DX LISTENING DIGEST 1-047, April 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 [NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn] SELECTED ENGLISH LANGUAGE DX/SWL/MEDIA PROGRAMS ON SHORTWAVE compiled by John Norfolk, OKCOK April 1, 2001: http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/dxpgms.html ** AUSTRALIA. Radio Australia - moves to compensate for loss of satellite feed Radio Australia (RA) on 1st April updated its listeners on moves to compensate for the loss of the "piggy-back" signal transmitted via the Palapa satellite when Channel Seven TV pulled the plug on the international service Australia TV. "By the end of last week, both the Australian government and the ABC had been mobilized in an effort to find a speedy solution to what was a major problem for Radio Australia," presenter Roger Broadbent said. "First it was an all-too-brief stay of execution as the channels of communication were assured for a brief few days. Then a usually unsympathetic government, particularly when it comes to additional funds, surprised us all when the office for Senator Alston, the minister for communications, information, technology and the arts, issued a media release announcing a funding boost for Radio Australia." Network manager Jean-Gabriel Manguy said the government had agreed funding to keep RA on Palapa for a further six months, "very welcome news and it gives us time, certainly to look further afield and see what are the best options for the future". Apart from a brief interruption for a frequency change, RA has been able to maintain both its 24-hour English channel and the second channel, a combination of language broadcasts and some English programming. The satellite feed is used to relay programming to broadcasters in the Pacific and also to the transmitters in Taiwan used by RA. Broadbent suggested other satellites might provide better coverage and penetration than Palapa. Manguy agreed, pointing out that Palapa is basically a domestic satellite, covering mainly the Indonesian archipelago but used by RA to reach audiences as far away as Samoa and Tonga, and named AsiaSat and PanAmSat as possible alternatives "without really knowing at this stage whether we would be available on those satellites". Manguy noted that there would be additional costs in RA eventually being carried by two satellites rather than one, adding: "We'd certainly want to be available in more areas around the region, so the prospect of going on two satellites is very attractive." Asked if the episode had perhaps amplified the support RA has been receiving in recent years as its impact is increasingly appreciated, Manguy replied: "The outcome of all this is quite positive. Once again it has put the focus on the need for us to be available in Asia, whatever the platform, and in Australia in an election year the fact that Radio Australia [could] be an issue, that the need for Australia to communicate with its immediate region can only serve our interests and, should I say, our long-term interests." Source: Radio Australia, Melbourne, in English 0305 gmt 1 Apr 01 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Yes, I agree! I was actually in their primary target area (Thailand) last week, and 15240 at 2200-2300 in English was almost unintelligible, with both Shepparton and Taiwan using this channel for the same program! There was about a one second delay. As I wrote in Radiomag recently, the frequency coordination at RA leaves a lot to be desired, assuming that one can actually discern the actual frequencies they are supposed to be using! Their Web site is a disgrace, showing March 2000 (!) data, with some sort of partial additional listing which is now several months old. The update is a separate part of the site! I have been unable to get any response from their Transmission Manager, who is located here in Melbourne, who refuses to return any of my calls or E-mails. I have offered RA free distribution of anything they want to be sent out, via the EDXP network, but no reply... All this while the big Darwin facility remains inoperative! (Bob Padula, Victoria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. The new AWR service from ORF-ROI in Moosbrunn can be heard in North America on several different channels. Heard here in Indianapolis are the following:- 11710 0300-0330 Amharic 15195 2000-2130 Dyula & French & English 15460 1700-1800 Amharic & Tigrina 15585 1800-2000 Arabic 17560 1500-1530 Afar 17660 1530-1630 English & Urdu 17635 0330-0430 English & Urdu 0300-0330 11710 Amharic 0330-0430 17635 English & Urdu 1500-1530 17560 Afar 1530-1630 17660 English & Urdu 1700-1800 15460 Amharic & Tigrina 1800-2000 15585 Arabic 2000-2130 15195 Dyula & French & English Greetings! (Adrian M. Peterson, AWR, April 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELGIUM. 15440, Radio Ezra *1058-1118* Carrier and tone on and off, brief audio snippets on and off but got going 1102 with man reading views on Satans influence, exactly the same script as on his webpage. Rapid delivery and amateurish broadcast, seemed to keep knocking his microphone. His website now gives location of transmitter as Wavre 100 kW. Fair signal but muddy audio, slight transmitter hum and flutter fading on signal (Mike Barraclough, England, 1st April, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BÉLGICA: La RTBF International (Radio-Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française), difunde su servicio en francés, de acuerdo al siguiente esquema, válido desde el 26/03/01 al 28/10/01: KHZ HORA TU DIAS DESTINO 9490 0300-0500 Diario B 9490 0300-0500 Lun a Vie D E F 9490 0400-0500 Sábados D E F 9490 0430-0500 Domingos D E F 9970 0300-1000 Lun a Vie D 9970 0400-0500 Diario E F 9970 0400-1000 Sáb y Dom D 9970 0400-1715 Diario B 9970 0700-1715 Diario A 9970 1000-1715 Diario C 17570 1500-1715 Diario B 17570 1500-1715 Dom a Vie D E F 17570 1600-1715 Sábados D E F 17580 0500-0711 Lun a Vie D E 17580 0500-0905 Domingos D E F 17580 0600-1000 Sábados D E F 21565 1000-1205 Lun a Vie D E 21565 1000-1115 Sábados D E 21565 1100-1200 Domingos D E Destino: (A) Europa (NO) (B) Europa (E/SO), Mediterráneo (C) Europa (N/NE) (D) Africa (N) (E) Africa (C), Cercano Oriente (F) Africa (S) QTH: RTBF International, Relaciones Internacionales, B-1044 Bruselas, Bélgica. E-mail: rtbfi@rtbf.be Tel: +32(0)2 737 40 14 Fax: +32(0)2 737 30 32 (Marcelo Cornachioni, Argentina, Conexión Digital April 1 via DXLD) As I recall, none of these are from Belgium, but DTK? (gh, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. This item on NPR`s Weekend Edition Sunday, April 1 deals with Legião da Boa Vontade, LBV which often comes up in SW radio programming from Brazil: Temple of Good Will -- Tourists visiting Brasília, the capital of Brazil, have been flocking to the Temple of Good Will. Here, sightseers are promised a glimpse at the world`s largest crystal and an introduction to one of the world`s fasted growing religious sects, The Legion of Good Will. NPR`s Martin Kaste reports. (5:10): 14.4: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesun/20010401.wesun.13.ram 28.8: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesun/20010401.wesun.13.rmm (via Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. April Fool`s at Sackville? Glenn- I tuned to 11,895 kHz for the R. Sweden relay at 0330 02 April '01 and got R. Vlaanderen instead with abrupt shut-off at 0359, then VOA (much weaker at 0400 in ?Russian). 9,945 was R. Sweden. Asleep at the switch in Sackville or am I confused? (Alan Johnson, NV, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Without researching it, I suspect that an automatic unchecked recording of a WRN feed was made earlier without taking into account the time shift (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. Despite all previous stability assurances, RCI has made significant cuts in its Russian and Ukrainian services. Now they are on the air 1 hour per day each. At the same time, Arabic service was extended, and relays via Moscow added. Current schedule in Russian: 1500-1559 9920 (via Moscow), 11935, 15325, 17820 In Ukrainian: 1600-1659 11935, 15325, 17820 All frequencies except 9920 come from the UK. (Sergei Sosedkin, USA, DX-bistro, via Signal via DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. New CRI relay via Sackville remains an embarrassing loss, April 2 at 1337 VOK was on top of 13650, along with heavy het, hum and distortion against CRI (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. I'm hearing CONTINENT OF MEDIA at 2300 UT Monday on 15049. Not seen in John's DX listing or your Master schedule (Pete Costello, NJ, April 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Another unpredictable bonus airing, filling in for something else (gh) ** CUBA [non]. Checking again for UAE in English at 1330, found R. Martí on 13630 above commie Cuban jamming, RM frequency list at 1335 mentioned only 13820 on this band. Station does not even know which frequencies it is using! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS TURKISH. Hi Glenn, you probably already know this but- just been talking to Radio Bayrak in Nicosia, very helpful people; they just confirmed to me that their SW tx is inactive, with no plans to reactivate, so that just leaves 1098 kHz for anyone who wants to log TRNC 73's (Tim Bucknall, UK, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) TRNC == recognized only by Turkey (CNN World Report mandatory announcement via gh) And certain radio country list committees ** ECUADOR. I noticed Musical Mailbox on 17660 at Saturday, 31 March, 2310 GMT. So the question is whether the scheduled days are GMT or GMT +5 1/2. Maybe Indians arise early but 2300 seems a bit early for broadcast to India (Joel Rubin, NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So they have noticed; these issues already discussed in DXLD (gh) Hi Glenn, In your latest DXLD, you complain of HCJB`s online "transmissions" having commercial sponsorship. I would have thought that you would have been "internet sophisticated" enough by now to realize that some third party audio servers which many stations rely for their streams have sponsors which are independent of the station being streamed. Such is the case with HCJB. But then again, maybe you are just jealous... (Eric Cooper, DXLD) I am perfectly aware of what is going on, but like I said, this is a first in my extensive web audio surfing. I habitually ignore internet and broadcast advertising, zap or mute commercials whenever possible, but this one took me by surprise. Perhaps there is a way to skip it, or at least one can turn down the sound while waiting for it to finish. I still think it is inappropriate for a non-commercial(?) station to be doing this, and it is not done by any US internet station I have ever encountered. HCJB presumes to know God and his will, so it takes only a small leap of faith to assume that through this medium, J. C. is put in the position of endorsing cough drops (or whatever). Jealous of HCJB? What planet are you living on? I guess you mean envious; the only thing I envy is their latitude which evades auroral interruptions to propagation! (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. ALEMANIA: Radio Santec "La Onda Cósmica", posee el siguiente esquema en idioma español con destino a Sudamérica, vigente a partir del 01/04/01: HORA UT DIA KHZ: 0230-0300 Lunes 7330, 9450, 9470, 9810, 9965, 12010, 12060 QTH: Radio Santec, Marienstraße 1, D- 97070 Würzburg, Alemania. E-mail: info@radio-santec.com Web: http://www.radio-santec.com (Stefano Delu, Radio Santec / via W. Bueschel, Alemania via Conexión Digital via DXLD) I have foregone covering SANTEC as just another gospel-huxter program, but run this to forestall questions about what in the world La Onda Cósmica be. Believe SANTEC is a.k.a. Universal Life (gh, DXLD) ** GERMANY. Monitoring for DW in English; they are known to drop/add/change frequencies a couple days after the seasonal switch without announcing them. At 0100, strong on 6040, 9640, 13720; very light on 12040; and gone from 9700, 9765. At 0300, 9535 fair with QRM from 9540 SNR; 9640 VG; 13780 excellent; 15105 fair. At 0500 on 9785, 11985 (Bob Thomas, CT, March 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As we pointed out before, they have cut back to only 3 or 4 frequencies for each English broadcast, per schedule. Bob enjoys the ``hunt`` rather than reading DXLD at a library... (gh, DXLD) ** INDIA. AIR in English news, commentary, and Indian music, April 2 on 13710 from 1340, fair signal and no QRM, but intelligibility as usual poor, due to modulation and accent. I speak several languages (not including Hindi), have three sesquidecades experience as an SWL, but despite concentration, I simply cannot lock into the Indian accent and suddenly comprehend it. Would it be too much to ask for external broadcasts from ESL countries to use either the Queen`s or Standard American English? Of course! To find out how much my comprehension would improve with `perfect` internet reception I went to the live stream at http://www.allindiaradio.com -- the stream ran as indicated by the clock running, but there was nothing to be heard despite two tries! Then I succeeded in listening to the latest 5- minute newscast labeled ``1800`` (meaning IST, so 1230 instead of 1330 UT). Maybe 85% comprehension, marred by acronyms, names and terms which meant nothing to me and were not explained; and distraxions such as pronouncing ``autonómous`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH [non]. I woke up before 1100 UT so checked RKI via Canada, found Spanish on 11715, switching to 9650 after 1100 in Korean. Ergo, English must have followed at 1130 just as they said it would, contrary to previous summers, and I could go back to sleep and not be cheated out of the DST hour, and besides, Ivan and Joe will confirm it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, No shift for KOREA SOUTH [NON], still on 9650 1130-1200 in English April 1 (Ivan Grishin, Ont., DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Korea International continues to use 9650 via RCI-Sackville at 1130 UT (7:30 am EDT) in English, as noted April 1 with usual excellent signal here (Joe Hanlon in Philadelphia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN [non]. CLANDESTINE from BULGARIA to IRAQ. 9960, Radio Bopeshawa, new frequency, ex-9450 at 1500 April 2, no doubt the same presumed Bulgarian transmitter that used to be on 9450. 1 kHz tone up to program start. Now they opened with an Arabic language version of the TDP plug that has been on WFDR for several months. At 1450 the second harmonic on 19920 was strong, but it faded before 1500. This indicates a European site not too far away, while the very modest signal on 9960 indicates a site some distance away. BUL on 9900 was about 2 S-units stronger, but should also have a more favourable beam (Olle Alm, Sweden, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS ANTILLES [and non]. Glenn, I`m extremely down about the insistence of DRM that digital shortwave should completely replace AM mode broadcasts. Who are they to tell the world the way it will be?? Millions of receivers to become obsolete?? Sounds like another industry scheme to attempt to make money while telling us what we need. How many listeners will be cut off from international reception due to lack of access to the internet and digital-capable receivers? Surely it must be a huge number. A well-managed AM-mode HF spectrum would benefit many more people than a spectrum awash in digital noise!! Take care (Chuck Ermatinger, March 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGER. Re: Again 45.65 ORTN. I did not say that there is no possibility on spurious, but most definitely NO Harmonics. It looks more like a filter problem after the last frequency doubler. It depends on the way the modulation is generated whether this is carrying modulation. As it seems to carry modulation, the modulator must be in or before the last doubler stage. Calling this a (sub)harmonic is per definition wrong. By the way, it does not matter whether it is an old or modern tx (Franz von Velsen, Austria, tv@fmdx.com via harmonics@yahoogroups.com via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. Jackie Yockey writes in a High Adventure newsletter at http://www.highadventure.org/news.html Over 16 requests for radio in Africa sit on my desk. Requests from doctors, pastors, preachers and more, all pressing us to consider stretching already strained finances to be sure that radio touches their communities. In a land where the BBC reports the largest radio listening audience in the world today, God has called us to build for a people prepared to hear! NIGERIA: On this same trip we visited Jos, Nigeria where the Christians also call out for help. The approaching shadow of Islam is already destroying the peace of 3 of Nigeria`s states and threatening to engulf that nation of millions. Christian leadership in the government -- right up to the President himself have pursued High Adventure, hoping we could bring radio to the countless millions in Nigeria and its neighboring countries where Islam is spreading at an alarming rate. My heart aches at the poverty of body and soul in these precious nations where western governments warn travelers to beware. Both Nigeria and Liberia have a troubled past and the present seems equally difficult according to world news reports. We need to move forward in Nigeria. We have land, license and staff also prepared for us there. We even have some of the shipping costs promised to us, but we require additional finances to install our shortwave transmitter to reach Nigeria's Muslim neighbors. We need a little more to install an FM voice for the city of Jos, our host city in Nigeria. In 1962, famed missionary Dr Douglas Percy in his book "Beyond the Tangled Mountain" spoke of the need for an African nation under the independence of Christianity and almost prophetically he proclaimed if Christianity does not take hold, then. "Africa will lie open, and could be the richest prize on earth for any one who can conquer her". Today millions of Muslims have dedicated themselves to this very task. In fact Dr Jack Arnold of Equipping Pastors International Inc. in a recent newsletter states "The Muslims are very religious and aggressive and their goal is to make the whole world Islam by either persuasion or force. They have made the continent of Africa the center of this spiritual battle, for without Africa, they cannot reach the rest of the world". We must not let this happen -- we must take Africa for Christ. Love, Jackie (via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK, excerpted via DXLD) The holy war is on! Don`t these wacky monotheists realize they all worship the same god? What`s the big deal? Live and let live (gh, DXLD) ** PAKISTAN. Hi all, R Pakistan's sked for A01 from their web-site, both external and World services: http://www.radio.gov.pk/exter.htm http://www.radio.gov.pk/world.htm Cheers, (Paul Ormandy, hard-core-dx) Viz. the only English: 1600-1615 11570 15100 15725 17720; 0800-1104 Urdu, but we know there are bits of English at start and finish, 17520 21465. Assami Service in English 0045-0115 11650 15455. We also know that frequencies as a rule are slightly off (from above sites via gh, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15455.96, Radio Pakistan, 03 April 0053t, In English, news read by man interspersed with traditional music until 0113 fadeout. Signal very difficult to pick out of the noise and very unstable. Parallel noted on 11649.57 until top of the hour, when it was interfered by station on 11655 (Mark J. Fine, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERÚ. 5300.00, R. Superior, 26/03 0202-0305 mx, ID ``En los 5.3 de Radio Superior..`` mx, ID ``Son los existos en superior la radio..`` mx s/off dicen ``Cuando ya son las 10 y 54 minutos, estamos por terminar nuestra edición correspondiente al día de hoy; estaremos Dio mediante mañana a partir de las 6 de la mañana, buenas noches Bolívar, buenas noches Perú.`` y luego tocan el himno nacional (0300*) (Pedro F. Arrunátegui, Lima, Chasqui DX via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. 17805, Radio Romania International, English broadcast to Western Europe scheduled at 1700-1800 is strong here in Northeast Ohio April 2; in fact, at this time it is better than some scheduled frequencies at other times of the day to North America. // 15380 inaudible due to wide signal of WEWN on 15375 (Lee Silvi, Mentor, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I happened to run across this too before I got your mail. At 1750 UT April 2, RRI in English, music segment on 17805 with VG signal but usual muddy modulation, distortion detracted from intelligibility; seemed to have a pipeline from Romania at the moment, as well as on 17850 for the Romanian service, just before it was blocked by even stronger open carrier from REE Costa Rica, the latter announced at 1759 as for southern NAm along with 11 and 9 MHz frequencies for SAm and Carib (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also SPAIN ** RUSSIA. Voice of Russia program schedule March 25 2000 [sic] -October 27, 2001 [I had to retype the entire thing so I hope there are no mistakes --jn] News every hour on the hour (11 mins) News in Brief on the half hour (1 sesquiminute) TBA - nothing listed in box 1400 Sun: Sunday Panorama, Russia People & Events; Mon-Sat: News & Views 1430 Sun: Kaleidoscope; Mon: Folk Box; Tue, Thu: Yours For the Asking, Music At Your Request; Wed: Jazz Show; Fri: Moscow Yesterday & Today; Sat: Timelines. 1500 Sun: Moscow Mailbag; Mon-Fri: Focus on Asia & the Pacific; Sat: Newmarket. 1530 Sun: Russian By Radio; Mon: This Is Russia; Tue: Moscow Yesterday & Today; Wed: Audio Book Club; Thu: Folk Box; Fri: Songs From Russia, You Write To Moscow; Sat: Kaleidoscope. 1600 Sun, Tue: Science & Engineering; Mon, Thu: Newmarket; Wed, Fri: Moscow Mailbag; Fri: Music & Musicians. 1630 Sun: Timelines; Mon, Wed, Fri: XX Century; Tue, Thu: Alternative Programs [Bless the Lord, O My Soul every 2nd and 4th week]; Sat: TBA. 1700 Sun: Music & Musicians; Mon, Thu, Sat: Moscow Mailbag; Tue, Fri: Newmarket; Wed: Science & Engineering. 1730 Sun: TBA; Mon: Kaleidoscope; Tue: Yours For the Asking, Music At Your Request; Wed: Moscow Yesterday & Today; Thu: Musical Portraits of the 20th Century, Russia People & Events; Fri: Folk Box, Sat: Songs From Russia, You Write To Moscow. 1800 Sun: Musical Portraits of the 20th Century, Mon-Fri: Commonwealth Update; Sat: Science & Engineering. 1830 Sun: Christian Message From Moscow; Mon, Wed, Fri: XX Century; Tue, Thu: Alternative Programs [Bless the Lord, O My Soul every 2nd and 4th week]; Sat: This Is Russia. 1900 Sun: Sunday Panorama, Russia People & Events; Mon-Sat: News & Views 1930 Sun, Tue: This Is Russia; Mon: Moscow Yesterday & Today; Wed: Kaleidoscope; Thu: Audio Book Club; Fri: Russian By Radio; Sat: Christian Message From Moscow. 2000 Sun: Music & Musicians; Mon, Thu: Science & Engineering; Tue, Fri: Moscow Mailbag; Wed, Sat: Newmarket. 2030 Sun: TBA; Mon: Songs From Russia, You Write To Moscow; Tue: Yours For the Asking; Music At Your Request; Wed: Musical Portraits of the 20th Century, Russia People & Events; Thu: Folk Box; Fri: Jazz Show; Sat: Russian By Radio. 0100 Sun: News & Views; Mon: Sunday Panorama, Russia People & Events; Tue-Sat: Commonwealth Update. 0130 Sun: Moscow Yesterday & Today; Mon: Timelines; Tue: Folk Box; Wed: Jazz Show; Thu: Musical Portraits of the 20th Century, Russia People & Events; Fri: Yours For the Asking, Music At Your Request; Sat: Christian Message From Moscow. 0200 Sun, Mon, Thu: Moscow Mailbag; Tue, Fri: Science & Engineering; Wed, Sat: Newmarket. 0230 Sun: Songs From Russia; Mon: This Is Russia; Tue: Kaleidoscope; Wed: Musical Portraits of the 20th Century, Russia People & Events; Thu: Moscow Yesterday & Today; Fri: Russian By Radio; Sat: Audio Book Club. 0300 Sun, Tue-Sat: News & Views; Mon: Sunday Panorama, Russia People & Events. 0330 Sun: Kaleidoscope; Mon: Audio Book Club, Tue, Thu, Sat: XX Century; Wed, Fri: Alternative Programs [Bless the Lord, O My Soul every 2nd and 4th week]. 0400 Sun: RHM; Mon: Musical Portraits of the 20th Century; Tue, Fri: Moscow Mailbag; Wed, Sat: Science & Engineering; Thu: Newmarket. 0430 Sun: Moscow Yesterday & Today; Mon: Jazz Show; Tue: Yours For the Asking, Music At Your Request; Wed: Musical Portraits of the 20th Century, Russia People & Events; Thu: Folk Box; Fri: Audio Book Club; Sat: Timelines. 0500 Sun: Science & Engineering; Mon: Moscow Mailbag; Tue-Sat: Focus on Asia & the Pacific. 0530 Sun: Audio Book Club; Mon, Fri: This Is Russia; Tue: Musical Portraits of the 20th Century, Russia People & Events; Wed: Russian by Radio; Thu: Moscow Yesterday & Today; Sat: Christian Message From Moscow. 0600 Sun, Tue, Thu: Moscow Mailbag; Mon, Fri: Science & Engineering; Wed, Sat: Newmarket. 0630 Sun: Timelines; Mon: Russian By Radio; Tue, Fri: Kaleidoscope; Wed: Moscow Yesterday & Today; Thu: Audio Book Club; Sat: This Is Russia. 0700 Sun: Newmarket; Mon: Music & Musicians; Tue, Thu, Sat: Update; Wed: Science & Engineering; Fri: Moscow Mailbag. 0730 Sun: Songs From Russia, You Write To Moscow; Mon: TBA; Tue: Folk Box, Wed: Audio Book Club; Thu: This Is Russia; Fri: Moscow Yesterday & Today; Sat: Kaleidoscope. 0800 Sun: Music & Musicians; Mon: Science & Engineering; Tue: Focus on Asia; Wed, Fri: Update; Thu: Newmarket; Sat: Moscow Mailbag. 0830 Sun: TBA; Mon: Moscow Yesterday & Today; Tue: XX Century, Musical Portraits of the 20th Century; Wed: This Is Russia; Thu: Folk Box; Fri: Jazz Show; Sat: Christian Message From Moscow. This schedule is subject to change without prior notice. Copyright 2001 THE VOICE OF RUSSIA (VOR web site via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. MUSIC CALENDAR: In the April issue of MUSIC CALENDAR, which takes on the musical highlights of each month, we have a story about the Conservatory Big Hall in Moscow, which marks its centennial anniversary later this year, and also about the great 20th century Russian composers Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofyev and Nikolai Myaskovsky. Also featuring high in our April edition are the famous violinist Igor Oistrakh, operatic baritone Sergei Leiferkus and the Russian jazz patriarch Oleg Lundstroem. The MUSIC CALENDAR is an all- round feature everyone will surely find something to enjoy by tuning in on April 3 at 0430, 1430, 1730 and 2030 UT. Copyright © 2001 (The Voice of Russia via Maryanne Kehoe, DXLD) ** SERBIA. Glen[n], Have spent quite a long time of late looking for Radio Yugoslavia`s English Service. Neither 6100 nor 6185 kHz appear to be in use at 2200 UT (as given in WRTH 2001 edition) and I suspect that they have not been for some time. The same goes for the early morning English service broadcasts. If anyone has any information on what is happening over there, could they possibly email me on dcharries@hotmail.com Best 73's, (DXDave, Bristol, England, DXLD) Tsk, wasting time believing info in WRTH. Has been off air for a long time, but frequently rumored to be coming back; search previous DXLD issues SERBIA and YUGOSLAVIA to get up to date (gh) ** SLOVAKIA. Radio Slovakia International heard announcing that the North American 0100-0130 broadcast was on 5930 6190 and 9440, different from their published schedule (Michael Beesley, UK, World DX Club, March 30th) The published frequency was 7230; complaints from radio amateurs? (Mike Barraclough, England, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. Tho the posted schedule at http://www.winb.com still shows on Mondays 13570 does not come on until 1500 UT/10:00 am ET [sic], in fact, April 2 Bro. Scare was heard until 1400 when they switched to Word of the Spirit. My life is now complete, BS not just Tue-Fri. And altho headed ``EDT`` the WINB schedule still shows 5 hour difference between UT and ET (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN. April 1 at 1740 noticed Spain`s strong signal on 17850 had a low het and QRM from a weaker station talking, eventually determined to be in Romanian. Yes, it is in the RRI schedule last issue 1-046, until 1900. I wonder what target. RRI makes itself a nuisance once again through inept frequency management (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also ROMANIA ** U A E. The 0330 English from Dubai I hear on 13675 if propagation is decent; 15400; and 12005, the latter QRMed by something in Arabic (Bob Thomas, CT, March 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UNITED KINGDOM. A World in Your Ear on BBC Radio 4 is Friday 6th April 1230-1300 UT. Listing says "This week the focus is on religious stations as Radio Vatican defends its new 24 hour service and potentially lethal transmitters. There is a look at how conflict between Christians and Muslims is covered by radio in Nigeria and a feature on pagan broadcasts by a white witch in Canada." Programme is repeated Sunday 1900-1930 UT. The programme seems to be weekly as listed Friday 13th April at same time: "Focusing on wildlife she (presenter Emily Buchanan) hears the sound of animals at close quarters in Alaska and a Radio Netherlands report on a hotel for bats" (Radio 4 listings via Mike Barraclough, UK, DXLD) ** U S A. WWBS confirmed still active 2300 April 1st on 11910, sign on announcements by Mrs Josey, then Australian pastor talking about being born again. Poor to fair signal on clear channel. Listed here 2300-0100 Saturday and Sunday (Mike Barraclough, UK, DXLD) ** U S A. L.A. Times, Sunday, April 1, 2001 [excerpts; read full article at:] http://www.latimes.com:80/news/nation/20010401/t000027896.html Voice of America Will Retool for Arab World By NORMAN KEMPSTER, Times Staff Writer WASHINGTON -- With pervasive anti-American sentiment in the Arab world threatening President Bush's Middle East policy, the Voice of America wants to completely remake its Arab-language broadcasts to appeal to a younger, more radical audience. Under a plan awaiting approval by the independent board responsible for U.S. government radio outlets, VOA would broadcast around the clock throughout the Arab world, targeting much of its programming to the under-30 crowd that is most likely to blame the United States for the region's ills. Right now, according to broadcast board officials, only a tiny fraction of potential Arab listeners tune in to VOA's seven hours of daily programming. In a region with vast cultural differences and wide variations in vocabulary and pronunciation, the service beams the same programs, using a formal dialect that many Arabs consider laughable. "It is dismal," said Norman J. Pattiz, chairman of the broadcast board's Middle East committee. "What we do now is one-size- fits-all to the entire region. It's broadcast on shortwave, which has minimal or no listeners, as well as on [AM] from Rhodes [in Greece], which is inaudible in daytime and only a little less inaudible in the evening." For the key broadcast hours of 7 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. [in multiple timezones??? -gh], the network would split into five geographic segments that could focus on local-interest news and regional accents. The separate broadcasts would be aimed at Israel, the West Bank and Jordan; Iraq; Egypt; the Persian Gulf region; and Sudan and Yemen. VOA`s present broadcasts are mostly on shortwave, a frequency band that most radios can`t receive. Pattiz said the new service would include FM, AM and digital satellite broadcasting, enabling it to reach many more ears (via Chet Copeland, DXLD) The most interesting (and, at the same time, most disconcerting) thing about these comments is that these realizations are all new to these so-called experts. Makes one wonder how in hell they got their jobs in the first place! (John Figliozzi, swprograms via DXLD) If you have transmitters lying dormant and you`re trying NOT to have the BBC be your only customer, what do you do? Sell time on your satellite feed service and as many of your SW transmitters as you can find customers for - no matter how looney they may be. If that takes 'creating' a market for shortwave then so be it. I don't see anybody else trying to 'keep shortwave alive', do you? [I mean BESIDES RFA and Radio Martí!] (Bill Whitacre, IBB, swprograms, via DXLD) ** U S A. 1660, Kansas City, is on testing (6:28 pm CST), // to KXTR- 1250, with CLA[SSICAL] (satellite feed), probably full 10 kW just before the sun goes down here (-Paul Swearingen, Topeka, March 31, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. Bolinas Lifestyle: Live and Let Live says nothing about KPH, but we suspect this wacky town results from all the intermittent RF which came out of that coastal radio station: http://www.oklahoman.com/cgi-bin/show_article2?ID=660104&TP=getarticle (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. More than once recently, including April 1 at 1318, WWV propagation minute got cut off before finished, with all the magstorm/auroral info they try to squeeze in. You`d think a timesignal station would achieve greater precision in the mandatory limits on length of its announcements. Oh well, same info is available via http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/wwv.txt and also via E-mail, I believe (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Subject: Hearing WWCR on FM. Hi Group(s)! The auroral activity of late has caused me to aim my antenna north. I am DXing from the Duluth MN area. The strongest, garbled signal was on 103.7. Tonight (Mar. 31) it is very strong and not really garbled. I determined it is a monophonic talk station, which I even heard clearly on the car radio driving on a north-south highway west of Duluth. I could tell it was a talk on amateur radio. When I arrived home, I tuned in 103.7 and heard WWCR Nashville clearly identify. The rest of the auroral reception had left, but 103.7 was and is strong. It is coming in with a rather echo-like quality, but every word is understandable, unlike conventional aurora. Am I receiving a(n) harmonic of WWCR? Could a high power pirate north of Duluth (like in western Ontario) be carrying this station on 103.7? Can others on this list get the WWCR-like transmissions on 103.7? If it is a harmonic, I would think it would be heard quite widely by folks having a good FM receiver and antenna that can be pointed north. 73ily, (Bruce Elving, MN, April 1, WTFDA via DXLD) I frequently travel past the WWCR transmitter site and can say with considerable confidence this signal was not being transmitted directly from Nashville. Besides, despite careful checking I saw no signs of skip or aurora here last night. (in any case, if there was a skip opening between here and Duluth, one would expect numerous other Nashville signals) It is VERY, VERY remotely possible a peculiar combination of shortwave frequencies and beam headings, used only on Saturday nights and not during the week (when I normally travel into the city), resulted in a spurious emission. Still, that wouldn't explain why Bruce didn't hear any other Nashville signals. The timing of Bruce's reception (a signal clear of auroral buzz, received after the normal, buzzy aurora is over) is consistent with ham reports of aurorally-induced sporadic E. My guess is that he did hear a high-powered pirate, possibly in the Pacific Northwest, Western Plains (Montana), Alberta, northern part of the Prairie Provinces, or even Nunavut or the NWT (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN, WTFDA via DXLD) Could also be receiver generated mixing product 5.07 (or whatever) MHz away from some other signal when WWCR was exceptionally strong, or are you certain `WWCR` was in the wideband FM mode? (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [clandestine]. Monitored a bit of UPR, 3260-USB, UT April 1 from *0300:00 sharp. Usual format; said his last broadcast for a while would be Wednesday night, due to Norm Creek the following weekend, though vaguely some broadcasting might come out of there, helped out by assistants. Keeps talking about UPR soon greatly expanding hours, relaying a lot of Genesis network programming once the satellite feed is established, breaking away for this one Militia Hour locally. Also was going to give the Ohio Militia an FM transmitter. 3260 power is 800-900 watts, he said, and just comes from a farmhouse, not an armed bunker. As expected, with DST the hour switched to *0200 UT, April 2 on 3260- USB. Listened only to fragments and gathered that the imminent expanded schedule will use 12182-USB in daytime. The transmitter is portable and he will probably take it with him to Norm Creek. Has two dogs with an attitude problem, Gazonga-Dog and Bandit. April 2 at 1506 check, 12182-USB was indeed on, and \\12172 WWFV, maybe Genesis Network? Why bother? Audio feed breakup on 12182, but not 12172 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, I'm hearing a weak station in 3260 USB starting at 0101 UT on 3 Apr 01. Signal much weaker than KSMR and not at correct time. Two guys, Don and Tony, talking about US spy plane downed in China. Also mentioned that the largest car assembly plant in the world was built by Henry Ford in the Soviet Union. Something about CBS containing "BS". Heard "militia" and "patriot" and "God bless you". Could be another US patriot clandestine. At 0115, had phone call to Steve (Anderson of KSMR?) and mention of 12182 kHz. Steve needed good satellite receivers and LNBs (assume for KSMR). (Paul McDonough, Medford MA , DX LISTENING DIGEST) Most likely just KSMR under its new name and expanded schedule, United Patriot Radio (gh, DXLD) Dear Glenn, Well, Kentucky State Militia Radio has transformed itself into United Patriot Radio. After being off for a few days, I discovered them last night, (Saturday, Sunday UT) at about 0315. So, I missed the beginning of the program, and any explanation Steve Anderson might have given as to why they were off, and why the name change. In fact, I don't even know if last night was, indeed, their first night back. Of course, Anderson`s Militia Hour has moved from 0300 to 0200 UT. I tuned in tonight at about 0155, and they were carrying some other program. At 0200, Anderson came on with his "You can take my gun from my cold dead hand" theme song. He said that they have now gotten a satellite dish and downlink up, and they plan to carry lots of programming from Genesis Radio. In fact, they plan a daytime frequency, 12182, USB. He said that programming would begin at 9:00 AM, but I do not know if this is Eastern or Central time, since, of course, Kentucky is one of those states which spans two time zones. His town, Somerset, I do not know where in the state it is located. [EDT -gh] So, I'll check 12,182 tomorrow and see if I hear anything. I am truly wondering how this station can operate so many hours, and on two frequencies, as they plan, and not be busted by the FCC. Could it be that they have a legal license, and are just pretending to be a pirate? Any thoughts? (Tim Hendel, AL, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No way; but they continue with the blessing of the Feds, ultimately under control of the far right (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. 15155, 0021, Voz da OEA, ESTADOS UNIDOS, SINPO 45344, px "Américas", PP (Lenildo C. Silva, April 1, radioescutas via DXLD) !! Voz da OEA has been gone from SW for many years. This was included along with a number of other seemingly normal loggings. Temporary lapse in judgement due to April Fool`s? BTW, there is NO current usage of 15155 per IBB schedule, and, surprise, nothing heard there on UT April 3 check around that time (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Summer A-01 schedule of AWR's "Wavescan" on Sunday: 03.30 - 04.00 17635 MOS to SoAs <<<<<<<< new 08.30 - 09.00 9610 FLI to NoWeEu <<<<<<<< new 08.30 - 09.00 17780 MOS to Af <<<<<<<< new 10.00 - 10.30 11560 GUM to NoEaAs 10.00 - 10.30 11705 GUM to SoEaAs <<<<<<<< new 12.30 - 13.00 9610 FLI to NoWeEu 13.00 - 13.30 15385 GUM to SoEaAs 13.30 - 14.00 11705 GUM to NoEaAs 13.30 - 14.00 11980 GUM to NoEaAs 14.30 - 15.00 17720 GUM to SoAs 15.30 - 16.00 7165 MOS to NoWeAs <<<<<<<< new 15.30 - 16.00 17660 MOS to SoAs <<<<<<<< new 16.00 - 16.30 11850 GUM to SoAs 17.30 - 18.00 11965 GUM to ME 17.30 - 18.00 13840 GUM to ME 21.00 - 21.30 15195 MOS to Af <<<<<<<< new 21.30 - 22.00 11980 GUM to NoEaAs 21.30 - 22.00 15240 GUM to NoEaAs GUM=KSDA, Guam; FLI=Forlì, Italy; MOS=Moosbrunn, Ausria 73 from (Ivo and Angel!, Observer, Bulgaria, April 2 via DXLD) ** VATICAN/ITALY. From: http://chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/article/0,2669,SAV-0104020212,FF.html PROTESTERS SAY TRANSMISSIONS POLLUTE AIR From Tribune news services April 2, 2001 VATICAN CITY -- Several hundred people demonstrated Sunday outside Vatican Radio, accusing it of polluting the air with electromagnetic waves. At issue is the station's transmitter in the town of Santa Maria di Galeria near Rome. Residents fear leukemia cases in the area may be linked to the radio station's electromagnetic emissions. Protesters carried an effigy of the Grim Reaper perched atop a mock radio tower with a sign reading "Electrosmog Cancer." The Italian government, spurred by public concern, has charged three Vatican officials with damaging the environment. A trial is scheduled this fall. The Vatican insists the transmissions are in line with less strict international standards and says its officials are shielded from Italian law by the extraterritorial status granted the Vatican and its properties under a 1929 pact (via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via DXLD) UNKNOWN SITE. 6900, *1558-1705* 1st April, Eurosonor Radio. Carrier and tones, news and commentary in German, two minutes dead air 1615 then programme of varied dance music including some pleasant Latin tracks to closing announcement 1702 requesting e-mail reports, radio@eurosonor.de and promising a QSL card. Poor at first but faded up and good steady signal by end of broadcast; used synch detection and shifted the passband up due to strong utility on 6898, but having done that got good interference-free reception and audio quality. Transmitter stayed on for a couple of minutes at the end of the broadcast and there was a slight hum on it which made me think it could be Wavre as Radio Ezra was using, but seems an odd choice of frequency (Mike Barraclough, England, 1st April, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ? 6900 Eurosonar Radio e-mail verification in one day for an email reception report. [logged via the Javaradio in Romania.] v/s Christian Schmid. He adds- "At the moment I`m not able to say where the tx is located. According to the information given to my HF partner which whom I did the contract, the tx should be located in Western Europe. If I now [sic] further details about this, I will inform you of course, as I know, that this is a very interesting question. The transmitter power is 50 kW. More information onto our program will be installed in the next days on our homepage http://www.eurosonor.de/radio There, we want to present also photos of our staff that you will have a better imagination of us. But perhaps it will be interesting for you that Eurosonor Radio is more or less a private project which resulted from fascination of the dx- hobby on the one and from fascination of music and presentation of music on the other hand. Thanks for writing to us and if you want, tune in next Sunday, same time, same frequency." (Hans Johnson, Apr 2, Cumbre DX via DXLD) The 6900 operation was first reported by Ludo Maes, of the so-called Transmitter Documentation Project. Ironically, he is also involved in brokering time on transmitters which the parties refuse to document! Schmid may not be ``able to say``, but are we supposed to think he actually does not know where his own broadcast is transmitted from? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PROPAGATION =========== A shortwave fadeout occurred Monday, April 2. Around 2140 UT I was listening to the usually super-strong VOG via Delano on 17705, when it faded to nothing in about half a minute. Checked WWV on all frequencies: nothing. Let receiver scan various SWBC bands and it never stopped. Until 2205, scanning the 13 MHz band, KAIJ 13815 started to return. By 2215, WEWN 13615 was also back, and 2218 WWV on 15000 only, not yet reporting on this even, but the K at 2100 was 3; major flare occurred at 1126 UT April 2. Manual scans of the 9 and 11 MHz band at 2215 produced no signals, not even WWCR 9475. By 2220, a few more signals could be heard, WEWN 17595, 15590 KTBN, and 15375 WEWN in Spanish. That is, the closest and most powerful transmitters only. Perhaps we shall have some more aurora to see tonight if this lasts past LSS (and our clouds clear away) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) from http://www.spaceweather.com POWERFUL FLARE: The most powerful solar flare of the current solar cycle -- an X10-class event -- erupted near sunspot group 9393 at 2150 UT on April 2nd. The explosion hurled a coronal mass ejection into space, but the expanding cloud does not appear to be Earth- directed. Stay tuned for updates (via Ricky Leong, DXLD) ###