DX LISTENING DIGEST 0-152, December 7, 2000 edited by Glenn Hauser, wghauser@hotmail.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. For restrixions and searchable 2000 archive contents see} http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/Dxldmid.html THIS MONTH ON CONTINENT OF MEDIA 00-10. See topic summary at http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/com0010.html This edition may start airing on RFPI by 1900 UT Friday Dec 8, repeated 6-hourly, and/or Saturday Dec 9 from 1730. ESTE MES EN MUNDO RADIAL. Véase el guión en http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/mr0012.html MUNDO RADIAL para diciembre: viernes 2215 en WWCR 9475 a partir del 8 También en http://www.angelfire.com/nm/wor/mr0012.rm (BAJABLE) http://www.angelfire.com/nm/wor/mr0012.ram (CORRIENTE) ** BRAZIL. 4824.78, Rádio Educadora Bragança, Dec 7 0929-1002, Ad, full canned ID, announcer, ad blocks. LV de la Selva sign-on by 1002 blocked it. Before that, good signal (Mark Mohrmann, VT, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Good morning! Note that there have been some new frequencies added to the 0200 English and 0000 French RCI broadcasts to the Americas/Caribbean. The latest updated sked is found at: http://www.rcinet.ca/horaires/techsche.htm 73- (Bill Westenhaver, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 02:00-02:59 6040 100 212 CAR/USA/LAT.AMER. RCI(ENGLISH) 9755 100 240 " " 11725 250 176 " " 11990 250 285 " " XI 15260& 120 258 INDIA " XI 17860& 120 258 " " That 6040 must be the new one, referred to in previous DXLD (gh) It turns out RCI has rejigged more than just the 0200 UT frequencies for North America. Here is a summary of the changes I`ve noticed from their web site. http://www.rcinet.ca/horaires/techsche.htm (Technical schedule) Effective Dec. 06, 2000 @ 0900 UTC FRENCH 00:00-00:59 6040 100 212 <<< new frequency 11865 250 176 13640 250 240 SPANISH 01:00-01:59 9560 250 189 <<< new ex-9535, 100, 176 (SUN&MON) 9755 100 240 11865 250 189 <<< azimuth change from 176 SPANISH 01:30-01:59 9560 250 189 <<< new ex-9535, 100, 176 (TUE-SAT) 9755 100 240 11865 250 189 <<< azimuth change from 176 ENGLISH 02:00-02:59 6040 100 212 <<< new frequency 9755 100 240 11725 250 176 <<< new ex-11865, 250, 176 11990 250 285 <<< new frequency to West NAm XI 15260& 120 258 XI 17860& 120 258 [ARABIC 0430-0459 ON 7200, 11830 DELETED FROM SKED.] [FRENCH] 07:00-07:59 WE 11710 500 195 W0 11910 300 170 WE 15170 500 180 WO 15345 250 114 <<< new ex-15440, 300, 114 [ENGLISH] 21:00-21:59 SK 5995 300 150 SK 7235 300 180 9805 250 60 13650 250 60 9770 250 60 <<< DELETED, heard this myself yesterday! ENGLISH 23:00-23:29 5960 250 240 <<< power increase, 100 to 250 (MON-FRI) 6040 250 240 9755 100 240 <<< power decrease, 250 to 100 11865 250 176 13730 250 176 <<< ex-9535, 250, 176 ENGLISH 23:00-00:59 5960 250 240 <<< power increase, 100 to 250 (SAT&SUN) 9755 100 240 <<< power decrease, 250 to 100 SPANISH 23:00-23:59 6040 250 240 (SAT&SUN) 11865 250 176 13730 250 176 <<< new ex-9535, 250, 176 ENGLISH 23:30-00:59 5960 250 240 <<< power increase, 100 to 250 (MON-FRI) 9755 100 240 <<< power decrease, 250 to 100 SPANISH 23:30-23:59 6040 250 240 (MON-FRI) 11865 250 176 13730 250 176 <<< new ex-9535, 250, 176 (Ricky Leong, QC, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Subject: For the mailbag show Greetings, Mr. Montgomery! It was gratifying to hear the interview with the RCI Director on last week`s Mailbag. I'm glad you (and he) publicized the rationale behind the programming changes; it helps the listenership understand and appreciate what is behind what otherwise might appear capricious and even random changes. I, for one, now think I understand and will not be so quick to resent seasonal programming changes in the future. I was wondering about one aspect; he mentioned that there were no CBC programs on RCI some years back. To me, this implies that this situation might recur at some future date, and I fear it. As I have mentioned in previous messages, my favorite CBC-originated program on RCI is "Quirks & Quarks". I dread the thought of it vanishing from the RCI schedule, with the only possible shortwave source becoming the CBC Northern Service, which has marginal reception here in the US since it is beamed away from us. Can we get a commitment from RCI management that, no matter whatever other schedule changes and dropping of CBC programming may happen in the future, RCI will *always* carry "Quirks & Quarks"? Even in some low-ranked timeslot, middle of the night or whatever, so we dedicated outside-Canada Q&Q listeners can at least find it and tape it off shortwave? Let me add that Internet audio as a source is a fine backup, but not for everyone. As for myself, for example, I do not have a computer, but send these e-mails using the local public library's public-access computer facilities. I cannot listen to a program this way; not only would the library be an inappropriate location to play sound off the computer, but I only get an hour of access at a time; enough time to check and compose e-mail and print off some text files, but not enough to listen to an hour's worth of audio in addition. Maybe things will change in the future as Internet-audio appliances and high-speed Internet access becomes more widely available, but for now, shortwave is the only reasonable source for the many different programs I listen to from many broadcasters each week. Regards, and happy holidays! (William Martin, Saint Louis, Missouri, Dec 7, to RCI via DXLD) ** CANADA. Hello, This week on Quirks & Quarks our feature item is, "Darkness in El Dorado: Anthropology on Trial." Did a pair of American scientists deliberately spark a measles epidemic that killed hundreds or even thousands of Yanomami Indians in the Amazon in the 1960's? Or has a crusading investigative journalist unfairly savaged the reputations of two giants of the American scientific community? Those are the questions at the heart of a bitter controversy that has divided and enraged anthropologists around the world. Hear the story on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news, on Radio One. (Bob McDonald, Q&Q Host, DX LISTENING DIGEST) On RCI UT Sunday 0005 on 5960, 9755 (gh) ** CANADA. From Thestar.com: CBC Radio archives go online | More than six decades of CBC Radio archive material, music, dramas and historical recordings, will be available digitally on the Internet as a result of an agreement between the CBC and Iceberg Media. Click on the link below to see the full article: http://www.thestar.com/apps/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=976210310914&call_page=TS_News&call_pageid=968332188492&call_pagepath=News/News;http://www.thestar.com/apps/AppLogic%2BFTContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=976210310914&call_page=TS_News&call_pageid=968332188492&call_pagepath=News/News (via Ivan Grishin, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Subject: CHWO - 1250 to 740 On January 15th, 2001 740 kHz will come alive in Ontario again with AM740, PrimeTime Radio from Oakville. The present format from CHWO - 1250 (Radio to Remember) will start being broadcast on 740 with a simulcast on both frequencies for a short period of time. By the end of February, CHWO - Joy 1250 will be Christian family radio and CJMR - 1320 will be multicultural radio. At last report, the AM740 PrimeTime Radio signal will be 50,000 watts day and night. So you have until January 15 to hear what you can. Obviously there will periods when the signal will be tested before that date (already started) so keep an ear out. They should also have their web site active in the new year at: http://www.primtimeradio.com (Brian Smith, ODXA via DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. World Falun Dafa Radio via BULGARIA Observed: Wednesday, Dec 6th 22.00- 9305 signal on 22.10- switch to 9310 22.25- switch to 9320 22.40- switch to 9315 several transmitter interruptions 23.00 signal off No jamming noticed (Silvain Domen, Belgium, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. "Cuban Round Table: The Battle of Ideas" is a weekly panel discussion program, which is aired Monday through Friday (local) on Cuban TV and radio, including RHC`s shortwave frequencies, according to RHC`s English program on December 6. No specific times were given. This is touted as a new program, which apparently began Monday, November 27. This would explain the discussion program I noted on GMT November 29 until roughly 0240 on RHC`s 6000 kHz frequency. When I rechecked at about this time, they had already switched into RHC`s English programming. The "Cuban Round Table" program was parallel the Rebelde national network on MW and 5025 SW, as well as the provincial Radio Cadena Habana MW frequencies. However, it wasn`t carried on Progreso or any other national network. I didn`t get around to checking any other provincials or locals. So, this will no doubt appear weeknights on various MW frequencies, and maybe interrupting some RHC shortwave programs in the future. Jay Novello`s log last month (from Exuma, Bahamas) of a Radio Cubitas appears to be a reincarnation (now in time-share form with the Radio Cadena Agramonte station in the Sola area) of a once dedicated station. Happened to be flipping through very old WRTH`s tonight and stumbled across a Cubitas entry on 1560 in the 1983 edition, listed as a local and from Sola, Camagüey (which is the nearby WRTH-listed Cadena Agramonte site). This entry switches to 1550 kHz from the 1985 through 1989 editions, after which it (and any entry with a different name from the same city) cease. The timeframe of the Cubitas entries are roughly when Ron Schatz was feeding his list to the WRTH (c.f. 1986 edition with his photo under the Cuba section). (Terry Krüger, FL, hard-core-dx Dec 6 via DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 4900v, Radio Barahona, Dec 7 0935-1130, Strong distorted signal with raspy carrier, drifting downwards from 4900.7 to 4898.5 by 1130. IDs and LA pop music (Mark Mohrmann, VT, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE [non]. VOG schedule - updated from my own monitoring and including what I saw in DXLD and elsewhere. I have not monitored the very early morning transmissions, and those in late evening, although audible, have not propagated well, but I think are as shown. If you've checked their HFCC registrations and even the IBB schedule, you`ll have found the information difficult to interpret in its entirety - I got the impression the left hand lost track of what the right hand was supposed to be doing somewhere along the line. By the way, 15170 is blocked here by RCI via Wertachtal between 0700 and 0759. I personally haven`t tried at 0600-0700 but reception in Bulgaria seems exceptionally good, according to the item in the latest DXLD. But, that said, I can hear 17705 [Delano] soon after 1800 at quite good strength on occasion here (Noël Green, UK, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Add: English LL [for Greek] 1330-1345 12105 15650 (Green, DXLD) ** GREECE. VOG sent a sheet in English showing English news bulletins at 0300, 0610, 0750, 1110 (corrected) as previously reported; and the ERA-Interprogram –- Foreign Language Information Zone, half an hour each 1400-2000 on a variety of sets of frequencies, as previously reported, with each language program given the English title ``Orientations``: Arabic, German, Russian, Spanish, Romanian, Turkish, Serbian, Bulgarian, Albanian, French, Polish, English. The repeat of the Sunday program ``It`s All Greek to Me`` at 2120 on 9420 and 15650 actually runs about an hour until 2220 (John Babbis, Maryland, Dec 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. I can confirm at least intermittent reception of the domestic service on additional 9687 at 1658 thru `til at least 2014 in clear // with both 9755 & 11785v. On Nov. 14 I noted that 11787 with domestic svc at tune in c1130 continued to a clear break / antenna switch at 1258. A few minutes later, 11787 abruptly QSYed to v11785 and strengthened noticeably, and I suspect there are two txers and target areas. Can someone in the target areas clarify??? 9755 was NOT heard, but 9717 could be heard sporadically c1345-c1430 and onward. Pgm ID was standard domestic. On Nov. 17 I listened at 0200- 0530 during which time I believe there was German, English & French via R. Iraq Int`l. An ID in French was heard at 0400, finally, and a 'Baghdad' chorus at 0420. Arabic was identified at 0520 but reception poor throughout (Ray Merrall, UK, 15/11, DSWCI via Noël Green) ** IRAQ [non]. Voice of the Iraqi People remains audible intermittently between 1515 & 0315 on 11710 9568.5 & 9563. 11710 is partly obscured by Pyongyang for much of the time, but VOIRI, TWR via Meyerton and others are noted, but this freq can be correlated with stronger 9568.5 when virtually QRM free 1930 onwards. It also seems that Cairo have moved from 9754.5v to at least 9755.0 as their 'main' output freq and appear to be propagating quite well in the early AM. Iraq has been heard several times c0500 on 9755 under Cairo in // 11785 in Arabic IDing as R. Iraq Int`l. At around 0400, the svc is clearly domestic with 'clean' AM and IDs (Ray Merrall, UK, 15/11, DSWCI via Noël Green) ** MALDIVES. Voice of Maldives is part of the Min. of Info, Arts & Culture. R. Eke (R. One) bc's with a 10 kW Harris txer on 1449 daily at 0030-1800. This svc sometimes yields reception in NEu, especially Finland. Two new txing towers were recently installed by Future Engineering of Australia. A 5 kW standby unit is available for 1458. A MW relay is planned in an atoll South of Malé. The exact location and freq are yet to be decided. The occasional bc's on 5998.5 (mentioned in WRTH) were conducted with old txers from the airport and the telecom dept. Powers ranging from 1 to 7 kW were fed into a dipole to reach Maldivian communities in India and Sri Lanka. The bc's were discontinued when TV Maldives appeared on Thaisat. R. Eke will also be available on Thaisat and the internet before too long. This would make it rather unlikely for the station to return to SW. R. Dhy is using FM 89.0 for Malé only (moved from 103.8) and FM will expand to the outer atolls (Maarten van Delft, Holland, 29/10 DSWCI via Noël Green via DXLD) ** MOLDOVA. "Malaya zarya" is not a broadcasting center, but a special, highly directional antenna system at the Maiac (Grigoriopol`) site - obviously the only antenna system which is currently usable. This system used to serve the 1000 kW outlet on 1548 kHz (Bernd Trutenau, Vilnius, Lithuania, MWINFO Dec 7 via DXLD) ** MOLDOVA. From: "rmi" rmi@mail.md To: "Swopan Chakroborty" Subject: a letter from RMI Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2000 10:05:52 +0200 (EET) Radio Moldova International Str. Miorita 1 Chisinau, MD-2028 Moldova Web site: http://www.trm.md/radio E-mail: rmi.engl@mail.md rmi@mail.md DEAR SIR, Thank you a lot for your message. We were glad to learn you are interested in our programmes and country. It is our pleasure to impart you our time schedule. Hoping our programmes will be of real help to you, we are to remind, our usual short wave broadcasts had been suspended, and the schedule is available only on the following web site: http://www.trm.md/radio every day from Monday to Friday. We should appreciate it greatly if you could share with us your impressions about the quality of this, still new for us, kind of broadcasts. The schedule of Radio Moldova International GMT time Language 12.00-12.30 Spanish 12.30-13.00 Romanian 13.00-13.30 English 20.00-20.30 Russian 20.30-21.00 French Looking forward to hearing from you soon, Sincerely yours (Svetlana Vladarciuc, Interim head of the English Service of Radio Moldova International, Nov 26, via Swopan Chakroborty, Calcutta, India, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEPAL. 5005, 1232 12/2 "Radio Nepal" ID heard, then native music. fair signal, Best ever heard by me! Some pulse-burst QRM every minute or less. Audio much weaker the next day - seemed too weak compared to carrier (Larry Russell, Brighton MI DXpedition, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. Remember Kootwijk Radio, Holland's famous LW ute stn? Until recently also the home of Scheveningen Radio. Interested? Then read on... SPECIAL EVENTS -- DECEMBER -- NETHERLANDS -- PC50R -- Dec 15th the Radiocommunications Agency (RDR) of The Netherlands will celebrate the 50th anniversary of former intercontinental radio receiving stn, named "NERA". This specialised radio receiving station was opened on Dec 15th, 1950, to function as the "ears" for the famous 'Kootwijk' Radio tx stn, some 70 miles to the east. At first the main goal of these two stns was to maintain communication with the Dutch colonies (Indonesia, New Guinea, Surinam and the Neth Antilles). Later on other long-range communication purposes were added. After long-distance SW slowly faded as other powerful alternatives emerged, "NERA" was converted in a professional monitoring stn for LW through UHF signals for the Radiocommunications Agency. "NERA" stands for Nederhorst-den-Berg RAdio. Nederhorst-den-Berg is a village near Hilversum in the centre of Holland. The reception site, which lies in the Horstermeer nature reserve, was chosen for its quiet RF environment and excellent ground characteristics. The nature reserve`s specific flora and fauna stems from its natural salt water sources. Of course "radio" will be the magic word during the celebrations, and amateur radio will be part of it. Besides, the weekend before the official celebrations, on Sat/Sun Dec 9th and 10th, a special event stn will be operated by employees of the Radio Agency. The callsign applied for (but not issued yet) is PC-50-R, a prefix never before used in The Netherlands. Activity will be around the clock, propagation permitting, in CW, SSB or PSK31 on 70 cm, 2, 10, 15, 20, 40, 80 and 160 meters. On 160 meters a full-size inverted Vee dipole at 65 meters above very good ground will be used, on 10-20 meters a two element Yagi 30 meters above the same ground will do the job. Dipoles will be used on 80 and 40 meters. Although all stns will be replied to, especially stns from YB, YB9, PJ, P4 and PZ (the former colonies) are invited to call, because of the historic setting of this stn. Sked requests from stns located in these regions are warmly welcomed. Please write or E-mail to: Ben Witvliet, PA5BW c/o NERA, Radioweg 3, Nederhorst-den-Berg, The Netherlands ben.witvliet@rdr.nl A special QSL-card will be awarded to all contacting stns, and will be sent by bureau automatically. Radio Kootwijk http://db.nextroom.at/tx/581.html Museum: http://levend.nl/tvmuseum/tvmuseumkootwijk/kootwijk.htm Radio Nederland visit Kootwijk: http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/scrapbook/html/kootwijk.html [last day of] De laatste dag van Radio Kootwijk (1918-1998): http://www.qsl.net/on4caf/kootwijk.html Den Haag - Australia via SW in 1934 (Real Audio): http://www.qsl.net/on4caf/pavk.html Over de gecodeerde oorlog 1939-1945 en hoe Hitler de 'vijand' afluisterde: http://www.groene.nl/1998/19/rz_ptt.html (via Ary ary@luna.nl in BeNeLuxDXC, Oct 27 via BC-DX via DXLD) ** PERÚ. 4300.00, Radiodifusora Comercial Naranjos, Dec 7 1005-1047, Weak Andean vocals sandwiched between RTTY and other ute station. Slightly stronger signal by 1044 with minimum QRM. 1047 time check and ID (Mark Mohrmann, VT, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERÚ. 5980.1, R. Chasqui, 3/12 1125-1230 22222 mx religiosa. Tocan contínuamente mx y recién a las 1145 dan su ID mv dice: ``Radio Chasqui 5960 kHz`` (en quechua y español), ``son exactamente las 7 de la mañana`` y citan varios lugares entre ellos, a la ciudad de Paucartambo (Pedro F. Arrunátegui, Lima, Chasqui DX via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Hi Glenn, Olle Alm found that 7125 evidently originates from Tbilisskaya now. He points out that this site has for transmissions towards North America only one curtain for the high and another one for the low bands; this capacity was in use by Voice of Vietnam until they left in favour of Sackville. Due to this very limited antenna capacity Tbilisskaya cannot substitute for Grigoriopol` on 7180, too, although no less than four 1000 kW transmitters are available there. As well-known, all other Russian shortwave sites are not suitable for transatlantic transmissions due to the polar paths to North America from these locations. I`m rather curious how Voice of Russia will try to solve this problem. The mentioned "Malaya Zarya" is a beverage [sic -- ??] antenna for the 1548 channel, while the crashed 250 metres tall mast was most likely the aerial for 999. The second collapsed mast of 160 metres height was either a carrier of a lowband curtain array or (more likely) another mediumwave mast. By the way, already a couple of years ago a mast collapsed at Grigoriopol`, the 350 metre tall longwave antenna for the 234 frequency of Radio-1. This information from Bernd Trutenau [cf MOLDOVA above]. Regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUTHENIA. Ruthenians demand own radio broadcasting | Text of report in English by the Czech news agency CTK Presov, eastern Slovakia, 1st December: Codification of the Ruthenian language, establishment of a Russian studies section at Presov University and a Russian theatre are the main achievements of the Ruthenian Renewal over the past 10 years, its members said at their anniversary celebration today. The problem of Ruthenians` own radio broadcasting and of the establishment of a Ruthenian university department still remains unresolved, members of the Ruthenian Renewal and the World Congress of Ruthenians said at a press conference. These problems were also the subject of today`s meeting of the Ruthenian Renewal coordination committee in Presov, which was also attended by World Congress of Ruthenians member professor Peter Maul Magocsi from Toronto University, Canada. Coordination committee spokesman Peter Krajnak said they would like to solve the question of starting their own radio broadcasting before the census in May next year. According to official data, about 17,000 Ruthenians live in Slovakia at present. However, in the last census a total of 50,000 people said that Ruthenian was their mother language. According to the Ruthenian Renewal representatives, up to 130,000 Ruthenians live in Slovakia, being the second largest community of Ruthenians after the United States, where about 620,000 of them live. Ruthenians also live in the Czech Republic. Officially only 1,700 have claimed this origin, while according to the Ruthenian Renewal there are about 12,000 of them in the Czech Republic. Source: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1541 gmt 1 Dec 00 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. Olle Alm also reports that he heard today Radio Ukraine indeed on 9385 with English at 0100 and 0400. Regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. BBC WS previews: PEOPLE & PLACES: WOMEN OF THE WORLD 2000 5 x 30 min from Thu Dec 7 Eu: Thu 2030, Fri 0230, 1530, Mon 1030 Am: Fri 0230, 2130, Mon 1530 In 1995, BBC World Service broadcast the series, Born a Girl, and looked at the expectations of five teenagers on the threshold of womanhood as the UN hosted a conference in Beijing on the theme of Women. Now, five years later, producer Kate Howells rejoins the young women in Ghana, Mexico, Jordan, Madras and California to hear about their current aspirations and whether they are any closer to achieving the independence they looked for. The result is a series of revealing portraits of five women, all ambitious and hard-working who are inspiring confidence in those around them. The women are either putting their energy into the final stages of their education or starting out in their professional lives. Now aged 22, Dzifa Adzanu of Peki Tsame village in Ghana tells Kate Howells: ``I decided to come to Cape Coast Polytechnic to study accountancy - it`s more practical and profession-orientated than a university course. I would like to help little children whose parents can`t afford their education. ``Things have changed so much. When I was 18 years old I was not that brave. Those times I felt timid when talking to people. But what I’ve realised is: whatever you have in your heart you must say it so you can be free.`` Each of the five programmes in the Women of the World 2000 series focuses close up on the lives and current hopes of one of the young women whom Kate Howells first met five years ago. At 16, Tara Mohr of California wanted to be an actress but now at 21, she feels differently. ``Now theatre feels too tumultuous to me: I don`t want to be playing different people. I’m more impressed with people who can maintain openness. I don’t think Yale University has been good for my creative life.`` ``These young Women of the World have overcome obstacles of prejudice, pressure and poverty to be where they are today,`` says Kate Howells. DISCOVERY: LIFE STORY 3 x 25 min from Fri Dec 8 Eu: Fri 2005, Sat 0205, Mon 1505, Tue 1005 Am: Sat 0205, Mon 2105, Tue 1505 The story of life on Earth has been a four billion year struggle for survival, with sudden environmental catastrophes and bursts of evolutionary ingenuity. With spectacular new fossil finds around the world, palaeontologists can now piece together some of Earth`s key moments in history in amazing detail. In a series of four programmes, Martin Redfern travels around the world to visit fossil sites and recreate on BBC World Service the scenes that took place in life’s story. He uncovers the intimate details of the lives of individual creatures as well as the broader picture of life on our planet that they help to reveal and clues to our own ancestry. Martin Redfern begins in Australia and Namibia where fossil finds reveal strange creatures which range from what look like animated air beds, to giant worms and delicate sea fans. How they lived and what they became is only now being explored for the first time. Canada`s 500 million year old Burgess Shale and new discoveries from China are revealing the strange ancestors of many of the groups of animals we know today. Programme two asks whether it`s possible that one strange thing like an animated anchovy fillet could have evolved into us. The question of how animals first crawled onto land is the subject of the third programme. Are there clues today in lungfish in the mangrove swamps or the Coelacanth, still swimming in waters off the Comoros and Indonesia, 400 million years after its close relatives were fossilised? In a quarry near Edinburgh which 340 million years ago was a mysterious dark lagoon, priceless fossils have been found of Lizzie, the world`s oldest reptile and an intermediate creature somewhere between an amphibian and a reptile. In the final programme Martin Redfern explores exciting new finds from China of ‘hairy dragons’ and dinosaurs with primitive feathers. These follow the discovery of a complete skeleton with fully feathered wings and tails and teeth and claws. So are dinosaurs extinct or are they are all around us, perching in the trees and chirruping? PLAY OF THE WEEK Eu: Sun 0001, 1701 Am: Sun 0000, Mon 0630 Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen 1 x 90 min Dec 9-10 One of the seminal plays of world literature, Ghosts by Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen deeply shocked even the liberal theatre-goers of Europe when it first appeared in 1881. Ibsen said he had to write it after his previous play, The Doll’s House, to show what might have happened when a women like Nora doesn`t walk out of her life of ‘duty’. The play is not just about hereditary illness and the sins of the fathers being visited on their helpless children (in this case hereditary syphilis being passed on to young Osvald) but it is also a condemnation of the rigid and conventional moral code that society forces people to live by. Stars of the British theatre, Penelope Wilton and Paul Rhys play Mrs Alving and her son Osvald in a new radio version of the play by Doug Lucie. The director is Janet Whitaker (BBC Press Office via WORLD OF RADIO 1060, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. VOA English to Africa on 7415 knocks out WBCQ for me during my eve [*0300]. This is usually the case wintertime (Bob Thomas, CT, Dec 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WMLK is still apparently broadcasting nothing on 9465. Again Dec 7 we listened to a weak carrier for several minutes after 1900, and could detect no modulation whatsoever (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Houston may have 2 classical stations but the best classical station in the southwestern US and maybe beyond is KMFA, Austin TX. 89.5 MHz and it is listener sponsored with no NPR funds. Best regards, (dave mcdonald, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, I used to listen to it when in TX. Now I looked for their website, and had to quickly cover my eyes when http://www.kmfa.com came up. Es algo distinto; station is at http://www.kmfa.org !! apparently with no audio (gh, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. 3059.78, Radio San Felipe, (2 x 1530 harmonic), Dec 7 1016-1042, Apparent sign-on with anthem followed by canned ID, into live announcer. Fair signal (Mark Mohrmann, VT, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIRGIN ISLANDS BRITISH. ZBVI-780 was also dominating the channel here last evening (Wed 12/6) 2330-2350Z with rap music, soca music, many local ads, and male DJ in Caribbean accented English. I also noticed a strong het on the high side and, sure enough, Mauritania- 783 was in at fair level with man in Arabic parallel to 4845 kHz. To be honest, 4845 had a much stronger and clearer signal but, of course, I enjoyed the MW signal more, hi (Marc DeLorenzo, Newton, Mass., NRC-AM list via DXLD) That's a nice catch, Mark. ZBVI 780 "The AM Advantage" is situated just easterly of Road Town, Tortola and to get a signal northerly I`d think would be quite a feat. The signal leaving the tower is immediately blocked by mountains going in the general direction of the US east coast. One night I walked the three miles or so from Road Town in hopes of getting a tour and taking pictures and was turned away at the door. I will be developing photos of the tower taken from across the harbor in the coming month or two. I was able to listen to the station well inside my ship, even next to my shop PC without any interference. They do have a web site, I`m not sure of the address. I have some airchecks of the station. Their audio sounds like the transmitter could use some work (Ron Gitschier, FL, Dec 7, NRC-AM list via DXLD) NOTES ON EDITING DXLD (0-151). Hardly any issue is error-free, and tho we proofread carefully before publication, something almost always slips through, which only becomes apparent once we read the single hard-copy archive printout we make. Such correxions are often made within an hour or two of original distribution and posting, but since this one was finished late at night, the fix-up had to wait until 1345 UT Thursday (so if you received or downloaded 151 before then, now you can find the corrected version in the archive). This time there were 19 minor changes, none of them serious involving a number! (Except omitting the 1630 frequency for Mexico, tho it was given in the previous issue.) 19 typos, etc., is still not a whole lot in a file of this size. Many involved improving punxuation with comma or semicolon, or improving syntax in English, or simple typos. Of course, should we notice anything later, further correxions can always be made (gh) ANGELFIRE ``NOT FOUND``: we notice that it is not uncommon for our pages not to be found upon the first try. Before contacting us, just try the same URL once more, and it may well come up. N.B.: the clever remarks are a/fire`s idea, not ours. ###