Cuba. 0727-0737* June 29, 2014. Stumbled upon the Sunday-only Esperanto program, scheduled 0700-0730, but this ran until 0737 when interrupted by Ed Newman's voice with "This is Radio Havana Cuba" and immediately off. Excellent. What's the target audience, two linguistics professors with insomnia? (Terry L. Krueger, Clearwater FL, July 1, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Domenica 29 giugno 2014: 0509 - 11930, Pulse jamming. To R. Belarus??? SF (Luca Botto Fiora, play dx electronic 28 June via DXLD) No, Cuba seems to be on here 24 hours altho R. Martí is not (gh, DXLD) 9580, June 30 at 0121, CRI English relay is once again cutting the modulation off and on, more off than on. See also IRAN 6165, July 1 at 0554, RHC missing from this frequency, while overkill English is nominal on 6100, 6060, 6000, 5040. Unfortunately, nothing else to be heard on 6165, like silent Chad. 15370, July 1 at 1400, RHC missing from here, altho it was on in the previous hour, while 15340 continues. 6000, UT Wed July 2 at 0537, Arnie is again phoning-in `DXers Unlimited` to RHC studio, i.e. telco-quality audio compared to the canned hier-fi open & close, featuring the 6000 English frequency which he explains at 01-05 uses a curtain covering the east coast from northern FL up to the Canadian Maritimes; at 05-07 switches to antenna toward the Pacific coast of North America, but also reaching Hawaii, Japan, Australia, New Zealand (here in OK there is not much difference). 5040 is omnidirexional on NVIS (near vertical incidence skywave) dipole antenna, but admits it also has several low-angle lobes. Arnie hasn`t updated his blog with DXUL scripts since September 29, 2013, where one may skim thru his extremely repetitive topix for anything of possible interest (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 101.5, CMBD, Radio Reloj, Havana, July/02/14, 1838 EDT, Spanish, VG, Clock Ticks. Male reading News in SPANISH. RR in Morse Code and ID as "Radio Reloj" on he Minute. RELOG ROSS, ONT. A mini opening to Newfoundland and a Cuban FMer were the Hi-lights of the past week or so!! FM STATION TOTALS are now 2,425 Stations Heard; FM TUNER is SANGEAN HDT-1X; FM BEAM is APS-14 14 Element Beam on 50 Foot Tower. 73 (Robert S. Ross, VA3SW, London, Ontario CANADA, WTFDA via DXLD) ** CYPRUS [and non?]. 11559-11577, June 26 at 0111, OTH radar pulsing, presumed from here, and fortunately (deliberately?) not QRMing any audible broadcaster. 9743-9769, June 27 at 0113, strong OTH radar pulsing presumed from here, intruding inside the 31m exclusive SWBC band; 9770 Turkey in stilted Spanish can still be heard clearly by sidetuning upward. Fortunately (?), not much broadcasting scheduled in this range at this hour except several from China; would bother Bahrain on 9745 if anyone could hear it otherwise. 11899-11909 approx., June 28 at 0115, OTH radar pulses intruding, presumed from here, destroying the poor signal from 11905 SRI LANKA, so no calculation of its mistimesignal tonight. 15178-15202 approx., June 28 at 0120, OTH radar pulses, very different intruders from the ones around 11905, these being lower-pitched and slower (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) OTHR noted 11545.4 to 11563.8 (wideband also 11540.25 to 11568.7), heard in Edmonton and New Jersey, (but not in CA), but much stronger in England, so seemingly UK origin. Not all ORTH's coming from Cyprus: We had a lecture on HAM RADIO convention last weekend on various 13 - 14 OTHR's / CODAR / Ionogram / SUPERDARN, SURA/[likeHAARP] Russia, worldwide in Cyprus, Turkey, 3 x ROTHR USA, in VA, TX, and PR, Nostradamus aircraft detect finding France, OTHR direction finding Israel, England, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Norway, Iran, China, TIGER - and JORN - Jindalee Operational Radar Network Australia, MF Ionospheric Radar Germany. Shore Base systems in France and Germany, a.s.o. 73 wb (Wolfgang Buschel, 0030 UT June 30, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS [non]. Radio Dardasha --- Amigos, uma emissora que venho ouvindo por aqui, é a Radio Dardasha. Não sei exatamente de onde ela é e o seu sinal chega relativamente bem por aqui na frequência de 9515 kHz, das 2030 ás 2045 UT, em árabe. No site da emissora diz que essa transmissão em 9515 kHz é para o Marrocos, Líbia e Algeria. Ontem enviei um informe de recepção a ela com um áudio em anexo. Hoje recebi uma resposta da emissora. Eis o que diz o e-mail da emissora: Dear Friend, Thank you for your report, it is accurate. Best Regards, Radio Dardasha7 Team, http://www.dardasha7.com Vamos ver se irei receber o respectivo cartão QSL ou uma carta QSL. 73! (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso (PY5-007SWL), Bandeirantes - PR, June 27, radioescutas yg via DXLD) This was explained in DXLD 13-50: ``Like mentioned TWR Persian in Febr 2011: HISTORY CYPRUS/GERMANY Full schedule of Radio Dardasha 7 on website Dardasha 7 from Arabic=Chat, Chatting. "Radio Dardasha 7 (Chat from Arabic), new station from Jan. 17" might rather be regarded as new on shortwave. It turns out to be a programme of "Back to God Ministries" a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church. If the google translation of the is correct, it seems, that the programme its medium wave slot on TWR Cyprus (Cape Greco 1233 kHz). (Dr. Hansjoerg Biener-D, Feb 2, 2011) (via Büschel, ibid.)`` Current broadcast is due south via Nauen, GERMANY, daily at 2030-2045 on 9515, per HFCC (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DODECANESE ISLANDS. Voice of America has posted a 5 minute video about the Courier including interviews with some crew members. http://www.voanews.com/content/decades-after-the-cold-war-a-voa-coast-guard-partnership-is-honored/1944320.html Couple of other links 1954 film: Stock Footage - Coast guard cutter Courier operates as a sea radio station in United States. http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675024529_Voice-of-America_Jan-Hajdukiewicz_helium-filled-balloon_Operation-Vagabond Photos http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/courier_wagr410_photos.asp (via Mike Barraclough, dxldyg via DXLD) ** EAST TURKISTAN [non]. 11945, June 26 at 0109, fair signal, YL in central Asian language, music. Haven`t noticed this before? Aoki shows it`s RFA in Uighur, 500 kW, 50 degrees from UAE at 01-02. So of course it must be jammed by the ChiCom, but for once I am not hearing any of that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT [and non]. Radio Cairo spreads its trash around: this time, the 11710 transmitter is doing it: 11710, June 27 at 0107, R. Cairo in Spanish, distorted and hummy, with het from poor Argentina on the hi side, and putting out big dirty distorted spurs around 11700 and 11720, each spreading plus/minus 4 kHz or so 12070, June 27 at 0107, a // R. Cairo Spanish frequency, is big hum only, instead of usual crackling and spurs up and down 9315, June 27 at 0107, third R. Cairo Spanish frequency is the only one readable, altho undermodulated 9965, June 27 at 0112, R. Cairo Arabic, but just barely modulated with whine, despite VG signal level (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. PIRATA, 4025, Laser Hot Hits, G [= UK], 2104-..., 27/6, inglês, música pop', algum texto; 35332. Bons DX e melhores 73 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) So back here after trying 4015 (gh, DXLD) ** EUROPE. Domenica 22 giugno 2014, 2202 - 6245.4, R. TANGO ITALIA - Tanghi. SF-IN (Luca Botto Fiora, Rapallo (Genova) - Italia, G.C. 44 21' 06.89" N / 09 13' 30.94" E, R7: Misurazione frequenze, PL-660: Autoscansione canali attivi, bclnews.it yg via DXLD) ** GERMANY. When East Germany joined with West Germany, Radio Berlin International went off the air. The transmitters of RBI were taken over by Deutsche Welle. The result was too many transmitters. At the time DW had 800 volunteer monitors, and gifts were sent to each monitor. DW did a grand experiment by shutting down some of its transmitters without advising its monitors. Many ‘reports’ claimed good reception of broadcasts that were not transmitted. The forgers - about half the number of monitors - were discovered and fired. That year the main gift was very expensive (Now-regular contributor from Israel, DAVID CRYSTAL, July BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Honesty pays! (ed., ibid.) ** GERMANY. 7310, Radio 700 Kall, Who are the guys running the German station on 7310 kHz? They have been covered on the lower sideband today by what sounds like a digital STANAG transmission. They are *only* audible using the USB - and still with some digital noise. Can you hear the noise at your location ??? (Noel R. Green-UK, June 22, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews June 30 via DXLD) Yes, there is a digital UNKNOWN signal. Signal comes somewhere from Scandinavia. I'll contact the Radio 700 manager immediately. But, those hands are tied and they are not free in their decisions. German Telecomm FNA Federal Network Agency and ITU need new frequency registration regulation, in order to change immediate frequency channel. Hopefully to be changed to another channel in 41 mb next week. 7307.5 to 7310.5 kHz, or 3 kHz wideband digital, see screeshot image attached here. Einige FX Aussendungen findet man hier in der ITU Monitoring Liste (Wolfgang Büschel, June 22, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews June 30 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. 6150, UNKNOWN NEW STATION TEST. 1312 UT, June 28, Nonstop- Music. Pop, Country, 1319 UT close down, no ID (Markus Weidner-D, A-DX June 28; Internet: (Wolfgang Büschel, June 22, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews June 30 via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. 11905, SLBC, Trincomalee. Observed with program in English in April and May: Sun 0230 Jack Van Impe & 0300-0330 Word of Truth (on 25/5), 0230-0245 Water of Truth on 27/05, 0230-0300 Let the Bible Speak on 29/05, 0300-0330 Gospel of the Kingdom on 24/5. Other programs between 0115-0330 daily are in Bengali & Hindi (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF2001D, Folded Marconi ant 16 m long), July Australian DX News via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. VATICAN CITY EXTRA-TERRITORIAL AREA: 15550, Radio Dabanga International [sic], 1535 23-Jun. Heard Arabic (presumed) on Radio Dabanga and the preachers on WJHR Milton FL Fighting to see who would control the frequency. The struggle was fairly even, but I think Radio Dabanga had a slight edge. I have heard both of these on this frequency before. I don't recall hearing both of them at the same time. The signals were strong; obviously there was much QRM but I could hear both of them (Gary Vance, Grand Ledge & Battle Creek MI, MARE Tipsheet 27 June via DXLD) 15550, June 28 at 0535, R. Dabanga, fair signal with 2-note stingers, outshone on 19m only by Australia 15300 & 15240. Can this really be via UAE as still listed by Aoki as of June 28? Per HFCC, the A-14 season began with the 0400-0559 transmission (along with R. Tamazuj during the first 29 minutes) as via UAE, but for some weeks now, it`s been shown as MADAGASCAR. That makes more sense propagationally to here, as other ME signals are absent on 19m except for a trace of 15170 which could be Saudi. Current HFCC as of June 26 shows no more UAE site at all for these services, just MDC or SMG = Vatican, with a phony start date of 30 March: 0400-0557 15550 MDC, 11650 SMG 1500-1627 15150 MDC, 15550 SMG It seems big changes are coming 1 July, with these new transmissions for MDG PNW FPU: 0400-0430 7205 0500-0527 15150 1500-1527 11805 These three are also ``Apd`` in the language column, whatever that means, Arabic-something, but the CIRAF zone has been changed to 48SW only = South Sudan and Uganda. All the other transmissions above have been for 39SW,47E,48W = Yemen, and all of Sudan. Yemen?? It remains to be heard whether the old transmissions are being replaced by the new ones, which seems more likely, or the new ones are in addition. Judging from the 0400 and 1500 timings, the new ones may be only R. Tamazuj, but what about 0500? If still Dabanga, it`s much reduced. Or could be something totally new. Must check July 1 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As I mentioned before, HFCC showed some new MADAGASCAR registrations by PNW (Press Now, same organization airing R. Tamazuj and R. Dabanga) dated to start 010714, so I am monitoring for them, but they are no- shows. Maybe they are really ``startin`` later than that on a date cut off from the HFCC remarx. Not heard: 7205, July 1 at 0400 15150, July 1 at 0500 11805, July 1 at 1500 (but unlikely to be audible here even if on) Thorsten Hallmann in Germany and Noel Green in England agree on nothing being heard yet on 11805. Existing transmissions have been reconfirmed, presumably starting with R. Tamazuj: 15550, July 1 at 0400, fair via Madagascar 11650, July 1 at 0400, fair via Vatican with whine jamming 15550, July 1 at 1500, fair via Vatican 15150, July 1 at 1500, JBA signal presumably via Madagascar Thorsten & Noel also agree on the 1500 frequencies (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn re Radio Dabanga, they are always 15550 kHz via Al Dhabbaya UAE only on B- - winter seasons at 04 - 06 UT, not on A-seasons. Aoki Nagoya team was wrong, to put UAE on their Excel file. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No signal yet at 1505 on 11805, while on 15150 lengthy talk about Juba. Will try to be back to the receiver just before 1530. No signal heard on 11805 at 1500-1505 nor 1520-1527, while 15150 was loud and clear with frequent mentions of Juba in (presumed) local dialect of Arabic. 73 (Thorsten Hallmann, Germany, dxldyg via DXLD) Both 15150 and 15550 are on air at 1500 UT with Radio Tamazuj. 15550 is the strongest, so likely to be SMG; 15150 is also good, and is well ahead of 15550, so seemingly two sites. At 1527 Tamazuj cut off abruptly and Radio Dabanga took over. There is no station audible on 11805 at this time (Noel R. Green (NW England) July 1st, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. Good signals again from SAQ 17.2 kHz this morning (0840 UT 29/6) when I managed to adjust the receiver despite pouring rain. The usual ID strings "VVV VVV VVV DE SAQ SAQ SAQ" until the start of the CW message at 0900 UT. Occasional QRM from RDL on 18.1 kHz. Even between morse characters there is a constant weaker carrier audible on 17.2 kHz which must be leaking to their transmitting aerial. This is usually audible first before they commence keying and is useful for tweaking the receiver tuning and gains etc. before the main carrier starts. This same weak carrier can be heard to descend in frequency at the end of the transmission, which was at 0907:19 UT today. Unfortunately other commitments mean I can't be near a receiver for this afternoons broadcast, but will be monitoring SAQ's broadcast on Wednesday 2/7. 73's (Nick, Buxton UK, Rank, Home-brew VLF, receiver sat in a wet field, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) Good signal received from SAQ 17.2 kHz from tune in at 1145 UT, off at 1207, via Twente SDR in Enschede NL (John Hoad, Sent from my iPad, bdxc-UK yg via DXLD) The SAQ alternator heard here 1145-1205 UT 29 June. Signals steady and strong enough to make a nice audio recording. 17.2 kHz (Brock Whaley, Ireland for dxldyg via DXLD) Brock, could you post a short audio clip? I'd love to hear what it actually sounds like. 73, (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria, BC, ibid.) [and non]. SAQ Grimeton, 17.2 kHz received OK here, their carrier first detected at 1410 UT followed by the usual IDs, with the occasional interruption. There was a lot more static crashing going on today compared to Sundays broadcast, but today's broadcast was later in the day and also it's warmer than Sunday. My ears may have been playing tricks on me, but around 1417 UT I'm sure "QAS" was being sent instead of "SAQ", before the more usual "VVV VVV VVV DE SAQ SAQ SAQ" resumed. (Must put stronger coffee in the flask next time!) The message began at 1430UTC and ended 1435:24UTC. 10 seconds later the weak descending tone was heard. Good signal, SIO 444. JXN Norway (presumed) 16.4 kHz coming through well and also some weak beeping of the Russian navigational stations on 14.88 kHz was present. 73's (Nick Rank, Buxton UK, Home-brew VLF set, July 2, ibid.) ** TAIWAN. Amigos, ontem recebi mais um cartão QSL. Recebi da Rádio Taiwan Internacional, ouvida nos 5010 kHz. A escuta dela em ondas tropicais só foi possível, pois, estava na Praia de Itapoá/SC, num local bem próximo do mar (meu pequeno apartamento há uns 150 metros do mar). Aqui em Bandeirantes/PR, a escuta dela nos 5.010 kHz é praticamente impossível. As imagens do QSL já estão em meu blog: http://www.dxreunion-br.blogspot.com.br 5010, Radio Taiwan International - Kouhu - TWN - Recebido cartão QSL full data, 3 formulários para informes de recepção, schedule das emissões em espanhol e folheto com a relação dos programas que vão ao ar nas emissões em espanhol. 45 dias. V/S: Sem assinatura. Informe enviado por e-mail: rti@rti.org.tw . QTH: P.O. Box 123-199, Taipei 11199, Taiwan, R.O.C. - 73! (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso (PY5-007SWL), June 26, Bandeirantes - PR via DXLD) ** TAIWAN [non]. Radio Taiwan International (1800 UT on 5985 kHz, 24 May 2014) I had first tried RTI’s 1600 UT broadcast on 15485 kHz, but reception was quite poor with increasing fading, so now at 1800 UT I am able to listen with excellent reception. Feast Meets West. This is another great programme. Hosts Andrew Ryan and Ellen Chu (pictured right) each week feature a three-course menu of topics related to food culture in Taiwan. The format could have been rather twee, but it’s a lively and fun programme with a great chemistry between the two hosts, which I always enjoy. Take this exchange early on in the programme, talking about Ellen Chu’s love of pink: Andrew: I was thinking, if I bring anything pink into the studio, you might steal it, and I forgot that I was wearing a pink T-shirt today! Ellen Chu (slowly): Take - it - off Andrew: Stay away from me, Ellen Chu Ellen Chu (faster): Take it off Andrew (slightly away from the microphone): Stay back from the pink shirt. Ellen Chu (excitedly): I am just --- I am just obsessed with pink --- TAKE IT OFF!! Haarrggh!! Take it off! – it`s mine!” I may be wrong, but the whole exchange sounded completely unscripted and unplanned, and great fun! Great radio! (Alan Roe, July BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** TAJIKISTAN. 4765.05, Tajik R., Jun 20 1326-1341, 35333-35433, Tajik, Music and talk, ID at 1340 (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellit 750, DE-1121; ANT, 130m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4765.05, *2300-2310 27.06, Tajik R, Yangiyul. Suddenly opened with talk in Tajik by woman, musical interlude, talk and ID by man: "In jo Dushanbe", 2303 martial orchestra music and song 45343 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, Just a few recent loggings here from Skovlunde on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 14295 kHz, AM signal on 20m ham phone band --- on the moment talks on 14295 at 1935. 73, (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, 1936 UT June 26, ABDX yg via DXLD) ** THAILAND. 15590, June 27 at 0122, nothing but a JBA carrier from presumed R. Thailand to North America. That`s the usual case in the 0000-0330 period, including the English portions at 0000-0100, 0200- 0230, alternating 6 and 38 degree beams from a 250 kW transmitter at Udorn. We have better but unsatisfactory results from the service toward Australia on 9390 at 1230-1300 or 1400-1430. If HSK9 were serious about broadcasting to North America, as payback for IBB access to Udorn, they would insist on using relays via Greenville, which they once did but inexplicably abandoned (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. Voice of Turkey, 2200 UT on 9830 kHz, 24 May 2014: This week was the turn of the Saturday Letterbox programme (which alternates with DX Corner) and presented by Omar. Omar presented this programme “live” – I guess he means live during the first transmission of the day earlier. It certainly sounded live, as Omar ran through the letters before him. One interesting letter was from Grant Skinner, who ends his letter with: “I do hope that you will continue to use shortwave for many years to come” Omar replies: “I have the same hope --- but the world is moving away from shortwave technology, and moving towards the internet and related technologies, like mobile and wireless networks.” I hope that’s not the first indications that Voice of Turkey is thinking of abandoning shortwave. Following Letterbox, there was a very nice selection of Turkish music. However, I would prefer if they could announce some song titles/artists of the songs played. Maybe it would even be possible to have a theme for each playlist so that the songs are related in some way. I don't know if this is possible - I realise that this all takes time to prepare and understand that staff-time may not permit this. But I have suggested this to Voice of Turkey just in case it is possible. There were several other broadcasts of note today, but I think that I’d better stop there. Who said that there’s nothing to hear on shortwave anymore? I hope that the above account of a single listening session proves that there is plenty of good programming still to be heard. Until next time – 73’s (Alan Roe, July BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** UKRAINE [and non]. Glenn, an interesting link to a story about Russian radio in Ukraine, and the split with the Russian station / network by the same name in Russia. Don't know whether my comment at the bottom shows up or not, but interesting nonetheless. 73 Walt http://euromaidanpress.com/2014/06/26/russkoye-radio-is-breaking-ties-with-russkoye-radio-ukraine/#at_pco=smlwn-1.0&at_si=53b074590b7fe997&at_ab=per-2&at_pos=0&at_tot=1 RUSSKOYE RADIO IS BREAKING TIES WITH RUSSKOYE RADIO UKRAINE The representatives of the Russian radio station think it is being discredited by the actions of Russkoye Radio-Ukraine in collecting money for the Ukrainian army The Russian radio station Russkoye Radio Eurasia stated the full suspension of any relations with the Ukrainian radio station Russkoye Radio-Ukraina. This is stated by the press service of the radio station. “The Russian radio station Russkoye Radio harshly condemns the activities of Russkoye Radio-Ukraina in gathering ammunition for the Ukrainian national army! We state confidently that we have nothing to do with the radio station Russkoye Radio-Ukraina and consider their behaviour an action directed to discredit the Russian Russkoye Radio. Until today our radio station supplied Russkoye Radio-Ukraina with musical material exclusively. However, in light of scandalous behaviour of our namesake radio station, we have made the decision to fully suspend any relations with the radio station Russkoye Radio- Ukraina!” says the statement (the style and punctuation are original). Program director of Russkoye Radio Roman Yemelyanov today, on June 26th, live on a Russian TV channel, stated that his radio station is not a mothership structure in regard to Russkoye Radio-Ukraina. “This is not our department, not our subsidiary… The only thing we had in common was the agreement to supply musical content… But after these events we decided to end this agreement,” said he. Yemelyanov added that he considers the collection of money “a provocation against the word that is present in the name of the radio station.” Source: LIGA Translated by Mariya Shcherbinina. 1 comment: Walter Salmaniw • 20 hours ago Neat story. Kind of undermines all the bulls**t about Russian speakers in Ukraine being at risk! (via Walt Salmaniw, BC, DXLD) ** U K. Faults at Absolute Radio AM transmitters. Absolute’s Sideway, Stoke-on-Trent 1242 kHz transmitter was unmodulated with hets 16 kHz above and below, but now OK (Nick Rank 21-22 June) Reading 1233 kHz has been on low modulation for weeks (Chris McWhinnie 22 June) and Guildford 1260 kHz appears to be completely unmodulated again (Dave Kenny 22 June, July BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) see ISLE OF MAN ** UNITED KINGDOM [non]. BBC World Service, 9740, (SINGAPORE), heard on 6/29/14 at 1106 UT. I listened to the first episode of a 10 episode program commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I -- "The War that Changed the World". A panel in the city of Sarajevo discussed the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This series will visit nine other cities. As you can imagine there will be plenty of other documentaries broadcasted from the BBC on this subject. 73s, (Larry Zamora, Garland, TX, June 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7355, July 2 at 0543, BBCWS in English, 102 degrees via Ascension to Africa is still missing from what had been its best incidental frequency in North America. Perhaps we jinxed it by pointing that out, so it was reaching too many listeners here who are forbidden to hear BBCWS on SW? Am I just kidding? HFCC still shows 7355 at 05-06, but starting 110614, until 301014. It was certainly on the air long before 11 June, but maybe some parameter change was made then. We previously suspected it was only off temporarily due to another power failure at ASC; has anyone noticed other scheduled frequencies from there to be absent? (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, reception of BBCWS on 7355 at 0500 has been very poor at my QTH for about six weeks now. Very disappointing, as this had been by far the best signal of any of their transmissions. I can hear the transmitter power up at 0459:40, but signal is very weak, unlistenable. The BBCWS online schedule still had this as Ascension last time I checked, and it is still the Southern Africa beam. I speculated earlier that Ascension might have switched over to a different type of antenna that doesn't provide the favorable backlobe for NA reception. A few nights ago, I checked the Twente remote receiver in The Netherlands on some of the BBCWS frequencies at 0500. 6005 had a solid signal (which gets clobbered here in Houston by slopover from Cuba 5 kHz up) and 5875 had a fair but listenable signal (this frequency is usually poor at my QTH.) However nothing heard on 7355 via Twente, even though I was hearing a weak signal on my own receiver. The Meyerton 7360 BBC transmission had a decent signal into Twente at 0455. I'm just about to the point that I no longer bother trying to listen to BBCWS on SW due to poor reception, and am going with the online stream, or local FM when scheduled (Steve Luce, Houston, Texas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [non]. Additional frequencies of BBC to World Cup 2014 in Brasil: English World Service 1530-1600 on 17830 ASC 250 kW / 085 deg to CEAf Wed/Thu 2000-2100 on 3255 MEY 100 kW / 000 deg to SoAf Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun 2000-2100 on 6170 MEY 250 kW / 019 deg to CEAf Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun 2000-2100 on 9410 DHA 250 kW / 220 deg to CEAf Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun 2100-2200 on 3255 MEY 100 kW / 000 deg to SoAf Mon/Tue/Thu 2100-2200 on 6170 MEY 250 kW / 019 deg to CEAf Mon/Tue/Thu 2100-2200 on 9410 DHA 250 kW / 220 deg to CEAf Mon/Tue/Thu 2130-2400 on 5830 MEY 250 kW / 019 deg to CEAf Sat 2130-2400 on 9510 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg to WeAf Sat 2130-2400 on 11625 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg to WeAf Sat 2130-2400 on 12025 ASC 250 kW / 027 deg to WeAf Sat Hausa 1530-1800 on 17685 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg to WeAf Wed/Thu 2000-2200 on 12060 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg to WeAf Mon Five videos from June 25 - Nigeria vs Argentina 2:3 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2014/06/additional-frequencies-of-bbc.html (DX RE MIX NEWS #858 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, June 28, 2014 via DXLD) ** UK. Guide to current shortwave broadcasts from the United Kingdom - July 2014. All transmissions from Woofferton, Shropshire 02.43W 52.19N Time/UTC Daily u.o.s. Station Language Target kHz kW (Azi) 0100-0128 Voice of Vietnam English North America 12005 250 (282 ) 0130-0228 Voice of Vietnam Vietnamese North America 12005 250 (282 ) 0200-0430 NHK R Japan Japanese Europe 6155 250 (082 ) 0230-0300 Voice of Vietnam English North America 12005 250 (282 ) 0300-0400 BBC Arabic North Africa 5875 250 (140 ) 0400-0500 BBC Arabic North Africa 9410 250 (137 ) 0500-0530 NHK R Japan English Europe 5975 250 (140 ) 0529-0600 BBC Hausa West Africa 9440 250 (170 ) 0600-0629 BBC French North Africa 9915 300 (180 ) 0600-0629 BBC French North Africa 11865 250 (170 ) 0600-0700 BBC English Central Africa 15105 250 (158 ) 0629-0700 BBC Hausa West Africa 15490 250 (165 ) 0700-0800 KBS World R Korean Europe 9860 250 (102 ) 1300-1500 RFE/RL Russian Russia 13745 300 (075 ) 1500-1600 NHK R Japan Japanese Europe 17765 250 (082 ) 1545-1615 BBC Tamil South Asia 15470 250 (092 ) 1630-1700 BBC Sinhalese South Asia 15470 250 (092 ) 1700-1730 IBRA R Arabic Middle East 12045 250 (114 ) 1700-1730 BBC Dari West Asia 13660 250 (075 ) 1730-1800 BBC Pashto West Asia 13660 250 (075 ) 1730-1900 IBRA R Arabic North Africa 15510 250 (140 ) 1800-1830 BBC French North Africa 15180 250 (170 ) 1800-1900 KBS World R Russian Russia 15360 250 (074 ) 1800-2000 BBC English West Africa 13660 250 (165 ) 1900-1930 IBRA R Arabic North Africa 7425 300 (140 ) 1900-1930 Voice of Vietnam Russian Russia 9890 300 (075 ) 1900-2000 KBS World R French Europe 6145 250 (172 ) 1900-2000 R Taiwan Int German Europe 6185 250 (078 ) 1900-2000 R Taiwan Int French Europe 7325 250 (140 ) 1900-1930 IBRA R Fulfullde West Africa 11875 300 (182 ) 1930-1945 Sun-Wed IBRA R Moore West Africa 11875 300 (182 ) 1930-1945 Thu-Sat IBRA R Tamajeq West Africa 11875 300 (182 ) 1945-2000 Fri-Tue IBRA R Jula West Africa 11875 300 (182 ) 1945-2000 Wed-Thu IBRA R Malinke West Africa 11875 300 (182 ) 1930-1945 IBRA R Arabic North Africa 12070 250 (140 ) 1930-2000 IBRA R Arabic North Africa 9490 300 (102 ) 2000-2100 KBS World R German Europe 3955 250 (114 ) 2000-2100 BBC English West Africa 9915 250 (170 ) 2030-2130 Voice of Vietnam Vietnamese Europe 5930 250 (114 ) 2100-2145 HCJB Arabic North Africa 7300 250 (170 ) 2130-2200 Mon-Fri Voice of America Bambara West Africa 9620 300 (180 ) DRM transmissions on shortwave from the UK 0500-0600 BBC DRM Mix English Western Europe 3955 100 (114 ) 1100-1130 Fri NHK R Japan English Western Europe 9760 100 (105 ) 1100-1130 Sat KBS World R English Western Europe 9760 100 (105 ) 1130-1200 Fri NHK R Japan Russian Western Europe 9760 100 (105 ) (Compiled by Tony Rogers / British DX Club (tony@bdxc.org.uk), June BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Who could have dreamt that it would take only 45 lines to cover all such broadcasts by 2014y? (gh, DXLD) ** U K. In the UK it has always been the policy to prevent any other than Government or BBC stations venturing on to HF for broadcasting purposes. By Gov I mean the wartime Psycops [sic] 7.5 kW stations from the Milton Bryan area Potsgrove and Gawcott and the 2 x 100 kW GE units at Aspidistra/Crowborough. After WW2 the 7.5 kW stations closed and the 2 x 100 kW units were handed over to the BBC for their programmes. The Aspi senders were operated until closure in 1982 by HMGCC / Diplomatic Wireless Service staff. After full closure of Aspi the UK broadcast tx staff were transferred to BBC and we saw many of them on the UK BBC HF sites. There was one attempt to request a HF channel for use in the UK by a private broadcaster and that was for Radio Fax operated by Surrey Electronics. Trevor Brook the founder and operator of RF from a site in the Irish Republic did apply but was turned down by the UK Gov on more than one occasion. The reasons given were many including :- No frequencies are available, Cannot be regulated under present legislation as it's written to cover only commercial radio operation on MF and VHF. TB appealed right up the ECHR but always lost. So that's it for the UK AFAIK 73 (Dave Porter G4OYX, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) ** UNITED NATIONS. Dave T has caught new beacon 4U1UN from United Nations Territory in New York City. 14100 4U1UN 579 New York NY FN30as 851 mi. New 1618 6/22 (DT) 18110 4U1UN 569 New York NY FN30as 851 mi. New 1624 6/22 (DT) 21150 4U1UN 569 New York NY FN30as 851 mi. New 1627 6/22 (DT) 24930 4U1UN 589 New York NY FN30as 851 mi. New 1324 6/23 (DT) 28200 4U1UN 589 New York NY New 1322 6/23 (Dave Tomasko, Galena IL, MARE Tipsheet 27 June via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DXLD) Some consider UN building in NY as separate radio country (gh) ** U S A. VOA Radiogram for the weekend of June 28-29 will include greetings to radio amateurs participating in Field Day. And there will be VOA News stories of interest to radio enthusiasts: Here is the lineup (MFSK32 centered on MFSK32): 1:36 Program preview 2:40 Field Day greetings to radio amateurs, with image 5 03 VOA Cold War broadcasts from a Coast Guard cutter, with image 14:25 Scientists push for continued HAARP funding, with image 23:08 Associazione Italiana Radioascolto 10M river beacon, with image. There will also be two surprise modes at the end of the show. More information: VOA Radiogram, 28-29 June 2014, CQ FD VOA Radiogram, 28-29 June 2014, CQ FD Some of our North American listeners may be busy this weekend because of the annual amateur radio Field Day event. If you are participating, you might want to... VOA Radiogram transmission schedule (all days and times UT): Sat 0930-1000 5745 kHz Sat 1600-1630 17860 kHz Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina. This weekend, The Mighty KBC will also transmit greetings to Field Day participants this weekend. A minute of MFSK64 will be transmitted Saturday at about 1130 UTC on 6095 kHz, and Sunday at about 0130 UTC (Saturday 9:30 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz. Both frequencies are via Germany (Kim Elliott, dxldyg via DXLD) In the last VoA Radiogram there was also a post with information about the history of this ship: http://www.rhci-online.de/VoA_Radiogram_2014-06-28.htm All other stories were also radio-relevant: - ARRL - Field Day 2014 - HAARP - Italian QRPP beacon and from me: - at the end (as usual) a few received Easypal images, this time from a radio amateur from Northern Italy (roger, Germany, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. 12110, PHILIPPINES, VOA at 1358 with repeated ID and Yankee Doodle at 1400 sign-on in English of “VOA News” - Fair June 26 (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening in my car, by the lake, with the Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) One of the doomed Asian services; read on 11995, June 27 at 0459, unknown music stops, dead air, pause, ``Welcome to the Voice of America in K----`` when cut off the air; had been good but with flutter. HFCC shows VOA Kurdish is supposed to air at 05-06 via VATICAN (violating Separation of Church and State), with nothing on 11995 before 0500. So SMG screwed it up. Unknown if came back on later (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also THAILAND ** U S A. FAREWELL VOA SHORTWAVE FROM JUNE 30. Just announced cuts remove English language programs for Asia, many foreign language programs, and also affect Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty shortwave services. Services continue to Africa in English. via - http://www.radioheritage.net/ (Sudipto Ghose, India, 0522 UT June 28, dxldyg via DXLD) VOA shortwave cuts approved - effective Monday [June 30] from Dan Robinson (USA) on WRTH - World Radio TV Handbook Facebook page this morning [June 28]: This news emerging from VOA late Friday: VOA to end shortwave broadcasts in English and several language services Monday. Received this late Friday afternoon: "FAREWELL TO SHORTWAVE We were informed late Friday that BBG's proposed shortwave cuts for FY2014 have been approved by Congress. As of the end of the day on Monday, June 30th, all shortwave frequencies for English News programs to Asia will be eliminated. We will no longer be heard via shortwave in the morning (12-16 UT), and the evening (22-02 UT), mostly in Asia. Shortwave frequencies for the following services will also be eliminated: Azerbaijani, Bangla, English (Learning), Khmer, Kurdish, Lao and Uzbek. Shortwave being used by services at RFE/RL and RFA are also being cut. Because shortwave has been a cheap and effective way to receive communications in countries with poor infrastructure or repressive regimes, it was a good way to deliver information. But broadcasting via shortwave is expensive, and its use by listeners has been on the decline for years. At the BBG, the cost vs. impact equation no longer favors broadcasts via this medium to most of the world. Important for us is that we will continue to be heard on shortwave frequencies during those hours we broadcast to Africa. Also, we know through our listener surveys that about half of our audience in Asia and the rest of the world listens to us via the web and podcast - so all is not lost. Let's break the news about this change to our audiences starting Sunday night. I doubt specific frequencies are critical to announce. The important point to make for our listeners is that we encourage their continued listening through local affiliates, and on the web at voanews.com" (via Alan Pennington, June 28, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** U S A. BUREAUCRATS GAVE LISTENERS LITTLE TIME TO LEARN ABOUT SHORTWAVE CUTS BY VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL --- June 28, 2014 - BBGWatcher - Featured News, Hot Tub Blog - 5 Comments http://bbgwatch.com/bbgwatch/bureaucrats-gave-listeners-little-time-to-learn-about-shortwave-cuts-by-voa-rfa-and-rferl/ BBG Watch Commentary Executives in charge of the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), which operates radio transmissions for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), have once again shown their contempt for loyal radio listeners of many years, as well as for Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists and broadcasters who prepare shortwave radio broadcasts, which IBB just announced it wants to terminate at the end of the day on June 30, 2014 in a massive and in most cases complete cut affecting many countries without free media: Belarus, Caucasus, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Iraq (Kurdish), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. At the very least, BBG members should intervene and tell IBB executives that they cannot give radio listeners only a day or two to adjust to such a major change. They should also demand that IBB executives show a little more respect for managers and journalists at VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL. All shortwave frequencies will also be eliminated for Voice of America English radio broadcasts to Asia, VOA English teaching programs, and VOA programs to Bangladesh. VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL shortwave radio listeners do not yet know about these cuts, and neither did managers and broadcasters at these media outlets until they received an email from IBB late Thursday night. This is a new low in contempt being shown by IBB executives for these media outlets and their managers and journalists. While these shortwave cuts were being discussed earlier, the sudden announcement from IBB that they will take effect in two days was a complete shock, sources told BBG Watch. But this sudden IBB internal announcement shows ultimate contempt for loyal listeners of many years to shortwave radio broadcasts from VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL. Thanks to IBB executives who surprised everyone with their decision, international audiences will now have at best only a day or two to learn about these massive terminations of radio broadcasts. IBB’s senior bureaucrats have no respect for anyone: VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL as institutions, their managers and their journalists, and least of all for international radio audiences. How can you tell someone with only two days notice that they will have to find other ways of getting news or, in the case of broadcasters, adjust to producing programs for new platforms? These IBB actions, however, do confirm the boundless arrogance of IBB’s senior management. (via gh, DXLD) [partially duplicative expanded version:] Bureaucrats gave listeners little time to learn about shortwave cuts by VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL June 28, 2014 - BBGWatcher - Featured News, Hot Tub Blog - 5 Comments BBG Watch Commentary Executives in charge of the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), which operates radio transmissions for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), have once again shown their contempt for loyal radio listeners of many years, as well as for Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists and broadcasters who prepare shortwave radio broadcasts, which IBB just announced it wants to terminate at the end of the day on June 30, 2014 in a massive and in most cases complete cut affecting many countries without free media: Belarus, Caucasus, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Iraq (Kurdish), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. At the very least, BBG members should intervene and tell IBB executives that they cannot give radio listeners only a day or two to adjust to such a major change. They should also demand that IBB executives show a little more respect for managers and journalists at VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL. All shortwave frequencies will also be eliminated for Voice of America English radio broadcasts to Asia, VOA English teaching programs, and VOA programs to Bangladesh. VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL shortwave radio listeners do not yet know about these cuts, and neither did managers and broadcasters at these media outlets until they received an email from IBB late Thursday night. While some further reductions in shortwave transmissions were anticipated as part of general budget cuts, managers and broadcasters at BBG entities were surprised to learn from IBB that they had only a couple of days to prepare for such a drastic move and equally short time to alert their audiences. Many VOA journalists still do not know this is happening, as the word about the cuts reached only some staffers Friday afternoon, sources told us. This is a new low in contempt being shown by IBB executives for these media outlets and their managers and journalists. While these shortwave cuts were being discussed earlier, the sudden announcement from IBB that they will take effect in two days was a complete shock to the staff, sources told BBG Watch. But this sudden IBB internal announcement shows ultimate contempt for loyal listeners of many years to shortwave radio broadcasts from VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL. Thanks to IBB executives who surprised everyone with their decision to cut numerous shortwave transmissions on June 30, international audiences will now have at best only a day or two to learn about these massive terminations of radio broadcasts. IBB's senior bureaucrats have no respect for anyone: VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL as institutions, their managers and their journalists, and least of all for international radio audiences. How can you tell someone with only two days notice that they will have to find other ways of getting news or, in the case of broadcasters, adjust to producing programs for new platforms? These IBB actions, however, do confirm the boundless arrogance of IBB's senior management. VOA Eliminates Shortwave Note: Apparently, Russian to the Caucuses shortwave transmissions originating from IBB's own transmitters will be retained. Post by Radio Heritage Foundation. The following note being distributed at VOA confirms that VOA broadcasters were caught completely off guard by the IBB decision and that VOA radio listeners will have at best a day or two to learn that their programs will no longer be available on shortwave. "FAREWELL TO SHORTWAVE We were informed late Friday that BBG's proposed shortwave cuts for FY2014 have been approved by Congress. As of the end of the day on Monday, June 30th, all shortwave frequencies for English News programs to Asia will be eliminated. We will no longer be heard via shortwave in the morning (12-16 utc), and the evening (22-02utc)...mostly in Asia . . . [duplicate of above] The following comment was posted on Facebook: "Stupid is as stupid does. And the BBG/IBB management does not excel in its vision or strategic abilities." PCJ Media and PCJ Radio broadcaster in Taiwan Keith Perron reported on Facebook: "Talked to a friend in Beijing who posted the news about the VOA dropping shortwave on Weibo. His first posting was cut, but he kept doing it. In the last couple of hours it has been re-posted by over 400 users and re-written to get around the censors, by using codes in Chinese. One of the posts is getting on average 10 comments every 1 to 2 mins. I want to link it here, but when Weibo sees a link connected with facebook they cut it." Some of the comments on the PCJ Media and PCJ Radio Facebook Page: "If no one listens please tell me how Weibo in China has been able to have over 400 comments on this in the last two hours about cutting it?" "It's like an atom bomb falling on International broadcasting." "A decision made by officials who don't know about communications." "Don't get me started. The VOA wouldn't know that the Kurds are close to achieving their stated aim of a Kurdish state in parts of Iraq, Syria and Turkey and threaten parts of Iran. High in the mountains, do you think they listen to online streaming of VOA. Still, the crap VOA turns out these days they're doing us all a favor by going off shortwave." "In the Far East and Southeast Asia VOA still has a big SW audience, sure smaller than 20 years ago. But In China for example you can go to any village and town and second tier and third tier city and very easily find people that sill listen." A former Voice of America broadcaster observed that a major part if not most of the audience of VOA is still radio. Why would the Broadcasting Board of Governors and the International Broadcasting Bureau cut most of the radio, especially to a critical part of the globe like Asia and to countries where English is the preferred second language, especially China? This move is suicidal. The Broadcasting Board of Governors and the International Broadcasting Bureau will destroy Voice of America before any reform legislation is passed. Related Posts * PCJ Radio making fun of Voice of America and BBG executives on radio cuts to Asia and Middle East * Bobby Womack RIP : to learn about his death and legacy, foreign audiences must go to DW and BBC, not Voice of America * Victor Ashe : Voice of America has demonstrated its weaknesses * RFE/RL versus Helsinki Committee on labor rights - bad press continues * Voice of America often fails to counter Russian propaganda and sometimes promotes it * America's international broadcasters are losing the air wars, analysis in Sacramento Bee * Report details abuse of power, unauthorized spending by BBG, Ripon Advance notes * DALE in WT: Only way to save U.S. international broadcasting is complete reform * Voice of America ignored State Department comment on U.S.-Polish controversy * Voice of America leaves it to Russian RT to report on US-Poland scandal 5 Comments 1. Reviewer Keith Perron says June 28, 2014, 1:24 am This is without a doubt the most pathetic move ever by the BBG. I would really like to know what kind of crack they are smoking. Sure I can understand some cuts for services that are lets say no longer needed. But let's take Radio Free Asia as an example. Is not RFA mandate to broadcast to people in countries where there is little or no internet? 2. Reviewer Elias G says June 28, 2014, 7:49 am What else can you expect in Obama's America, billions were wasted in Iraq and Afghanistan. so now the USA can barely afford a few million a year to keep the VOA running. Can he at least put the money they will save to veterans hospitals. 3. Reviewer Rimantas says June 28, 2014, 9:33 am > From June 30: end of the RFE/RLs short wave broadcasting to Belarus. > From July 28: end of the RFE/RLs medium wave broadcasting (AM) to Belarus. There are no local radio and TV affiliates of RFE/RL in this country. All Internet and satellite channels of RFE/RL can be blocked by the Belarus authorities, especially if a crisis occurs. What is going on with the U. S. international broadcasting? Rimantas 4. Reviewer Gary Thomas says June 28, 2014, 10:00 am BBG screwed the pooch on this, to be sure. The short notice is appallingly insensitive. But let us not let our less-than-esteemed elected representatives off the hook for this boneheaded move. This was a longstanding FY2014 budget proposal. BBG proposes, but Congress disposes. 5. Reviewer BBGWatcher says June 28, 2014, 10:27 am Notable comment by Dan Srebnick in the SWL Fest Facebook group: "What timing, as war engulfs Iraq, Kurdistan, and Syria and possibly will grow to involve Iran. Hope there's good wifi in some of those remote areas..." (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Just in case your not aware of this. The Broadcasting Board of Governors in Washington, DC have taken the very wise decision to end all Radio Liberty, Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia and VOA English broadcasts. On June 29, 2014 at 1230 UT, PCJ Radio International will broadcast a Voice of America newscast that the VOA management pulled from his schedule. PCJ Radio International managed to get a copy of it from our source at the Voice of America. It includes the spokesperson for the Broadcasting Board of Governors and an interview with David Ensor the director of the Voice of America. A copy of the newscast will be made available after the first transmission at 1230 UT on 13720. Regards, (Keith Perron, PCJ Radio International, June 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Despite your apparent cheerfulness over this decision, Keith, the wisdom of it is certainly debatable. In fact, "wisdom" on the part of the Broadcasting Board of Governors appears to have been a largely missing commodity for many years now in the view of many, including those who have labored in the organizations it oversees for many years. But thank you for broadcasting the newscast. Unfortunately, it is doubtful this transmission will reach the east coast of the US where I live, so I will have to be satisfied with the MP3 (John Figliozzi, NY, ibid.) John, it's sarcasm la. LOL (Keith Perron, ibid.) Off air recording of the Special VOA newscast --- This was recorded off air. Voice of America newscast June 29, 2014 on 13720 kHz. This is a VOA Newscast about the cuts expected to take place June 30, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhm4S1aKuz4&feature=youtu.be (Keith Perron, ibid.) i.e., Keith`s take on it (gh, DXLD) PCJ RADIO MAKING FUN OF VOICE OF AMERICA AND BBG EXECUTIVES ON RADIO CUTS TO ASIA AND MIDDLE EAST June 29, 2014 - BBGWatcher - Featured News, Hot Tub Blog - No Comments BBG Watch Commentary PCJ Radio Int. based in Taiwan has produced and aired a Special Voice of America Newscast which is a spoof on the bungled decision by the Washington bureacracy to end numerous VOA shortwave broadcasts to Asia and the Middle East without letting audiences know about it well in advance. SEE: Bureaucrats gave listeners little time to learn about shortwave cuts by VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL, BBG Watch, June 28, 2014. http://www.youtube.com/embed/lhm4S1aKuz4?rel=0 The person behind this satire is Keith Perron. He has been active in international broadcasting since 1989, including work at Radio Canada International, China Radio International, Radio Deutsche Welle. He has freelanced for Radio Netherlands, Monitor Radio, ABC Radio (Australia) and others. He is currently the director of PCJ Radio International where he is also an announcer and producer. Perron has been a strong supporter of Voice of America broadcasting to the world. In April 2014, he wrote an open letter to the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Chairman Jeff Shell with an appeal for continuing and improving Voice of America radio broadcasts. Perron focuses his own broadcasts on those parts of the world, particularly China, which experience political repression and Internet censorship or where most of the population does not have adequate access to digital communications technology or may be too poor to afford it. SEE: Shortwave radio - getting message across borders without censorship, BBG Watch, April 23, 2014. The PCJ Radio Int. spoof may be a little unfair to VOA Director David Ensor who reportedly himself found out only Thursday night from the BBG's International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) executives that the shortwave radio cuts would go into effect in a few days. On the other hand, David Ensor knew that some of these cuts were coming. At the very least, he should have demanded that their implementation be postponed until audiences could be properly notified. Whether he did or not, we do not know. What we do know is that Voice of America, and especially its news reporting, is in the midst of a major management crisis. VOA broadcasters who produce these programs were caught completely off guard by the decision to pull them off shortwave radio in just a couple of days. They were given no time to prepare and no time to tell their audience. There was no VOA-wide announcement issued to the staff that these shortwave broadcasts would end on June 30. Many VOA employees still have no idea that this will happen in just one day. Thank you shortwave listeners of Daybreak Asia and China Focus. I had less notice we're off the air than many of you. #blindsided -- Jim Stevenson (@VOAStevenson) June 29, 2014 #VOA will abruptly cease English language shortwave #radio transmissions to #Asia after tomorrow (Monday). -- Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 29, 2014 Another good reason Director Ensor should have insisted that the implementation of these shortwave radio broadcasts cuts be postponed is the bipartisan Royce - Engel U.S. International Broadcasting Reform Legislation, H.R. 4490, the United States International Communications Reform Act, introduced by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) Ranking Member, to reform and transform the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The H.R. 4490 contains the following amendment attached to the bill by Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D-CA). Rep. Lowenthal has the largest Cambodian American community in the U.S. in his district, as well as a large Vietnamese American community. This is the amendment to H.R. 4490 which was approved unanimously by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. "Shortwave broadcasting has been an important method of communication that should be utilized in regions as a component of United States international broadcasting where a critical need for the platform exists." ### http://bbgwatch.com/bbgwatch/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/VOA-NEWS-.mp3 BACKGROUND Some time ago, International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) executives working for the U.S. federal agency, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) in charge of taxpayer-funded international broadcasts, had proposed cutting numerous Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) shortwave transmissions to Asia and the Middle East. The proposal was approved by the bipartisan BBG board and sent by the Obama Administration to the U.S. Congress as part of the agency's budget request. Journalists knew that some of these cuts might happen if Congress approved the BBG budget, but what they did not expect was to be told suddenly by IBB last Thursday night that the cuts will be implemented on June 30. In fact, the IBB announcement went just to the heads of these media outlets. Many VOA program producers still did not know about it on Friday and Saturday. Of course, VOA shortwave radio audiences in Asia had no idea that they will lose their programs in a couple of days and many still don't since IBB and VOA failed to issue official announcements. Everyone knows that IBB bureaucrats propose these radio cuts to protect their own highly-paid positions in Washington. In the last seven years, the number of IBB bureaucratic jobs increased 37% while numerous broadcasts were being cut. Unfortunately, various BBG boards went along with these program cuts, showing no concern for audiences that cannot afford access to the Internet or see the Internet blocked by repressive regimes. The official IBB explanation is that the agency needs to transition to digital media, as if radio on the Internet was not already digital. Voice of America is already digital, but its management proved itself to be incapable of delivering news and multimedia content in an attractive and most efficient way to people who most need it. After spending millions of dollars on their "digital projects" and destroying VOA's news reporting, IBB and VOA executives have delivered the VOA English News Twitter account that has fewer followers (106K as of June 29, 2014) than the UN Peacekeeping Force Twitter (126K as of June 29, 2014). Even the State Department Twitter account has close to one million followers (962K as of June 29, 2014); some members of Congress have more than VOA English News; BBC, CNN, and NYT have several million each. Russia's RT Twitter has 679K Twitter followers as of June 29, 2014. The Voice of America's niche has always been providing news to the most disadvantaged and most oppressed nations and communities around the world, but IBB and VOA executives are trying to change this model and turn VOA into a regular, commercial global news outlet like CNN. Their plan is not working. The U.S. Congress wants to reform the entire agency, but especially the International Broadcasting Bureau and the Voice of America. In the meantime, audiences in Asia and the Middle East are about to lose their VOA shortwave radio broadcasts without any prior announcement. That's how much these IBB bureacrats think about radio listeners (BBG Watch June 29, via Mike Cooper, DXLD) But as a majority, who really listens to VOA on SW? I haven't for years. On the Tune-In Radio app they have a lot of programs available in English and other languages, and I'm sure they stream. It seems to me they are getting strategic about where they aim their propoganda. At least our tax dollar is getting reduced, one would like to think. (Todd Skaine, Woodbury, MN, Toyota Car Radio, MDXC yg via DXLD) ** U S A. Voice of America to end shortwave broadcasts in English and several language services. From Mon June 30 all shortwave frequencies for English News programs to Asia will be eliminated. We will no longer be heard via shortwave in the morning 2200-0200 UT and in the evening 1200-1600 UT. Shortwave frequencies for the following services will also be eliminated: Azerbaijani 1730-1800 on 7435 KWT 250 kW / 058 deg to CeAs 1730-1800 on 9490 BIB 100 kW / 080 deg to CeAs 1730-1800 on 11985 SMG 250 kW / 073 deg to CeAs Bangla 1600-1700 on 7475 UDO 250 kW / 300 deg to SoAs 1600-1700 on 11850 UDO 250 kW / 300 deg to SoAs English 2200-2300 on 5895 IRA 250 kW / 065 deg to SEAs Sun-Thu 2200-2300 on 5915 UDO 250 kW / 018 deg to EaAs Sun-Thu 2200-2300 on 7480 KWT 250 kW / 058 deg to SoAs Sun-Thu 2200-2300 on 7575 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to SEAs Sun-Thu 2200-2300 on 12150 TIN 250 kW / 313 deg to EaAs Sun-Thu 2300-2400 on 5895 PHT 250 kW / 275 deg to SEAs 2300-2400 on 7480 UDO 250 kW / 018 deg to EaAs 2300-2400 on 7575 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to SEAs 2300-2400 on 12150 TIN 250 kW / 313 deg to EaAs 0100-0200 on 7425 KWT 250 kW / 082 deg to SoAs 0100-0200 on 9780 IRA 250 kW / 356 deg to SoAs 0100-0200 on 15205 UDO 250 kW / 292 deg to SoAs 1200-1300 on 7575 UDO 250 kW / 018 deg to EaAs 1200-1300 on 9510 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg to SEAs 1200-1300 on 12075 PHT 250 kW / 349 deg to SEAs 1200-1300 on 12150 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to EaAs 1300-1400 on 7575 UDO 250 kW / 018 deg to EaAs Sat/Sun 1300-1400 on 9510 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg to SEAs Sat/Sun 1300-1400 on 12075 TIN 250 kW / 305 deg to EaAs Sat/Sun 1300-1400 on 12150 PHT 250 kW / 349 deg to SEAs Sat/Sun 1400-1500 on 7575 UDO 250 kW / 268 deg to SoAs Mon-Fri 1400-1500 on 12110 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to SoAs Mon-Fri 1400-1500 on 15490 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to SEAs Mon-Fri 1500-1600 on 7575 UDO 250 kW / 268 deg to SoAs 1500-1600 on 12110 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to SoAs 1500-1600 on 15490 UDO 250 kW / 280 deg to SoAs English Learning 2230-2300 on 7460 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to SEAs 2230-2300 on 9570 UDO 250 kW / 018 deg to EaAs 2230-2300 on 11840 PHT 250 kW / 349 deg to EaAs 2300-2400 on 7460 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to SEAs 2300-2400 on 9570 UDO 250 kW / 018 deg to EaAs 2300-2400 on 11840 PHT 250 kW / 349 deg to EaAs 0030-0100 on 7425 KWT 250 kW / 082 deg to SoAs 0030-0100 on 9790 KWT 250 kW / 078 deg to SEAs 0030-0100 on 12015 UDO 250 kW / 030 deg to EaAs 0030-0100 on 12150 UDO 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs 0030-0100 on 15290 PHT 250 kW / 349 deg to EaAs 0030-0100 on 17820 PHT 250 kW / 021 deg to EaAs 1500-1600 on 6140 UDO 250 kW / 284 deg to SoAs 1500-1600 on 7540 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to SoAs 1500-1600 on 9400 PHT 250 kW / 349 deg to EaAs Khmer 2200-2230 on 5905 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to SEAs 2200-2230 on 9320 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to SEAs 1330-1430 on 11695 IRA 250 kW / 073 deg to SEAs Kurdish [sic] 0500-0600 on 11995 SMG 250 kW / 114 deg to WeAs 0500-0600 on 15560 IRA 250 kW / 310 deg to WeAs 0500-0600 on 17870 BIB 100 kW / 085 deg to WeAs 1400-1500 on 15470 BOT 100 kW / 010 deg to WeAs 1400-1500 on 17870 IRA 250 kW / 299 deg to WeAs 1700-1800 on 7365 BIB 100 kW / 105 deg to WeAs 1700-1800 on 9850 BIB 100 kW / 105 deg to WeAs 1700-1800 on 11995 IRA 250 kW / 315 deg to WeAs Lao 1230-1300 on 11965 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to SEAs Uzbek 1500-1530 on 11810 KWT 250 kW / 046 deg to CeAs 1500-1530 on 11920 SMG 250 kW / 073 deg to CeAs 1500-1530 on 13650 UDO 250 kW / 316 deg to CeAs 1500-1530 on 17600 KWT 250 kW / 046 deg to CeAs Full summer A-14 shortwave schedule of VOA Shortwave being used by services at Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia are also being cut. Currently schedules on RFE/RL and RFA (DX RE MIX NEWS #858 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, June 28, 2014 via DXLD) Several farewell videos with transmissions of Voice of America, which will be ceased on shortwave from July 1, according to the decision of IBB board Azeri 1730-1800 on 7435 KWT 250 kW / 058 deg to CeAs 1730-1800 on 9490 BIB 100 kW / 080 deg to CeAs 1730-1800 on 11985 SMG 250 kW / 073 deg to CeAs Bangla 1600-1700 on 7475 UDO 250 kW / 300 deg to SoAs 1600-1700 on 11850 UDO 250 kW / 300 deg to SoAs Kurdish [sic] 1400-1500 on 15470 BOT 100 kW / 010 deg to WeAs 1400-1500 on 17870 IRA 250 kW / 299 deg to WeAs 1700-1800 on 7365 BIB 100 kW / 105 deg to WeAs 1700-1800 on 9850 BIB 100 kW / 105 deg to WeAs 1700-1800 on 11995 IRA 250 kW / 315 deg to WeAs Uzbek 1500-1530 on 11810 KWT 250 kW / 046 deg to CeAs 1500-1530 on 11920 SMG 250 kW / 073 deg to CeAs 1500-1530 on 13650 UDO 250 kW / 316 deg to CeAs 1500-1530 on 17600 KWT 250 kW / 046 deg to CeAs Videos from June 28 and 29: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2014/06/voice-of-america-videos-with.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, QTH: Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) JUNE 29, 2014 I M M E D I A T E OPERATIONAL MEMO A14-093 FROM: NETWORK CONTROL CENTER SUBJECT: FY14 TRANSMISSION CUTS NOTE: AS CUTS ARE TO SW TRANSMISSION ONLY, SATELLITE TRANSMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ELIMINATED AT THIS TIME. THE FOLLOWING CHANGES ARE EFFECTIVE STARTING AT 0100 UTC, 01 JULY 2014: NETWORK CHANGES: C 0130-0200 CANCEL ENGL (VOA) 1500-1700 CANCEL ENGL (VOA) 1900-2000 CANCEL ENGL (VOA) 2230-2400 CANCEL ENGL (VOA) G 1500-1530 CANCEL UZBE (VOA) 1730-1800 CANCEL AZER (VOA) P 0100-0200 CANCEL ENGL (VOA) 1200-1600 CANCEL ENGL (VOA) 2200-2230 CANCEL ENGL (VOA) RFA2 0000-0030 CANCEL VIET (RFA) 1430-1500 CANCEL VIET (RFA) RFA3 0000-0100 CANCEL LAO (RFA) 1100-1200 CANCEL LAO (RFA) TRANSMITTER CHANGES: BOT-02 1600-1700 CANCEL 13570 2/350 NET C ENGL 1630-1700 INSERT 15720 2/350 NET F4 PORT (FR) GB-04 0130-0200 CANCEL 9825 160L:2M/172 NET C ENGL IRA-01 2200-2300 CANCEL 5895 049L2:4L/065 NET P ENGL (SU-TH) IRA-02 1900-2000 CANCEL 7485 275L:4L/299 NET C ENGL IRA-06 0100-0200 CANCEL 9780 356L:2M/356 NET P ENGL IRA-07 1600-1700 CANCEL 17895 275H:4M/275 NET C ENGL 1800-1830 INSERT 15720 255H:4L/255 NET F4 PORT (MO-FR) ISS-06 1630-1700 CANCEL 15720 180/180 NET F4 PORT (FR) 1800-1830 CANCEL 15720 180/180 NET F4 PORT (MO-FR) KWT-01 1730-1800 CANCEL 7435 070L1:2M/058 NET G AZER 2200-2300 CANCEL 7480 070L2:2M/058 NET P ENGL (SU-TH) KWT-03 0000-0030 CANCEL 9585 70L2:4M/86 NET RFA2 VIET 0030-0100 CANCEL 9790 70L1:4M/78 NET C ENGL 1500-1530 CANCEL 11810 70L2:4M/46 NET G UZBE 2330-2400 CANCEL 9585 70L2:4M/86 NET RFA2 VIET KWT-04 0030-0100 CANCEL 7425 70L1:2M/82 NET C ENGL 0100-0200 CANCEL 7425 070L1:2M/082 NET P ENGL 1500-1530 CANCEL 17600 70H1:4M/46 NET G UZBE LAM-02 1500-1600 CANCEL 6105 6D:NH/055 NET RL-4 BR LAM-03 1300-1400 INSERT 13745 80H:4L/56 NET RL-1 RU LAM-04 0930-1100 CANCEL 13860 120H:2M/108 NET FRD PE 1730-1800 CANCEL 9490 080L:4L/080 NET G AZER 1500-1800 INSERT 6105 6E:N/55 NET RL-4 BR NAU-03 1600-1700 CANCEL 15690 HR1:4L/105 NET FRD PE NAU-04 0030-0400 CANCEL 7280 HR2:4L/105 NET FRD PE 1600-1800 CANCEL 6105 4L/75 NET RL-4 BR PHT-01 1200-1300 CANCEL 12150 34/270 NET P ENGL 1300-1400 CANCEL 12150 79/349 NET P ENGL (SA-SU) 1400-1500 CANCEL 12110 34/270 NET P ENGL (M0-FR) 1500-1600 CANCEL 12110 34/270 NET P ENGL PHT-04 2200-2300 CANCEL 7575 28/270 NET P ENGL (SU-TH) 2300-2400 CANCEL 7575 28/270 NET P ENGL PHT-05 1200-1300 CANCEL 9510 45/283 NET P ENGL 1300-1400 CANCEL 9510 45 /283 NET P ENGL (SA-SU) PHT-06 1230-1300 CANCEL 9695 32/270 NET S1 LAO 2300-2400 CANCEL 12150 080/349 NET P ENGL PHT-07 1500-1600 CANCEL 7540 26/270 NET C ENGL 2300-2400 CANCEL 5895 021/275 NET P ENGL PHT-08 1200-1300 CANCEL 12075 080/349 NET P ENGL PHT-09 0030-0100 CANCEL 15290 81/349 NET C ENGL 2230-2400 CANCEL 11840 79/349 NET C ENGL PHT-10 1500-1600 CANCEL 9400 78/349 NET C ENGL PHT-11 0030-0100 CANCEL 17820 93/21 NET C ENGL 1230-1300 CANCEL 11965 36/270 NET S1 LAO 2230-2400 CANCEL 7460 27/270 NET C ENGL PHT-12 1400-1500 CANCEL 15490 040/270 NET P ENGL (MO-FR) SAI-01 0000-0030 CANCEL 13835 270M/285 NET RFA2 VIET 1100-1200 CANCEL 9325 270M/285 NET RFA3 LAO 1400-1500 CANCEL 13825 270M/285 NET RFA2 VIET 2330-2400 CANCEL 13835 270M/285 NET RFA2 VIET SAO-04 1600-1700 CANCEL 11915 138H1:4M/114 NET C ENGL SMG-02 1730-1800 CANCEL 11985 73/073 NET G AZER SMG-03 1500-1530 CANCEL 11920 73/73 NET G UZBE TIN-05 1400-1500 CANCEL 12130 280H:4M/280 NET RFA2 VIET TIN-06 0000-0030 CANCEL 15675 280H:4M/280 NET RFA2 VIET 2330-2400 CANCEL 15675 280H:4M/280 NET RFA2 VIET TIN-07 0000-0100 CANCEL 15690 313H:4M/289 NET RFA3 LAO TIN-08 1100-1200 CANCEL 15120 295M:4M/279 NET RFA3 LAO 1400-1500 CANCEL 9760 270L:4M/270 NET RFA2 VIET TIN-08 1300-1400 CANCEL 12075 313L:4M/305 NET P ENGL (SA-SU) 2200-2300 CANCEL 12150 313L:4M/313 NET P ENGL (SU-TH) UDO-01 1500-1600 CANCEL 15490 280H:2H/280 NET P ENGL UDO-02 0030-0100 CANCEL 12015 30H1:2M/30 NET C ENGL 1200-1300 CANCEL 7575 030L1:2M/018 NET P ENGL 1300-1400 CANCEL 7575 030L1:2M/018 NET P ENGL (SA-SU) 1400-1500 CANCEL 7575 280L:2L/268 NET P ENGL (MO-FR) 1500-1600 CANCEL 7575 280L:2L/268 NET P ENGL UDO-03 1500-1600 CANCEL 6140 300L1:4M/284 NET C ENGL 1600-1700 CANCEL 7475 300L1:4M/300 NET T BANG UDO-04 0030-0100 CANCEL 12150 280H:2M/280 NET C ENGL 1600-1700 CANCEL 11850 300M:4H/300 NET T BANG 2230-2400 CANCEL 9570 30L2:2L/18 NET C ENGL UDO-05 2200-2300 CANCEL 5915 030L1:2H/018 NET P ENGL (SU-TH) 2300-2400 CANCEL 7480 030L1:2H/018 NET P ENGL UDO-06 1500-1530 CANCEL 13650 300H2:4L/316 NET G UZBE UDO-07 0100-0200 CANCEL 15205 280H:2M/292 NET P ENGL WOF-01 1300-1400 CANCEL 13745 A11/75 NET RL-1 RU JUNE 29, 2014 I M M E D I A T E OPERATIONAL MEMO A14-093 291430RT NNNNN Network Control Center (IBB/T/ESN) U.S. International Broadcasting Bureau Broadcasting Board of Governors 330 Independence Avenue, SW, RM-2140C Washington, D.C. 20237 (via DXLD) See VIETNAM: Jamming continues ** U S A [non]. Voice of America in Kurdish still on air as scheduled: 0500-0600 on 11995 SMG 250 kW / 114 deg to WeAs, confirmed on July 1/2 0500-0600 on 15560 IRA 250 kW / 310 deg to WeAs, confirmed on July 1/2 0500-0600 on 17870 BIB 100 kW / 085 deg to WeAs, confirmed on July 1/2 1400-1500 on 15470 BOT 100 kW / 010 deg to WeAs, confirmed on July 1 1400-1500 on 17870 IRA 250 kW / 299 deg to WeAs, confirmed on July 1 1700-1800 on 7365 BIB 100 kW / 105 deg to WeAs, confirmed on July 1 1700-1800 on 9850 BIB 100 kW / 105 deg to WeAs, confirmed on July 1 1700-1800 on 11995 IRA 250 kW / 315 deg to WeAs, confirmed on July 1 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2014/07/voice-of-america-in-kurdish-is-still-on.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, QTH: Sofia, Bulgaria, July 2, dxldyg via DXLD) This should not be surprising as Kurdish is NOT on the official Operational Memo of cuts above, altho it was on the list in a BBGWatch post of June 28; reprieved? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Can confirm that both 17870 and 15470 are on air at 1400 UT today, July 2. Both are good clear signals here in NW England (Noel R. Green, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, on July 2 all frequencies 1400-1500 and 1700-1800 are confirmed in Sofia (Ivo Ivanov, ibid.) 11995, July 2 at 0547, VOA Kurdish is still on the air here, fair signal, and at 0548 pronouncing kurdi@voanews.com address. Kurdish was on the list of SW services to be cancelled, per a BBGWatch post of June 28, but reprieved? Not on an official Operational Memo dated June 29 listing all the cuts. 11995 is via VATICAN at 05-06, and successfully airing today unlike my previous log of June 27 when it dumped off at 0500. Ivo Ivanov confirms Kurdish continued July 1-2 via various sites: 05-06 on 11995, 15560, 17870; 14-15 on 15370, 17870; 17-18 on 7365, 9850, 11995; and Noel Green, England also confirms the two 14-15 frequencies. Kai Ludwig in Germany has just written this July 2 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Hi Glenn, from the work place, in case an analysis is still missing: What has *not* been taken off shortwave, contrary to BBG Watch June 28, are VOA Kurdish, VOA Bengali, VOA Khmer and RFA Khmer plus any of the RFE/RL transmissions. Last night I checked for RFE/RL Belarus shortly before 1800, and indeed it was still on both 5930 and 6105, with 6105 being noticeably weaker than the Lampertheim signal the evening before, consistent with the specified change of the antenna configuration. So the operational memo, issued June 29, obviously reflects the real situation. One has to wonder what happened during the last few days. Is it a big bunch of internal disinformation that got reported June 28? Or have "they", whoever "they" may be (the usual bbg.gov PR, featuring governors meeting in a TV Martí studio etc., appears to be half of the truth at best), changed their mind again during the weekend? Either way it is beyond me what this has to do with strategic planning at all. It looks like plain management by chaos. Or was it the result of a panic that they suddenly had to save $$$ somehow? It is also noteworthy how BBG Watch is meanwhile just one big rage against the machine. One must conclude that this reflects the morale amongst the staff. Good luck with such a broken organization! Btw, what is quoted here is no doubt the cancellation of the 612 kHz contract. It is worth to note that it very much looks like written by someone under big pressure. Makes one wonder how they still get their act together at all. http://bbgwatch.com/bbgwatch/ibb-ends-long-term-partnerships-with-rebroadcasters-in-two-sentence-emails-and-no-thank-you/ All the best, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: IBB ENDS LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS WITH REBROADCASTERS IN TWO-SENTENCE EMAILS AND NO THANK YOU --- June 29, 2014 - BBGWatcher - Analysis, Featured News, Public Diplomacy - No Comments BBG Watch Commentary Officials of the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) in Washington are ending long-term partnerships with rebroadcasters of programs sponsored by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) with a two sentence, impersonal emails without any thank-you for years of loyal contracting service to the U.S. government. These foreign broadcasters have been rebroadcasting Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) programs and often took risks vis-a-vis their governments and regulatory agencies to provide this service for American taxpayers. These terse cancelation emails were sent out by IBB because of IBB- initiated major cuts to BBG shortwave and medium wave transmissions to Asia, Middle East, and Belarus, many of which are to take effect on June 30. IBB emails do not include any thank-yous for years of excellent rebroadcasting services. In a further display of bureaucratic arrogance and contempt for foreign audiences, IBB executives reportedly did not tell heads of VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL that they plan to cut these shortwave transmissions in just three days. It shows how contemptuous IBB officials are of the BBG media entities and their audiences, both of which IBB is supposed to serve. One of the IBB rebroadcasters sent us a copy of an email he received from the International Broadcasting Bureau in Washington. Today I received this email from IBB: Dear sir/madam, IBB will end all use of your transmitter effective 30 days from the date of this email. Please contact us if you have any questions. Regards, IBB officials, who lack any connection with foreign audiences or with U.S. public diplomacy and foreign policy, treat foreign contractors the same way they approach foreign audiences, BBG media outlets, and their journalists — with arrogance and superiority as well as indifference and often contempt (BBGWatch via DXLD) Might all the VOA/RFE/RL cuts result in the closure of one or more of the SW transmitter sites with remaining transmissions consolidated elsewhere? I would think the Powers That Be at ABC Australia are aware of these latest developments and will use them to justify their own impending cuts to RA. BBCWS has already announced further cuts to SW output in 2015. Wonder if the Chinese still think their own SW output is still worth it (Steve Luce, Houston, Texas, dxldyg via DXLD) “U.S. losing the broadcasting wars” – June 24 (before the VOA cuts!) http://www.sacbee.com/2014/06/24/6507077/us-losing-the-broadcasting-wars.html The article says in part: “Chinese state policies are focused on growing the print, broadcast, Web and mobile networks of state-run Xinhua news agency and China Central Television, CCTV. Beijing is fueling a dramatic increase in foreign corresponding bureaus, reporters, editors and broadcast stations, as well as information gathering and dissemination infrastructure around the world. The investment is leading to exponential growth of presence and production. As Orville Schell, director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society, once put it: "While our media empires are melting away like the Himalayan glaciers, China's are expanding." For sheer size, ambition and growth, the combined behemoth of China's Xinhua and CCTV stands alone. In fact, according to the Columbia Journalism Review, the Chinese government has already "built the world's largest news organization" with a well-funded effort estimated to be "19 times the annual budget of BBC." (Ron Howard, San Francisco, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello all. I am as unhappy as everyone else about the recent announcements - however, after 40 years of DXing I've learned to realize that such shutdowns often "free up" a certain frequency at a certain time to allow new and different stations to be heard. Let's deal with the hand we've all been dealt and hope for the best outcome. 73's (Rich Ray, Burr Ridge, IL, ibid.) Sorry, but I don`t think that argument holds much water these days. Not that much has been ``under`` IBB frequencies as everything is already thinning out (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) More and more cancelled broadcasts of IBB from July 1: Radio Free Asia Lao, eliminated completely 0000-0100 on 15690 TIN 250 kW / 289 deg to SEAs 1100-1200 on 9325 SAI 100 kW / 285 deg to SEAs 1100-1200 on 15120 TIN 250 kW / 279 deg to SEAs Radio Free Asia Vietnamese, eliminated completely 1400-1500 on 9760 TIN 250 kW / 270 deg to SEAs 1400-1500 on 12130 TIN 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs 1400-1500 on 13825 SAI 100 kW / 285 deg to SEAs 2330-0030 on 9585 KWT 250 kW / 078 deg to SEAs 2330-0030 on 13835 SAI 100 kW / 285 deg to SEAs 2330-0030 on 15675 TIN 250 kW / 279 deg to SEAs Radio Farda Persian 0030-0400 on 7280 NAU 250 kW / 105 deg to WeAs 0930-1100 on 13860 LAM 100 kW / 108 deg to WeAs 1600-1700 on 15690 NAU 250 kW / 105 deg to WeAs Voice of America Learning English, eliminated completely 0130-0200 on 9825 GB 250 kW / 172 deg to SoAm 1600-1700 on 11915 SAO 100 kW / 114 deg to CeAf 1600-1700 on 13570 BOT 100 kW / 350 deg to CeAf 1600-1700 on 17895 IRA 250 kW / 275 deg to CSAf And some transmitter changes: Radio Liberty Russian 1300-1400 on 13745 LAM 100 kW / 055 deg to EaEu, ex WOF Radio Liberty Belorussian 1600-1800 on 6105 LAM 100 kW / 055 deg to EaEu, ex NAU Voice of America Portuguese 1630-1700 on 15720 BOT 100 kW / 350 deg to CSAf Fri, ex ISS 1800-1830 on 15720 IRA 250 kW / 255 deg to CSAf Mon-Fri, ex ISS http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2014/07/more-and-more-cancelled-broadcasts-of.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, QTH: Sofia, Bulgaria, dxldyg via DXLD) Again another picture than painted as recently as last Thursday / Friday: RFE/RL Belarus not terminated, the other RFE/RL services supposed to go off shortwave appear to be still there as well. What a mess! (Needs to be reviewed in detail; the just posted log report does not consider this new state of affairs yet.) (Kai Ludwig, July 1, ibid.) Frequency changes of Voice of America in Bambara: 2130-2200 NF 9620 ASC 250 kW / 027 deg to WeAf Mon-Fri, ex 7310 2130-2200 NF 12040 WOF 300 kW / 180 deg to WeAf Mon-Fri, ex 9620 2130-2200 on 13670 GB 250 kW / 094 deg to WeAf Mon-Fri no change 2130-2200 on 15110 GB 250 kW / 094 deg to WeAf Mon-Fri no change http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2014/07/frequency-changes-of-voice-of-america.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, QTH: Sofia, Bulgaria, July 2, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. From Dan Robinson, ex-VOA on google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/105857863270291023484/posts#105857863270291023484/posts Dan Robinson Shared publicly - 3:17 PM [30 June 2014] Some reactions worldwide to the abrupt shutdown by VOA and other U.S. funded international broadcasters of shortwave transmissions in English and other languages (gathered from Facebook groups and other locations) ((link to one of VOA announcements at bottom): [U.S. listener] What timing, as war engulfs Iraq, Kurdistan, and Syria and possibly will grow to involve Iran. Hope there's good WiFi in some of those remote areas... [U.S. listener] Nothing in my local paper either considering we american taxpayers have been funding VOA, RFE, and RL for years. [Listener in India] But IBB/BBG didn't shown any respect to the long serving listeners in Asia and announcing well ahead; they could done just like Radio Netherlands informing the listening communities about their decision with their version. VOA we won't forgive you for taking out the special English show [VOA broadcaster] Don't know what it means for those of us who are broadcasters, especially in English, but the Pivot to Asia will not be covered by shortwave broadcasts.... [VOA broadcaster] Makes me embarrassed to be an American. [Retired VOA staffer] I feel sorry for those listeners who rely upon VOA for news and information. But agree with you that VOA may have outlived it's usefulness. I feel comfort in knowing this is not the fault of the many dedicated professionals at VOA. They did their very best. [Retired VOA broadcaster] This sucks! Listenership is way up in China and they can the shows? What idiots! [Retired VOA broadcaster] It's heartbreaking--and a stupid decision. [U.S. listener] On the VOA web stream, they just went to their science program without any mention of it either. It's odd that they would just silently kill off transmissions without telling listeners...and even employees from the news circulating on the web. It's not going to win over any listeners to web without telling their audience where to find them. [Broadcaster in Taiwan] No respect for the audience that does listen on shortwave. [Listener in Estonia] Sounds a lot like how Estonian Television killed quietly its teletext service. Quietly in the shadow of the digital switch over [Listener in Middle east] And I was mocking VOR [Voice of Russia] for doing the same! [VOA employee] Isn't it frightening when such people run government agencies? What a way to end 72 years of broadcasting English to Asia. Transmitters went off in the case of 7575, 3 minutes before the end, same on 12110, 15490 a bit better but also went off before completing the program. No announcement, nothing. Just like evacuating from Saigon in 1973 leaving people who fought on their side, people scrambling to board the last helicopter. We came to think of the USA, came close to her through the thousands of hours of listening. Breakfast shows, mail answers from Shirley Shanahan, Presidential elections, moon landing, the Twin Tower blasts, the American way of life. And this is the way it goes; leaves us wondering [WORLD OF RADIO 1728] [Overseas listener] Its cheating the listeners with out telling them the truth. [Listener in South Africa] That's pretty much what VOA said when it first went on the air in 1942: "The news may be good or bad but we will report the truth". I did not quote exactly, but that was the basic idea. [Listener in U.S.] Foolishness - budget-cutting to spite your face! Saw this one coming when Voice of Russia bowed out of SW into the Americas - shortwave reception now easier than ever with today's compact, reliable receivers, and the world still needs to hear the VOA's message - warts and all. Guns did not bring down the Berlin Wall - it was a decades-old war of words fueled by RFE and the VOA - anyone remember Willis Conover? He independently helped rust-out the Iron Curtain via jazz on VOA - and it was SW that got the job done! The job ain't finished, so long as stupidity, despotism and lies rule this world. [Listener in U.S.] Yes It cost a lot of money really what a joke our government is, yet they do not have a problem giving money to all those bankers do they? https://app.box.com/s/4b2xmdt45xl8biff3ya2 (via gh, DXLD) Voice of America English to Asia is already gone. Not heard on 7575, 9510, 12075, 12510 scheduled from 1300-1400 now. Anyway heard their last morning broadcasts till 0200 UT today (30 June 2014) on 7425, 9780 15205. At 0124 there was announcement that they will be stopping 1200 to 1600 & 2200-0200 transmissions in English. -- Thanking you, Yours sincerely, (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad, India, June 30, dxldyg via DXLD) 1300-1400 is only Sat/Sun. Today`s last hour in English to Asia in progress 12110, 15490, 7575, 7540, 9400, 6140. End of an era and a great station, but terribly poor way to dump its listeners for more than 70 years. Wrong people heading agencies. The BBG was more or less a demolition squad. This leaves listeners disappointed, insulted and also with a poor opinion of the US way of doing things. Oh what the heck (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka, 1521 UT June 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) VOA English to Asia Final Final broadcast heard today 1 July 2014 as follows: Sign off at 0100 on 7425 9790 12015 12150 15290 17820. Transmitter went off many times on 7425 & 9790. Interestingly at 0030 UT there was a feature on VOA Radio ship MV Courier. (the missing VOA broadcast reported by me yesterday is scheduled on Sat/Sun only. Thanks to Victor Goonetilleke for that info). VOA Bangla final broadcast on SW also heard by me from 1600 UT on 7475 & 11850. From the announcement in Bangla I made out that their MW frequency will continue on 1575 kHz. -- Thanking you, Yours sincerely, (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad, India, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) IBB swan songs --- Some observations of last transmissions that were due last night (June 30): Shortly before 1600: The Lampertheim outlet of RFE/RL for Belarus on 6105 was considerably stronger than Biblis on 5930 here. Both were a slight delay apart, so the satellite equipment at the two twin sites is not completely identical. At 1600 one of the usual site changes was provided for 6105, and as usual it went not really smooth: At 1559 a het of about 2 Hz erupted, followed by an echo more or less sharp at 1600, so Nauen came on as booked. But Lampertheim did not bother to take off its signal immediately, the mess continued for another two minutes until they finally pushed the button at 1602, leaving the much weaker (here in eastern Germany, presumably not so in Belarus) Nauen signal alone. Immediately after 1700 I checked out the swan song of VOA Kurdish on shortwave (something for which I have under the current circumstances only this comment: grotesque): Rather weak with fast fading on 7365, from too-close Biblis, and quite good on 11995 from Iranawila, about a third second behind if I noted right which of the two echoing radios was first. And yes, it sounded as if they have quite a lot to tell. 1729: Santa Maria di Galeria carrier on 11985 already on, then audio cut on, some unrelated programme for the Middle East (?), sounding as if wrapping up, then at 1730 sung VOA jingle for Azeri, straight into news of which the first word was Iraq. Kuwait on 7435 and Lampertheim on 9490 only weak. Then I choose to witness the end of RFE/RL Belarus service on shortwave. I did not expect them to say anything, and they met this expectation: It was just their standard fare of someone on the phone, Ukrainian army and Putin etc.etc., then backtimed bed faded up and lady wrapping up the individual programme but not the transmission as such, let alone the shortwave service altogether. Cold end of bed and carriers from both Biblis and Nauen off promptly at 1800 sharp. Did they ever advise on air at all that there is no point in trying to tune in tomorrow again? And at 1800 the 612 kHz signal from Sitkunai had still not faded in, so will presumably not become audible in Central Europe anymore before it disappears as well, effective July 28, apparently because this transmission contract can be terminated only one month in advance (that they wanted to get rid of it was already mentioned in the 2015 budget request, so the termination itself is in this case no news, just the deadline). VOA English to the Middle East, which, if I understand it right, ceases as well: At 1859 tune-in modest carrier from Iranawila on 7485, audio starting at 1900 sharp, introducing VOA news. Trailer, "thank you for listening to VOA", then teaching English? Sounded too boring, so pushed the red button. Another last check for VOA at local midnight on 7480: This transmission went out another time as well; carrier on at 2159, audio followed at 2200. Pretty weak here in eastern Germany (Kai Ludwig, July 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. VOA/RFA/RFL Make Shortwave Cuts http://www.radioworld.com/article/voa-rfa-rfl-make-shortwave-cuts/271131 Sent from my iPhone (Dennis Gibson, July 1, ABDX via DXLD) Viz.: VOA/RFA/RFL Make Shortwave Cuts - more details Radio World By Leslie Stimson July 1, 2014 Congress has approved cuts in shortwave transmission sought by the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The BBG is an independent federal agency that oversees U.S. international broadcasting networks. Its broadcasters include the Voice of America and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting; and three nonprofit grantees: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Middle East Broadcast Networks and Radio Free Asia. We had noted that the BBG had planned to end some shortwave broadcasts as part of its plans to streamline operations and avoid duplication across its five networks. As part of that effort, some shortwave broadcasts have been terminated for VOA, RFE/RFL and RFA. The BBG told RW: “We continue shortwave to those countries where these transmissions are still reaching significant audiences or where there are no reasonable alternative platforms at a lower cost to the BBG,” according to spokeswoman Leticia King. “The shortwave reductions will save U.S. taxpayers almost $1.6 million annually.” We reported earlier the cuts were part of the BBG’s FY2015 budget request of $721.26 million, which lawmakers have now approved. There are no reductions in staff or programming as a result of the changes — these are transmission platform reductions only, she noted. Programming continues to be available through other media. Shortwave transmissions continue in many languages including to key shortwave markets like North Korea, Nigeria, Somalia and the Horn of Africa. Transmissions also continue on other platforms including AM, FM, TV and online. The BBG provided a detailed list of shortwave cuts, the reasoning behind those, as well as where shortwave broadcasts continue. VOA Azerbaijani: * Cuts: 30 minutes shortwave * Continuing Distribution: Satellite TV (HotBird) and satellite audio (TurkSat); multimedia web and mobile sites and social media * Shortwave is used by just 2% of adults weekly in Azerbaijan, and does not yield significant audiences for the service (0.4% weekly reach on radio in BBG’s most recent survey). By contrast, satellite dish ownership is widespread, at 56%, and 18% use the Internet weekly. The service has both satellite and online products, which are far more likely to reach audiences in Azerbaijan. VOA Bangla: * Cuts: 1 hour shortwave * Continuing Distribution: 1 hour medium-wave (AM); FM and TV affiliates; multimedia web and mobile sites; social media * Shortwave is not widely used in Bangladesh (just 2% weekly), and the majority of the service’s audience comes to its programming via FM and TV affiliate networks in the country. VOA English (in Asia): * Cuts: 6.5 hours shortwave (2 hours of programming that was repeated) * Continuing Distribution: Some medium-wave; multimedia web and mobile sites and social media * Outside of sub-Saharan Africa, English speakers are rarely users of shortwave radio. They are more likely to be educated and affluent, and to have access to a broad range of media. Years of BBG research questions on consumption of VOA English on shortwave have failed to find any significant audiences outside Africa, in large part because usage of shortwave radio in other regions is mostly very low. VOA Lao: * Cuts: 30 minutes shortwave * Continuing Distribution: 30 minutes medium-wave; 7 affiliates in Thailand on Lao border, with reach into Laos; multimedia web and mobile sites; social media * Shortwave is very little-used in Laos — less than 1% of adults report listening to shortwave radio weekly. In BBG’s most recent research in Laos, no surveyed listeners reported using the shortwave band to access VOA content. A majority (66%) hear VOA on FM, through affiliate stations on the Thai border that carry VOA content (Laos is so small that border FM stations have decent penetration into the country). VOA Special/Learning English: * Cuts: 5.5 hours shortwave * Continuing Distribution: Learning English programs continue on shortwave on English to Africa. 30 minutes medium-wave; multimedia web and mobile sites, including special interactive teaching products; social media, including social English lessons * BBG audience research indicates strong interest in learning English, but very limited shortwave listenership to VOA Learning English, outside a few select markets. The service is working more closely with other VOA language services to create English learning products for distribution on more popular channels. And Learning English offers a variety of digital products that are increasingly popular, including a Skype call-in show, videos on YouTube, and a website featuring both audio and transcripts for online audiences to follow as they listen. VOA Uzbek: * Cuts: 30 minutes shortwave * Continuing Distribution: Satellite audio and TV (HotBird); FM and TV affiliates in neighboring countries; multimedia web and mobile sites (with circumvention tools deployed); social media * SW is not widely used in Uzbekistan (just 2% weekly), and does not yield significant audiences for the service (0.3% weekly). Adults in Uzbekistan are much more likely to own a satellite dish (13%) or use the Internet (12% weekly) than to use shortwave, so the service provides content on those platforms. Uzbekistan is an especially difficult market to penetrate with USIM content, but shortwave is not an effective platform for the country. RFE/RL Persian (Farda): * Cuts: 1 simultaneous shortwave frequency for 6 broadcast hours * Continuing Distribution: Shortwave on multiple frequencies for all 24 broadcast hours remains on, in addition to 24 hours daily medium-wave; “Radio on TV” on VOA Persian stream; 24 hours daily satellite audio with slate plus 24-hour audio on 4 other satellites including Hotbird, the most popular satellite in Iran; multimedia website (with circumvention tools deployed); social media; mobile app with anticensorship proxy server capability built-in. * This is only a reduction to the number of simultaneous frequencies during some of the broadcast day. Shortwave radio, with 5% weekly use in 2012, is considerably less popular than other platforms on which audiences can access Farda content, such as medium-wave (10% weekly use), satellite television (26% own a dish, and 33% watch satellite television weekly) or the Internet (39% weekly use). RFA Lao : * Cuts: 2 hours shortwave * Continuing Distribution: 5 FM radio affiliates in Thailand provide cross-border coverage; multimedia web and mobile sites; social media * Shortwave is very little-used in Laos — less than 1% of adults report listening to shortwave radio weekly. RFA Lao’s listeners come overwhelmingly via FM stations on the Thai border — 94% of past-week listeners report hearing RFA on FM. (Laos is so small that border FM stations have decent penetration into the country). RFA Vietnamese: * Cuts: 2 hours shortwave * Continuing Distribution: Medium-wave coverage of all broadcast hours remains on; multimedia web and mobile sites (with circumvention tools deployed) include webcasts and other videos; social media * Shortwave radio is very little-used in Vietnam — less than 1% of adults report any weekly use of the waveband, and RFA reaches just 0.2% of adults weekly on radio. Medium-wave is slightly more popular, but the future for USIM in Vietnam is likely online: 26% of Vietnamese use the Internet weekly now (with much higher rates among certain populations, like the young and the well-educated), and three in four personally own a mobile phone. While Vietnam attempts to block access to sensitive sites, Vietnam is actually the most active country in our most popular Internet Anti-Censorship tools with almost 600 million hits per day. Languages that continue on shortwave: VOA * Afan Oromo/Amharic/Tigrigna to Ethiopia and Eritrea * Bambara * Burmese * Cantonese * Dari * English to Africa * English to South Sudan * French to Africa * Hausa * Khmer * Kinyarwanda/Kirundi * Korean * Kurdish * Mandarin * Pashto (to FATA and Afghanistan) * Portuguese to Africa * Somali * Swahili * Tibetan * Shona/Ndebele/English to Zimbabwe OCB: * Spanish to Cuba RFE/RL: * Avar/Chechen/Circassian * Belarusian * Dari * Pashto (to FATA and Afghanistan) * Persian * Russian * Tajik * Turkmen * Uzbek RFA: * Burmese * Cantonese * Khmer * Korean * Mandarin * Tibetan * Uyghur MBN: * Arabic (Afia Darfur to Sudan/Chad) (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. As a DXer purely, VOA going off most of its shortwave is not a calamity. However, the demise of domestic stations definitely poses a problem and when such important stations like the VOA go off short wave, lesser stations also start to feel the medium is dying out. The other point is even if we are DXers, we are also listeners and I always enjoyed good VOA programs. I started as a listener and I shall always miss great stations like VOA, RNW and some yars back the demise of Radio Sweden and the like. Yes, some smaller transmitters certainly will get clear of the Voice of Russia, VOA, RNW, DW strong transmitters which are now off the air. However, there is an increase in the use of Chinese (CRI) frequencies. I am not a blind follower of the Western media, lesser so as I matured and realised the truth is somewhere in between. However, I don't like a one sided media scene with CRI and such dominating. VOA was very special, personally too and a part of me died with its demise. Posted by: (Victor Goonetilleke, 4S7VK, Sri Lanka, dxldyg via DXLD) I believe that Victor is/was also a paid official monitor for IBB, with such perks as supply of equipment, trips to the USA, etc. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. JOURNALISTS AT ODDS WITH UNION OVER ROLE OF VOICE OF AMERICA By RON NIXON July 2, 2014 WASHINGTON -- Voice of America journalists who are fighting to maintain what they say is their editorial independence are now at odds not only with Congress, but also with their own union. The union, the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1812, recently endorsed a bill that would change language in the charter for the 72-year-old news agency and require it to actively support American policy. That came as a surprise to some Voice of America employees, who said the legislation would make them mouthpieces for government policy. They want the union to withdraw its letter of support. "A lot of us would welcome change and reform, but not at the cost of undermining V.O.A.'s journalistic credibility," said Jim Malone, a senior national correspondent at the government-financed news agency who is not a member of the union. In its letter, union leaders said the agency's managers had lost sight of their mission and were trying to turn the "V.O.A. into something they envisioned as a global variant of CNN." "In the end, some of the currently entrenched senior management represent a far greater threat to V.O.A.'s journalistic independence, indeed to the very existence of the V.O.A.," the union wrote. The danger, said the union's president, Tim Shamble, is that the government could withdraw its financial support if the agency continued its current course. The federation represents about 40 percent of all Voice of America workers and 11 percent of the journalists in the central news division. Even journalists who are not members of the union, like Mr. Malone, are lining up against it. "Union leaders blundered by ignoring legitimate concerns that the bill would turn journalists into policy promoters," he said. The bill was approved in April by the House Foreign Affairs Committee and is sponsored by the panel's chairman, Representative Ed Royce, Republican of California, and its ranking member, Representative Eliot L. Engel, Democrat of New York. The full House is scheduled to vote on it after the Fourth of July recess. The Senate is working on a similar bill to overhaul the V.O.A. and four other government-financed broadcasters like Radio Free Europe. The House bill would revise the language of the Voice of America charter to state explicitly that the agency has a role in supporting American "public diplomacy" and countering propaganda from countries like Russia and China. The charter, signed in 1976, now states that the "V.O.A. will serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news. V.O.A. news will be accurate, objective and comprehensive." But, it adds, "V.O.A. will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussions and opinions on these policies." Voice of America programs -- more than 70 for television and 200 for radio -- are broadcast in 45 languages, and it has affiliates around the world. The issue has been building for some time, and the changes included in the bill are supported by some prominent journalists like Walter Isaacson, a former chairman of CNN and editor of Time magazine who once led the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former secretary of state, has said the board -- which has jurisdiction over the V.O.A. and the other government-financed agencies -- was dysfunctional. A recent audit found numerous problems with the board's use of contractors along with $3.5 million in questionable costs. The agency's budget is about $200 million annually. The House bill would turn the board into an advisory body and create a position for a full-time chief executive to run the agency day to day. Dozens of journalists at the news agency said that the legislation represented a threat to its existence, and that they were angry union leaders issued the endorsement without consulting members. "I didn't see anything that went out to members telling us that they were doing this," said one union member who asked not to be quoted by name in criticizing the legislation because she did not have permission to speak on the record. "It gives the impression that we as journalists support this bill, and we do not." She said she did not find out about the union's support until the Foreign Affairs Committee posted the letter of support on its website. Mr. Shamble denied that account. He said the decision to support the bill was made by the union's executive committee after consulting members. The union also presented its positions at meetings, he said. "Is it possible that people still didn't know our position after all that?" Mr. Shamble asked. "I suppose, but I don't know what else we could do." Mr. Shamble said he declined an invitation to address the matter before journalists in the newsroom because he did not want to discuss union business in front of the agency's management. He said the union had fought to protect jobs and against efforts to rescind financing for the agency, adding that he shared concerns about some of the language in the bill. "But I think we can work with Congress to tweak the language to fix this stuff," he said. "The larger issue is reforming the V.O.A." Many journalists at the agency agree that changes are called for, and share frustrations about the Broadcasting Board of Governors' lack of direction. But they disagree with the union that legislation is the way to fix the problems. Carolyn Presutti, a Washington correspondent, said the fight was obscuring the larger issue: keeping Voice of America journalists from becoming agents of American policy. "I didn't come here to be a public relations person," said Ms. Presutti, who is not a union member. "The idea that I have to support the positions of whoever is in the White House is not journalism. This is bigger than the union. We are fighting for our existence." (NY Times via David Cole, Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. 9885, July 1 at 0127-0128* strong OC, probably Greenville-B tuning up for a later transmission to Africa, French at 0600, which still exist (despite IBB Tibetan via Tajikistan listed already on 9885 at 01-03), but: 9825, July 1 at 0126, no signal nor later from the last remaining VOA English broadcast to the Americas, at 0130-0200 Tue-Sat, which had been for Learning purposes, now deleted (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. RADIO FREE ASIA RELEASES THIRD QSL TRANSMITTER SERIES IBB IRANAWILA --- JULY 2014 Radio Free Asia (RFA) announces the release of the third QSL card in the series highlighting the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) transmitter sites used for RFA programming. RFA programs broadcast from the following IBB sites: Biblis, Iranawila, Kuwait, Lampertheim, Saipan and Tinian. IBB's Iranawila transmitter site in Sri Lanka is equipped with four 500 kW and three 250 kW transmitters. All seven of these transmitters broadcast at a power level of 250 kW in carrying out the station’s mission, which includes broadcasting RFA's Burmese programming on shortwave. This is RFA’s 54th QSL overall and will be used to confirm all valid RFA reception reports from July 1 to August 31, 2014. RFA is a private, nonprofit corporation that broadcastsnews and information to listeners in Asian countries where full, accurate, andtimely news reports are unavailable. Created by Congress in 1994 and incorporated in 1996, RFA broadcasts in Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean to North Korea, Lao, Mandarin (including the Wu dialect), Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo, and Kham), and Uyghur. RFA strives for accuracy, balance, and fairness in its editorial content. As a ‘surrogate’ broadcaster, RFA provides news and commentary specific to each of its target countries, acting as the free press these countries lack. RFA broadcasts only in local languages and dialects, and most of its broadcasts comprise news of specific local interest. More information about Radio Free Asia, including our current broadcast frequency schedule, is available at http://www.rfa.org. RFA encourages listeners to submit reception reports. Reception reports are valuable to RFA as they help us evaluate the signal strength and quality of our transmissions. RFA confirms all accurate reception reports by mailing a QSL card to the listener. RFA welcomes all reception report submissions at http://techweb.rfa.org (follow the QSL REPORTS link) notonly from DX’ers, but also from its general listening audience. If you have a smart phone, feel free to use the QR code below to access our main website for the latest news and information from Radio Free Asia. Reception reports are also accepted by email at qsl@rfa.org and by mail to: Reception Reports Radio Free Asia 2025 M Street NW, Suite 300 Washington DC 20036 United States of America (via Rich D`Angelo, PA, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1727 monitoring: missed confirming the Thu 1230 broadcast on WRMI 9955, overslept, but confident it aired on this reliable station. Confirmed on WTWW-1, 9475, Thursday June 26 from 2100:30; simulcast on WBCQ 7490v only a JBA carrier here, but confirmed on webcast, almost synchronized with 9475 considering the webcast delay. Also confirmed on WWRB, 5050, UT Friday June 27 starting at 0327:10 after a brief pause following the previous preacher. Initially overmodulated, then adjusted. Level on webcast back to normal. Next: Saturday 0630 & 1430 on Hamburger Lokalradio, 7265-CUSB Saturday 2330 on WTWW-2, 9930 UT Sunday 0030 on WRMI-9, 9495 UT Sunday 0400 on WTWW-1, 5830 UT Monday 0300v on Area 51 via WBCQ, 5109v-CUSB Full schedule including many more webcasts, AM, FM, satellite: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WORLD OF RADIO 1727 monitoring: another no-show at 2330 Saturday June 28 on 9930 WTWW. 0030 UT Sunday on 9495 WRMI: confirmed with last week`s #1726 0400 UT Sunday on 5830 WTWW: carrier cuts off the air just as I tune in at 0400 sharp; back on *0401 but no modulation until 0405*, back on with dead air at *0406-0407*; finally *0414:35 cuts back on air with WOR 1727 in progress. Mid-break comes at 0421, so must have started/restarted playback about 5 minutes late, perhaps to compensate, unusual. But cut off incomplete at 0430 and back to regular SFAW programming. Next: 0300v UT Monday on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB 1100 UT Tuesday on WRMI 9955 0630 UT Wednesday on Hamburger Lokalradio 7265-CUSB 1315 UT Wednesday on WRMI 9955 1430 UT Wednesday on Hamburger Lokalradio 7265-CUSB 2100 UT Wednesday on WBCQ 7490v For those struggling to hear a complete WOR in the face of SW transmission problems, a reminder that current and hundreds of previous WOR audio files are at: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html And also podcasts via: http://www.rmrc.de http://tunein.com/radio/World-of-Radio-p198/ 9930, June 28 from 2313, here`s what I heard on WTWW-2, when checking for WORLD OF RADIO, which normally airs at 2330 Saturdays, but did not appear last week: 2315, usual gospel music filler after a preacher 2330, gospel music keeps going until: 2334, two canned IDs, and 2335 QSY announcement to 5085 2336, another replay of QSO show from Dayton, still on 9930 2342, QSO is cut off and I thought transmitter went off, but 2352, 9930 is still on but with dead air 2356, QSO show heard again 2359* 9930 cuts off the air abruptly with no QSY announcement now UT June 29: 0000, 5085 is already on by the time I retune, QSO continues, also at further chex thru 0045 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ciao a tutti gli amici del gruppo! Ecco una selezione di ascolti in onde corte fatti il 29 giugno – 5830, 29/06 0427 WTWW 1, Lebanon TN Info ID Px "WOR 1727", E, 35533. 73 da (Nino Marabello, QTH Treviso, Italia, RX: SONY ICF SW7600G, Ant.: esterna VHF azimuth 230, bclnews.it yg via DXLD) WORLD OF RADIO 1727 monitoring: confirmed on Area 51 webcast, starting slightly before 0300 UT Monday June 30; later barely audible in noise level on WBCQ 5110v-CUSB. Next: Tuesday 1100 and Wednesday 1315 on WRMI, 9955 Wednesday 0630 & 1430 on Hamburger Lokalradio, 7265-CUSB WORLD OF RADIO 1727 monitoring: confirmed Wednesday July 2 at 1315 on WRMI 9955; JBA here tnx to high noise level. Next: Wed 2100 on WBCQ 7490v. Expect to have new 1728 ready to go by 0330 UT Thursday on 9955, also at 1230 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 12105, June 26 at 2012 check, WTWW-3 is in Brazuguese during this hour. June 27 at 0106, back to usual Pastor Pete Peters in English. 12105, WTWW-3, June 27 at 2213 check, this is now the Arabic hour of Bible Worldwide; UT June 28 at 0108, Pastor Pete Peters (d.) in English. June 28 at 1714, it`s PPP again (not // 9475); between 18 and 19, still English with Bible stories if not readings; after 1900, Spanish, after 2000 Brazuguese. Random monitoring the past several days now allows us to put together a language schedule for WTWW-3 12105 service, but don`t hold us to it! 17-18 English (PPP) 18-19 English 19-20 Spanish 20-21 Portuguese 21-22 French 22-23 Arabic 23-24 Yoruba 00-01 Russian 01-02 English (PPP) 12105, July 1 at 0130, WTWW-3 is off, while -2 on 5085 and -1 on 9475 are on. -3 normally runs 17-02 UT. 12105, July 1 at 2027, WTWW-3 is off, and so is 9475, WTWW-1, while 9930, WTWW-2 is on with BS. 12105, July 2 at 0123, WTWW-3 is still off, but 9475, WTWW-1 is on, as well as 5085, WTWW-2, as usual now making an earlier switch than -1 to its night frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. 9955, June 28 at 0113, WRMI during PCJ show, again interviewing someone with British accent; repeat of older episode? Strangely with a variety of beep pitches in the background, to go with the noise and pulse jamming; tnx a lot, Arnie! Not going easy on a former co-worker at the RHC collective. So are the beeps on the PCJ recording, or from something else? Not like the tones we hear elsewhere/when from Cuban jamming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 5050, June 27 at 0118, WWRB with non-BS preacher unlike 24 hours earlier; good, since that meant WOR would likely air circa 0327, and it did. Meanwhile, no BS at all to be heard from WWRB now, not on 3185 or 9370. 5050, June 30 at 0121, open carrier/dead air from WWRB, and for at least several minutes thereafter. 9370, July 2 at 0535, WWRB with BS has stayed on day frequency at night, nothing on 3185; 9370 much stronger than 9955 BS (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 17775, July 2 at 1413, KVOH Spanish is still having problems with undermodulation, distortion (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. VATICAN CITY EXTRA-TERRITORIAL AREA: 15550, Radio Dabanga International [sic], 1535 23-Jun. Heard Arabic (presumed) on Radio Dabanga and the preachers on WJHR Milton FL Fighting to see who would control the frequency. The struggle was fairly even, but I think Radio Dabanga had a slight edge. I have heard both of these on this frequency before. I don't recall hearing both of them at the same time. The signals were strong; obviously there was much QRM but I could hear both of them (Gary Vance, Grand Ledge & Battle Creek MI, MARE Tipsheet 27 June via DXLD) ** U S A. WWCR, 2100 UT on 15825 kHz, 24 May 2014: I decide to give `Musical Memories` on WWCR another shot. I listened once before, and felt that it wasn’t really my kind of programme; however I had included it this time in the Music on Shortwave listing in Broadcasts in English in case it appealed to other listeners. There’s nothing complicated about this programme – host and musician Martha Gavin sits at a piano and sings hymns and gospel songs, along with various anecdotes in between. Her website at http://www.musicalmemoriestv.com/ describes the evolution of the programme as follows: “"In 1988 when our youngest was a senior in high school", Martha says, "I began to realize that young people like my own five children really didn't know these blessed old songs. That seemed like a real shame because the best of these hymns are timeless. They've endured because they bring a lot of encouragement and comfort to people." Thus the start of Musical Memories. “Martha performs hymns and traditional gospel music that cynics may consider passé. However, she says that she started the program to prove those doubters wrong.” The radio programmes are also video- recorded, and you can find a number of past episodes at http://www.wtjr.org (under Media Video on Demand) where she looks like your favourite grandmother or aunt, but as she bashes out the tunes and talks between songs, she comes across (to me, at least) as a slightly imposing, almost scary, figure (Alan Roe, July BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** U S A. 550, June 26 at 0555 UT, another try at IDing the station with the `Jim Bohannon Show` as heard last night. Again from NE/SW, as he`s wrapping up this hour. I do doze off before 0600 UT, but awaken just in time to hear ID, ``The Big 5-50, KTRS, Saint Louis``, into ABC News, which is several seconds ahead of same on KTSA San Antonio (why in the world don`t big stations on same frequency coöperate and synchronize their programming?? To everyone`s advantage). KTRS is the obvious station in that direxion, and the first thing I checked on the Jim Bohannon station finder, but it`s *still* missing: http://www.jimbotalk.net/stationfinder;jsessionid=91C252C08B4470E7071E2B4AEBA8D883?action=stateSearch&state=MO&programID=0 and nothing else in St Louis. You`d think Jim would at least keep up with affiliates in his home state. I suppose this is a recent addition. Unfortunately, the NRC AM Log 2013 on page xvii does not include Bohannon among ``Networks and Shows that they carry`` among many other national talkhosts. What a shame that Jimbo lacks outlets in many major markets, where the corporate-controlled clusters would rather air far-right anti-American lunatix than a sensible MOR talkhost. But he is on many minor stations (in Oklahoma, only KXCA-1380 Lawton live; but something at 10:30:00 pm Sundays on KFAQ 1170? That doesn`t make sense). BTW the station finder mixes in his other show `America in the Morning`, news magazine at 09-10 UT weekdays. Strangely, the (local) times are in the right column along with days of week, while most entries in the ``time`` column read ``null``. Yes, my Google search on KTRS Saint Louis gets this top hit: http://www.ktrs.com/jim-bohannon-to-be-heard-overnights-on-the-big-550-ktrs/ This is not a story with any text, ``written by Andrew Dowd``, but a 7:40 video, just dated today June 26, so we beat them to it yesterday. It`s an interview with local host McGraw Milhaven and sidekickess, about coming on KTRS; says he started ``this week``, at midnight to 4 am (so 3 am CDT must be a repeat of the first hour). Jim explains how he got his big break subbing for Larry King when a mechanic left a wrench in a Cape Cañaveral rocket. 550, re last report about Jim Bohannon new on KTRS: ``Unfortunately, the NRC AM Log 2013 on page xvii does not include Bohannon among ``Networks and Shows that they carry`` among many other national talkhosts`` NRC AM Radio Log editor Wayne Heinen replies: ``Glenn et al., Page xiii: Network Name Specialty: Mt = Mutual Talk - Dist by Dial Global - Jim Bohannon, America in the Morning`` Yes, there he is, but you can`t look up Bohannon by alfabetical order in the other list. Anyhow, this will have to be updated as his network is again named ``Westwood One`` per his announcement and on his station finder page which leads also to http://www.westwoodone.com/ (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 750, June 26 at 0602 UT, Spanish from east/west is atop WSB making a fast SAH, no doubt KAMA El Paso TX as previously identified, way out of whack. Am I the only one who has noticed or cares? Certainly not WSB. It`s supposed to be only 1 kW at night direxional westward, but sounds like it`s 10 kW day power, non-direxional or even worse. Here`s the night pattern plot: http://transition.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/565598-73092.pdf showing minimum at 85 degrees, maximum at 265 degrees! It`s dated 9 June 2014: like most of these plots via FCC AM Query, they show up with a very recent date as if they are constantly being updated, instead of set in stone once established. But this one is obviously imaginary compared to what we hear. Is there anything in KAMA`s Correspondence folder about an STA allowing them to run 10 kW ND at night? No, but this dated April 11, *2013* allows them to run 250 watts ND due to tower damage: http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=40468 ``TLC states that on March 13, 2013 one of the nighttime only towers was knocked down by a construction crew. Thus, TLC requests STA to operating [sic] non-directionally with a power of 250 watts during nighttime hours, which is 25% of the station's authorized nighttime power`` So now it looks like they have just recently upped power for this ND authorization already in effect. It`s been ``temporary`` for 14+ months now, and still haven`t replaced the tower? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 910, June 27 at 0521, YL weather on ``The Ranch AM``, seems NNE/SSW. That unique slogan goes right to KJJQ Volga SD (Brookings), per Google search and NRC AM Log; 500/500 watts. Nothing heard in Russian. Night pattern has minor lobe SSW toward us, major to the NE: http://transition.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/231879-3459.pdf (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1120, June 27 at 0518 UT, YL with religious talk in English if I null KMOX, soon losing out. No KEOR OK Spanish gospel talk or praise music to be heard tonight in that position. Seems about N/S, so probably the new KTXW Manor (Austin) TX, having flipped from Spanish, authorized for 155 watts night. Another possibility would be WTWZ Clinton MS, REL/GOS per NRC AM Log, but supposed to be 10 kW daytimer only. See DXLD 14-19: ``The Christian Preaching format of “The Word” KLGO Austin has found a new home. KLGO had broadcast most recently on 1490 until the debut of “Fringe 105.3” on April 19 moved the Classic/Texas Country KOKE-FM programming to 1490. . . new home for the format, which will take place on Monday, May 12. The KLGO format will debut on what is now Regional Mexican “La Z” 1120 KTXW Manor``. Per FCC AM Query, calls on 1120 have remained KTXW. Its night pattern is supposed to have deep nulls from NW thru NE to SE, including us and KMOX (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1140, UNID Spanish, possibly Cleburne, 0510 [CDT?]. I could not catch the slogan. Can't rule out Monterey but no 990, and can't rule out Arkansas. Will try again tomorrow morning. First thing that I went to at 0501. At first it was Alberta on top but at 0502 it was Regional Mexican music with the ID Radio Las Americas after every song. Definitely cheating with sunrise at 5:45-6 (Todd Skaine, Woodbury, MN, Toyota Car Radio, Sony ICF 2010, Grundig S350 & M400, 0101 UT June 28, ABDX via DXLD) R. Las Américas = KLTK Arkansas 5 kW ** U S A. 1220, June 27 at 0516 UT, ``WSLM, 97.9 FM with Kentuckiana weather`` from Accuweather, back to C&W music``. This Salem IN station has been cheating for months, obviously with 5 kW day power instead of 82 watts night. This gives it a great advantage over numerous other 1220 stations from Ohio to Kansas to Texas to Georgia, or beyond, which are allowed only low power at night to protect Cleveland, which itself has a tight null westward. In case WSLM is still observing its legal pattern, it`s a figure-8 slightly clockwise from east/west (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Stations informing the FCC that they are silent: 1680 KRJO LA Monroe – Silent 6/12, financial problems. (AM Switch, NRC DX News July 7 via DXLD) That explains why I have had such a hard time hearing them, since earlier than that, I think. I do hear very weak SAH from a couple other stations on 1680 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 1680 at midnight from Barrington IL the other night: 1 Files 421KB Download AllMP31680 Iowa.mp3421KB This is from my Double KAZ array aimed west. Nothing but Iowa TIS's with Quad Cities generally above Iowa City. No MI or NJ as killed by terminations yielding at least 30 dB back nulls. No KRJO (maybe off the air) or Florida as in deep side nulls of array with about a 60 deg beamwidth in X-band. No CA or WA with summer skip favoring higher angles and not often going to the west coast for stations using 1 kW. System is two 120 ft x 21 ft Double KAZ antennas spaced in a broadside array (side by side) 260 ft apart. I have no more room here aiming E-W and would prefer them to be about 100 ft farther apart. DXers with a bit of land available will find that spacing simple single loop antennas (KAZ, SuperLoop, Flag etc) in a broadside array even 200 ft apart will result in a decent narrowing of the main beam and improved clarity of reception on crowded freqs in the design direction when compared to a single antenna. Antenna design is fun. 73 KAZ 35 miles NW of Chicago's Loop (Neil Kazaross, UT June 30, NRC- AM via DXLD) ** U S A. 0147 UT June 30 on 88.1, standing by for Es MUF to enter FM, here`s an operatic excerpt fading up from nothing; 0149 Porgy & Bess outro in English; followed this for 10 minutes, including song about seafood, ``Baby, I Can Cook``; from ``On the Town``; ``Sara Lee`` sure sounded like Mandy Potëmkin, but outro as Jim Walton; faked out by: KWOU Woodward OK, marginal public radio relaying KGOU 106.3 Norman; at 0159 closing PRX.org `Footlight Parade` show with reference to musicaltheatreproject.org as ACI from 88.3 grows so over to it: 0148 on 88.3, Mexican music fades in strong; this is certainly Es, but is it really Mexican? Fade out and I stick to 88.1 instead until 0200 when 88.3 overcomes, as recorded: ad mentioning Tepic??? I listen to recording over and over, sure what it sounds like, yet there are some Anglo words mixed in, and there are NO 88.3s in Tepic, Nayarit listed anywhere, nor is this in the area I am otherwise getting. In fact, 88.3 is the one FM frequency with only one Mexican listed on it, faraway in Tapachula, Chiapas. More below. More notes from my 88.3 recording 0202 UT onwards: promo for Reforma Migratoria --- that makes it more likely American than Mexican. Slogan as ``La Campesina 88.3``. Ad for a concert sponsored by Bud Light, with groups from Tijuana, Sinaloa (not to be taken as local ID clues!), then ``¡¡¡La estación líder en eventos, La Campesina, no más!!!`` (much quoted here should be accompanied by six exclamations, uttered by super-hype voice actor [SHVA]). More ads, including a Mexican grill, Águila radio-taxis; about a remote from Talking Stick (?) Resort, at Indian Bend. ``Gracias a muchos anunciantes que hacen posible continuar el sueño de César Chávez, via ésta, tu estación, La Campesina, --- y la Fundación César Chávez --- viviendas para personas de la terera edad, 300 casas para familias de bajos recursos --- 4000 --- en Arizona, California, Nuevo Méjico y Tejas.`` ``La Campesina y la Unión de Campesinos, en la lucha por la reforma, 88 punto tres, 88 point 3 eff emm, Kay En Ay Eye, Phoenix, Arizona`` (the legal ID part for KNAI in accented English altho not required to be). ``Fundada por César Chávez, La Campesina, en la lucha para la reforma, ¡¡¡sí, se puede!!!`` Into music and shortly fading out. Listen to 3:49 clip: http://www.w4uvh.net/KNAI2.mp3 See DXLD 12-18 when I last heard KNAI on July 9, 2012. My comments are still the same: ```These are fully-produced hard-sell commercials, not ``underwriting announcements`` by any stretch of the imagination! How do they get away with operating a commercial station so blatantly on the non- commercial band? César Chávez should be ashamed; his foundation runs it. BTW, it`s almost a vanishing breed, apparently a share-timer with KPHF of Family Radio. W9WI.com shows them both licensed with exactly same 22.500 kW power, same latitude 33-35-47.00N, but different longitudes and antenna heights: 112-5-29.00W and 304m for KNAI; 112-5-31.00W and 297m for KPHF; so are they really not sharing the same transmitter and antenna? What a waste. Is there anything in the FCC licensing info about how the time is shared?``` Current WTFDA database still shows both KNAI & KPHF on 88.3 in Phœnix. What about the ``Tepic`` local reference I heard first? Re-listening to my 0:43 recording of that: http://www.w4uvh.net/KNAI1.mp3 ads for the Chef Store, also on Facebook, but when I find it there, it`s all about Santiago, Chile! Restaurant supplies, job openings. Listening again, address for it announced is 3115 --- something --- Drive. In case this was the same Phœnix station, I google search on that and land the answer: Chef Store, 3115 South McClintock Drive, in TEMPE! Which is pronounced tem-PEE, almost like teh-PEEK (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re 5/25 Es unID: ```2129 UT on 90.7, ``107 KSLT`` is mentioned, CCI to the unID nostalgia station above. KSLT is 107.1 100/100 kW in Spearfish SD, ``POWER 107.1``, CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN, but why is it mentioned on 90.7? Well, there is a 90.7 also in Spearfish, so are they related? KJKT 90.7 SPEARFISH SD, 0.7/0.7 kW, THE BUZZ ADULT ALTERNATIVE. In fact, they are on the same tower near Lead SD, per rabbitears.info but FCC FM Query shows quite different licensees. Could be that KSLT is related to a religious 90.7 elsewhere in SD, but both of them appear to be satellators from beyond: K216EY [relaying:] WJFM, 90.7 YANKTON SD, 0.092/0.092 kW, THE SONLIFE RADIO NETWORK RELIGION --- and: KGHW 90.7 ONIDA SD, 0.125/0.125 kW, RADIO 74 INTERNATIONAL RELIGION``` 1629 [converted to CDT] unID 90.7 ?? ??, “107 KSLT” is mentioned, slogan is “Power 107.1,” --- this is KSLS Dickinson ND; they are a full power repeater of KSLT, same ownership (John Zondlo, OK, Southern FM DX editor, July WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) I.e. per WTFDA FM database: ``KSLS [relaying:] KSLT 90.7 DICKINSON ND 3.2 3.2 131.0 131.0 46.5515 102.4349 POWER 107.1 CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN`` Tnx, John. I should have found it if I were searching ND instead of just SD! (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. KJWP-2 et al.: I had checked the TV earlier around 5:30 EDT and the VHF stations were enhanced from the south. Using the Winegard PR-5040 antenna KJWP DT-2 Wilmington, DE was coming in at about 92% on the meter. Usually it comes in at about 70-75% with a 25 dB line amp. I wasn't using the 25 dB signal amp as I normally do, so all of these signals were that much stronger than normal; WHYY-DT 12 Wilmington was at 84%, usually it is about 60-65%. WACP DT-4 Atlantic City/ Philadelphia was coming in at 70-75% usually it only comes in at night or when there is enhancement. WACP usual strongest signal strength is about 60%. WPVI DT-6 almost always comes in at 100% with or without the amp, so you couldn't tell if there was any change in the strength. Mike, Chris & Scott, Usually KJWP does have Me-TV on 2-1 KJWP-ME and they had been running Me-TV on both 2-2 KJWP-D2 and 2-3 Touch. 2-1 had infomercials on in the early morning hours only. Earlier this morning around 5:30 EDT I noticed that they only had infomercials on 2-1 and both 2-2 and 2-3 had the KJWP 2 WILMINGTON ID slide which has both the color bars in the upper center portion and the black and white gradations and areas around the color bars. I have it on now (1:00 EDT) and they have Me TV on 2-1 only, with the ID slides on 2-2 and 2- 3 (Bob Seaman, Hazleton, PA. I also am near the crest of a hill with good elevation, June 28, WTFDA via DXLD) I woke up this morning seeing 'Good Morning Maryland' instead of New York City's Channel 2 WCBS-TV. New to me: 'KJWP-ME' ME TV from Wilmington with nice color bars featuring a big ID on their virtual 2 and 3 channels. Also saw WACP 4.1 and 4.2 WACP-2 from Atlantic City. Also, the usuals for this short-range lift: 10 WCAU, 12 WHYY, 17 WTXF, 35, 39, 55 WLNY (90 degrees off antenna beam) and al the NJPTVs. Now at work in Stamford, CT, many of my granny boxes were confused. Lost 2, 9 WWOR, 11 WPIX and virtuals, WTNH 8 and virtuals and so on. How do I get anyone to operate on 2 meter simplex during these lifts? It's always completely dead. Is there any SSB or CW action for tropo? (Karl Zuk, N2KZ, Katonah, NY, 45 miles north of NYC, 1016 UT June 30, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. WLWT 35/5 (NBC), Cincinnati Off Air Until Monday Per reports at AVS Forum http://www.avsforum.com/forum/45-local-hdtv-info-reception/306883-cincinnati-oh-hdtv-479.html WLWT went off the air sometime Thursday afternoon and that the station will not return to the air until at least Monday. Apparently the issue is not the transmitter but rather an issue with the transmission line between the transmitter and the antenna. Also, a viewer reports that WLWT is attempting to work a deal with local PBS affiliate, WCET, to feed WLWT via one of its sub-channels until the repairs can be made. In the meantime, this 1000 kW station is not clogging the airwaves around OH, IN and KY (Steve Rich, Indianapolis, IN, June 27, WTFDA via DXLD) A commercial station on a subchannel of a non-commercial? Interesting. Peter Baskind, J.D., LL.M.*, N4LI Grid: EM55, Germantown, TN 38138, ibid.) I note that WCET and WLWT are on the same tower and are on adjacent RF channels. I wonder if what they mean is for WLWT to use spare WCET equipment to return RF-35 to the air? That, or the deal they're trying to work isn't so much with WCET as with the FCC. If WCET's stream multiplexer is within a few hundred feet of WLWT's, it would be relatively simple to patch WLWT's MPEG encoder into WCET's mux, make a few changes to WCET's PSIP, ask viewers to rescan, and WLWT is back on the air as if nothing happened. It'd even come up on channel 5 like it's supposed to. Yeah, that's new legal ground but it's exactly what the FCC proposes to do with channel sharing after the refarming thing. I wouldn't be surprised if WCET & WLWT think the Commission will buy it, and I wouldn't be surprised if they're right (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) Saw this pop up on my Facebook. WCPO is allowing WLWT to broadcast on their .3 channel. http://www.wlwt.com/news/wlwt-over-the-air-signal-partially-restored/26672274#!47LGv (Adam Rivers, June 28, ibid.) I am watching WCPO 22/9 right now and 9.3 has NBC programming but the PSIP still says WCPO-LW (Mike Glass, Lebanon IN, 1335 UT June 28, ibid.) I imagine WLWT is still broadcasting over cable and satellite, but not the transmitter. A situation happened here in Milwaukee a while back when WTMJ-TV ch. 28 transmitter got severely hit by thunderstorm and they were off what seem like 2 weeks. In fact it was in July or August of 2009 at the time all TV stations had to shut down analog service. Weigel Broadcasting came to the rescue for Journal Broadcasting to carry WTMJ-TV on its sub-channel 49-2 over channel 48 (-John L., Franklin, WI, ibid.) ** U S A. What in the world is Charlie Rose thinking? He goes all the way to México DF to interview Pres. Enrique Peña Nieto for the entire PBS hour on June 30 --- and for an hour we hear original Spanish, and English voice-over interfering with each other at about the same volume level!! I gave up on it after two minutes, much as I would like to have heard it. Maybe for those who don`t understand a word of Spanish, they can mentally tune out the Spanish QRM, but those of us who do would rather hear the Spanish without the English QRM --- or the English without the Spanish QRM. As a last resort one could mute it and just watch the English closed captioning, which seems to be accurate, pre-produced rather than on-the-fly, but why should we have to? Oops, they misspelt ``human capitol``! And Charlie can`t pronounce the president`s name anywhere near correctly (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. GLENN BAXTER, K1MAN, LICENSE FINALLY REVOKED In March 2006, the FCC issued an order assessing a forfeiture of $21,000 against Baxter for five separate violations of the Communications Act and FCC rules. On October 27, 2010, the United States filed a Complaint regarding Baxter’s five FCC violations: (1) willfully and repeatedly failing to respond to a Bureau directive; (2) willfully and repeatedly causing interference with ongoing communications; (3) willfully and repeatedly broadcasting communications in which Baxter had a pecuniary interest; (4) willfully broadcasting impermissible one-way communications; and (5) willfully failing to exercise station control. Due to the death of an essential FCC witness, count #4 was dropped and the United States filed an amended complaint on November 5, 2010, which sought enforcement of the forfeiture order based on four of the original five violations, totaling $18,000. The United States moved for summary judgment on three of the four remaining counts, and the District Court granted summary judgment on two of those counts, ordering enforcement of forfeitures totaling $10,000. The District Court ordered the remaining two counts to go to trial, and the United States requested that they be voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice, and without costs or fees to any party, in order to avoid the need for further litigation on matters for which the time and expense exceeded the potential added recovery. The District Court denied summary judgment on the charge that Baxter had engaged in pecuniary transmissions by advertising his website, which contained various commercial inducements. The District Court held that the government had failed to produce evidence, such as a screenshot, from which the District Court could make an independent determination that Baxter’s website was selling products. On January 10, 2012, the District Court granted summary judgment in favor of the United States regarding the first two violations and imposed forfeiture amounts, respectively, of $3,000 and $7,000, namely, failure to respond to a bureau directive and willful interference, for a total of $10,000. Discussion: First, with respect to Baxter’s violation of Section 308(b) of the Communications Act, the undisputed evidence showed that the FCC asked Baxter multiple times to provide information regarding his method of station control and that Baxter failed entirely to provide that information. That failure was a direct violation of Section 308(b), which requires radio licensees to furnish information requested by the FCC. Second, with respect to Baxter’s interference with the transmissions of other amateur radio operators, the undisputed evidence demonstrated that Baxter began operating his station while other users were on the air, thus interfering with the ongoing communications. Baxter submitted no evidence to dispute the declarations of FCC employees who witnessed the interference; to the contrary, he directly admitted that he caused interference. On that record, the District Court properly granted summary judgment to the government. Arguments respectfully submitted by: RICHARD MURPHY Attorney for the United States, under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515 Joel Marcus Counsel Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, SW Washington, DC 20554 (202) 418-1740 Evan J. Roth Assistant U.S. Attorney 100 Middle Street Portland, ME 04101 East Tower, Sixth Floor (207) 780-3257 (via Brian Crow, K3VR, longtime critic of K1MAN, July 1, with jpgs of original FCC license info and cancellation date of 10/18/2007, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DXLD) Brian, OK, but this isn`t exactly news, is it, as the cancellation date was in 2007. Was it just overlooked until now, or despite that date was the info only now released?? Has K1MAN been heard lately, or at all? I suppose he didn`t just stop in 2007 (Glenn to Brian, via DXLD) They actually backdated it to 2007. It happened a few days ago. After all appeals, yadda yadda (Brian Crow, DX LISTENIG DIGEST) Federal Communications Commission Wireless Telecommunications Bureau 1270 Fairfield Road Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245 BAXTER, GLENN A RR 1 BOX 776 BELGRADE LAKES, ME 04918 Re: BAXTER, GLENN A NOTICE OF DISMISSAL Your application is in a dismissal status effective 06/23/2014 without prejudice in accordance with Section 1.934 of the Commission`s Rules for the reason(s) indicated below. If you still wish to be licensed, you must file a new application, fee, FCC Form 159 for feeable applications, and all required showings. If you currently hold a valid license, you may continue to operate under the parameters of that authorization. If you are currently operating under authority provided by the Commission??s Rules based on your submission of the above referenced application, you must immediately cease operation until such time as you come into compliance with the Rules. Certain services are subject to mandatory electronic filing pursuant to Section 1.913. For all other services, you may file your application either electronically or manually, but not both. Electronic filing is recommended for the few radio services where manual filing is permitted. For information on how to file an application electronically, visit the website at http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls If you wish to file your application manually, application forms can be obtained from the FCC??s website at http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html by calling the FCC`s Forms Distribution Center 800-418-FORM (800-418- 3676), or from FCC`s Fax Information System by dialing (202) 418-0177. For additional assistance, you may visit the website at http://esupport.fcc.gov You may also call the FCC at (877) 480-3201 (TTY 717-338-2824). To provide quality service and ensure security, all telephone calls are recorded. Date: 06/24/2014 Reference No: 5814062 File No.: 0002250244 Call Sign: K1MAN RadioService : HA Market Area: FAC#: [HOWEVER!] Your application could not be processed because it was redlighted by the FCC’s ULS system. The Red Light Rule was adopted as part of the Federal Communication Commission's ongoing effort to implement the Debt Collection Improvement Act, which providesthat the Commission check whether entities or individuals seeking licenses or other benefits from the FCC are delinquent in debt owed to the Commission. Anyone filing an application or seeking a benefit that is found to be delinquent in debt owed to the FCC and who fails to pay the debt in full or make other satisfactory arrangements in a timely manner will have their application dismissed. Because you have failed to resolve this matter timely, your application is hereby dismissed (FCC via K3VR, DXLD) ** U S A. Just had a phone call to answering machine from Mark Sills that our friend and long-time DXLD/WOR contributor George `Skip` Thurman has had a spinal cord injury and has been hospitalized for about a week, can`t walk. I don`t know if he can get e-mail at the moment, but the only contact info I have for him are gsthurman @ aol.com and gsthurman @ gmail.com AFAIK he is still in Houston TX (Glenn Hauser, July 1, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VANUATU. 3945, R. Vanuatu, Port Vila. Good level but noisy with a Pidgin Tok about local affairs at 1949 on 14/6 (Dennis Allen, Bargo Wirrumbirra Wildlife Sanctuary NSW DX-pedition, Icom R75, July Australian DX News via DXLD) Same ¦ Radio play/theatre piece in Bislama at 1032, poor signal and running // 7245 [sic] which was the better signal. No sign of R. Nikkei at that time, 21/6 (Rob Wagner, Mount Evelyn, VIC (Kenwood TS2000, Yaesu FRG100, Double Bazooka antennas for 80 and 40 m, Par EF- SWL End Fed antenna, BHI NEIM1031 Digital Noise Eliminating Module, MFJ-1026 Noise Cancelling Module, ATU), July Australian DX News via DXLD) You mean // 7260??? (gh) Rob's 21/6 reception was on a Saturday, so Japan ("RN2") had signed off at 0900, which is why the weekend (Sat. & Sun.) is still the best time to check for Radio Vanuatu. Weekdays "RN2" signs off at 1400, with Vanuatu normally signing off about 1215, hence having little chance to be heard under a strong "RN2." (Ron Howard, California, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN CITY. Frequency changes for the special broadcasts of Vatican Radio 0700-1030 on 21550 SMG 250 kW / 145 deg to CeAf English, ex 21740 0700-1030 on 21560 SMG 250 kW / 165 deg to SoAf Portuguese, ex 21760 0700-1030 on 21570 SMG 250 kW / 210 deg to NWAf French, ex 17525 (DX RE MIX NEWS #858 from Georgi Bancov and Ivo Ivanov, June 28, 2014 via DXLD) How about that? three in a row, facilitating comparison of strengths/azimuths anywhere (gh, DXLD) ** VATICAN [and non]. VATICAN CITY EXTRA-TERRITORIAL AREA: 15550, Radio Dabanga International [sic], 1535 23-Jun. Heard Arabic (presumed) on Radio Dabanga and the preachers on WJHR Milton FL Fighting to see who would control the frequency. The struggle was fairly even, but I think Radio Dabanga had a slight edge. I have heard both of these on this frequency before. I don't recall hearing both of them at the same time. The signals were strong; obviously there was much QRM but I could hear both of them (Gary Vance, Grand Ledge & Battle Creek MI, MARE Tipsheet 27 June via DXLD) ** VIETNAM. Jamming still continuing yesterday on terminated RFA Vietnamese frequencies (9760 12130 13825 1400-1500 UT)! Jammers also caught unawares! -- Thanking you, Yours sincerely, (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad, India, July 2, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM [non]. CLANDESTINE, 9930, Que Me via Palau, Jun 27 *1200- 1210, 45444, Vietnamese, 1200 sign on with opening music, Opening announce and URL announce, Talk, Three gongs at 1207 (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellit 750, DE-1121, ANT, 130m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. 1550.0, 1147-1250, 02/6, ALGERIA, POLISARIO Front (cland.), Rabouni, Arabic, talks; Castilian program at 1200, talks & music, 25341 (Carlos Gonçalves, coastal site in Portugal, JRC NRD-545DSP & DRAKE R-E; Advanced Receiver amp.; raised, 4 loop K9AY, 30 m 180º/0º mini-Bev., 80 m 300º/120º Bev., 200 m 270º/90º Bev., 270 m 145º/325º Bev., 300 m 225º/45º Bev, radioescutas yg via DXLD) 1550.0, 2312-0030*, 16/6, ALG, POLISARIO Front - cland. Arabic, talks & interviews, music & songs, anthem. Usual s/off time is 2330, 45444 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, JRC NRD-545DSP & NRD-93; Quantum Phaser, home made amp (W7IUV version); raised, 4 loop- K9AY, 6x19x6 m Ewe 135º, 14 m low noise LF/MF Vertical, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** YEMEN. 6135, Sana`a, 1543 June 29, OM with Koran psalms, S8 with low and bassy audio, then Arabic music 1544, ID 1552 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZAMBIA. 5915, Zambia Nat. B.C.: Jun 10 1600-1611, 23432-33433, vernacular, Talk, Fish eagle IS, Drums, Talk Jun 11 1600-1606, 22332, vernacular, Fish eagle IS, Drums, Local music, Afro pop Jun 12 1600-1605, 22332, vernacular, Fish eagle IS, Talk Jun 13 1600-1611, 33433, vernacular, Fish eagle IS, Drums, Local music and talk Jun 15 1600-1605, 22432, vernacular, Fish eagle IS, Drums Jun 16 1600-1607, 22432, vernacular, Fish eagle IS, Announce by man, Drums, Talk Jun 17 1600-1605, 23432, vernacular, Fish eagle IS, Announce by man, Drums, Local music and talk Jun 18 1600-1605, 23432-22432, vernacular, Fish eagle IS, Drums, Talk Jun 19 1600-1605, 22432, vernacular, Fish eagle IS, Talk and afro pop, Jun 22 1600-1605, 22332, vernacular, Fish eagle IS, Drums, Talk (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellit 750, DE-1121; ANT, 130m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZANZIBAR. TANZÂNIA, 11735, Zanzibar BC, Dole, 1807-1826, 27/6, inglês, notícias, emissão em suaíli, pelas 1808, texto, música; 35433. Bons DX e melhores 73 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 710-, June 27 at 0525 UT, KCMO has lo audible het [LAH], about the same/opposite DF, and I believe it`s on the lo side, probably Mexican. There are a bunch of possibilities, and IIRC this has happened before, but not sure if ever identified. The MW Offset list (almost half of which is really LW) is no help, http://www.myradiobase.de/mediumwave/mwoffset.txt showing no Mexicans on 710 nor anything far enough off to produce a LAH (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 13906-USB, approx., June 28 at 0530, hard to copy amid hashy QRM, but some vessel is giving its position, 41 N/71 W, I think (more precisely than I could copy), approaching Long Island from the east with patching against flooding, so presumably a marine rather than aeronautical mobile. Almost distressed? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACKNOWLEDGED ON WORLD OF RADIO 1728: This donation is in observance of WOR #1728 --- 1728 is 12 cubed (Bill Hassig, IL, with a check to P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702) COMING SOON: WOR 12 cubed. Of course, all good mathematicians would know that one. It`s the number of cubic inches in a cubic foot. JKDI, (Pete Bentley, East Aurora NY, 14 June, WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DX LISTENING DIGEST) We have now caught up with acknowledging all pending support on the air. One may also contribute via PayPal, not necessarily in US funds, to woradio at yahoo.com (gh) This doesn't get said often enough: Glenn Hauser's tireless efforts to chronicle the world of radio every day are nothing short of remarkable. Thanks for all you do - 73 (Tim Hall, CA, June 28, ABDX via DXLD) I second that Tim (Todd Skaine, Woodbury, MN, ibid.) Agree! Thanks, Glenn!! 73 & Good DX, (Steve Ponder, N5WBI, Houston, TX, Sent from my iPhone, ibid.) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ ``VOICE OF AMERICA`` by E. C. Osondu This book by a Nigerian-born author immediately caught my eye on the clearance rack at Hastings, at only 49.5 cents! ``VOA`` is also the title of the last of 18 stories in the book, and it`s the only one I have read yet (all this DXing and DX-editing has its price, lack of time to read much else, with book after book piling up in my case, altho I do try, not very successfully to keep up with current news periodicals, Time and The Week.) The story is about the fantasies of some young Nigerian men who write to an American girl who asks for pen pals in Africa via the VOA program `Music Time in Africa`. This is one of those 3-dimensional ``books`` made of paper, cardboard, glue and ink, 215 pages, hard-cover, also its jacket in perfect condition despite a `used` sticker marking it down to $3.95 from the original $19.99. A HarperCollins First Edition © 2010, ISBN 978-0-06-199086-1. Jacket refers to this for author info: http://www.AuthorTracker.com but in 2014 it`s Not Found; guess they thought better of it. But searching on his name leads to: http://www.harpercollins.com/search-results?contributor=e-c-osondu ``VOA`` is now in paperback with a different cover design and one more book, hardcover is forthcoming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CHANNEL MAPS - TV 2-6 - UPDATED TV Channel 2-6 Maps have been updated (mainly for US low powers)... http://dxinfocentre.com/tv-nam.htm (William Hepburn, June 29, WTFDA via DXLD) DX/SWL/MEDIA PROGRAMS UPDATED: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html ALAN ROE`S HITLIST OF SW STATIONS UPDATED: http://www.w4uvh.net/hitlist.htm WORLD OF RADIO SCHEDULE: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html A-SEASON SCHEDULE UPDATES FILE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD [3 pages] Updates to the A season International radio broadcasting schedules are available to download, for free, from http://www.wrth.com/ including the cuts and changes to VOA/RFA/RFE etc. On behalf of the WRTH Editorial team, (Sean D. Gilbert, International Editor - WRTH (World Radio TV Handbook), July 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WRTH has also finally posted an update on National Radio as of July 3: http://www.wrth.com/updates_national.html Nothing new to DXLD readers concerning SW (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) PopComm rants I got a copy of CQ magazine which I totally did not want and it set me off. You poor jokers are getting to see me irritated and I apologize for that in advance. I have a subscription to Popular Communications. What I ended up with was a subscription to CQ. I was told I could get a digital PopComm but I will be damned if I can figure out how to get it online. I don't give a rat eff about ham radio. I was a ham and got bored to tears with it. If I never get another CQ it will not cause me to shed a single tear. Now if I could only figure out if there is one and how to get PopComm online. What a terrible way to end the magazine. It would have been better if they just shutdown and ended it and refunded people their money (Kevin Redding, Crump, TN, June 30, ABDX via DXLD) Rant away. I agree with you. I read 3 columns in Pop Comm. Bruce Conti's AM column, Gerry Dexter's SWL, and Shannon's Nostalgia. I just got my last ever CQ Magazine (my PC sub ran out this month) and only the SWL one is left. I'll miss it but I'm not paying a full magazine subscription plus whatever extra for the "plus". Did anyone ever get the same explanation twice on that? I hope Bruce and Shannon are doing well and maybe they can do something themselves online with a web site or whatever. Shame to see it go out this way (Mark Clark, ibid.) There is no Shannon, just like there was never an Alice Brannigan. I know who "Shannon" is/was, and that person is doing just fine. Maybe I can get that person to start writing nostalgia for my site (It's not me. Really.) CQ had financial problems up the wazoo, from what I understand. That's normal these days in publishing. It would be more of a surprise if they didn't. But unlike a lot of other publishers that have been open about their issues, CQ kept trying to pretend nothing was wrong. Not a good way to do business. As I understand it, they weren't able to stay current on the bills to their printer/mailer, and that's why the last few 2013 issues were so spotty. The November 2013 PopComm issue was the last one that was ever printed. There was a December 2013 PopComm that was online only, and then a "CQ Extra" that was part of the online version of CQ starting in February 2014. I think they did a March/April 2014 CQ to try to get back on track, but my subscription ran out and I don't know what happened after that. They also weren't paying their contributors for the last year or two, from what I've heard. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) I wondered about that. I knew for years that Alice was Tom Kneitel and later even PopComm came clean about that. My guess about Shannon was that he/she is a ghost writer with an eye for historical research. Or had been in the industry. Or both. Beyond that. I obviously don't know. So I used the pseudonym. Glad to know "Shannon" is doing fine. Please pass along my gratitude for many hours of enjoyable nostalgic reading! 73, (Mark Clark, Reinholds, PA, ibid.) And their financial problems are not recent. I used to write occasional articles for them a decade ago, and they were incredibly slow with payment, and sometimes didn't pay at all. (The editor warned me about it, and told me not to expect prompt payment. He said they were even slow paying him.) As for "Alice, " the sad part is there were a number of qualified women writers, myself among them, available to provide good articles, but they refused to hire any of us (Donna Halper, ibid.) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ PICTURES: HAM RADIO 2014, FRIEDRICHSHAFEN My little tour in pictures of this weekend's Ham Radio 2014 in Friedrichshafen, Germany is now attached to my ?website: http://ratzer.at/galerien/ham-radio-2014 Enjoy! 73 from Salzburg, Christoph Raztzer, -- http://a-dx.at/facebook http://remotedx.wordpress.com June 29, dxldyg via DXLD) Hier ein paar Bilder der Hamradio 2014 Friedrichshafen. Viel Spass beim Rundgang. (Fernando-SUI, A-DX June 29, via BCDX June 30 via DXLD) Re: Bilder der Hamradio 2014 http://www.fenu-radio.ch/Hamradio-2014.htm Danke Fernando für deinen Bildbericht. Soeben ist das Fazit der Messegesellschaft hier eingetroffen: Kreativität war Trumpf am Wochenende auf dem Messegelände in Friedrichshafen. Europas Leitmesse für Amateurfunk Ham Radio und die Erstveranstaltung der Maker World lockten 17 100 Besucher (2013: 15 300) an den Bodensee. "Mit unserem neuen Event rund ums Machen ist es uns gelungen, einen Treffpunkt für Bastler und Tüftler im Dreiländereck zu schaffen und die Ham Radio um einen spannenden Aspekt zu erweitern. Die neue Veranstaltung kam bei den Funkamateuren und Makern gleichermaßen gut an", berichtet Messechef Klaus Wellmann. Meine Bildergalerie zur Ham Radio mit 140 Aufnahmen nun unter: http://ratzer.at/galerien/ham-radio-2014 Viel Vergnügen beim Rundgang - und vielleicht treffen wir uns ja 2015 auf der Ham Radio! 73 Christoph oe2crm Ratzer, -- http://ratzer.at (via Bueschel, DXLD) WELCOME TO EDXC CONFERENCE 2014 Dear DX friend, This is a friendly reminder for those who has not decided yet and an update for all participants. Please, have a look. UPDATE ON 30 JUNE 2014 We would like to invite you to the EDXC Conference 2014 to be held in the Southern France on 19-22 September 2014. The first part of the conference (19-21 September) will take place in a beautiful small village Saint-Dalmas de Tende situated approximately 80 km North-East from Nice. The latter part of the conference (21-22 September) will take place in the city of Nice. It is understandable that people are coming from and going to different places and different times. That is why we will try to be very flexible with the conference packages. The price for the basic package will be around 185 € (single) / 135 € (double) including: Accommodation: 2 nights in Saint-Dalmas de Tende with breakfast Banquet dinner on Saturday Coffee break on Saturday Conference fee Optional services: Breakfasts in Tende: included now in the conference package, separately 8,30 €/day EDXC express (transfer from Nice to Tende): around 20 €/person Tour from Tende to Nice (via Italy and Monaco): around 26 €/person Visit at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco: 8 € Visit in Nice (Old Town by a train): 8 € A lunch in Nice with wine tasting: 50 € The preliminary programme is as follows: All times in CEST Friday, 19 September 2014 - around 1400 EDXC Express leaves from Nice airport (an option for those who would like to travel to Tende together) - 1600 Arrival in Saint Dalmas de Tende & check in at the hotel Le Prieuré http://www.leprieure.org - 1630 EDXC conference check in starts - 1730-2000: Opening of the conference, some lectures and presentations: Brazil travel 2013 (Dario Monferini) - 2000 Dinner on your own Saturday, 20 September 2014 - 0700-0900 Breakfast - 0930-1030 EDXC topics (Kari Kivekäs) - 1030-1115 News from New Zealand and South Pacific (David Ricquish) - 1115-1545 A visit to Tende by train (a tour in the village + lunch on your own) - 1600-1730 DX programme: The role of broadcasting in North Korea (Mark Fahey) - 1730-1900 DX programme: To be confirmed - 1930 EDXC Banquet Sunday, 21 September 2014 - 0730-0930 Breakfast - 1000 Check out from the hotel + the Excursion "Visiting three countries in one day": Ventimiglia, Italy: a short walk in the city & a coffee break Monaco: a visit of the Radio Monte Carlo (Italian service) studios (to be confirmed), a tour around the city by walk, lunch on your own - 1800-1900 Arrival in Nice, check in at the hotel(s). Our recommended hotel is Hotel St Paul http://www.lesaintpaul-hotel.fr but we give participants free hands to book their accommodation in Nice - 1900- Free time in Nice, dinner on your own Monday, 22 September 2014 - 0700-0930 Breakfast - 1000-1500 Excursion in Nice: a tour in the Old Town with a little train, optional lunch: “Formule niçoise” with specialities from Nice (incl. wine) and possible visits at radio stations. Christian Ghibaudo is still working hard to arrange us visits at radio stations in Nice - around 1500 End of the conference If you have anything to ask, please, do not hesitate to contact Kari ksk@sdxl.org or the main organizer Mr Christian Ghibaudo chr.ghibaudo@gmail.com More information can be found also on EDXC blog http://www.edxcnews.wordpress.com Once again, we would like to see you at EDXC conference 2014 in September. You are warmly welcome! (Kari Kivekäs, Secretary General of EDXC Jan-Mikael Nurmela, Assistant Secretary General of EDXC, June 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF HOROLOGY +++++++++++++++++ DST DONE FOR IN RUSSIA MosCOW — Jul 1, 2014, 9:52 AM ET Russia's legislature, often accused of metaphorically turning back the clock, has decided to do it literally — abandoning the widely disliked policy of keeping the country on daylight-saving time year-round. The 2011 move to impose permanent "summer time" in 2011 was one of the most memorable and least popular initiatives of Dmitry Medvedev's presidency. It forced tens of millions to straggle to their jobs in pitch darkness during the winter months. In the depths of December, the sun didn't clear the horizon in Moscow until 10 a.m. The State Duma, the lower house of parliament, voted 442-1 on Tuesday to return to standard time this fall and stay there throughout the year. The decision won't make the Russian winters shorter, but is likely to reduce grousing about them. Russia will also go back to 11 time zones instead of 9 (Dutch TV news home page via PA3GQW, DXLD) MUSEA +++++ IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM / BBC MONITORING There was a recent post on the Imperial War Museum blog on how BBC Monitoring became more open in distributing and drawing attention to its work in World War Two. I found three other articles on BBCM there. BBC Monitoring Reports | IWM Research Blog http://blogs.iwm.org.uk/research/category/bbc-monitoring-reports/ (via Mike Barrraclough, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) PIRATE RADIO MUSEUM A museum about the 50 years of pirate radio. Opening soon! Apparently based in Clacton & so probably connected with long time radio enthusiasts there? http://www.pirateradiomuseum.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pirate-Radio-Museum/1450819235168421?ref=profile (Jim Salmon, BDXC UK yg via DXLD) BRITISH RADIO MUSEUMS UPDATE In Cornwall, the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, reopened on 14 June 2014 after being closed for nine months during a £2.5m investment with new exhibitions and cafe added. Porthcurno is the site where fourteen submarine telegraph cables came ashore, the first laid in 1870. The telegraph station closed in 1970 and the museum was opened in 1986 by former employees of Cable and Wireless. Some exhibits are housed in tunnels excavated in 1941 to protect equipment from possible bombing. A new museum website should also go live in July. The museum is open daily in the summer 1000-1700 BST (last admission 1600). Porthcurno is three miles from Lands End on the South West Coastal Path and can be reached in summer by the 1/1a bus from Penzance as well as by car – further details at: http://www.porthcurno.org.uk Another museum that has just finished a £8m Heritage Lottery funded restoration to its WWII glory is the code-breaking centre at Bletchley Park (in Buckinghamshire) Reopened by the Duchess of Cambridge on 18 June, it now includes a new Visitor Centre with introductory exhibition. Huts 3 and 6, where intercepted Enigma messages were decoded, translated and analysed, have also been restored to their wartime condition. Bletchley Park is open daily (except Christmas/New Year) 9.30am-5pm (- 4pm 31 Oct-1 March) and merits a full day visit. More details at: https://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/ An adult ticket costs £15 but includes an iPad Touch based multimedia Guide and allows free return visits during a twelve month period. Limited car parking on site and close to Bletchley station (2for1 National Rail offers available). The National Radio Centre staffed by RSGB volunteers is also on the Bletchley site - hours vary. The British Vintage Wireless and Television Museum in Dulwich (London) is not open to the general public, but tours are available by appointment – ‘phone 020 8670 3667. Its founder, curator and Life President, Gerry Wells, is now quite elderly and frail, but we were pleased to see him at the fund-raising garden party run by the BVWS (British Vintage Wireless Society) on 31 May. A few BDXC members who are also BVWS members were also there – thanks to Mark Palmer for this photo of the “Radio Dealer” (plus our tour guide) inside the museum. More details, including a photographic tour of the museum are at: http://www.bvwtm.org.uk/ Club’s website http://www.bdxc.org.uk has a long comprehensive list of “Radio Museums and Vintage Radio in the UK and Ireland” (which you can access via the ‘Articles Index’ on the home page). The list is arranged in alphabetic order by county/city. We rely on members to keep the list up to date, so let us know if you find a museum has closed or changed its opening hours, etc.! And also let us know if you visit any of the museums and recommend it (or not!) or if you discover any other radio museums which we don’t yet list (Alan Pennington, July BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DTV See also U S A ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The FCC has announced extra scrutiny will be paid to "shared services" deals. In these arrangements, a company that cannot legally buy a station (because it already owns too many in the same market) instead agrees to operate it on behalf of another company that can own it. The Commission isn't saying it won't approve these deals, but they will take longer and *may* not be approved. Hoak Media had an agreement to sell five TV stations in Colorado, Louisiana, Nebraska, and North Dakota. The stations would be operated by Gray TV, but owned by a third party. Gray can't own the stations outright because it already owns stations in the markets in question. The extra scrutiny put the deals on hold. It appears the third party doesn't feel it can afford to operate the stations as standalone operations. Three of the five stations have left the air; three more will go dark once programming contracts can be closed out. The disappearing stations' programming will shift to subchannels of Gray's existing TV stations in those markets. The stations that are already off are KNDX-26 Bismarck (RF-26); KXND- 24 Minot (RF-24); and KHAS-5 Hastings, Nebraska. (RF-5) The North Dakota stations' Fox affiliations have shifted to .2 subchannels on KFYR-5 Bismarck (RF-31) and KMOT-10 Minot. (RF-10) KHAS's NBC affiliation has shifted to the .1 subchannel of KSNB-4 Superior. (RF- 4) The three stations that haven't gone dark yet are KXJB-4 Valley City, North Dakota (Fargo; RF-38); KJCT-8 Grand Junction, Colorado (RF-7); and KAQY-11 Columbia, Louisiana. (Monroe; RF-11) KXJB's CBS affiliation goes to KVLY 11.2 (RF-44); KJCT's ABC goes to KKCO's 11.2 (RF-12); and KAQY's ABC goes to KNOE's 8.2. (RF-8) The KHAS, KNDX, and KXND licenses are still valid. What I suspect is going on: Gray will attempt to sell the licenses to a third party which would be expected to operate them as standalone facilities. After a few months without offers, they'll be able to show nobody isinterested. The FCC will be presented with a choice: approve the shared-services agreement, or when the one-year limit on off-air periods expires, these six stations go away. The FCC has shown a desire to clear out spectrum for sale to wireless operators in the incentive auction. I don't see these licenses providing much value to that process. KHAS' low-VHF channel is of no interest to anyone except TV broadcasters. (I don't even think hams would be interested in spectrum that could be used only in central Nebraska). KNDX and KXND have prime UHF channels. But they're in central North Dakota, an area where the spectrum shortage really doesn't apply. The remaining stations are on high-VHF in small markets. Again there is no shortage of spectrum in these areas (Douglas E Smith, TN, TV News, July WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM vs DAB See NEW ZEALAND; SOUTH AFRICA; UK +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The German* Digital Radio Mondiale Forum recently revealed that DRM+ can be efficient* for the distribution of one or more programs, while covering a small* area with a single transmitter. On the other hand, DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) is effective while covering large* areas with up to 16 to 20 simultaneous program… Facebook: Alokesh Gupta June 26 at 8:29pm http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/german-study-finds-transmission-drm-cheaper-dab German study finds transmission of DRM+ cheaper than DAB | Editorial-News | Radioandmusic.com NEW DELHI: The German Digital Radio Mondiale... RADIOANDMUSIC.COM|BY ANIL WANVARI Drita Lekbello Cico: http://l.facebook.com/l.php German study finds transmission of DRM+ cheaper than DAB | Editorial-News | Radioandmusic.com http://www.radioandmusic.com NEW DELHI: The German Digital Radio Mondiale Forum recently revealed that DRM+ can be efficient for the distribution of one or more programs, while covering a small area with a single transmitter. On the other hand, DAB is effective while covering large areas with up to 16 to 20 simultaneous program… 30 June, 2014, 1 min ago Like Remove Preview Full article at: http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/german-study-finds-transmission-drm-cheaper-dab German study finds transmission of DRM+ cheaper than DAB RnM Team 25 Jun 2014 21:02 IST NEW DELHI: The German Digital Radio Mondiale Forum recently revealed that DRM+ can be efficient for the distribution of one or more programs, while covering a small area with a single transmitter. On the other hand, DAB is effective while covering large areas with up to 16 to 20 simultaneous programs multiplexed on the same* frequency. The report highlighted both, the advantages and disadvantages of applying the DAB, DAB+ and DRM (DRM30, DRM+) to specific broadcasters in Germany. As per the report, DRM+, DAB and DAB+ can all be processed on the same receiver, provided the chipset has adequate computing power and memory. It also stated that while DRM+ for FM can be commercially transmitted through a USB stick, DAB would require minor tweaks to its software instead of complete modification of the Noxon hardware. However, a major difference is that DRM+ amounts to a lower total cost of distribution (up to three programmes) in a specific area as compared to that of DAB. The study also finds that in comparison to the bandwidth needs and transmission capacity of DAB, DRM+ requires only about 10 per cent transmitter power and considerably lower bandwidth. The report explained that should local FM broadcasts be distributed via large DAB transmitter networks covering many areas, the coverage will increase, giving rise to competitiveness with local providers in other areas. Simultaneously, it could result in an added financial burden for local FM broadcasters if they transmit in parallel on DRM+. The EU Commission has been approached by the Community Media Forum Europe and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters recommending that DRM be utilised for local digital terrestrial radio. It pointed out that in areas where the DAB coverage is not feasible, DRM should be employed. An emphasis was made that the industry would require a statement from broadcasters and regulators regarding the feasibility of DRM being an alternative to DAB in Europe, to enable bringing multi-standard receivers based on current multi-standard chipsets into the market (all via Drita Çiço, Albania, DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ NOTE: since approximately 0030 UT June 29, a huge continuous noise level has appeared here, apparently coming from a nearby house. Covers entire SW spectrum, from S9+10 to S9+25 on the FRG-7, allowing thru only the very strongest signals; also audible on MW. For the duration, this will seriously curtail my own DXing and monitoring (Glenn Hauser, OK, June 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, I'm very sorry to hear of your new noise problem That type of situation really s-cks. I hope you can find a way with or without your neighbor's cooperation to reduce the noise level. I recently created an unexpected noise problem in my own household. We switched from the phone company providing our relatively slow internet service, to a much faster service from our cable TV company. I didn't realize this would increase the noise level on shortwave (Bruce Fisher (New York, USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) A sad but true fact for many of us, especially in urban areas. Although things are not quite as bad as this at my city location, it's frequently bad enough that it's hardly worth the effort. One way around for me is that I have a number of antennae to choose from: a couple of corner fed loops perpendicular to each other, and two ALA 100 LN versions, so I can click through the four to see which is quietest. I can also use a phaser to see if that helps. Besides this, I long for the days I can spend at my remote cabin off northern British Columbia to enjoy virtually no noise at all. It's heaven when one can experience those conditions! It's like drinking from an oasis after being parched for a long time!!! Let us know if you were able to track the source down, and what you were able to do about it. I'd be interested whether the noise is continuous 24/7 or just days/evenings, which is what I experience mostly here. 73, (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria BC, ibid.) I know how you feel, Glenn. I have the same issue at my location and also interferes with my 11 meter band transmissions. I have contacted the local utility company and contacted the management where I live regarding the issue. It appears to be an old master antenna system no longer in use and the amplifier is still feeding all of the buildings in my area. So I had a HAM operator come by and confirm that it is indeed coming from a box where the coax shield is old and deteriorated. I requested for 75 ohm terminator caps to be installed, but the local cable television company informed me that the entire property is an issue. So my next move is to get management to terminate that amplifier and any such connections that are causing the interference. Good luck with your issue. 73's (Danny Jiménez, ptsw via DXLD) So very sorry to hear about your noise problem. I understand only too well the frustration of this when I had noise blocking all my shortwave reception a few years back - in that case due to Power Line Adapters for home networking in my neighbour's house. This took several months to resolve, but fortunately I was able to maintain friendly relations with my neighbour, and the issue was finally resolved. I hope that you can isolate and resolve you problem quickly. Best wishes and 73 (Alan Roe, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I had a very disturbing/interesting interference problem a few months back and this information may be of help. Like Walter I like in the city and have all kinds of noise but suddenly one day I had a very strong broadband noise from LF to VHF, all the time. Using a portable radio I found that it seemed strongest in an area near a street corner about four houses away but it also conducted down the local streets along the high voltage lines. I called the local power company (San Diego Gas & Electric) and they sent out their interference investigator the next day. Using a receiver with a yagi antenna he localized the source to a specific house. No one was home so he momentarily turned off their power and the noise went away! We left a note to the home owner (who I did not know) about the problem and asked them to call me to see if I could locate the source since it could signify a dangerous situation. A few hours later the interference investigator called me back and said he remembered a similar problem and it was caused by a very old door bell transformer (I live in a very old neighborhood with most homes about 100 years old). When the homeowner called me back I mentioned the transformer and they said, yes, their transformer started buzzing a couple of days ago and was very hot. Apparently it had turned itself in to a crude spark gap transmitter! They weren't using it anymore so it I got disconnected and the problem stopped! (Bob LaRose, San Diego, ibid.) Bob's experience is very fortunate. I'm afraid that for most of us it's one of resignation and little interest from the authorities who are unable or unwilling to do much. 73, and Happy Canada Day, as well as the 4th for our American friends! (Walt Salmaniw, BC, ibid.) NOTE: thanks to several for comments on my sudden high noise problem on SW, with advice, own horror stories, commiseration. Since then, it`s sometimes a bit lower or intermittent; and I find monitoring from a neighbor`s porch further away, and with a longer wire, helps, tho less convenient (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ SUMMER STORMS DISTURB RADIO WAVES By Halina Loft, New Hampshire Public Radio http://nhpr.org/post/summer-storms-disturb-radio-waves On June 10, a listener in Danville, IL [Eric Loy] picked up 90 seconds of NHPR signal. A station’s radio wave “footprint”, or estimated range, is generally considered to extend only about as far as the eye can see from the point of the antenna, but Danville is just under a thousand miles away. It would take more than a good pair of binoculars to put Danville within range of sight; so how did this happen? Amateur radio enthusiasts, known as “DXers”, describe what our listener caught a glimpse of as an “E-Skip”. To understand what that is you need to head way up into the air. Under normal conditions, radio travel through the ionosphere, around 55 to 100 miles above the Earth’s surface. Radio host and internationally recognized DXer Glenn Hauser says when weather conditions are right, patches of especially reflective air particles start to form, causing E-Skips. Listen 0:000:28 http://cpa.ds.npr.org/nhpr/audio/2014/07/ghexplanation1.mp3 Hauser: Yes, this was certainly sporadic E-Skip, which is something that happens primarily in the summers. We’re at the peak of the annual season right now…TV signals on the lower channels, and FM signals which normally have limited coverage of course to their ground wave area are reflected off these patches which develop up in the ionosphere and come back down, typically about a thousand miles away. Basically, a bit of NHPR’s radio waves hit some ionized particles, which “bent” or bounced all the way to Danville. Where did those charged particles come from? Listen 0:000:25 http://cpa.ds.npr.org/nhpr/audio/2014/06/ghexplanation2_0.mp3 Hauser: What actually causes sporadic E-Skip is a matter of great debate. No one is really sure yet. It does seem to be related to weather patterns lower in the atmosphere, such as storms and lightening which may affect higher regions above. There’s some correlation, for instance, half-way between the transmitting and receiving point there’s often some type of storm going on. So in early summer, when rising temperatures start to stir up unsettled weather, it creates the perfect storm, literally, for radio signals to be unpredictable. Whatever the reason, it seems that the next few weeks may prove ideal for picking up on this mysterious phenomenon. E-Skip can bridge over two thousand miles, so keep your ears open: you may just be lucky enough to hear some authentic Cuban jazz (NHPR via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DXLD) Re: [ARDXC] REVIEW INTO AUSTRALIA'S IPS I would certainly like to see IPS retained without the possible imposition of a 'fee for service'. Full details of the options can be found on page 24 of the Munro Review document. Please see: http://www.bom.gov.au/governmentresponse/doc/munro-review.pdf http://review.ips.gov.au As I spend most of my time monitoring the broadcast FM & two metre amateur bands, I find the ionograms (real time foEs levels) invaluable during the summer Sporadic E season. For example, I would check these pages the most: http://www.ips.gov.au/HF_Systems/1/2/1 http://www.ips.gov.au/HF_Systems/1/3 I don't participate in DX for HF frequencies (I would certainly like to, but do not have the space for an external antenna here in suburban Brisbane) however, I know that for HF other IPS indicators are a critical reference source. Were it to do so, I would wholeheartedly support any submissions made by the ARDXC to the review on members' behalf, as suggested by Nicholas. Before the July 4 cut off, I will write to the IPS myself. I would encourage others to spend 10 minutes composing an email. Email: review@ips.gov.au Cheers (Ryan Leigh Donaldson, June 30, ARDXC mailing list via DXLD) :Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts :Issued: 2014 Jun 30 0632 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/weekly.html # # Weekly Highlights and Forecasts # Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 23 - 29 June 2014 Solar activity was at low levels this period with only C-class flares observed. Region 2104 (S10, L=270, class/area=Dki/260 on 29 Jun) produced the largest event of the period, a C4 flare at 29/1152 UTC. Among regions that were in transit across the visible disk this period, Region 2096 (N09, L=357, class/area=Cao/120 on 25 Jun) and Region 2104 were the most productive. Region 2096 was the primary flare producer throughout the period, totaling seven C-class flares with a C2 flare at 26/0918 UTC being the largest. Late in the period, Region 2104 emerged onto the visible disk and produced nine C-class flares in a two day time span. On 23 June, an approximately 5 degree long filament was seen in SDO/AIA 304 imagery erupting near S18E10. On 25 June, an approximately 23 degree long filament, centered near N20E18, was observed lifting off the disk in SDO/AIA 304 imagery. Analysis of the WSA-Enlil runs for each associated coronal mass ejection (CME), indicated a trajectory too far off of the ecliptic plane to have appreciable impacts at Earth. On 23 June at 2202 UTC an interplanetary shock was observed at the ACE spacecraft indicating the arrival of the 19 June filament eruption. The total interplanetary magnetic field increased from 2 nT to 5 nT with solar wind speed increasing from 320 km/s to 392 km/s. A geomagnetic sudden impulse of 34 nT was observed at the Boulder magnetometer at 23/2308 UTC. The geomagnetic field saw quiet to unsettled activity as a result of this transient. No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at normal levels throughout the period, reaching a maximum value of 160 pfu at 23/1700 UTC. Geomagnetic field activity was predominately quiet with periods of unsettled conditions on 23-24 June and 28-29 June. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 30 JUNE - 26 JULY 2014 Solar activity is expected to be low with a chance for M-class (R1-R2 (Minor-Moderate)) flare activity throughout the outlook period due to Region 2104 (S10, L=270), Region 2106 (N15, L=261), Region 2107 (S20, L=259), and with the return of old region 2087 (S18, L=155). No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be normal to moderate throughout the outlook period. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be predominately quiet throughout the period with the exceptions of unsettled conditions on 2-3 July, 11 July, 14-17 July and isolated active conditions on 15 July due to anticipated effects from a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS). :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2014 Jun 30 0632 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 2014-06-30 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2014 Jun 30 130 5 2 2014 Jul 01 130 5 2 2014 Jul 02 140 8 3 2014 Jul 03 145 8 3 2014 Jul 04 140 5 2 2014 Jul 05 145 5 2 2014 Jul 06 155 5 2 2014 Jul 07 155 5 2 2014 Jul 08 155 5 2 2014 Jul 09 150 5 2 2014 Jul 10 155 5 2 2014 Jul 11 165 8 3 2014 Jul 12 150 5 2 2014 Jul 13 130 5 2 2014 Jul 14 130 8 3 2014 Jul 15 130 12 4 2014 Jul 16 110 8 3 2014 Jul 17 110 8 3 2014 Jul 18 115 5 2 2014 Jul 19 100 5 2 2014 Jul 20 100 5 2 2014 Jul 21 95 5 2 2014 Jul 22 95 5 2 2014 Jul 23 90 5 2 2014 Jul 24 90 5 2 2014 Jul 25 105 5 2 2014 Jul 26 120 5 2 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1728, DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ DEAR TERRORIST, WHY DO YOU HATE US SO? By Jeff Mullin, columnist Enid News and Eagle, July 1, 2014 ENID, Okla. — Dear Terrorist, How are you? I am fine. I just wanted to drop you a line and see how things are going these days. Actually I know how things are going. Nothing has changed. You hate us and want to see us lying dead in the smoldering ruins of western society. We know you by many names — al-Qaida, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Army of Islam, Boko Haram, ETA, the Islamic Jihad Union, Shining Path, the Taliban and dozens of others. Now you are going by another moniker, ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Did you know Isis was an ancient Egyptian goddess who was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the patroness of nature and magic? Do you care? Of course not. You don’t know our names. You don’t want to know our names. To you, we are simply the Great Satan. You just want us all to suffer and die. You seem to care for little but hate and destruction. Why? What did we ever do to you? What made you this way? Do you ever smile, do you ever laugh, do you love? Is there any joy in your lives, or do you strictly live to kill, to tear down what others have built up? What do you do for fun? Is it fun to kill innocent men, women and children? Does it give you some sort of perverse pleasure to cause them suffering, to leave their families wracked with grief? Do you derive satisfaction from crafting a bomb that will tear off the limbs of your enemies, that will send shards of metal hurtling through the air, tearing flesh, breaking bone and ending lives? What is it like to have nothing in your life save for hatred and spite, to have naught but blood on your hands and murder in your heart? Is killing us the last thing you think about before you go to sleep and the first thing that crosses your mind when you wake up in the morning? You don’t just hate Americans, of course, but you hate us most of all. Anyone you see as being outside your circle is a target for your wrath, whether they be in Nigeria, England, Thailand, India, or wherever. Do you hate us because we are not Muslim? Well, many of us are. Some 0.6 percent of Americans say they practice the Muslim faith, a number somewhere around 2.6 million. These people are not persecuted here, not discriminated against. They are free to worship when, where and how they choose. In case you didn’t know, that’s one of the foundations on which this nation was built. A person’s religion is their business. That’s the American way. Are people going to occasionally stare at a woman clad in traditional Islamic garb, or to make insensitive remarks? Sure. There are idiots everywhere and some places have more than others. Believe it or not, we don’t hate you. Until, that is, you attack us. We’re kind of a live and let live people. You leave us alone and we’ll leave you alone, that kind of thing. We don’t want war. We want to raise our children and grill our steaks, love our spouses and mow our lawns, study our lessons and do our jobs, go to ballgames and worship our God in our own way, or not. We don’t dream of wiping you from the face of the Earth. We don’t plot your demise during all our waking hours. In fact, we would be perfectly happy if we never heard from you again. But we will hear from you, we fear. A report is circling that ISIS has its sights set on establishing an Islamic state that would stretch from Spain to China. Yeah, about that whole world domination thing. Have you ever heard of a guy named Hitler? It didn’t end well for him. In a statement issued Tuesday, your leader said the world is divided into two parts, Islam and the forces of “disbelief and hypocrisy.” See, there you go again. “The Muslims today have a loud, thundering statement and possess heavy boots.” Great, just keep your boots to yourself. But you won’t, will you? “They have a statement that will cause the world to hear and understand the meaning of terrorism and boots that will trample the idol of nationalism, destroy the idol of democracy and uncover its deviant nature,” the statement continues. Democracy is about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That’s what we’re about. What are you about? If you punch us, we will bleed, but then we will strike back with a fury you can’t even imagine. You think we are corrupt, you think we are lazy, you think we are stupid. Just try us. Or not, it’s your choice. We would prefer peace, truth be told. But we won’t walk away from a fight. We don’t fear you. Nor, I reiterate, do we hate you, though if you mess with us, we will, and that’s the last thing you want. You’re not on some holy mission, some noble jihad, you’re just killers and hate-mongers, and the world isn’t going to put up with your crap much longer. My best to the wife and kids. Regards, Me. Mullin is senior writer of the News & Eagle (via DXLD) ###