GLENN HAUSER'S SHORTWAVE/DX REPORT 99-03, January 14, 1999

{items from this and all our reports may be reproduced and re-
reproduced only providing full credit be maintained at all stages}

THIS WEEK ON WORLD OF RADIO 972. See topic summary at
http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/Wor972.html

COSTA RICA. On Tue Jan 12 at 1901, James Latham announced a 
different frequency schedule for RFPI -- perhaps temporary for
operational reasons due to current board of advisors meeting?

6975 0000-0800 (no mention of -1200 on weekends, but maybe)
15050 1800-2330 (ex 2100-0300)
21460-USB 1400-0300 (ex 1200-0300)  

Continent of Media has a new time, Tue at 2000 only and did 
appear Jan 13 at 2003, but it was still the old Dec-Jan edition.
Jan-Feb should start Jan 15. The RFPI morning block in Spanish 
seems to have come back only on Mon Jan 4; since then, if heard at 
all, RFPI has been back with further repeats of English before 1600 
(Glenn Hauser, OK)

HONDURAS. The 4930.6 station in San Pedro Sula has a new name since
its MW originator has become "Evanecer 12-20", heard opening with
this ID instead of R. Internacional at *1204 Jan 14, immediately 
into music and alabanzas. Tnx to tip from Jorge Garcia Rangel and 
Santiago San Gil of Club Diexistas de la Amistad in Venezuela (Glenn 
Hauser, OK, Mundo Radial)

ISRAEL. Kol Israel with fair reception on new 9395 in English news
at 0030-0035 Jan 13, much better than //7495 (Glenn Hauser, OK)

MALTA [non]. I heard Voice of Malta in English Jan 7 0635 tune-in on 
7155 with a program "Hidden Treasures", featuring a discussion on
Caravaggio's "The Decapitation of Saint John the Baptist", which is 
located in the Cathedral of St J the B in La Valetta.  Reception was 
quite good, with some interference from radio amateurs.  There was a 
break in transmission at 0650-0659.  They returned with a weather 
forecast for Malta, then straight into another language Maltese? 
without an ID.  Off at 0730. You can view this masterpiece at:

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/C/caravaggio/decapitation.jpg.html

(Ivan Grishin, Ont., REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING)

TONGA. While I'm sure the Tongans have more to do at the
moment than getting back on shortwave, the lack of banana trees
shouldn't affect their broadcasting plans for the rest of our
lifetimes. Banana "trees" are actually a very hard-stemmed herb with a
two year lifespan. The first year they grow very fast to a height of
around 3-5 meters. The second year the bananas grow and the tree dies.
(Don Moore, Iowa, responding to our 99-02 report)

TONGA. Glenn: As far as Tonga goes, as I recall they were using an 
inverted V antenna connected to a coconut tree for the SW service on 
5030 per several reports that RN did on them during the last 
sesquidecade. Were they active before the storm? If they were, they 
are no doubt off the air now. I wrote this but was't expecting it to 
be printed. It was something I wrote tongue in cheek (Artie Bigley, KY,
REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING)

Considering the lifespan of banana 'trees', coconut would seem far 
more likely as antenna mast (Hauser)

U S A. WRMI, 9955, relay in Spanish of R. Praga, Czech Republic,
Jan 12 at 2230 in clear at first when gave entire Spanish schedule
not mentioning WRMI relay, but at 2250 recheck, Cuban bubble 
jammers had started up, and still going against R. Vaticano relay
at 2315 -- an Xmas program, so perhaps by tape? I thought Fidel
was trying to be friendly to the RCC (Glenn Hauser, OK)       ###