DX LISTENING DIGEST 00-77, June 21, 2000 edited by Glenn Hauser, wghauser@hotmail.com {Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only providing full credit be maintained at all stages and we are provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission} ** CONGO DR [non]. Radio Liberté heard again on shortwave. The Ugandan -backed Radio Liberté which is run by the DRCongo rebel group, the Movement for the Liberation of Congo, was heard by BBC Monitoring on 20th June for the first time since early April. It was observed on 15725 kHz with a news bulletin in French at 1900 gmt. Source: BBC Monitoring research 20 Jun 00 (via DXLD) ** FALKLAND ISLANDS [non]. DX Information from the British DX Club (BDXC-UK). Someone asked recently if the BBCWS ``Calling the Falklands`` programme is still on the air. I can confirm it is currently broadcast on Tuesdays and Fridays only at 2130-2145 UTC on 11680 kHz (from Rampisham). (Dave Kenny, Caversham, June 21, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** FIJI. Linkname: OJR Features: The Tale of Fijilive: I think I'm going to die here... URL: http://ojr.usc.edu/content/story.cfm?request=392 size: 429 lines. Not shortwave, but an interesting story on providing a breaking news website at short notice during the recent Fiji coup from the Online Journalism Review of the University of Southern Calif. Fiji is all AM/FM otherwise. (Daniel Say, swprograms, June 21 via DXLD) And includes lots of links to further stories (gh, DXLD) ** GERMANY. Subject: Ostdeutscher Rundfunk Brandenburg on shortwave Ostdeutscher Rundfunk Brandenburg (ORB) is the public broadcaster for the German federal state of Brandenburg and has its headquarters at Potsdam-Babelsberg. Since 1993 ORB uses no mediumwave transmitters anymore but is now to do its very first shortwave broadcasts. On the occasion of the Berlin ``Love Parade`` the ORB youth program ``Fritz`` will be carried on shortwave as follows; days referring to the start times of the respective frequencies: You can find a complete schedule with times in UTC at http://www.fritz.de/loveradio/shortwave.html July 7: 1600-1800 5965 1600-2100 15755 (Far East) 1800-0600 3965 2200-0500 9405 (South America) July 8: 0000-0500 9525 (North America) 0600-1000 13810 (Australia) 0600-1100 5850 1100-1600 5975 1600-1800 5965 1800-0600 3965 July 9: 0600-1100 5850 1100-1600 5975 Target area is Europe unless otherwise stated. The first, somewhat fuzzy notice (which also mentioned local times in the target areas only, I hope I converted it properly into UTC) did not include the transmitter site, but no doubt this will be Jülich, as the frequency set consists mostly of regular Jülich channels. On air ID of this special programming will be ``Fritz Love Radio``. Address: ORB - Fritz, P.O.-Box 90 90 00, 14439 Potsdam; mail redaktion@radiofritz.de; URL http://www.fritz.de. (Please, disregard the WRTH, as the ORB entry there is hopeless outdated, even the FM frequency table contains various errors, for example all high power ``Cottbus`` frequencies originate in fact from the separately listed Calau site, while Dequede no longer carries ORB programming.) Regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII. If you would like to experience Americana from the farthest western reaches of our country, try the Web site of KCCN-FM in Honolulu, Hawaii. KCCN has an all- Hawaiian music format and DJs with real Hawaiian accents. There is the usual spoken word content of commercial radio: news, traffic reports, disk jockey banter, and weather. To me, even the weather forecasts are exotic, because they use terms we never hear in Washington, such as "windward" and "trade winds." TAPE: CUT 5 (deadpot at *, full to :50) KIM: The music I heard was Hawaiian, but contemporary, not the traditional Polynesian fare we know from the old shortwave service of Radio Tahiti. The URL is http://www.kccnfm100.com (Kim Elliott, VOA Communications World June 17 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** INDIA. Glenn, Harold Sellers mentioned to me that AIR may be audible on 11715 for their latter transmission 2045-2230. I can't check that out until the weekend, but perhaps you can check it out today. Their website shows this freq directed toward Oz/NZ. 73, (Ivan Grishin, June 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) June 20 I checked 11715 off and on during the first hour but inaudible here; inconclusive (gh, OK, DXLD) ** NICARAGUA. Very weak audio but could hear a male announcer. I am guessing Miskut is back up on 5770 at 0135 UT 20 Jun 00. (Bob Montgomery, PA, hard-core-dx via DXLD) I have checked 5770 (and 5890 for Honduras) at various hours of the morning and evening last few days with no results yet (gh, OK, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. We have a shortwave change for our broadcast to North America at 03:30 hrs UTC. We're dropping 9495 kHz, which has suffered from interference in some areas, while staying on our new frequency of 15245 kHz. (SCDX/MediaScan June 20 via DXLD) ** U S A. The Joy of Music, only program worth listening to on KTBN, has been cancelled Tuesdays at 1600, but still is on the TV schedule; Sundays at 0930 on 7510 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. From WBCQ Central: We are working on a third transmitter. It will do both compatible SSB and full AM. Listenership is growing steadily at the Planet. Our listeners tell us we have the widest variety of programs and they say we are the best station on the dial. I strive to bring the most to the station. We add another music program ``London Calling`` on Mondays 8pm eastern [UT Tue 0000]. New program on Saturday 5pm eastern [2100 UT] "Havezower" will feature alternative music. More music programs in the works. Looks like the Mon-Thu timeslot 11pm-12mid [UT Tue-Fri 0300-0400], just vacated by Brother Stair, will also go over to an alternative music producer! More music on shortwave-you bet!! (Allan Weiner, WBCQ, June 20, DXLD) Later: Dear Glenn, Flash! Great programming ahead on 7415 Mon-Thu 11pm-12mid Eastern. Complex Variables Studio will be producing new exciting alternative music shows as follows: Mon. Barking Dogs And Running Water Tues. Silk Purse Wed. Magic Radio Thur. Tashs Talks Continue. Together with their weekend lineup on Friday, We've got trouble now 6:30-7pm EDT [2230-2300 UT], and Sat, Hear Now and Le Bon Bon Club 10pm-mid [UT Sun 0200-0400] It's more music and more different stuff on WBCQ the Planet!! Cheers, (Allan Weiner, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM. VOV on new 13720 in French at 2100; in English at 2030 also on new 13750 mixing Cuba, //13740 (Chris Hambly, Victoria, June 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. Zimbabwe: New ``Voice of the People`` radio continues to be heard on shortwave The new shortwave radio station broadcasting to Zimbabwe, which calls itself ``Radio VOP, Voice of the People``, continues to be heard. (Radio Netherlands reported on 15th June that the new station had been heard testing ``over the last few days``. The Harare newspaper `Zimbabwe Standard' reported on 11th June that the radio would start operating on 14th June. Another Zimbabwean newspaper, `The Herald', reported on 15th June that broadcasts had begun on 13th June.) Radio VOP is observed broadcasting daily with two half-hour transmissions at 1700 and 1915 gmt (7 and 9.15 p.m. local times respectively) on the shortwave frequency of 7215 kHz. Programming is mainly in Shona and Ndebele, the two main languages spoken in Zimbabwe, with a lesser amount of material in English. The radio's output is devoted to the current political scene in Zimbabwe, in particular the forthcoming parliamentary elections. In an announcement in English on 19th June, the station stated its objectives: ``Radio VOP promises to inform and entertain, and at the same time allow people to air their views. Our focus, with the forthcoming general elections on 24th and 25th of this month, is to give the contesting parties a chance to spell out what they stand for.`` An announcement in Ndebele on 18th June said: ``Your vote is your right. Your vote is secret. No-one will know who you voted for.`` The radio's programming on 18th and 19th June included a commentary on the current political scene in Zimbabwe and the country's involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an interview with political analyst Prof Masipula Sithole (a member of the former Forum for Democratic Reform), and an interview with the candidate for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party in the parliamentary constituency of Mberengwa East. Radio VOP has not been heard to announce an address or any other contact details or any details of where it is broadcasting from. It has also not been heard to announce details of any party or organization that is operating or sponsoring the station. An announcement monitored by Radio Netherlands from Radio VOP whilst the station was testing stated that: ``This station is for every Zimbabwean, it belongs to no political party, it does not have to answer to any advertisers. It is your station, your views, your life and we hope that you will be entertained and informed by our programming. Our aim is to promote peace in these troubled political times and we hope that, hearing many different views and many different opinions, Zimbabweans together can hope to build a democratic society.`` The progovernment newspaper, `The Herald,' reported on 15th June that the new radio was broadcasting ``from an unknown location``. It cited unnamed sources as saying that it was "suspected to be based either in South Africa or Europe``. `The Herald' quoted the minister of information, posts and telecommunications, Chen Chimutengwende, as saying that the government had launched investigations to identify those behind the station. Sources: Radio VOP, Voice of the People in English, Shona and Ndebele 17-19 Jun 00 Radio Netherlands external service, Hilversum, in English, 1150 gmt 15 Jun 00 `Zimbabwe Standard' web site, Harare, in English 11 Jun 00 `The Herald' web site, Harare, in English 15 Jun 00 ((C) BBC Monitoring June 21 via DXLD) ###