DX LISTENING DIGEST 1-115, August 26, 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] DX PROGRAM LIST, updated Aug 26, 2001: http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/dxpgms.html Correcting the WOR via WRN info in DXLD 1-114; should read: In the United Kingdom and Ireland, WRN EuroMax English is broadcast on SKYdigital channel 872. For the rest of Europe and anybody not using a SKY Digibox, WRN EuroMax English is broadcast on Astra 2B at 28.2 degrees East, Transponder 33, 12.343 GHz, Horizontal, Symbol Rate 27.500 MBaud, FEC 2/3 and on Eutelsat Hotbird 5, 13 degrees East, Transponder 94, 12.597 GHz, Vertical, Symbol Rate 27.500 Mbaud, FEC 3/4. WRN is also available on many cable sytems in the UK and across Europe. World of Radio is heard on Saturday at 0800 UT, 0900 BST, 1000 CEST (Harry Brooks, UK, Aug 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. Dear Listener of Radio Austria International, Thank you for participating in the joint action of ADDX, AGDX and A- DX to save the external service(s) of Radio Austria International. Meanwhile you probably have received an email response from Vienna, where the Radio Director, Dr. Jochum, presents several arguments which in our opinion ask for follow-up reactions. Therefore we kindly ask for your continuing co-operation and we would like to give you some hints for the additional reaction. Please prepare an email where you state, in your words, which language service of ROI you listen to, and that you are keen to do so also in the future. You may want to mention specific names of programs as your favourite ones, and also give additional reasons (possibly re-iterating what you have said in your first reaction) why you think the language service of your choice needs to remain. Also, you may raise the question how a full service can continue with the budget being cut down to half. Express your concerns that the international presence of ROI needs adequate funding for enabling a fully operational service. Please also stress the importance of a global presence of Radio Austria International on the international radio bc scene. You may point to the fact of Austria being one of the three hosts of UN cities, an important messenger for its international tourism, a curator of its exceptional culture and history, with international dissemination and influence, - you probably know best the arguments important to you, write them down in your email message. Please address your email this time to: ROI Chief Editor Mr. Michael Kerbler: michael.kerbler@orf.at Copy/CC: to: ROI Worker's Council, Mr. Adalbert Krims adalbert.krims@orf.at ORF Radio Director, Mr. Dr. Manfred Jochum: manfred.jochum@orf.at In the email, also please give your name, your address (city, country) and your email address. Many thanks in advance for your continuing support and co-operation for this undertaking, which we hope will be for the benefit of all of us (AGDX/ADDX, A-DX, Aug 20, BC-DX via DXLD) ** AZERBAIJAN. 9915, 2.8 1030, Voice of Azerbaijan pgm in Turkish, QSA 3 (Thor-Henrik Ekblöm, Sweden, SW Bulletin Aug 26 via DXLD) ** BELARUS. Glenn, I received Radio Minsk 0200-0230 UT August 25, 2001 on 7210. Sign on by a male announcer with "You're listening to Radio Minsk. Radio Minsk daily transmissions are carried from 19 to 21 hours UTC on frequencies of 11070 [sic] ... and ... We broadcast to ... the English service goes out everyday ... 1920 ... the programs are replayed ... at 2030 hours ... and all the other days of the week ... Republic of Belarus`. Hello and welcome to our English language of current affairs ... ". An item on a withdrawal from the upcoming presidential elections. An item on industrial production. At 0209 UT the announcer said, "You are tuned to Radio Minsk.". Item on restitution of Jewish property taken by the Nazis in world war 2. Item on a CIS anniversary book. At 0212 UT the announcer said, "You are listening to Radio Minsk.". At 0214 UT was a song from the group Fry (or was it Spry?). At 0217 UT the announcer said, "You are listening to Radio Minsk.". An item on the Belarus` theater festival. At 0222 UT the announcer said, "This is Radio Minsk.". At 0226 UT the announcer said, "You are listening to Radio Minsk. We continue with sports news.". After the sports news the announcer said, "And with that we end our English language edition of current affairs from Belarus`.". Broadcast times and frequencies given and then sign off. SINPO 32232 QRM from amateur radio on and around 7210 kHz. QRN, and to some extent QRM, made understanding the transmission difficult. I'm hoping to receive Radio Minsk again so I can better hear, instead of bits-and-pieces, what is actually being broadcast. 73, (-.. . Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, Aug 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELARUS. A lengthy discussion of SW transmissions monitored from here, mostly on 6 and 7 MHz, appears in WWDXC Top News #535 via: http://www.wwdxc.de/topnews.htm (gh, DXLD) ** BIAFRA [non]. The Voice of Biafra International will start broadcasting on shortwave as of September 1, 2001. Programming will be in Igbo and English and is directed towards Nigeria. In the beginning, programs will air on Saturdays only from 1900 to 2000 UT on 12120 kHz. The organization behind the broadcasts is The Biafra Foundation, based in Washington, D.C. More information about the organization can be found at http://www.biafraland.com (Ludo Maes, TDP, Belgium, August 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) We won`t even bother to ask the transmitter site on this... Since there was previous SW operation from breakaway Biafra, NASWA considers it still a separate radio country, of which this station is presumably non (gh, DXLD) Neat site, seeks an independent Biafra through peaceful means only, great music (Hans Johnson, Aug 26, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. Samuel, Este final de semana tive a visita do amigo Andres da Alemanha, que tem um museu de flâmulas. Aproveitamos para visitar o diretor da Rádio Ayopaya que pensava seria eu o que tinha mandado o e-mail do Brasil; deve ser o seu. Estão fazendo ajuste e hoje de manhã ja escutei com um sinal bem melhor; como está o sinal ai? Vou passar um material sobre o DX e orientar na resposta. 73 (Rogildo Fontenelle Aragão, Cochabamba, Aug 26, radioescutas via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Christer Brunström comes back with more info regarding the Brasilian on 6062v kHz (Thanks Christer!): 6062.00v "Universo" (see SWB 1464). Christer Brunström/CB in SWB: "I have checked specially 9565 kHz and heard the following announcement on August 15 at 0530 UT in the program A Voz da Libertação: at first they announced that the programme from this time should be relayed by Rádio Paulista, RÁDIO UNIVERSO and some additional station. Then they announced that they continued at "ondas curtas da Tupi de Curitiba". Rádio Universo is probably a MW-station who sometimes relays AVdL. The name of the shortwave station is Rádio Tupi de Curitiba" (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin Aug 26, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) ** CANADA. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2001/DB2001-518.htm Decision CRTC 2001-518 Ottawa, 24 August 2001 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Sackville, New Brunswick 2001-0171-7 Application processed by Public Notice CRTC 2001-45 dated 20 April 2001 Licence renewal for CKCX 1. The Commission renews the broadcasting licence for CKCX Sackville, from 1 September 2001 to 31 August 2008, subject to the conditions specified in this decision and in the licence to be issued. 2. CKCX rebroadcasts the programs of Radio Canada International and CBC North Québec. Programs originate from Montréal, Kuujjuaq, Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet as well as from the English- and French-language radio networks of the CBC. CKCX also receives access programming from the James Bay Cree Communications Society and Taqramiut Nipingat Inc., the Inuit communications society of the Nunavik region of northern Quebec. 3. The Commission notes that this licensee is subject to the Employment Equity Act and therefore files reports concerning employment equity with Human Resources Development Canada. Secretary General This decision is to be appended to the licence. It is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined at the following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca Date Modified: 2001- 08-24 (via Ricky Leong, QU, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So now we may officially call RCI Sackville plant CKCX! As RCI never does. Back in the 60s, each frequency had a different callsign, and I think this was one of them, perhaps 15190, without hunting it up. Why didn`t they start with CB- like other CBC stations? ITU CB- prefix really belongs to Chile, which agreed to let Canada use it only for domestic purposes. The two CBC domestic SW stations CKZU and CKZN were previously known as CBUX and CBNX despite the fact they were on HF until this rule was also extended to them (gh, DXLD) I believed that Sackville had seven SW transmitters, plus another one for CBC North Quebec. But the Sackville station uses no fewer than 11 frequencies in the 0100-0200 UTC time period: RCI uses 6 (5960, 6175, 13670, 13770, 15170, 15305); CBC uses 1 (9625); CRI uses 1 (9790); DW uses 1 (6040); RNW uses 1 (6010 from 0130 UTC); VOV uses 1 (9525). Moreover, 9 of these frequencies are using a power of 250 kW, the other two are 100 kW. How is this possible? This is clearly more than the published capacity of the Sackville station. Can you (or anyone else) help? Regards, (Ricky Leong, QU, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As I recall, Sackville has been adding a few new transmitters recently, not sure how many or other details (gh, DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. Checking out report in last issue of new frequencies for CRI at 0100: UT Aug 26, 9580 open carrier was on a couple minutes earlier, but 9790 started promptly at 0100. Yes, they are both in English, but obviously from extremely different sites. 9790, very strong, leads 9570 by about a sesquisecond, and 9790 has sharp but limited-bandwidth audio processing, while 9580 has the usual muffled sound typical of relays via Cuba. No doubt 9580 is at last a move from 9570 to avoid Romania (at 0200 anyway). My theory on 9790 is that it is a new relay time via Sackville, coinciding with the disappearance of RCI itself from 9755 at this hour. But it could be a number of other sites. Until now, Cuba 9570 was the only known relay frequency for CRI in English at 0100. BTW, the Vietnam relay via Sackville continues at 0100 on 9525 in English. UT Aug 26 had another episode in a series about the history of VOV itself, about 5 minutes, heard thanks to tip from Alan Roe. Both 9580 and 9790 had the usual open carrier during a CRI pause from 0156 to 0159. But, confirming my suspicion that 9790 be Canada, there was no transmitter break (but there could possibly have been an overlap), RCI kindly ran their IS and ID from one minute at 0159- 0200* I then tuned to 9755 and found it was on with R. Sweden relay in Swedish. 9580 audio had resumed with CRI in Chinese. 9570 before and after 0200 had Hungarian, not Romanian, so Budapest. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) According to the latest Foreign Relay Schedule from RCI (received by p-mail within the last two weeks), CRI is indeed using 9790 @ 0100 UT. Here's what the schedule says: CRI 0100-0159 UTC 9790 kHz 250 kW 277 deg Target: USA (Ricky Leong, QU, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. CRI Convergence? CCTV on China Radio SW at 0400 UT I suspect that it is a technical mistake, but China Radio International (CRI) on 9730 at 4:00 UT and on for (UT Saturday, Sunday) Friday and Saturday evening in North America on the west coast, has played the sound of the CCTV-9, the overseas TV propaganda service of Chinese Central Television. Is it convergence of media, or CCTV-9 trying to increase its tiny audience? This goes on for the news to the half-hour, and then we get the tired TV archival cultural show of old videotapes and films called Centre Stage. Some of this cultural show are variety programs from domestic fill. All odd, and I can only think that the technician at either the originating site or the shortwave transmitter (French Guiana) is just taking a satellite feed without listening. (Daniel Say, Vancouver, Canada, Aug 25, swprograms via DXLD) ** CHINA. Re Wavelength on CRI: At the moment it will only be airing on our domestic service, so the only option will be to tune into the program via our WEB site. Cheers, (Keith Perron, China Radio International, Host/Producer: Realtime China, Aug 26 via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA? 2700.07 (Harmonic?) unID LA with UT -5. August 2001 - 1030 UT. Probably Colombia. "Ondas de la Montaña" in Medellín? I don`t know if this is the same as the unID "Ondas del....." I heard in March this year on 2700.09. Rather weak signal (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin Aug 26, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) ** CONGO. 6520 at 1900 in French w/ opening annts on the hour the nx read by yl. ID ....as La Voix de Congolaise..." in French. 444. Please give me more details on this one (Costa Constantinides, Cyprus, Aug 23, BC-DX via DXLD) 2 x 3260? (gh) ** COSTA RICA. 3840.78 Harmonic, TICS Estéreo Actual, San José. August 2001 - 0245 UT. Had this station as unID in SWB 1465 and is a harmonic from 960 kHz (4 x 960.19). Name listed is "Radio Sol Estéreo", which I had not noticed. "Estéreo Actual" is the name of the station`s FM-transmitter on 107.1 MHz, which is also announced by an OM at newscast and by an YL between each tune at music programmes. Can be heard better than the other harmonic from Costa Rica: Radio Alajuela on 5119.68 kHz (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin Aug 26, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. Dear friends, A lot of exciting things are happening here at Radio For Peace International. Debra and Gil have just returned from a trip to Taipei, Taiwan. They were the guests of Vice President Annette Lu who hosted the Global Peace Assembly 2001. While in Taiwan they formalized a collaboration with Central Broadcasting System, Taiwan which will bring learners from Taiwan to Radio For Peace International for training in peace studies, language and broadcasting. This and other educational collaborations developed by Gil and Debra will provide a constant revenue stream for RFPI. It is our intention to have 10 week courses with 12-25 students operating on a regular basis by January 1st 2002. The first of two articles in the "Intelligence Report" of the Southern Poverty Law Center is coming out next week. In fact, SPLC has speeded up the printing so it will be out in time for the UN Conference Against Racism next week in Durban, South Africa. Gil and James are leaving Saturday to present a workshop at the NGO Forum of the UN Conference Against Racism in Durban. This workshop will highlight the work Radio For Peace International has been doing for many years to fight racism over the airwaves and will inaugurate a new project that we have developed to encompass this work, the International Center for Human Rights in Media. This center will work as a research institute, database, information gathering and providing service and can be contracted for workshops, speaking engagements and publishing. Again, another substantial revenue stream is being developed through this work for Radio For Peace International. We would like to acknowledge the help that many of you have given to make the trip to Durban, South Africa for the UN Conference Against Racism a reality. However, we have fallen short because airfares were substantially higher than anticipated. We need to raise an additional $2250 immediately. Please help us by sending a contribution to our Oregon address: P.O. Box 1094, Eugene, OR 97440. Thank you again for joining us in the struggle against racism! Your friends at Radio For Peace International Radio For Peace International P.O. Box 88-6150, Santa Ana, Costa Rica Central America PH: +506/249-1821 Fax: +506/249-1095 e-mail: radiopaz@racsa.co.cr * WWW: http://www.rfpi.org * ON-DEMAND REAL AUDIO: http://www.rfpi.org/webcast.html * LIVE STREAMING IN MP3: http://www.boinklabs.com/ifpi.html _______________________________________________ * Join our mailing list for weekly program previews and more: http://www.boinklabs.com/mailman/listinfo/rfpi-announce (RFPI Aug 23 via DXLD) ** ECUADOR. 5559.93 harmonic, HCEA5, Radio Tropicana, Cuenca. August 2001 - 0220 UT. Also called themselves "Canal 13-90". Harmonic from 1390 kHz (4 x 1389.98). Not one single "normal" logging this time! In an earlier bandscan I wondered, a little bit worried, if there really is any real interest in my loggings of harmonics. I take the liberty to quote from a long and nice e-mail from Mark Mohrmann, Coventry, VT USA: Mark: "First let me say how glad I am that you have made your LA SW logs from Ecuador available to all via Glenn Hauser`s DXLD. You were wondering if there was interest in the obscure LA MW harmonics that you are reporting. Let me assure you that I for one am very interested in seeing the harmonics that you log. I`ve been keeping track of LA SW logs that are reported in the various e-mail lists at my website LA-DX at http://sover.net/~hackmohr/ for a number of years now. As you can see, your harmonic loggings are a major part of what has been logged in the lower portions of the SW bands. So again, please continue to send your loggings, especially the harmonics. Here in Vermont in the northeast of the USA I have good reception of LA harmonics in the winter time, especially from Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and the Caribbean. Thanks again for your contributions. Take care & 73's Mark Mohrmann". Thank you, Mark for your positive words. Of course it is exciting with harmonics, a form of DX-ing having a lot of similarities with sunrise-DX of LA-stations in my native country Sweden. During my 36 years as a DX-er on the Swedish west coast I made the same as there as here up on the Andean highland – that is getting up 1-2 hours before local sunrise. Very few Peruvian stations are on air before 1100 UT and those who are can be heard with pretty weak signal strength. In Sweden LA-stations on MW peak normally 30--60 minutes before sunrise; the ``golden`` clock stroke is often 30 minutes before sunrise – about the same goes for Latin American harmonics here in Quito. Later today my wife and I leave for the small resort "Chachimbiro" to bathe in water from a volcano. Next week we visit "Punta Blanca", not far from Guayaquil. On behalf of WRTH I will check the provinces Imbabura and Guayas. I hope there will be enough time, especially in Guayas there are a lot of stations on MW. I noticed in SWB 1463 that our Swedish member Roland Åkesson/RÅ has an unID LA on 4767.9 kHz at local sunrise in Southern Sweden. I`m pretty sure this is HCQT6 Radio Panamericana, Quero in Ecuador – a regular logging in Quito on 4767.88 kHz -- and is a harmonic from 1590 kHz (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin Aug 26, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) see also BRAZIL, COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA, PERU ** GERMANY. KIM: Christopher Lewis in the U.K. telephoned this week with a DX tip. Last Sunday at 1614 UT he heard Ozone Radio in Germany on 12115 upper sideband. This was parallel with 9980 in normal AM mode. Ozone Radio appears top be an unlicensed station. Its programming is jazz music with announcements in German (Kim Elliott, VOA Communications World Aug 25 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) Isn`t this the ``Eurosonor`` schedule? Perhaps subcontracted? (gh) ** GERMANY. Caught the last-Saturday-of the month DW DX program on webcast, UT Sat Aug 25 at 2336-2346 with the preceding Asian mailbag program being cut short, but I never heard any preview of the upcoming DX program earlier in the hour, nor even a `stay tuned` as the mailbag wrapped up earlier than other weeks. It was the same program as of yore, with Wolfram Hess and his sidekick using ham- radio lingo, and always referring to day-paths and night-paths when giving some DX tips from Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata. Made point that their previous program on RBI was the only non-political one on that station, a policy still in effect on its successor; explained SINPO code, closing not only with 73, but also 55 – much success, 76 – lord bless you, and (in unison) 88! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [and non]. These are the full details of the special DRM transmissions from Germany during the IFA Berlin fair: [Internazionale Funkaustellung] Mediumwave: Organisation Frequency Programme SFB/SWR 810 kHz Inforadio/SWR3 Deutschlandradio 855 kHz DLF 0800-1200, DR Berlin 1200-1600 Telekom 891 kHz ORB Radio 1 Telekom 1485 kHz Mega Radio Sachsen-Anhalt(Telekom) 531 kHz 531Digital Shortwave: 0905-1500 from Jülich, frequency to be announced. 0800-1230 from Sines on 17870 (alternative 15420) Encoding: MW and SW Sines will have realtime encoding, e.g. live programme. Jülich will be a prerecorded file (Jan Balzer, Germany, A- DX Aug 22, BC-DX via DXLD) Hello, as announced DRM signals are now on air at certain times from Jülich on 5975 and from Sines on 17870. I tried it today around 0950, because of thundering just in a hurry: 5975 did not obviously affect reception of Christian Science on 5985; there was some additional background noise but this needs further observations, especially because 5985 originates from the very same site. However, 17870 appeared as not so harmless: a weak station on 17880 was noticeably disturbed by the loud noise which spread over from 17870. Some postings in the German "A-DX" list indicate that the DRM outlet on 855 causes rather severe problems within Berlin, reportedly the range between 774 and 936 is spoiled also when using professional receivers. I plan go to Berlin on Thursday and of course I will also take a radio with me and check this. By the way, 990, the other mediumwave channel from Berlin-Britz, now seems to come in with a stronger signal than previously, suggesting that some modifications was done (not necessarily higher transmitter power, perhaps just another antenna configuration). Regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Aug 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. I just received the below included press release from "T- Systems", a subsidiary company of Deutsche Telekom, with some further information about DRM. A summary, also including other comments: It is stated that the current 891 tests originate from the Schäferberg, not the well-known mediumwave site at Uhlenhorst (district Köpenick). 891 carries the ORB network Radio EINS (that's the official spelling), T-Systems describes the outlet as first-ever DRM live broadcast. 1485, carrying Mega-Radio, is operated from three different sites to demonstrate that DRM supports Single Frequency Networks (otherwhise called "synchronized networks"): Frohnau, Schäferberg and Rüdersdorf. Both Frohnau and Schäferberg are well-known microwave link sites; Schäferberg also houses a few FM and TV (UHF) transmitters. Rüdersdorf is a small town east of Berlin and was not known as transmitter site so far, presumably a cellular phone tower houses the MW transmitter. Mobile reception of these 1485 outlets is demonstrated by a mobile car for whatever purpose, it is well-known that car-radio reception on mediumwave is much more stable than on FM. The press release states that Hessischer Rundfunk participates in the tests on 5975 from Jülich, something I read for the first time. There is also a mention of shortwave tests by "Deutschlandfunk and SFB from Berlin", but that's certainly a misunderstanding and actually means 855 and 810, respectively. By the way, one should not assume that DRM is a relevant topic for the carried networks. Radio EINS actually has a weekly media show but yesterday`s edition was cancelled as fifth or sixth one almost in a row, while the one next Saturday will be presented together with Saarländischer Rundfunk, leaving not much space for its own stuff. Draw your own conclusions. I mentioned Mega-Radio: Allegedly service on Zehlendorf 693 is scheduled to start on Aug. 29. It remains to be seen if this will happen, so far nobody noted carrier-only or other transmitter tests. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Aug 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Mehr Informationen zum Unternehmen und seinen Dienstleistungen finden Sie unter http://www.t-systems.de und http://www.t-systems.com ** INDIA. From today`s online edition of the Times of India: Better fare on DD, AIR promised TIMES NEWS NETWORK LUCKNOW: Doordarshan and AIR are all set to offer a much improved and better fare, claimed Prasar Bharti chief executive Anil Baijal, here on Saturday. Addressing mediapersons, Baijal said major proposals under active consideration include producing or buying quality programmes for the Doordarshan off the shelf and evaluation of pilot programmes from well known experts outside AIR and DD "to lend them more credibility". He also assured strict adherence to policy guidelines on continuation of programmes. Any extension beyond 26 weeks, he pointed out, would be only according to their TRP rating. Under-utilisation of AIR and Doordarshan equipment has also been taken care of, said Baijal. For instance, DD and AIR studios would now be rented out in the market at a fixed rate. An MoU [?? -gh] with the Indira Gandhi Open Air University has already been signed to this effect and AIR has set up a resource centre to negotiate the deal. "We have been approached by private FM operators even in Lucknow, and things would be finalised soon," he said. Letters have also been sent to state governments to ensure that DD channels were shown on prime bands to ensure better response and wider viewership, Baijal claimed. He also promised review of RLSS. The department, he said, was also seriously considering synergising the structure of AIR and DD news. Also on the cards is upgradation of the infrastructural facilities of three newly-constituted states of Uttaranchal, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand. He said the Akashwani annual awards function to be held here on Sunday, marked the 75th anniversary of AIR. It was the first time the event was taking place in North India, he added. Forty-eight awardees in 24 categories will be honoured by the PM. Events such as this, said officials, promote professional excellence and healthy competition between the artistes and the radio stations. The awards will be given for outstanding radio plays, documentaries, musical productions and innovative programmes on family welfare. There are also special prizes for Yuvavani special topic documentary and the Lhasa Kaul award for programme on national integration (via Mike Brooker, Ont., Aug 26, DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. I just stumbled over the NDXC item about "Voice of Iran / Sedaye Iran" via Grigoriopol`/Moldova on either 11535, 11545 or 11590 1530-1730. Looks like this is the station now operational on 17520, presumably from Issoudun? Around 1630 I heard Greece on 11580 and 11595, Israel on 11585, Cynthia reading the results of the lottery draw on 11545, but nothing from Grigoriopol` in this frequency range, also no jamming. So perhaps "KRSI" dropped Grigoriopol` in favour of the new site? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Aug 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRELAND/PIRATE? (Cumbre DX follow up). Reflections Europe, back after a week's absence. Heard 6295 from 1700 UT on, signal 3910 faded in around 1750 (Piet Pijpers, Holland, Aug 26, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. 11484.8, Presumed Radio Enterprise/Bandonica from Holland. Faded in 26 Aug by 0440 with occasional just barely audible audio, with deep fades to nothing. Fading up by 0515 to poor levels with typical Europirate technopop music (very similar to what I heard from Mike Radio International). Constant beat-beat-beat. Talk by male at 0538, but LSB was obliterated by cochannel CW at that moment. Switched to USB to continue monitoring. Virtually gone by 0616. Noted het on 15070 at same time, presumably Alfa Lima International. Best heard with R390A and SE-3. HF-2050 was a poor second tonight! (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria BC, Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Walt, interesting how the conditions differed just a few hundred km south -- 11484.93v R Enterprise/Bandonica heard at good levels (S5- S6) 0530-0600 (overcome by CW station after this), and 15070.00 ALI heard at excellent levels (S9+10) after 0610. Heard using the N-S EWE (a low signal strength but excellent signal-noise antenna, with AR preamp) with 8712P, 8711A, HF1000A, HF-2050 (email confirmations from both stations --- Bandonica at 200 watts (per ALI operator) and ALI at 350 Watts) (Don Nelson, Portland, Oregon, USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. Strike at Radio NZ. Yes, the strike took place last Thurs and Fri; in fact it was the second strike and there may be more. There may be more strikes to come, as negotiations so far have not produced much. The union wants a 6% pay rise, RNZ initially offered 1%, but after the first strike offered 2%. The union rejected that and went on strike. Negotiations are continuing. For large parts of the time of the strike, the BBC WS was relayed by Nat Radio with skeleton News bulletins from RNZ. RNZI did not relay National Radio which was re-broadcasting the BBC, choosing to shut their tx down during times of Nat Radio relays saying they are not paid to relay the BBC WS. Another reason, though, is due to the current electricity shortage in NZ due to low rainfall in the hydro-electric lakes catchment areas. Their power bill was around 300% more than usual last month, so they took the opportunity to save on their electricity bill. There are rumours of another strike on the weekend of 1 & 2 September (Barry Hartley, New Zealand, Aug 23, BC-DX via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. I seldom listened to it before, and will even less now, but for those who care about keeping track of formats and networks, per local newspaper ads, KCRC-1390 Enid will be going with ESPN Radio starting August 27, including overnight. Not sure what all they were doing before except for Art Bell, but the ``Smart Radio`` slogan must be abandoned for obvious reasons. Log and FCC editors are encouraged to pick up this item, posted only [sic] here to IRCA and NRC lists. 73, (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 6350.81-6351, R Unión, 0135 Aug 26, On again, after an absence of a couple of months. LA pop mx. ID by M anncr @ 0140. I read somewhere that this station was to make an equipment upgrade, but it sounds like same TX; lots of drift, both up and down, with warble to carrier. Buried in utility QRM. Fairly good signal strength (David Hodgson, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6351, R. Unión, Lima. Heard here last night at 0034. Religious program, then ID still announcing nominal frequency. Somewhat distorted audio but strong (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, Aug. 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 8777.90 harmonic, Radio Imperio, Chiclayo. August 2001 - 1030 UT. Harmonic from 4388.95 kHz (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin Aug 26, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) ** RUSSIA. The veteran broadcaster of the Russian external radio service Joe Adamov is to host a live online interview in English at http://www.RussiaJournal.ru. It will be held on August 31 from 1400 UT. Here's the official announcement from the Russia Journal site: Joe, currently a columnist for The Russia Journal, has been broadcasting in Russia and the Soviet Union for 58 years. Through wars, purges, Perestroika, attempted coups and disintegration, he gave his views on the Voice of Russia, heard around the world on shortwave radio. On his 'Moscow Mailbag' program, he's answered some 25,000 letters from listeners around the world. A strident anti- communist, he managed to remain on the air during the Soviet Union's darkest hours. How did he do it? Why did he do it? And how does he feel about today's Russia? Ask these questions and whatever else you want to know about the man behind one of the most well-known voices in the world. To submit a question go to: http://www.russiajournal.ru/cgi-bin/conf/question.cgi?id=10 (via Sergei Sosedkin, Aug 26, DXLD) ?? No one would have guessed he was a strident anti-communist in the Radio Moscow days... (gh, DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Ostankino to be renovated by end of 2001 MOSCOW - The Ostankino television tower which was heavily damaged in a fire in August 2000 will be completely restored by the end of this year, deputy general director of the Russian radio and television broadcasting main centre Vladimir Kurochkin said today, Reuters reports. He added that a huge amount of work had already been completed at the tower. Television broadcasting on five channels has been completely restored. However, he went on to say, the repair work is being delayed by the lack of timely and sufficient financing. In one year since the fire, R50m has been allocated for the repair work, whereas a complete renovation of the tower would require R2bn. /The Russia Journal/ [Sunday 26th August, 2001] (via Sergei Sosedkin, IL, DXLD) ** SVALBARD. Para o pessoal que também gosta de escutar as QRG destinada aos radioamadores, vai ai uma dica: ontem por volta das 0010 TU ouvi uma estação, a JW2PA, transmitindo em 14243kHz em BLU; a mesma está localizada na Ilha de Svalbard, no Mar de Barents, sinal 59 aqui em Iracemápolis SP (Dinan Rogério, Brazil, Aug 25, radioescutas via DXLD) ** TURKEY. Dear Mr. Poppin, I regret to inform you that since 23 August 2001 2200 UT we cancel 9445 kHz transmission. The reason is energy saving in transmitters because of financial problems in TRT. The other transmissions 9460 and 11885 will continue to be transmitted. Best regards (Sedef Somaltin, International Technical Relations, Turkish Radio-Television Corporation, Aug 23 via George J. Poppin, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) What a shame, 9445 their best here for Turkish music (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. 1700, FLORIDA, radiocadillac.com (commercial TIS), Palm Harbor; someone asked me recently if these are still active. This one is (noted last weekend while in the area), so presumably the campaign is still underway. Signal remains good on US-19 near the transmitter location, as well as out on the beaches (Howard Park, Tarpon Springs and Honeymood Island, near Clearwater). (Terry L. Krueger, FL, Tocobaga DX Aug 26 via DXLD) ** U S A. KIM: The Voice of America is moving closer to the development of its enhanced 24-hour Arabic-language service. Announcements have been issued seeking applicants for the director, program director, and senior editor of what is called the Middle East Radio Network. According to VOA officials, "Middle East Radio Network" is an administrative title for this new service. It has not yet been officially named, nor has a start date for the service been announced (Kim Elliott, VOA Communications World Aug 25 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) ** U S A. New shortwave station WWCV, WORLD WIDE CHRISTIAN VOICE will be soon testing one of its new antennas; dual phased 190 foot high corner reflectors with azimuths (90 to 130 degrees) to the middle east and Africa. This antenna has about 28 DBd power gain. 100 kW excitation to the array will produce a very strong signal to the target areas. Radio station WWCV will only broadcast Christian programming, no patriot, no political talk shows, no controversial matter, WWCV in the very near future will be a 501C3 non profit facility. We hope to have Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi languages on our transmitters. ("Roadranger," rec.radio.shortwave August 26 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) Re: WWCV! (response to post by Roadranger) I'm trying to figure out just what this David Frantz is doing! First, he was telling us that WGTG was changing its callsign to WWFV. That has NEVER been established in the FCC databases. Next, he claimed he had WWFV transmitters three and four coming online "soon". That never developed. In fact, he can't even sell the airtime on the existing two transmitters! He claimed that he had some new business partners from a local law firm. THAT info isn't in the FCC records. Then Frantz was posing in this group under an alias who claimed he was WWFV's new PR guy. When the Frantz family is confronted by listeners who want to know why he's acting crazy in the newsgroup, the Frantz family denies any activity in rrs. (An IP search proves otherwise.) Frantz tells the world what a great station he has, and is capable of of emergency generator operation.(Unlike the other U.S. sw stations.) But every time storms knock him off the air there, he doesn't even fire up this generator. Now were being told he has another sw radio operation underway in another town. This from Frantz, whose ORIGINAL PURPOSE with WGTG was to be an apostle of Brother Stair, and to build for his Profit (I mean Prophet) a transmitter FREE GRATUS [sic] just for Stair's use! This whole soap opera is getting too damn weird even for me! How about you? signed, BJ the DJ (rec.radio.shortwave via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. 4939.48, 21.8 0335, Radio Amazonas Internacional with music; C/d at 0402. O=2 (Christer Brunström, Sweden, SW Bulletin, translated by Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) ###