DX LISTENING DIGEST 00-32, February 28, 2000
		edited by Glenn Hauser

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

ARTIKEL UEBER GLENN HAUSER, WORLD OF RADIO. See pages 10-11 of the 
March issue of Radio Journal, ``Privatmann auf allen Wellen: Glenn 
Hauser und sein ,,World of Radio``, by Thomas Voelkner, part 21 of a 
series on WRN broadcasters. Should be distributed in Germany starting 
March 1. See also http://www.radiojournal.de Thanks to Thomas 
Voelkner, currently at RFPI, for writing this.

** AUSTRALIA. For the legally minded, a detailed discussion of the 
how, why and wherefore of the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill 
No. 4 covering international broadcasters from Australia is available 
from the Parliamentary Library's Bills Digest service at 
http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bd/1999-2000/2000BD121.htm 
Regards, (Matt Francis, Electronic DX Press via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** AUSTRALIA Re: The Radio Australia site at Darwin. As per advice 
from Nigel Holmes, the site has a dummy load problem. I noticed a 
comment that maybe both parties are right, however this is not the 
case. The previous WWDXC Top News 17 Feb is correct. In fact Nigel 
Holmes will be at my place on the (Fri 2300 to 2330), Sat a.m. in 
Sydney. [Feb 25/26, I assume, not Mar 3/4? -gh] He will answer any 
queries, on 61+ 2 95336261. Then he moves on ... so Darwin is there 
with the Waltzing Matilda IS as advised; see previous posts (John 
Wright, Australia, Feb 22, BC-DX via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** BRAZIL. R Nacional Brasilia was heard back on air this morning at 
0735 tune in on 6180. A booming S9+20dB at first, so it seems all is 
well with the tx once again. Was playing Brazilian mx and announcing 
"Bom dia Amazonia" (Noel R. Green, UKOGBANI, Feb 26, BC-DX via DX 
LISTENING DIGEST) I read somewhere that's not a technical matter on 
the studio or tx site. There is a reshuffling procedure on their 
ownership from the Brazilian so- called Telecom authorities to 
another govt[?] organization ... BUREAUCRACY (Wolfgang Bueschel, BCDX 
ed., via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Somewhere = here (gh)

** BRASIL. Greetings, DXers! I haven`t seen anything on this list 
about it, so I inform our friends outside Brazil (Brazilians 
naturally already know) that summer time in our country has ended. 
Starting this Sunday, Brasilia returns to UT -3 hours. Hugs, (Valter 
Aguiar, Brasil, Feb 27, radio-escutas, translated by gh for DX 
LISTENING DIGEST)

** CAMBODIA. National Radio of Cambodia`s Overseas Service continues 
according to schedule [including English 0000-0015, 1200-1215 -BBCM], 
but 1360 MW appears to be inactive. Even in Phnom Penh groundwave 
reception of 11940v is poor, being the sum total of old studio 
equipment, a poor studio-transmitter (cable) link and an old, poorly 
maintained transmitter at Stung Mean Chey, 7 km SW of Phnom Penh. The 
1200 broadcast suffers from heavy QRM – also in Phnom Penh! - by BBC 
Singapore in Chinese on 11945, a rather unfortunate move by the BBC. 
Correct address: Overseas Service, National Radio of Cambodia, Rukhak 
Vithei Phrea Kossamak (Street 106), Phnom Penh. NRC started ``FM-
96``, a commercial service of Phnom Penh, early this year. BBC WS is 
on 100.0 MHz, but the sat-fed facility badly needs realignment 
(Maarten Van Delft via Dave Kenny, March BDXC-UK Communication via DX 
LISTENING DIGEST)

** CLIPPERTON ISLAND. The "Clipperton2000 DXpedition" should begin on 
March 1st. According to the latest updates before going to print:

February 27th - "The Clipperton team has passed the following 
information for distribution to the DX community. The stations that 
will be configured on Clipperton will be as follows: 3 CW, 3 SSB and 
one full time RTTY station. The resources the team will bring to the 
island will support 7 full time, mode committed stations.

February 24th - "The callsign for the Clipperton2000 expedition will 
not be released until the team activates it on the island. This has 
been done to eliminate pirate stations ruining it for a lot of folks, 
not only for the op who thinks he/she logged it, but the additional 
work for the Clipperton2000 QSL manager. The team is presently 
signing N9NS/MM while aboard the Shogun."

The team will be using the standard DX frequencies. They are:

SSB - 50115, 28475, 24945, 21295, 18145, 14195, 7065, 3799
CW - 50115, 28025, 24895, 21025, 18075, 14025, 10106, 7005, 3505, 
1828.5
RTTY - 28080, 21080, 14080 kHz

OPDX InterNet Subscribers will receive the press release by Alex, 
PA1AW, (as an additional bulletin) that was sent out earlier in the 
week [too long to be reprinted here; go to 
http://www.en.com/users/k8yse/opdx450.html ]. For updates and 
details, check the Clipperton Web site at: 
http://www.qsl.net/clipperton2000/ 
(KB8NW/Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin 450, February 28/BARF-80 via John 
Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CROATIA [non]. Radio Croatia was heard tonight with 16 minutes of 
English news on 9925 kHz at 0400 UTC. English news was 0401-0417. 
Equipment was a Yaesu FRG-7700 with a 20' longwire (Daniel Sampson, 
Arcadia, Wisconsin, Feb 26, swl@qth.net via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** IRAQ. Checking RII 11787 the night following previous report, did 
not tune in early enough to reconfirm English around 0230, but around 
0430 there was no signal at all (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING 
DIGEST)

** IRAQ. R. Iraq International heard in English on Feb 11 on 11787 
from tune in at 2003 until 2044 when German started. Good old 
fashioned propaganda show, with titles such as ``Voices against 
Embargo`` and ``The War of Genocide``! The signal was clearer on 
11789. Address announced as P O Box 8145, Baghdad (Tony Vaughan, 
March BDXC-UK Communication via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** LIBERIA. Re: RLI on 5000. Back on 5100 the following evening (Alan 
Pennington, March BDXC-UK Communication via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MALTA [non]. Dear Glenn, Jürgen Kubiak via Argentina via World of
Radio (Feb. 23) has started circulating a new sched. of Voice of the
Mediterranean as of January 29. They are, however, still using the
same winter schedule as before, and checking this morning (Febr. 28),
the English program is still going out at 7-7.30 UT on 7150 kHz, exc.
Sundays when it is broadcast at 9-10 UT on 11770 kHz. The evening
Xmission is at 20-21 UT (exc. Fridays) on 7440 kHz. --just to let you
know (Erik Koie, Denmark, Feb 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Australian funds put Radio Bougainville fully
back on air - Text of report from the 'Papua New Guinea Post-Courier'
web site on 28th February

"Radio Bougainville is able to broadcast across the entire province
for the first time since before the crisis," said Australian High
Commissioner Nick Warner at the official opening of Radio Bougainville
in Buka on Wednesday [23rd February]. The Australian government,
through its aid agency AusAID, committed 3m kina to the repair and
upgrading of radio transmitters in Hutjena [on Buka Island] and Rabaul
[New Britain], along with the supply of broadcasting and other
equipment to the Hutjena studio.

To enable more people to listen to Radio Bougainville broadcasts, Mr
Warner also announced that the Australian government would provide
1,000 solar-powered wind-up radios. These will be distributed to
primary schools in the middle of this year.

Source: 'Papua New Guinea Post-Courier' web site, Port Moresby, in
English 28 Feb 00 (via BBC Monitoring, excerpted by gh for DX
LISTENING DIGEST) I suppose this refers to the station on 3325, or
is it 3385? (gh, DXLD)

** RUSSIA. A recording of R. Tatarstan can be found on the Amazon DX
Club website; just click on this link:

http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/6731/gravacoes.htm 

(Djaci Franklin Silva, radioescutas Feb 28, via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
                  
** SA’UDI ARABIA. Checked 15435 as per DXLD 00-31, Sun Feb 27 at 
1700, and indeed there were at least two stations mixing, one in 
Arabic, the other mostly music, but, half-listening, could never 
detect anything in English until I quit at 1720 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX 
LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOLOMON ISLANDS. Radio Hapi Isles, SIBC`s National Service is 
installing a new 10 kW transmitter (made by Omnitronics, 
Philadelphia) at the Henderson Transmitting Station, 13 km east of 
Honiara. It will replace the old 10 kW unit on 5020 kHz, which was 
running at only 5 kW during the past few years. After overhauling it, 
the old transmitter will remain as a stand-by. SIBC uses 5020 // 1035 
MW at 1900-1200. ``Wan FM`` (One FM) is SIBC`s new 2nd programme for 
Honiara on 96.3 MHz at 1900-1300. [typos now corrected above]

In co-operation with the Ministry of Education, SIBC *may* 
reintroduce 9545 kHz for an Educational Service to the outer islands. 
SIBC`s regional stations are: Radio Hapi Lagun, P O Box 78, Gizo, 
Western Province (10 kW on 945 kHz) at 1900-1100 and 0300-0830 [sic], 
and Radio Temotu, Lata, Santa Cruz Islands, Temotu Province on 1386 
kHz. The latter is off temporarily due to problems with their 5 kW 
transmitter. ZFM100, PO Box R66, Honiara, is the first private 
station in the Solomons, on 99.5 MHz 24h a day (Maarten Van Delft via 
Dave Kenny, March BDXC-UK Communication via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** SOMALIA. Radio Hargeysa was heard by BBC Monitoring at 1700 gmt on
26th February on a new frequency - 7530 kHz.  Radio Hargeysa
broadcasts in Somali from the Somaliland capital, Hargeysa. Source:
Monitoring research 26 Feb 00 ((c) BBC Monitoring Feb 28 via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K O G B A N I. BBC WS is resuming ``On Screen``, the weekly 
cinema magazine, with Magenta Devine, for an unspecified run starting 
Feb 29: On the AE stream: Tue 0630-Am, 1430; Af Tue 0830, 2130; As 
Tue 0430, 0920-south, 1130-east, 1530-south.

Write On, (and monthly Waveguide later than usual on the 26th), bumped 
from 0045 UT Sun in Jan and Feb, are back at this time in March on 
the AE stream.

The Essential Guide to the XXI Century occupied two important 
timeslots during Jan and most of Feb, M-F 1830, and Tu-Sa 0230, now 
free for these in March:

1830 on 17840:
Mon 6th The Ties That Bind; 13th, 20th, 27th Oiling The Wheels
Tue 7th, 14th The Bitter Pill; 21st, 28th The Century Speaks
Wed Sports International
Thu Assignment
Fri Focus on Faith

0230 on 12095, 9915, 6175, 6135, 5975:
Tue repeat of Mon 1830
Wed repeat of Tue 1830
Thu Everywoman
Fri Focus on Faith
Sat People and Politics
(March BBC On Air via Chris Hambly, Australia, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K O G B A N I. BBCWS screwup again on 17840, Mon Feb 28 at 1803 
check with two different audio sources mixing about equally; one 
somewhat intermittent and may have been a production studio somehow 
fed into the broadcast line. Even worse at 1833-1840 recheck during 
Hundred Year House feature, and slightly louder African news, but NOT 
//Af stream on 17830 and 15400. Mostly OK until 1855 with some dead 
air. Just before 1859:30*, courtesy announcement apologised for 
``technical problems at the start of this program, and earlier during 
The World Today.`` That`s something, but I still want to know exactly 
what happened and why (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K O G B A N I. Merlin Network One : the 24-hour satellite/SW 
service that provided airtime for various broadcasters will close its 
satellite service at the end of February with some customers (such as 
Stafford Broadcasting Society and Wales Radio, International) 
continuing on SW only as broadcasts in their own right (i.e. not part 
of MNO). MNO`s purpose-built London studios which were only recently 
completed will be abandoned. The two technical operators who have 
been running MNO since the departure of Eric Wiltsher last year, will 
lose their jobs. A new 24-hour satellite and SW service called Earth 
One is due to begin pilot broadcasts via hired Merlin facilities in 
the near future (Rob Leighton, Stafford Broadcasting Society, Shaun 
Geraghty, Radio Magazine, via March British DX Club Communication via 
DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K O G B A N I. Imagination R, on their broadcast Fri Feb 18th 
announced that they are going off satellite and suggested those 
tuning in to their broadcasts by satellite buy the Grundig YB400 or 
the Sony ICF SW40 rxs! (Sudipto Das Gupta, India, Feb 21, BC-DX via 
DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K O G B A N I. DX Information from the British DX Club.

Radio Free London has suspended its short-wave service for the time
being after a act of vandalism at our site. There have been a number
of strange happenings and attacks at the short-wave site over the past
year with little idea who is behind them as very little or no damage
was done to the transmitter. Other strange happenings have been the 
pulling up of buried mains cable and aerial coax, which only four
members of RFL staff knew were was buried.

All the transmitting equipment has been removed and stored in a safe
place.

A remarkable twist to these strange happenings happened last weekend
when a member of RFL staff was seen going to, and coming out of one of
our sites and was challenged by other members of staff. This resulted
in the said member leaving the station suddenly last Sunday morning
when broadcasting equipment was returned to another staff member. It
is believed that this former staff member has teamed up with another
ex-RFL presenter to start a new station on short-wave called "Radio
Nova International" which was testing today on 6240 kHz.

Radio Free London continues to broadcast every Sunday on 819AM to
London and the home counties [had been on 15060v as in DXLD 00-31]
---
Snail mail: RFL, 101b, Kings Cross Road, London WC1X 9LP.
E-mail: RFL@England.com  Telephone: 07930 11 34 30
Web site: www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/villa/2375
Real Audio: http://members.xoom.com/rfl819/rflweb.ram
Chat: http://www.onelist.com/ (Radio Free London via SRS News Feb 27
via Mike Barraclough, BDXC-UK E-Mail News via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. The appalling ignorance of Paul Harvey, expressed with 
absolute certainty as he always does, reaping megabucks for doing so, 
on his midday show Feb 28: Said Secretary of State Albright would be 
in line for presidential succession, except she is not a citizen, so 
is thinking of running for president of Czechoslovakia where she was 
born! Of course she is a citizen; the requirement lacking is to be 
native-born in the USA. And I hear that Czechoslovakia no longer 
exists... This was heard on a domestic station, but PH is also on 
AFN, so pertinent to SW (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WBCQ-2 9340-CUSB missing again during the daytime Feb 28. 
Again substituting for Allan Weiner, Worldwide, UT Feb 26 0100 on 
7415, the TimTron colorfully recounted his experiences with the 
previous week’s breakdown, smoke pouring from the transmitter, etc. 
Mentioned a website where 400,000 songs may be downloaded, 
http://www.napster.com (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** URUGUAY. 9650, Em. Ciudad de Montevideo, since they started on the 
SW, they used to transmit on extended sked running under the Carnival 
month of Feb each year, when station relayed the contest of Carnival 
music traditional groups ("murgas", etc). This is not the case this 
year, so wider chances to hear them in other time zones are the 
ordinary ones! (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, Feb 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST)) 

** VANUATU. Radio Vanuatu will soon reactivate 7260 kHz with 10 kW, 
or may already have done so. This frequency will be used at 2100-
0500. At 0500-1115 and 1900-2100 either 3945 or 4960 will be used. 
Two years ago the station started ``Tude FM`` (Today FM) on 98.0 MHz, 
only for Port Vila, at 1900-0700, After 0700, the FM outlet carries 
the same programme as on SW and 1125 MW. Radio Vanuatu belongs to 
VBTC (Vanuatu Broadcasting & TV Corp.) and has this E-mail address: 
vbtcnews@vanuatu.com.vu. In Port Vila, BBC WS and France-Inter are 
heard around the clock on 99.0 and 100.0 MHz respectively (Maarten 
Van Delft, via Dave Kenny, March BDXC-UK Communication via DX 
LISTENING DIGEST)

** WILLIS ISLAND. There was an announcement this past week that an 
operation from here will take place May 2000. They will use the 
callsign VK9WI. Willis Island is located in the Coral Sea at 
approximately 16 deg 17 min South, 149 deg 57 min East. It is used as 
a manned Australian weather station and is separated by more than 350 
km from the rest of Australia. The team will use a 43 ft. sailing 
catamaran, "Bach and Byte", and will be leaving from Bowen, 
Queensland, approx. May 6th. Depending on the weather, they expect to 
arrive at Willis Island around May 10th and will be operating soon 
after. They plan to be on air for approx. 10 days. Suggested 
operating frequencies:

CW - 1829(?), 3504, 7004, 10104, 14024, 18074, 21024, 24894, 28024 
and 50115 kHz.
SSB - 3790, 7085, 14195, 18145, 21295, 24945, 28480 and 50115 kHz.

Generally, the VK9WI operators will be running split and will 
announce their listening frequencies as appropriate at the time. On 
50 MHz, they will have a 24 hr. beacon running CW on 50.009 on board 
their off-shore QTH "Bach and Byte". The 6 meter rig on the Island 
will be listening to 50.110. The 160 meter operation will depend on 
availability of antennas, gear, and further sponsorship. The VK9WI 
QSLs will be handled by VK4APG: P.J. Garden VK4APG, 58 Minerva Court, 
Eatons Hill, Brisbane, Australia In addition to "Green Stamps", any 
donations to assist with the costs of the DXpedition will be 
gratefully received and acknowledged. Cards also may be sent via the 
VK bureau: Attention VK4APG. Bureau replies will be sent after the 
initial batch of direct requests are serviced. More details will be 
available later. Check out their great Web page at: 
http://www.qsl.net/vk9wi/index.htm (KB8NW/Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin 450, 
February 28/BARF-80 via John Norfolk, OKCOK)           ###