GLENN HAUSER'S SHORTWAVE/DX REPORT 99-77, Dec 19, 1999 {Items from this and all our reports may be reproduced and re- reproduced only providing full credit be maintained at all stages. If excerpting, that means appending the line above} WORLD OF RADIO ON WBCQ. Good reception Wed Dec 1 at 2200-2230 on 7415 (Dario Monferini, Italy, Play-DX) Nice to know, despite VOA Botswana cochannel at 10 degree azimuth more or less toward Italy. At southern midsummer, I assume it does not get out so well even at local midnight; its QRM here in OK has also diminished since our 2200 time started in November, tho occasionally audible underneath toward 2230* Over the hump, we can assume the QRM will gradually increase in Jan and Feb. ** ALASKA [non]. KJNP, 1170, North Pole, considered adding shortwave but decided not to, since the ground conductivity is inadequate. However, a KJNP program is carried by V. of Hope stations in Palau, San Francisco [sic] and Lebanon (KJNP staffwoman interviewed by Ken MacHarg a few years ago, repeated on HCJB DX Partyline Dec 18) I thought ground conductivity mattered on MW, not SW. And how does the permafrost affect it? (Glenn Hauser, temperate zone, highly ground conductive OK) ** ALBANIA. Hello Glenn- I heard your broadcast for the second time ever today (Dec 18) - 2030 ut on 12160kHz - #1016. I really enjoyed it. I happened to hear the broadcast of #1015 an hour earlier on WPKN from Bridgeport, CT. In broadcast 1016, I believe I heard you say Radio Tirana was a half hour broadcast at 0130. I happen to have been trying to hunt them down as their web page is of no use. However, their broadcast at 0130 on Dec 19 was only 14 minutes, concluding with their soulful theme. I had thought they might broadcast another language but just unexpectedly no reception. Merry Christmas and Bon'Anno (Happy New Year - see below) Sincerely, (Dean Bonanno, Durham, CT) N.B., BBCM ** CHILE. Voz Cristiana blaster on 21550 was accompanied by distorted FM spurs, no carriers, about 10 kHz wide centred around 21519 and 21581, i.e. plus and minus 31 kHz from the fundamental, when measured Dec 19 at 0050, a few minutes before signoff. An hour earlier, they were even worse. No, my modem had nothing to do with them (Glenn Hauser, OK) ** CUBA. Since I made an issue of the buzz surrounding RHC's 11760 a few weeks ago, I am pleased to report that I no longer hear it, such as Sun Dec 19 at 1335-1352 for En Contacto, the Spanish DX program (Glenn Hauser, OK) ** ECUADOR. DX Partyline host Allen Graham says he is in Costa Rica as of Dec 18 (studying some more Spanish?), so DXPL is into rerun stuff; Dec 18, KJNP visit; Dec 25 pre-empted by A Christmas Carol; Jan 1 Rich McVicar’s national anthem special; Jan 8 the DXPL beginners’ special yet again (Glenn Hauser) **IRAN [non]. Clandestine radio station 7520 kHz in Persian language; Heard of the monitoring observation results on this frequency today: Daily exc Mon & Fri [sic, should be Wed] 1730-1800 UTC f = 7520 kHz. On Dec 16th German monitoring stns verified some direction finding measurements [acc to DW sources]: determined coordinates 46N38, 30E58. <<<<<<<< That means MIDWAY between Grigoriopol Maiac, Moldova and Nikolayiv Kopani, Ukraine. I don't know from what location that transmission coming from, most likely from MDA, when I take some inaccuracy into consideration. Also UKR served some ETH clandestine transmissions in the past: I remember me on approx. 9920 kHz KIEV outlet few years ago, 160 degrs towards Horn of Africa target. 73 (Wolfgang Bueschel, Germany, Dec 18) Steffen Hilbig told about a direction finding exercise by Deutsche Welle monitoring, which pinpointed the origin of Radio International on 7520 as 46N38 and 30E58, just east of Tiraspol, so this is almost definitely still Grigoriopol. By the way, a few years ago Radio Pridnestrovye used 7520 for a daily Russian-language broadcast, perhaps indicating that especially the 235 and 250 degrees aerials are indeed capable to beam also reverse to 55 and 70 degrees, respectively. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 18) ** KOREA NORTH. Checked for R. P’yongyang's ommmy 17735v Dec 18 at 2355 but no sign of it; VOA News Now in English remained weak but unmarred to 0100* Dec 19 and still no RP. I scanned the 21, 17, 15, 13 and 11 MHz bands for signs of a replacement, but found nothing except a similar hum upon DW German 11785, but doubt it was this. Not propagation either, as Japan was in nicely on 17835, 17845, 21670. Did IBBill Whitacre get to the Norkies, or just some downtime? (Glenn Hauser, OK) ** MACAU [non]. Special transmission on historical MACAU handover to China. At present [1420 UTC Dec 19] RDP Lisbon in Portuguese language can be heard with a mixture of bitter sweet songs from both POR and CHN, commentaries, live phone in program on shortwaves 11875, 15540, 15575, 17745, and 21800. (Wolfgang Bueschel, Germany) ** MACAU [non]. CRI's special coverage of the handover began at 1500 UT Dec 19 on 7405, the regular NAm service frequency. Checked the others mentioned in 99-76: 9515 and 9535 were blocked by BBC and Japan, of course, but special 9785 was coming in better here than 7405. They said something about ceremonies beginning at 1530, also covered in Std. Chinese, Cantonese (and Portuguese?) and also referred to website (Glenn Hauser, OK) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Late update to the CRI Macau coverage, as of 1900 UT Dec 19, since DX Report 99-77:: ** MACAU [non]. The great moment of handover 1600 UT was marred at 1557 by "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" as FEBA prepared to do a scheduled broadcast on 9785; 1558 CRI relayed the majestic Portuguese national anthem, and at precisely 1600 the Chinese anthem. Meanwhile, //7405 had cut off around 1557 at its scheduled closing despite the live coverage in progress. Unlistenable until about 1630 when FEBA was off or faded. 9785 was still on at 1808 check with ceremony, English commentary and cut off at 1825. Meanwhile I finally looked at the cri/macau website and listened to a few seconds of its RA before that dropped off -- audio was awful, worse than SW beamed elsewhere. But the table displayed there made more sense than previous renderings, with the exception of the slight omission of not showing any times. From that we see that the planned frequency usage is/was: l. Handover: 9705 Eu, 9785 SAf/As 2. Inauguration of Regional Government: ditto plus 9690 to NAm [unheard] 3. Celebration in Macau: Eu 9745, SAf/As 11720 [not heard here, yet?] 4. Official Reception in Macau: Eu 17755, SAf/As 11720, NAm 9690 5. Gala Celebration in Beijing: Eu 17755, SAf 11720, SEAs 9535, SAs 11765 (Glenn Hauser, OK) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ** NEW ZEALAND. >I am well aware of your current thinking about 17675 rather than 9700 for Pacific, but I would like to encourage RNZI to take a broader view of covering the world (including North America) for this special occasion only. We do not have any discretion in this matter. We are contracted to the NZ Government to provide a service to the Pacific Islands. However as it happens 6105 kHz should be audible in the USA at 12 UT when NZ goes into next year! [so you disdain DST too? gh] >Have you seen the webpage of M Hackett making the case for RNZI acquiring a second transmitter, and what do you think of it? It is flattering to know that there are listeners out there that are prepared to spend time on such issues. Unfortunately at the end of the day it comes down to how much money the Government of the day has to spend on International Broadcasting. I can say in more positive mode that the change of Government may be good for RNZI. The new Government were responsible 10 years ago when last in office of setting up RNZI. The change of Government improves RNZI's chances of having it funding restored to the previous level. They may also be more sympathetic to our current application for the purchase of a new transmitter which will deliver a digital audio signal. (Adrian Sainsbury, RNZI) ** SRI LANKA. The VOA relay station at Ekala, near Colombo, has been transmitting VOA programs since 1953 . December 31st will be its last day of operation for VOA. It will be replaced by the new VOA relay at Iranawila, Sri Lanka, which is already in limited service and will come fully on line during the year 2000. Dan Ferguson provides us with this schedule for the last days of VOA via Colombo: 1 to 3 Universal Time on 7115 kilohertz, 10 kilowatts, and on 11705 and 15250, 35 kilowatts. 14 to 18 on 7215, 10 kilowatts, and 15395, 35 kilowatts. All programming is VOA News Now, and I will ask VOA News Now anchor persons to make some special announcements on December 31st. (Kim Elliott, VOA Communications World Dec 18 via John Norfolk) ** U K O G B A N I. This week's Letter from America on BBCWS, UT Sun 0345 on 5975, 6135 and 6175, was not introed or outroed as anything out of the ordinary, but as Joel Rubin noted when he listened earlier on a BBC domestic network, it was a very old edition, when Javits was senator and Lindsay was mayor of NY, gold was $35(?) an ounce and when Alistair Cooke could still refer to himself as ``middle-aged''. Let us hope Mr. Cooke will be well enough to resume new Letters next week. BTW, a lengthy article about him appeared recently; not sure of the original source, but an interview by Joanna Coles was posted by Ed Mayberry on the swprograms list. A few excerpts follow: At the age of 91, Alistair Cooke is an institution. But lately the broadcaster has been under siege. Here the BBC World Service legend hits back. Cooke has been slightly battered of late. Not just by ill-health - he had an operation two months ago - but also by Nick Clarke's biography, Alistair Cooke. Though it failed to unearth any great scandals, the book shone an unsettling light upon its subject's life, in particular, it zoomed in on his sometimes strained relations with his children. Has Cooke read the book? "No. I told Nick I wouldn't read anything," he says, folding his arms. "I said 'I'll give you the facts, I don't want an authorised biography but you say what you want'. He got some facts wrong, I've heard, but it doesn't matter. I gave up reading the reviews." So back to the business in hand; we are supposed to be talking about his latest book, Memories of the Great and the Good, an irresistibly readable collection of his essays, some new, most old. The subjects vary from Wodehouse ("His pipe wheezed a reedy bass against the melodic tenor of his voice") to an equally taut profile of Frank Lloyd Wright ("He could spot a fawn at 20 paces and flattery got you nowhere . . . He looked like Merlin posing as Whistler's mother") and Harold Ross (the founder of The New Yorker who had an "exquisitely neurotic feel for syntax"). It is Cooke's 14th book in a bulging career, which includes his influential television series, Alistair Cooke's America (a leatherbound book of the series sits on his coffee table) and of, course, Letter from America. "The talk", as he calls it, began as a series of 13 programmes and is now, in its 53rd year, the longest- running broadcast in the world. "It's luck," he grins, when I ask him how he has managed to keep at it for so long. It cannot be just luck, I protest. "No, it is," he says chippily. "It's the genes. I know reporters who faded away in their fifties mentally, their sense of life and curiosity just faded. I was blessed with a good memory and sometimes I feel it's sharper now than it used to be. The city where he has lived since he arrived on these shores now seems foreign, too. "I've tired of New York," he says, gesturing to the stunning Central Park panorama behind him. "When people ask if I live here, I say 'I live in an apartment I like, and it's a sanctuary against New York'. "Age has a great deal to do with it," he nods. "It's too dense and noisy for me, it's a jungle I don't often go into." Did he ever consider moving? After all, his memory is portable and he could work anywhere. "About 20 years ago we did think of moving, to San Francisco. It's a big small town, cosy and beautiful. But my wife goes to every gallery and every show, she gets everything out of New York." They were also trapped by the good fortune of their eight- room, rent-controlled apartment - on Fifth Avenue, no less. They moved in 50 years ago paying $269 a month. Under the city's rent control laws, their rent increase was limited to 7 per cent a year. But last June their protection ended and their rent quintupled, to $10,000 a month. "It's changed our lives," he says. "But as a friend pointed out, we did live here for 50 years almost rent free." And so we move on to another of his achievements, his remarkable ability to survive the whims of the BBC's mandarins for a full half- century. It is no secret that several managers have longed to prise him from his slot. "This business of a plot, well I never heard a syllable. And when I checked with ex-governors and ex-directors- general, they had never heard of it either." Perhaps they were being diplomatic, I suggest. I can remember from my own days working at Radio 4 being told by the then network chief that he hankered to shift Cooke but did not dare. "They didn't let me know. I was lucky there, too. The talk was liked by enough ordinary people. The listener surveys were always terrifically good. And it appealed to young people, too, not just to my generation." How much does the Beeb pay him? "Thanks to Heather, my producer, who was shocked when she took it over, I now get $1,100 per Letter." I say I am surprised it is so low. "Everybody thought I got paid more. In 1963 I was on a United Nations mission and I got to Nairobi and I was given the Freedom of the City - it's always a shock going round the world to find out that they all know the talk. They had a question time and an old lady asked 'Is it true the BBC pays you £1,000 a talk?' I said 'No, it's not true. If you said £100, you might be a little closer'." Forbidden from reading the script in advance, the producers now record Cooke at his apartment. "The permanent staff always seems to be being reduced," he remarks. "I keep running into people who say 'I'm just here for this project'." Is that a bad development? "I don't know enough about the development of the BBC. I've not known the last three Directors-General, though I always seemed to get to know the chairman. I don't know the current one but I knew Dukey ." Does he know the new director-general, Greg Dyke? "No, and I never met John Birt. Though he wrote to congratulate me once," he snorts, "on my birthday." Two months ago he underwent angioplasty. "They did an arteriogram and the picture was dramatic. It's supposed to be like this," he says, curling his right thumb and forefinger to make a circle. "But it was tiny, like this," he squeezes his fist. "Now it's like a brand-new pipe and I don't get any angina symptoms. There was 5 per cent of the artery where the blood was going through and it could have happened that night." Well, you look great, I say, as he escorts me down the hall. "Oh come on, how many 91-year-olds do you know?" he fires back. Actually, quite a few, I lie. (via Ed Mayberry, swprograms Dec 8) ** UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. There is the UT plus 4 timezone, but in Abu Dhabi it is UT plus 4:00:25. Dec 18 at 2251 found Mideast music on 17760, 2300 timesignal precisely 25 seconds late, as least compared to WWV, ID in Arabic and news mentioning Abu Dhabi. Rather heavy Mideast flutter, which is increasingly common with ionospheric scintillation here in deep NAm at solar max. Still audible at 2400, and consistent, with another 25-second-late timesignal, about gone by 0020 check. Standard remark about inaccurate timesignals. The poor Abu Dhabians will be late greeting the New Millennium if this is not fixed (BTW, just wait till Islamic year 2...) (Glenn Hauser, OK) ###