DX LISTENING DIGEST 0-159, December 18, 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 archive contents see} http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/Dxldmid.html CONTINENT OF MEDIA 00-10 became audible on-demand Dec 17 from http://www.DXing.com/conmedia.htm –- download or stream ** AFGHANISTAN. Radio Afghanistan.com, a new "non-profit organization focused on broadcasting and streaming Afghan music" has launched on the Internet. Besides producing its own daily programs for visitors to listen to in Windows Media Player, people can also sample the latest classical and contemporary music from Afghanistan. Although the site remains above the political fray, Clandestine Radio Watch encourages our readers to watch this site as the political situation in Kabul develops. Specifically, there is a good chance that the Afghan opposition will begin to use the web more as time progresses and we also understand that there is a great expectation that the new administration in Washington will employ the tools of public diplomacy to reach Afghanis directly - through radio and the Internet. Thus, Radio Afghanistan.com could potentially make some waves on the world scene. The URL is: http://www.radioafghanistan.com (CRW Team Dec 18, Clandestine Radio Watch via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [non]. Glenn, Ref. Bob Padula`s comments in DXLD 157 on Australia: Whatever status these tracts of land in Australia have, they certainly aren`t part of "England" (which in any case does not exist as a separate political entity recognised in international law). By the Statute of Westminster (1931) the British parliament relinquished irrevocably its remaining powers over Australia (which had gained a large measure of independence in 1901). In international law, Australia and the UK are sovereign states, and all sovereign states have identical status. It so happens that both countries have the same head of state. But when the Queen is performing her duties as Australian head of state she does so as the Queen of Australia, not as the Queen of the UK. Australia could choose to make the king of Spain its head of state (if the latter agreed) and this would not in itself affect the formal relationship between the UK and Australia (Englishman and Briton Chris Greenway, Dec 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOUVET ISLAND. Chuck Brady N4BQW will be operating as 3Y0C until March next year. Bouvet Island is currently the rarest DXCC call. Chuck was in Cape Town a few weeks ago and several of us met him. He is part of an international team that will be on Bouvet. Several of us here in Cape Town worked him this morning. He will be using the following frequencies while on the island. 3.795 7.095 14.195 21.295 28.495 and by appointment 50.110 best 73 Louis van Heerden ZS1LVH zs1lvh@mweb.co.za (uk.radio.amateur via John Norfolk, OCKOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. ``Calling DXers and Radio Amateurs`` is a fine name for a DX program, but it is not the name of the DX program of R. Bulgaria. Their name is ``Weekly DX Program for Radio Amateurs and DXers``. That`s all (David Crystal, Israel, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA/CHINA. Wednesday evening reception of Falun Dafa was good because of good propagation from Bulgaria and poor propagation from China (= modest jamming QRM). They are trying various methods of making life tough for the Chinese jamming coordinators. For a week or so they have tried using three parallel freqs, but evidently they found out that the Chinese tend to leave one or two jammers behind when they follow the freq changes of Falun Dafa, so that after a while the whole freq interval in use becomes clogged with noise. Now they were using two freqs only, placing two txs on one freq and the third one on a second freq. Unfortunately the co-channel txers were unsynchronized and about 1.5 Hz apart, so that the signal strength was swinging strongly at the same rate. Judging from the signal strength, the co-channel txers are 100 kW and the third one 50 kW or less. The technical characteristics of the txers agree well with what can be noted on other freqs during R Bulgaria`s own use of the Sofia-Kostinbrod 100 kW txers (Olle Alm, Sweden, Dec 14, BC-DX via DXLD) More under CHINA... ** CANADA. Hi Gang, On the drive home tonight [Dec 18], 740 was on the air testing with popular standard music. Sign on date Jan 8. No calls given. Not // 1250. Cheers (Andy R., Ontario?, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. RCI broadcasts in French at 0700-0759 to ME on 15345 and not on 15440. Maple Leaf Mailbag announced Dec 10 additional frequencies at 0200 to Ams... (David Crystal, Israël, Dec 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. Falun Dafa Radio, 9324, 2215 UT Nov 30 in Mandarin with female speaker mentioning Falun Gong and the radio program many times, followed by a report about political issues in China; good readable till the Chinese jammers finally found the signal, followed by QSY; also had a look at their website at http://www.falundafaradio.org and found that besides a lot of pure religious items they (almost daily) have a news and current affairs program about things going on inside China; some of these items were clearly not just of religious, but also of political nature; on one program day documented on their website a protest meeting on Tiananmen square was announced for the next day; this leads to the assumption that the radio program (and website) is also used for calling for public political protest against the suppression by Chinese authorities (H. Kuhl, Germany, Dec 3, 2000 for CRW via DXLD) ** EGYPT. I think it odd Cairo [9900] can`t do a solid for English NAm service at 2300 but at 0200, 0300 and 0400 it can *usually* put out SRI on 9905 [back via Guiana F?]! Not all the time, but 4-5 days out of a week. At 2300, 9895 RN in Spanish [Flevo] takes out Cairo which has horrible modulation to begin with -- going on 10+ years with few exceptions (Bob Thomas, CT, Dec 7, 2000, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. DX Information from the British DX Club (BDXC- UK). I think geographical/political news like this is on-topic for radio enthusiasts: The seat of government of Equatorial Guinea has been moved back to the capital Malabo, on the island of Bioko. Back in June the president had ordered the government to move wholesale to Bata, on the mainland, but after just six months there they are moving back to Malabo (Chris Greenway, Dec 18, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** FINLAND. YLE R. Finland broadcasts in English on 21670 from 0730 UT. I think this lasts 30 minutes some days, 15 minutes other days. I am still investigating. I don`t like quarter hour transmissions (David Crystal, Israel, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Hamburger Lokalradio: DTK Jülich shows a limitation to Dec 2nd till Jan 27th, 2001: 6045 1000-1100 zones 27,28, tx 401, NonDir antenna #926, 7 021200-270101 HLR. 7=Saturday (DTK, Dec 4, BC- DX via DXLD) ** GREECE. Fine tuning the report of your Dec 14 WOR at 2130 on WWCR 9475: VOG directs that broadcast to Tashkent at 1335-1348 UT on 12105 and 15650 EVERY FRIDAY. Title is ``Mathete Ellinika Apo Radiophono`` which means Learn Greek from Radio. I monitored it Dec 15 (John Babbis, Maryland, Dec 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. Comments on David Foster`s bandscan [DXLD 0-139]: RRI stns v6069.8 7173 7231 couldn't be heard here. v3355.4, and 9680 at 1100 not heard. v3232 RRI Bukittingi sporadic active, local evening. v3987.2 RRI Manokwari, sporadic active, weak to moderate signal, local evening. v4845.3 RRI Ambon, after long absence active again since Dec 1st. At 1000 complete ID, date, names of the stn directors and engineers given. ID as "RRI Ambon propinsi Maluku". (Roland Schulze, Philippines, Dec 5, BC-DX via DXLD) ** IRAN. Flag of Freedom Continues the Fight By Nick Grace C., CRW Washington Bureau (Dec 15) Flag of Freedom Radio (Farsi: Sazemane Derafshe Kaviani Radio), which was heard across the world and inside of Iran, left the airwaves suddenly on September 30, 1994, leaving behind a flurry of speculation and tons of questions in its silence. Six years after the flag was silenced, Flag of Freedom Organization (FFO) has finally allowed its story to be told and has given Clandestine Radio Watch a candid look at the group, its radio station, and their current activities. "It was a very sad day when we ended our transmissions," the soft- spoken General-Secretary of FFO, Dr. Manouchehr Ganji, recalled to CRW. "We raised the awareness of the Iranian people to the liberties and freedoms being withheld by the clerics in power." FFO Radio, he said, was an extremely "sophisticated" operation that produced programs for women, Iranian youth, the working class, and other disenfranchised groups. Produced by a core staff of 20 to 25 in London, the broadcasts supported FFO's aim in re-establishing a constitutional democracy in Tehran and tried to break through the Ayatollah Khomeini and his succeeding clerics' hold of the mass media. FFO Radio actually traces its roots to another well known Iranian clandestine station, Radio Nejat-e Iran (Radio Salvation Iran). In fact, Flag of Freedom Radio replaced Radio Nejat in November 1986. "It was the same radio station," Ganji revealed. "Radio Nejat was really a joint operation run by FFO and Ali Amini`s organization." Radio Nejat signed on in 1982 as a voice for Nejat, the Liberation of the Revolution of Great Iran, which was headed by Dr. Ali Amini -- a former Prime Minister of Iran who had built close ties to the U.S. Kennedy administration during the early 1960s. Within months of Nejat`s first programs accusations by the Ayatollah that the station was on the CIA payroll landed into the pages of the New York Times. "We cannot speak for Nejat," Ganji said. "But what I can tell you is that we were in complete control of our programming and content." By 1986, Amini -- who was 88 -- was becoming old and would not take the same risks that the younger Ganji and his fellow FFO members wanted to take. "He didn't want to do the things we wanted to do so we changed the name to Flag of Freedom Radio so that we could take full control of the station and its operations." "We sought to give our fellow countrymen a taste of what it`s like to live in truth," he said. "We stood as a balance against the lying and deception being fed to the people on state-run television and radio... Our goal was to provide accurate news and information, and also to tell the truth about the immediate world around them." In addition, Ganji revealed, FFO Radio served a tactical and psychological role in defying the government's hold on Iranian domestic media. "We would alert our listeners to watch their TV sets for special announcements from FFO." Within one minute of the announcement, the state television channel identified during the broadcasts would be obliterated by a clandestine TV broadcast in support of the group. One such operation, on October 19, 1987, lasted 11 minutes and was even reported in the international press by veteran journalist Pierre Salinger. "We literally covered the broadcast," Ganji remembered with pride. The engineer who made that historic TV transmission possible, Hamid Amir-Ansari, was arrested shortly thereafter and executed. Hamid was in his early forties, and according to Ganji, had boasted of his involvement to too many people. Although the government confiscated the "big" TV transmitter that made this possible, FFO and its supporters maintained other mobile and less-powerful transmitters throughout Iran. "But direction finders can find you very quickly," Ganji admitted. "If we had better equipment and more locations we could have utilized this tactic more." FFO Radio broadcast extensively on shortwave and mediumwave, skipping over Tehran`s vast network of jamming stations. "The jamming stations could only interfere with the signal for a few miles. Because of this we could speak to the people as they traveled from city to city as our signal skipped throughout Iran." The BBC Monitoring has reported that the station`s transmitter was situated in Cairo, however, Ganji refused to confirm or deny this. "FFO received widespread support around the world and it would not be proper to expose anyone`s help at their expense and detriment." By 1994 when FFO Radio left the airwaves -- on the final day of the U.S. government 1994 fiscal year -- the station had logged over 21,000 hours of programming. "Of course it was a coincidence," he answered when asked if this is evidence of American funding for the station. "Let me tell you, however, that unless you want to broadcast from a site in Moldova or another backwater transmitter you need to have international support." That support, he argues, does not necessarily translate into CIA sponsorship. "There are many non-profits who play an important role with these things..." The legacy left in FFO Radio`s wake, he says, is apparent within the dramatic changes sweeping across Iran today. "We cannot take all of the credit for opening Iranian media, but we definitely encouraged it and our broadcasts opened the eyes of the people who are now finding their place and their voice in Iranian society." Although the station is off the air, Ganji says that FFO continues its assault on the clerics through radio. These transmissions, like the television attacks waged ten years ago, are extremely sporadic and short-lived. "We've got about twenty mobile transmitters in the country that operate on FM but since FM can only cover a local area it's important that people know when and where to listen. There`s also a risk of being caught since the regime can easily triangulate the signal." Radio`s role in Iran is changing, however, and Ganji points out that the radicals wielding power in Tehran are more concerned with the local print press than with overseas exiles airing programs on commercial short wave transmitters-for-hire. This new wave of clandestine broadcasting to Iran, he feels, is irresponsible and, in fact, turning people off to the idea of following their programs. "Those who still listen to programs are doing so without knowing that there is no well-planned... strategy for eventual success behind it. One of these stations," he said, "even tells people every now and then to go out into the streets to show support for this or that group without knowing the real identity of the group who is broadcasting. The mullahs also tune in and alert the police to pick them off. Is that any way to treat your listeners?" But the garble of competing exiled voices broadcasting on short wave does not necessarily mean that the FFO is counting future radio programs out. Satellite and medium wave broadcasting, he says, would be the most effective medium nowadays. There are "at least" one million satellite dishes scanning the skies in Iran today, according to Ganji. Also "it is difficult to jam medium wave signals... Satellite dishes generally serve entire families and neighbors so any operation to provide an open forum and freedom of information to the Iranian people must also take this into account." "Until we witness a parliamentary democracy in Iran," he said, a resumption of radio broadcasts "will always be an option." In fact, he said with a tinge of hope upon the transfer of power in the United States, "this is a chance for the new Republican administration (in the U.S.) to reverse current policies and to reach out to the Iranian people through radio and television broadcasts. This is a chance for the new government to show Iranians that our two countries share common interests and a respect for human rights and international law." FFO is already proving to the world that it is continuing the struggle and maintains a website, which receives up to 30-80,000 hits per month according to Ganji. http://www.iranffo.org/ While FFO Radio is indeed silent now, Dr. Ganji reminds its former listeners that the station was just one of the group`s projects. And only until Iran ends its sponsorship of terrorism and adopts a truly democratic system, which defends the liberties and natural rights of its citizens, will the Flag of Freedom rest. "For now," he says confidently, "the fight must go on." (Clandestine Radio Watch Dec 18 via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. 6850 kHz, as unID, stn that I initially thought was R. Mogadishu here was probably one of the Voice of Mojahed stns, hrd 0203 Dec 4 with Qur`an, into talk/nx by man in a local lang. It was wiped out at 0209 by a ute, and when that dropped off the ole bubble jammer was in place. Weak, readable until the ute and jammer came on (D. Henderson, USA in NU 1608 via CRW) 6850 kHz, as unID, 0144-0208 Dec 5, per David Crawford tip, AR man, Qur`an and vocals, jammer on 6870 eventually moved atop this, though still audible. Fair-poor. Mojahed? Noted while checking for any possible Somali activity during Ramadan (T. Krueger, USA in NU 1608, via Clandestine Radio Watch via DXLD) see also SOMALIA ** IRAN[?] on 7070 kHz. MANOHAR B.L. ARASU VU2UR wrote: Dear friends, Iran appears to be using a super power tx on 7070. It is being heard, at almost the level of breaking the S-meter needle, from around 0145 till fade off and again around 1345 to beyond 1600. Mostly, it carries Persian/Farsi programming. A few years ago, I had seen a letter sent from OM Rohan Wahrlich ZL1CVK to those people, and they had vacated the freq. But, now they are again on their trusted freq, it appears. Please keep tracking (via Ulrich Bihlmayer, DJ9KR, DARC German Ham Radio Intruder Watch, Dec 16, BC-DX via DXLD) Maybe that is an Iraqi clandestine radio stn in Persian language aimed towards Iran target (Wolgang Büschel, BC-DX ed. via DXLD) ** KASHMIR. Voice of Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Movement According to a received QSL-letter, the current schedule is as follows : (UT) 1st Transmission 0230- 5985 kHz 2nd Transmission 0745- 7230 kHz 3rd Transmission 1300- 5100 kHz (K. Hashimoto, Japan, Dec 15, 2000 for CRW) Voice of Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Movement, 5101.2 kHz, QSL-letter and many landscape photographs in Kashmir, Pamphlets about Kashmir`s war, Sent 1$ in 394 days. v/s: Islam un Din But. Report sent to Voice of Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Movement, P. O. Box No 102, Muzaffarabad (Azad Kashmir), Pakistan (K. Hashimoto, Japan, Dec 15, 2000 for Clandestine Radio Watch via DXLD) A copy of the QSL can be found via http://www.clandestineradio.com/martin/bild-cla.html or at http://www.clandestineradio.com/martin/piccla/jkf-khy.jpg ** MONACO [non]. [3AM1 to 3AM5 registered for LW 216, MW 1466, SW 6035, SW 7140, MW 701. Maybe the small utility txs towards SOMERA facility at Cape Greco in Cyprus since 1970 used 3AM6 and 3AM7?? ed.] Never tx on Monaco soil ... again. Hi All, Just to add my two bobs worth, looking at my last verification card which is dated 23.11.96 it gives the following ... "Transmitter Location Mont Agel - FRANCE". I don`t think there can be any argument or confusion and I would agree with Paul unless you have a verification from a transmitter in Monaco your verification is from France, and Monaco should be crossed off your list of Countries (Alan Stuart, New Zealand, Dec 16, BC-DX via DXLD) ** PERÚ. Re the station Ecos del Edén in Celendín, in the early 1980s there was a short-lived station here named Radio Nuevo Edén, as reported by Juan Carlos Codina. The station had closed by my March, 1985 visit to Celendín. In asking about it, I learned that "Nuevo Edén" (New Eden) is a nickname for the fertile valley in which Celendín is located. (Pulled out my old notes to double check this.) The town is a major dairy center and is a big producer of "manjar blanco", a delicious gooey caramel-type sweet used to fill pastries, or just eat out of the jar (Don Moore, IA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PORTUGAL. [Re: spike QRM to RFPI 21815] I have heard similar, and it`s usually RDP in Lisbon! As you may have seen I have logged RDP`s spurs on numerous oddball frequencies, as well as such products of overmodulation. They really don't seem to care! 73's (Tim Bucknall, UK, harmonics@egroups.com Dec 18 via DXLD) Actually RDP on nearby 21800 was my first suspect, but was not sure since the spikes were more or less continuous and could not match for certain with modulation on that frequency (gh) ** RUSSIA. DRM - Digital Radio Mondiale, Irkutsk tests. This morning, there was no trace of any signal on 15685, so I assume I was right in thinking what was heard yesterday was Irkutsk testing. However, I came across a DRM test on 17795 in progress at 0850. It suddenly switched to ancient modulation at 0852 with mx and annct in Fr & En - Radio Mondiale I heard and mention of a DRM test program followed by "And that concludes this DRM test. Until the next test, take care". It sounded like a R Netherlands voice. BUT, it wasn`t the end. Digital resumed 0855, a very short break at 0859 and more digital past 0900. The signal was poor with rapid fading and echo (in AM). I wonder who this was. And again, at 1035, more digital, this time on 17665. This was strong (S-8), relatively steady, carried what sounded like two different modes of txion - one very sharp, the other very mushy. Two senders? Now heard opening at 1100 again in AM with intro by J. Marks. Sounds a carrier co-ch, and while digital txion in progress. Says to look at the DRM web site for details. This txion peaking 9+ and sounds more like a jammer! At least, it is confined to within 17660-17670 (more or less). (Noël R. Green, UK, Dec 13, BC-DX via DXLD) This morning I heard a DRM test on 17795 from at least 0740 until 0900. The stn was running a DRM test programme alternating between analog and digital txion. I heard no stn ID, but since there was no activity on 15685 I presume that it was the ancd test via Irkutsk staying on 16 mb instead of going down to 19 mb after 0700. As usual the DRM noise was awful. The high energy content in the signal causes much trouble to adjacent channels despite sharp filtering on the txer side (Olle Alm, Sweden, Dec 13, BC-DX via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. VOR English *not* on 7125 at 0200; only 9765 is active. VOR came on for 0300. 7125 poor signal, 7120 splash and 7130 DW German. 9765 went off, and 12010 very weak at 0300 (Bob Thomas, CT, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Last night, when Tbilisskaya was s-on at 0100 on 7125 and 9860 something happened. Just after the beginning of the pips there was a breakdown on the 9860 txer, causing a heavy buzz. On 7125 the same buzz was weak only. Possibly this was a rectifier breakdown due to overload. Two of the high power txers at Tbilisskaya form a separate section, which also includes the 315 degrees antenna for NAm, so it seems that the problem occurred in this section. The antennas in this section are of a special kind. All are 8x8 dipole elements and the elements consist of folded dipoles made up of tubes. The beams are 110, 188, 290 and 315 degrees (as it seems they are not reversible). (Olle Alm, Sweden, Dec 13, BC-DX via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Thursday morning VOR was again using 7180 together with 7125 for its txions to NAm. 7125 seemed to still be Tbilisskaya, while 7180 behaved differently and could be a revived Maiac txion. The buzz problem noted on 9860/7125 on Wednesday morning was absent. Maiac on 1548 was reactivated Wednesday evening as announced with TWR programming (Olle Alm, Sweden, Dec 14, BC-DX via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. VOR in English on 9470 at 1700-1759, good here. Printed schedule for B-00 does not show it. I have heard this transmission several times (David Crystal, Israel, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Power cut in Russia`s Khabarovsk Territory silences Radio Russia. As of 18 December, the 1,500,000 residents of Russia`s Khabarovsk Territory can no longer receive Radio Russia broadcasts, the radio station reported the same day. The Khabarovskenergo power company has cut off two powerful transmitters, a longwave one in Komsomolsk-na-Amure and a mediumwave one in Khabarovsk, in an attempt to recover debts worth R40m from the All-Russian State TV and Radio Broadcasting Company [VGTRK] and Khabarovsk communications workers, radio said. Source: Radio Russia, Moscow, in Russian 1000 gmt 18 Dec 00 (via BBCM via DXLD) So this did not affect SW transmitters? (gh) ** SOMALIA. 6790/6850, unID: 6750, possibly a new Somali stn, 1625- 1800* Dec 11 co-channel with CRN-Taiwan, fair signal but mainly dominated by Taiwan, 1625 a song, then long talk by man, songs, talk again, likely propaganda, ment. Somalia many times. Possible ID as "Radyo . . ," 1730 nx bltn, 1745 sounded like a religious talk but no chant or Koran as usually hrd on other Somali stns. Talk again and went off at 1800*. Worth trying at 0300. More talk than songs. Moved to 6850 on Dec 13; maybe "R. Kismaayo," as something like that hrd at 1759, then brief prayer (Koran) to 1800*. On 6843 Dec 14, 6795 Dec 15, 6805 Dec 16 (Mahendra Vaghjee, Mauritius, NU Dec 17 via BC-DX via DXLD) When R. Banaadir was on 7020 it appeared that there was also an Iranian clandestine on the freq, was being jammed. When Banaadir left, so did the clandestine, and the freq is now free from jamming. On Nov 28 I hrd Banaadir on 7070, good rcpn, no other stn and no jamming. But the next day rcpn of Banaadir was not good and there was frequent loss of audio; but still free of any other stn. On Nov 30 I observed the clandestine stn there again at 0005, also a few days later at 1600, but no trace of Banaadir. When Banaadir is hrd, there is no trace of the clandestine. On Dec 11, 7070 was heavily jammed and an unID Somali stn was hrd on 6790, programming different from other Somali stns, and 1800* without Koran (usually hrd from Somali stns). Still there Dec 12, but on Dec 13 moved to 6850 with unusual program, lots of talk, many nx items about Palestine and Arafat; 1800*, but this time after a few words of Koran. On Dec 14, nothing on either 7070 or 6850 at 1400, but on 7070 the clandestine signed on at 1430 with anmt followed by religious prgm until 1630; however, heavily jammed. 6850 signed on arnd 1440 with ID of the Iranian clandestine, then contd. with anmt by M&W; free of any jamming and no trace of the unID Somali there, but hrd at 1700-1800 on 6843; and Banaadir also has changed fqy to 7010. Not sure, but is the clandestine using Somalia (Banaadir) to avoid jamming? (Mahendra Vaghjee, Mauritius, NU Dec 17 via BC-DX via DXLD) See also IRAN ** SUDAN [non]. Sudan/Netherlands: Church council radio "an offshoot" of SPLA | Text of report in English by Egyptian news agency MENA Khartoum, 16th December: The actual transmission of the Churches Council radio station, an offshoot of the Sudanese People`s Liberation Army (SPLA), will begin as of 23 December. The new station is funded by the Dutch government. Dutch Development Minister Evelien Herfkens gave the signal for the preliminary transmission of the radio from The Hague earlier in the day. The new radio station is the first in south Sudan and aims at transmitting information directly to the southerners, said a Sudanese source. Some 2000 new radio sets have been circulated among churches and tribal leaders in the refugee camps to receive the airing as of Saturday, they added. Meanwhile, government officials declined to comment on the issue. The inauguration of the new radio station is seen as a backing to the SPLA in reaffirming the concept of separation from the central government in Khartoum. [Radio Voice of Hope began weekly test broadcasts on 4th November via Radio Netherlands relay station in Madagascar. The broadcast, by the New Sudan Council of Churches, is transmitted on Saturdays at 0430- 0525 gmt on 12060 and 15320 kHz.] Source: MENA news agency, Cairo, in English 2152 gmt 16 Dec 00 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** TAJIKISTAN. There is a misprint in the email address given for the Committee for TV and Radio Broadcasting in WRTH2000 (and possibly 2001): the correct address is soro@ctvrtj.td.silk.org Perhaps most countries in the world are practising monitoring of email traffic, but when sending messages to Tajikistan one should bear in mind that TJK is one of the few countries which are practising direct control of incoming and outgoing email. The headers of recent testmails have confirmed earlier reports that mail sent to Tajik addresses is being read (and possibly censored) before reaching the addressee. When arriving on a Tajik server, an email is taken out of the routing, kept on hold for several hours and then re-inserted from an "external" computer into the Internet again (BT via ARC Information Desk, Dec 11, BC-DX via DXLD) ** THAILAND. Glenn, No English 1100-1115 Dec 17 on 7285. Reception wasn`t as good as Dec 10. 73, (Ivan Grishin, Ont., DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TIBET [non]. Voice of Tibet, 11570, No data e-mail reply in 1 day for follow up report. Follow up Report sent to vot@nde.vsnl.net.in v/s: Sonam Dargyay. According this letter, QTH is Voice of Tibet, Narthang Building, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala 176215 H.P, India (K. Hashimoto, Japan, Dec 2, 2000 for CRW) A screenshot of the QSL can be found via http://www.clandestineradio.com/martin/bild-cla.html or at http://www.clandestineradio.com/martin/piccla/tib-khy.jpg (Clandestine Radio Watch Dec 18 via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. RUI Kiev B-00 schedule, changed from Dec 5: 5905** 1600-2400 Kyiv 242 SEu, SAm 6020* 0700-1500 Kyiv ND CEu 7420* 1200-2200 Kyiv 074 NKazakhstan 7420* 0100-0400 Kyiv 074 NKazakhstan 9385** 0100-0600 Kyiv 307 ENAm 9560* 1600-0100 Kyiv 254 SWEu, SAm 9600* 0500-1100 Kyiv 254 SWEu 9610* 0100-1100 Kyiv 093 SKazakhstan 11720* 0500-1100 Khar`kiv 235 SEu 11770* 1500-0000 Khar`kiv 290 NWEu 11825* 1200-1600 Kyiv 093 SKazakhstan 11840* 0100-0400 Khar`kiv 055 Russia (Tyumen) 11840* 1200-2000 Khar`kiv 055 Russia (Tyumen) 13590* 0600-1100 Khar`kiv 290 NWEu 15520** 0500-1500 Kyiv 272 WEu Schedules of programs in other languages transmitted on frequencies marked with the asterisks are as follows: GERMAN (one hour long): * 1800, 2100, 0000. ENGLISH (one hour long): * 2200, 0100, 0400. ** 2200, 0100, 0400, 1200. UKRAINIAN programs are transmitted on freqs marked * and ** except for time reserved for German and English programs, as shown above. Notes: 1) The output of all txs is 100 kW, 2) The Schedule is subject to changes. 3) Our Web-site: http://www.nrcu.gov.ua (Alexander Yegorov, Ukraine, RUI, via Klaus-Dieter Scholz, Germany, A-DX Dec 14 via BC-DX via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. Ukraine/USA: Radio Liberty reports pressure by Ukrainian authorities | Text of report in English by Ukrainian news agency Intelnews Odessa, 17 December: The Ukrainian division of Radio Liberty has distributed a statement in the media, which says rumours that Ukrainian power structures want to silence Radio Liberty are true unfortunately. "We have rather many grounds to prove this and are ready to tell about everything happening to us if required," the statement reads. In the statement, the radio expressed the opinion that power structures do not want to close the radio. Rather, their aim is to change the image of Liberty to make it "obedient and resigned to their will", the statement reads. Source: Intelnews news agency, Kiev, in English 0755 gmt 18 Dec 00 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** UK. BBC Waveguide this month on weekend 22nd til 25th Fri 22nd: 2145 to SAs only on FMs. Sat 23rd: 0145 EAs 15280 15360 0345 SAs 15310 17790 (?11955) 0430 Eu/NAf 198, 648 only 0430 Ams 6175 6135 5975 0645 E&SAf 6190 11765 11940 15420 17640 17885 0745 ME 1323 6195 11760 15565 15575 17640 0845 WAf 15400 17830 0845 Eu&NAf 648 9410 12095 15485 Sun 24th: 1945 WAf 15400 17830 Mon 25th: 0345 ME 1323 1413 6195 9410 11760 (11955?) 15575 0945 E&SAf 6190 11940 17885 21470 0945 EAs 9605 11765 11945 15360 17760 21660 6195 9740 11955 (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Dec 3, BC-DX via DXLD) ** U S A. If you missed Solstice Live, the two-hour Paul Winter Consort annual musical celebration from the Cathedral of St. John the [allegedly] Divine, last Friday evening on WUOT or other public radio stations, here are some more opportunities (Winter Solstice actually occurs Dec 21 at 1337 UT): Thu Dec 21 1900 CST = Fri Dec 22 0100 UT http://www.wnyc.org New York = WNYC 93.9 Thu Dec 21 1930 CST = Fri Dec 22 0130 UT http://www.wpln.org Nashville = WPLN 90.3 Sun Dec 24 1900 CST = Mon Dec 25 0100 UT http://www.kwgs.org Tulsa = KWGS 89.5 [Quicktime only] As heard on WUOT, and presumably will be the same on playbacks, they must have been running a bit late, so it was anticlimactic, in that the finale ``Adeste Fideles`` was truncated and suffered talk-over closing credits! Paul Winter Consort website is commercial, and no broadcast schedule details found there; apparently they do another such concert for the Summer Solstice, which I have not heard broadcast. See http://www.livingmusic.com A few public radio webpages we have found with holiday specials; any additions will be welcomed: http://wuwf.org/hssk.htm and http://wuwf.org/hssk2.htm http://www.wksu.org/programs/holidayprograms/ http://www.wpln.org/holiday/index.html http://www.wuot.org/DecSpecials.HTM [sic] http://www.kwgs.org (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Subject: Latest on LPFM? Friday afternoon Congress wrapped all appropriation bills into a 12-inch-thick bill, passed it, and adjourned. This included the Commerce, State, Justice bill which had the Grams anti-LPFM bill added to it a month or so ago. Many weeks ago it was determined that the "80% dead" Grams bill was added rather than the "100% dead" Gregg bill. So, here are the only "last minute" surprises: It appears the FCC requested that the Grams bill be modified to allow all 20 window 1 and 2 states as test markets; this was turned down and the "nine test markets" wording prevailed. It is unclear if more than one station will be permitted in a test market, and what will determine the type market (i.e. DMA), etc. Also, the September Grams` bill specified that the tests in the nine markets be COMPLETED in February 2001. This is now impossible or highly impractical. We believe that some of the wording was modified; however, no one seems to have all the facts. Why the FCC announced window three a few hours before this bill was passed is a mystery. Also, the FCC LPFM Channel Finder program was modified / updated this past Thursday, 12/14, but there was no indication whether the Grams` bill restrictions were taken into consideration -- our preliminary assessment is they were not. Apparently 80% of window 1 and 2 applicants have been knocked out, but no one knows which 20% have survived. For the 20%, the news is great - you will be permitted to get what ALL applicants and prospective applicants want - a legal LPFM station. We hate to keep saying "apparently" but the Final Answers are still missing! Stay tuned for more details as soon as we can get them. If you learn anything new, let us all know!! (John Broomall, Dec 17, WTFDA via DXLD) [Most of the names were misspelt in the LPFM item we picked up in DXLD 0-158; correct list appended to our archive copy] ** U S A [non]. New Dimensions is another programme via Merlin Communications SW facilities, Saturdays only 1500-1600 on 6010 via Skelton (Dave Kenny, Dec BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** VANUATU. Huge signal today from Radio Vanuatu! Never in my life have I received this station with such a fantastic signal! Too bad that Radio Kiribati and Radio Tonga are off the air, today it would have been possible to receive them with a little portable radio. Here the log in detail: 4960, R Vanuatu, Dec 18 0714-0730 in F with news, 0722: yellow bird interval signal (the "old, original" YB, not the one heard yesterday), 0723: pop song in F, 0728: Christmas message, 0730-0735 news in E and Bislama, good to excellent signal (45434) Vy 73, (Enzio Gehrig, Dénia, Spain (38.50N 00.04E) JRC-535d/ALA- 1530/Dipole, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WALES [non]. Radio Wales International [sic]. Our programme, Celtic Notes is bc once a week at the following times and wavelengths [sic] on SW. CELTIC NOTES IS A weekly half-hour programme that is broadcast on the Internet and SW to Eu - Skelton transmitter - Fris: Summer 2030 7325 Winter 2130 6010 NAm - Rampisham transmitter - Sats: Summer 0200 9795 Winter 0300 9735 Au/As - Rampisham transmitter - Sats: Summer 1230 17650 Winter 1130 17650 [17625 per Dave Kenny, BDXC-UK Communication Dec; seasonal references are Northern Hemisphere -gh] Celtic Notes is also broadcast weekly on the internet at: http://wri.cymru.net This is the only programme we broadcast on SW. It is also uploaded in MP3 each week to our web site http://wri.cymru.net where you will also find archive radio programmes in real audio. There are also links to other web sites that will give information about Wales. (Jenny O`Brien, Wales Radio International, Pros Kairon, Crymych, Pembrokeshire SA41 3QE, Wales UK jenny@wri.cymru.net via Joachim Thiel, Germany, A-DX, Dec 17 via BC-DX via DXLD) JAMMERS & RTTY. At 0300, I swept the bands and found some jammers on 7365, 7410, 11775. I`ve heard an increase of RTTY coming on 6, 7 and 9 MHz over broadcasts and do their QRM for 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 minutes or a bit longer. RTTY has become a SW ogre (Bob Thomas, CT, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###