DX LISTENING DIGEST 1-120, September 3, 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] ** ALGERIA. There was a nice longwave opening the morning of UT Sunday September 2nd. 153, Entreprise Nationale de Radiodiffusion Sonore (presumed) 0203-0350 Mid-eastern mx with M singer. Weak to fair signal. Could find no // on 198 (David Hodgson, Nashville, TN. RX: ICOM IC R-75 ANT: 300 meter wire (roughly 1/4 wavelength) pointing northeast, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also reports 162-France, 171 unID, 183-Germany, 216-France, 234-Lux and 252-Ireland, q.v. (gh) ** ALGERIA. Radio Argel: Las frecuencias y horarios de Radio Argel no coinciden o sencillamente han dejado de emitir. Hace tiempo que no sé nada de la emisora africana (Vicente Ribas García, Valencia, Spain, Noticias DX Sept 1 via DXLD) ** ANTARCTICA. ANTARTIDA ARGENTINA: 15476, LRA 36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Base Antártida Esperanza. 1920. 21 de agosto. Nuestro colaborador nos dice que, a raiz de las informaciones que circulan y dan cuenta del posible cierre de la Base y con ello la eliminación de la única emisora en el continente blanco y argentino "me puse en contacto con ellos, entre ellas una de las locutoras María Rosa y el técnico R. Balcarce. Creo que les dió alegría que le hablaran desde aquí, Córdoba. Les dije que no era una señal como puede ser Nederland, pero era audible y bastante bien ya que aparte tengo mi antena averiada después de un muy fuerte viento el verano pasado". Anuncia el teléfono y la dirección de correo electrónico en cada identifiación. Ellos son: 08102220770 y LRA36@infovia.com.ar La emisora sufre a la hora reportada la interferencia de Salama Radio, que transmite desde Gran Bretaña para el oeste del continente africano (Juan Francisco de la Torre Pérez, Argentina, Conexión Digital Aug 26 via DXLD) TERRITORIO ANTÁRTICO: En referencia a los comentarios periodísticos de la semana pasada sobre el desmantelamiento (entre otras) de la Base Esperanza, el pasado 16 de Agosto, el mismo Presidente Fernando de la Rua calificó de "falsa y deformada" la versión periodística según la cual el Gobierno aceptó el cierre de bases argentinas en la Antártida para que Gran Bretaña respalde la designación de Buenos Aires como sede permanente del Tratado Antártico. Esto también fué desmentido oficialmente por el canciller argentino Adalberto Rodríguez Giavarini. En tanto, el secretario de Asuntos Militares del Ministerio de Defensa, Sr. Ángel Tello, admitió que actualmente se está encarando un ajuste, como en todo el Estado Nacional, dada la situación económica del país, pero subrayó, en línea con el presidente De La Rua y el canciller argentino, que "no se está considerando para nada el levantamiento de bases" en la Antártida. En tanto, a través de un comunicado firmado por el embajador de Gran Bretaña en Buenos Aires, Sr. Chrístopher Robin, se aseveró que "no existe acuerdo bilateral alguno entre el Reino Unido y la Argentina concerniente a las bases argentinas en la Antártida y mucho menos un pacto secreto". En ese sentido, aclaró el diplomático que "el número de las bases en la Antártida es un tema que maneja el gobierno argentino dentro del Tratado Antártico y de los instrumentos legales con él relacionados que regulan las actividades en la Antártida". Claro está que todas estas son versiones oficiales; no conocemos con certeza por ahora que sucederá en el futuro con LRA36, pero, mientras tanto, nosotros los radioescuchas y diexistas continuaremos escuchando su señal en 15476 kHz (Gabriel Iván Barrera, Argentina, Aug 23, Conexión Digital Sept 2 via DXLD) LRA36: Creo que LRA36 Radio Arcángel San Gabriel se está por cerrar, ya que se van a cerrar 3 bases argentinas por falta de presupuesto, así que la emisora está dentro del presupuesto. La semana pasada me comuniqué con la emisora ya que tiene un número de teléfono para los que vivimos aqui [en Bs. As.??] que es como una llamada urbana. La gente que me atendió le dió mucha alegría, y me enviaron todos los datos con fotografias de la emisora y la base. Son todas esposas de los militares que hay por allí, todo correo electrónico, pero muy contentos todos sí por esas cosas de la vida. Algún día los escuchas enviarle un e.mail; se van a poner muy contentos. Están de lunes a viernes de 18 a 21 UT, en los 15476, mejor después de las 17 [sic, q.d. 19], ya que es muy interferida por una africana, creo Africa Uno que tiene 500 Kw. [no: Salama Radio -gh] (Juan Francisco de la Torre Pérez, Noticias DX Sept 1 via DXLD) ** BELGIUM. Glenn, what I have heard on RVi was that they're closing their local SW station and relying exclusively on foreign relays, not doing away with SW entirely (Walt Salmaniw, BC, Sept 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That was the gist of the item which followed in French (gh, DXLD) Re DXLD 1-119: On the Aug. 26 Radio World I heard Frans Vossen say that RVi would continue shortwave broadcasts, adding more relay time while ending all transmissions from Wavre from Oct. 28. So that relay of Brussels Calling via Russia for Europe in the evening may very well be a hint of how RVi will reach Europe differently, since the Wavre transmitters will be switched off for good after many years of service --- you may recall that the aging transmitters would not be upgraded or repaired (Joe Hanlon in Philadelphia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELGIUM. 15795, R. Borderhunter, 0600-0715 Sept 2, is now in AM on 19m, previously only broadcasting in LSB. Fair signal. Very nice audio. Good mx selection. Many mentions of ID and e-mail address. Sign off @ 0715. Operator said "I must stop now, breakfast is ready." (David Hodgson, Nashville, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BIAFRA [non]. Hola Amigos ! 12120 kHz, Radio Biafra International, *1900-1955+, 1 Septiembre 2001, escuchada con regular señal, luego mejorando a las 1935. Programas de musica nativa y cxs en ingles relacionados a Biafra y Nigeria. A las 1949 anuncio el locutor que los pxs minutos continuaban en igbo, y desde ahi, continuaron los cxs en vernacular. Bastante ruido atmosferico al principio, pero luego mejoro mucho la calidad al desaparecer en parte el mismo. Alguien conoce algun QTH para enviarle el reporte grabado??. Buen fin de semana a todos! (Gabriel Iván Barrera, Argentina, Conexión Digital via DXLD) 12120, R Biafra Intl (after ref of L Maes) 1936 Sept 1, vocal duet singing a hymn, woman referring to song of Biafra, man speaking in Ibo (presume) than YL in Eng with continuous IDs with address in USA. Micropohonic sounded. [?? -gh] Signal S9+20 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12120 01/09 1944 R. Biafra International, EE, mx, OM e YL em EE, várias citações a Biafra e Radio Biafra International (origem da transmissão ??) 35433 (Samuel Cássil, Brazil, radioescutas via DXLD) I wonder what all this says about the transmitter site and azimuth, since I was getting no trace of it here in OK. The website previously referenced, http://www.biafraland.com has a feedback form, and an e- mail address of biafraland@biafraland.com but I do not see any postal address. BTW, some Biafran music automagically plays when you go to the site, capable of interrupting something else you may be listening to or recording, Hnmm, tentative site below would fit my non- reception (gh, DXLD) RUSSIA (tentative): New station Voice of Biafra International in Igbo and English noted on Sep. 1: 1900-2000 Sat ONLY on 12120 (55444) (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 4, via DXLD) ** CANADA. KRAQ, The Voice of Castlegar, 6940.40 on with SIO of 5-5- 5. 0300 Sept 2. Several transmitter breaks. Lots of profanity. Program about moonshine. Castlegar is in the interior of BC, so pretty local for me. Anyone else hearing them? AM. Announcing 6940.45. No phone or address yet. My first Canadian pirate (Walt (Salmaniw, Victoria, BC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Heard in Edmonton, AB on 6940.2 until 0634 sign off. Fair to good audio level but a lot of local noise here so it was hard to copy much detail. The announcers names sounded like Carl and Frank. Heard several "K-R-A-Q" and "Voice of Castlegar" ids (Paul, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** CHINA. New schedule of China Radio International in Spanish to Europe: 2100-2157 NF 9640 (55444), ex 9515 to avoid RAI Int. in Italian // 11775 (55544) 2200-2257 on 9640 (55444), 11690 (55544), 11775 (55544) and DELETED 9515 (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 4 via DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. China blocks the Web sites of the Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, BBC, and other Western news organizations. This week, there was a flurry of news about a company called SafeWeb Incorporated, which is discussing with Voice of America its product called Triangle Boy, which would enable people China to get access to restricted Web sites. The stories in the New York Times and at the CNN dot com Web site, were spurred by a skillful promotional effort by Stephen Hsu, chief executive officer of Safe Web. The Voice of America is actually looking at solutions from several companies to help Internet users in China get access to the VOA Web sites. This week, the Voice of America will officially unveil its new Chinese- language Website http://www.voachinese.com, which has already been "soft launched." (Kim Elliott, VOA Communications World Sept 1 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. CLANDESTINAS: 15440 Da Guang Ming Duan Tai (ex Falung Dafa Radio). 2229-2235. 11 de Agosto. Boletín de noticias por YL. Antes, identificación y anuncio por OM: Transmite en chino y llegaba con 24442 (Marcelo Cornachioni y Arnaldo Slaen, desde Curuzu Cuatia, Corrientes, Argentina, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Wasn`t Taiwan in Chinese via WYFR on this frequency? (gh, DXLD) ** CUBA. Estimados amigos: Les remito el correo difundido por Vivián Núñez de Radio Habana Cuba sobre las nuevas frecuencias operativas para la transmisiones hacia el Mediterráneo así como la página web donde he podido escuchar personalmente sus transmisiones a través de Windows Media Player (Ramón Vázquez Dourado, Asociación DX Barcelona) ************************************* Estimados amigos: Por este medio les informo que ya estamos saliendo en las nuevas frecuencias, 15120 en 19 metros y 17750 en 16 metros para España. Hemos recibido algunos reportes de la 17750, con sinpo 4, lo cual nos alegra mucho. La 15120 comenzó a salir después, y necesitariamos que nos reportaran cómo es su recepción en el estado español. También comenzamos a salir en audio real por nuestra página web http://www.radiohc.cu y los primeros reportes desde Estados Unidos y América Latina son buenos. No sabemos cómo nos escuchamos por INTERNET en Europa, y por ello recabo una vez más de su colaboración. Pueden responderme a esta dirección electrónica [se carece]. Agradeciendo de antemano su ayuda y excusándome por la molestia, Un saludo (Vivian Núñez, Revista Iberoamericana, Radio Habana Cuba via Conexión Digital Aug 26 via DXLD) ¿A qué horas exactas?? Alrededor de las 21, creo. Apesar de numerosos tentados, no acceso a RHC audio por internet, sólo ``Invalid Format`` (gh, DXLD) ** CZECNOSLOVAKIA. Enjoyed hearing R. Prague`s 65th anniversary special, UT Sept 3 at 0200 via WRN. On VOA CW, David Vaughan said this would be available indefinitely ondemand via http://www.radio.cz (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. Hi all SWR listeners, A number of HCDX list members have been reporting about the reception of Scandinavian Weekend Radio in the United States on September 1. To be able to make better predictions for the coming October transmission to the US, I would greatly appreciate if those who heard SWR --- even faintly --- would be kind enough of emailing me a more detailed signal report with RX+ant info, S meter reading (or SINPO) if available plus the exact QTH (town etc - no coordinates necessary). This would be of tremendous help in determining the parameters needed for plotting more useful coverage maps. Based on some reports I have heard, it seems evident that the September maps were perhaps too pessimistic --- and partly too optimistic! Also reports from Europe and elsewhere are very much appreciated. Thank you in advance, Yours truly, (Jari Perkiömäki, Vaasa, Finland, jpe@uwasa.fi Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** GHANA. Radio Ghana to go on Internet | Excerpt from report by Ghanaian radio on 1 September Radio Ghana will soon be heard throughout the world by a click onto the internet. The chief executive of Ghana's first internet service provider, Network Computer Systems [NCS], Dr Nii Narku Quaynor, said transmissions of Radio Ghana will be carried on NCS' website ebroadcast.com ... Source: GBC Radio 1, Accra, in English 0000 gmt 1 Sep 01 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** GUATEMALA. 4052 [sic] kHz. Radio Verdad, Apartado 5, Chiquimula, Guatemala 20901. Tarjeta QSL sin datos y carta personal verificatoria con datos completos. También envió un banderín de papel, la programación de la emisora y un listado de los países de los cuales la emisora recibió cartas y reportes de sintonía. Lo curioso es que en la tarjeta QSL hay una foto del personal de la emisora y, al fondo, se ve la antena de Radio Verdad, con una persona en el extremo superior de la misma la que, según nos dice en la carta su director, el señor Edgar Amilcar Madrid Morales, se trata de él mismo, que así aparece en este fotomontaje. Demoró algo más de un mes (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Conexión Digital Aug 26 via DXLD) ** IRAQ. Radio Baghdad in Arabic noted on Sep. 2: 1600-1900 on NF 9887.0 (54554), instead of traditional 9687.0 // 11787.0 (44544) (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 4 via DXLD) ** IRAQ [non]. TV Liberty is a the new satellite television service to be directed to Iraq. It is operated by the Iraqi National Congress, a coalition of Iraqi opposition groups, with funding from the U.S. government. TV Liberty has received a great deal of press attention this week. Its initial schedule of one hour of programming per day, repeated several times during the evening, might start by this weekend. This past week, the station has been showing only its logo and playing this announcement... AUDI0 KIM: Which, translated, is saying TALENT: "Liberty TV. A channel of truth and facts about Iraq. A reflection of what is happening inside Iraq, and a daily reminder of the glory of a people who have been marginalized by tyranny. Liberty TV is the television of a well educated and civilized people struggling to regain their dignity and prestige. A free, valiant people who aspire to regain their place in the 21st century." KIM: And so on. That audio was monitored by Michael Hoover in Portugal, who also sent me pictures of some of the station logos appearing on the screen. Those you can see at the Communications World Web site. http://www.trsc.com/cw/cw_20010901.html The TV Liberty programming from London is sent to the United States, where it is uplinked to Telstar 12 for reception in the Middle East and Europe. Mark Hawkins in the U.K., one of the satellite experts in our audience, tells me that Telstar 12 is a trans-Atlantic link satellite. It can only uplink from the Americas and only be received in Europe and the Middle East. This would make it difficult to for Iraq to jam, because the interfering signal would have to come from the Americas. On the other hand, as Michael Hoover points out, the location of Telstar 12 at 15 degrees west means that it will be located at a low angle in Iraq. Satellite receiving dishes in Iraq would have to be placed in a rather vertical position, and would have an orientation conspicuously different from dishes looking at satellites, such as Arabsat, more directly serving the Middle East (Kim Elliott, VOA Communications World Sept 1 via John Norfolk, DXLD) Iraq: Opposition Liberty TV to "help change Baghdad regime" | Text of report by London-based newspaper Al-Hayat on 1 September London: Al-Sharif Ali Bin-al-Husayn, member of the Chairmanship of the Iraqi National Congress [INC], has stated that the Al-Huriyah [Liberty] Television, affiliated with the INC, will begin to broadcast at dawn today for one hour a day. He said the space channel "represents the voice of the Iraqi people both at home and abroad". In an interview with Al-Hayat newspaper yesterday, he said the transmission programmes would cover political, economic, and sports issues; hold interviews; and air documentary and cultural programmes. He pointed out that the transmission time would be extended up to two hours in the next few days and to between four to six hours a day after two months. He believes that the station "will help in changing the regime", stressing that the Liberty Television "is part of a media campaign, including the use of an INC newspaper and radio station". He said: "The television will not only reveal the facts to the Iraqi people at home, but will also make the world hear its voice and expose the nature and practices of the regime." He said: "Liberty TV will also focus on cultural, literary, and historical programmes." He said the television "represents the voice of all spectrums of the Iraqi opposition," stressing that "this platform will express the ambitions and project the sufferings of our oppressed people." He added: "We will also launch our political programme for the future of Iraq, which we want to contribute to the region's security and stability and establish good neighbourly relations with the neighbouring countries in order to occupy its natural position in the international circles." He called on "Iraqis abroad, who include scientific, cultural, media, and political experts" to contribute to the promotion of the station. He said: "The INC's media plan is aimed at penetrating the iron curtain established by the Baghdad regime to prevent the Iraqis from expressing their opinion and acquainting themselves with the facts." He said that he was studying ways to enable Iraqis at home to receive the station's programmes without using satellite dishes. Liberty TV broadcasts can be received via the Telstar satellite. Broadcasting frequency 12.599 GHz, vertical polarization, dish orientation 12.5 degrees west, symbol rate 3617, FEC 3/4. Source: Al-Hayat, London, in Arabic 1 Sep 01 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** IRELAND. 252, Atlantic 252, 0520 Sept 2, Top 40 pop mx, played by Steve Harris. ID mentioned in passing @ 0525. Fair signal (David Hodgson, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. This month's (September) "Monitoring Times" covers international radio stations from the Middle East. As a result, there are quite a number of articles which mention Israel Radio (Kol Israel) -- although none of them have any real new information - mostly just frequencies and websites. There's an article which talks about the shortwave frequencies of Middle East broadcasters, which lists the English Kol Israel broadcast frequencies. Another article, which talks about QSLs, lists the Kol Israel and Galei Tzahal snail mail addresses and Web sites. A third article, which talks about listening to broadcasts in the native tounge of the broadcaster, lists the Reshet Bet frequencies. Yet another article, talks about the Mossad's 'Number Stations' - with a bit of detail (not that much is known). You can get Monitoring Times by either subscribing to it or picking it up at some Barnes & Nobles or Borders bookstores (Daniel Rosenzweig, Tri-State Area, Sept 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. The Radio Japan Online Web site now has audio available in Windows Media Player format. And here's a new form of international broadcasting: wallpaper. Each month, from the Radio Japan Online Website, you can download a picture of Japan, with the calendar for that month, and use it as wallpaper for your computer's desktop. The URL is http://www.nhk.or.jp/rj [See also http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld ] (Kim Elliott, VOA Communications World Sept 1 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** JORDAN. Hi Glenn, M. Mäkeläinen isn`t the only one confused by JOR 6985 (DXLD 1-118). Jordan Radio is currently using 7155 at 1700-1830. This frequency has its own transmission for the first hour and then parallels 9830 until close down with different ID (to 9830). I recently heard 6985 still on air past 1830 carrying the same programme as heard on 9830. There was a carrier only --- no audio --- on 7155. When the carrier went off, 6985 also disappeared! JOR appears to have reduced transmission time on 11960 and is heard closing c0710 - one hour earlier than previously. This is co-channel with RDP Lisbon weekdays but clear Sat/Sun. 73's (Noël Green, UK, Sept 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. 6240.46, unID Dutch station, 0450 Sept 2, Fairly nice signal. Folk/Polka type mx. I guess the language was Dutch. As best I could understand the language, the anncr said Good Morning mentioned something about MW and gave telephone #0031 545 138300 (I think) If anyone knows who this might be please let me know (David Hodgson, Nashville, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. 7470 USB, Classic Rock Radio, 0415 Sept 2, Very good signal. David Bowie "Golden Years" @ 0420, Steve Miller "Jet Airliner" @ 0430. ID "Classic Rock Radio, with Rock mx all over the world" Announcer read reports from listeners @ 0537. Very strong excellent audio for SSB, but initially some downward TX drift (David Hodgson, Nashville, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. 15070, Alfa Lima Int., 2300-0700 Sept 2, initially quite a good signal but level dropped off sometimes to nil from 0200 to 0400. Back up to fair level 0500-0700. Alfred mentioned an e-mail from Chris Hambly in Australia. Seems like the upper freq worked better to Au/NZ then to the USA, this morning (David Hodgson, Nashville, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 7370-5 [sic] Metro Club, 1855 Aug 26 Russian pop songs ID and address at 1900, then news and song continue. Next day at 1900 with news. SINPO 54444. (Zacharias Liangas, Thassos, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Voice of Russia in Portuguese and Spanish to Europe effective Sep. 2: 2000-2100 NF 9480 (54444), ex 11630 // 7440 (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 4 via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. Para aqueles que desejam ter uma confirmação da emissora religiosa VOICE OF HOPE que transmite usando o parque de antenas da Radio Nederland em Madagascar, informo que eles já dispõem de um QSL. O cartão QSL foi desenhado por Gayle dos Anjos (minha esposa) e enviado à estação que tem estúdios e escritórios em Kampala, Uganda. A emissora me informou que enviará uma cópia desse cartão a quem enviar um relatório de recepção acompanhado de 1 IRC ou US$ 1. A pessoa responsável é Jane Namadi e o endereço é: RADIO VOICE OF HOPE, P. O. Box 33829, Kampala, Uganda. Acredito que dessa forma estou colaborando com a estação e com os DXistas de todo o mundo que queiram confirmar essa emissora. Apenas desejo ressaltar que não recebí nenhum pagamento pela confeção do QSL deles. Apenas quis que sempre que possivel eles dessem os créditos do design do cartão para a Gayle. Creio também que isso possa servir de incentivo para outros colegas fazerem o mesmo. Dentro do possivel, por que não ajudar uma emissora não com dinheiro mas sim desenvolvendo um cartão QSL para eles, ou uma flâmula, ou explicando com detalhes o que é um QSL e como ele deverá ser enviado. Dessa forma o DXista deixa de ser apenas uma criatura que apenas pede, pede e pede...mas sim colabora com a emissora, dá alguma coisa à emissora em prol do hobby. Se a emissora vai dar continuidade ao projeto, se vai fazer cópias e enviar o QSL que foi desenhado ou se vai cumprir aquilo que lhe foi passado é outra história. Pelo menos o DXista fez a sua parte (Marcelo Toníolo, Greenvale, NY, EUA, Radioescutas via @tividade DX via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. Hi all. Hopefully I am not jumping the gun, but, on today`s, 'Mailbag Time' on Radio Taipei International, the hosts said that the "government would be interested to know if anyone is listening, or else there may be another budget cut" before the giggling, but its enough of a red flag for me. Hmmm...Time to start writing to Taipei folks, and head this off before it may come to pass (Bill KA2EMZ Bergadano, Sept 1, swprograms via DXLD) ** TURKEY Additional changes [to canceling 9445] for Voice of Turkey effective August 27: Turkish: 0000-0255 on 21715 EMR 500 kW / 105 deg <<< DELETED 0400-0655 on 11910 CAK 250 kW / 313 deg <<< DELETED 0900-1155 on 21715 EMR 500 kW / 105 deg <<< RETIMED, ex 0400-1155 1600-2155 on 5980 CAK 250 kW / 313 deg <<< RETIMED, ex 1600-0355 1600-2155 on 9560 EMR 500 kW / 105 deg <<< RETIMED, ex 1600-2355 1900-2155 on 11910 USB EMR 500 kW / 310 deg <<< DELETED English from Sep 1, 2001: 0300-0350 NF 9650 EMR 500 kW / 335 deg <<< CHANGE, ex reg`d 7115 1830-1920 on 9730 USB EMR 500 kW / 310 deg <<< DELETED French: 1930-2020 on 13665 USB EMR 500 kW / 300 deg <<< DELETED German: 1730-1825 on 11725 USB EMR 500 kW / 310 deg <<< DELETED (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 4 via DXLD) ** U A E. The only remaining voice from the United Arab Emirates on SW has been renamed. Today I heard UAE Radio with extremely strong signal on 15395 from 1555 until 1710. The station has been heard identifying itself as "Idha'at-ul Imarat min Dubai" which means "Emirates Radio from Dubai" or "Radio of the Emirates from Dubai" at 1600, 1615, 1630, 1633, 1645 and 1700. English has been heard at 1600-1615 with feature programming and news at 1630-1633 preceded and followed by arabic ID's and music. New programme scheme ? Best wishes from Wuppertal vy 55 + 73 (Manfred Reiff, Sept 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. 6220.05, Laser Hot Hits (presumed), 0353 Sept 2, In there but quite weak. British announccer doing voice over, mx jingles etc. (David Hodgson, Nashville, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. 6238.59, JRRI (presumed), 0137-0510 Sept 2, Weak to fair strength. Old time country mx show around 0510. American musician talked about North Carolina (David Hodgson, Nashville, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) = Jolly Roger Radio International? ** U K. 6276.4, Swinging Radio England, 0137-0500 Sept 2, W/OM in EE. British announcer @ 0452 into saxophone mx. Positive ID @ 0500. Weak signal here (David Hodgson, Nashville, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. [BDXC-UK] Auntie with attitude: privatisation's last frontier An interesting read for Sunday morning: From: http://news.ft.com/ft The UK government will rule soon on the BBC's digital expansion plans Published: August 31 2001 19:25GMT There is nothing like a holiday abroad to prompt questions about the fundamental certainties of British national life: Why are pillar boxes red? Should the Church of England be disestablished? What is the point of the BBC? The last question ought to be uppermost in the mind of Tessa Jowell, the new culture secretary, because this autumn the government faces three big decisions about the corporation: should it be allowed to set up a raft of digital television and radio channels, funded by public money, amid strong opposition from private sector media companies? Who should be its new chairman? And should it be brought under the control of Ofcom, the proposed central regulator for the media industry, or continue with self-regulatory oversight by its board of governors, appointed from the great and the good? And behind all three lies a fundamental question that few at Westminster seem willing to address: why support a publicly funded broadcasting organisation in the 21st century when the private sector can provide a near-infinite range of information and entertainment using digital technology? In other words, should the BBC be privatised or have its expansionary ambitions curtailed? The problem is encapsulated in the BBC's plans for four digital television channels - two for children, one for youth, and one for culture - and five radio stations. Greg Dyke, director-general, sees these as vital for the BBC to keep viewers in a world where specialist digital channels have been eating into the market share of the BBC and ITV. But the private sector sees Mr Dyke as an empire- building bully, muscling into areas well served by commercial providers. There are more than a dozen digital children's channels alone. My sympathies are mostly with the objectors. The BBC's existing digital channels are not great advertisements for the corporation and have minuscule audiences. Additional public money would be better spent improving its current offerings, rather than on services for which there may be minimal demand and on which it has no requirement to turn a profit. Furthermore, while some 30 per cent of households have gone digital, the rest of us seem in no hurry to do so. The day when the government can switch off analogue TV is disappearing into the distance, and the BBC will be pouring money into services most licence payers will not see for years to come. Ms Jowell can veto the new channels if the BBC cannot show it is filling a gap in the market. The BBC argues it will be, since its products will be superior to those currently available and free of advertising. In other words, they will conform to the declared rationale for the BBC's existence: to "inform, educate and entertain," enriching viewers' lives in "ways that the market alone will not". But these days the vast bulk of its output does not meet this criterion. With a few honourable exceptions (Radios 3 and 4, the World Service, bits of BBC2) its programmes have dumbed down and are virtually indistinguishable from commercial channels. And if the BBC is not addressing a market failure, or providing a standard against which commercial channels must pit themselves, it loses its justification for public funding. Certainly, its pious claims about its digital content should be taken with a barrow-load of salt. One cannot place any trust in the educational values of an organisation that regards garbage like "Celebrity Sleepover" - in which a fifth-rate entertainer spends a night at a viewer's home - as suitable prime time viewing on BBC1. A decision from Ms Jowell, who professes herself a "passionate, personal believer in public sector broadcasting," is imminent. She seems likely to produce a compromise that gives Mr Dyke at least part of what he wants - not least because the government has already earmarked licence money for the digital programme (via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** U S A. Allan is resting comfortably from his surgery, which went well. In fact he's doing so well that Elayne has him washing dishes already. He'll be returning to Monticello sometime next month. In the meantime, things are in the capable hands of Timtron, Tom, Jason, and Alice the cat. Allan thanks everyone for the kind letters and phone calls that he has received (http://wbcq.net Sept 2 via DXLD) ** U S A. Concerning this: "Possible 16M relay this Labor Day Monday 3rd September E.H. Pirate Relay Service!" 17490... awfully close to WBCQ, eh? I forget whether they're on the air at those hours (Ricky Leong, QB, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, has anyone confirmed that this is a "legit" pirate, or only a hoax. I've not heard him, nor do I recall seeing any reports of reception, despite announcements of times and frequencies (Walt Salmaniw, BC, Sept 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Streaming provider Webradio.com ceased operations August 31 as scheduled. Among the public radio stations left without webcasts are KBEM, KDNK, KRCC, and WMKY. But KLON (the main jazz station in the Los Angeles market) replaced the service with a Windows Media feed of better quality. Also, KVMR and WLNZ have new MP3 feeds through Live365.com (Kevin Kelly, Arlington, Mass., PublicRadioFan.com Sept 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Wish KRCC at least would get back with WM or RM, since it is one of the few sources of the Thomas Jefferson Hour. Their website even was inaccessible Sunday, http://www.krcc.org but on Monday I see they still have a link to defunct WebRadio – did this take KRCC by surprise? (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Found Sept 1 at http://www.hppr.org the site of KANZ Garden City KS a notice in the present tense, which by Sept 3 had become past: For the past few weeks, HPPR was temporarily re-broadcasting on FM 100.9, providing coverage within a 50-mile radius of Amarillo. This was a great opportunity for those of you in Amarillo to experience a stronger signal and for would-be listeners outside Amarillo to get a taste of what's in store when our Top O' Texas station [89.5] is up and running early next year. You can still hear us in Amarillo at FM 94.9 and FM 91.3 in Washburn, Claude & Panhandle so keep listening to the great programs on the Texas Panhandle's only Public Radio Station! (via gh, DXLD) Bruce, take a look at this; I am sure you can figure out what really was going on (gh) Hi, Glenn, I suppose KPQZ 100.9 Amarillo was stunting, about to change formats. They probably used as program feed one of the local KANZ translators. And they probably did this with permission, to give listeners a taste of what can be heard if the listeners make the effort to tune in the weaker translators (Bruce Elving, FMedia!, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Bye and Bye, Lord, Bye and Bye: WAMU's Drive-Time Bluegrass Ban -- Sunday, September 2, 2001; Page G04 To the Editor: At a time when bluegrass music is being recognized as the national treasure it is (as reported in Richard Harrington's outstanding article "Mountain Music's Moment in the Sun," Aug. 12) WAMU's action in killing drive-time bluegrass, with no warning, has left Washington's bluegrass fans reeling in a state of mourning and disbelief. What should have been "a sweet year for the lovers of bluegrass" in what Mr. Harrington terms "the bluegrass boom of '01" has instead become a time of bitterness. In a letter to WAMU members (after the ax fell), Executive Director and General Manager Susan Clampitt explained that "the program changes best reflect the interests of the people" and most people want news. As a representative example, she told of a new immigrant cabdriver who was listening to WAMU as she rode to work and who told her he was learning about his new country through the news programming. I, too, have a taxicab lesson -- the time when my blind banjo-playing husband and I took a cab to his gig in Adams Morgan, and when the conversation turned to the kind of music my husband played, the cabdriver -- in his lovely lilting Middle Eastern accent -- said, "Oh yes, I know bluegrass -- the music of the people -- WAMU." Unfortunately, WAMU and the powers that be at American University have turned their backs on the music of the people. They have shunted bluegrass and classic country to a niche on weekends and a new Web site, and assumed everyone would be placated. The idea that a National Public Radio station would cavalierly send its aggrieved listeners to the Web for music they should be able to hear on public airwaves shows a complete lack of understanding of what radio means to ordinary people, many of whom do not own computers. Perhaps WAMU executives would do well to read Mr. Harrington's perceptive description of the music's addictive hold on the souls of people, rural and urban alike, who have grown up with, or hear for the first time in adulthood, the high lonesome sound that is bluegrass music -- and rethink their decision. The widespread success of the wonderful soundtrack "O Brother, Where Art Thou," featured in the article, is indicative of the genuine excitement of people, nationally, to hear the traditional sounds of bluegrass and mountain music. Unfortunately, WAMU will no longer be part of this momentum. But bluegrass won't be silenced -- its roots are strong and deep inside. Bluegrass lovers will keep bluegrass alive! INEZ A. HALLER Spotsylvania, Va. Letters should be sent to: Arts Editor, Style Section, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. E-mail should be sent to Arts@washpost.com. Please include a daytime and nighttime phone number and an address. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. © 2001 The Washington Post Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. Radio Daze As Dial Gets Narrower, by David Hinckley A few moments before midnight tonight, barring the unforeseen, radio host Alan Colmes will say the benediction for WEVD (1050 AM). When the midnight bell tolls, WEVD will pass into the hands of ABC Radio, a Disney company that has leased the frequency as a flagship for its ESPN radio network. Colmes has some experience in this ritual. He was the final host on WNBC when it became all-sports WFAN on Oct. 7, 1988. That doesn't mean he likes it. "Whenever you lose a station like WNBC or WEVD," he says, "it's like a little piece of the city's history floats away." With WEVD, that history has been wilder than a ride with a cabbie who's been promised a hundred bucks to make the airport in 20 minutes. Founded in 1927 by Socialists who named it after the late Eugene V. Debs, WEVD was considered so radical that within a year, the Republican-controlled Federal Radio Commission tried to shut it down. But the station left its most enduring imprint after it was taken over by the Forward Association, which made it profitable by selling airtime to foreign-language programmers. "The station that speaks your language," WEVD called itself, from Chinese to Macedonian. The WEVD that did this is not the WEVD that will sign off tonight. The paid programs today lean more to medical advice, and regular hosts like Colmes, Bill Mazer and Ed Koch speak English. Yet WEVD remains a vivid symbol of the multilingual heritage that has always defined New York and its radio stations. Seven stations today speak Spanish. Korean and Chinese programmers have their own stations. A Polish-language network owns stations in Rockland County and on Long Island. Other stations still sell airtime to foreign- language programmers. But airtime is getting scarcer. A dozen foreign-language programmers are fighting a proposal to lease Board of Education-owned WNYE to the WNYC Foundation, which would evict foreign-language shows. Many other programs are being pushed off onto smaller stations that reach fewer listeners, while big players like Disney, Infinity and Clear Channel commandeer the big- signal stations for homogeneous mainstream programming. The old WEVD provided a beacon for millions of immigrants learning to live in a new country one word at a time. A daily or weekly radio program provided a connection to the old home and guidance in adjusting to the new one. Now that connection is a little harder to find, which means a longer walk to the mainstream and the common culture. Disney isn't playing the bad guy by leasing WEVD. It's just not the nature of big media to serve small groups unless they happen to be a rich, hard-to-reach buying demographic group. Recent immigrants, as a rule, don't meet that standard, which is exactly why WEVD's years as the "station that speaks your language" are its proudest legacy. Original Publication Date: 8/31/01 (NY Daily News via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A [non]. The current Ask WWCR *Aug 31 contains a number of airchecks George McClintock made recently from Anguilla; recent editions had some from England. http://www.wwcr.com (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Freq change for World Beacon African Sce in English effective Sep. 1: 1800-2200 NF 15365 via Al Dhabiya, UAE, ex 9675 via Rampisham // 3230 via Meyerton. 73 from (Ivo and Angel! Observer Sept 4 via DXLD) ** URUGUAY. Mrs Nora San Martín, manager of "Banda Oriental", 6155 kHz, tells me in an e-mail that reports keep pouring in from Sweden, Germany, USA, Finland, etc. (No explicit mention of any other country, though). She has had lots to do in connection with a local agricultural fair and the local celebration of Independence Day, Aug 25, and now she is busy preparing various cultural events to commemorate the 28th anniversary of the station on Sept 7. So QSL hunters please be patient, she advises. "Banda Oriental" is a non- commercial sw service of CW155 R Sarandí del Yi intended for listeners abroad and aired daily at 0100-0300. The program consists of selections of popular music from Uruguay and the River Plate area featuring "los pops latinos" (cumbia, bailanta), "el encuentro con la típica" (tango, milonga, vals) and "folklore" (minstrels, crooners, soloists, duos, trios), although not necessarily in that order. During special events only, and usually in the local morning hours, 6155 kHz carries regular R Sarandí del Yí programming (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, Sept 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN/ITALY. Vatican Radio reaches deal with Italian government Published Saturday, Sept. 1, 2001, in the San Jose Mercury News Ending a bitter war of words that had threatened to shut off its worldwide broadcasts, Vatican Radio on Friday planned to lower the electromagnetic emissions from its transmitters to comply with Italian law. An agreement reached earlier this month calls for Vatican Radio to cut emissions from its FM and medium-wave broadcasts in 40 languages beamed around the world by a field of powerful transmitters in a suburban area north of Rome. Residents of the nearby towns of Santa Maria di Galeria and Cesano blamed a rise in cases of cancer and leukemia, especially among children, on electromagnetic emissions from the transmitters. With the Vatican alleging that it did not have to comply with Italian limits because its property is extraterritorial, then-Minister of the Environment Willer Bordon, a Green, threatened to shut off all Vatican broadcasts on Easter weekend. The government intervened to block Bordon's order. The Vatican and Bordon's successor in Italy's new center-right government, Altero Mattioli, based their agreement on the findings by experts who reported to the Bilateral Italian-Holy See Commission that the emissions had reached seven to eight volts per meter. Italian law puts the limit at six volts per meter. To lower the electrosmog levels, the Vatican will cede one of its FM frequencies to the Italian Episcopal Conference, beam medium-wave broadcasts by satellite to Radio Monte Carlo for retransmission to Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Germany, and adjust the directions of medium-wave broadcasts in Slovenian, Croatian, French, English, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese (San Jose Mercury News via Mike Cooper, Sept 1, DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. Radio Nacional de la República Árabe Saharaui: Emite actualmente en 7460 en idioma español de 18'00 a 19'00 UTC (Las ocho de la tarde en España) (Vicente Ribas García, Valencia, Spain, Noticias DX Sept 1 via DXLD) Y después en árabe, ¿no? (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 15790, UNID, 0640 Sept 2, Very weak station. Heard male announcer and mx. Possibly R Blue Star from the Netherlands, but too weak to work with. (David Hodgson, Nashville, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD RADIO TV HANDBOOK - 2002 The Managing Director of WRTH Publications Limited, Mr N Hardyman has reorganised the company since the last edition of the handbook was published. In short, he himself has made it his responsibility to update the National Section of the upcoming 2002 edition and to do this he has increased the global network of contributors so that almost every country in the world has a dedicated official contributor who is responsible for updating the entry of that country. The above move has freed the WRTH editor to concentrate more on the International section which will be beneficial to results. Furthermore, the printing date has been delayed so that the full SW winter schedules can be included. Thus, all this work will undoubtedly produce a better book and lead to increased sales (WRTVH via Arthur Ward, Sept World DX Club Contact via Mike Barraclough, DXLD) EUROPEAN DX COUNCIL SITE Glenn: The European DX Council Web site at http://www.swl.net/edxc/ now carries the following message: This site is not available! Sorry. It has been closed as a consequence of the disappointment I was given. Many success and happiness with the hobby! Anton, former EDXC webmaster and former host for the official EDXC web site. I am disappointed. Yes. Thanks for visiting the (now closed former) EDXC site. _____________________________________________________________________ I have no idea what this means... (M Cooper, GA, Sept 3, DXLD) ###