GLENN HAUSER'S SHORTWAVE/DX REPORT 99-13, March 17, 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 981 -- See topic summary at http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/Wor981.html AUSTRIA. [Posting advance English program topics on website --] This is an example of what all the second-tier broadcasters should do. At least RAI-English has the good-sense to tell listeners what it is going to present and let us decide in advance if we want to listen. Maybe the square wheel inventers at Swiss Radio will lower themselves to copying this simple idea. Oh, they are still trying to invent Real Audio! (Larry Nebron, CA, March 11, REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING) http://www.orf.at/roi/uk/uk_home.htm Highlights of the week from 8 to 14 March 1999... BELGIUM [non]. On RVI Radio World Mar 14, Frans Vossen said the new 0400 to WNAm via Bonaire 15565 would be the first broadcast of the day as Joe Hanlon has reported, but then in the next breath said it would be a repeat of the 2230 broadcast! So which is it?! (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 981) COLOMBIA. La Voz de la Resistencia del Bloque Oriental, FARC-EP clandestine, heard March 11 until closing just after 1200 on 6170 [probably rounded from 6168.3 where Rafael Rodriguez has measured it and where we hear traces of it]. Gave sked as 1130 and 2130 on this frequency, 1700-1800 on "VHF 7735". And read communique which admits that the three American missionaries whose bodies were dumped in Venezuela were executed by Commander Guildardo's Tenth Front, without consulting higher FARC authority. They had entered into Cubas indian territory without permission. It is not FARC policy to disappear Colombians or people of other nationalities. Those seeking to enter FARC territory should identify themselves and seek permission in order to avoid any further such lamentable incidents. Nor is it FARC policy to turn over their combatants to other states, but Cmdr. Galdardo will be punished according to FARC law (via Jorge Garcia Rangel, Venezuela, MUNDO RADIAL, in gh's summary translation -- I suppose that news agencies have picked up this development? But I haven't seen or heard it.) COLOMBIA. FARC clandestine La Voz de la Resistencia del Bloque Oriental presumed on 6168.3, bits of music and talk audible around 1145 March 16, but fading into daylight; a bigger problem is the mixing product of R. Marti on 6170, from the two superpower signals on 5890 and 6030, 140 kHz apart, which lasts until 1200* (Glenn Hauser, OK, MUNDO RADIAL) COSTA RICA. RFPI's 15049 was noted back on the air Tuesday evening, UT Wed March 17, even past 0300 still on and holding up. We hope RFPI will keep it on later, even all night with spring and summer propagation conditions. Morning of March 17, no sign yet of revived 21460-USB. James Bean tells me from Maine that 15049 was even better than 6975. The latter has also been edged by an almost-constant open carrier on 6979.4, seemingly from Europe; and briefly around 0315 a huge noisy signal appeared around 6969 (Glenn Hauser, REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING) IRAQ. Mother of Battles Radio, Radio of All Arabs (Arabic: idha'at umm al-ma'arik, idha'atu kul al-arab) is a service of official Iraqi radio. It was first heard in 1991 during the Gulf War (which the Iraqis refer to as "the mother of battles"), after which time broadcasts appeared to be suspended following the disruption to Iraqi radio as a whole. The station resumed broadcasting on 2nd August 1995. It was observed in March 1999 after a break of three months. Announcements state that it is intended to be received throughout the the Arab world. This schedule lists only those frequencies that have recently been confirmed. As with all Iraqi radio services, transmitter operation may be erratic. All broadcasts will be one hour EARLIER in SUMMER. Daily in Arabic 1700-2000 on 9715 and 693 kHz, including recordings of Saddam Husayn speeches at 1815-1830, Political commentary at 1910-1930 ((c) BBC Monitoring March 11, via WORLD OF RADIO 981) MONGOLIA. VOM 12085 checked Monday Mar 15 at 1235 during Mailbag; clear but rather heavy flutter and accent difficult to understand. A bit better the next morning, with slight het. Still puts an umlaut on the O of Mongolia (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 981) NORWAY. NRK's Kvitsoy transmitter site is off the air because of a break in an undersea power cable, so there is no coverage of the eastern hemisphere. They have been contacting Sweden about possible temporary use of Hoerby site. All per Olav Grimdalen, who BTW is retiring at end of April, but may continue doing some frequency management on interim basis (Joe Hanlon, Kulpsville PA, March 11, WORLD OF RADIO 981) SWITZERLAND. SRI Final A99 schedule is in, with English as follows: 0400-0430 13635 100 SEEu Juelich 0530-0600 13635 100 SEEu 0730-0800 15545 160 Af Juelich 17685 200 Af Juelich 21750 165 Af 0830-0900 9885 215 AuAs Montsinery 13685 245 AuAs 1000-1030 15315 210 SWEu Juelich 1100-1200 13735 25 FE/SEAs Singapore 21770 80 FE/SEAs 1200-1230 15315 210 SWEu 1400-1500 9575 0 C&SAs Singapore 17670 80 C&SAs 1900-1930 9885 40 NEu Juelich 2000-2030 13770 140 Af 15220 160 Af Juelich 17580 200 Af Juelich 13710 115 Af Montsinery 0100-0130 9885 295 C&NAm 9905 310 C&NAm Montsinery 0400-0500 9885 295 C&NAm 9905 310 C&NAm Montsinery The 1600-1615 segment, on the same frequencies as 1400, which had been in English is now designated "Station identification and promotion". For some strange reason (embarrassment in relying on the Germans?), the Juelich transmitter site is not specified anywhere, making it impossible to distinguish from the one remaining Swiss site Sottens, tho French Guiana and Singapore relays are specified! Or is it simply European integration making Switzerland and Germany one? Since Sottens is 500 kW and Juelich 100 kW, however, from another version we can figure out which is which and Juelich has been inserted by us above. Frequencies not designated are Sottens, Switzerland. In an accompanying letter, frequency manager Ulrich Wegmueller reports that Swisscom, the former Swiss Telecom, has been privatized, and as part of the reorganization HF broadcaasters do their own frequency management, so he now works directly for SRI (Glenn Hauser, REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING) U S A. Checked 11900, 11905 and 11910 several times in the 0000-0200 period UT Sun March 14, and no sign of WWBS Macon. What's wrong? (Glenn Hauser, REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING) ###