DX LISTENING DIGEST 00-72, June 5, 2000 edited by Glenn Hauser, wghauser@hotmail.com {Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only providing full credit be maintained at all stages and we are provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission} THIS WEEK ON WORLD OF RADIO 1038: See topic summary at http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wor1038.html WORLD OF RADIO SHORTWAVE-ONLY SCHEDULE revision. We have delayed circulating an updated schedule, waiting for RPFI to come back on a new USB frequency. However, a current schedule, as best we know it, is at http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wormassw.html You may check this page for latest info, whether or not we have distributed a new schedule to our mailing list. WORLD OF RADIO ON WWCR: Confirmed change from 3215 to 9475 the UT Monday broadcast, which actually ran from 0026 to 0054 June 5. WORLD OF RADIO ON CFN EUROPE. Dear Glen, Just a short note to let you and potential listeners know that since April of this year, CFN has been carrying your program as a relay from the WRN 1 satellite feed. The program can be heard [Saturdays] at 0330 UTC (0530 CET). CFN broadcasts on the following frequencies and areas in Europe: Brunssum, The Netherlands & Geilenkirchen, Germany on 91.5 FM (100 watts) in stereo; Mons, Belgium on 100.5 FM (100 watts) mono; Ramstein, Germany on 101.9 FM (100 watts) mono. Programming details can be found at the CFN website located at http://cfn.cfsue-usfce.de Enjoying the show. (Capt Pux Barnes, Canadian Air Force, Canadian Forces Network (Europe), June 1) ** AUSTRALIA. Hello from Oz. A front page report in our leading weekend news paper 'The Weekend Australian' shows that a British company 'Christian Vision' (with its own web site) has done an amazing deal with the Australian Government. Christian Vision has pulled off a 10 year lease purchase of the former Radio Australia facility at Cox Peninsula NT (near Darwin) to broadcast its Christian shortwave message into Indonesia and China. The article goes on to say that Christian Vision doesn't see any available air time that can be allocated to Radio Australia. Australia's third largest political party is expected to seek amendments to the current bill before parliament to guarantee access for Radio Australia at this facility. The Weekend Australian's web site is at http://www.news.com.au Cheers (Chris Martin, Brisbane, June 3, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Here is the Rupert Murdoch--News Corporation owned "The Australian"'s take on the Cox Peninsula transmitter lease to Christian Voice: Religious war in the airwaves By MICHELLE GILCHRIST and ERROL SIMPER 03jun00 AUSTRALIA'S most powerful shortwave radio transmitter has been sold to a fundamentalist Christian group that will use the Darwin facility to broadcast across Indonesia, China and India. The sale will heighten tensions between Canberra and other governments in the region offended at the use of an Australian facility to broadcast Christian messages across Asia. British charity broadcaster Christian Vision paid an undisclosed sum for a 10-year lease on land at the Cox Peninsula radio transmitter near Darwin, and the transmitter's multi- million-dollar equipment. The sale is a blow to Radio Australia, which lost access to Cox in 1997, and prompted an extraordinary plea yesterday from ABC chairman Donald McDonald for government support. ``What I would really like is an expression of support from the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the unique role of Radio Australia in the region,`` Mr McDonald said. But the Government declined to respond and Christian Vision last night said there was unlikely to be room for Radio Australia to use the transmitter. Christian Vision financial controller Tim Boxall said the group would broadcast in English as Christian Voice Australia across South-East Asia, including to Indonesia, where the population is more than 90 per cent Muslim. Relations between the Howard Government and Indonesia have already been strained as a result of Australia's role in the Timor crisis and the Wahid Government is struggling to deal with bitter sectarian conflict between Christians and Muslims in eastern Indonesia. Christian Vision said it would also transmit into China, which has previously lobbied the Australian Government against allowing Christian broadcasts from Australia. Mr McDonald said Radio Australia's lack of access to the powerful transmitter was a ``matter of immense frustration . . . I remain perplexed that there is not a clear statement from the Government as to the international value of Radio Australia``. Mr Downer's office last night declined to respond to Mr McDonald's statement. But the Australian Democrats said they would attempt to force changes to a broadcasting bill, yet to be passed by the Senate, that would require Christian Vision to guarantee access for Radio Australia. Christian Vision's website describes the group as a ``charitable company that God has challenged to touch a billion people with the message of Jesus through the use of media``. Its listed beliefs include ``the everlasting conscious bliss of all who truly believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and that everlasting conscious punishment is the portion of all whose names are not written in the Book of Life``. Cox's powerful transmitters cover Indonesia, India, China, Malaysia, Thailand, The Philippines and Vietnam. The Coalition closed Cox in 1997, saying it was too expensive to operate at an estimated cost of between $1 million and $5 million a year. Communications Minister Richard Alston has defended the Cox closure, saying Radio Australia had coped well by using private facilities. (via John Figliozzi, swprograms via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Glenn, This article in today's Sydney Morning Herald would seem to indicate that the Australian Government has totally lost its mind. I would have thought that there was an overload of God-bothering on shortwave directed at Asia already! Words fail me!! Regards, (Barry Hartley, Auckland, NZ, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) http://www.smh.com.au/news/0006/05/pageone/pageone12.html Sale may transmit tensions By TOM ALLARD The decision to sell Radio Australia's powerful Darwin transmitter to an evangelical Christian organisation has sparked criticism that the new service will inflame religious tensions in countries such as Indonesia. The sale of the transmitter to the British evangelical broadcaster, Christian Vision, was heavily criticised by the Democrats and Labor yesterday as further evidence of the Federal Government undermining Australia's role in the Asia-Pacific. Radio Australia's Asia listeners will have to rely on a very weak signal from Shepparton, Victoria. Most won't be able to pick it up. In 1998 there was bipartisan support from the joint standing committee on Foreign Affairs to retain the transmitter. Its loss, the committee concluded, would effectively close Radio Australia to Asia. "Broadcasting evangelical Christian messages into countries such as Indonesia will do little to ease tensions between Christian and Islamic communities," said the Democrats' Senator Vicki Bourne. The committee found it "incomprehensible" that the transmitter would be closed to Radio Australia, saying "we have in reality lost our voice in Asia". Radio Australia has been used as a valuable source of relatively unbiased information on the region's affairs. Its value comes to the fore when there are regional crises and the local media is curbed, such as in Fiji. Given the antipathy toward Australia after the liberation of East Timor, the effective closure of Radio Australia was a "clear betrayal of Australia's national interest", said Labor's foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Laurie Brereton. (Sydney Morning Herald June 5 via Barry Hartley, NZ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Foreign Minister "not concerned" by Christian radio via Darwin site | Text of report by Radio Australia on 5th June Australia's foreign minister, Alexander Downer, says he is not concerned about powerful shortwave transmitters at Cox Peninsula near Darwin being used to broadcast into Asia by a Christian group. The transmitters were used by Radio Australia until 1997, when the federal government decided they were too expensive. Mr Downer says he does not think the Christian message will harm Australia in the region. [Downer] Provided the material that is broadcast isn't provocative and abusive of our neighbours and the like - and I've no reason to believe that will be the case - then I don't see it as being a particular problem. (Source: Radio Australia, Melbourne, in English 0800 gmt 5 Jun 00 via BBC Monitoring via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Christian broadcaster buys Darwin transmitter site | Text of report by Radio Australia on 2nd June The Australian government has sold its international shortwave facility near Darwin to a British-based Christian organization. Christian Voice International says it plans to use the facility, previously used by Radio Australia, to broadcast to India. The terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. Christian Voice spokesman Tim Boxall says the station hopes to begin operating within months. [Boxall] Well, we hope to begin test transmissions towards the end of August this year, and we would then hope that if all goes well very soon after we would be able to begin broadcasting live, as it were. We would begin broadcasting in English, that's the easiest one for us to do, and obviously it means that we need to get into recruiting staff who have expertise in, say, the major language [as heard] in India. And until we've done that, we can't actually put some programming together. (Source: Radio Australia, Melbourne, in English 0800 gmt 2 Jun 00 via BBC Monitoring via DXLD) Aren`t there far too many religious SW broadcasters already (to put it politely)? This should be a stark lesson to other SW broadcasters: OWN AND CONTROL YOUR OWN TRANSMITTERS. Even the BBC World Service does not any more (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)7 ** AZERBAIJAN. R. Baku is again on an traditional 6110, ex-9165, May 30 at -1759 s/off, May 31 at 0215- s/on. It seems they are on 6110 at 0215-0300, 1000-1500 and 1600-1800... (Mikhail Timofeyev, St. Petersburg, Russia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CAMEROON. Radio, TV restructuring to include international radio, satellite The Cameroon Radio and Television Service [CRTV] has held its board of directors meeting. After four years of inactivity, a discharge of the director general for good governance was certainly not expected... Plans for national satellite feed and renovation of shortwave transmitter The board meeting made a number of decisions. The CRTV will broadcast via satellite so as to cover the whole country efficiently. The project will cost over 3bn CFA francs [2.85m pounds]. In addition, the international radio programme will resume with the renovation of the Soa 100-kW shortwave station [Radio Cameroon broadcasts intermittently on 4850 kHz shortwave.] The board of directors also recommended the creation of an editorial writing school and an engineer leadership school. Other innovations were made: special correspondents, consulting engineers, directors of photography and production manager units. The major innovation is undoubtedly the creation of an advertising sales division. This marks the end of receipts without counterfoils and commitments that are not respected. (Source: Afrik'Netpress web site, Yaounde, in French 31 May 00 via BBC Monitoring June 5, excerpted by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Dear Glenn Hauser, The last transmission of the Radio Canada International program to Africa, African Eyes, and its French counterpart, was on Wednesday May 17, 2000. I understand the reason was, the listeners found shortwave too hard to use. I guess there were few letters from listeners, and those letters had complaints. I do not know French, and I only check reception of the French counterpart, but I think there was a fuller explanation of the decision in French. I think the explanation in English was censored. The two announcer-producers of African Eyes merely played a song, ``I am angry``. This is what happened: The two announcer-producers of African Eyes know nothing about SWLing and nobody taught them anything. They called 0600 UTC, six a.m. Before the summer season, they did not warn listeners about any new times and frequencies. When the summer season began, their listeners all of a sudden found themselves out of contact. Here right next to northeast Africa, I did have the new times and frequencies because I am a regular monitor of RCI, and reception of all RCI programs was quite good. I got the new schedule on a single sheet of paper, printed simply without decoration, but on time. Ordinary listeners received their printed schedule, with color and pictures, much more than a month later, via Sweden. And African Eyes never invited people to write in for schedules, because the announcers-producers had no idea it was important. RCI loses plenty of listeners every new season because it is so slow with sending the new schedule to them. Only the First Edition program announced frequencies of the coming season, and it did not mention new times of transmission. With the new African programs, the listeners were new to RCI and had no experience with RCI`s seasonal changes, and they did not belong to DX clubs, so they got lost and they complained to RCI. That is not all. African Eyes had a mid-season frequency change to 17820 kHz at 0600 UTC. This was a good frequency. It was never divulged to the announcers-producers, and they announced the old frequency at 0612 UTC in their program. So the real reasons for the complaints were: The schedule was not mailed in time. The listeners were not invited to ask for it. The announcers were not taught shortwave. The reasons were not frequency planning, propagation or interference. Nor was there a technical difficulty. Today, May 18, 2000, the times and frequencies of African Eyes and its French counterpart were filled with music and a polite announcement. Too bad. Best wishes, Yours, (David Crystal, Israel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) And the timing could not have been worse, as this was just before the Challenges VI conference in Montreal, with RCI hosting broadcasters from around the world, including Africa, as Bill Westenhaver pointed out on International Radio Report (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. The International Radio Report with Bill Westenhaver and Sheldon Harvey, from CKUT 90.3 Radio McGill, Montréal, is now archived, thanks to a recent guest on the show, Ricky Leong. No longer do you have to catch it on the live stream Sundays at 1430- 1500 UT at http://www.ckut.ca or miss it. The last two or three programs are already at http://members.fortunecity.com/crazyaboutradio (IRR June 4 via gh, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Despite the title, first priority goes to Montréal- market developments, then some national and American media news, and a few shortwave items (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. 4230.21, May 2000 - 1100 UTC Radio Pampa, Nicoya. A real super surprise, it does not seem to be a one time phenomenon as I have logged this station at 3-4 occasions. This is a harmonic from MW 1410 kc (3x1410.07 kc). Radio Pampa is listed in WRTH on 1420 kc and has apparently moved. Up to 1100 a religious programme and after that 60 minutes with ``Música tropical``. (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin, translated by Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 6249.3 Radio Nacional Guinea Ecuatorial, 2045 News programme in Spanish, perhaps relayed from a Spanish domestic programme as all items dealing with Spanish news, 2100 into African music without announcements. Fair signal and 100% copy but on LSB only due to interference on 6250; still on 2255 with music, off at 2305 recheck (Mike Barraclough, England, May 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. Voice of Greece Interprogramme in English from May 22nd will be transmitted at 1830 instead of 1800 on 7475 (Edwin Southwell via Mike Barraclough, World DX Club, May 31; also Observer, Bulgaria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. Hello again, concerning Radio Verdad you wrote in your last DX Listening Digest: >....``tapiales’’ [not in my dictionary] ....< ``Tapía`` means loam wall or mud-wall. I think that they are building roads or ways on the transmitter area and fences or walls around it. Bye (Michael Schnitzer, Germany, May 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HUNGARY. According to an announcement heard at the beginning of their 0100 and 0230 UT broadcasts on June 4, Radio Budapest changed 9750 to 7130 for their 1900 broadcast to Europe on June 1. Also, contrary to the schedule posted by the British DX Club in their DX programs list, Budapest's DX Program (not DX Blockbuster, although they may call it such in their printed schedule) began at 0115 and 0245, not 0105 and 0235 (John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. Hallo! On May 31, I observed IRIB Teheran Persian service on 15084.2 from 0100 to 0200. Two very strong spurs from this frequency were on 15017.4 and 15151.0 accompanying it. Modulation totally distorted, but strength was about S9 (Hans-Joachim Koch, Niddatal, Germany, translated by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. CLANDESTINE FROM MOLDOVA TO IRAN 15550 Radio International. Latest BC-DX has conflicting information on time for this one so checked. On 1700 with Santana Black Magic Woman musical bridge and identification, mostly talk by man in presumed Farsi, burst of big band music 1715, 1725 identification and mention of e- mail address which David Foster in NU reports as radio7520@yahoo.com and off 1728 after same Santana music. Good signal (Mike Barraclough, England, May 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. [Tentative] Radio Baghdad, 11867 kHz (actually 11866 plus a fraction) received with strength 5 S-units on a Radio Shack DX-392. 0520 UTC 5/29/2000 in Minneapolis, MN. The broadcast, which I presume to have been in Arabic, sounded like news followed by an interlude of Islamic religious music, with sign-off at 0530 UTC. I am fairly certain to have heard the word ``Iraq`` immediately prior to the interlude, and AFAIK, Saddam generally bounces between several different frequencies in this area of the dial, thus my inferences. (Reilly Liebhard / Prior Lake, MN (Mpls. suburb), via DXing.com for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY/VATICAN. Electromagnetic Pollution. Just read in latest BDXC-UK Communication about the Rome tx situation, contributed by Stefano Valianti, which has the reputation and the perspective on that matter: a - Santa Palomba near Pomezia, 25 kms south of Rome, built up in 1929, old 50 kW RCA tx then, now 1x1200 and 1x600 kW units of RAI Rome MW site. Silenced April 15th on the order of the judge and Mayor of Pomezia. Acc to Apr 30 newspapers, tests showed that power on both stns should be reduced by two-thirds. b - Vatican Radio, at Santa Maria Galeria near Cesano just north of Rome, where 4x500, 5x100, and 1x600 MW txs located. Became trouble on Apr 21, but is an 'international agreement' matter between Vatican and Italy. c - RAI SW txing centre of Prato Smeraldo was NOT under fire, it's located north of Rome near Argentario promontory in a sparsely populated area ! And here is the comment [which more or less I can agree with, also for the Stuttgart airport question too]: ``It must be said, that when they were built, also Santa Palomba and Santa Maria de Galeria were in open countryside, and only later they have found themselves in the middle of densely populated areas - no comments, but let's not blame radio for what's happening now !`` vy73 de (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, June 3, DX LISTIENING DIGEST) ** LITHUANIA. New SW antenna for North American service Text of report in English by Estonian news agency ETA Lithuanian radio and television centre will allocate 245,400 litas (61,350 US dollars), i.e. a half of funds, appropriated for dividends, for distribution of a new share issue. The funds to be obtained will be employed for the purchase of an antenna, which will help to transmit Lithuanian radio broadcasts from Sitkunai to the USA from the beginning of October. So far Lithuanian radio broadcasts have been transmitted to the USA through a rented [shortwave] transmitter [in Germany]. Lithuanian Radio and Television [LRT] centre chief executive Algirdas Vidmantas stated that earlier the Cabinet had vowed to finance that investment project, but repudiated those plans, however, some time later. Securities commission approved distribution of a new issue of stocks and allowed to re-register a 2.48m litas (0.62m US dollars) tranche of share issue for public distribution. LRT centre was transformed from a state company into a public company in 1997. Shares of the authorised capital of the company were registered as stocks for public distribution at the Lithuanian central securities depository. The latest issue will boost authorised capital of the LRT centre to 60.045m litas (15.011m US dollars). All stocks of the company belong to the state. (Source: ETA news agency, Tallinn, in English 1628 gmt 4 Jun 00 via BBC Monitoring via DXLD) ** MONGOLIA. Radio Voice of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar on Internet Signal, station's announcement in Mongolian and English and 30 minutes program in English! http://www.mongol.net/vom/voice.ram 73,s (Volker Willschrey, Dillingen (Germany), DX LISTENING DIGEST) It surely is: I listened to the June 4 program, and so nice to hear loud and clear for a change. But even so, the only announcer, who says her name is similar to the cosmonaut Gagarin, is still hard to understand. Let`s hope incoming internet allows her to brush up her English. She began by reading stories from three newspapers, no pretense about it. Seems spring is the worst season for wildfires in Mongölia (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. The contemporary urban ``Groove`` music programming has moved to KAKC-AM 1490 in Guthrie, broadcasting from 6 am to 7 pm, seven days a week. The station can be picked up in the north part of Oklahoma City metro area, KAKC general manager Mike Holt said. [KAKC = sic in the source; used to be KOKC, or is this their typo? KAKC is supposedly 1300 in Tulsa; you’d think in OKC the significance of KOKC would be fairly obvious -gh] ``The Groove`` incorporates classic soul, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and gospel. KAKC still has the option to pre-empt ``The Groove`` for University of Oklahoma and Guthrie High School sports events and Guthrie civic events, Holt said. ``The Groove`` has leased air time with the station until Dec. 31, 2001 (Mel Bracht, Mixed Media column, Sunday Oklahoman TV This Week June 4 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. Björn Malm replies to our earlier quotation of his Quito Logbook via DXPL: >On 4577.32, Radio Uno, Chiclayo, at 0310 announcing ``4570``. In repeating the frequency at the end of the item, AG (Allen Graham- HCJB) gave this one as it were actual rather than nominal... BM: I never said R. Uno was transmitting on 4570. It is on 4577.32, but announcing 1280 and 4570. The program ``La hora Huarmacína`` - música de pasillo, jointly produced with Radio Huarmaca.. ID/slogan ``Radio Uno - la diferente``. >On 6520.44, Radio Paucartambo at 0030 in Quechua and Spanish, also IDs as R. Universal, Cusco [??] BM: I never said nor wrote that R. Paucartambo IDs as ``Radio Universal, Cusco``. The station frequently advertises for ``Radio Universal en la ciudad de Cusco``. Transmits in Spanish/Quichua. ID/slogan ``Radio Paucartambo - la radio de su preferencia``. WRTH shows it on 5894.7kc. >On 3172.69, R. Municipal, Panal[? -- reported elsewhere as Cangallo] at 0230, nonstop music with IDs as R. Panamericana [are all these double-IDs the result of carrying network programming?] BM: This station IDs as ``Radio Municipal, distrito de Panao``. It greets people living in ``la ciudad de Panao``, often mentions ``Panao`` and never ``Cangallo`` at all. I have never said nor written that R. Municipal has IDed as ``Radio Panamericana``. I did say that sometimes Radio Municipal has a program of non-stop music where they ``ID`` as ``Panamericana`` between each selection of music. >On 5580 and 5620, R. Tigre, Peruvian location unknown, or R. 2000, La Voz del Nuevo Milenio, or La Voz del Campesino, at 0000 announcing ``5250`` [again repeated as if it were actual, not nominal. Were two or three separate items merged together here??] BM: R. Tigre can be found between 5580 and 5620 approximately, although it announces 5250. The frequency varies considerably. QTH unknown but perhaps transmitting from Cochapampa, department of Cajamarca. Normally IDs as ``Radio Tigre`` but there are variations: ``Esta es Tigre - la radio`` or ``Radio 2000 es Radio Tigre, la voz del nuevo milenio``. Also using the slogan(?) ``La Voz del Campesino``. (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, May 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Last year, we [the Radio Society of Great Britain] gave details of some Standard Frequency and Time stations. One of the Russian stations, callsign RID in Irkutsk, is no longer listed, but we have had a recent report that it is still active. We would like confirmation of this, as it has always been a useful indicator of propagation to Siberia, which has the amateur callsign prefix UA0. The Russian Institute of Meteorology for Time and Space operates the station on 5,004, 10,004 and 15,004 kHz, with 1kW transmitters. During each 15-minute period, they transmit five minutes of 1-second pulses, five minutes of one-tenth-second pulses and five minutes of unmodulated carrier. The one-tenth-second pulses generate wideband splatter, and care is needed to identify the station, using zero-beat in SSB or CW mode. In AM mode, the adjacent signals on 5, 10 or 15 MHz may be heard. The stronger signals 4 kHz below these standard frequencies may be heard instead. RID identifies in Morse code every quarter hour, but we have not had a recent confirmation. Try listening for the station on 15,004 kHz between 2000 and 0400 UTC, and send news of a positive identification by e-mail to gb2rs@cwctv.net (Radio Society of Great Britain GB2RS News, posted May 31, via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. Radio ``broadcasting normally`` The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation says it is broadcasting normally despite the coup, Radio Australia reported. Earlier reports said the station had been taken over by armed militants. However, a spokesman says it is still on air. (Source: Radio Australia, Melbourne, in English 5 Jun 00 [no time] via BBC Monitoring via DXLD) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. Listening to SIBC 5020 tonight, everything seems very normal with the current coup going on there. Not much comment that seemed unusual after 0800, though as it was in Pidgin I won't understand a lot of it. They have gone to BBC WS relay as usual at 1100 UT. (Richard Jary, Australia, June 5, Elecronic DX Press via DXLD) ** SPAIN. Spain now has two new standard time stations located near Cadiz. The callsign EBC may be heard on 4,998 and 15,006 kHz from its 10 kW transmitters. (Radio Society of Great Britain GB2RS News, posted May 31, via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UKRAINE. Hello, last night I checked RUI 13590, no definite result due to rather poor reception but it sounded like a ancient 100 kW transmitter. Two further clues suggest that indeed Kiev-Brovary was thrown in: 6020 is off air, looks like they have sacrificed it to get the transmitter available for the services to the Americas, although another 100 kW transmitter should be available at Kharkov. And furthermore longwave 171 from Krasne is still silent, meaning the site is off air completely, perhaps for good (Kai Ludwig, Germany, May 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. For the past 2 mornings, I've heard the BBC World Service on 9715 between 1127 and 1225 UTC, which is used by Radio Netherlands in Spanish. However, RNW's Spanish program has been relayed by WSHB in South Carolina recently. At 1227 UTC today, I heard the RNW interval signal underneath BBCWS on 9715. Yesterday morning, 9715 closed at 1225 UTC without an ID, and WSHB switched to 6095, with 2 or 3 seconds of a BBCWS story about Peru's president that began while 9715 was still on the air. A moment later, WSHB broadcast an ID, followed by Christian Science religious programming. If anyone can confirm that WSHB is relaying BBCWS, please post here. BBCWS was missing from 9715 today between 1127 and 1225 UTC. 73, (Jim Moats, NE Ohio USA, May 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Probably another feed mixup, as we reported two weeks ago WSHB with BBC instead of New Dimensions, UT Sun 0200 on 9430; this week, UT Sun June 4 (not UT Mon) New Dims was actually on. I wonder if QSL-hounds will now try to turn this program into a ``station`` (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. About 6 months ago we were hearing V. of Greece relays via Delano 17705 and Greenville 17565 at 1800-2200, but 17705 was a satellite-delay ahead of 17565, contrary to logic, as Delano is further from Washington (and Greece) than Greenville. We asked several people in VOA about this, but no explanations have appeared until now: Re: Global Forum - April 2000 Monitoring Times Glenn, Re the comment on Voice of Greece relay and the Delano 17705 leading the Greenville relay on 17565, I would assume you are discussing audio delay. The answer is quite simple. Even though Greenville is physically closer to Washington than Delano, the Greenville delay is due to different audio paths to the two transmitting stations. Delano is fed via fiber optic from Washington, while Greenville normally gets some of its audio via a satellite circuit from Washington. There is a C- band uplink on the Cohen building looking at an Atlantic relay bird, which feeds the European and African IBB sites, as well as Greenville. Greenville does also have fiber connectivity with Washington, but I think they normally use the satellite downlink for audio feeds. The FO system to Delano has much less propagation delay than the satellite path, thus the Delano audio will be ahead of the Greenville audio. An explanation for the Greenville use of the satellite circuit for program feed is to have a real time monitor of the satellite feed from the Atlantic Ocean satellite relay. Delano, on the other hand, being the only IBB facility on the west coast, is fed by fiber from Washington; the FO circuit is cheaper than a satellite circuit from Washington to Delano. Delano also uplinks the programming to a Pacific satellite for feeding the IBB sites in Tinian/Saipan, Philippines and Thailand. (The Atlantic satellite cannot be seen from Delano and is located far enough east to give good coverage to the IBB sites in Europe and west Asia.) BTW, the IBB program circuits from Washington go by satellite from DC to Munich. At Munich, there is an uplink to the Indian Ocean Relay. On the west side, the program circuits are by FO to Delano with a satellite uplink to the Pacific Ocean Relay. At Tinang, there is another satellite uplink that can also illuminate the IOR bird. The IOR is either illuminated by Munich or Tinang, but, of course, not both. The Atlantic (AOR) bird can also be illuminated from Munich, so if the Wash DC uplink fails, the AOR can be fed via Munich with a signal from the IOR, from Tinang, which is getting program feed via Delano. In this situation, Greenville could be getting program feed from Washington via the long path satellite connections and the audio be almost seconds behind Delano!, and a path well over 25,000 miles; yet Greenville is only about 250 miles from Washington (DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. VOA Spanish booming in here on 17890, loud and clear with Éxitos Latinoamericanos (hit parade) before and after 2345 UT Saturday June 3, IDing as ``VOA-SAT`` with no mention of SW but it is Delano beaming 126 degrees. 2358 closing ``Buenas Noches, América`` was cut off (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. NIST (WWV/WWVH) TIMESIGNAL STATIONS According to a special report made by "Radio Enlace", the RN SP media pgm, WWV and WWVH intend to increase power from 10 to 50 KW. (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, May 17, Noticias DX via DXLD) Maybe, but I vaguely recall listening to this and my impression is that they were talking about VLF WWVB only, for benefit of automatic clock-setting (gh) ** U S A. I was recently in range of the low-power (10 kW ERP, 56m antenna per FM Atlas) Joplin MO classical music station KXMS, and surprised to hear them with poetry and grandiosely claiming to be ``Fine Arts Radio International`` -- sure enough, this alludes to webcasting, but if you go to the obvious http://www.kxms.org it is ``Forbidden – 403``, as per several checks over a two-day period. The main website is accessible at http://www.mssc.edu/pages/kxms/kxmshome.htm from Missouri Southern State College. But if you click on the webcast, it`s (not) back to the Forbidden page (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. ALGERIA/Western Sahara. I note that the Saharan station is now using 7500 at 0600-c0700 and at very nice strength too. Morocco seems to have left 7475 and there's a ``heterodyne`` only on 7460 evenings. I have not traced Sahara then (Noel R. Green, UK, May 26, BC-DX via DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. CLANDESTINE FROM ALGERIA TO MOROCCO: 7500, National Radio of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic, May 29 2250 Music, identification 2259, news bulletin 2300, identification 2310 and back to music, excellent signal but carrier on 7498 causing a heterodyne. Nothing on 1540 or 1550 medium wave channels where I can usually hear them. Noted next morning 0600-0700 but not in the evening or morning of 31st (Mike Barraclough, England, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. CLANDESTINE FROM ALGERIA TO MOROCCO: 7100, National Radio of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic, 2345 talk by excited sounding lady with brief bursts of music, 2357 identification and off with anthem. Strong carrier still on 7498, Moroccan interference? Heard next morning on same channel 0600 sign on with anthem, identification and into Koran chants; had previously presumed that this was Eritrea at this time (Mike Barraclough, England, May 31st/June 1st, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. ALGERIA: 7100, RASD has been found June 2 at 1955 with AR songs, 2000 with ID and many mentions on Sahara, then new program with ID after bagpipes and classical music. Signal max S9 with QRM by carrier S9 at 7101.6 (Zacharias Liangas, Retziki, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]/MOROCCO. Hoi, thanks for the various info on ALG/MRC/Saharan matter. Today Sat 3rd at 1900 Saharan R was again on exact 7100.00: Qur`an prayer in progress, and also two accompanied carrier like on 7498 in previous days, but now on the UPPER side on 7100.96[weak] and much stronger on 7101.83. RTM Sebaa-Aioun [or a Moroccan Army reserve unit] is on varying 7469.79 again, only 22332 compared to GRC 55555 on nearby 7475. (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, June 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZANZIBAR. TANZANIA 6015 Radio Tanzania Zanzibar. Following a tip from Noël Green heard here May 29 at 2312 with continuous local pop music, brief identification in local language 2330. Fair signal on a clear channel. Noël heard 11734 with different programming earlier in the evening, testing new transmitter? (Mike Barraclough, England, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###