DX LISTENING DIGEST 0-168, December 29, 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 ** AUSTRALIA. Greetings and Happy New Year. Here`s an excellent (IMHO) piece on Australian public broadcasting, current economic theories and the whims of politicians, that appears in Saturday`s Melbourne Age newspaper. I think what it has to say has compelling parallels with the interplay of these institutions in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and other countries. (For example, where Mr. Flanagan says "Liberals", substitute "Democrats" in the US, "Liberals" in Canada and "Laborites" in the UK.) Hope you enjoy it and would appreciate your comments here (John Figliozzi, swprograms Dec 28 via DXLD) ------------------------------------------------ ``The ABC drama is reaching its final act: exit, stage right`` By MARTIN FLANAGAN Saturday 30 December 2000 This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/2000/12/30/FFXBKL9QAHC.html (via Figliozzi, swprograms, via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Unusually, the latest issue of Electronic DX Press, No. 196 has a lot of info about MW in Australia: a list of call sign changes, stations which broadcast in AM stereo; proposals for day/night power switching, direxional antennas and an official online source for station info, from the Australian Broadcasting Authority: http://www.aba.gov.au MW DXers interested in Australia should be sure to check this issue. Inquire from edxp@bigpond.com (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA [and non]. RA will add a new relay site, ``BBC`` Kranji, Singapore, from Wednesday January 3, with new program times: 0500-0530 17865 Khmere 2300-2330 9730 Khmere 1400-1530 15435 ``Chinese`` And from Monday January 15 via CBS Taiwan: 2330-2430 15110 Vietnamese Later there will be additional offshore sites, involving relays of English and Indonesian broadcasts in addition to the Taiwan relays already of Indonesian. This will allow Shepparton to resume coverage of its forte, PNG, W and SW Pacific, rather than SE Asia. Also plans to boost services via satellite, not just Pálapa 2 C-band with two analog channels already, but on AsiaSat 2, and WorldSpace, both for direct listeners and additional AM and FM relays. Indonesian is changing from long broadcast blocks, to a number of individual non- repeated half-hour programs during the day (Nigel Holmes and Roger Broadbent, RA Feedback UT Dec 29, notes by gh for DXLD) ** CANADA. CBC Previews Dec 30-31: BASIC BLACK: This week on Basic Black...a year-end Best Of show as only Arthur and the gang could do it: the weirdest, wackiest stories from the past 52 Saturday mornings of Basic Black. You'll meet a woman who cheerfully shares her house with a horse, and the woman who's known as "The Sea Monkey Lady." That's on Basic Black, Saturday at 10:05 (10:35 NT) on CBC Radio One. MUCKRAKER YEAR IN REVIEW: The Muckraker returns Saturday morning with A Muckraker Year in Review: a lighthearted look back at some of the news stories of the past year. A year in which Jane Stewart misplaced a billion dollars, Jean Chrétien came face to face with a cream pie, and voters in Florida dimpled a lot of chads. Catch the Muckraker Year in Review, Saturday morning at 11:00 (11:30 NT) on CBC Radio One. QUIRKS & QUARKS: This week on Quirks and Quarks...The Quirks Holiday Question Show: they find the experts to satisfy your search for scientific solutions. Find out why woodpeckers don't give themselves concussions when they peck away at wood; what we smell when it rains; why birds don't have mid-air collisions; and what the constellations would look like from a distant solar system. That`s Quirks and Quarks, with host Bob McDonald, Saturday at 12:06 (12:36 NT) on CBC Radio One. THE INSIDE TRACK: On the New Year`s Eve edition of The Inside Track...a look at the funny side of sports. Comedians Stewart Francis and Greg Eckler tackle the wacky side of sports -- professional and amateur, the good, the bad, the utterly ridiculous. That's this week on The Inside Track Sunday at 1:33 (2:03 NT; 4:33 PT) on CBC Radio One. (CBC Hotsheet via gh, DXLD) Each has five webcasts and airings on each timezone feed, starting with AT of UT minus 4, thru PT, UT minus 8. Inside Track gets bumped around a bit in order for all zones to carry Cross Country Checkup live on Sunday afternoon at 2100-2300 UT (gh) ** CANADA/SOUTH AFRICA. RCI-Meyerton noted on 13640 with English 1830-1900 Dec 29. Bad co-channel QRM from RTE-Ireland co-channel *1830-1900* via Sackville relay!!!! (Bob Padula, Victoria, Electronic DX Press via DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Radio Cristal Internacional is back on shortwave. Noted on 5009.8 kHz as an unID by several guys on IRC #swl, including Bob Montgomery, Jay Novello, and me. I listened to the recording again, and noted an ID. At 2335 UT male talk in Spanish, with jingles mentioning "noticias". At 2341 LA music. The ID came at 0001. Weak/fair signal here in the Netherlands. 73, (Mark Veldhuis, Borne, the Netherlands, Dec 29, conexion digital via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. See MOLDOVA ** KAZAKHSTAN. Voix d`Orthodoxie/Voice of Orthodoxy is a Russian language religious broadcaster 1630-1700 9355 Tu/Fr (Nikolai Rudnev, Russia, NASWA-LN Jan via DXLD) ** LITHUANIA. Several days ago I received a message from Rimas Zakarevicius (LY2NX), dated December 26, 2000, regarding radio news from Lithuania which I think you will find interesting. A translation into Engish follows: "Lithuania is looking for your help! Several weeks ago the Lithuanian radio started to transmit their programs to North America directly from Lithuania. The transmitter is located in Sitkunai, about 20 kilometers northwest from the city of Kaunas. Even though the economical situation in Lithuania is very difficult, the funding was found (approximately one million litas [$250.000 US]) for the construction of a new, modern antenna. A beautiful antenna was built with the height of 110 meters [approximately 350 feet] with the radiation direction toward North America - azimuth 310 degrees. It is a colinear, four level, four dipole system (a total of 16 dipoles). The gain is about 20dB which is about 100 times! The antenna is wideband and can operate between 6 and 12 MHz. ``A new, modern 100 kW transmitter was also purchased which cost a great deal of money. Up until now, programs from Lithuanian radio to North America were transmitted from Germany. Understandably, this was a very large expense. Now, however, transmitting the programs directly from Lithuania will save a great deal of money. For several weeks now the new transmitter is transmitting in the 31-meter band. At first, an attempt was made to use 9735 kHz. Now 9875 kHz is utilized between 0000 and 0100 GMT. ``Experiments are also conducted in the 12 MHz region while looking for a clear frequency. LY2NX and K9WR have visited this station twice during December. There were discussions with engineers in determining the best frequency and time. The engineers at the Sitkunai radio station are relying on the help of American Lithuanians. It would be very good to send reception reports. Comments regarding QRM or other interference are welcome as well as suggestions. Dear ones, I hope that we all will respond to this common matter!!! Reports should be sent to Mr. Petras (Peter) Leskevicius, PELES@LRTC.LT While finishing, I wish to greet everybody with Christmas holiday and the coming New Year! Sincerely yours, Mr. Rimas Zakarevicius, LY2NX. 2000 december 26d. Kaunas" So here it is. I can provide the original Lithuanian text if anyone wishes. 73 de (Joe Mikuckis, K3CHP Riverdale, MD, USA, Dec 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I checked at 0013 UT Dec 30, and 6120 via Germany was still on for its penultimate (?) time, and much, much better, than \\ 9875, barely audible thanks to somewhat disturbed conditions, always a problem across the auroral or at least subauroral zone path from eastern Europe to N America. While their do-it-ourselves attitude is laudable, especially when they seem so dedicated to continuing SW broadcasts to North America, what they should have done was buy time (after all, it only amounts to one hour a day) on a better positioned and less expensive outlet, e.g. WBCQ. Surely this would have been more effective, and more cost-effective, than buying and installing their own transmitter and antennas within Lithuania. But now they have it, are they going to operate it anything close to 24h to Europe or other targets? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MÉXICO. XERTA, 4800, R. Trans Continental de América, letter-sized QSL-card, personal letter, brief info sheet, letter-size photo of owner, letter-size photo of transmitting equipment, letter-size logo sheet featuring eight-point star with slogan ``La Estrella del Milenio,`` 2 years 8 months after original report and 14 months after most recent follow-up. V/s Roberto Najera Martínez, Pdte. y Director General, says they moved to 4810 because their broadcasts on 4800 were being interfered with by stations in Guatemala and China. Address: Plaza San Juan No.5 , Esq. Ayuntamiento 1er Piso, Desp. No. 2, Centro Histórico, México, D.F., or Aptdo. Postal 653, C.P. 06000, Correo Central, México, D.F. (Henry Lazarus, LA, NU via RNM via DXLD) Not reported active for quite some time now (gh) ** MOLDOVA. Farsi-language stations (i.e. clandestines) using Grigoriopol` (all 500 kW): Radio Voice of Iran ("Radio Sedaye Iran") 1630-1730 7480 Radio International ("Radio Anternational") 1730-1815 7520 Radio Iran of Tomorrow (American Farsi netlink) 1830-1900 7120 (Nikolai Rudnev, Russia, Jan NASWA LN via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Like every year Radio East Coast Holland & Voice of the Netherlands air their new years eve px on SW. We will use two freq. in the 41 & 48 mb. On 41 mb we are using 7485 kHz the big xmtr with about 800 watts. On 48 mb we are using 6285 kHz the little xmtr with about 150 watts. If propagations hold on like they do now we also aim for the North, Central & South American public, so spread the news & make sure you are tuned in. For more about the xmtrs or info, you can look on the homepage http://members.nbci.com/echolland or http://eastcoastholland.net Hopefully you will listening on Sunday 31 Dec, we will start around 0700 utc & we will be active the whole day with live pxing on SW. You can call us on mobile numbers Gerrit: +31 651884803 & Ronald: +31 625426740. This number is the Hotline. We hope that you will listening that new years eve & that you enjoy the px live from the north part of the Netherlands, call us or write us to the well known address PO. BOX 663 7900AR Hoogeveen. Please enclose 2 US$ or 2 IRCs (via Free Radio Weekly Dec 28 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS ANTILLES [and non]. Re: DRM tests. DX Information from the British DX Club (BDXC-UK). Nothing much happening at present as per this email I have just received: Dear Michael, Currently there are no definite dates for any tests. We expect to continue again with transmissions in the second half of January 2001. The good news is that we are looking for a better way to communicate with interested listeners. A part of the schedule detail is ad-hoc and determined on site, which makes it difficult to publish all details in advance. Thanks for your interest, kind regards (Hans Linkels, Radio Netherlands Bonaire, 27 December 2000 22:28 via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via DXLD) I am wondering if the DRM tests I heard earlier in Dec at 1400-1500 on 21665-21670-21675 were from Bonaire, or perhaps HCJB as previously publicized without any frequency info (gh) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. New Christian radio station to [start] broadcasting on FM and SW | Text of report by Papua New Guinea newspaper The National web site on 29 December A new Christian radio station, "Krai Bilong Baibel Broadcasting Network [KBBN]", will start broadcasting from Mt Hagen on New Year`s Day. The PNG Telecommunication Licensing Authority (Pangtel) gave the final approval on Wednesday [27 December] for the station to commence broadcasting its programmes through the FM band on a frequency of 92.5 MHz. Brad Wells, the son of American missionary Dennis Wells who has worked in Pangia, Southern Highlands, for over 10 years, is the driving force behind the radio station. The young Wells initially attempted to set up the radio in Pangia. He then moved to Mt Hagen and purchased a former Jiga tribal battleground to set up shop. Mr Wells told reporters yesterday that KBBN was the result of a vision he had years back in Pangia. "I had just finished preaching for three weeks at Moria village. In the clear moonlit night I saw in the distance, my father`s home lights shining the brightest among the village. To me that represented 10 years of Dad`s missionary work. "And in the other direction I saw the lights of my own house which shone only a little less brighter. That represented three to four months of my own work." Mr Wells said he wondered aloud what he could do for the vast valley before him that still had to be reached. "As I walked along that night I heard rock and roll music from a transistor radio in a village house. "Then it struck me: Radio! A preacher could only preach to a small group of people but a radio station can reach a lot more," Mr Wells said. The station is complemented with a 64 track recording studio that will be used to record local gospel music on compact discs. KBBN will broadcast from 0800 to midnight during its first week. It is expected to reach as far as Minj and Banz. {*****} Shortwave broadcasts nationwide will commence once equipment arrives from United States. It is understood that some churches in Lae are already gearing up to install their first transmitter tower to receive and relay KBBN broadcasts. Three Christian doctors have been engaged to speak on health and medical issues, and three lawyers will discuss law and constitutional matters. The station has a staff of one news reporter and four announcers. Source: The National web site, Port Moresby, in English 29 Dec 00 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Radio Sonder Grense, the internal service of the South African Broadcasting Corporation, has this winter [sic -- meaning current?] schedule, via Meyerton, with all broadcasts in Afrikaans: 0430-0700 7185, 0700-1630 9650, 1630-0430 3320 (Bob Padula, Electronic DX Press via DXLD) ** U K. Weekend highlights on BBC Radio 2, 3, 4, 5: Since I just made up my own list (in CST!!) of worthwhile listening on these networks, I herewith share it: CST SAT DEC 30 0630-0700 4 NEWS QUIZ OF THE YEAR 0700-0730 2 COMEDIANS` COMEDIANS 0715-0800 4 PICK OF THE YEAR 0800-0900 4 HISTORY OF CALL-IN RADIO 1305-1330 3 MET OPERA INTERVAL George Plympton NOT = USA 1435-1500 3 MET OPERA INTERVAL Opera Quiz = USA; times apx 1500-1600 5 GLOBAL stories around the world, and about us 1600-1700 5 XXI CENTURY VOX morality and ethics in XX 1700-1730 4 REAL HISTORY OF OPERA 1730-1800 4 POETRY, PLEASE CST SUN DEC 31 0515-0600 4 DESERT ISLANDS DISCS pulsar discoverer 0615-0700 3 SOUNDS AMERICAN our classical music 0730-0800 4 ODE TO JOY performing it chorally 0900-1000 2 EDMUNDO ROS Latin Music for NYE 1000-1030 4 HAL AND ARTHUR C. CLARKE 1030-1100 4 POETRY, PLEASE 1045-1145 3 BACH CITIES Leipzig, Dresden 1100-1154 4 CORRESPONDENTS FORESEE 2001 1215-1300 4 PICK OF THE YEAR II 1300-1400 5 XXI CENTURY VOX changes in news presentation 1430-1545 3 BRAZILIAN BACH Villa Lobos 1500-1600 5 GLOBAL 1530-1600 4 DREAMING OF WHALES 1600-1700 5 XXI CENTURY VOX news presentation = 1300 sic 1600-1900 2 NYE SPECIAL 1700-1800 4 ONE AMAZING YEAR 1715-1800 3 SONGS OF THE SUFI MYSTICS 1815-1848 4 HAL AND ARTHUR C. CLARKE http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3 http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio5 Note: Many shows starting at hourtop actually follow a brief newscast. Everything before 0500 CST ignored due to need for sleep. Please let me know if you make any personal use of listings like this. Regards, (Glenn Hauser, swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. The trade magazine Radio & Records reports that WAFN 1700 Miami, will drop the English sports format on Monday, and flip to a Spanish Religious format (Brock Whaley, WH6SZ, Decatur, GA, Dec 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Webcasting Public Radio stations holiday specials; ALL TIMES HERE ONLY ARE CENTRAL = UT MINUS 6. Most URLs are www dot call letters dot org; some exceptions are noted. -XXXX means duration not specified, tho often determinable from other stations` listings. yir = year in review; bo = best of CST SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 0830-XXXX WCAL XMAS EVERY DAY readings 0900-1000 WNYCF HOUR WITH MURRAY PERAHIA 1000-XXXX WFMT BACH XMAS ORATORIOS thru 12/31 http://www.wfmt.com 1000-1100 KUNI BACKFIRE! 2000 http://kuniradio.org 1100-1200 KUNI PLEASURES OF WINTER 1100-XXXX KING CLASSIC KID FM Hallelujah 1200-1300 KUNI JUDY COLLINS 1300-1400 KUNI TRISHMAS CAROLS 1300-1400 KCRW CAPITOL STEPS 1300-1400 WMFE MOREHOUSE & SPELMAN GLEECLUBS http://pbs.org/wmfe/radio.html 1400-1500 WMFE SEASON`S GRIOT 1500-XXXX WUNC LOST & FOUND SOUND bo 1500-1600 WMFE CAPITOL STEPS 1500-1700 KUOW AMERICAN ROUTES millennium in review 1600-1700 KUNI VOICES OF WINTER 1700-1800 KPBX SEASON`S GRIOT 1700-XXXX WCAL FROM HEAVEN ABOVE Juletide Fest 1900-2000 WMFE PLEASURES OF WINTER 1900-2000 VPR THISTLE & SHAMROCK WINTERFEST http://www.vpr.net 1900-2000 WMFE PLEASURES OF WINTER 1900-2030 WCNY CHORAL TRADITIONS Russian Orthodox Xmas music 1900-XXXX WKARF AMERICAN ROUTES XX century bo 1900-XXXX WMUB ORNAMENTS & ICING #2 folk 2000-2100 OPB THISTLE & SHAMROCK WINTERFEST 2000-XXXX VPR MY PLACE vocal harmony 2100-XXXX WKARF SONIC SEASONINGS 2300-XXXX NPRN LATE IN THE EVENING HOLIDAY PARTY jazz/blues http://net.unl.edu/ **** ANY LATE ADDITIONS SINCE ORIGINAL POSTING TO THESE LISTS, IF POSSIBLE BEFORE AIRTIME, WILL BE ENTERED IN OUR WEBSITE ARCHIVE COPY AND MARKED THUS **** SO CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY. NOTE: These listings are provided *pro-arte* and do not constitute an endorsement of any particular religion by gh, a secular institution (DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** URUGUAY. Here is an update of current activity: 6125: SODRE, Montevideo, 1326-1333 with local songs; 6140: Radio Montecarlo, Montevideo, 1302-1310 with a special program, titled "Aquí está su disco"; 9620: SODRE, Montevideo, 1245-1300; 9650: Emisora Ciudad de Montevideo, Montevideo, 1340-1400 with sports program and listener calls (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Electronic DX Press Dec 30 via DXLD) NEW AND EXPANDED SW BROADCASTING BANDS In recent years, spectrum allocations for HF broadcasting have gradually expanded, due to increased lobbying within the ITU, facilitated by the migration of many non-broadcasting services to satellite. The last major band revision was at the World Administration Radio Conference 1992 (WARC-92), authorising operations in the new bands officially from the year 2007, but transmissions in the expanded bands prior to that time are permitted on a non-interference basis, which are already occurring! The 2007 allocations are as follows: 2300-2495 120 metres 3200-3400 90 metres 3900-3950 75 metres 4750-5060 60 metres 5730-6200 49 metres 7100-7600 41 metres 9250-9900 31 metres 11500-12160 25 metres 13570-13870 22 metres 15030-15800 19 metres 17480-17900 16 metres 18900-19020 15 metres 21450-21850 13 metres 25670-26100 11 metres (Electronic DX Press Dec 30 via DXLD) ###