DX LISTENING DIGEST 0-156, December 14, 2000 edited by Glenn Hauser, wghauser@hotmail.com {Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. For restrixions and searchable 2000 contents archive see} http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/Dxldmid.html THIS WEEK ON WORLD OF RADIO 1062: See topic summary at http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wor1062.html HEAR WORLD OF RADIO 1062: (download) http://www.angelfire.com/nm/wor/wor1062.rm (stream) http://www.angelfire.com/nm/wor/wor1062.ram ** AUSTRALIA. R Australia strike: I wish to add a little further news to the R Australia shutdown on the 5th/6th. Nigel Holmes, the Head of Transmission, has just advised that during the 24 hour strike, the reason that an Australian DXer didn`t hear the Shepparton site, was that Nigel used this opportunity to have the contractors clean up the site, and also for the ABC contractors to invoke one of the 8 hour mandatory outages for essential maintenance, that they have to have each year (Phone call direct from Mr Holmes 7th Dec to John Wright, Australia, via Australian Radio DX Club, Dec 11 via BC-DX via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. One RA program I always try to catch on webcast is this: (gh) Fri. 2315 on 21740 - LINGUA FRANCA - A program about language. This week, "The Language of Resistance in West Papua". In 1950, when the Republic of Indonesia was established, it did not include West New Guinea, which remained under Dutch control. Not until after the Indonesian invasion of 1962 was it incorporated into Indonesia as Irian Jaya. Ever since, the indigenous people of Irian Jaya have resisted Indonesian rule, and in particular Indonesian language policy. Recently President Wahid made some linguistic concessions to the independence movement: the name Irian Jaya was changed to West Papua. Over several years' reporting from both sides of the border, journalist Andrew Kilvert has been taking a keen interest in the language of the West Papua resistance movement, which he discussed with West Papuan activist Anana in Jayapura (Also Sat. 0340, 1115) (John A. Figliozzi`s RA previews for swprograms via DXLD) ** CANADA. I heard them mention on "As It Happens" last night that there`ll be a special memorial programme for Allan McFee "this weekend" at 9 AM on CBC Radio Two. Indefinite, to be sure...and I haven't yet checked the website to see if it`s mentioned there, and if it`s mentioned whether it`ll be on Saturday or Sunday. Gary Dunford`s Toronto Sun column about the late Allan McFee: http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/dunford_dec13.html (via Bill Westenhaver, QC, Dec 13, WORLD OF RADIO 1062, DXLD) Looks like a temporary file, so hurry. Good night, vacuumland (gh) ** CANADA. Hello, This week we have a special edition of Quirks & Quarks, the Q&Q Holiday Book Show: science books for science lovers. We`ll talk to the authors of some of the best science books that have come our way this season, including Anne Russon ("Orangutans"), Keith Devlin ("The Math Gene"), Carl Zimmer ("Parasite Rex"), and Wayne Grady ("The Bone Museum"). Find out how orangutans make pancakes; how math is like a soap opera; how parasites rule the planet; and how digging for dinosaurs is like carving a turkey. All that and more, on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news on Radio One. (Bob McDonald -- Quirks & Quarks -- CBC Radio, via DXLD) UT Sun 0005 on RCI 5960, 9755 ** CANADA. I left a receiver on 25950 where Portland was weak, just to keep track of 11m propagation. Suddenly at 2006 UT Dec 14, someone identifying as ``7-4-7 in Nova Scotia, Canada`` comes on the same frequency saying he is cutting off some station playing music, as if he belonged there, rather than Portland (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 740 going on soon: Bad new for DXers in the north-east... I have word from a highly reliable industry source that CFPT 740 Toronto will start broadcasting Dec. 18. I assume this will be a test period, with the official launch in the New Year, but I don't know any more. DX 740 while you can...there's only a few days left (Saul Chernos, Ont., Dec 12, amfmtvdx via WORLD OF RADIO 1062, DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. Note that the CIS relay schedule below includes one entry for Falun Dafa Radio, via Tajikistan: 9415 1400-1500 500 FDR (gh, DXLD) ** CIS/RUSSIA. Foreign Relays via SW Transmitters of the CIS - Countries B-00 season 29/10/2000 - 24/03/2001 Armenia 5855 1725-1840 100 TWR 6240 0030-0100 100 TWR 7475 1400-1500 100 RFA 7550 2300-0000 500 RFA 7560 0100-0300 500 RFA 9365(11590)1100-1400 500 RFA 9920(11520)1100-1400 500 RFA 9965 0000-0300 500 VOR 11510 1700-2000 500 VOR 11790 1400-1500 500 VOA 15735 2000-2200 500 VOR 17540 0600-0700 500 RFA Moldova 6205* 1600-1645 500 TWR 7120** 1830-1900 500 RIT 7125 0100-0600 500 VOR 7180 0100-0600 500 VOR 7480 1630-1830 500 VOI 7520 1730-1815 500 RIN * is not used for the present ** alternative freq 7480. Kazakhstan 7530 2230-2330 200 RFA 7550 1500-1600 200 RFA 9355* 1630-1700 200 GO 9490 2330-0030 200 RFA 11510 1230-1330 200 RFA 11535 1400-1500 200 RFA 11570 0030-0130 200 RFA 13830 0000-0100 200 RFA 15695 1100-1200 200 RFA 15705 1215-1300 200 VOT * only Tue/Fri, alternative frequency 7355 kHz Tajikistan 4940 1400-1500 100 VOR 4940 1600-1700 100 VOR 4965 1400-1500 100 VOR 4965 1600-1700 100 VOR 4975 1400-1500 100 VOR 4975 1600-1700 100 VOR 5830 1430-1530 100 BBC 5830 1015-1700 100 BBC 5830 1800-1830 100 RIT 7180 2315-2400 100 VOT 7415 2300-0300 200 RFA 7455 2100-2400 500 RFA 7470(15695)0100-0300 200 RFA 7485 0100-0130 200 RFA 7495 1500-1600 200 RFA 7515(11540)2330-0030 200 RFA 7515 1600-1630 200 RFA 7520 2230-2330 200 RFA 7530 1600-1630 200 RFA 7540 2300-2400 500 RFA 7540 1500-2200 500 RFA 7570(11500)0100-0300 500 VOR 9365 0100-0130 200 RFA 9360 1500-1600 200 RFA 9365 1400-1500 200 RFA 9415 1400-1500 500 FDR 9920 0100-0145 100 VOT 9945 0200-0300 500 VOR 9975 1530-2000 200 VOR 11500 1300-1400 500 VOR 11535 0030-0130 200 RFA 11540 1100-1400 200 RFA 15645* 1215-1300 100 VOT 17495 0300-0700 500 RFA 17495 0800-1000 500 VOR 17515 0600-0700 200 RFA 17525 0300-0700 500 RFA 17525 0800-1000 500 VOR * alternative freq 15655. Uzbekistan 6205 1710-1740 100 VAT 7375 0030-0130 200 BBC 7430 2300-0030 200 TWR 7430 1330-1530 200 BBC 9865 1450-1620 100 VAT 12070 1325-1625 100 RNW 17685 1200-1230 100 RVI 21780 0800-0830 200 BBC BBC = British Broadcasting Corporation FDR = World Falun Dafa Radio RFA = Radio Free Asia RIN = Radio International RIT = Radio Iran of Tomorrow RNW = Radio Nederland Wereldomroep RVI = Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal TWR = Trans World Radio VAT = Radio Vaticana VOA = Voice of America VOI = Voice of Iran GP = Golos Pravoslaviya (in Russian) [== ``GO`` ? V. of Orthodoxy ? -gh] VOR = Voice of Russia VOT = Voice of Tibet (....) alternative frequency from 04/03/2001. CRR-3 (Samara) 9940 1430-0200 WUN 250 140 degr 17765 0230-1400 WUN 250 140 degr CRR-10 (Irkutsk) 7400 1000-1400 DWL 250 152 degr TCR-12 (Chita) 6205 1315-1345 VAT 500 194 degr. (Nikolay Rudnev, via RUS-DX Anatoly Klepov, Dec 10, via BC-DX via DXLD) ** CONGO DR. Goma rebel official discloses plan for rebel media | Text of report by Congolese rebel-controlled radio from Goma on 13 December Officers and employees of agencies operating under the supervision of the [rebel Congolese Rally for Democracy, RCD] Communications and Culture Department yesterday, Tuesday 12 December, held a general assembly chaired by the head of the department, Prof Kin Kiey Mulumba. The meeting took place at the conference hall of the [word indistinct] Protestant Guest Centre where Prof Mulumba explained to the participants the outline of the Communications and Culture Department`s plan of action adopted recently during the extraordinary session of the RCD executive committee. The head of the communications and Culture Department said the plan, which will cover a minimum period of three months, was an ambitious and aggressive plan expected to address some deficiencies observed in the communications and culture sectors. Concerning the RTNC [Congolese National Radio-Television], the minimum plan provides for the expansion of the radio-television to the entire territory controlled by the RCD and the setting up in Goma a sort of national radio-television, the purchasing of a shortwave transmitter enabling it to broadcast from 0500 to midnight [all local times] and satellite transmission of images through Renatelsat. These are all priority projects for the [rebel] movement. [***** this graf mentions SW transmitter -gh *****] It is to be noted that these two projects will be supported by a sound and image centre [French: Centre de sons et d'images] to be established in Goma to respond to the challenge of a media-landlocked situation for the RCD. Concerning the Congolese News Agency [French: Agence congolaise de presse, ACP], the plan provides for a new lease of life through the restructuring and reorganization of working practices. The ACP will, on a daily basis, ensure the daily press review through monitoring [last word in English]. The Communications and Culture Department`s minimum plan also provides, under its cultural programme, for megaconcerts organized by famous stars and sponsored by industrial firms and airline companies by the end of February or early March 2001. Prof Kin Kiey Mulumba also said training and refresher courses needed for journalists to become responsible professionals will be provided by the movement, adding that professionals from Europe and news correspondents from neighbouring countries will be the trainers. Regarding the privately-owned press, the head of the Communications and Culture Department said the RCD encouraged the setting up of privately-owned stations and media enterprises. Prof Kin Kiey Mulumba closed the meeting with his best wishes for happiness and prosperity to all staff members of the various sectors supervised by his department, the Communications and Culture Department. Source: RTNC radio, Goma, in French 0500 gmt 13 Dec 00 (via BBCM via WORLD OF RADIO 1062, DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. RFPI variations from nominal schedule: Dec 13, 15049 was on already when checked shortly after 2100; Dec 14, 21815-USB was still not on by 1930. The antenna work to improve signal on 7480 they are trying to get done no doubt requires some outages on the other frequencies. BTW, previous latest nominal sked given for 21815-USB should have read until 2400, not 0400 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. Yes, info@rfpi.org will continue to function. It`s hosted by Freespeech and forwarded to us in Costa Rica via RACSA (- joe, RFPI, Dec 14, DXLD) ** CROATIA. Hi, Croatian Radio 1 (Hrvatski Radio 1) is now strong on 5040.0 kHz (AM) in the (European) morning. // 1125 kHz. GOOD DX, (Karel Honzik, the Czech Republic, Dec 14, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** EUROPE [and non]. Titanic Days Again: Hi there again, FREE RADIO LOVERS, After past weekend`s efforts to set up a continuous 24 hour marathon broadcast (which was disturbed due to an insect (!) in the cassette deck mechanism (Jurassic Park is everywhere...!)) and only every 2 hours 2 hours [sic] of shows were audible we proudly invite you all to participate THIS COMING WEEKEND AGAIN on the same frequency - 48 mB, 6261 kHz - and we hope this time you can listen to the complete 4 hours programme schedule of our 25th anniversary! Please have a listen to our guest DJs, e.g. Cachito Mamani of Radio Cochiguaz, Mark Graison of Radio Marabu, Pirate Andy of PFBS, Simon Hendrix of BRI and Dave Scott and Duncan James of Radio Apollo, Marc Jones of FRSH. We will be on the air too via our kind friends at RWI on 11401 kHz and we may use the 7484 kHz transmitter too. Please have a look on 41 and 26 metres for more RTI shows within the forthcoming weekends in December. And we will be audible via the transmitter of RADIO COCHIGUAZ in South America on either 6950L or 11440U as shown in the forthcoming information mail of RADIO COCHIGUAZ. Last but not least we will have some nighttime transmissions on December 24/25/26th on the 48 mB again (+/- 22.00-00.00 UTC!) Check it out! We already have received many E-mails for the past weekend`s broadcast and we were very excited about the results (btw heard twice in the USA!). We hope to add more of your E-mails and Real Audio files for the forthcoming shows. Write to TitanicRTI@aol.com STATEMENT: FACT 1: Rumours occurred that we would have been relayed by RADIO RTN the past weekend. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG! The transmissions on 6261 are no relays at all. We used to use a hiding-place somewhere in Central Europe to spread the signals to you just only for this celebration period! FACT 2: The shows relayed via the IRRS Milan transmitter were shows owned and operated by RADIO RTN itself. OP Rolf Kern held an interview with Mark Brown in September and used this as a part of his own programme. The same WE did with that interview and fitted it in our 25th anniversary shows. RADIO RTN and RTI didn`t make a so-called "joint- venture" programme either and there are no such QSL-cards available. So please LISTEN carefully and do not only HEAR! FACT 3: Rolf Kern and Mark Brown are going to meet again soon to sort all the reports which were forwarded to the falsely heard station and we will send QSL cards of the right station for you! So be anxious for the results! FACT 4: Most likely RTI will cease transmissions for the time being at the end of Y2K. Everything's cleared up?! Please enjoy RTI on the Short Waves! Make use of this occasion. Carpe diem! (Mark Brown for all at RTI, Dec 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPEAN PIRATE. 6260.95, R. Titanic Int. (presumed), start to get a het around 2100, and bits of instrumental music with man announcer at 2145. Unfortunately it never got any better than that. Very disappointing conditions. I checked again back home at 0730 but only hints of audio at best and really impossible (Dave Valko, PA, 9, 10 Dec., hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** IRAN/IRAQ. Iranian opposition TV, radio from Iraq still observed Despite the report on 26th November by the Kurdish newspaper Hawlati, that the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MKO) radio and TV broadcasts from Iraq had been closed as a step towards the normalizing of relations between Iraq and Iran, both broadcasts continue to be observed. The MKO TV broadcast, "Sima-ye Moqavemat" (Vision of Resistance), continues to be carried on Iraqi domestic TV, although it is sometimes missing from the recently-inaugurated satellite relay of the domestic TV service. For example on 11 and 12 December, Iraqi TV did not appear on satellite until 0700 gmt when the MKO programme was over. MKO's Voice of Mojahed radio broadcast continues to be carried on several shortwave frequencies. It was observed signing on at 0227 gmt on 10 December on 6860 kHz, with 5320, 5640, 7040 and 8820 kHz also heard in parallel by 0240. When checked on 13 December at 1600 gmt the radio was heard on 5350 and 5620 kHz (all frequencies vary to avoid jamming). Source: BBC Monitoring research 14 Dec 00 (BBCM via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN. Three quick clandestine loggings in 6 minutes on Dec 8: On 4061.1 08 1652-1655 CLA Dangi Gelli Kurdistani (VO People of Kurdistan)-Kurdish: TK+ID? [443 SM] On 4085 08 1655-1658 CLA Sawt al-Kurdistan al-Iraqi (VO Iraqi Kurdistan) - Kurdish songs. [444 SM] On 4250 08 1656-1658 CLA Sawt at-Ta'ab al-Kurdistan (VO Kurdistan Toilers) - Anthem "Kurdistana" +S/OFF. [423 SM] SM = Salvo Micciche', in Scicli (Italy). RX: Kenwood R-5000, Sangean ATS909. ANT: 60m LW + MLB+ FX AL IIId Loop made by Italian DXer Flavio Golzio. (GADM Fanzine via DXLD) ** LATVIA. Radio to drop mediumwave transmitters next year | Excerpt from report by Latvian radio on 13 December [Presenter] In order to extend the range of its listeners, improve reception quality and rationalize the use of financial resources, from next year Latvian Radio is planning several fundamental changes. Laima Slava continues: [Correspondent] The total turnover of money for Latvian Radio next year is set at 3.42m lats. Twenty-six per cent is income from radio, while 74 per cent is a state subsidy. The amount of the state subsidy has declined from last year. The director-general of Latvian Radio, Dzintris Kolats, emphasizes that the amount of self-financing has grown. The changes next year are considerable, and have to do with economizing. From next year the First Programme of Latvian Radio [this programme] will be abandoning the very expensive mediumwave transmissions, and even giving up the Riga transmitter [on 945 kHz]. Dzintris Kolats continues: [Kolats] During next year the mediumwave transmitters [on 1422 and 1350 kHz] in Valmiera, Kuldiga, Cesvaine, Rezekne and Daugavpils will be closed. The remaining four transmitters may be closed on 30th June. For the time being the Riga transmitter will continue unchanged, and it is hard for me to say (?whether it will be after Christmas or as soon as possible) that there will be changes, but we will be talking about what to do in 2002 or 2003. [Correspondent] The radio plans not only to give up the broadcasting but also to expand its programmes. And so, from the new year the Klasika programme [station] will be audible in Valmiera [presumably on VHF/FM]. The director of Klasika, Gunda Vaivoda, is very satisfied with this... [Correspondent] Other programmes will also be extended. From the new year, the "Doma Laukums" integration programme ["Dome Square" mainly for Russian-speaking listeners] from the Riga [FM] transmitter will start broadcasting around the clock. Latvian Radio 2 will be heard around the clock from the Kuldiga and Dundaga [FM] transmitters. Meanwhile, from 1 January the First Programme of Latvian Radio will have a new cultural feature, "Rita Rondo"... Source: Latvian Radio, Riga, in Latvian 1400 gmt 13 Dec 00 (BBCM via DXLD) ** LITHUANIA. I heard R. Vilnius lament having to use the German relay 6120 for English to NAm at 0030. They say it costs them 3 times what two local sites would run. Tests on 6000 (swamped by RHCuba) and 9735 have not received kudos from listeners. I get 9735 at 3-4 3333, heterodyne/co-channel. I get 6120 4-5 4444 co-channel. I`ve written them asking if they can retune to 9775, 9780 or 9785. RFI Spanish comes on 9790 at 0100. There is nothing usable I hear on 6 MHz for Vilnius to try (Bob Thomas CT, Dec 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LITHUANIA. Setting my watch for 2357 UT to check for R. Vilnius via Sitkunai on 9735 kHz, I noted nothing well after 0000 UT. Again nothing at 0025 re-check. Checked again at 0050 and there it was in EG w/ talk about apartment hunting in Lithuania (sic) by man. Very good signal here in the Pacific NW with slight polar flutter and except for R. Nac. Paraguay on 9737.x kHz, it would have been near excellent. // to 6120 Jülich which was poor to fair at best. Pulled plug in mid-sentence at 0057:50 UTC, 6120 remained until 0100 s/off. (Terry Palmersheim, KC7LDP/FOŘPAM, AR-7030+ 80 meter N/S, hard-core- dx Dec 13 via WORLD OF RADIO 1062, DXLD) ** MARTINIQUE. 1310, Ft de France, RFO was dropped from WRTH listing a few years ago, but is still on the air. Semi-local signal (about 25 miles away), very low modulation level & has a tone in the background all the time. Probably AN. Local pgm w/ads 1159 12/6, then R. Martinique ID & nx. Noted off 1220 12/6 but back on at recheck that afternoon (Bruce Portzer, St. Lucia, IRCA, from a long DXpedition report, via DXLD) ** MAURITANIA. R. Mauritania, 4845, Dec 9 0115-0435+ on late for Ramadan with Arabic talk. 0207 Koran. 0230 Arabic music and talk, radio play; 0250 Koran again. Fair-good (Brian Alexander, PA, WORLD OF RADIO 1062, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MOLDOVA [and non]. Grigoriopol`: The report that in 1992 Radio Pridnestrovye started on June 22, was wrong. Bernd Trutenau advised me that Radio Mayak (the Moscow-based network, not to be confused with the small village next to the Grigoriopol` transmitter site) had on May 7 a message that Radio Pridnestroye will go live on air tonight on 999, so probably the transmissions started immediately after the separatists took the site under control. Anyway BBC- Monitoring heard RP on 999 definitely on May 8. Nick Pashkevich reports that Grigoriopol` is meanwhile back on 999 and will restore also some transmissions on 1548, using a 150 kW transmitter only; I guess the site is still without its 110 kV main power supply. As a reminder, 7125 currently originates from the Russian Tbilisskaya site instead. Later: now after 2000 Dec 14 Grigoriopol` is again active on 999, should be running 500 kW considering the powerful signal. Regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONACO [non]. Yes, there was a 3AM2! Glenn and other IRCAers, I believe that, yes, there WAS in fact a RMC/3AM2...or was it 2AM3...Monaco transmitter site at Fontbonne, France. I WAS TOLD THAT the RMC transmitter site had legal extraterritorial status, i.e. same as a consulate or embassy inside the host country, meaning it was considered diplomatically a part of Monaco. This from my years of editing DXWW-II and stirring up controversy back in 1975-76 (+/-). Now, if we can declare WABC-770's TX site to be extraterritorial NY rather that Lodi (?) N.J. (Charles A. & Leonor L. Taylor, Grifton, North Carolina, IRCA via DXLD) On extraterritoriality: if we go with this, we would also have to count transmissions (tho surely no broadcasts) from e.g. the Tonga embassy in Washington, DC, as the radio-country ``Tonga,`` which is absolutely absurd (gh, DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS/ANTILLES. I`m pleased to say that just after we sent out last week`s Newsletter, we received the pictures from Bonaire, so we were able to publish the updated article last Friday. If you haven't seen it yet, go to http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/bonaire001201.html. Soon we`ll have an additional picture feature including, hopefully, a group shot of most of the staff. Since everyone is so busy down there, it`s tricky to get them all in one place at one time! But we`re working on it... On a completely different theme, if you're looking for an interesting new challenge on shortwave, we`ve just published a feature about DXing harmonics. Recently a mailing list for established for DXers interested in this topic, and there`s also a Web page where you can see the latest catches in frequency order. Click on http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/harmonics001213.html to learn more (Andy Sennitt, Media Network Newsletter Dec 14 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** NEWFOUNDLAND [non]. Jean Burnell's Newfoundland DXpedition Report 2000 is on the Web at the following URL: http://members.nbci.com/markwa1ion/nfdx2000.htm If you have any trouble accessing this directly, you should be able to reach it from a link near the top of http://members.nbci.com/markwa1ion/nfdxpage.htm (Mark Connelly, WA1ION, Dec 14, hard-core-dx, via DXLD) Extensive by-frequency lists of MW loggings, and each participant`s experiences in text. Very impressive, as always (gh, DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 4890, NBC, Dec 9 2006-2045, Fading in with religious choral music, dead air, then soft spoken woman announcer, more choral music, woman again at 2034 with sound effects, woman briefly, then man with PNG and western Pacific/ eastern Asia current weather conditions for Bougainville, Manus, Daru, etc. Woman again with mention of the weather and into Pop ballad. Talk by man at 2046, but fading quickly. Peaked around 2040. As bad as conditions were, I'm amazed this was coming in (Dave Valko, PA, hard-core-dx via DXLD) Yes, this is an unheard-of time for this to be audible in USA (gh) ** PERÚ. 4655: R Ecos del Edén is the correct name for the one here reported by me as Ecos de Belén, last week. This according to Klemetz-Sweden and Rodríguez-Colombia. Stn address is Jirón Grau 502, Celendín (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, Dec 13, WORLD OF RADIO 1062, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Checked VOR at 0200. 7125 was NOT in English. 9765 active, S=4/5. Slight QRM from 9770 BBC and co-channel with Bro. Scare. 9765 English service as usual. At 0300 7125 did have VOR in English. 9765 went QRT. 7125 hindered by 7120 and 7130. 0400 7125 pretty good and in English (Bob Thomas, CT, Dec 8 = UT Dec 9? DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Voice of Russia to Spain: a welcome facelift. Voice of Russia in Spanish into Europe (2130 to 2200 UTC on 7330 and 7380 kHz) sports a brand new announcer, Manolo Chávez, who now conducts El mundo al dia. Amazing to note what a difference a new voice can make (this daily program now comes out full of life, with lots of ad lib commentary). Spanish programme director Tatiana Kardascheva must be doing something right... (Enrique Fernández, Geneva, Dec 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) E.F. used to work at R. Moscú himself (gh) ** RUSSIA. The Ostankino fire story was big news a few months ago, but you may have been wondering about the outcome: (gh) TV tower restoration to cost about R1.7bn | Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS Moscow, 13 December: The restoration of Moscow's Ostankino TV tower destroyed by a fire last August will cost about R1.7bn [i.e. 1.7 gigarubles --gh], State Construction Committee Chairman Anvar Shamuzafarov said. The exact sum will be determined by the end of this year, he said, adding that the government should already start looking for sources of financing. "The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development has expressed a desire to provide a credit of about 50-60m dollars, but the final decision should be made by the government where the State Construction Committee will have to submit its proposals on financing," he said. Urgent restoration work is already under way at the tower. At the end of November, the federal government allocated about R50m to finance the work. A special consortium has been created to restore the TV tower. It involves seven Russian organizations, including design institutes and assembly enterprises. Repairs have been going on for about a month, with a focus on the dismantling of equipment destroyed by the fire. It will be replaced with new one. New transmitters