DX LISTENING DIGEST 8-108, September 29, 2008 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2008 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1427 Mon 2200 WBCQ 7415 [temporary, confirmed Sept 15] Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 Tue 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 0530 WRMI 9955 [or new 1428] Wed 1130 WRMI 9955 [or new 1428] Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org ** ABKHAZIA. 9494.75, 16.9 0545, Apsua Radio med enbart Radio Rossij fram till 0700, då jag plötsligt hörde en lokal tidsignal, följt av ett riktigt anrop! Hurra! S 2-3 till 3. BEFF 9494.75, 16.9 0545, Apsua Radio with only Radio Rossii up to 0700, when I suddenly heard a local time signal followed by a real ID! Hurray! S 2-3 till 3. BEFF (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) QSL: Apsua Radio, Abkhazia, 9494.75 får väl betecknas som 2000-talets roligaste e-mail-QSL. Långa mail från Susana Sadzba, som sa att hon läst upp mitt brev i etern och att hon får massor med mail från olika delar av världen. Är enligt ryssarna ett självständigt land numera, men godkänns knappast av MEST-generalen. 3 d. QSL: Apsua Radio, Abkhazia, 9494.75 must be recognized as the most rewarding e-mail QSL of the XXI century. Long mails from Susana Sadzba, who said she read my letter in a broadcast and that she gets lots of mails from different parts of the world. According to the Russians a self dependent country nowadays, but perhaps not approved by the MEST-general (MEST = the country list in Sweden). 3 day (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi friends, Last week gave me two new nice e-mail replies/QSL's: Abkhazian Apsua Radio, 9494.75 kHz, replied with a couple of e-mails in Russian from Susana Sadzba, who told me that they had read my letter on the air. I had Google translate my English reports into Russian and also translate her Russian replies into English, so the texts are a bit confusing, although seem to be extremely friendly. They had got many letters from many countries lately. I heard them today again at 0545, only with Radio Rossii programming. Local hymn and ID was at 0700 UT. E-mail address: apsuaradio1 @ mail.ru (Björn Fransson, Sweden, Sept 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Both 4910 and 4835 Aussies in at 0824-0829, but 2485 was already switched over. (28 Sept.) (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 2485, VL8K, best heard yet with armchair copy, Sept 28 at 1252 with religious discussion, much like on RA but not // 9580. Could be same show from so-called Local Radio, but half an hour offset. // 2325 VL8A was much weaker this time, and // 2310 VL8T even weaker. Recheck 1321, half a sesquihour after local sunrise, still just barely audible on 2485 with talk. I wonder if any Aussie signals would have been coming thru too on the upper MWBC band if not blocked. Another morning, another check of 120m NT VL8 stations, Sept 29 at 1248: W&M discussion show in //, 2485 best, then 2310, then 2325 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re 8-107, Concerning the 120m Aussie outback stations, I usually have a better signal from 2310 or 2325 than from 2485 (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, Texas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELARUS. 7420, 26/9 2248, Radio Belarus, songs & talks, // 7360 & 7390 fair, bad modulation, strange wave shape. What kind of transmitter is it? RX: Perseus, Ant: Wellbrook LFL 1010, QTH: Bocca di Magra - La Spezia - Italy, Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano - Italy, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELGIUM [non]. CANADA. 9785-9790-9795 DRM, TDPRadio thru Sackville, 0028-0059, 09/25/2008, English. Nonstop techno dance music without announcements. Web site says it was "Hardtrance mixes: Time to get into the weekend vibes with hardtrance tracks in razor sharp mixes". It was Wednesday, so I'll take their word. Abrupt off at 0059. Excellent in the sense of few drop outs (Kevin Mikell, Park Ridge IL, NRD515, Eton E1, Perseus; 50' random wire/Eton Whip, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 6075, RADIO KASAUCHUN COCA. Lauka Ñ. 1028-1100 sept 28. Presentando anuncios y comunicados, acompañados por melodías folclóricas. "...amigos, ustedes escuchan Kausachun Coca, amplitud modulada 740 y frecuencia modulada 99.7..." Anuncios de Cruzada Evangelística en el trópico de Cochabamba. Buen DX (Rafael Rodríguez R., Bogotá D.C. - COLOMBIA, Winradio G303i, JRC NRD 525, SONY 2010, Antenas hilos de varias longitudes, playdx yg via DXLD) South Florida logs 29 September: 6075, Bolivia, Radio Kausachun Coca, 0959 to 1020, strident YL with news items regarding political situation. [Wilkner/ KM Cedar Key] 73s (Bob Wilkner, Pompano Beach, South Florida, US, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 9820, unID, possibly 9 de Julho (São Paulo), 2357–0005, 9/21/08, in Portuguese. RHC was off by tune in. OM / YL chat to 0000, YL talk, announcement, short bridge or fanfare, YL announcement, OM repeated (probably the ID, although too poor to ID it.), YL including a couple of numbers (frequencies?), repeat of ToH announcements, back to chat by announcers. RdP not on at this time, on this frequency. Thanks to the “Gang of 4” for the tip & assistance. Poor (Mark Taylor, Madison, WI, R-75, Winradio g313e, Eton E1, Satllit 800, Kaito 1103; 110’ random wire, Flextenna (Most logs done this week on S800 and Kaito 1103), NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** CANADA. Going bad so fast --- re: ``6070 CFRX carrier also there, fading averaging S9, peaking S9+5 at 1520 Sept 27, but modulation just barely audible. What a waste. See also UNID 6070.8 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` I had a carrier, essentially no audio, yesterday September 28th. I forget the time but probably around the 1400 GMT range. I wonder what happened? Except for being off-frequency, their reception and modulation was OK just after their return to SW (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, Sept 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [and non]. Hurricane Kyle --- Looks like some heavy weather headed towards New England and the Maritimes. Canadian Hurricane Centre (yes there is one) http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/watch/20080928005505.watch.txt.en Might that affect RCI, CBC Northern Quebec and WBCQ? (Fred Waterer, Ont., Sept 27, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Anyone notice any outages? CJRI QRMed by new WBCQ-FM on 94.7: see USA (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** CHAD. 4904.94, RNT, 0502-0532, Sept 28, in French, on-air phone conversations, brief Hi-Li music between calls, into program of Hi-Li music, better than fair. Have noted some good African receptions in the last few days (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 4460, CNR-1, Beijing, 1252-1259, Sept 28, national news conference about the Shenzhou VII space mission, in Chinese with English translations, presented by the State Council Information Office, I caught the end of the question and answer segment, talking about improvements made in their manned space program and " On behalf of The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation" thanking everyone associated with this successful mission, also wished everyone a happy holiday for the week long National Day Holiday that starts tomorrow (Sept 29 through Oct 5), celebrating the 59th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. 6065, CNR-2/CBR, 1323-1335, Sept 28, "English Evening" special live weekend program, presented by John and a Chinese woman, mentions National Day Holiday starting tomorrow, Advanced Studio Classroom program, good reception, // 6155, 7130, 7140, 7150, 7245, all mostly fair. Usually their weekend programs consists of recorded highlights of programs from the previous week (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 5860, Voice of Jinling, 1315, 09/28/08, Mandarin. A mix of Chinese and Western easy-listening tunes, including a Muzak version of The Sound of Silence, and announcer commentary. Fair/poor (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 23/9 1055, 15035 kHz, FIREDRAKE > Sound of Hope? Segnale insufficiente-sufficiente (SWL I1-0799GE, Luca Botto Fiora, Rapallo (Genova), G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Italy, playdx yg via DXLD) ** CONGO DR. 6210.02, 1756-1925 26.09, R. Kahuzi, Bukavu. Vernacular and French fast talk, songs, 14232. From *1925 QRM VOIRI on 6205. Best 73, (Anker Petersen, AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres antenna in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** CUBA. Almost two weeks after it first appeared on RHC`s online transmission schedule, 13680 was finally on the air for the 2030 UT English broadcast, Sept 28 at 2103 tune-in; same interview with Lucius Walker, American Cubasymp, as on 11760, but not exactly synchronized. I focused on a key word and eventually determined that 13680 was playing the same program 3 minutes and 9 seconds after 11760! Also, the audio on 13680 sounds very different, clipped as if it has gone a long way through some circuits to another transmitter site. Could it possibly be a new overseas relay of RHC? Or just two different sites in Cuba, evidently from two different very unsynchronized playbacks. At 2127, 11760 was going into French ID, while 13680 still had Arnie Coro giving e-mail address for plans of a solar water heater(?). The same appeared 3+ minutes later on 13680, then IS and French ID, or rather it`s the Kriyol service as the following announcement clarified. One is on the schedule for 2130, but not on either frequency! Meanwhile, RHC Spanish was on 13760, MUCH stronger than 13680, and // 11750. The schedule does show 13680 also for French French at 2200, but unchecked (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. Radio Habana Cuba, 6060. Två likadana QSL i två brev, ett med det senaste kubanska frimärket och ett FDC i. Snällt! Radio Habana Cuba, 6060. Two similar QSL's in two letters, one with the latest Cuban stamp and other with a FDC. Very kind! (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. DISCLAIMER: No portion of the below may be reproduced or redistributed by the National Radio Club, their editors or current members without expressed written permission, which will then be swiftly, and we do mean swiftly denied. Editors receiving this directly from me are excluded provided this entire disclaimer is included where any of the below is reproduced. 530, Radio Enciclopedia; 1839-1845 UT September 28, 2008. We think Eric Clapton would have been mightily pissed if he would have been listening to Enci, as their version of his "Wonderful Tonight" kept breaking up, then lots of dead air (but the carrier remained on). Finally up to seemingly normal operations by tune-out. But who knows what happened after. So many audio problems here, post-Hurricane Ike, which is a shame for this totally cool retro station. 1140, Radio Cadena Habana, Pastora, Ciudad de la Habana; 1350-1410 September 20, 2008. Good with male and female patter, Cuban vocals, ID a little after top-of-hour. Very good. No trace of the bubble jammer directed at WQBA, Miami in the local daytime here, so presume on the eastern half of the island (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DEUTSCHES REICH. Re 8-105, Flensburg --- ``The final OKW (Wehrmacht High Command) bulletin was broadcast on May 9, 1945 apparently, via Reichssender Flensburg. [...]`` May 9, 1945 Broadcast audio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordwestdeutscher_Rundfunk Yes, this was broadcast on May 9, shortly after 8 PM. However, it was not the last beep of the Flensburg station as one could believe, it continued until British forces appeared on the scene on May 13 and ordered them to stop immediately. The situation was such that Karl Dönitz, who had the command over the German navy, became German chancellor after Adolf Hitler committed suicide, and assumed office at Flensburg until British forces finally arrested him together with his government on May 23. On May 3 1945 the British forces took over the Hamburg station. Thus a provisional studio had been set up at Flensburg. For a short time, probably until May 5, the Flensburg programming was still relayed via Kalundborg, afterwards the 2 kW transmitter at Flensburg was all they still had. For some reason this transmitter remained silent after May 13 1945 for more than a year, the British forces permitted to use it again not before May 1946. Meanwhile this site no longer exists, the old tower has been demolished. The still existing mediumwave outlet now originates from another site, with the date given for the switch-over wildly varying between 1957 (when the FM/TV transmitters went on air, not necessarily representative for mediumwave, too) and 1988. The old wooden tower: http://www.dra.de/rundfunkgeschichte/75jahreradio/nszeit/img/2-46.gif And the common program that still existed after NWDR had been split into NDR and WDR was rather called NDR/WDR 1. It originated one week from Hamburg and the other week from Cologne, and it remained mono for a long time, probably even until it finally disappeared in 1981. At this time NDR replaced NDR/WDR 1 by new stations for the individual states from Kiel and Hannover studios (plus a Hamburg-city program from their main seat) now gloriously called Landesfunkhaus (state station; the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk sites in Dresden, Erfurt and Leipzig are now called Landesfunkhaus, too). This was one of the measures that saved NDR from being dissolved. And these were the Hamburg studios in 1954/1955: http://www.funkstunde.com/de/technik/nwdr-zentraltechnik/bildergalerie.html (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Sept 27, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re 8-107: Axis Sally and Final Transmissions ``the 'Germany Calling' service to Britain (which went out on shortwave and several medium-wave stations, including Hamburg and Bremen)`` Beware: "Bremen" was not Bremen but instead the 100 kW transmitter near Osterloog, inaugurated in 1937 especially for these broadcasts towards the UK. The Bremen transmitter itself had been called "Unterweser" instead. ``There were certainly no broadcasts from Berlin under the Nazis after the early hours of May 2. However, arts of the foreign service had been re-located to other parts of Germany and some of its sections managed to keep going into the first week of May`` Transmissions via Osterloog ceased in the evening of May 5 1945. During the last four weeks or so the programming originated from provisional studios at Wilhelmshaven. Understandably German sources are not so fascinated by the English-speaking celebrities involved in all of this, so I have nothing to add about "Axis Sally" and the like. Already on June 5 1945 the Osterloog transmitter went on air again with British Forces Network programming, which in September 1946 was replaced by the BBC's foreign service. First the BBC used Osterloog by way of the UK having occupied Germany (any break-downs immediately brought the German site staff quite unfriendly phone calls from the BBC, in fact a bad idea because having to answer the phone only delayed the troubleshooting further), which changed to a regular lease when the site had been handed over to Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk in 1950. Also in 1950 NWDR installed shortwave transmitters at Osterloog. They were the nucleus of Deutsche Welle which first (until 1953) broadcast from NWDR's Hamburg studios. For its own programming NWDR operated a modest power transmitter at Osterloog until it had been replaced by a new, more suitably located one at Aurich shortly after 1960. The site closed down completely in March 1964 (presumably but not necessarily the BBC used the 100 kW transmitter until then), shortly afterwards NWDR sold it to the postal office who used it from 1969 til 1997 as transmitter site for the Norddeich Radio maritime service. http://www.pust-norden.de/gal_olog_dt.htm http://www.rundfunk-nostalgie.de/sendero.html ``(although shortwave transmissions ended, I think, on April 21)`` The Zeesen transmitters left the air for good on April 26 1945. I assume this marked the end of the Berlin-produced foreign service as well. It is of course another question what may still have been transmit by other sites with shortwave equipment after this date. ``The last broadcast from Lord Haw-Haw famously went out on April 30 from the Hamburg studios. However, Haw-Haw's boss, Edward Roderich Dietze, carried on from another location until May 4 or 5.`` See above. This all obviously were Osterloog transmissions, and according to German sources their production had by April 30 already moved to Wilhemshaven (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Sept 27, 2008, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also GERMANY ** DJIBOUTI. 4780, Radio Djibouti 2130 to 2200 , exotic music into anthem at sign off, good signal, enjoyable program, 25 and 26 September [KM-Cedar Key and Wilkner] 73s (Bob Wilkner, DX*F 1981-2008, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4780, 26/9 2144, RTV Djibouti, talks & songs. very good, Ramadan extra time. RX: Perseus, Ant: Wellbrook LFL 1010, QTH: Bocca di Magra - La Spezia - Italy. Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano - Italy, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4780, Radio Djibouti, 2130-2201*, Sept 27, Arabic talk. Local Horn of Africa music. Some music with a Mid-East sound. Sign off with National Anthem. Poor to fair but with CODAR QRM (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Presumably reverting to 2100* post-Ramadan (gh, DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 6250, Radio Nacional, Malabo, 0529-0610, Sept 28, instrumental music, Contemporary Christian music. Local religious choral music. Spanish talk. Mentions of Malabo. Irregular. Poor in noisy conditions. Bata 5005 not heard at this time. 6250, Radio Nacional, Malabo, 1955-2005*, Sept 28, Spanish talk. Local hi-life music. Abrupt sign off. Weak but readable (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RNGE, 6250, back on the air, as who else would be playing hilife music on this frequency, Sept 29 at 0540, probably shortly after sign-on. No 6300 Sahara audible yet (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 15190, Radio Africa, 2150-2220, Sept 27, Four Square Gospel Tidings religious program, address in Saskatchewan, ToH into the usual pastor Tony Alamo program with religious commentary, reading of listeners letters and playing songs, good reception, almost 100% readable. So he is not off the air (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITEA. 24/9 0550, 8000 kHz, prob. V. OF BROAD MASSES OF ERITREA - Asmara Parlato OM. Segnale insufficiente- sufficiente (SWL I1-0799GE, Luca Botto Fiora, Rapallo (Genova), G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Italy, playdx yg via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [and non]. 24/9 0535, 7110//7115 kHz, prob. Musica pop Ethiopia. Segnale insufficiente- sufficiente 1. Jamming o Radio Ethiopia? 2. 7115 kHz on e off etc. 0543, 7210 kHz, prob. RADIO FANA - Addis Abeba (Etiopia), Parlato OM. Segnale insufficiente-sufficiente (SWL I1-0799GE, Luca Botto Fiora, Rapallo (Genova), G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Italy, playdx yg via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. 9704.19, Radio Ethiopia, 2005-2102*, Sept 27, Horn of Africa music. Amharic talk. Phone talk. Closing announcements and National Anthem at 2100. Fair but some adjacent channel splatter. Better on // 7110.06. Weak on // 5990.04v (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. Ginbot 7 Dimts Radio-17655 svarade på en dag och lovade mig en CD med eritreansk musik. Den har inte dykt upp ännu! Ginbot 7 Dimts Radio, 17655 reply in one day promising me a CD with Eritrean [sic] music which has not shown up here yet (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi friends, Last week gave me two new nice e-mail replies/QSL's [see also ABKHAZIA]: Ginbot 7 Dimts Radio, 17655, replied with a personal "thank you" e-mail from "Aster, G7 Org". I take it as a QSL text, when they say "It was delight to know that our radio can be heard in the Island of Gotland" and "The broadcast you heard was our second one". E-mail address used: info @ ginbot7.org 73 from (Björn Fransson on the island of Gotland, Sweden, Sept 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. via Samara, Russia, 17655, Ginbot 7 Dimts Radio, *1700-1729*, Sept 27, Tentative. Talk in listed Amharic. Poor to fair but covered by noise jammer at 1705. Still slightly audible underneath. Nothing heard on 21555. Tues/Thur/Sat only (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. 9269.55, 20.9 1000, Radio Spaceshuttle International (Finland?) bad att jag skulle lyssna – och de hördes riktigt dåligt. Har visst en ny sändare, som han testar. BEFF 9269.55, 20.9 1000, Radio Spaceshuttle International (Finland?) asked me to listen and was heard very bad. Seems to have a new transmitter up running for test. BEFF (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Re 8-107, CANADA, ´´Every registered political party gets a percentage of free time political broadcasts based on the percentage of their votes. [...] During the campaign, such minor parties as the Marijuana Party, the Communist Party, the Marxist-Leninists, the Natural Law Party and others will get their 2 or 3 minutes of fame´´ The same as here in Germany. The most noteworthy difference could be (if it's not common practice in Canada as well) the quite outspoken disclaimers that "we are required by law to broadcast election advertisements". No surprise, since it also includes Nazi stuff (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Sept 28, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. 6005, 0905-1105 27.09, R. 700, Kall-Krekel (1 kW) German news on the hour from Deutschlandfunk, German and English pop songs, many ID's: "Radio Sieben Hundert" 35333. Best 73, (Anker Petersen, AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres antenna in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** GREENLAND. 3815.0, 23.9 2015, Tasillaq, Grönland (Ammasalik Radio) med relä av Nuuk. Har hörts några gånger nu under sista tiden. USB och svag. Fortfarande störd av de ryska stationerna ”Aurora” SA 3815.0, 23.9 2015, Tasillaq, (Ammasalik Radio) with relay of Nuuk. Heard a few times lately. USB and weak. Still disturbed by Russian stations Aurora SA (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) So it IS still on the air! (gh) Heard also tentatively here in Finland now at 2045. As a weak USB signal not possible to measure the exact frequency, but sounded being best readable at 3814.96 kHz. 73, (Mauno Ritola, Sept 28, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** GUIANA BRITISH. MEMORIES OF RADIO STATION ZFY, BRITISH GUIANA --- by George Subryan, M3GVS -- This article was submitted by Tony Fell. It is written by one of Tony’s students, George Subryan. ZFY was the call sign for an amateur radio station that broadcast on medium wave from British Guiana [now Guyana]. Between 1936 and 1939 a licence was issued to the station to become a commercial broadcast station. In its infancy the station only operated from 1100 to 1300 hours and 1600 to 2100 hours. During World War II the Americans opened a base in British Guiana, transcription records became available and the broadcasting hours lengthened, from 0600 to 1300 hours and 1600 to 2300. At the end of World War II the Americans departed and the devaluation of Sterling, to which the colony’s monetary system was tied, also meant that the American transcription recordings continued on a sporadic basis. During the war ZFY used to rebroadcast the BBC news bulletins for two reasons: the colony had a large ex-pat population and the common tongue was English. Rediffusion, a company known for cable distribution of domestic BBC programmes into British homes, decided to go international. They offered the same telephone line transmission to the British West Indies (islands) but not to British Guiana. This was due mainly to the sparseness of the population and the cost of telephone cabling, which was in its infancy. Most communication was by telegram or by fixed radio links to the remote areas of the colony. Around 1950 to 1952 Rediffusion purchased ZFY and broadcasting time increased from 0600 to 2300 hours. With the relaxation of monetary controls American recordings were again made possible for broadcast. The BBC started to record most of its drama and comedy programmes and others, and transcriptions were sent to British Guiana for local rebroadcast. I was employed by the radio station as a technician in 1952, the post was menial, most times I did the donkey work - preparing a studio for a broadcast or recording sessions or helping a senior technician with the moving of equipment for an OB or an OB recording. A Canadian manager was appointed to the station, and he started to reorganise the staff structure. Training was given to existing staff and those that did not meet his criteria were replaced or given a second chance. Assessments took the form of simple maths, speciality at work, placing painted wooden blocks into a pattern, answering the telephone politely, greeting visitors etc., and led to promotion and further training. In 1954 the engineer for the station was sent to Brighton College to obtain an HND in electronics. This was mainly due to the colony not having a technical college. That same year Rediffusion decided to replace the existing transmitter with G50 and G120. The G50 then covered all the area around the capital of Georgetown and the G120 the whole of British Guiana and all of the West Indies. Later, when the Guiana government was in turmoil, the UK government sent in the troops but there was no trouble. Rumour was rife that the Guiana government would nationalise the station. However, at that time I was sent to England to study electronics, sponsored by Rediffusion, as one of the final actions of the station manager prior to his return to his native Canada. One year later the station became the government controlled Radio Demerara, and although Rediffusion did offer to finance my repatriation, I chose to stay in the UK, obtaining employment and funding my own further education. I worked in industry until retirement. ZYF may have been the first, or one of the first voice, broadcast stations in South America and the West Indies. Note Guyana gained independence in 1966. More information at: http://www.silvertorch.com/g_radio_bcast.htm and: http://www.rediffusion.info (Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) My 1958 QSL from ZFY, 5981, has been added to the William Glenn Hauser QSL gallery at http://www.worldofradio.com/QSL.html (wgh) ** INDIA. Many stations of AIR (except those in South India) were noted with early sign on today when I checked at around 4.15 am IST (2245 UT). This is due to the Navaratri Festival which started today. On SW Gangtok 4835 & Shimla 4965 were noted. Maybe other SW channels are there in skip with me. Shimla's spurious on 4935 was also heard. 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Raj Bhavan Road, Hyderabad 500082, India, Sept 28, dx_india via DXLD) This is a special two hour transmission called "Mahalaya" consisting of Sanskrit recitation & music orated by Birendra Krishna Bhadra. AIR has been broadcasting this since early 1930s .Count down of Durga Puja starts from the day of Mahalaya. Some of the regional AIR stations were carrying this special transmission with sign on at around 2230 UT, continued up to 0015 UT; some of the stations abruptly switched to their regular programming. Heard AIR Gangtok 4835 & AIR Guwahati 4940 carrying Mayalaya broadcasts. No copy of AIR Kolkata 4820 as buried under severe co- channel QRM by PBS Xizang 100 kW. Most of the MW channels were also carrying this special transmission, some of them noted were : 666 - Delhi 747 - Lucknow A 774 - Shimla 954 - Najibabad 1008 - Kolkata B Related links : Timeless tunes http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Timeless-Tunes/367193 Mahalaya: Goddess Durga's wakeup call http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=142807 Trumpet anounces Durga Puja http://saibalkumar.blog.co.in/2008/09/29/trumpet-anounces-durga-puja/ Regds (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, ibid.) ** INDIA. AIR GOS, 9690, audible again Sept 28 after long absence, 1330 OM signing on, giving this and 11620, 13710, into YL news in less than a minute, 1340 ending news bulletin, ID, Today`s Commentary. Then checked 13710 and heard something else with music; CRI in French via Kashi is scheduled. And nothing on 11620. see also UNIDENTIFIED 4940, 5050 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. 9870, All India Radio (via Bangalore), 0115, 09/28/08, Hindi. Subcontinental pop tunes and DJ talk, easily atop co-channel R Austria in German. Good. 11985, All India Radio (via Delhi-Khampur), 0110, 09/28/08, listed Sinhala. Usual AIR fare of Indian pop music with a female announcer between. Abrupt open carrier in mid-tune at 0114, then when audio came back it was buried under a strong tone or het. Somewhat fluttery, noisy. Fair/poor (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 3987, RRI Manokwari, 1206, 9/22/08. Best ever reception made it easy to distinguish between OM & YL presenters doing presumed news. 3976 Pontianak not heard at this time (Jerry Strawman, Des Moines, IA, Drake R8, Drake R8B, Perseus SDR, Alpha Delta Sloper, Wellbrook 330S one meter loop, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 4749.96, RRI Makassar, 28 Sept 1001 Kor`an. 1008 soft- spoken W in Indonesian over music. Fairly readable. (28 Sept.) (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) 3325, Apparently both Bougainville [PNG] and Palangkaraya are here. 1120 W in definite Indonesian and also current pop song mixing about equally. 3995, RRI Kendari (presumed) Indo soft pop ballads 1115-1150 28 Sept. Peaked nicely around 1125 but just too many hams to contend with. Pontianak and Manokwari both on also. Has anyone heard Manggarai or Jambi lately. Someone was on 4925, maybe Jambi. 73 (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 3976.04 RRI-Pontianak, 1341-1404, Sept 28, in BI, 1341- 1344 was // 3325 (both fair), 1344 on-air phone conversations and music, ToH series of "R.R.I. Pontianak" IDs, into news (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. Trans-Pacific conditions were hot on Sept 28, so I kept tuning around, unable to land on any one frequency long enough to get much detail, but I`m not trying to QSL them, anyway --- 3325, 1258 talk, then music. 1304 music. Could be PNG here, not certain 3987, 1255 talk; 1305 Indo talk // 3995; 1323 hams relented a bit, music sounds similar to 3995, but not //; 1325 definitely different music 3995, 1255 music; 1305 Indo talk // 3987; 1323 similar music to 3987 but not same; 1325 ham net starts up on 3995 with this as BFO 4605, 1314 music, very weak, but evidence Serui is still on the air 4790, 1310 mix CODAR, music, then YL mentioning FM, kHz; somewhat better than 4750 which also had CCI. 1312 YL vocal on 4790, no more Qur`an; takes Sundays off? Ramadan not quite over (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA - 3987.04, RRI Manokwari, 1310-1333 Sep 22. Out of Jak news at 1313, then soft-voiced YL playing soft Indo vocal tunes; IS on dulcimer or similar at 1331, then YL in talk, possibly regional news. Good signal. Also noted 9/26 with Jak news to 1315, then usual local music program. 3995.03, RRI Kendari, 1318-1345+ Sep 26. Seguéd sub-continental vocals with no announcements; tuned out at 1345. Good signal; seems much improved over the past week or two, rivalling Manokwari and Makassar in strength. 4749.96, RRI Makassar, 1301-1345 Sep 25. YL intro, then Kor`an to about 1321; then program of pop music hosted by M; occasional ads or program notes; still fair at 1400 re-check. 4790.04, RRI Fak-Fak, 1301-1401 Sep 28. Jak news in progress // 3995.03 to 1312, then local program of vocal music hosted by chatty YL; nice ID at 1359, followed by SCI and very short (5-minute) Jak program. Good at 1300; still fair at 1400 (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. The 75-m trio were all audible Sept 29 at 1254: 3976 with Indonesian talk by YL; not // something on 3987, 3995. Ham QRM worse the further into ``80m``, such that at 1256, 3995 was QRM-free. On 60m, 4790 was back to Qur`aning at 1302; 4750 a YL song rather than news/talk (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. RE: DXLD 8-107: Hi Glenn, what's up with VOI? Another round of changes to their language schedule or is this a one day event? Heard them on 11784.83v, from 1412-1442, Sept 28, in English, poor at tune-in (best in LSB - heavy CODAR type QRM over a wide frequency range here) to mostly fair by tune-out, clearly was all in English, the usual good number of IDs, 1432 into "Music Corner". Earlier this month I had observed their schedule of English at 1300- 1400, Malay 1400-1500, with a short English announcement just before 1500, indicating that they were going into their English program, but that never happened, as they signed-off about 1501. Needs more monitoring to establish what their current on-air schedule is (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, they took my suggestion a while back to put English on at new time 1300 when 9526 was rather reliable in North America. Maybe they have now taken my subsequent suggestion that if they are staying on 11785v, they should put English on at 1400 when VOA and Firedrake are done and more or less in the clear (except weekends! WHRI). Never heard anything like CODAR in this range here. As for the cut-off English at 1500 I am thinking that was intended to fill out their webcasting schedule while SW takes a break (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Hi Glenn, Monterey Bay is a very active zone for CODAR. I enjoy my listening post by the beach, but guess I could not get much closer to their activities. It starts from about 11770 and goes up past 13000 (Ron Howard, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST: Viz. in DXLD 6-055: U S A. MORE FREQUENCIES YOU CAN KISS GOODBYE --- From FCC PUBLIC NOTICE Report No. 388 EXPERIMENTAL ACTIONS, release March 30, 2006 • WD2XVS SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY - ROMBERG TIBURON CENTER 0338- EX-PL-2005 New experimental to operate on 12.06, 12.14, 12.2, 13.46, 13.63, and 13.7 MHz for CODAR ocean surface current monitoring. Fixed: ... Big Sur (Monterey), CA; Pacific Grove (Monterey), CA; Monterey (Monterey), CA; Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz), CA; Davenport (Santa Cruz), CA; Carmel (Monterey), CA ... (via Al Quaglieri, DXLD) (via Ron Howard, DXLD 8-108) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Re 8-106, 8-107, Space Hackers: Consult also: http://www.astronautix.com/astrogrp/phaonaut.htm http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/trackind/Torre/TorreB.html (and of course also the other material on these websites!) What made be in particular shudder when skimming the text: ´´There are those who believe that somewhere in the vast blackness of space, about nine billion miles from the Sun, the first human is about to cross the boundary of our Solar System into interstellar space. [...] his tiny capsule has been silently sailing away from the Earth at 18,000 mph (29,000km/h) for the last 45 years.´´ Trouble is, you need more than 6,000,000 km/h to escape the solar system from Earth. Everybody with some knowledge in spaceflight knows that ´´a Soviet spacecraft veered off course and vanished into deep space´´ is an absolutely impossible scenario (Sven Grahn's page explains in detail why). And ´´They didn't know it, but Turin was perfectly situated to track the Soviet satellites; northern Italy was the only area in Western Europe on Russia's orbital path.´´ --- It is beyond me how one can come to such a misconception (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Space Hackers videos in 6 parts http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gagarin+voice+recording&search_type=&search=Search (Horacio Nigro, Montevideo, Uruguay, ibid.) Folks, I just had a great time watching an Aussie TV production which relates the story of the Judica brothers of Italy who as radio amateurs monitored the early space programs of both the Russians and NASA with homemade antennas and ham radio equipment. It features actual home movies and recordings of their exploits in the 1950s and 60s. It's on Youtube in six segments which can be found by scrolling down to the second topic at: http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/ It is both fascinating and a joy to watch (Gil Stacy, IRCA via DXLD) Thanks, Gil! Just watched the first part of 6, and it's utterly fascinating! I see a lot of parallels with my own childhood! (Walt Salmaniw, BC, ibid.) ** IRAN. VIRI, 15150 wonderful muezzin reciting Qur`an, Sept 28 at 1345, still going at 1412. Such a talented singer: I wonder if he is famous in Iran and even has a fan club, or would this be unseemly? Would he also sing secular songs, or would that be unseemly? I wonder about this, since as an Infidel unburdened by the baggage of belief, I can appreciate his performance solely as Art. Note that some of our greatest singers started out as cantors (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15150, Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sirjan; 1253-1533 September 28, 2008. Thanks gh log tip, excellent level with male reading Arabic news items, New Age-type filler music, "Huna Iran..." at 1311, into reverb Qur'an till 1414, then a mix of Arabic talk and vocals though tune-out (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRELAND. EURO-PIRATE. Ireland, 6295, Reflections Europe, 2115- 2205+, Sept 28, US produced English religious programming. Some gospel music. Fair to good level but audio muffled & some adjacent channel splatter from Egypt 6290. Also some occasional ute QRM. An overall poor quality signal. Heard // 12255 - very weak. 3910 not heard. Sundays only (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISLE OF MAN [and non]. "Manx Giant: From The Wonderful Isle Of Man" From The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame: As well as organising the Radio Caroline North exhibition Pirates of the Irish Sea (now open on the Isle of Man) and planning the September event celebrating the station, Andy Wint has also been busy writing a book. "Manx Giant: From The Wonderful Isle Of Man" tells the full story of Radio Caroline North. It includes details of all the broadcasters who made the station such a success and contains some wonderful, previously unpublished, photographs. It is available in shops on the Isle of Man, from http://www.manxgiant.com and from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0956013902/thepiratradio-21 price £15 (plus postage and packing from one, sourcing fee from the other). http://www.offshore radio.co.uk/ (via Mike Terry, BDXC_UK via DXLD) ** JAPAN. At 1257 check Sunday Sept 28, R. Nikkei was missing from JOZ 3925, but back on with synthesized classical music Sept 29 at 1251 check. Yes, per WRTH 2008, 3925/6055/9595 sign off early at 1200* on Sundays, otherwise to 1330* except Fridays to 1430* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN [and non]. Re 8-107, Radio Japan, NHK World Network``, Tuned in Canada relay, 11705, Sat Sept 27 at 1410 No Yamata pre-echo today, but lite Saturday-only QRM de RSA at 1426 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) What a difference a few hundred miles can make. Here in Central Texas, about 400 miles SSE of Enid, and at the same time as Glenn I heard double audio from Yamata and Sackville (lagging) but no interference at all from RSA (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, Texas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH. 9665.4, KCBS-Pyongyang, 1410, 09/28/08, Korean. Continuous "communist opera" music with female vocals, obviously somewhat off-frequency (and drifting a bit) due to a strong het from something right on 9665, presumably Iran. Fair (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [and non]. 3912 is usually too blocked by SSB hams, but Sept 29 at 1259 I was able to make out some music accompanied by jamming, i.e. V. of the People from South to North, and deliberate interference from North to North, both reaching here to what the Koreans could justifiably refer to as the ``Far East`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. Voice of the Wilderness, 11640 via Cornerstone Ministries International för Nordkorea. Pers brev och broschyr. Voice of the Wilderness, 11640 via Cornerstone Ministries International for North Korea. Personal letter and brochure (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KUWAIT. 15110, R. Kuwait, Kabd. Strong signal in Arabic switching to English after TS [at 0500] with exhortations to non-Moslems to convert to Islam. Surprised that a female speaker is involved in a religious presentation on occasion of Ramadan. 0455 20/9 (Charles Jones, Castle Hill NSW (Yaesu FRG-8800 with 7m vertical), Oct Australian DX News via DXLD) ** LAOS. 4412.60v, Lao National Radio, 1210-1231*, Sept 28, mostly just man and woman talking in Laotian (news and commentary?), // 6130 (fair with light QRM), at 1225 distinctive musical fanfare that matched up on both frequencies, weak with CODAR QRM (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATVIA. 9290. *0800-0900* Sat 27.09 Latvia today, via Ulbroka. English announcement, ID's, talks about Latvian films and Latvia in the European Parliament, Latvian songs, occasional utility QRM, 44344. AP-DNK 9290, 1150-1210 Sun 21.09, R. Victoria, via Ulbroka. German/English announcements, pop songs, back after 25 years, but announced: "This is the final hour - We are not coming back!" 55555. 9290, 1320-1400* Sun 21.09, European Music R, via Ulbroka English with Mike Taylor, announcements, ID's, address, pop songs, 35333. Best 73, (Anker Petersen, AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres antenna in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** LIBYA. 17725, Voice of Africa-Sabrata, 1439, 9/25/08. Fair with program in English; report on meeting of UN General Assembly; into music at 1445; some long fades and sudden peaks (Jim Ronda, Tulsa, OK, NRD-545, R-75, E-1 + RF Systems MiniWindom, GMDSS-2 vertical, several FlexTennas, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** LITHUANIA. Re 8-107: ´´The Sitkunai site is adding a transmission on 3955 at 1530-1730 Thursday, Friday and Saturday only, 50 kW at 79 degrees, effective 26 September; another Iranian relay?´´ --- Time and frequency rather suggest a revival of Radio Raciya. Perhaps they found some money to restart a limited service? A beam heading of 79 degrees is also shown for Sitkunai transmissions via a brand-new dipole antenna, which as such has no beam, just two nulls to either side (which is avoided in the HQ design by mounting the two legs of the dipole in a right angle). No idea why they do this, other dipoles like the ones of the Berlin-Britz site are considered ND as well. Be that as it may: Trouble is that this new dipole antenna is for 6/7 MHz, cf. http://www.zilionis.lt/rtv/qth/sit/index.php?e So will they stretch it to the limit and squeeze out the 4 MHz signal somehow, or have they simply built yet another dipole for 75 metres (as it was done in the mid-nineties to move 3995 from Jülich to Wertachtal; here the 4 MHz antenna built for this purpose is a HQ design)? And the referenced page also raises the question how in the world Sitkunai can run a 130 degrees azimuth. Hardly with the choice of antennas described there, and these details have been confirmed as correct not long ago (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Sept 28, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) So did anyone try to monitor 3955 on Sept 27 or 28? (gh) ** MADAGASCAR. RTV Malagasy, Antananarivo, 5010, 0242-0305, Sept 22, vernacular. Pop-like and reggae music with W announcer between selections thru ToH; "whistling" program intro followed by talk; poor- fair in reduced carrier USB (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., NH, R8, R75, CLR/DSP, MLB1, 200' Bevs, 60m Dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. Via remote receiver in Australia: 15295, Voice of Malaysia --- Is this service still on? Untraced when checking at 0645 and 0715 Sept 28 (Hans Johnson, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** MALI. 5995, R Mali, 2221, 09/27/08, French. African-style vocal songs w/o accompaniment, then a female DJ interviewing a guest on the phone in French, followed by more tunes. Pestered by R Havana on 6000 from 2300 but still audible. Fair/good (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MAURITANIA. 4845, R. M. Apparently this goes off around 0830. Heard good signal at 0824, but gone at 0827 check 28 Sept (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** MEXICO. 4800, XERTA, music 0700 Sept 29, Sermon attacking China (Bob Wilkner, Pompano Beach, South Florida, US, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 6010, R. Mil, 1200-1215+ Sep 28. ID at 1200 mentioning both 1000 and 6010, followed by a long Radio Mil song/jingle lasting about a minute; XE music program followed to 1215 tuneout. Fair with noisy band (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** MEXICO. 1290, MÉXICO, Radio Trece de Noticias, México DF; 0528-0608 September 21, 2008. Good to very good with nonstop news by two females and one man. Mostly México national news items, two "Radio Trece de Noticias" slogans. No Top of hour ID or slogan, just rolled across with more news, then singing "Radio Trece" at 0602. Finally at 0605, male canned "XEDA, 12-90 AM, México Distrito Federal" and into a string of commercials (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See disclaimer under CUBA ** MEXICO. Captaciones AM desde Jamundi, Colombia: 1570 kHz, Desconocida mexicana, 28 sept 08, 0805-, señal pobre a baja, mezclándose con Radio Sensación (Manizales), YL mencionó al Instituto Nacional de Radio; también dió un número de teléfono como 7726307, TC "3 de la mañana y 8 minutos (0808 UT), luego con mensajes diciendo como Atención en Ciudad Juárez... Dallas, Texas... otras más. A las 0822 UT Radio Sensación empezó a dominar la frecuencia. NOTA: alguien sabe algo de esta emisora? 73 de Yimber Gaviria, http://yimber.blogspot.com DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yimber, La única mexicana en 1570 ex XERF, 100 kW, Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, perteneciente al Instituto Mexicano de la Radio (IMER). Cuenta con audiencia también al otro lado de la frontera. Puede consultar este excelente listado: http://www.nrcdxas.org/articles/2008_MEXICO_LIST_by_frequency.pdf 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** MONGOLIA. 7260, presumed Mongolian Radio HS-2, Ulaanbaatar, 1052- 1100, Sept 27, listed Mongolian. Lengthy instrumental into vocal ballad; very exotic; audible under co-channel R. Thailand carrier at 1058; barely audible announcer at 1059; crushed at 1100 Thailand sign- on; poor (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, CLR/DSP, MLB1, 200' Bevs, 60m Dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR. 5985, R. Myanma 1323-1332+ Sep 27. Fair with pop music to 1329, then YL with brief announcement and usual instrumental IS; chimes at BoH, followed by M with presumed news. Fair but deteriorating (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Drake R-8, 100- foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** MYANMAR. Via remote receiver in Australia: 9730v, Myanma Radio, 0700 with English news read by woman. Thanks Ron Howard for details on ID and frequency announcements. Just one news item, 0703 weather, and then into pop music. Good reception Sept 28 (Hans Johnson, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) 9730.78, Myanma R. (tentative) Carrier and maybe bits of audio at 1109. Still there at 1330 check 28 Sept (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) 9731, putting a weak het on CRI 9730, Sept 29 at 1324. This is about the most I can ever expect to hear from Myanma Radio. Doesn`t CRI occupy enough frequencies so they could dispense with just one to accommodate a friendly neighbor? Of course not! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. MADAGASCAR. 9885, R Netherlands, 1400, 09/28/08, English. Familiar bell-chime IS and into world news, highlighted by US financial bailout. No sign of // 11835. Fluttery. Fair/poor (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. Re 8-107, Anniversary special --- Hi Glenn, The main Radio NZ website has David's program for download: http://www.radionz.co.nz/specialfeatures/RNZI60th This will probably stay around longer than the audio files on RNZI's website, and I think the Ogg audio files are better quality. 73 (Chris Mackerell, Wellington 6140, New Zealand, Sept 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. Scheduling foulup again at RNZI, for Sept 28 at 1248, 6170 was already on, while 9655 bore nothing but the open carrier from RNW via Tinang prior to 1300 modulation, while RNZI 6170 is not supposed to open until 1259; W&M discussing sexism in the Maori language. Could be everything is an hour off due to DST which just started 23 hours earlier, and failing to compensate for that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. DANNY WILLIAMS RETIRES http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,107723.0.html Oklahoma broadcasting legend, from 3-D Danny on WKY-TV in the 50s to morning DJ in the 00s, including airchex (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 1520 KOKC Oklahoma City OK --- This one appears in a short pause in WWKB - very weak but it's there! http://paulc.mediumwaveradio.org/audio/1520kokc.wav 1520, KOKC, Oklahoma City. OK; “KOKC Oklahoma City” in brief WWKB silence. Personal First vW 0600 28/09 (Paul Crankshaw, Troon, Scotland, MWC via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. We have reported several times before on how 99.7 is being moved from the Enid market to the much larger and presumably more lucrative OKC market, just as Chisholm Trail Broadcasting did earlier with an original Enid FM frequency, 96.9. And how for some time new 107.1 has been on the air in Enid simulcasting 96.9 by way of transition. Now in the Sept. 27 Enid Eagle, page A3, there is a 7 x 5.5 inch display add, white on black and hard to miss, saying: ``KNID HAS MOVED / On Your Radio / From / 99.7fm to 107.1fm! / THE SAME GREAT STATION..... JUST A NEW LOCATION!`` Along with the bucking-bronco KNID logo, ``Today`s Best Country!!`` [BTW, when you see it spelt broncho, you know whoever did that doesn`t savvy the first thing about Spanish, but maybe a little about Italian]. Yes, around 2220 UT Sept 27, the two frequencies were still //, and a non-legal ID went as usual, ``99.7 FM KNID and 107.1``. So the move is still not complete, contrary to the tense of the ad copy. Sept 28 at 2200, after Enid commercials and weather on both, legal ID was still: ``Today`s Best Country, 99-7 KNID Alva-Enid and 107-1 KZLS North Enid``. The 99.7 signal seems to be at its usual strength, tho I have no way of measuring it; I assume when the site halfway between Enid and Alva goes off the air, replaced by the one near Mustang, SW of OKC, its level will drop off noticeably but probably still be audible (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PALAU. More handovers from KWHR Hawaii to KHBN Palau, as FCC still refers to it: 01-05 on 17800 in Lao and Vietnamese; and 05-08 on 13650 in Mandarin and English become T8WH broadcasts, daily 100 kW, 270 degrees; however, 13650 expires October 5. What programs, clandestines are these anyway? EiBi had all these KWHR hours in English. BTW, the WHR website http://www.whr.org still makes NO mention of any broadcasts via Palau (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. NEW IRELAND (PNG) 3905, R. New Ireland. Kavieng on 9/28 with nice S4 signals and moderate ARO LSB QRM from 0850 tune with man announcer in vernacular, pop request song and into national news by man in English at 0900 to 0910 after short nose flute IS. Special announcement concerning a construction bank loan to 0911 by man in English. Then into vernacular program with man announcer. SINPO 43544; best heard here in a while on a quiet night for low band DX (Bruce Churchill, Fallbrook CA, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Getting audio from these PNGs at 0835 28 Sept: 3385, 3335, 3260, 3235. 3325, Apparently both Bougainville and Palangkaraya [INDONESIA] are here. 1120 W in definite Indonesia and also current pop song mixing about equally. 3344.97, R. Northern (presumed), music at 1115, W with long talk 1128- 1133, then back to music Just too weak. (28 Sept.) (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3235, R West New Britain, 1155, 09/28/08. A talk program to 1200, break for apparent news, then into music w/announcer chat and mentions of PNG, peaking around 1220. Normally one of the weaker PNGs here. Fair/good at peak (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Quick chex of PNG frequencies Sept 28 found: 3205, 1259 talk, sounds like Tok Pisin; 1300 choral music with pauses, anthem? 1302 open carrier, but not signed off; 1304 music resumed 3235, 1258 music, 1304 choral music 3335, 1257 music, 1300 YL announcement; 1303 open carrier 3345, 1257 carrier and something, 1303 talk 3385, 1256 music, 1300 announcement by YL, 1303 music 3905, 1256 music. An American-accented OM talking caught my ear on 3385, Sept 29 at 1246, but quickly back to YL with less comprehensible PNG accent. At first I thought it might be a mixing product. This was the best signal of the usual crew on 90m (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 4826.5, RADIO SICUANI. Sicuani. 2254-2328 sept 27, "...a esta hora, todo el Perú se levanta para sintonizar el programa más juvenil del dial... El Supershow Alegría..." música con el Grupo Alegría. "...Radio Sicuani, única y primera..." 5470.7, RADIO SAN NICOLAS. Rodríguez de Mendoza. 0050-0110 sept 28, música tropical. Anuncios de Hospedaje Grandez, Comercial el Paisita. "... en el fin de semana responde Radio San Nicolás, Radio San Nicolás barre en sintonia..." 5939.2, RADIO MELODIA. Arequipa. 0226-0245 sept 28, Pgm; Melodía en los Deportes. ID: "..desde la volcánica tierra del Misti, tierra del montonero y la bandera transmite Radio Melodía..." menciona página web en http://www.radiomelodia.com.pe "...Arequipa cuán de gente valerosa, que repite con orgullo, soy de la tierra de Radio Melodía..." Buen DX (Rafael Rodríguez R., Bogotá - COLOMBIA, Winradio G303i, JRC NRD 525, SONY 2010, Antenas hilos de varias longitudes, playdx yg via DXLD) ** PERU. 5939, R. Melodía, Arequipa. September 28, Spanish, 0917-0929 folk music with canned YL announcement (maybe about program name) at mid song, 0919 OM talks returning to folk music, OM ID in music "en R. Melodía", 0924 "en el campo deportivo del colegio...". 0926 deteriorating, het, partially readable 32422 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. Radyo Pilipinas, 15190: Trevligt personligt QSL med dekal, kort och info. Ser ut att tycka om att få rapporter. Radyo Pilipinas, 15190. Nice personal QSL with a decal, card and info. Seems they like to get reports (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. SPECIAL EDITION OF VOICE OF RUSSIA - MOSCOW MAILBAG This year marks 30 years of Voice of Russia World Service in English, formed as part of the English-language Service of Radio Moscow that was on the air since 1929. On October 3, 1978, the new service began round-the-clock broadcasts beamed throughout the world. The upcoming edition of Moscow Mailbag will be dedicated to 30th anniversary of Voice of Russia. There will be reminiscences of Voice of Russia staff members about their work at the radio three decades ago plus voices of brilliant broadcasters such as Joe Adamov and Boris Belitzky, whose names are familiar to listeners worldwide and whom we all recall with fondness. All that and more, in the next edition of Moscow Mailbag - on the air from Monday, September 29. Tune in to Moscow Mailbag at following times: [add 11 minutes!! what is this, anyway; are they trying to fool people into listening to their newscasts whether they want to or not?? gh] Monday at 0100, 0500 and 1700 Tuesday at 0400 and 1600 Wednesday at 0400 Thursday at 0600 and 1700 Friday at 0400, 0700, 1600 Saturday at 0300 Sunday at 0100, 0600 and 1500 (All times in UT) Voice of Russia has a special jubilee webpage with testimonials from listeners, here's the link : http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&rt=196&p= (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, via Rachel Baughn, DXLD) ** RUSSIA. VOICE OF RUSSIA HINDI SERVICE ORGANISES TWO DAY CONFERENCE IN NEW DELHI On the occasion of "Year of Russia" in India Voice of Russia Hindi service is organising a conference in New Delhi for radio listeners and friends of the clubs at Russian Cultural Centre, New Delhi. Voice of Russia Hindi listeners conference will be held for two days - November 5th & 6th, 2008. 5th Nov, 2008 (Wednesday) - Declaration of results of the competition on the history of Russia and India held on the occasion of "Year of Russia" in India. - Names of the winners will be announced & prizes distributed. - Ambassador of Russia in India H.E. Mr Vyacheslav Ivanovich Trubnikov will address the guests. - Director of the Russian Cultural centre in Delhi Fyodar Rjzovski will address the conference. - Delegates from Voice of Russia will address the conference. - Representative of India's social institutions, University & All India Radio will also address at the conference. 6th November, 2008 (Thursday) The second day of the conference is dedicated to Voice of Russia listeners. Voice of Russia delegates will listen to their audience, like to know their reaction on programs & will also hear to criticisms and desires. During the conference gifts & prizes will be given to active listeners & club members. All radio listeners and friends of Russia's club members from South Asian countries are invited for the conference. If you would like attend this conference & want to come to Delhi to participate, please send an email to Voice of Russia Hindi Service to include your name for the conference & VOR Hindi service will send the invitation letter. Voice of Russia also advises that they will not pay any fare for attending the conference & no accommodation will be provided to stay in Delhi. Participants of the conference will have to arrange for thier own accommodation. Venue : Russian Cultural centre Embassy of Russia Cultural Department # 24, Feroz Shah Road New Delhi 110001. Phone: 011-23329102 (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dx_india yg via DXLD) I guess VOA will never do anything like that, as it is just now abandoning its radio audience in Hindi! Or never did? Could one-up by paying fare and accommodations, ha ha (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** SAINT HELENA. As Laura Laurence promised Sept. 5 in her email reply to my follow up, the Radio St. Helena 40th anniversary broadcast QSL did arrive today. As I had this one verified a couple of time previously for earlier St. Helena Day special broadcasts, it is not a new VIC for me as I have several for previous years' SHD broadcasts. However, it is a colorful, very attractive card. The card notes that Robert Kipp supplied the QSLs, so thanks to him. Because it was in the "unfinished business" category, I am pleased to receive it. (Don Jensen, WI, Sept 27, NASWA yg via DXLD) Received one today as well (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, ibid.) In today's mail was a card for the 2006 Radio St. Helena transmission. For those still waiting, there is hope! I know this didn't happen spontaneously, so thanks to all who were involved in making this happen (Bob Coomler, Cloverdale, CA USA, ibid.) ** SIKKIM. See INDIA for this prolonged separate radio country ** SLOVAKIA. Unfortunately, the "Listener Tribune" on R. Slovakia International has become more songs than listener letters. :( 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, Manassas, VA, Sept 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN [non]. Entrevista en RNW a los integrantes de El Mundo en Nuestra Antena Hola compañeros: Aquí está la primera parte de la entrevista que realizó Jaime Báguena en su programa Cartas@RN a nuestros amigos José Miguel Romero y Arturo Vera. José Miguel Romero Romero y Arturo Vera son dos amigos de la radio y de RNW. En esta primera parte del programa, José Miguel cuenta cómo se inició en el mundo de la radio. De niño le cautivó ver el dial del receptor iluminado por una serie de números y escuchar los sonidos que desde allí se emitían. A sus 13 años construyó un radio a galena. Con el tiempo comenzó su interés por rastrear el dial, lo que le supuso "toda una aventura". La pueden escuchar en el siguiente enlace: http://www.informarn.nl/programas/programassemanales/programa_Cartasatrn/cartas-espana/act080929-cartas-valencia10 Un saludo Pepe Bueno (via José Miguel Romero2, dxldyg via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. 9855, VOA (Iranawila) / Deutsche Welle (Trincomalee) (presumed), 0047-0105+, 09/28/08, listed Tibetan/Bengali. Various talk programming, including a couple clips of Condoleeza Rice, wrapup with VOA ID in English, then after a few seconds of open carrier a surprisingly smooth translation to Deutsche Welle via Trincomalee on the same frequency at 0100. Minimal flutter. Good but fading (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. 15390, SOUTH AFRICA. Southern Sudan Interactive Radio Instruction (via Meyerton), 1259, 09/22/08. A radio English lesson designed to be used by a teacher and students following along with the program, with frequent doorbell prompts for responses. Subjects covered included calculating how many kilograms of flour one had received from the World Food Program, which is probably a relevant local topic. Solid signal made it possible to understand the often thickly-accented presenters. Mon/Wed/Fri only. Good (Mark Schiefelbein, Springfield/Bois D'Arc, MO, Kenwood R-5000/Eton E1, Wellbrook 330S loop/~1000' E-W beverage, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. NEW RADIO TO BE LAUNCHED IN DARFUR 27 SEPTEMBER | Text of report by private Sudanese newspaper Al-Ra'y al-Amm on 27 September Sources have disclosed that a radio based in the Netherlands is due to start broadcasting on Saturday [27 September] in the three Darfur states in order to address the IDPs in their tribal dialects of Al- Fur, Zaghawa and Masalit. The sources told Al-Ra'y al-Amm that in last March, an unknown body based in a Dutch town near the Hague had produced almost 5m pieces of small-size radios, which could be hidden in people's hands. The sources further said that the radio had the name of "radio Darfur" written on it in English with the aim of distributing among the IDPs. According to the sources, the radio, which would be broadcasting from The Hague, would address the IDPs in three specific dialects: Zaghawa, Fur and Masalit. The same sources added that those working on this enterprise had declined to reveal the contents of the programs that would be broadcast or the identity of the body that funds the enterprise. Source: Al-Ra'y al-Amm, Khartoum, in Arabic 27 Sep 08 (via BBCM via DXLD) Sounds like the fix-tuned-radio tactic mostly used by gospel huxters and North Koreans, but WTFK?? Could be SW and/or FM. Perhaps Andy Sennitt can uncover something (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) There's a Dutch-language website at http://www.radiodarfur.fm (Dave Kernick, England, Sept 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ``Overtuigen`` link launches a 1-minute video. Also then links to other videos including #.03 about R. Darfur itself; also link on a radio set to a jingle which strangely enough is in the vernacular known as nederlands, which I am sure it perfectly understandable to the Darfurians. Still no info found in the WTFK department. If they are trying to raise money for this worthy project, don`t they at least owe donors some minimal info about when, where and how the signals are transmitted? Perhaps someone reading and listening to everything they say in Dutch will be able to glean something (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I wonder if it's this one; they talk about shortwave from outside Sudan http://www.pressnow.nl/asp/countries_news_details.asp?NewsID=134&CountryID=82&offset= Surely Andy can tell us more (Jari Savolainen, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, this is the same project. If you look at the address at the bottom you will see that Press Now has the same street address as RNW :-) But nothing has been launched yet. I don't know where the Sudanese newspaper got the date from. Some tests have already been carried out and GH actually reported one of these tests in DXLD. When there is some factual information to report, I will report it. Until then, too much attention from DXers is just a nuisance to the people who are working on the project, unless you want to offer financial or practical support. I repeat, the station is *not* on the air !! Final decisions about the times and frequencies, and indeed the transmitter site, have not yet been made as far as I am aware. Nor is any start date mentioned despite that the newspaper report said. When I have some definitive information I will report it :-) Andy Looks like dxld mentioned this station already in 7-140 under SUDAN [non]. (Jari Savolainen, ibid.) Tests already carried out? Was that the 0300 RNW English on 7245 from Madagascar a few weeks ago, otherwise unexplained? (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Yes. I only found out about it myself afterwards. It was a test, at the request of Press Now, who had someone in the target area to check reception. I don't know what the outcome was (Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, pressnow item does say ``Radio Darfur --- With a short-wave radio transmitter outside Sudan`` --- so are those really fix-tuned radios? If so they have to be damn sure they are set to a good frequency since it will be impossible to change it once in use. And if the radios can be so small as to be ``hidden in the hand``, they can`t have much of an antenna either. I would think local FM relays in or near the specific ethnic areas would be more efficient, assuming of course that such FM transmitters would be allowed and secure. I will not expect any clarification from those who know, in order not to distract them (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. via Slovakia, 15650, Miraya 101 FM, 1500-1510, Sept 27, time pips & IDs at 1501 followed by English news. Into Arabic at 1509. Poor to fair (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWAZILAND [and non]. 24/9 0556, 9500 kHz, TWR SWAZILAND - Manzini, Inglese, Gospel pop. Segnale insufficiente-sufficiente. 0559, 11640, TWR SWAZILAND - Meyerton (Sud Africa), Inglese, int/sig e jingle. Segnale sufficiente-buono (SWL I1-0799GE, Luca Botto Fiora, Rapallo (Genova), G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Italy, playdx yg via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. Radio Sweden 11595/15240. Jag trodde de skulle ha ett jubileums-QSL dagen till ära, men icke. Bara ett Stockholmsmotiv… Radio Sweden, 11595/15240. I thought they should have a Jubilee-QSL honoring the day, but not. Only a Stockholm motif (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. RTI COMPETITION --- Dear Friends, Today I got a really nice T-shirt from Radio Taiwan International, thanks to my sending a congratulatory message during their 80th anniversary celebrations. They also informed me (and now also you!) of a radio competition, sponsored by RTI. For more information, please visit http://rti.im.tv/english/ Best wishes from (Björn Fransson, the island of Gotland, Sweden, Sept 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UGANDA [non]. 4750, 31.8 1715, Vad som lät som Dunamis med religiös körsång, efter Bangladesh Betars stängning, visade sig vara Voice of China! // 4460/4800/5030. Se upp! BEFF 4750, 31.8 1715, what sounded like Dunamis with religious choirs after Bangladesh Betar's closedown, seemed to be Voice of China! // 4460/4800/5030. Watch out! BEFF (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. BBC RADIO 4 LAUNCHES NEW WEEKLY MEDIA SHOW ON 1 OCTOBER A reminder that BBC Radio 4 launches its new weekly media show on Wednesday 1 October at 1230 UT. Its brief is to cover what is happening in newspapers, television, radio, and the Web. Steve Hewlett will present it live, and unlike previous media programmes on Radio 4 The Media Show will run for 52 weeks of the year. Listen on demand will be available via the website. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/themediashow/ Related story: The Media Show: new weekly programme on BBC Radio 4 (September 27th, 2008 - 17:51 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) Viz.: The Media Show: new weekly programme on BBC Radio 4 Journalist and former TV executive Steve Hewlett is to present BBC Radio 4’s new topical programme The Media Show, to be broadcast live all year round from 1 October 2008 every Wednesday at 1.30pm UK time. The show will focus on the fast changing world of media in all its forms – print, television, radio, online and telecommunications. The programme will engage with key players from within the industry, including those making the decisions, driving the changes and developing the latest technology. Subjects such as creativity, culture and censorship within the media will be discussed alongside those of business and ethics. As the media world converges, with newspapers expanding into audio and video while radio and TV networks move online, The Media Show will shed light on the issues faced by the industry at large. Steve Hewlett says: “I hope the programme will be able to lift the lid on many of the current stories within the media, offering genuine insight and intelligence, making this show a must-listen for both those within the industry – but always accessible to a wider audience of those interested in a subject that effects all our lives.” The Media Show will be available via podcast. BBC Radio 4’s former media programme The Message ran from 1998 until May 2008, in three series a year. The new show is to run 52 weeks a year which will enable Steve Hewlett and his guests to react to current industry stories and issues of importance to the media world. (Source: Radio 4 Publicity) (July 7th, 2008 - 12:06 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** U S A. VOA RESTRUCTURES BOSNIAN, HINDI, SERBIAN, MACEDONIAN, RUSSIAN BROADCASTS Washington, D.C., September 29, 2008 - The Voice of America (VOA) is ceasing radio broadcasts in Hindi, Bosnian, Serbian, and Macedonian on September 30, 2008, using available resources to reach audiences in those markets through television and the Internet. No VOA language service will be shut down and no jobs will be lost. VOA also is discontinuing its 30-minute Russian weekly television program and will deliver text, audio, and video content to Russia's fast-growing Internet market. VOA will be accessible through digital devices, including mobile Internet devices, cell phones that receive text and multi-media messages, and MP3 players. VOA's Russian radio broadcasts ended in July 2008. The change in VOA Russian's program delivery reflects the crackdown on independent media and freedom of speech in Russia. Russian government pressure has forced almost all VOA local radio and television affiliates to drop VOA and other international broadcasts. Shortwave radio listenership also has continued to decline throughout the country, with fewer than 2% of Russians using this medium weekly. "We owe great thanks to the VOA radio journalists who have broadcast to these countries over the years," said VOA Director Danforth Austin. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) will continue radio broadcasting to Russia, Bosnia, Macedonia, and Serbia (VOA Press Release via DXLD) ** U S A. PROPOSED NEW AGENCY "WOULD MANAGE U.S. INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTS DIRECTLY." "U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today introduced legislation that would establish the National Center for Strategic Communications, an agency similar to the now defunct U.S. Information Agency. ... In addition to establishing a new public diplomacy agency, Brownback's proposal would abolish the existing Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy at the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Their functions would be transferred to the new National Center for Strategic Communications where they would be managed by single director. The Director of the Center would oversee an interagency panel of representatives from other federal entities whose missions inherently involve strategic communications with foreign publics. ... Under Brownback's legislation, the new Center would separate public diplomacy - speaking to foreign publics - from official diplomacy - speaking to foreign governments. Second, the Center would manage U.S. international broadcasts directly. Third, the Center would enlist the support of private, non-profit and non-governmental organizations and would enable the new Center to make grants to representatives of the Center in key countries to implement U.S. national strategy on a local level." Senator Brownback press release, 23 September 2008. Senator Brownback discussed his bill, S.3546 (text not yet available) at the Brookings Institution, 23 September (transcript not available, at least not yet). Tom Dyne, former president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, disagreed with Brownback. He "noted that the past success of entities such as Radio Free Europe and Voice of America was due to their emphasis on independent journalism and professional integrity, not government propaganda. He said that international broadcasting too connected to the U.S. government will not be seen as legitimate by local populations. Dyne did agree that there is a need to reevaluate the current system and cull ineffective and redundant programs." Notes by Project on Middle East Democracy, 24 September 2008. Senator Brownback, whose bill would create a successor to USIA, was, as U.S. representative in the 1990s, "a prime sponsor of the Congressional effort to abolish" USIA. New York Times via Gerald Loftus, Avuncular American, 27 September 2008. For other blog reaction to the bill, see MountainRunner, 25 September 2008 and FreeMediaOnline, 25 September 2008. (see http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=4903 for linx, via DXLD) People tune to international broadcasts to get news that is more comprehensive and reliable than the news they get from their domestic state-controlled media. Credibility is therefore the be-all and end- all of successful international broadcasting. To achieve credibility, international broadcasting must be independent. To be independent, it must be controlled not by a government, but by a board -- a bipartisan board whose members have fixed and staggered terms. That was the reasoning behind the creation of the Broadcasting Board of Governors in 1994. As much as some of us have been aggravated by some of the BBG's decisions, U.S. international broadcasting cannot succeed if it does not have a board providing the firewall between it and the U.S. government. The United States government benefits from an international broadcasting over which it does not have direct control because 1) the broadcasts will have an audience, and 2) those audiences will be well informed and bolstered against the disinformation on which dictators and terrorists thrive. If Brownback's new entity "would manage U.S. international broadcasts directly," then it would probably call for news that accentuates the positive, underplays the negative, and adds lots of pro-U.S. commentary. The audience for U.S. international broadcasting, which, collectively, is much, much smarter than, collectively, the decision makers and experts of Washington, would immediately recognize such a broadcasting effort for what it is: propaganda. And they would tune elsewhere. Public diplomacy, on the other hand, is not supposed to be independent. It is the explanation and advocacy of U.S. policies to foreign publics. It is the job of the State department to project U.S. policies abroad. State is the logical location for public diplomacy. I used to work for USIA. USIA officials were constantly going over to State for meetings. Information officers, who took the State Department's Foreign Service exam, worked out of or in conjunction with U.S. embassies. They did not travel or embark on projects without ambassadorial approval. USIA was basically a bureau of State, with the addition of a large front office. Brownback's press release states that "the new Center would separate public diplomacy - speaking to foreign publics - from official diplomacy - speaking to foreign governments." Why? Would there be two different messages? Would we have one policy for foreign governments, another for foreign publics? Those foreign publics (remember, they are much, much smarter... ) would soon detect the duplicity. Isn't the international credibility of the United States bad enough already? On the bright side, S.3546 does have entertainment value. Here is Senator Brownback, the small-government, fiscal conservative, trying to solve a problem by creating a new bureaucracy. Many people think the global unpopularity of the United States can be solved by "strategic communications." But, as many other people have pointed out, the popularity of the United States is actually determined by the policies and actions of the United States. The best public diplomacy and international broadcasting can do is to keep the United States from being even more unpopular by countering disinformation about the United States. Posted: 28 Sep 2008 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** U S A. Latest entries on the AFGE 1812 website, in reverse order. See the original for reproduxions of letters in jpg: http://www.afge1812.org/Content_Page_1.html PUT AWAY YOUR WALKING SHOES DATELINE: Washington, 09/25/08: VOA Director, Danforth Austin visited several of the language services targeted for radio broadcast eliminations and announced that there would be no RIFs. That was good news for many employees who were waiting for the Agency to give them their walking papers. Mr. Austin spoke to members of the Ukrainian, Serbian, Hindi, and Portuguese-to-Africa Services on Monday, September 22nd. He was asked by a member of the Ukrainian Service if the Agency would reconsider its decision regarding the Russian Service and responded that that decision would not be changed. He then went on to say that because the affiliates were vulnerable to the Russian government the VOA could not realistically broadcast in radio even if they wanted to. Of course he was ignoring the 900 pound gorilla that everyone else in the room was aware of - shortwave radio. The BBG's refusal to admit their mistake of abolishing the shortwave radio broadcasts is getting to the point of ridiculousness. The obvious answer to broadcasts in Russian is to reinstitute VOA shortwave radio in that language. A good part of Mr. Austin's discussion was to warn employees that though there would not be a RIF at this time, one could happen in the very near future. He again claimed that Congress desired more cuts. He refused to say that the cuts were actually being generated by either the BBG or OMB. ***** BBG PICKS THE WRONG TIME TO GIVE UP HINDI DATELINE: Washington, 09/12/08. The Broadcasting Board of Governors received a letter from two powerful Congressmen a day after all but one member of the Board allegedly refused to reverse their irresponsible and short sighted decision to eliminate several VOA language service radio broadcasts. A copy of the letter appears below. WINKIN, BLINKIN & NOD DATELINE: Washington, 08/26/08. Apparently the BBG did not have more than a wink and a nod for approval to close the Voice of America Russian radio service two weeks before the troops marched into Georgia. Nor does it seem that the Board had any more than that from Congress when it forced VOA Director Danforth Austin to announce the closing of the Georgian, Ukrainian, Hindi, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, and about half of the Portuguese to Africa radio broadcasts. Because the Fiscal Year 2008 Appropriations Act reversed these cuts, it appears that the closures are a violation of law. Director Austin was told that Congress had directed that the cuts be made but according to an official response from the BBG's Office of General Counsel to a request for information filed by AFGE Local 1812 under the Freedom of Information Act no such directive exits in writing. See the document below. In a recent development the Board also announced the creation of a new public relations unit. The newly created BBG Public Affairs Office will apparently have as its main objective the promotion of the Board itself. The cost of this unit will be hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars. That money could just as well be used to fund the continuation of VOA Russian, Georgian, Ukrainian, Hindi, etc. radio broadcasts. ***** NOT WILLING TO ADMIT A MISTAKE DATELINE: Washington, 08/13/08. James Glassman, the former Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) and the current surrogate for the Secretary of State on the BBG, visited the Voice of America (VOA) Russian and Georgian Services late in the afternoon on Tuesday, August 12th. Both Services assumed that he was coming to announce that the BBG had acted rashly when it announced in July that it was going to end the Russian and Georgian radio broadcasts, among others. The BBG had ended the VOA Russian radio broadcasts on July 26th. The VOA Georgian radio broadcasts are as yet still on the air. The employees had misinterpreted the reason for his visit. Glassman announced that he was visiting them just to thank them for all their hard work. Both Services informed him that the Russian media were broadcasting old Soviet style propaganda. The VOA Russian Service members announced that they were ready and eager to begin broadcasts again in order to counter the Russian propaganda. They were told that a reallocation of funds had taken place and that would not change. When asked if the Georgian Service would continue broadcasts after September 30th, he told the employees that he didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. ***** WHAT ARE THEY THINKING We congratulate the BBG for having made what can only be considered one of the worst decisions ever to come out of mahogany row. With Russian troops and planes in Georgia and warships off the Georgian coast, the policy makers on the third floor have said "no" to a request to resume the VOA Russian radio broadcasts. They have also asked the professionals in the Georgian Service to double their broadcasts into that war zone despite the fact that they still plan on throwing them out of work by the end of next month. Two weeks ago (July 26th), VOA ended its radio broadcasts into Russia after more than 60 years of continuous service. About a month ago the BBG also informed the Georgian Service that - as of September 30th - it will go off the air and be shut down. The Georgian Service is short-staffed as it is, what with people looking for other jobs, but employees have been told to double their workload which will lead to overtime and no days off. There is no way to determine how long this war will last but the BBG is betting that it will be only another six weeks. AFGE Local 1812 warned Congress that it would be penny-wise and pound- foolish to allow the BBG to implement these decisions since, in this case, the area of the world is politically volatile. Up to this point, the Congress has not listened. Maybe, now, that will change. VOA's shortwave transmitters have always been one of the most reliable and cost-effective methods of broadcasting objective news and information to the world. The BBG refuses to acknowledge this. To use a metaphor, the BBG has shut down a fire station in a neighborhood in an effort to save money. Now that a major conflagration has broken out in that very same neighborhood, there is no one there to help put the fire out. ***** TAKE FUNDS FROM AL HURRA AND RADIO SAWA DATELINE: Washington, 07/09/08. VOA employees, sickened by the continuing bad decisions made by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, demand that the BBG take funding from the wasteful and ineffective Al Hurra and Radio Sawa in order to keep valuable Voice of America radio services on the air and reestablish the VOA Arabic Service. The BBG claims to have a "kind of agreement" with the Congress to eliminate by September 30th the radio broadcasts of VOA Ukrainian, Serbian, Bosnian, Georgian, Hindi, and Macedonian services. The "agreement" would also eliminate almost half of the Portuguese-to- Africa radio broadcasts and would eliminate not only the radio broadcasts of the Russian service but the TV broadcasts as well. The BBG has reportedly squandered thousands, if not millions of dollars, on ghost employees at Al Hurra but now wants to throw U.S. citizens performing a valuable service at the Voice of America out of work. The BBG uses the same old tired excuses in explaining these cuts. A BBG spokesperson even resorted to the old "diminished audience" argument regarding the VOA Russian radio broadcasts but failed to mention that the audience was probably measured only after the BBG cut frequencies and transmitters and that there is no real accurate way to measure a shortwave audience in Russia. Pro Publica released a story on the VOA cuts that can be found here: http://www.propublica.org/article/voice-of-america-to-cut-language-services-709/ (AFGE Local 1812 via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. Presidential debates: Saturday. 9/27 -- 0100 to 0130 UT: 6080 Presumed VOA. The debates were weak, just above the noise floor. Audio || to the TV coverage 9885: Nice romantic music, strong, sign off with VOA ID at 0130. Heard snatches of the debates after 0130, like they were trying to make a hookup, but not quite able to. 12080 Only noise; 15580 Only noise (Larry Wild, DX396, FRG7, Aberdeen, SD, ABDX via DXLD) 9885 is scheduled for VOA Spanish until 0130 (gh) ** U S A [non]. New Frequency for VOA Bangla --- from DXAsia News From 1st October VOA Bangla service is moving on to 9320 (to get good propagation) replacing 11835 from Philippine relay at 1600-1700 to South Asia and parallel 7260 from Thailand relay continues. Currently this 9320 kHz is used by VOA Hindi which is due to close on 30th September 2008 - so the last chance of hearing VOA Hindi is on Tuesday 30th September at 1600-1700 on 9320 and 7430 (Alok Dasgupta, Kolkata, India, via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. 12110, Sept 29 at 1335 in unID language, but brief English clip voiced-over at 1338; Aoki says it`s VOA in Somali via Lampertheim at 13-14; and it occupies a 2-hour hole between two Tagalog broadcasts from CRI via Kunming, a fine example of coöperation and coördination (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. "TO RUSSIA, WITH LOVE" - RADIO FREE EUROPE AND THE COLD WAR http://www.tangramfilm.de/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=44&details=0101&lang=en A new film about radio is in production, this from Tangram Films: 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. "To Russia, With Love" tells the story of the Cold War from a most unusual perspective: Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. A radio station for the countries behind the Iron Curtain. Conceived as a propaganda instrument and financed by the CIA, RFE over the years changed its face and provided the people under Soviet rule with information and news not available to them in any other form. Like any broadcaster in a democratic country. Today the radio station is seen as one of the most successful enterprises of the CIA. And some claim that the peaceful end of the cold war is largely due to RFE/RL's broadcasts. "To Russia, With Love" takes us back to the time when World War III seemed imminent, shows the political machinations behind RFE and movingly captures the memories of its listeners. "Sometimes I'm looking at my kids and I'm trying to think how can I explain them what I went through, how it was", remembers one of the listeners, "and in all honesty, I'm happy. I'm happy that they cannot understand that! Because it means that they live in a world without this pressure, without this constraints of thinking about one thing and talking about another one." (via Mike Terry, England, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. 3230.58, WWCR. Strong spur of 3215. Music at 0832 28 Sept (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) + one on 3200v? ** U S A [and non]. In other Pine Tree State news, UMaine sports are switching radio affiliates in the Bangor market - but it's all within the Blueberry Broadcasting family. Football and hockey broadcasts from the Black Bear Sports network (part of the nationwide Learfield group) had been heard on WVOM (103.9 Howland), but they're shifting to sister stations WAEI (97.1)/WABI (910), the new WEEI sports outlets in the Bangor market. The broadcasts also add a new outlet up north, as Allan Weiner's new WBCQ (94.7 Monticello) picks up UMaine sports. Its sister station on AM 780 has changed calls, by the way - it's no longer WCXH, but WXME, and is reportedly silent after several months of simulcasting the "Channel X" network from up north (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch Sept 29 via DXLD) WBCQ the call on FM??? And is it really on the air as implied above? Per FCC FM Query, WBCQ-FM was assigned to 94.7, as of 8/15/08, but shown only as a 6 kW CP: http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=170487 I guess it is on air, from the next NERW item. Will 94.7 carry any of the programs heard on SW? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) In eastern CANADA, it looks like the CRTC didn't fully coordinate with the FCC on a New Brunswick FM allotment - otherwise, CJRI (94.7 Fredericton NB) wouldn't have been experiencing major interference from the new WBCQ-FM on the same frequency over in Monticello, Maine! CJRI has been granted temporary permission to use 104.5 while a permanent solution is found. Owner Faithway Communications is also applying to add three low-power relay transmitters, with 50 watts each in Woodstock (101.1), Saint Stephen (99.9) and New Brandon (99.7). (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch Sept 29 via DXLD) ** U S A. Bill, The IRCA "DX News" Vol. 76, No. 1 of September 29, 2008 shows "Call Letter Changes" of 1050: Old Call WFED MD Silver Spring; New Call WTOP. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, Manassas, VA, USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 940, FLORIDA (MIS), WPTI814, Pinellas County Emergency Management; Largo; This didn't take long go bad: what, maybe two weeks? Now reverting back to a giant 60-cycle hum, with virtually none of the audio loop making it through all the huminoidz. Brilliant! 1520, FLORIDA, WXYB, Indian Rocks Beach; 1950-2005 UT September 20, 2008. Checking to see if the anti-Castro "Movimiento Insurreccional Martiana" program is still here Saturdays local 2-4 p.m. and indeed it is. Spanish male and female, anti-Raúl, Fidel and Hugo rhetoric, a handful of Cuban oldie vocals thrown in. Closing ID 1959, into open carrier, then finally audio but still malfunctioning with repeated Spanish male canned ID, "WXYB, 15-20 AM, Clearwater-Tampa-St. Petersburg, Radio Festival Mexicana" until around 2004, when finally someone woke up and into ethno-Mexican programming (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See disclaimer under CUBA ** U S A. 1040 WWBA moves to 820 WMGG --- 820, FLORIDA, WMGG, Largo (Mega Communicatons), formerly Hispanic format, is as of this morning (September 29th) simulcasting Genesis Communications WWBA 1040, Pinellas Park (Mark Larsen local a.m. drive and assorted syndicated talk). 820 is running the WWBA audio uninterruppted, while 1040 is, about every 15 or so seconds, dumping a male voicever "WWBA has moved. We're now News Talk AM 820." Callers congratulating them on the "new" big signal, which is 50 kW day. Their night power/signal is awful unless you're a fish, but then 1040's night signal was awful. This is a great move. It will be interesting to see what Genesis does with 1040 next. Presume this is an LMA with Mega. Radio-info.com's Tampa board has a post indicating that 820's IBLOC has been turned off, too. But for how long? As of this moment, WWBA's website has yet to update the 820 simulcast, and Mega's page still shows La Preciosa format on 820. [Later:] From Radio-info.com's main page now comes confirmation of an LMA, pending sale and upcoming 1040 format: ``A format flip & new owners for Tampa's WMGG (820) Mega Communications agrees to sell its powerful AM to Genesis Communications for an undisclosed price, and already the changes are affecting Tampa radio through an LMA. WMGG's Spanish "La Preciosa" format was replaced this morning with a news-talk simulcast of Genesis-owned WWBA-AM (1040). The Tampa Business Journal says Genesis will re-locate its other existing AM, ESPN Radio affiliate WHBO-AM (1470), to 1040 on October 13. 1470 and 1040 will apparently continue to simulcast the sports-talk format. Genesis also owns WHOO (1080) & WAMT (1190) in Orlando, and WIXC (1060) in Melbourne. WMGG's 50,000- watt daytime signal from Tampa can reach north to Tallahassee and as far south as the Florida Keys. Its signal drops to 1-kw after sundown.`` (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, Sept 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. TECH UPDATE FROM KPFT - TRYING TO GET BACK ON AIR BY HOOK OR CROOK --- 19 September 2008, 2:25 pm Filed under: Pacifica Latest update from Houston, re: getting KPFT back on the air. This message is from KPFT Chief Engineer Steve Brightwell: In the interest of clarification, let me take a minute to explain the situation at KPFT. First, there is no power at either location, studio or transmitter. Second, and more to the point, there is no way to get program audio to the transmitter site. The microwave tower at Lovett Blvd. has been damaged by a fallen tree. The microwave dish antenna at the top of the damaged tower is also not working properly, either due to water penetration or physical damage. The tree has been removed, but it will take a licensed, insured tower climbing crew to correct those antenna problems. We are expecting a crew within a few days. The backup plan for a studio connection is of course, the internet, however all of the AT&T circuits at the transmitter site are dead. Most likely, a tree has fallen over a suspended telephone cable somewhere, and multiple-pair telephone cables take a lot longer to splice than power lines. At the studio, KPFT has three separate internet service providers, AT&T (dead), Comcast (also dead), and a DSL circuit which has for years been donated at no charge to KPFT by Netstar Communications. Of course, it’s the only one working! The second backup plan was to use the tower site at KTRU. Their tower is on the northeast of Houston - an area hardest hit - and also without power or telephone circuits as of last check. KTRU is operating on the Rice University campus with a low power transmitter, but they’re not getting out much further than the campus itself. While it is possible for KPFT to get 50 watts on the air and operate a minimal daytime schedule with a portable generator (which we don’t yet have), it will require a massive expense of manpower and gasoline, only to serve a small neighborhood in Northwest Houston, with the overwhelming majority of regular listeners being left out. A portable generator at the transmitter will have to be continually monitored and re-fueled. Also for security, the portable generator will have to be removed at the end of each day and delivered again the next morning. This is the reason we will not take the studio’s 15 kW generator out to the tower. It’s too large and heavy to move in and out everyday. We will not allow volunteers to stay at the tower site after dark, and the neither the generator nor its fuel are allowed inside the transmitter building. We are currently investigating the possibility of using a laptop with a wireless internet access card to pick-up an audio stream at the tower site. If this is successful, then we can power-up the studio with its generator, and attempt to connect with a wireless laptop at the tower. General Manager, Duane Bradley, along with Studio Engineer, Laura Slavin, are today going to the tower site to test this plan. We should know more soon (Current via DXLD) ** U S A. Re KRVA-1600 Dallas, address in Houston per the NRC AM Log: Glenn et al., NRC usually lists the address of the programming origination. In this case it was the best address I could come up with for their programming and probable correspondence (Wayne Heinen, ed., DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. KRZA, 88.7 Alamosa CO-Taos NM, has been promising for at least a couple of years to start webcasting, so I had their page bookmarked and checked it occasionally. Finally has come true. Here`s their program schedule still dated 2007 with a listen link too which goes to Live365. http://www.krza.org/programschedule.htm Times MDT = UT -6. On 88.7 it gets into parts of Santa Fe from transmitter site on San Antonio Peak, NM, which is near US 285 just S of the Colorado border, in Cumbres & Toltec Railroad territory. KRZA = La Raza, tho most of the program titles are in English. Ooh, the Live365 feed was rather distorted when I first checked. Work on that. A good time for some local programming is Mon, Tue at 8:10 am per the grid, but we found it really means 8:30 = 1430 UT (Glenn Hauser, OK, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. FCC EXPERIMENTAL ACTIONS: WE2XSX, LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION, 0264-EX-PL-2008, New experimental to operate on 2200 kHz, 3191 kHz, 4040 kHz, 6100 kHz, 8015 kHz, 10707 kHz, 15343 kHz, 19049 kHz, 23375 kHz and 29933 kHz for antenna testing for submarine platforms. Fixed: Marion (Plymouth), MA (FCC via DXLD) ** U S A. FCC Experimental License grant to Hatfield-Dawson Consulting Engineers, LLC, for ``Modernization and transformation of psychological operation equipment under government contract. Tests of Psyop transmission systems`` Callsign: WD2XYJ Class of Station: FX Nature of Service: Experimental Operation Start Date: 09/15/2008 Operation End Date: 03/15/2009 Station Location City State Latitude Longitude NAS El Centro California North 32 53 24, West 115 47 14 Datum: NAD 83 Is a directional antenna (other than radar) used? Yes Concerns 88.3, 89.1, 93.5, 97.1 MHz at 3 or 1.5 kW ERP. More details: https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current &application_seq=39995&RequestTimeout=1000 (via DXLD) And there is an accompanying license for experimental MW transmitters: ``Further Testing of Equipment by SpaWar --- Modernization and transformation of psychological operation equipment under government contract. See narrative`` Callsign: WD2XUM Class of Station: FX Nature of Service: Experimental Operation Start Date: 09/15/2008 Operation End Date: 03/15/2009 Station Location City State Latitude Longitude El Centro NAF California North 32 53 24, West 115 47 14 Datum: NAD 83 Is a directional antenna (other than radar) used? No Concerns 530, 890 and 1680 kHz, with 5 kW, 250 watts or 10 kW, non- modulated, tones, or voice. More details: https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current &application_seq=39997&RequestTimeout=1000 And for television, channels 2, 4, 10, 15, 30 and 63; 2 or 5 kW ERP: ``Additional test requirements by SpaWar --- Tests of Psyops transmission systems. Modernization and transformation of psychological operation equipment under government contract.`` Callsign: WD9XGT Class of Station: FX Nature of Service: Experimental Operation Start Date: 10/04/2008 Operation End Date: 04/04/2009 Station Location City State Latitude Longitude NAS El Centro California North 32 53 24 West 115 47 14 Datum: NAD 83 Is a directional antenna (other than radar) used? No --- More info: https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current &application_seq=39993&RequestTimeout=1000 (FCC via DXLD) Hmmm, looks like a similar M.O. to the OSU Multispectral Lab tests in Chilocco OK and Flying H NM. Axually most of this is renewal or modifications. Discussed at some length in: DXLD 5-207, 5-210, 8-012 (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Glenn, If one reads the appendix in the "comprehensive technical exhibit" from the application for replacement of the KFI tower, the details regarding the top-loading of the new tower are outlined. Ron Rackley, who designed the replacement system, carefully evaluated the conditions which would produce results for allocation purposes as similar as possible to the original tower and which would result, insofar as possible, in the maximum distance to the inner boundary of the skywave/groundwave interference zone. The former objective was necessary to avoid any increase in interference to other stations, and the latter objective is to provide service to as much of the LA basin as possible. The url for the engineering design exhibit is: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=469259 (Ben Dawson, WA, Sept 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Photos of KFI`s new tower and hat: http://sakrison.com/radio/KFITower3.html (via SDRadio.net via DXLD) ** U S A. Stress test, or someone minding the store? Localized tropo enhancement bringing in several Little Rock LPTV's including KJLR-CA 28, and KLRA-LP 58. KKYK-CA 20 very strong. But this isn't the subject at hand. KLRA-LP 58 (Equity Broadcasting) is the Little Rock OTA affiliate for Univision. The station's signal goes in and out as in on air and off the air --- off 5 sec, on 2-8 seconds and has done this for the last 20 minutes I have been monitoring. Since KLRA-LP 58 is one of the few LPTV's carried by Comcast Cable, I'm sure some complaints would have been lodged against Comcast, but this is KLRA-58's over the air signal. My question is how long has this been occurring? I'm sure this isn't good on the station's transmitter. Just another day of broadcasting in Little Rock Arkansas (Fritze H. Prentice Jr, KC5KBV, Star City, AR, Grid: EM43aw http://tvdxseark.blogspot.com 1012 UT Sept 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. COLUMNIST'S 'DREAM COME TRUE' NEARS THE END September 23, 2008 BY ROBERT FEDER Sun-Times Columnist http://www.suntimes.com/business/feder/1179217,CST-FIN-feder23.article For close to three decades now, I've been telling you about the comings and goings of media people in Chicago. It's been quite a parade. Today I have some news to share about myself: I'll be leaving the Sun- Times in the next few weeks. Robert Feder, a Sun-Times columnist who wrote about Chicago media for nearly 30 years, will be leaving the paper in the coming weeks. (Jim Frost/Sun-Times) [caption] There's still some paperwork to be completed and a final date to be determined, but I wanted you to hear it from me first, and I wanted to explain my decision in my own words. Thanks to a deal worked out between the Sun-Times and the union representing newsroom employees, those of us who've been here 25 years or more were offered the option to step down with a full year's pay and benefits. The more I thought about it, the more I came to see it as a great opportunity. After devoting all of my energy to covering the same beat for 28 years, I'll be able to take a break, step back and think about what else I want to do. Maybe I'll continue in journalism or maybe I'll pursue something completely different. I have no idea what's next. But I'm excited about having the luxury to take my time and see what's out there. One reason I stayed as long as I have in this job is that it was such a perfect fit. I'd been fascinated by the inner workings of the media for as long as I can remember. While other kids grew up worshiping rock stars or athletes, my idol was Walter Cronkite, the great CBS News anchorman. When I started here in 1980 -- just two years out of journalism school at Northwestern -- I couldn't believe I was getting paid to write about my favorite subject in the world. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. But times change, and covering the minutiae of the broadcast business isn't as much fun as it used to be. I never wanted to do this one day longer than I was willing to give it 100 percent. Over the years, I've seen too many has-beens turn into hacks by not knowing when to quit. I'd rather leave too early than stay too late. Don't think for a moment that my decision reflects a lack of faith in the talented men and women here who carry on the Sun-Times' legacy of excellence. Their dedication and professionalism are what keeps this paper such a vital part of our readers' lives -- and the life of this great city. It galls me to hear others gleefully predict our demise. The prospect of Chicago ever becoming a one-newspaper town is a calamity I can't begin to imagine. As someone who has lived here all his life, I can't recall a time when the Sun-Times wasn't part of my daily routine. It's the paper my family read on the South Side, where I was born, and the one my parents still subscribe to in Skokie, where I grew up. I am grateful for every day I've been part of this wonderful enterprise and humbled by the loyalty and support I've felt from so many readers. Working here has been more than an honor and a privilege. It's been a dream come true. Reader comments: http://www.suntimes.com/business/feder/1181189,CST-FIN-feder24.article (CST via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. ¡ESCUCHA SONIDOS DEL MUNDO! LISTEN! SOUNDS OF THE WORLD! Sonidos del Mundo es un espacio radial dedicado a los diferentes géneros musicales del planeta como: El Jazz, la Salsa, El Tango, el Chill, el Lounge, el Reggae, etc., etc. Un programa que muestra las diferentes facetas culturales de los diversos pueblos del mundo, a través de su música. Acompáñenos cada Sábado y hagamos juntos el mayor recorrido musical de la radiodifusión venezolana. Mailyn Talavera: Comunicadora Social de amplia trayectoria en los medios barineses, con su simpatía y buen humor en sus entrevistas nos dará a conocer el acontencer noticioso del momento. Jorge García: Economista, Locutor y productor de programas de radio, será el encargado de guiarles musicalmente por los 5 continentes, a través de la geografía y la cultura de los pueblos del mundo. Sounds of the World is a radio program devoted to various genres of the planet such as: Jazz, Salsa, Tango, Chill, Lounge, Reggae, and so on. And so on. A program that shows the different cultural aspects of the various peoples of the world, through their music. Join us every Saturday together and make the greatest musical tour of Venezuelan broadcasting. Mailyn Talavera: Social Communicator, broad career in the Barinas media, with sympathy and good humor in her interviews, will announce the news events of the moment. Jorge García: Economist, Speaker and radio producer, will be responsible for guiding musically through the 5 continents, via the geography and culture of the peoples of the world. http://www.sonidosdelmundoradio.blogspot.com Sus comentarios y críticas son bienvenidas en el siguiente correo electrónico: Your comments are welcome at the following e-mail: sonidosdelmundoradio @ gmail.com (Jorge García, Venezuela, Sept 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) From the blog site we find that the program airs Saturdays at 5-7 pm local time on Mundo 88.9 FM, and also on internet. Not clear whether the station webcasts live; that would be at 2130-2330 UT. Has an orange podOmatic link to hear the first program on demand (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** VIETNAM. 9839.86, VOV, 1248, 9/26/08. Mix of talk and music. English service. Signal not moving s-meter. Fading down by 1300 (Jerry Strawman, Des Moines, IA, Drake R8, Drake R8B, Perseus SDR, Alpha Delta Sloper, Wellbrook 330S one meter loop, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** VIETNAM. Via remote tuner in Australia: 4740v, Son La Broadcasting Station, 1153 Sept 29 heard with instrumental interval signal played again and again till 1158. A bit of dead air, then another instrumental tune (sounded like one of those national anthems you hear on the internet with the musical tones [MIDI].) Announcements by man and woman. Sure sounded like the woman said "Son La," sounded like "Sun La" to my ears. Steady talk by man at 1200. All in Vietnamese. Good reception (Hans Johnson, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. 12035, SW Radio Africa via Rampisham, 1706-1804, Sept 29, in English, due to power outage in London they had technical difficulties and presented a special lineup of programming (history of jazz, especially in southern Africa and South African program "Positive"), back to normal at 1754, when they went live, announcer Violet Gonda (FYI - In 2002 she was banned from returning to her home country by the Zimbabwean government because of her journalism work at the radio station) apologized to listeners for the program disruptions, into Newsreel, good to fair reception with no jamming (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 1530 kHz, desconocida Cubana, Cuba? 28 sept 08, 0837 UT, señal pobre, escuché a esta emisora colocando musica cubana --- luego no alcancé a identificarla; solo escuché bien, "SOY LAS MAS CARIBEÑA", mezclándose con Radio Avivamiento de Panamá. NOTA: Alguien tiene datos de esta emisora? (Yimber Gaviria, Receptor: Sony 7600G, con antena telescópica. Lugar: Jamundi, valle, Colombia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 3345, 26/9 2115 in lingua unid (RRI Ternate??? In questo orario Channel Africa dovrebbe essere OFF ed il segnale era bassissimo) insuf/suff (Roberto Pavanello, Vercelli - Italia, via Roberto Scaglione, bclnews.it yg via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 3980, Sept 28 at 1255 vocal music struck me as S Asian, with ham noises, buzzing, hets on and off; 1256 announcement; 1306 music. PWBR has Hamgyong PS, KOREA NORTH on 3981v, as alternate to 3940, and I did not nail it to 3980.0 for sure. Aoki has nothing between 3976 and 3985, but 3940 Chongjin. LOB in Brasil has been reporting Korea North on 3980 about 3-4 hours earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 4781.65, unID radioemisora on at *1108 Sept 29 seemingly too strong for a CP, noted daily. [Wilkner; KM- Cedar Key] 73s (Bob Wilkner, Pompano Beach, South Florida, US, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 4864.980, 22.9 1620, OID på OID språk med stängning 1623. Dålig modulation så jag kunde inte uppfatta något… 2 SA 4864.980, 22.9 1620, unID in unknown language with closedown at 1623. Bad modulation so I couldn't recognize anything. 2 SA (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 4900.0, 21.9 1610, OID italiensk station med sändning på ett sidband (LSB). Stängde 1616 med orden ”Ciao, ciao”. Pirat eller vad?? Tror jag sett notis om någon pirat här. 2 SA 4900.0, 21.9 1610, unID Italian station transmitting in one sideband (LSB). Closedown at 1616 with the words Ciao, ciao. Pirate or what?? I think I have seen some info about a pirate station here. 2 SA (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 28, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Just `ciao` doesn`t necessarily mean Italian as lotsa other languages like to use that goodbye (gh) UNIDENTIFIED. 4940 (not 4945), Sept 28 at 1315, fluttery carrier averaging S9+10 which ought to be enough for copy, but just bits of talk audible, so very undermodulated? Probably AIR Guwahati. 1317 similar flutter on weaker 5050 signal, Aizawl? But talk sounds more SE Asian, and more likely China (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. The het to CFRX was again around 6070.8, Sept 28 at 1246, probably North Korea (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 15 SEPTEMBER 2008 JOURNALISM AND NEW TECH TRENDS Several of us from VOA attended the annual convention of the Online News Association right here in Washington last Friday and Saturday. What impressed us most of all were the statements by several speakers that “the journalism should always comes first” as news organizations worldwide struggle to cope with the ever-growing number of technological applications available to them. One of the more impressive presentations was called “10 Tech Trends You've Never Heard Of” by Amy Webb, who is a former journalist and now a media consultant. We won’t go into any detail on her presentation, a summary of which can be found online. But one of the emerging tech trends with possible journalistic application involves this: http://voanewsblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/journalism-and-new-tech-trends.html Can anyone out there tell me what this means/says/is? We hope to hear from you soon. 17 September 2008 It’s A Contest --- OK. It’s official. The question we put to you in the last posting, identify the graphic or whatever you want to call it, is now a contest. The first person (outside the U.S.) who can crack the code and send us an email with the answer we are seeking will receive a VOA T-shirt! How about that! So make haste. We will close the contest on Sept. 30th. So get to work, loyal NewsBlogAudience. Posted by Alex Belida at Wednesday, September 17, 2008 0 comments (VOA News blog via DXLD) Comments acknowledge it`s QR code, but re what? (gh) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ LATIN AMERICAN SW LOGS - NEW URL The Mohrmann's List has moved! This is the new address: http://www.mcdxt.it/LASWLOGS.html PS: now with HP in IT, EE, SS, PP (new) and Friulano (new)! Best DX from Italy! for MCDXT, (Francesco Clemente, Cumbredx list via DXLD) ?? This ``new`` URL is not news. It already appeared in DXLD 8-095 of August 31. Is no one paying attention? (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ CRAZY ENGLISH CRAZE IN CHINA Excellent documentary in the first half of the second hour of the Sunday Edition on CBCR1, Sept 28. Audio should be available shortly (gh) http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/listen.html DOCUMENTARY: YOUR WORDS ARE OUR DESTINY When Li Yang was a struggling university student in southern China, he discovered something amazing. When he shouted out his English lessons, his marks improved dramatically. Sound crazy? Think again. Li Yang is now the ruler of a noisy teaching and publishing empire that's made him a multi-millionaire. "Crazy English" is taught all over China - in schools and workshops and even 10,000 seat stadiums. Li Yang is a celebrity: a teacher who has become a household name, a man who travels with 2 full time personal photographers. His goal, he says, is not simply to teach a language. Li Yang wants to help his people conquer a centuries-old inferiority complex. And more than that. He wants Crazy English to help turn China into a full-fledged superpower. He's a high energy motivation guy - the Anthony Robbins of the Chinese ESL set. In late summer, David Gutnick went to watch and hear Li Yang in action. His documentary is called "Your Words Are Our Destiny" (CBC via DXLD) ``ISN`T THERE A GERMAN WORD FOR `LIVE`?`` (gh) Guess not, maybe a German will reply? In Germany you often hear it pronounced the German way, where V is pronounced (like in Dutch) as 'F', so you often hear 'LIFE broadcast'. In Denmark we also use the English term 'Live'. 73, (Erik Koie, Copenhagejn, dxldyg via DXLD) Re 8-107, ECUADOR --- Direktübertragung. In the GDR it was for some time called Originalübertragung, but this term came apparently out of use in the mid-eighties while at the same time mentions of this broadcasting being "live" appeared [it is by far an exaggeration that almost anything was taped for security reasons]. But I must add that nowadays many people use English words instead of good German terms who are not clumsy like the Direktübertragung or obsolete like Indikativ (this was a certain music piece, used to open a broadcast, kind of a bumper with following bumper bed, and finally turning up the fader again before closing it made up for a stinger...) News, tape, fader, fade instead of Nachrichten, Tonband (or simply Band), Regler, Blende, just to mention some examples. Worst case are program directors asking for more "pride and passion", an American phrase which means that announcers are supposed to feign enthusiasm about their station's rotation of 200 dull songs. Or no, the real worst case are these programs itself. Unfortunately this includes quite a number of ARD stations (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Sept 28, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF HOROLOGY +++++++++++++++++ TIMESIGNALS Re 8-107, SINGAPORE --- ´´But why would they run a timesignal at such an odd time, which is hourtop neither UT nor Yangon? Does Greenwich supply such non-standard timesignals?´´ Has it anything to do with Greenwich at all, or are the time pips just part of the produced audio design, i.e. recorded audio? Nowadays I'm sceptical if true time signals, generated by a special system and distributed to the individual studios for use, are still in use anywhere Good night! (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Some of the automatic timesignals are pretty accurate, e.g. HCJB and REE, but who knows if they be tied to a caesium clock (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) WORLD OF RADIO PHILATELY ++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEW CALEDONIA: TELECOMMUNICATIONS NEW ISSUE New-Caledonia issued a bloc History of Telecommunications“ on August 1st 2008. http://s4.tinypic.com/2ephy4k.jpg (via HAM STAMP NEWS September 2008, via Horacio Nigro, Montevideo, Uruguay, radiostamps yg via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see BELGIUM [non] ++++++++++++++++++++ KALEIDOSCOPIC DTV BREAKUPS Re: ``While it is often multi-colored, I have noticed that at a certain point two colors tend to dominate, often with large tiles --- green and purple, a horrid clashing mix. This may also be influenced by the original picture being in black & white. Why is this? Also on rare occasions when I have just changed channel, I see parts of two different stations, frozen mixed on the same screen (Glenn Hauser)`` I believe it was Ron / K6MPG who said one color was all 1s and the other color was all 0s... [Later:] Oops... found the reference... knew I had saved it somewhere! Looks like it was from a TV DX page (Ed / wd8kct, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: The hairy-edge stuff was what I was referring to in my original post. The MPEG-2 video bitstream has a resynchronizing mechanism within each picture which allows the decoder to recover from errors. If the video bitstream gets too jumbled, the decoder will get hopelessly lost due to the way the bits are coded. To avoid losing a whole picture, the picture is divided up into chunks or "slices". Typically, a slice is a 16 pixel row from left edge of image to right edge of image. When the decoder gets lost, it starts "looking" for the next slice start code (a special very easy to find sequence of bits) and can resume decoding when it finds one. Hope that makes some sense to you. BTW, some of your pictures show bright green and pink blocks. These are "special" colors in MPEG. Bright green is all zeroes and bright pink is all ones. Anyways, have fun with DTV and if you have any technical questions, feel free to e- mail me anytime. 73, Ron K6MPG (via Ed, DXLD) OK, pink (gh) ###