DX LISTENING DIGEST 00-22, February 3, 2000
                edited by Glenn Hauser

{Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only providing
full credit be maintained at all stages}

WORLD OF RADIO on WWCR: The new Feb posted schedule confirms our 
previous timings except for Sat 2030 on 12160, occupied by a ``new
program`` but unclear from which date.

BUDDHIST NEW YEAR HOLIDAY on Feb 5th. Hans-Joachim Koch informed about
the great holiday on [Chinese] Buddhist New Year, Feb 5th, when
according to Moon calendar the year changes from Rabbit to Dragon-
Year. Many of the FE Asian Radio stations will bring Special
Broadcasts on this festival event. Look out for KRE/KOR, CHN, TWN,
CBG, THA stations. 73 de wb (Wolfgang Bueschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CANADA. There's a possibility that the technicians' strike which
has affected RCI (as well as Radio-Canada/CBC operations in the
province of Quebec, as well as at Moncton, New Brunswick) since 30
December 1999, might be over soon. The membership is currently voting
on a settlement package. The results of the vote will only be known on
Thursday evening, 3 February (Montreal time). The strike has had some
effect on RCI programming content, though all shortwave transmission
hours have continued to be filled with programming. 73- (Bill
Westenhaver, Montreal, Quebec, CANADA, Feb 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CANADA. Hello, Here's what we are working on for this week`s
edition of Quirks & Quarks:
       Our lead item is "The Cholesterol Conundrum:"  We all know that
high cholesterol levels can be dangerous - and for many people,
increase the risk of heart disease. But how much is too much? How
should it be controlled? And what's the difference between good and
bad cholesterol? We'll get some answers from Michael Brown - the
scientist who won the Nobel Prize for his discovery of how cholesterol
works. Plus ... we'll learn how honey bees find their way back to the
hive. That's on Quirks and Quarks, this Saturday, right after the noon
news on Radio One. (Bob, Quirks and Quarks 12:09 - 1:00pm on CBC Radio
with host Bob McDonald) And via RCI Sat 2205, Sun 1305 Feb 5-6 (DX
LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [non]. DX Information from the British DX Club. [re: new CRI
relay via WRN and Spectrum 558 kHz in London] Ironic/irritating that
we can hear CRI in England but the BBC is jammed in China. (Chris
Greenway, England, Feb 2, via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Ditto Washington and other US cities vs VOA. Seems to me a condition
of allowing CRI on domestic radio in the west should be that they not
only quit jamming BBC and VOA but reciprocally broadcast them on the
local dials in China! (gh)

** JAPAN. Radio Japan available on Internet from 4th February

Text of report in English by the Japanese news agency Kyodo

Tokyo, 3rd February: Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) will start
distributing its international radio programme, NHK World Radio Japan,
on the Internet on Friday [4th February], NHK Chairman Katsuji Ebisawa
said Thursday. It will be the first time for the public broadcaster to
distribute its programmes on the Internet, Ebisawa told a press
conference. Ebisawa said NHK will distribute the radio programme on
the Internet on a 24-hour basis, airing news and music programmes one
to three times an hour in Japanese and 21 foreign languages. NHK World
Radio Japan has an audience of more than 10 million people abroad,
mostly Japanese nationals. Source: Kyodo News Service, Tokyo, in
English 1235 gmt 3 Feb 00 (via BBC Monitoring via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NEW ZEALAND [non] * W1AW now QRV on Hellschreiber: W1AW made its
first-ever Hellschreiber QSO January 19 with Raffaele, IK4PKQ. W1AW
was running 50 W from an ICOM IC-756 transceiver. IK4PKQ was 559; W1AW
was 569 on the other end of the circuit. W1AW Station Manager Joe
Carcia, NJ1Q, used the IZ8BLY software. Hellschreiber will be among
the modes available for use by visitors to W1AW. (ARRL Bulletin via
Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Was that Jan 19, 2000
or some years ago? (gh)

** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. West New Britain provincial radio back on air

Excerpt from report by Papua New Guinea weekly `The Independent' web
site on 3rd February

Radio West New Britain came back on air last weekend after having been
disabled since October last year. The radio station, one of three
National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) stations upgraded with the
help of international donor assistance, first went off air in August
last year when it was struck by lightning during a freak daylight
electrical storm. The damage caused by the lightning strike was
repaired and the station resumed operations for just over two months
before a seismic tremor measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale disabled
the station's transmitter in November. A month before, the station was
commissioned by the minister for communication and information.

The province is currently into its normal stormy weather season and
officials from Governor Bernard Vogae's office are pleased that the
station is back on line to provide essential warnings and
announcements to those who depend on it...

Source: `The Independent' web site, Port Moresby, in English 3 Feb 00
(via BBC Monitoring via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** U S A. Posted by Duane Whittingham, N9SSN on February 01, 19100 at
12:58:51:

Hi, want to let everyone know that we will have as our special guest
Bob Grove on to talk about Grove Enterprises, Monitoring Times and
more. This is on The Tom and Darryl Show on Satellite, Shortwave, FM
and Internet. The Show is on WBCQ 7415 kHz and starts at 12am Eastern
with interview a little later. Please join us and go to the web page
for more info. Thanks. -Duane Whittingham (Show Producer) (via MT Chat
Room, DX LISTENING DIGEST) It would help to give the date: UT Sunday
Feb 6 0500 (gh)

** URUGUAY. According to press info, 31 FM channels and *two SW
channels* have been granted permission for broadcasting, by government
decree: the first one went to Sr. Juan Heber Bran~as Bran~as, (owner
of CW148 R. Universo, MW 1480, Castillos, Rocha) to use possibly 6155
(Uruguayan newspaper "La Republica" does not mention fqcies and says
this one is from departamento de Rio Negro). The other SW license goes
to Montevideo to "Sarandi S.R.L.", (evidently connected with CX8 Radio
Sarandi, MW 690, CX18 Sarandi Sport, MW 890, and one FM: Sarandi
Satelital, 91.5). If I am not wrong they should be using 6055. Rules
indicate that station has one year ahead, for effective operation. One
more year if licensee asks for extension of time. This needs more
investigation, for just heard the news on the radio and went running
to buy "La Republica". I am still to see official decree. (Horacio
Nigro, Uruguay, Feb 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST)                       ###