DX LISTENING DIGEST 1-014, February 2, 2001 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 2001, 2000 contents archive see} http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/Dxldmid.html A NOTE ON CORRECTED EDITIONS, from Anomaly Alert: You may ask, why don`t I do this before the original distribution? My printing facilities are limited and slow, and I only want to make one hard copy of each issue. For me, it is much easier to proofread from that than from the screen. Too, after many hours of working on an issue, lately finishing around midnight, I am eager to dispatch it without further delay. Depending on the number of correxions, I also provide DXing.com with the corrected copy, certainly the case with 12 and 13. DXLD 1-013: A corrected version replaced the original in our website archive at 1715 UT Fri Feb 2. If you received direct or downloaded before then, please replace with this version. No frequencies, but a number of typos, syntax, etc., roughly 55 minor changes. DXLD 1-012: About 35 minor correxions were entered on our archive copy at 1425 UT Jan 31, only one of them involving a frequency. If you received direct or downloaded before then, please replace with the corrected version. ** ARGENTINA. Para quem se interessar em captar emissoras argentinas em OM, uma boa ferramenta pode ser encontrada em http://habitantes.elsitio.com/remix/redes.htm trata-se de uma relação das cadeias de rádio argentinas e suas respectivas emissoras, vale a pena conferir... (Caio Fernandes Lopes - Itajubá, MG, Atividade DX Fev 2 via radioescutas via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Reason for delay in RA using Darwin again is arranging the program feed. Target date still unknown. English at 2200 on 15240 has now switched from Shepparton to Taiwan; in turn, Shepparton will probably use 15145. The co-channel on 15240 from Rome continues (Nigel Holmes, RA via Chris Hambly, Victoria, Feb 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) More programme changes at RA, due to changes in frequency usage: Australia All Over, which had been UT Sat 1900-2300 will cut back an hour to end at 2200. Grandstand Wrap had been at 0700 [Sat, Sun?] but is now at 0800 where it will stay both summer and winter (RA Feedback Feb 3 via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. RA screws up again? Feedback aired not only at the usual time of 2105 UT Friday, heard on 21740 and webcast, but again in progress when tuned in both ways at 2313! As I was expecting to hear Lingua Franca. Feedback was not on at 0030 UT Saturday. The posted program schedule at http://www.abc.net.au/ra does not seem to have been updated to reflect any of the changes mentioned in the last couple DXLDs (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. Rebel radio calls on soldiers to stop jamming broadcasts | Text of report by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) radio on 1 February Dear listeners: we want to mention that over the past few days some members of the army, thinking perhaps that they are doing the right thing, attempt to jam and block the work of our FARC fighters on the broadcast frequencies of our Voz de la Resistencia, the FARC-EP [People's Army] Bolivarian radio network. We urge them - soldiers, policemen and NCOs - to dwell on the following reflection: Brother Soldier, Brother Policeman is the title of a song recently composed by Lucas Iguaran, intended for soldiers and policemen. Obviously, it is not easy or simple to know how one should act as a brother to those who make up the grass-roots origin of even the NCOs in the armed forces. These members of the armed forces were created to defend an unfair social system and we repeatedly confront them the battlefield. The explanation is the grass-roots social background of those NCOs: absolutely all of them are lower class people; sons and daughters of workmen, campesinos or humble people who do not own enormous haciendas, factories, chain stores, hydroelectric power plants, oil companies or other sorts of companies, etc., etc. Much less do they own large or small media. We can thus deduce that all this is made possible thanks to the integrated effort of the grass roots of our society. Therefore, we call on policemen, soldiers, and NCOs to understand this situation. The country`s owners, who are a handful of families that make up the oligarchy, pay them to recruit them for several days. Some because the military service is obligatory in order to obtain a document, others to earn a salary in this country hit by unemployment, and others who mistakenly believe that they are defending something they own. But this is not so. The country's owners pay for an entire army to guard their stores and privileges and multimillion properties, their comfort, the comfort of their families and their children, etc. The potentates pay large sums of money to officials and generals to put that grass-roots social base to die for them to avoid that the very same people snatch away from them their lifestyle of comfort, acquired at the expense of the suffering of millions of people. This is why we recall Julian Conrado`s phrase: Aim high, brother soldier, because you are from the lower classes and forget. Source: Voz de la Resistencia in Spanish 1 Feb 01 (via BBCM via DXLD) See also VENEZUELA/COLOMBIA ** COLOMBIA. Tomado del Diario el Tiempo. Febrero 12 [sic] del 2001 Las Farc también disparan por radio JOSÉ NAVIA, Enviado Especial de EL TIEMPO Zona de distensión Esta tarde de calor sofocante, cuando la tensión por el futuro de los diálogos crece a medida que se acerca el domingo, la emisora de las Farc transmite vallenatos y hace llamados constantes a sus oyentes para que se incorporen a esa organización armada, y a los soldados para que deserten "con arma o sin arma". "Al mediodía tienen un noticiero que se llama Notiveraz", había anunciado una mujer campesina que la sintoniza durante todo el día en su transistor. El noticiero, sin embargo, no se transmitió al día siguiente del secuestro de un avión de Satena, con 26 pasajeros, por parte de un desertor de las Farc que intentaba llegar a España. Tampoco hay referencia alguna a la posición de esa organización sobre la propuesta del presidente Andrés Pastrana de reunirse con 'Manuel Marulanda', jefe de las Farc, para discutir el futuro de los diálogos y, por tanto, de la zona de despeje. El plazo dado por Pastrana para la aceptación de ese encuentro es hasta el próximo domingo. Los locutores de la Voz de la Resistencia, que es como se llama la emisora de las Farc, se limitan a seguir con sus consignas y programas, publicitados con frases como: "120 minutos con lo mejor de la salsa". La emisora tiene sintonía de telenovela entre algunas de las mujeres y niños de la zona rural de San Vicente del Caguán y otros municipios cercanos, y se promociona como "el punto rebelde en su dial", adscrita a la "cadena radial bolivariana". "A mí me gusta porque ponen buena música", dice una mujer de una vereda cercana a San Vicente. Por lo general, la Voz de la Resistencia transmite música romántica, baladas de los años 70 y 80, en las mañanas. Luego muele aires tropicales hasta mediodía y en la tarde suelta andanadas de vallenato, para cerrar la programación con música llanera. De las cinco emisoras que se captan en un caserío ubicado a unos 20 minutos en carro del casco urbano de San Vicente del Caguán, la emisora de los guerrilleros es la más nítida. Los niños, sobre todo, la buscan en un dial de FM ocupado casi totalmente por chirridos destemplados. Los mensajes y la presencia de los guerrilleros, la mayoría muy jóvenes y bien armados, que bajan a hacer retenes en las carreteras logran su efecto. Mónica*, una niña que aún no ha cumplido los ocho años, dice que le faltan otros ocho para unirse a la guerrilla. "Yo todavía no puedo cargar el fusil", aduce. "Lo primero que hace apenas llega de la escuela es prender el radio en la emisora de la guerrilla", dice su mamá, quien mira con preocupación la insistencia de la niña para irse para el monte. En este caserío la emisora de las Farc ha logrado posicionar a un comandante guerrillero de Bloque Caribe, de nombre Julián Conrado, como el artista de sus preferencias. El hombre, de indudable talento para el canto, ha grabado varios discos compactos acompañado por notables ejecutantes de acordeón, caja y guacharaca, con 'Iván Márquez', uno de los jefes guerrilleros, como "productor ejecutivo". Conrado tiene pegado entre los oyentes de la Voz de la Resistencia el tema 'La mamá de un guerrillero', una canción que habla de una mujer de escasos recursos que se dedica a lavar ropa. Entre tanda y tanda de discos, diferentes locutores disparan proclamas bolivarianas, dardos afilados contra los "ricos", invitaciones a unírseles y consignas ecológicas similares a que se encuentran en los carteles que han clavado sobre los árboles, a orilla de las carreteras. Las Farc también tienen un grupo llanero que ha grabado varios joropos de letras incendiarias, pero que no calan por estas tierras, habitadas en su mayoría por colonos del Huila, Tolima, Cauca y Valle, que prefieren los géneros bailables. Lentamente, los locutores-guerrilleros han ido ganando confianza, hasta el punto de uno de ellos, que se identifica como 'Leonardo', se atreve a promocionar a su emisora como "la mejor compañía en la casa, el carro, la oficina... y el batallón". (via Rafael Rodríguez, Bogotá, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. Dear Friends, RFPI has received numerous reports of moderate to severe interference on our 7480 frequency. For this reason, we will be testing on a new frequency tonight: 7450 from UTC Saturday 0200 - 0600. We would appreciate and encourage reception reports from all regions of the world for this test broadcast. Our temporary e-mail is: radiopaz@racsa.co.cr QSL verifications will be issued. Thank you in advance for your feedback (The team at RFPI, Costa Rica, Feb 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7450 perhaps a little better in the 0200-0225 period than 7480 would have been; no WJCR splatter, but Greece/RTTY on 7455, and a weak neighbor on 7445, better than the stronger Greece on 7475. RFPI has a lot of fading and not very strong, making me wonder if they are yet at full power and tower. At this time 15049 not audible, tho it often has been holding up well late into the night (Glenn Hauser, Feb 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. RADIO SUNFLOWER: Finally received my 1st Euro-pirate QSL from Radio Sunflower! Received a full data letter, 2 QSL's for 10/29/2000 & 11/11/2000 reports & a Radio Perfekt "6260 ON SW Der Country Sender NR 1" bumper sticker. Data letter mentions home brew TX with up to 1500 W RF output from 0-30 MHz! Said was using dipole antennas for 15.800 MHz & 21.890 MHz. Had no luck trying 26.015 MHz but will try 21.850 MHz & vertical antenna. Also mentioned hearing Netherlands pirates every Sunday from 6200 kHz to 6305 kHz, but said USA pirates on 6950 are very difficult to hear at his QTH. Great QSL's and Great info! I know...This info is a bit much... But I thought that it would be info ya'll want to read about. 'Hope you can use it! And I did write back to them asking them what they thought of using the 15 Meter band that stems from 18.900 to 19.020 MHz (The Dude, Free Radio Weekly Feb 2 via DXLD) ** FINLAND. I just received this message at 2306 UT 2 FEB: Greetings from Scandinavian Weekend Radio! Welcome to listen SWR! Scandinavian Weekend Radio will be on the air from 22 hours UT this evening 2nd February until 22 hours UT tomorrow Saturday 3rd. It is expected that from beginning of our broadcast the best audibility will be in the Mediterranean area and even in North Africa. Also listeners in Spain and Southern Italy (Sicily) may receive us during night hours! We await your comments how you can receive us! You can send your SMS messages to following number; your international code? 400 995 559. Or visit our web-site http://www.swradio.net and leave your messages there. Around 5 hours UT it might be best times try to listen SWR in Middle parts of Italy and countries in Balkan Area. After 6 hours UT conditions are calculated to be best in whole Middle-Europe. We have a live show from 9 to 12 hours UT! PLEASE NOTE: We do not send our printed QSL -card without return postage (2 IRC or 2 USD and make sure that you get those IRCs stamped correctly, otherwise they are useless). Send written reports via traditional mail: SWR/Reports, P.O. Box 35, 40321 JYVÄSKYLÄ, FINLAND Here is tentative information for February 3rd broadcast. Changes are possible. kHz Time UTC [sic –- looks like UT plus 2 to me -gh] 11690 00-02 11720 02-08 11690 08-14 11720 14-18 11690 18-22 11720 22-24 Let`s meet on 25 metres! With best regards, Alpo Heinonen Scandinavian Weekend Radio http://www.swradio.net (via Petersen) I checked here at 0000 UT, but nothing could be heard on 11690 as the signal path from Finland towards Denmark is faded out. I suppose it will fade in later this morning as usual. Give it a try ! Best 73, (Anker Petersen, Denmark, Feb 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE [non]. Regarding YV5LIX receivers getting RFI on 144.3 MHz: I wonder if the signal of RFI (Radio France International) is heard right dead on 144.300 MHz? Also does the signal go away when a low gain antenna is used...and if the signal fades in and out at the same ratio on vhf as it does on 9.8 MHz? I made some calculations with the figures on radio # 1 (RFI) 9.800 MHz + (1st IF) 10.750 = 20.55 x 7 = 143.85 + (2nd IF) .455 = 144.305 Interesting, to say the least. (Bob Carter Operations/Engineering WGAI-NewsRadio 560 AM Stereo .., WCXL 104.1 Beach 104..., WQDK 99.3 Q-Country..., WWOC 94.5 WaterCountry 94.5..., Ray Communications Radio Network www.wgai560am.com www.beach104.com www.ahoskie.com/wqdk www.agrinetradio.com KC4QLP Amateur Radio --- Emergency Services Provider --- www.hometown.aol.com/kc4qlp Chief Engineer--WRCS-AM 970 Ahoskie NC e-mail wrcs970am@yahoo.com www.geocities.com/wrcs970am AM Stereo Radio list moderator-----amstereoradio-subcribe@topica.com voice contact-252-335-0856 fax 1-209-254-8978, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Subject: RE: IF mix computation Hi Glenn. Thanks for your mail and calculations. Very interesting indeed, I also worked with the IFs the radios and 9.800 kHz but the result with the other two radios were totally different; that`s why I ruled out an IF pick up. I will try to answer your questions. 1.- Is the signal of RFI heard right dead on 144.300 MHz? Yes, the signal is heard right on 144.300 MHz. 2.- Does the signal go away when a low gain antenna is used? That depends; so far I have been able to hear the signal 5 times, and when the signal is weak, yes, it goes away when a low gain antenna is used; but 2 times, when the signal was stronger, Jan 22nd and last night, the signal became weaker on the low gain antenna, but was still there and perfectly readable, and the level of attenuation is different for the two log gain antennas, this is because they have different gain and design. Now there is another consideration, and that is that the low gain antennas are vertically polarized, and that alone will introduce about 20 dB attenuation if the incoming signal is horizontally polarized, so part of the attenuation on the signal, when received on the low gain antennas, may be caused by the polarization of the signal being different from that of the antennas. 3.-Does the signal fade in and out at the same ratio on vhf as it does on 9.8 MHz? This is very difficult to answer, but the VHF signal seems to have a heavier QSB than the HF one. One other factor is that what sounds like an atmospheric noise, seems to be part of the signal itself, this because the noise starts with signals and goes away with signal; and as the signal seems to be vertically polarized, because it is almost non present on the low gain vertically polarized antennas. I hope this would answer your questions, and I like to hear some more from you, I can see that you also have an honest interest in this phenomenon. Best regards to you and yours (José M. Valdés R., YV5LIX, Feb 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GABON [non]. Africa No. One webcast: Hmm -- while the description file for Africa #1 comes from the comfm.com website in France, the actual webcast appears to come from the same company as the VOA on- demand real audio webcasts, aka real.net The company is listed as being in MIT`s back yard but the server that I eventually connect to seems to be near Miami (Joel Rubin, NY, Feb 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Some news regarding Radio Bremen, although this station left shortwave years ago. Another part of German broadcasting "geht den Bach hinunter": The current Radio Bremen networks RB 1 "Hansawelle" and RB 3 "Bremen Melodie" will merge on May 1 into a new program called "Bremen Eins". It is planned to use the vacating FM frequencies after a simulcast period of three months for "Funkhaus Europa", which is currently carried on 936. A shut down of the mediumwave transmitter is not intended but perhaps Radio Bremen will give it on lease, like Saarländischer Rundfunk did years ago with 1422. Further programming changes: From September the current RB 2 will be produced commonly with NDR under the new name "NordWest-Radio" and no longer contain varied but instead stringently formatted programming, announced with the revealing term "innovative". And: Radio Bremen will leave the radiohouse at Bürgermeister-Spitta-Allee in favour of leased rooms elsewhere in the city. The company which purchases the radiohouse area already announced, that they will first pull down the great broadcasting hall (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Feb 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. According to information from Zacharias Liangas, originates ERA Thessaloniki 9935/7430 currently from the Avlis site in the Athens area. This site otherwise carries ERA-5 / Voice of Greece, and some recent frequency cancellations no doubt were done to make the transmitter available for ERA Thessaloniki in the 1100-2300 period. The existing equipment of the Avlis site consists per the TDP of two 100 kW Marconi transmitters. Note that ERA-5 uses alongside with its own Avlis station also the IBB facilities at Kavala. I`m actually surprised that ERA bothers to cancel Voice of Greece frequencies in favour of the "Macedonia 1" program from Thessaloniki, as it was so far my understanding that Thessaloniki was on shortwave only because they have the transmitters at the facility, which is primarily responsible for the 1044 mediumwave outlet, at hand anyway. And of course I also wonder why Avlis is now used instead of the Collins transmitters at Perea; either installation work is up at the site or they simply no longer manage to operate the museum pieces from 1949, probably due to difficulties in obtaining spare parts (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Feb 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. I have been absorbing the info in previous issues and trying to figure what is going on at the Voice of Greece and Radiophonikos Stathmos Makedonias. Thessaloniki`s 7430 seems to be using the 35 kW transmitter. On Jan 28, 29 and early 30, there was a strong tuning signal on 9935 which is probably the 250-kW being adjusted. One of the items mentioned ``--- FM`` -- this is the SW station`s pick-up of the simulcast on FM, MW and SW. It translates like this: ``102 FM, 1044 MW, ERT 3, Radiophonikos Stathmos Maledonias, This is Thessaloniki``, not necessarily in that order. From the IBB frequency schedule report concerning ERT relays of Jan 18 and by doing some monitoring of their opening frequency announcements, I have made up my new Voice of Greece schedule, as of Jan 30: UT AVL-1 AVL-2 KAV-12 KAV-11 DL GR 0000-0350 7455 5895 7475 12105 0400-0550 7475 15630 9375 17520 0600-0700 9420 15630 7375 17520 11900 0700-0800 9420 15630 12105 9375 11900 0800-0900 9420 15630 SILENT SILENT 0900-0950 9420 15630 SILENT SILENT 0950-1100 SILENT SILENT SILENT SILENT 1100-1200 SILENT 15630 SILENT SILENT 1200-1250 SILENT 15630 15530 9420 9690 1250-1300 SILENT 15630 SILENT 9420 9690 1300-1500 SILENT 15630 *15650 9420 9690 1500-1650 SILENT 15630 *15650 9420 1700-1800 SILENT 9420 7455 *11645 1800-1900 SILENT 9420 7455 *11645 17705 17565 1900-2000 SILENT 7455 7475 *9375 17705 17565 2000-2055 SILENT 7455 7475 9375 17705 17565 2055-2100 SILENT SILENT 7475 SILENT 17705 17565 2100-2200 SILENT 7475 #15650 #9420 17705 17565 2200-2250 SILENT 7475 #15650 #9420 2250-2300 SILENT SILENT SILENT SILENT 2300-2350 7475 5895 15650 15630 *Foreign language broadcasts #Separate broadcast to Australia From the IBB schedule listing 9420 on KAV-11 at 1200-1645 on 355 azimuth, that tipped me off to the probability that one of Avlis` transmitters is off the air from 0950 until 2300 because of work being done on the 250-kW transmitter. I imagine that VOG will keep the two 100-kW and install the three 250-kW transmitters. The 2001 WRTH lists Avlis 2 x 100, Avlis 5 x 250, and Kavala 1 x 250 (perhaps they are counting the two for Thessaloniki.) While I was chasing kilocycles (that`s what VOG still calls them), at the ungodly hour of 1:10 am, I tuned in to their news in English at 0610 on 7475, 9420, 11900. The announcer said it was directed to Europe and North America (from Delano at 296 degrees?), and all three frequencies were clear as a bell Jan 30 (John Babbis, Silver Spring, Maryland, Jan 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. --- EMERGENZA IN INDIA --- A seguito del disastroso terremoto che la scorsa settimana ha sconvolto l'India, secondo informazioni fornite da Jose Jacob VU2JOS, i radioamatori membri del National Institute of Amateur Radio (NIAR), hanno allestito numerose stazioni radio HF/VHF d'emergenza nelle zone maggiormente colpite della regione di Gujarat. Queste stazioni concorrono alle operazioni di soccorso mantenendo le comunicazioni la dove ogni altro mezzo non e' piu' funzionante. La frequenza master e' quella di 14160 kHz. I principali callsigns attivi in tali operazioni sono: VU2LIC, VU2MYH, VU2LFA, VU3RBN. In questo momento e' richiesta la massima attenzione da parte delle stazioni Ham internazionali, affinche' si eviti di occupare le frequenze di 7023 e 14160 kHz fino a nuovo avviso (Radioincontro Feb 2 via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN. Iraq: Voice of the People of Kurdistan on MW, SW and satellite The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) radio station, Voice of the People of Kurdistan, which broadcasts from Al-Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan, has been observed broadcasting on an audio subcarrier of the KurdSat Satellite TV service at 0300-0700 and 1330-1700 gmt. The satellite service appears to be a relay of the radio`s local broadcasts on medium and shortwave. The radio signed on at 1345 gmt on 31 January with the following announcement: "Voice of the People of Kurdistan (Kurdish: Dengi Geli Kurdistan) broadcasts its programmes daily on the following shortwave frequencies: 41 m and 75 m, corresponding to 6995 kHz and 4060 kHz, as well as on the mediumwave frequency 1206 kHz, over two separate sessions: "The radio opens at 0315 [gmt] in the morning; programmes in Arabic are broadcast between 0330 and 0500, followed by programmes in Kurdish [until 0630 gmt]. "In the evening, the radio opens at 1345; our programmes in Kurdish are broadcast between 1400 and 1800, followed by programmes in Arabic until 2100. "Brother and sister listeners: You may also listen to our programmes on shortwave frequencies 41 m and 75 m at 2300, local time, or 2000 gmt." [as heard] The following programmes have been observed on the satellite service: 0330 news (Arabic), 0430 press review (Arabic), 1410 news summary (Arabic) 1425 press review (Sorani Kurdish) 1500 news (Sorani Kurdish) 1512 programme for Hawraman area in the local Hawrami dialect 1600 news (Sorani Kurdish) 1615 review of PUK newspaper Kurdistani Nuwe. Source: Voice of the People of Kurdistan, Al-Sulaymaniyah, in Kurdish 1345 gmt 31 Jan 01; monitoring research Jan 01 (BBCM via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [et al.] I`m pleased to say that we've been given the go-ahead by Digital Radio Mondiale to publish advance details of future field test transmissions on shortwave. These should be available on the DRM Website at http://www.drm.org but will also be available on our Media Network site. For the time being, at least, I'm putting them on our normal media newsdesk page which is at http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/medianews.html. In due course, as more information about DRM become available for publication, we may create a separate area for it. Today we published details of some tests coming up next week from Sines and Juelich (Andy Sennitt Radio Netherlands, hard-core-dx via DXLD) see PORTUGAL ** NETHERLANDS. PIRATE Holland. 21889.95, Alpha Lima International, 09.00 with full ID using AM signal, and Spice Girls "Not that innocent...., PO Box 663, 7900AR Hoogeveen, The Netherlands", fair to good by then, QSL by email within 12 hours confirming 350W.. will be repeated on Feb 4th, same time, same frequency (David Norrie, Auckland NZ, AOR 7030, Jan 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Vanimo back on the air after about a year, 3205 at 1000 UT Feb 2 (Chris Hambly, Victoria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PORTUGAL/GERMANY/DRM. On 5, 6, 7 and 8 February Deutsche Welle will broadcast test transmissions for Digital Radio Mondiale from the Sines relay station at 1200-1400 UT, beamed 50 degrees to Central Europe. The DRM test sequence used during the last field tests will be used. More information about the field tests and sample audio files can be found on this page http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/digital010117.html One of the following schedules will be used, depending on propagation: 1. 1200-1400 UT on 21670 kHz 2. 1200-1400 UT on 17525 kHz 3. 1200-1300 UT 15655 kHz and 1300-1400 UT on 15470 kHz There will also be DRM transmissions from Juelich, Germany on 7 and 8 Feb at 1130-1230 UT on 5900 kHz using a linear transmitter running at 40 kW. These are special transmissions for the HFCC meeting in Geneva. The DRM test CD will be used, but Deutsche Welle will announce their own transmissions separately. (c) Digital Radio Mondiale & Radio Netherlands Media Network February 2 (via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Observations on the new BBC World Service schedule generator: It's like an over-instrumented car: Elegant and clever, but less than 100% useful, and difficult to customize for special situations or listening preferences. The BBC has launched a new function on their schedules page that generates a schedule tailored to your location, magically figuring out the correct program stream, local time - UT conversion, and relevant frequencies. With latest-generation browsers, this works well, as far as it goes, but can`t easily be ported into a text- oriented format, and neglects the rules of shortwave propagation. Unfortunately you can`t generate a sequentially-listed text-oriented schedule for more than one day at a time. The weekly version is formatted into a spreadsheet-looking verison, whether you download a .csv format file or the HTML version. Here in Eastern PA, I can often receive African feeds and European feeds, but these feeds won`t come up in a Philadelphia-oriented schedule. Instead I must select a different city or region, speculating as to the actual target for the broadcast. Only when I select Madrid, or Algiers, do I get the schedules for these other feeds I know I can hear. Unfortunately this feature has a bug -- on my Windows 98 / IE 5.5 machine, the BBC reads my local time settings on the machine and uses that in the display, showing GMT in brackets. I found that disconcerting with reading the "Madrid" schedule: the local time shown is my computer`s local time -- EST -- and not local Madrid time. This difference isn't clear in how the web page is formatted. Also, the interface could benefit from a minor programming twitch: When you select a particular city, you are asked if that city should be your default; the choices are "OK" or "Cancel" -- instead the choice should be "Yes" or "No". This is because "Cancel" implies that the city selection process may be aborted if you click on it -- and this isn't what happens. The thing that`s aborted is the assigning of the city as a default. I will say that it`s handy to have a program and frequency list superimposed together. However, the user should be given more options to create schedules for other audible regions. Regards, (Richard Cuff, Allentown, PA, Feb 2, swprograms via DXLD) ** U K. BBC Radio 2, 3, 4 picks for Saturday and Sunday Feb 3-4. After 1100 UT only: SATURDAY FEB 3 GMT 1130-1200 4 FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT 1230-1255 4 NEWS QUIZ 1300-1330 2 COMEDY SKETCHES 1330-1400 2 HALF SKETCH 1530-1600 4 STEALING GLORY: CONQUEST OF THE NORTH POLE 1730-1754 4 BACK ROW film world 1800-1855 3 METROPOLITAN OPERA: Carmen Act I 1815-1900 4 LOOSE ENDS with Ned Sherrin 1855-1920 3 MET OPERA INTERVAL: Talking to Gotham: Morgan Entrekin 1900-1945 4 SATURDAY REVIEW: Art & Culture in the Metropolis 1920-2005 3 MET OPERA: Carmen Act II 2005-2030 3 MET OPERA: Quiz 2030-2145 3 MET OPERA: Carmen Acts III, IV 2100-2200 2 VICTOR BORGE 2330-2400 4 POETRY, PLEASE SUNDAY FEB 4 GMT 1115-1200 4 DESERT ISLAND DISCS: John Mortimer 1200-1230 4 JUST A MINUTE 1215-1300 3 MUSIC MATTERS 1330-1400 4 OPENING NIGHTS: Canterbury Tales 1600-1630 2 GILBERT & SULLIVAN STORY 3 of 4 1600-1645 3 DISCOVERING MUSIC: Dvorak`s New World Symphony 1630-1700 4 POETRY, PLEASE (final show, repeats Saturday) 1630-1700 2 SING SOMETHING SIMPLE 1645-1745 3 PERFORMING VERDI 1745-1830 3 JOHN TUSA INTERVIEW: Nicholas Grimshaw, architect 1815-1900 4 PICK OF THE WEEK 2315-2400 3 WORLD ROUTES: From Sulawesi to Madagascar 2330-2400 4 LONGING TO BELONG: Mark Tully 2415-2448 4 CHANSON: Vive La Revolution http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3 http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 (BBC websites, chosen by gh for DXLD) ** U S A. Different Kind of Oldies Show Update for Feb 3: We`ve recorded and put this week's show in the mail. It will be available to listen to in either on demand Real Audio on our web site or in streaming MP3 format on live365.com beginning on Saturday night at the same time it airs on WBCQ, 8PM Eastern Time, or 0100 UT Sunday. As promised, at the suggestion of Mal Fuller, the entire show is a feature on The Platters. Due to our time restriction we can't play everything but we've mixed a few of the early Federal sides in with some of the less played Mercury ones. And for Willie Swanke, we've chosen the Beach Music classic, "Washed Ashore", as the sample of Sonny Taylor's lead. Our shortwave listeners will be glad to know that we are promoting the 14th Annual Winter SWL Festival in Kulpsville, PA at two points in the show. Two promos are available for any other producer/host to use, email me if you want them. Our Festmeisters should be sure to tune in at 29 minutes into the show; I`ve cut in my own voice into Jim Cutler`s promo from the website. See how you like it ("Big Steve" Coletti, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A Different Kind Of Oldies Show on WBCQ, 7415kHz Shortwave Saturday Evenings at 8:00 ET, 0100 UTC-Sunday or 24/7 on www.live365.com, open MP3 player to http://216.32.166.82:7970 bigsteve@dorsai.org bigstevecole@email.com http://bigsteve.wbcq.net US Mail: P.O. Box 396, New York, NY 10002 ** U S A. WBCQ / Complex Variables Studio - Press Release: 2 - 2 - 2001 WBCQ features entertainment programming on Saturday daytime #3 service - 17.495 MHz. On Saturday February 10th 2001, WBCQ 3 (17.495 MHz) and Complex Variables Studio will begin programming a Saturday daytime schedule of music and entertainment. The schedule is as follows: 12pm to 1pm EST/ 17:00 - 18:00 UTC - "Club 230" a very broadly based jazz program, hosted by Michael Ketter 1pm to 2pm EST / 18:00 - 19:00 UTC - "Reckless Abandon" Classical and Experimental music, hosted by Wink Wink & Lady Mantessa 2pm to 3pm EST / 19:00 - 20:00 UTC - "The Rupert Franks Show" Smooth sounds spanning the globe, hosted by Rupert Franks 3pm to 4pm EST / 20:00 - 21:00 UTC - "Tasha Takes Control" (Same show that airs at 9pm EST / Fridays on WBCQ 1 - 7.415 MHz) 4pm to 5pm EST / 21:00 - 22:00 UTC - "Magic Radio" (Same show that airs at 10pm EST / Saturdays on WBCQ 1 - 7.415 MHz) 5pm to 6pm EST / 22:00 - 23:00 UTC - "The Big Kaboom" (Same show that airs at 11pm EST / Saturdays on WBCQ 1 - 7.415 MHz) If you have any questions or would like further details about these programs, please contact me: tasha@complexvariablesstudio.com Thank you for including this announcement in your listings. Sincerely, (Tasha Femkins / Complex Variables Studio, Feb 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Glenn: Regarding the discussion of "reversed" hours and Morning Edition: It has always been my experience that stations taking the ME feed take it live. This could mean, depending on their hours for Morning Edition, that a particular station's "first hour" (for example, 6 am ET / 1100 UT) is actually the second hour of the program. This is the practice at WHYY FM in Philadelphia, where they air BBC`s World Update at 5 am ET / 0900 UT). This anomaly is the result of the expansion of Morning Edition into the 5 am ET hour. Years past, many public radio stations aired "MonitorRadio", produced by the Christian Science Monitor, at 5 am local time; NPR did not air Morning Edition at that hour. Once MonitorRadio left the scene, the BBC filled the gap with "World Update", and NPR launched "Early Morning Edition" as a stand-alone competitive program. Eventually the unique existence of "EME" disappeared, and the first hour of ME was moved back to the 5 am ET hour. I can`t recall any examples where multiple stations simultaneously audible with Morning Edition had different segments except for the segment beginning at 50 minutes past the hour. Some stations air an NPR-produced business report, others air an NPR-produced arts / cultural life report, others air the "Marketplace Morning Report", from NPR "competitor" PRI. I have wondered if an incident would come up, such as the Lockerbie verdict, that would prompt NPR to shuffle its segments; it will be interesting to see if there is any fallout from this. (Richard Cuff, Allentown, PA, Feb 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) One of my big peeves with NPR is that Morning Edition (and in a different way, Weekend Editions) are so structured that local stations may opt out of any of numerous segments, not just the ones you mention. If I am listening to ME I want to hear the complete original NPR national edition they are putting out. The local stuff is fine, but it should go somewhere else. Supposedly it should not make any difference which hour airs first anywhere, since each hour is independent –- they never say hello only at the beginning of hour one and goodbye only at the end of hour two. This applies to other shows such as Diane Rehm and Talk of the Nation; some stations take only one of the hours and their listeners never know they are getting only half the show (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Friday Feb 2, 2001 Pacifica Radio host quits 'intolerable situation' By Bud Hazelkorn Of the Examiner Staff In a surprise announcement Wednesday that stunned listeners of KPFA Radio in Berkeley, Juan Gonzalez, co-host of the popular "Democracy Now" program, quit in protest against an "intolerable management situation" at the station's parent organization, Pacifica Radio Network. The move raised the stakes in a protracted two-year struggle between the network's traditionally left-leaning listeners and its new board of directors with links to corporate interests. The five- station national network originated with the founding of KPFA by Berkeley pacifists and anarchists in 1949. "The Pacifica board has been hijacked by a small clique that has illegally changed its bylaws and sought to squash dissent throughout the network," Gonzalez said at the beginning of the morning show that airs from sister station WBAI in New York City. He cited "slanderous personal accusations" by management against his co-host, Amy Goodman, as having "so poisoned the atmosphere at the network that it`s becoming increasingly difficult for many people of conscience to continue working here." He accused the Pacifica board of directors of planning to sell off the stations, rumors that board member John Murdock vehemently and flatly denied. "We have stated publicly on the record that the board has no intention of selling the stations," Murdock said. "The only way it could happen is if the board votes to do it and the board has said it`s not going to do it." Rumors of the sale have persisted since a July 1999 e-mail from Pacifica board member Michael Palmer to board chairwoman Mary Francis Berry inexplicably fell into the hands of the Media Alliance, a nonprofit journalism resource center in San Francisco. "I was under the impression there was support in the proper quarters, and a definite majority, for shutting down KPFA and re-programming immediately," Palmer told Berry then. He suggested that KPFA, with its 94.1 frequency -- smack in the middle of a lucrative commercial bandwidth -- could fetch $65 million to $75 million in "the best radio market in history." Palmer is now the Pacifica board treasurer. That estimate is now $75 million to $125 million, Dennis Bernstein, co-host of FlashPoints, a KPFA-based program that airs late weekday afternoons, said Wednesday. "That is a huge possibility for any commercial entrepreneur to exploit -- to buy it for a couple hundred million dollars, split the signal, and flip it back into billions." When Bernstein tried to report the Palmer memo on the air in 1999, he was dragged screaming from the studio by KPFA armed guards. Pacifica management, which had fired station manager Nicole Sawaya and national political reporter Larry Bensky in March, proceeded to lock out the entire KPFA staff, leading to weeks of protests. Since then there has been an uneasy truce between the station and the network. Not so in New York. Goodman was reprimanded last year for bringing presidential candidate Ralph Nader onto the floor of the Republican Convention, using station press credentials. She then arranged for coverage of a speech by Fidel Castro at a New York City church. The network limited planned national coverage to New York City. Goodman`s supporters say she has been under tremendous pressure to conform to network demands to temper her programming, something that Pacifica listeners insist is the very thing that distinguishes the stations from any others. In 1991, Goodman and fellow journalist Alan Nairn were the recipients of the distinguished George Polk award for their reporting on the Indonesian military crackdown in East Timor, after being beaten and spiriting their tapes and photos out of the country. It was the first news of that situation in the world press. Murdock denied that Pacifica had put any pressure on Goodman to resign, and said it had, in fact, supported her. He said he had "no involvement with hiring or firing at the stations," and that his only interaction was with the network executive director, Bessie Wash. Murdock said he had not spoken with Wash nor other board members about the escalating situation at Pacifica except in an e-mail last September. In that letter he had "copied the rest of the board," but could not recall its content. In December last year, management fired the WBAI station manager, the program director and the local morning show co-host, in what became known as the "Christmas coup." Last week, nine people were arrested in protests at WBAI studios, including two members of the local WBAI board of directors. Gonzalez said Wednesday he would now work to convince listeners to stop supporting the network during the current fund drives. KPFA was the nation`s first listener-sponsored station. An estimated 85 percent of its income derives from listeners, Bernstein said. Gonzalez predicted that board members would be forced to resign, a forecast he admitted was not widely shared. Last week, dozens of protesters were cited for trespassing at the San Francisco offices of Murdock`s law firm, Epstein, Becker and Green. More protests are scheduled for this week, organizers said. (San Francisco Examiner Feb 2 via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. Voz da América não transmite mais em português Washington - Depois de mais de 40 anos, o serviço em português da Voz da América sairá do ar em agosto próximo. A medida, que custará o emprego a sete jornalistas, foi um dos últimos atos da administração Clinton por razões orçamentárias, segundo uma nota oficial. Serão eliminados, também, os serviços em tailandês e usbeque. Os serviços dirigidos a Romênia, Eslováquia, Bulgária, Armênia e Turquia serão reduzidos. No total, cerca de 50 dos atuais 1.100 funcionários da rádio oficial dos Estados Unidos serão dispensados. "Eu lamento, porque o português é uma língua falada em sete países, mas é uma decisão do governo dos Estados Unidos e não há nada que possamos fazer", disse o embaixador do Brasil em Washington, Rubens Barbosa. O sindicato local dos empregados do governo criticaram as demissões como "uma maneira cruel e desumana" de tratar cidadãos estrangeiros "que nos ajudaram a ganhar a guerra fria". Uma fonte do governo norte-americano disse que, embora a decisão possa parecer uma desfeita ao Brasil e tire o emprego de sete pessoas, o serviço brasileiro foi incluído no corte porque o Brasil é hoje um país democrático, tem imprensa livre e ativa e permite o amplo acesso aos meios de comunicação internacional através dos quais o governo norte- americano também divulga informações e seus pontos de vista. Paulo Sotero -- Estado de São Paulo (Via Marcelo Toniolo dos Anjos, Greenvale, NY, Atividade DX fev 2 via radioescutas, via DXLD) ** U S A. Perhaps the easiest-to-overlook US SWBC station, though there are several, is WWBS, Macon GA, nominally four hours per week. I have been wondering if they are still active, but have forgotten to check, which I recall used to be 0000-0200 UT Saturday and Sunday on 11900. The first twenty minutes of that period Feb 3 produced nothing but a weak carrier, presumably something else. Or is it UT Sunday and Monday? Or is the frequency up or down a bit? I invite others to try to confirm this one this weekend and let us know (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA/COLOMBIA. Guerrilla radio said operating across border | Text of report by Venezuelan Globovision television web site on 1 February The National Telecommunications Council, Conatel, is studying transmissions of a radio signal sponsored by Colombian guerrillas on the common border. It has made sure that the signal does not originate in Venezuela. Although Conatel has received no official request to probe into the case, the council director reported that they have used sophisticated equipment to detect the radio signal, which was recently cited as sponsored by Colombian rebels. Conatel believes the signal originates in a portable station located on the other side of the border. Conatel Director Diosdado Cabello said: "This is easy to comprehend because radio signals are completely out in the open and respect no borders. Now, the problem is not only the case of this radio signal heard in Venezuela on the 97.4 frequency but also Colombian stations, whose signals are crossing over into Venezuela." According to Cabello, the government is not considering the possibility of transmitting presidential network addresses over the "cable" system. He attributed any discussion of that idea to political debate. Source: Globovision television web site, Caracas, in Spanish 1 Feb 01 (via BBCM via DXLD) see also COLOMBIA ###