DX LISTENING DIGEST 0-116, September 28, 2000
    edited by Glenn Hauser, wghauser@hotmail.com

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THIS WEEK ON WORLD OF RADIO EXTRA 36: See topic summary at
http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/worx36.html

** AUSTRALIA. Freq change of Christian Voice via Darwin effective
September 21: 2230-0230 on NF 13755, ex 13585\\6010, 17775, 21680
(Ivo & Anguel, Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 26 via DXLD) These were test
frequencies only, perhaps only one or two a a time, and irregular.
Has anyone actually heard them yet? (gh)

** CZECHO-SLOVAKIA. From Oct 29 Radio Prague will again use a
transmitter in Slovakia. A few years ago they had to discontinue
transmissions from Rimavská Sobota due to financial shortage; since
then only two 100 kW transmitters at Litomysl were used anymore. Also
from Oct 29 Radio Prague will start broadcasting in Russian as already
reported a while ago. This information from Andreas Volk. (Kai Ludwig,
Germany, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** IRELAND [non]. Tuning around 19 meters before 1500 UT I ran across
a BBC IS (for non-Europe areas) on 15360 via Singapore, then the RTE
special broadcast joined in at 1458, // 15240-Cypress Creek and 13720
-Sackville; so 15360 joined in 30 minutes late, signal was SIO 242.
To compare another signal coming from Singapore at the same time,
15285 with BBC in Chinese was much stronger, SIO 424 w/jamming and
presumed CNR outlet QRMing it (Joe Hanlon in Philadelphia, Sept 24,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** IRELAND [non]. The result of the Gaelic Football Final relayed for
RTE around the world on Sun 24 Sept was a draw. The thing will be
decided once and for all on Sat 07 Oct., provisionally set to begin
at 1430 UT in Croke Park, Dublin, unless the Garda Siochana (Police)
and Safety Officials say otherwise. Will RTE relay be heard again on
that date? Listeners might like to address this question to RTE's Ms.
Julie Hayde: haydej@rte.ie (Finbarr O'Driscoll...Ireland...September
25, DX LISTENING DIGEST).

** IRELAND [non]. Julie Hayde at RTE recommends that SWListeners keep
an eye on the "Sam & Liam" page for further updates (if any) re freqs
to be used for Gaelic Football relay on Oct 07, (presently only 15240
to C&SAm [WSHB] and 17810 to Africa [Meyerton], assume 1430-1630 UT).
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/index.html -Click on the "Radio:
All-Irelands" link there or go directly to
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/radiofinals.html
(Finbarr O'Driscoll.....Ireland, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST).

** KASHMIR. I received a letter from v/s: Islam-ud Din Butt (no title)
today in 2 months after a follow-up report. I quote: "It is a matter
of great pleasure and satisfaction for us that the voice of the
oppressed people of the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir has been
heard in the United States". I could go on, and, in fact, it is an
interesting letter. Suffice to say, he states that their "English
bulletin (sic) of five minutes duration and daily English Commentary
again for five minutes duration from 1420-1430 UTC, at 5100 KH
frequency". Their actual frequency back in April was 5101.23 kHz. He
also returned my US$1.00. Address: (as printed)

Voice of Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Movement
Post Box No. 102
Muzzaffarabad (Azad Kashmir)
(Pakistan)

(Terry Palmersheim, KC7LDP/FOØPAM, Sept 23, hard-core-dx via DXLD)

** NETHERLANDS. Dear Glenn, This is a letter I am sending to Jonathan
Marks. I want to share it with you. Feel free to quote from it on the
air or in print if you like. I'm pretty disillusioned with the product
Media Network has been putting out lately, and I don't mind saying
so. (Tim Hendel, AL, Sept 24, DXLD)

Dear Jonathan,
I may be one of the few people who says what I am about to say, but
I was not surprised when you announced the end of Media Network.
Frankly, Jonathan, it has been very obvious to me, for over a year,
that you were bored with the program, and that Diana was even more
bored than you were. You may feel that you hid it well, but it
came through to me, loud and clear.

I was a listener to DX Jukebox, and Media Network, for probably 40
years, ever since the days of Harry van Gelder. As a young child
at the school for the blind in New York State, with his first
shortwave radio, I learned so much about propagation, DX-ing, and
radio stations by listening to this program every Thursday. In the
past forty years, I have probably only missed one program per year.

For over a year now it has felt to me that you didn't care about
this technology any more, and you didn't care about the listeners
who only used radio. I did enjoy the internet stuff, and I truly
did understand that the job of Media Network was to report on new
developments, but it was the condescending way you, and even more
Diana, referred to those of us who weren't, for whatever reason, on
the cutting edge, which really annoyed me. Lately, all you've been
doing is reading letters from listeners and commenting on them.
This told me that you had lost interest in preparing real
information.

Many of us are not on the internet. Maybe we are too poor. Maybe
we live in countries where internet access is limited. Maybe we
are blind, such as me, and can't afford the very very expensive
upgrades which are necessary for blind people to get on the Web.
Of the whole Media Network staff, I feel that Victor Goonnetillike
is the only one who cares any more about our situation.

So, Jonathan, it is obvious that you are bored. Go out and do
something else, and I wish you good luck. I shall continue to
listen to some of the other programs on Radio Netherlands. I'll
miss the old Media Network, on which you did a truly excellent job
for so many years. but, frankly, the program I have been hearing
for the past year or so will not really be missed.

Tim Hendel (via DXLD)

BTW, I have yet to remark on this development, but will point out now
that RN is known for cancelling its most popular programmes to the
consternation of faithful listeners. I know some people who still
have not forgiven them for doing away with The Happy Station. There
has been a great deal of wailing and pleading to save MN, but this
is the only response copied directly to me with a different viewpoint
(gh)

** NIGERIA. External radio Voice of Nigeria "reborn with new voice"

Excerpts from report by Nigerian TV on 22nd September

Established in 1961, the Voice of Nigeria [VON] has had its share of
troubles, but it has been reborn with a new voice. Its recent
relaunching in Abuja signalled the emergence of a new Voice of Nigeria
as an international radio station committed to correcting the
imbalance of reports on Africa in the world media. Correspondent Hawa
Uguebie reports on this new direction.

[Reporter] The African voice within the world media has been dominated
by a largely Western perspective. The rebirth of Voice of Nigeria
seeks to redefine its focus by showcasing Nigeria to the rest of the
world. The main objective is to project Africa with an African voice.

Computerization has commenced and staff are undergoing intensive
training both at home and abroad on the latest in radio broadcasting
techniques. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the
Voice of Nigeria and the Voice of America. Three transmitters and
three digital studios will be fully functional by the end of the year.
With a new logo and signal tune, the Voice of Nigeria is ready for the
world. [signal tune played]

While pledging government's support, Vice President Atiku Abubakar
said the new VON should focus on the nation's interest while remaining
balanced and objective in its reporting... VON's director general, Mr
Taiwo Alimi, said the redefined focus on Africa is the key to success.

[Alimi] If, for instance, Voice of Nigeria, let's say in the next two
years, we are able to become dominant in terms of providing news and
programmes for the continent, we will have taken away substantially
that sphere of broadcasting arena from Europe-based or American-based
external radio stations.

[Reporter] NTA director of programmes, Ambassador Segun Olusola, says
an excessive bureaucratic system is detrimental to the growth of any
media organization.

[Olusola] All media organizations need the political environment. What
they don't need is the strangulating of the working of the media - the
liberal working of the media - by bureaucracy. Politics and the
political environment is in itself a strength to broadcasting. No
broadcaster must ignore that...

Source: NTA TV, Lagos, in English 2000 gmt 22 Sep 00 (via BBC
Monitoring via DXLD)

** OKLAHOMA. In place of "Dateline" this week, VOA News Now is airing a
series of special reports under the title "Oklahoma Focus". The ten
minute reports air during odd numbered hours throughout the day
beginning at 35 minutes after each hour.  Here is a press release from
VOA describing the program:

"VOA GOES TO OKLAHOMA BROADCASTING LIVE FROM THE STATE FAIR

          Oklahoma, Sept. 20, 2000 ? Voice of America (VOA), the
U.S. Government’s overseas broadcasting service headquartered in
Washington, D.C., has assigned a six-member team to report to the
world on life in Oklahoma.  The team will be based at the Oklahoma
State Fair, where they will broadcast live reports on VOA from
Sunday, Sept. 24 through Thursday, Sept. 28.  This week, the
reporters will fan out across the state to collect stories and
conduct interviews for special features on urban and rural life in
Oklahoma.

              VOA's special features on Oklahoma City will include
interviews with Governor Frank Keating and Feed the Children's Larry
Jones, and visits to the Oklahoma City National Memorial, the
Underground Chinese City, and the Cowboy Hall of Fame.  With a VOA
reporter, listeners will venture outside of the capital city to a
traditional Native American ceremony in Checotah, to the National
Severe Weather Forecast Center in Norman, to Oral Roberts University
in Tulsa, and to learn about life in Wewokah [sic]. VOA listeners
will also spend an evening at the rodeo and at an American high school
football game in Jenks. During the State Fair, VOA will spend time
with the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, competitors and innovators in
the agriculture business, and musicians from around the state, along
with many others.

           The coverage of the State Fair will be broadcast live
in English on VOA's 24-hour all-news program News Now, and will be
made available for translation into VOA's 52 other broadcast
languages."

For frequency information or to listen via the web, go to
http://www.voa.gov

(John A. Figliozzi, Editor and Publisher, ``The Worldwide Shortwave
Listening Guide`` All new 2000-01 Edition Now Available!
For Details and Purchasing Information:
http://www.anarc.org/naswa/swlguide/rsguide (via swprograms via DXLD;
see also under USA)

** RUSSIA. RFE/RL Journalist Slain in Moscow

(Washington, DC--September 22, 2000) Iskandar Khatloni, a Moscow-
based correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Tajik
Service, died in a Moscow hospital last night from head wounds
after being attacked in Russian capital. The case is now under
investigation.

RFE/RL President Thomas A. Dine today expressed his shock and
sadness at Khatloni's death. "Mr. Khatloni was a valued colleague
and a distinguished journalist on whose reporting many people relied.
He will be missed. I very much hope that everything will be done to
bring those responsible to justice."

Khatloni, who had worked at RFE/RL since 1996, earlier served for ten
years as a BBC correspondent. Well-known in Moscow and the human
rights community internationally, Khatloni at the time of his death
was working on stories about human rights abuses in Chechnya.

Born in October 1954 in Tajikistan, Khatloni was a widely published
publicist and poet, with numerous articles and four volumes of poetry
to his credit. He is survived by his wife Kimmat, and a daughter from
a previous marriage.

(RFE/RL Sun, 24 Sep 2000 18:33:12 GMT via Dr. Hansjoerg Biener, DXLD)

** U K. DX Information from the British DX Club (BDXC-UK).
NEWS RELEASE - 26 September 2000

EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS: Trevor Brook v. the United Kingdom
(Application 38218/97)
MONOPOLY QUESTION AFTER COURT RULES ON SHORT WAVE CASE

After a 16 year battle, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled
that the United Kingdom government can not be compelled to allow
independent stations on short wave because it did permit independent
operators on the medium wave and FM bands. Under human rights law, the
government can continue with its restrictive policy of refusing to
allow independent stations on short wave, but this now raises the
separate question of whether the short wave monopoly is legal under
European Union competition law.

In 1984, Trevor Brook devised the concept of an independent science,
technology and media news short wave radio station, Radiofax. He made
his first written application to the government for a licence in
August 1986, made submissions to Green and White Papers on
Broadcasting in 1987 and 1989 and received support from Members of
Parliament and the Chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority,
Lord Thomson of Monifieth. The government, however, persistently
claimed there was a lack of spare capacity on the 993 short wave
channels and refused to issue any such licence. This led him, in
August 1997, to take the issue to the European Court of Human Rights
in Strasbourg.

In Trevor Brook's case before the court he asserted that the
government had used an untrue premise in order to operate a covert
policy of restricting media access, to the detriment of the public and
in breach of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
In just one part of his case he drew parallels with identical claims
about frequency availability made over the years by British
governments in connection with medium wave and FM, yet many hundreds
of independent transmitters are now on the air. Article 10 relates to
freedoms of expression and communication. The decision by the court
means the case is "not admissible" to proceed to a full hearing. There
is no appeal or higher court at the European Court of Human Rights.

Trevor Brook comments:

"To those with a grasp of what short wave is, this is an example of
comparing apples with oranges. Imagine a fictional country which
happened to permit independent stations only on short wave: would it
then make any sense to say that it should not be required to allow
independent stations on medium wave and FM?"

Contact: Trevor Brook
- Tel: 01483 275 997, Fax: 01483 276 477, s.e@ndirect.co.uk
- Surrey Electronics Ltd., The Forge, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 7BG, England.

(Surrey Electronics Sept 26, via DXLD)

** U S A. KIM: The Voice of America Spanish Service, which has been
reducing its shortwave output over the past several years, will add a
new shortwave transmission Monday. "Enfoque Andino" is intended
specifically for the Andean region of South America, where a war on
illegal drugs continues, and where democracy is under strain. At
first, the program will be 15 minutes only, once a week: Monday, 22 to
2215 Universal Time on 15170 and 17565 via Greenville, North Carolina,
and 21685 via Delano, California. It will also be on satellite for
rebroadcast by affiliate stations in South America, and available on
demand in RealAudio format.

Richard Araujo, chief of the VOA Latin America division, told me why
the new program will be added.

TAPE: CUT 2 (1:46) [Araujo said it would be weekly at first, but hoped
to build up quicky to a daily broadcast and if funded, expand to half
an hour. Each would include 2 minutes of international news, then
features from Andean stringers. -gh]

Several VOA News Now reporters are in Oklahoma for a week of special
programs from that state. These will be heard this Monday through
Friday at half past the odd hours Universal Time. Oklahoma was chosen
for no particular reason other than that it is in the heartland of
America, we don't often get there, and the Oklahoma State Fair is
happening this week.

Recent Congressional legislation has called for more programming on
VOA about U.S. foreign policy and Americana. The managers of VOA News
Now maintain that these topics are included in the News Now content
mix. This week of special programs from Oklahoma, however, will make
VOA's Americana coverage more conspicuous. (Kim Elliott, VOA
Communications World Sept 23 via John Norfolk, DXLD)

** U S A. hi glen: ham radio outlet is now selling sangean 505 with
side band for $119.95 shipping included! best deal so far for ssb
shortwave radio! will be testing 100 kw ssb / digital soon regards:
frantz (WGTG, Sept 25 via DXLD)

** U S A. From: "What The Tree Said Books" <singinggrove@conknet.com>  |
Subject: New WRMI program
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 20:12:32 -0400

Hello Glenn

John Wisyanski of Scream of the Butterfly suggested I contact you
regarding a new program I am planning. It is called "Seldom Heard
Radio" and is going to be broadcast on WRMI 7.385 from 0500 to 0530
UTC on Friday October 6 (technically October 7 here on the east coast).
The program will focus on obscure folk / folk-rock / psychedelic music
from the Americas, Europe and around the globe. It is a very lo-fi
production and has more music by far than announcing but then again the
program is about the music, not about me! With any luck Seldom Heard
Radio will be re-broadcast two weeks later at the same time & then new
programs will appear at least once a month (currently scheduled for the
First Friday of the month at 0500 UTC), probably more frequently as
time & collecting better recording equipment allows.

I am a newbie to short-wave radio who has recently re-discovered an
old joy. In my adolescence during a summer in the late 1970s I was a
record spinner at WUNH (University of New Hampshire) & got to create
a very low power radio station for my hometown Boys Club later that
year. A little about myself:  My loving life partner Nansea and I own
a small used / antiquarian bookshop and both have full-time mental
health connected careers.

I hope this e-mail finds you healthy & well. If you get a chance to
listen to the program I would be most pleased.

(Frederick, Seldom Heard Radio, 36 West Main Street, Warner NH 03278,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. See http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/27/nyregion/27RADI.html

WNNY, 1380/5 kw, formerly WDKM, becomes all news Wednesday [Sept 27]
at noon EDT.

(The NY Times has them at 5000 megawatts which would probably have
people with no fillings hearing them through their fillings.)[and
50 kW stations as "50,000 megawatts" notes Max Swanson -gh]

There are two English all news stations in NYC, WCBS 880 and the
pioneer WINS 1010. Since WINS was Westinghouse, they're both Infinity
stations which is probably one of the better arguments against the
current FCC policy or lack thereof on multiple ownerships (Joel
Rubin, NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** URUGUAY. 11735, R. Montecarlo 0200, w/ "Tangos a Media Luz" prgm //
MW930. This denotes that this 25m outlet is not for exclusive usage of
their sister stn "R.Oriental". Also, Brazilian R Transmundial was not
present at this time. Moderate strength. They only blast in on 6140,
usually hrd in the local mornings (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, Sept 27,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VIETNAM. 5034.5 R Tai Tieng Noi, September 24, 2200-2215, local
language, station signing on, short announcement in English ("You are
listening to ...), folklore chants, station is listed here with Hmong
service at this time. SINPO 34423 (Michael Schnitzer, Hassfurt,
Germany, hard-core-dx via DXLD)

** ZIMBABWE. Private Capital Radio on-air "within a month"

Capital Radio (Private) Limited, which won its case in the Supreme
Court on 22nd September to operate a radio service, will start
broadcasting to Harare and surrounding areas within a month, the
Zimbabwe newspaper 'The Daily News' web site reported on  26th
September.

Gerry Jackson, one of the owners of the station said the broadcasting
equipment would be obtained from within the country and South Africa.
The report said that the Supreme Court had ruled that the station
could to import all the equipment it needed to operate a commercial
radio station.

Jackson said the station will aim to broadcast for 18 hours a day,
daily in English and Shona, but that the station still lacks a
frequency, the web site reported.

Source: 'The Daily News' web site, Harare, in English 26 Sep 00
(via BBC Monitoring via DXLD)

UNKNOWNISTAN: 9580, 0958 9/22 terrible FM'ed QRM signal turns on to
interfere with Radio Australia. Glenn Hauser has mentioned spurs from
9645 [TIFC], on World of Radio. I checked 9645 - it was distorted, but
modulation didn't seem to match. Maybe Cuban mixing instead from 9550,
and 9565-jammer? (Larry Russell, MI, MARE via DXLD)               ###