GLENN HAUSER'S SHORTWAVE/DX REPORT 99-56, Nov. 19, 1999 {Items from this and all our reports may be reproduced and re- reproduced only providing full credit be maintained at all stages} ** AUSTRIA. Happened to hear ORF English at 1625 Nov 19 on Sackville 17865 interviewing their webmaster for http://roi.orf.at He said ORF has some 200 pages on the internet. Now some of them are available in new non-frames version, for the benefit of blind visitors using Lynx(?) browsers for reading text only, in German, English, Spanish and French. As far as he knows, ORF is the only station in Europe doing this. Also plans to increase the amount of audio on demand for benefit of blind and all listeners (Glenn Hauser, OK) ** CANADA. November 19, 1999 Thanks to a tip from Ricky Leong of Brossard, Quebec. A promotional loop tape is appearing now (3 PM EST, 2000 UTC) on 940 kHz promoting the new CKNN 940News. The continuous tape is announcing 940 as the future home of MetroMedia's 940 News, CKNN. They are announcing a start date of December 14. They are also announcing that they will be using 50,000 watts, the most power allowed by law. They are also indicating that they will have an affiliation with CNN News, with Wolf Blitzer of CNN Washington, doing a promo for 940 News. Lots of other details as to what we will be hearing on the station. Both 940 and 690 kHz were testing earlier today with classical music feeds over both frequencies. It appears that MetroMedia is using the old CBM 940 and CBF 690 kHz transmitter site in Brossard/Laprairie, Quebec. Presumably, 690 kHz will have a similar format in French, but it has not been confirmed at this time as to whether or not the Info 690 service will begin on the same date. More as it develops. (Sheldon Harvey, CIDX, Greenfield Park, Quebec) ** COSTA RICA. See INDIA below ** CUBA. This is nothing new, and I am sure many others have noticed it, but yet another RHC engineering problem needs to be put on the record. The transmitter on 11760 is accompanied by a huge buzz on both sidebands. This is not the sound you hear when tuning plus or minus 5 from any other strong signal, but quite distinct, making the adjacent channels less usable by other stations than they should be, and annoying the ears of anyone tuning across 11760. If one tunes exactly to 11760, the buzz is hardly audible, but increases with tuning off to either side. I imagine it would be quite obvious and strange on a spectrum analyzer. This was at 1250 Nov 19, and I believe I have also noticed it on other RHC frequencies at other times. (Glenn Hauser, OK) ** GREECE [non]. VOA-USA relay at 1800-2200 continues on 17705 only, nothing on 17565 any more Nov 19, tho it is still used immediately before and after (see USA below). This day, VOG audio was even worse than usual, during the English news at 1800 and Spanish at 1815. It sounded like an FM station mistuned to the side, and in addition, at only a slightly lower level was continuous talk in Greek, evidently mixing from another ERT program on the satellite feed. It’s hard to be sure whether the downlink at VOA was mistuned, or the uplink in Greece, but more likely the problem is in Greece, where they have never been able to get a decent quality audio signal into the VOA USA relays since they started! Fortunately, Europeans and perhaps eastern North Americans can get the same service direct from Greece on 9425 which was audible here tho weak and fluttery; as far as I could tell there was no crosstalk and the audio was decent (also listed on //7450) (Glenn Hauser, OK) ** INDIA/COSTA RICA/U S A. The transpolar All India Radio seldom puts a listenable signal into deep North America (whatever became of their plans for a relay in West Africa or Caribbean??), but Nov 19 at 1827 I was pleased to find some Indian music on 13750, with some flutter. Worse, there was a low heterodyne, whose audio was more detectable by switching to LSB -- who else but Dr Gene Scott via Costa Rica. True to form, he wants to use his new toys 24 hours unlike AWR, and damn the QRM. I understand that 9725 is running 24 h, tho I cannot hear it at midday; and I found 11870v also reactivated. 1830 GOS of AIR ID and into talk in English, but I was concentrating on measuring the two frequencies. TIDGS was on about 13748.8 and AIR on 13748.9 (Glenn Hauser, OK) ** PHILIPPINES. The unID on 12095 clashing with BBC's sesqui-decades- old frequency in 99-54 turns out to be: FEBC. The next day, Nov 18 at 1201, we heard their IS, ``We have heard the joyous sound, Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves [allegedly]''. Then went to FEBC website and opened their exhaustive frequency-management schedule which promptly admitted to usage of 12095 from Bocaue on 280 degrees, at 1030-1045 in Mien, 1045-1100 in Khmu, 1100-1130 in Blue or White Hmong depending on day of week (I believe that refers to the color of their traditional garb), 1130-1200 Lao, 1200-1300 Khmer. Recheck Nov 19 found both this and BBC quite weak but still clashing. I imagine this is a big problem for BBC in Asia, Mideast and Africa. They are now aware of it, so we’ll see how long this conflict lasts. I notice that Alan Davies in Malaysia thinks FEBC had moved this service from 11610 (Glenn Hauser, OK) ** ROMANIA. We continue to check RRI's faulty transmitters on 16 meters. Nov 18 at 1320 we were surprised to find RRI actually on 17805.0 directly clashing with some other station, but a few minutes later the het appeared on about 17807.45 as RRI apparently jumped to the usual variable offset. Nov 19 at *1300 RRI we measured on about 17806.96 (Glenn Hauser, OK) ** TURKEY. Based on the B-99 TRT frequency schedule, of which we now have a hard copy, we publicized a new broadcast in Spanish daily at 1730-1800 on 11670 from Emirler, 500 kW DSB to CIRAF Zones 28 and 27. Every line also specifies period of operation, i.e. 311099 to 260300. But Jaime Baguena in Holland told me Nov. 18 that he had checked for it and heard nothing but noise on the frequency. So this may well not have actually started. Of course, Turkey and TRT have plenty of more important problems. Possibly they are waiting until Jan 1 to hire some of the Spanish staff DW will be dismissing as of Dec 31! (Glenn Hauser) ** U S A. Now seems VOA has a full hour of Spe-cial Eng-lish at 1600- 1700; happened on this Nov 19 at 1628 on 17895, better than //13600, when they were referring to http://www.dyned.com -- that is the site of the commercial enterprise Dynamic English, which apparently since Oct 1 has a contract to provide VOA Special English programming and associated learning materials. A week by week schedule of topics is included. 1630 went into news. The Special English page on the VOA website is apparently outdated, since it does not show any at 1600- 1630. But the schedule by language shows: English-Special 0030-0100 UTC (Middle East and Asia) 1548 1575 7215 9890 11760 15185 15290 17735 17820 0130-0200 UTC# (Caribbean and Latin America) 7405 9775 13740 [# probably means Tue-Sat] 1500-1530 UTC (Asia) 6110 9760 9845 12040 15460 1530-1600 UTC (Asia) 1575 6110 9760 9845 12040 15460 1600-1700 UTC (Africa) 13600 15445 17895 1900-2000 UTC (Middle East and South Asia) 9785 12015 13640 2300-2330 UTC (Asia) 6045 7130 7140 9545 11925 15395 2330-2400 UTC (Asia) 6045 7140 9535 9545 9760 11805 15205 15395 While I was at it, I checked for info on VOA Creole broadcasts, which continue to be heard on 17565 at 1730-1800 and 2200-2230, the frequency which has stopped carrying V. of Greece relay between them. The site has a history and description in English of each language service. Creole features ``News in Verse'' on the Friday morning broadcast. That should be fun, and perhaps comprehensible to those speaking standard French. Creole 1230-1300 UTC Mon-Fri 9525 9670 15305 1730-1800 UTC 15305 15385 17565 2200-2230 UTC 9670 17565 21485 (Glenn Hauser, OK) ** U S A. Dear Glenn, Pleased to report new programs on WBCQ-The Planet. Planet Lavender starts Nov 27, [Sat] 2200-2300 utc; it's an oldies music program for lesbians and gay men. Radio Detective starts Fri Nov 26, 2230-2300 utc, featuring talk of old radios, programs and some music of the period of radio's golden age (1930's). Regeneration airs Sunday 2230-2300 utc and features music and political commentary in a very entertaining way. We have tested our second transmitter and it runs excellent. The new 700 foot rhombic operates very well also. We have the option with this transmitter to run very clean AM or SSB. The latter, at certain times, we shall be using during the testing period. Currently we are searching out a frequency in the 31 meter band and as soon as one is found, we will be testing daily and in the evenings EST. Have one religious programmer who wants most of the time on WBCQ - Two, but it is not confirmed at this time. If he does not want the time I will search elsewhere. As soon as I know a frequency, I will pass it along. Cheers, (Allan Weiner, Nov 19) ** U S A. [The correct time for the 'Radio Hall Of Fame' Sat 11/20 is (apparently) 8PM CT, not 9PM]. ?? 'The 1999 Radio Hall Of Fame' from Chicago's Museum Of Broadcast Communcations airs (apparently) Sat night Nov. 20 at 8PM CT It seems that the Museum website (Scroll to the bottom) http://www.mbcnet.org/ lists two times for their audio/video webcast: (8 and 9 CT). [maybe it is two hours long?? For those abroad, we are talking about UT Sunday Nov 21 at 0200 and/or 0300 -gh] However, WGN in Chicago has advised me that they'll carry it at 8PM Chicago time. Either KGO or KSFO in San Francisco will carry it at 6PM PT (according to a post they sent me). Haven't heard from WABC. (WLS, WBBM, and WOR are other possibilities; Also, check some of the ABC News-Talk stations here: http://broadcast.go.com/radio/ [WMAL in D.C. definitely is not airing it, this year, though they advised me that if their former morning team had won the Regional award, they'd have pre-empted their sporting event] Casey Kasem is host, Jim Bohannon is usually the 'old time' announcer. (You can also listen later on demand at the Museum's website). BUT, Later: Glenn: Radio Hall Of Fame At 9PM CT on WGN & 7PM PT on KGO. Here's WGN's advice this AM. (Check both 8 & 9 PM CT!) Chet --------------------------- Message From: mrose@tribune.com Hall Of Fame Sat night? Hold the presses!! I'm confused also. I've just been told the actual broadcast is at 9pm. Apparently it moved. Sorry. (via Chet Copeland) ** U S A. TV Without Pictures is the subject of this week's Lost and Found Sound on NPR All Things Considered. L&FS airs during part or all of the 2135-2200 UT segment on Fridays, repeated 2-hourly. BTW, CBC Hotsheets tipped us that This Morning is also starting a Canadian-oriented version using exactly the same name! We listened, and to start they interviewed the NPR people about their show. BTW2, NPR's Weekly Edition will be repeating sometime in the next few weeks a previous L&FS about All-Girl Radio, WHER, as I requested, having missed Part 2 (Glenn Hauser, OK) THIS DAY'S SOMALI LESSON [and Arabic, and Russian] Dear Glenn, Looking at your WOR 1012 script summary I see you ask how Gaalkacyo [7012 kHz] is pronounced. Somali orthography and pronunciation is a subject by turns fascinating, bewildering and frustrating. Until the the 1960s the Somali language was generally written using the Arabic alphabet, but then President Siad Barre (pronounced See-add Ba-ray) decided that Somalia needed such modern delights as one-party rule, Marxism- Leninism and the Roman alphabet. However, the introduction of the Roman alphabet was done in a delightfully eccentric manner. For example, the letter X was deemed to be pronounced like H, so many Somalis have the first name Moxamed. Similarly, it was deemed that the letter C should be a vowel! It is pronounced something like a short, sharp A. Thus there is a town in northern Somalia which is spelt Burco, but pronounced Bur'ow. Another great one to catch the unwary is a town in southern Somalia spelt Baydhabo but pronounced Buy-doh-a. Thus Gaalkacyo is pronounced Gaaal-ky-oh, not Gal-kak-yoh as one might think. The pronunciation and spelling of Somali place names is further complicated by the lingering influence of the former colonial power in the south, Italy. Actually this can be turned to advantage as one can use Italian spellings to get an idea of the pronunciation. Thus, the Italian spelling for Gaalkacyo is Galcaio, and the town Baydhabo mentioned above has the Italian spelling Baidoa. As I'm sure your linguistic erudition extends to Italian, perhaps this will be of some use. [my NY Times Atlas spells it Gallacaio (Rocca Littorio) -gh] Finally, I hope you will not mind a small correction to your Turkish lesson. The Arabic for "republic" is "jamhuriyah" (or "jumhuriyah"). The word "jamahiriyah" - with the extra syllable - is a Qadhafi invention for Libya. Regards (Chris Greenway, BBCM, Nov 18) Glen, a correct name of this station should be R. Chechnya Svobodnaya (Svoboda = Freedom, Svobodnaya = Free). You quote Nikolay Pashkewitch, but he already used the correct name in his original message... Regards, (Karel Honzik, the Czech Republic) ###