DX LISTENING DIGEST 1-021 February 16, 2001 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 2001, 2000 contents archive see} http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/Dxldmid.html [NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn] WORLD OF RADIO 1069: (SUMMARY) http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wor1069.html (DOWNLOAD) http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wor1069.rm (STREAM) http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wor1069.ram [Note: we include these links in the first DXLD after each WOR broadcast, but you do not need to wait for this notice; audio and summary normally are posted UT Thursdays sometime between 0100 and 0400] OUR CURRENT AUDIO: http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/Audiomid.html WORLD OF RADIO ON WBCQ: another last-minute change to our repeat time on Sat evening, received too late to mention on WOR 1069: UT Sunday 0300 instead of 0200 on 9335-CUSB. See USA - WBCQ entry below ** AUSTRALIA. FYI: The "conversations" of this group as they relate to Radio Australia`s "schedule problems" is one of the topics on this weekend's "Feedback" program, presented by Roger Broadbent. It airs and streams UT Fri 2105, Sat 0005 and 0605, Sun 0305 (John A. Figliozzi, Volunteer Publicist, Radio Australia, swprograms via DXLD) Already heard at 2105; Roger replied with rather good humour to my comments, and less so to those of Larry Nebron. Also gave different URL than below for updated program guide: http://www.abc.net.au/ra/proguide.htm And announced relay schedule now as: English: 0800-1130, 2200-2300 on 15240 via Taiwan Indonesian: weekdays 0500-0530 on 11745, 0800-0830 on 11550, daily 2130-2330 on 11550 via Taiwan Chinese: 1400-1530 on 15435 via Singapore Khmay: 0500-0530 on 17865, 2300-2330 on 9730 via Singapore Vietnamese: 2330-0030 on 15110 via Singapore He said nothing about Tinian, or Saipan. Are these now gone? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. No one here has given attaboys to Radio Australia recently, but I`ll take a turn. They have posted the updated program schedule (which John has already posted here) on their website as a Word document as an interim solution. Recent versions of Internet Explorer should be able to view the schedule with no problem even if they don`t have Word on their PC. Positive feedback can sometimes have positive results! (Richard Cuff, swprograms Feb 16 via DXLD) That is, http://www.abc.net.au/ra/elp_guide_feb2001.doc but it doesn`t convert properly for me, a real mess. See previous DXLD for plain text (gh) ** CAMBODIA [non]. from http://asia.biz.yahoo.com Cambodia Opposition To Start Shortwave Radio Broadcast BANGKOK (AP) Cambodia`s opposition Sam Rainsy Party, which has been denied free airwaves access in the country, said it will begin shortwave radio transmissions from abroad. The party said it will make a first test broadcast of its one-hour Cambodian-language program, "The Voice of Justice," on Saturday at 5 p.m. local time (1000 GMT) in the 19-meter band. The broadcast will coincide with a party congress in Siem Reap, a northwestern town, said a statement received in Bangkok. Without elaborating, the statement said the broadcasting station "is located in a democratic country not very far from Cambodia." "Access for every major political party to the electronic media will contribute to make the next elections in Cambodia less unfair," the statement said. Nationwide elections for communes, or groups of villages, are tentatively scheduled for early 2002, which would be the first local-level elections. Control of radio and television stations in Cambodia is dominated by people loyal to Prime Minister Hun Sen (via Paul Bowery, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** CAMBODIA [non]. VOICE OF JUSTICE TO LAUNCH By Nick Grace C., CRW Washington Bureau Thanks to Andy Sennitt and SRP (Feb 16) A radio program to promote the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) will launch on Saturday, according to a report filed by Agence France Press and just confirmed by CRW. Called the Voice of Justice, the station will broadcast once a week between 1000 and 1100 UT on 15455 kHz. Ms. Tioulong Saumura, the wife of Sam Rainsy and current member of Parliament, provided the schedule to CRW by e-mail from Phnom Penh, stating "Our station name will be the translation of The Voice of Justice in Cambodian language (phonetically: Samleng Yutethoa). Frequency will be 15455 kHz in the 19 meter band. Broadcasting between 10 and 11 GMT. First test on Saturday 17 Feb." SRP head Sam Rainsy, according to the AFP, refused to disclose the location of the program's transmitter, and coyly told journalists "The broadcasting station is located in a democratic country not very far from Cambodia. The country is in Asia. I cannot say until it is broadcast (as) the Cambodian government will investigate and the concerned country may come under pressure." Rainsy, who was a founding member of Nordom Sihanouk's FUNCINPEC Party as well as a former parliamentarian and government minister, is the leading Cambodian opposition figure. His party, which was founded in 1995 as the Khmer Nation Party, won 15 out of 122 seats in Parliament but has complained repeatedly of voter fraud and intimidation. Rainsy has often complained of poor access to the local media, which often portray him as corrupt. In fact, some editorials compare him with Serbia`s Slobodan Miloshevich. During an interview with Asiaweek magazine on February 18 [sic], 2000, he stated that lawsuits against the media are "the only way for us to move issues to the frontline. We have no radio station, no TV station or any access to the broadcast media." Rainsy`s party has applied for a radio station license since 1996. The government, however, has claimed that the airwaves are congested and no open frequencies are available. According to AFP, "There are currently six television stations, most owned all or in part by the government. There is only one radio station among dozens on air which broadcasts programs critical of the government, but it is not affiliated to the opposition." The Voice of Justice, according to Ms. Tioulong, will educate Cambodian voters to the party's political platform. The broadcasts, she said, will cover "social, economic and political news about Cambodia, and our political party activities, platform, recommendations and analysis." Listeners can send reception reports to 49, Street 214, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Further Reading: Sam Rainsy Party http://www.samrainsyparty.org/ (Clandestine Radio Watch Feb 16 via DXLD) ** CANADA. I stumbled across a CBC North Quebec English language program originating at their Inuvit [sic] studio in Rankin Inlet [sic]. The program consists of local and regional news about issues important to the peoples of the Arctic region. There are also musical interludes providing an indication of the kind of music they like to listen to up there. Weather forecasts were also repeated several times during the program. Today the high temperature in Rankin Inlet was minus 32 degrees with wind velocities of 30. I'm not sure of the units on temperature or wind velocity but at these temperatures it doesn't matter much whether it's Celsius, Fahrenheit, kilometers per hour or miles per hour. It's still too cold to imagine any way you look at it. So if you think your winter weather is bad, a listen to this show on CBC North Quebec will make you realize you don't have it so bad after all. The program can be heard after the CBC news at 2200 UT on 9625 kHz. On most days European interference pretty well jams this frequency at my Delaware location but today they were booming in with some polar flutter. I wonder if the signal was bouncing back off the auroral cloud. However it was getting here, it was a fun half hour to listen to. They went back to native, their usual language format at 2230 (~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-., Joe Buch, DE, swprograms via DXLD) ** CANADA [non]. AS IT HAPPENS: Tonight on As It Happens: Station KDKA, the first ever radio station [sic], started out in a rundown garage in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. People in the area listened in on home made crystal radio sets. Rick Harris, of the Save the Garage Foundation, thinks the birthplace of broadcasting should become a national museum. That`s tonight on As It Happens, with Mary Lou Finlay and Barbara Budd at 6:30 (7:00 NT) on CBC Radio One (CBC Hotsheet for Thursday Feb 15 via Bill Westenhaver via Ricky Leong, DXLD) Should be ondemand at the AIH website for a while. Look for segment at http://radio.cbc.ca/insite/AS_IT_HAPPENS_TORONTO/2001/2/15.html -- But as of 2000 UT Feb 16, they still had the Feb 14 show up, not 15th, even tho in annoying wobbly letters they promise to try to have it done by noon `EDT`, presumably meaning the following day. So will the Thursday show in question eventually be up all weekend? (gh) ** CANADA. 17840, World Radio Network 1 (via Canada?); 1802-1859*, 11 Feb; "Copenhagen Calling" w/all Danish nx/features including one on 26 May referendum on Faeroe Island independence. 1828 ID as World Radio Network 1 North America. 1830 RTE Ireland px but no ID as such till end of px. "This Week" Irish political nx features. 1859 Start of Radio Austria Int`l px and off abruptly. All in English. http://www.wrn.org shows no SW sked and the px sked shows nothing @1800. SIO=555/S25 (Harold Frodge, MI, MARE via DXLD) Gee, Harold, don`t you recognize this as what is supposed to be the BBC relay via Sackville? Feed mixup as previously reported by John Figliozzi (gh) ** CANADA. Hi, Glenn. On February 10, 2001, I received the following e-mail, unsigned, about a station called Radio Vancouver International, available, as the e-mail said, on Live 365 and via Radio Taipei International. I didn`t know what this was all about. I later received an e-mail from the same person saying that they would be doing a Happy Station broadcast and mentioned George Evans, who was a broadcaster at CKUT in Montreal, originally doing the show following International Radio Report. It was this mention that led me to believe that this might have something to do with Mr. Keith Perron, who also formerly worked at CKUT. You might remember his name from some work he did at Radio Havana Cuba several years back. I tuned to Live 365 and, sure enough, the voice I heard on the show was that of Keith Perron. I then sent him an e-mail to get more information about what he was up to (e-mail 2 below), which generated e-mail 3 below. Thought this might be of interest to you. E-MAIL NUMBER 1- From Keith Perron. Check out Radio Vancouver International broadcasting 24/7 at http://www.live365.com and on shortwave VIA Radio Taipei. rvi@mybc.com - email (604) 974-0991 ext. 3749 - voicemail/fax E-MAIL NUMBER 2- To Keith Perron, from Sheldon Harvey Canadian International DX Club cidxclub@yahoo.com : It took me a few minutes to put two and two together here, but it`s all very clear now, Mr, Keith Perron!! I guess I figured you would show up again somewhere out there in the world. I just went to Live365.com and listened to part of your currently running Latin show. What is the deal with "Happy Station". Are these shows you are producing and ripping off the Happy Station name, or are they recordings of actual Radio Nederland Happy Station broadcasts? The obvious reference to George Evans of Toronto made me curious. Also, if you could explain the Radio Taipei connection. Is the show being relayed by RTI? If so, when. Hoping to get some clarification on all this. Sheldon CIDX/Radio HF/Int. Radio Report-CKUT E-MAIL NUMBER 3- Response from Keith Perron (Spelling errors left intact) I have been working at am1320 CHMB for the past year. And the owner wanted to use short-wave to reach TW & HK. At the moment we are doing some tests via www.live365.com where we are going to be taking advertising to pay for the rental time of the RTI transmitters. Like I said at the moment its only a test. Since Happy Station is no longer on the air at RN and the name was never under copywrite I sugested we use that show idea for the time being. And your right we do broadcast parts of past Happy Station Shows. For example last week we used a clip from 1960 and next week a clip from when Tom broadcast part of the show from a hotair balloon. Radio Vancouver International has 4 shows on the air. they broadcast 24/7 via www.live365.com and via RTI from 9pm to midnight PST on 9735 khz SSB. We will be at somepoint in the near future re-broadcasting some of the programs from our AM side. If you check out the CRTC website you can find out about AM1320 and our bid for 96.1fm in November for a world music format. AM 1320 is a Chinese station, but we also have programs in Brazilian Portuguese, Greek, Tamil, Italian and Ukrainian. And we do have QSL cards for those who listen in far off places. Last week we got a tape from someone in Sweden who heard our am signal. RVI also has special QSL cards. One for those who tune in via the internet and one for 9735khz. The signal here in Vancouver is very very weak. But we got a report from Kowloon saying it was clear. For more information (604) 837-9919 Cheers Keith Perron (Sheldon Harvey, Canadian International DX Club, Feb 16 via DXLD) Is 9735 really a Taiwan transmitter? That would be 0500-0800 UT (gh) ** CHECHNYA [non]. Moscow Times http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2001/02/12/011.html Monday, Feb. 12, 2001. Page 5 Radio Liberty Told To Speak in Chechen By Andrei Zolotov Jr. Staff Writer A decision by the U.S. Congress to start Radio Liberty broadcasts in Chechen and two other languages of the Northern Caucasus may give another headache to the station`s Russia office, which already has taken heat from the Kremlin for its coverage of Chechnya. Press Minister Mikhail Lesin said "the step was very negative and was driven by sufficiently serious political motives." He said his ministry will carefully follow the U.S.-funded station`s programming and adherence to the law. "Chechens know Russian, which is the main language in that territory, and to create such special national autonomy on radio waves is, of course, wrong," Lesin was quoted by Interfax as saying Thursday before leaving for Austria with President Vladimir Putin. "I am not sure that Radio Mayak or Voice of Russia will broadcast in Italian in New York, although we may try." Radio Liberty officials said Friday that it was Congress that made the decision to establish a North Caucasus service and they will follow it. "We have to respond to the law," said Tom Dine, the head of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, in a telephone interview from the United States. "We are in the preparation phase only; we've got a long way to go." He said the new service will not be operating for six to 10 months. He said Congress directed Radio Liberty to begin broadcasts not just in Chechen but also in Avar -- one of many official languages in Dagestan -- and Cherkessk -- the language of one of the two peoples represented in Karachayevo-Cherkessia. Interethnic peace in both Russian republics is fragile and could be aggravated by the decision to give preference to these languages over others. Dine said the languages were picked by the Senate Appropriations Committee and Foreign Relations Committee. When asked why, he said, "You'd have to ask the people on Capitol Hill." Paul Goble, the station`s communication director, said that Lesin`s comments reminded him of Soviet times when "people in Moscow suggested that it made no sense to broadcast in Belarussian or Ukrainian, while there were many people who would prefer to receive news in their native language." Goble said the service should not be a threat to Russia because it will maintain high journalistic standards, such as requiring multiple sources and refusing to hire people with political affiliations. "The Russian government can certainly make it much more difficult for our journalists to operate on the ground, but suggesting that it could lead to closing down the station, as some Russian newspapers have suggested, simply doesn`t correspond with the facts," he said from Radio Liberty's offices in Prague. The new North Caucasus service most likely would be beamed from outside the country on short wave. Radio Liberty`s Moscow bureau was unhappy about the decision to establish the service, saying it will have repercussions for the Russia service. Savik Shuster, who heads the Moscow bureau, said even before news of the North Caucasus service made headlines in Russian papers, the station began encountering new problems. Its affiliate stations in Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk are facing threats of having their licenses withdrawn, he said. "The Russian broadcast [of Radio Liberty] has nothing to do with it [the Caucasus service]," he said. "It was absolutely not our idea." Congress made the decision to set up a North Caucasus service early last year, after Radio Liberty reporter Andrei Babitsky was arrested in Chechnya by Russian authorities. At that time, the Press Ministry demanded transcripts of his reports from Chechnya, and Putin was strongly critical of his reporting. Lesin said that because Radio Liberty was given a special license in 1991 to broadcast in Russia, its plans to broadcast in Chechen are "very inappropriate." Making sure that Russian media are again broadcast in Chechnya became a Press Ministry priority after transmission was stopped by the rebel government. Apart from national media, the government now operates a Free Chechnya radio station in the region (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) ** CHINA. In the course of my work week here at NPR affiliate KUHF in Houston, I've been covering the CERA (Cambridge Energy Research Associates) 20th annual Executive Conference -- a huge week- long gathering of energy honchos from around the world. I tend to end up sitting next to attendees from other countries at a lot of these types of functions, which is always interesting. I usually pump them dry for information about their countries over the course of the meals, and the discussion eventually gets around to shortwave. At recent functions, I've been able to talk to ambassadors from Angola (written up in the current "Shortwave News" page of International Listener), Thailand, Myanmar and other countries. It`s a job that I love. Today, I sat next to a gentleman from Beijing who works at a telecom company over there. We talked about China Radio International, and he seemed quite pleased that I've even heard of that service, much less that I listen to it. Then I asked him if he gets to hear much western music--particularly rock'n'roll -- either on domestic radio networks or perhaps from the Voice of America. I was stunned when he answered that "we boycott the Voice of America." I`ve always heard that VOA signals are jammed, but this gentleman sees nothing wrong with that. From there the discussion was about how, he explained to me, the government of China "must control what the people are exposed to." If western music artists are invited to play in China, their lyrics must be approved first, and he approves of that policy. The conversation was quite cordial, and I also asked him about tourist places in China, etc. But on the subject of state control over the media, he was quite serious. He said the same controls must be placed on the internet. As I listened to him, I realized that this man knew no other way. This conversation was a reality check for me. He wasn`t telling me anything that I didn`t already know about China. But there I sat, as an American radio news reporter, spending the day interviewing power company officials and listening to keynote speakers, and later in the afternoon taking that information back to my radio station to write and voice the story as I saw fit -- no restrictions or double-checking by any one. My only guidelines are that I be as accurate as possible in telling listeners what happened at this conference. Slightly off-topic, but I felt compelled to pass this along. I`m not being critical of the Chinese system -- just reeling from the differences to which I was directly exposed in the course of this work day. Cultural differences are very interesting to me. I hope I`m not offending any list subscribers who may be from China (Ed Mayberry, http://www.internationallistener.com swprograms via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. Subject: CONCURSO RADIODIFUSORA NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA [a year-long contest is being run on the Listeners` Club show, UT Sundays at 0400 on 9635] Hola Colegas, La Radiodifusora Nacional de Colombia a través de su programa Club de los Oyentes que se emite los días domingos UT a las 0400 hrs, a través de los 9635 kHz; convoca a la participación de un concurso abierto a todos lo oyentes de la emisora en el mundo, que se divide en dos tipos de participación: Para Oyentes del Extranjero: La mayor cantidad de reportes de sintonía de la Radiodifusora Nacional más un cuento alusivo a la cultura colombiana. Ellos deben anexar junto con el reporte, un cassette con la grabación del mismo y el cuento por escrito. Pueden participar todos aquellos que estén afiliados a un Club DX y que sean mayores de 18 años. Para Oyentes Colombianos: Se trata de enviarnos la mayor cantidad de tarjetas de verificación o QSL de otras emisoras del mundo. (Puede ser la fotocopia) más un recuento investigativo de alguna de las emisoras internacionales. Durante todo este año se recibirán informes y QSL. El ganador se dará a conocer el 1 de febrero de 2002 (Día del onomástico de la Radiodifusora Nacional). Para más informes e inquietudes sobre el concurso puede sintonizar el programa o escribir a Janeth Jiménez (Coordinadora de la Onda Corta) al e-mail: radiodifusora@hotmail.com [fin] Ante la desaparición de tantas emisoras en la onda corta en español, esta es una buena oportunidad para apoyar la emisora oficial de mi país; y que en el futuro amplie su participación en espectro. Buen DX y espero la participación activa de los colegas que participan en la lista (Rafael Rodríguez, Colombia, Feb 13, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. Another new RFPI Mailbag this week, with James Latham and Joe Bernard, monitored at 2000 UT Friday Feb 16 on 21815-USB: New antennas are holding up well in the wind, designed to withstand 75 to 100 mph, as well as to handle the necessary power, be cheap to construct, and have sufficient gain. Only slight problem is that due to the limited space, a couple of acres, the antenna at 200 feet for 7450 must be aimed further east than preferred, center of beam right up the east coast, diminishing the signal in western NAm; it is so large that it cannot be pointed further west [I am not successful trying to visualize this -gh]. We realize that in the 0000-0200 period there is a lot of QRM on 7450, but now plan to stick it out on this frequency, instead of keep changing trying to escape it. Will just campaign for listener support to increase power; however there are plans for another frequency in the 7 MHz area. Right after this show, planned to work on the 15050 transmitter which has been off several weeks; a new part has arrived, so the old adjustable transformer will be removed and replaced. This should be back on at full power by Feb 18 at the latest, until 0300 or 0400 UT [nothing said about changing to 15065]. Global Community Forum is coming back, with up to three programs a week, including live call-ins with 800 number TBA. The new ones are Wednesday and Saturday evenings local, UT Thu and Sun 0230-0330 starting March 8 and 11, and with new hosts doing the interviews, Susan Michaels and Susan Lane. James will also do GCF`s on the usual Thursday evenings, UT Fridays [now rescheduled to 0000 unless deliberately changed -gh]. Guests to include Americans, and Costa Ricans, such as Dr. Rodrigo Carazo, and perhaps Noam Chomsky. Topics to include women`s issues (notes by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. Checking further into R. Martí`s 13 mb usage, Feb 14 well after 1500, neither 21510 nor 21675 was on; at 1640 recheck, 21675 was there, but around 1651 the audio was cutting off and on. The frequency announcement at 1700 claimed 9825, 11930, 13820 and 21600! Somebody needs to tell R. Martí announcer what frequencies they are on. Or he could actually turn on a radio and listen to his own station. Would that be asking too much? Of course! (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. HCJB`s streaming test was not working when checked around 1430 UT Feb 14; error message said server was not receiving any audio from the station. HCJB message said they would keep trying anyway. At recheck UT Feb 15 0130 it was working nicely during Ham Radio Today, a moldie oldie about 6 meters. As seldom as I tune in HRT, I am a bit surprised that whenever I do, it`s a rerun from years ago. I wonder if any new shows are being produced? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. CLANDESTINE from GERMANY to ETHIOPIA. 15715, Radio Xoriyo, 1630-1700 on Tuesdays and Fridays. Still going strong. Mostly talk, good signals on clear channel. Recent program seemed to have quite a discussion on a recent Human Rights Watch report on Ethiopia. IDs and mention of ogadan.com [sic] website at start. This one always ends in mid-song. They also have their latest program on demand at their website, but the audio is over-modulated (Hans Johnson, AZ, Feb 9-13, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Camel wallpaper is really at http://www.ogaden.com (gh) ** FALKLAND ISLANDS. Mauno Ritolo asked if both the 530 and 550 kc Falkland Islands stations were on. Yes, and were clearly heard within a range of several hundred miles west and north of the islands. I would say that the 530 station seemed to be on a lower power than 550 which is listed as 10 kW. 530 IDs as FIBS but also relays London. 550 IDs as BSBS [sic, surely BFBS -gh] but also carries Radio 5 from London. You ought to be able to hear both in local station-free Finland! (Ben Dangerfield [now back home and far from the South Atlantic!], NRC-AM via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Deutsche Welle director to step down | Text of report by German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on 14 February Cologne - Bowing to political reality, Dieter Weirich announced on Tuesday [13 February] that he would step down as director-general of the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Sources said Mr Weirich, who took up the post in 1989 after a stint as a Christian Democratic Union member of the West German parliament, concluded that he had no chance of persuading the Deutsche Welle board - now dominated by representatives from the Social Democratic Party and Alliance 90/Greens - to grant him another six-year term. He will leave on 31 March. Mr Weirich, 56, oversaw Deutsche Welle`s transformation from a shortwave radio broadcaster to a major television operation available on satellite around the world. But there were setbacks: he failed to reach an ambitious programming arrangement with public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, while budget cuts forced the layoffs of about 700 employees - some 40 per cent of the staff - over the last three years. Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Frankfurt/Main, in German 14 Feb (via BBC Monitoring via WORLD OF RADIO 1069, DXLD) ** GOA. INDIA-GOA 11715 All India Radio via Panaji, full-data postcard QSL (from Delhi HQ), v/s A.K. Bhatnagar, Director (Freq. Assignments) as usual, for report sent to Delhi HQ. Received in 102 days for no return postage. Interesting that I had to log and report on an English-language transmission to get this site verified. Over the past four years I`ve sent three TAPED reports for the Panaji site, on broadcasts in other languages, and never received a single reply. I didn`t even include return postage this time, figuring that IF the previous packages reached Delhi I`ve already MORE than paid for a reply!! (Randy Stewart, MO, Feb 15, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** GUATEMALA. 4845, Radio K`ekchí still on low power; the technician who was to install the transformer wouldn`t take the bus to Las Casas, so other arrangements to get him there are having to be made (Larry Baysinger, Feb 14, Cumbre DX via DXLD) 3370/4835, Radio Sistema Cultural Tezulutlán (TGTZ) is still on the air, but at reduced power. This could explain the reason for lack of reception in the USA (Baysinger, Feb 14) Mohrmann's LA-DX list last log on 4835 as Sept 2000, last on 3370 as Dec 99 (Hans Johnson, Feb 15, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** HAWAI`I. Sad News: Alan Roycroft passed away last night, Feb 12, 2001, in Hilo, Hawaii. Alan was 80 and had retired from Radio Engineering a few years ago, a field in which he was legendary! He was a friend to all radio hobbyists everywhere! (Chuck Boehnke, Keaau, Hawaii, Feb 13, IRCA via DXLD) This is indeed sad news. I treasure my QSL for KORL-650 for reception in SC with Alan`s lengthy personal note on the back. People like Alan Roycroft helped make the DX hobby a lot of fun (Harry Helms, AK6C, Ridgecrest, CA, IRCA via DXLD) Yes, this is sad news. I have at least 40 QSLs from Alan with great messages on the back of each card, about the station. I remember on a trip to Hilo back in the early 90s, where Alan had Bob and me to dinner. He told us many stories about the early days of radio. It was indeed an enjoyable evening. He was a true friend to the DXer and he will be missed. 73s, (Patrick Martin, KAVT Reception Manager, IRCA via WORLD OF RADIO 1069, DXLD) ** HONDURAS. 6075, LV del Junco: Going back to at least the early 1970s, it was never very regular. When I got there in 1982, the SW transmitter was not even in working order. It was a homebrew one and mostly a hobby for Antonio Hasbun, the owner. I think my presence prompted him to work on it and in 1983 he got it back on the air, although it was irregular then. Ironically, I would just as soon he not bothered - you can't believe the QRM it caused, as I lived less than 500 meters from the antenna. When he was on the air, the only other thing I could hear in 49 meters was VOA on 6130. Nothing else could make it through the splatter. I did serve as volunteer QSL secretary and issued about 20 QSLs to North American, Japanese, and Guatemalan DXers (plus two which I issued to myself). I know it has been on the air irregularly since then, - once in the later 1980s and most recently a few years ago when it was mostly carrying a new sister FM station (Galaxia FM - if my memory is good - I'd have to look it up in my logs to be sure). A few years ago, I learned that Antonio had been electrocuted while working on a new TV transmitter. With him gone, I doubt that La Voz del Junco will ever make it back on SW. As I said, it was purely a hobby for him. Shortwave has no practical commercial use in Honduras, or elsewhere in Central America. The audience for domestic shortwave is poor, remote peasants who have little money to support advertisers` products. Of course, that is a good audience for religious broadcasters (Don Moore, IA, Feb 12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) As I recall they also put out some nice harmonics (gh) ** INDIA. Ham radio earthquake response winds down in India: Raj Kumar, VU2ZAP, in Bangalore, reports that Amateur Radio's role in the disaster response is nearly over. "Ham radio's part, in my opinion, is done," he said. He said some members of the Bangalore Amateur Radio Club, which had posted several members to the Gujarat quake zone, already had returned to Bangalore. The January 26 earthquake killed more than 50,000 people, injured many others and left upwards of 1 million homeless. In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, Amateur Radio provided the only reliable communication with the outside world. Telecommunications systems have been at least partially restored to the stricken region. Salvation Army Team Emergency Network Coordinator Pat McPherson, WW9E, says his organization will provide care for up to 100 children from the Bhuj area orphaned or disabled by the quake. "It was initially believed that Salvation Army property had suffered only minor damage, but aftershocks aggravated the weakened buildings," he said. "Among the places suffering extensive damage is the Emery Hospital, Anand, where The Salvation Army medical teams have been operating." (ARRL February 14 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. Radio Republik Indonesia has now web site (partly 'under construction') at: http://www.rrionline.com/ RRI Overseas Service home page is at: http://www.rrionline.com/rriframe_overseas_main.html This information was picked from Ludo Maes` excellent TDP -site http://www.transmitter.org/ 73 de (PUL, Pentti Lintujärvi, Helsinki, Finland Webmaster of 1000 Lakes DX Page at http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/3232/dx.htm and dxlinks.com at http://www.dxlinks.com/ via hard-core-dx via WORLD OF RADIO 1069, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM [non]. DX Information from the British DX Club (BDXC-UK). From: worldspaceradio@yahoogroups.com For anyone who's interested... this month`s edition of BBC World Service`s Waveguide programme features a visit to WorldSpace`s London Broadcast Operations Centre, where 19 radio channels are assembled for uplinking to AfriStar. You can catch Waveguide at various times this weekend; probably the easiest in Europe are 0845 GMT on Saturday 17th and 1945 GMT on Sunday 18th. These times apply to the Astra satellite, 648 kHz and short wave, though I`m not 100% certain about the WorldSpace West Africa feed.... The programme should also be available in streaming audio in a few days -- go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/schedules/ and click the 'Listen to Waveguide' button over on the right (the January edition will still be there at the moment). (Richard Lambley, bdxc-uk Feb 16 via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. CLANDESTINE from IRAQ to IRAN, Sedeye Mojahed: Although I don`t think these are on shortwave, this station has real audio news on demand in English and other languages at- http://www.iran.mojahedin.org/Pages/seda/f_seda.html I listened to the English one and it was pretty well-produced. American-accented English female announcer with nearly 15 minutes of news (Hans Johnson, AZ, Feb 12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** KIRIBATI [non]. R. Netherlands previews: TUESDAY 20TH FEBRUARY, repeated FRIDAY 23RD FEBRUARY, A Good Life Development is all those things meant to help people make A GOOD LIFE for themselves. It is a fact that island states are the most vulnerable to rising sea levels. The island atoll of Kiribati (pronounced "Kiribas") which straddles the equator in the middle of the Pacific, is having to deal with more than rising tides. It also faces an environmental crisis; it is overcrowded, polluted, running out of water, affected by coastal erosion, and disease. Its culture is rich and vibrant, as New Zealand reporter Brian Crump discovered. But for how much longer? A Good Life is presented in collaboration with Radio New Zealand (via Andy Sennitt, swprograms) I also heard a preview for a Kiribati feature, probably the same one on some other station. Was it R. Australia, or CBC Dispatches, or BBC...? Oh, yes, I believe it was the Global Perspective series currently running on Omnibus (no specific details in Feb BBC On Air, also the case with so many other programmes). So on BBC European stream that would be from Tue 20 Feb at 0405, Thu 1430, Sat 2230; American Tue 0405, Thu 2030, Fri 0630 (gh, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. The overseas service from North Korea changed its name from "Radio Pyongyang" to "Voice of Korea" on Feb. 16. The new station ID in English is "This is Voice of Korea". Feb. 16 is Kim Jong Il's birthday (Toru Yamashita, Asian Broadcasting Institute, DXLD) I heard the Japanese service of Korea DPR call themselves "Choson no koe" at 1100 Feb. 16. It means "Voice of Korea". It is birthday of Kim Jong Il today. So they changed BCing name, I think. Well, no mention about changing name on today`s BC (Gaku Iwata, Japan, Feb 16, Cumbre DX Special via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN [non]. Re: previous BBCM report. While Radio Bopeshawa is a reactivation of the WCPI`s propaganda machine, technically it is not a reactivation of the Voice of the WCPI. The equipment was moved to Irbil, as we reported, to protect it against seizure by PUK forces. Quoting CRW, "Even within KDP-controlled territory, however, the station (Voice of the WCPI) remains off the air since 'we would have to talk to KDP authorities... and compromise our policies.'" (Nick Grace, CRW Feb 08, 2001 via DXLD) Iraq/UK: Worker-Communist Party radio heard on shortwave The clandestine radio station of the Worker-Communist Party of Iraq (WCPI) was observed in Arabic and Kurdish on 14 February from 1500 to 1600 gmt on 9450 kHz. The radio identifies itself as "Forward Radio" (Arabic: "ila al- amam", Kurdish: "aira Radio Bopeshawa"). The Arabic segment, at 1500-1525 gmt, consisted of talks on communist ideology and the Iraqi crisis. The radio also carried an interview with Mu`ayyad Ahmad, a WCPI official, on the "the WCPI proposals on an alternative political authority in Iraq". There was a four-minute break in transmission at 1525-1529 gmt. The radio started its Kurdish segment at 1530 gmt and this continued until sign-off at 1600 gmt. The radio carried the following announcement in Arabic: "Forward Radio transmits its programmes on the 31 metre-band shortwave, or 9460 kHz [as heard], on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 1800 to 1900 (1500-1600 gmt) in Arabic and Kurdish. "Forward Radio can be contacted on the following [UK] telephone numbers: "Arabic section: 00-44-789-0065933; Kurdish section: 00-44- 779-6257020. Send us your letters to the following postal address: P.O. Box 22266, London SE5, UK". The WCPI has a web site at http://www.wpiraq.org It carries material in Arabic, English, and Kurdish and was last updated on 26 January 2001. It advertises Forward Radio, gives the correct frequency of 9450 kHz and says the radio will soon be on the air. It gives information on the web site of its Iranian counterpart, the Worker- Communist Party of Iran - http://www.wpiran.org - although, this site does not seem to have been updated since 24 April 2000. (According to a report by Clandestine Radio Watch the Radio Bopeshawa broadcasts on 9450 kHz commenced on 1 February 2001. What appears to be a separate Worker-Communist Party of Iraq radio station calling itself Voice of the Communist-Worker Party of Iraq, has been observed intermittently since 1996 on shortwave frequencies around 4 MHz from Iraqi Kurdistan.) Source: BBC Monitoring research in 14 Feb 01 (via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. RTM seems to have solved some of its recent problems at the Kajang transmitting station. 6025 and 9750 are now active, and the audio on 6175 is greatly improved. All three frequencies were noted carrying the Suara Islam (Voice of Islam) service in Malay at 1445 on 15 Feb. However 4845 is still absent. Regards, (Alan Davies, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, EDXP Feb 16 via DXLD) ** NAMIBIA. [Re: DXLD 1-020] What? If this is true, then where are they at 0500-0600? Does 'normal schedule' mean what the website says or is this based on monitoring (Hans Johnson, AZ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7214.9, NBC *0500 now, ex *0400 a pity as they sign on in Afrikaans. Must still be in 90 mb during 0400, impossible to listen to here. Nice level out of 7214.9, equal to South Africa's 7185 (Hans Johnson, Feb 9-12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Your earlier report indicated Namibia is on UT plus 2, which must be DST; otherwise plus 1. Can anyone confirm they still observe DST, and between what dates, as in WRTH 1998? The website gives schedule in local time without making clear the relation to UT. DST certainly is an oddity in this worldpart (gh) ** PAKISTAN. 21465 / 17520 have been heard at 1100 with short news in English over their Urdu program for about 3-5 mins. Immediately after this short news the program closes with national anthem then sign off. Signals are 44433 and 33434 respectively. This has been checked 12, 13 and 14 February (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, Feb 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Radio Western Highlands back after six months | Excerpt from report by Papua New Guinea newspaper The National web site on 14 February Radio Western Highlands is back on the airwaves and has resumed normal broadcasting. And listeners of Radio Western Highlands have been urged to tune in to the station. "Please help us get the message across to our listeners that we are back on the air after a long silence," William Kie, the acting station manager, told The National last week. The "silence" has been a very long one - about six months - due to repeated attacks on the radio station's property and staff. Two of the station's operational vehicles were stolen. One vehicle was stripped and found later, while a provincial government vehicle used by the station has never been recovered. Following the attacks, the station ceased operations for about six months... Mr Kie has once again appealed to the public to respect National Broadcasting Corporation property. "We are not a money-making organization but only a service provider, please let us do our job," he said. The Western Highlands provincial government, in its 2001 budget, has again provided funding for the operational costs of the station. Mr Kie said the rural population of Western Highlands are the target audience of the station, which in some areas is the only link to the outside world. It is therefore important that the radio station be kept operational at all times, he said. Source: The National web site, Port Moresby, in English 14 Feb 01 (BBC Monitoring via DXLD) This was already reported back by DXers some weeks ago. It seems to take the PNG press a long time to catch up (gh) ** PERÚ. BARCELONA [Venezuela], 13 DE FEBRERO DEL 2001 SR. GLENN HAUSER. ESTIMADO AMIGO, PRIMERAMENTE RECIBA LOS SALUDOS CORDIALES ESPERANDO SE ENCUENTRE USTED MUY BIEN. EL MOTIVO DE ESTE CORREO ELECTRONICO ES PARA INFORMARLE, QUE EL LUNES 12 DE FEBRERO CUANDO ESTABA EN EL PROGRAMA SINTONIA DX, QUE CONDUZCO A TRAVES DE UNION RADIO PORTEÑAS 640, ENTRE LAS 10:00 Y LAS 12:00 DE LA NOCHE HORA LOCAL, RECIBI UNA LLAMADA TELEFONICA DEL COLEGA DIEXISTA BRAULIO HERNANDEZ, DESDE LA ISLA DE MARGARITA, PARA INFORMAR QUE HABIA CAPTADO EN LA FRECUENCIA 4655 TRANSMITIENDO DESDE PERU, A LA EMISORA NUEVO AMANECER. ESPERO QUE ESTA INFORMACION SEA DE ALGUNA UTILIDAD, PARA SU REPORTE SEMANAL A TRAVES DE RADIO NEDERLAND. SE DESPIDE DE USTED UN AMIGO Y COLEGA DIEXISTA (JOSE ELIAS DIAZ GOMEZ, LOCUTOR - OPERADOR DEL PROGRAMA SINTONIA DX E-MAIL: sintoniadx@cantv.net Feb 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Radio reception deteriorates in St Petersburg after accident | Text of report by Voice of Russia "DX Club" web site on 14 February According to independent sources, since the end of January in St Petersburg, the electromagnetic situation has dramatically deteriorated. This has led to the disappearance of the signal of the radio stations, which retransmit programmes from the satellite. According to some unofficial information, an accident has occurred at the St Petersburg transmission centre. Therefore, transmitters of many radio stations get switched off in the night-time for unscheduled preventive works and equipment repair. Source: Voice of Russia web site, Moscow, in Russian 14 Feb 01 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Radio Gardarika (St. Petersburg`s local FM station) will begin its regular shortwave broadcasting starting on Friday, February 16, 2001. Schedule: 1900-2100 UT daily on 6230 kHz to Europe. You can send any comments about these transmissions to the following addresses: Radio Studio Doma Radio "Gardarika", Ligovsky prospekt 174, St. Petersburg, 197002, Russia. e-mail: studiosw@metroclub.ru My personal request: please will send me a copy of your e-mail message to timofeyev@sp.ru if you write them this way... (Mikhail Timofeyev, St. Petersburg, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. (Cumbre DX follow up) VOR to NAm has made some changes to the schedule I published only a week ago. 12010 (Komsomolsk) has cut back from 0600 (exact new s/off not checked so far) so that they can start to Au/NZ on 15460 already at 0600 instead of 0630. 15470 (Komsomolsk) has been unheard for several days and may be off for some major works (Olle Alm, Sweden, Feb 11, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. 5940, Radio Rossii via Magadan reactivated at 1354 Feb 10 with announcements and plenty of fanfares in Russian. A million IDs prior to 1400* I thought this had been off a while and Alm confirms: -"Yes, all three active Magadan SW txers were off for the usual reason (pay no bills - get no power) During the fall. The 4th one on 9600 has been off for a longer time and remains off." (Hans Johnson, AZ, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** SOMALIA. Cumbre DX`s Somali sources update us on the Somali radio scene: 6750 Radio Mogadishu is still here, but technical problems are keeping it off the air at times. 7098 Radio Banadir is here, ex 7020/7070, etc. This station has aligned itself with new transitional government in Somalia. 7530 Radio Hargeisa is still in use here (via Hans Johnson, Feb 12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Program schedule in on the web (Hallmann Feb 13 DXLD via Hauser) More importantly, their time schedule is also here if this website is to be believed. 0330-0530 Sun-Thu, 0400-0700 Fri, 1000-1200 and 1500- 1900 daily (via Johnson, Feb 14, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** SOMALIA/UK. BBC Somali Service criticized over imbalanced reporting on Somalia | Text of report by pro-Somaliland Horseed web site on 9 February The BBC Somali Section was lately rife with missteps and misinformation concerning recent events in the region. Given the abundance of Internet information and alternate views, it raises some troubling questions about the integrity of such reporting. Is the British taxpayer subsidy of this hallowed institution worth the price? And is the Somali language programme, one of the BBC World Service 43 languages, heed today`s journalistic ethics and standards, especially when their reporting is out of step with the events about which they report? Ultimately the BBC and the British taxpayers will decide. But history, the Somali audience and the free markets will be the final arbiter. In the meantime, it is worth noting that the Somali people on every corner of the globe had great respect for the BBC. They depended on it as a source of news, and they were proud of it. When someone said: "I heard it from the BBC", it was certain, then, that the BBC went great lengths to confirm the sources. Confirmation, it seems, is no longer the modus operandi of the BBC. Worse yet, as far as the Somali issue is concerned, the BBC Somali Section motto is: do not confirm sources and never add balance. The only perspective offered and validated is that of Yusuf Garaad Omar, the head of the BBC Somali Section and a very close cousin of the Arta faction president [Abdiqasim Salad Hasan]. A splinter faction that savours the division of the Somali nation and a great appetite for the shedding of Somali blood and cash donations from Libya, Sudan and Yemen. As an excellent news organization, it is hard to imagine that one man has been allowed to dictate coverage of Somali issues. May be our hopes were tragically misplaced! Meanwhile, thank God for the speed of the Internet and the Somali Truth Squads. In this medium, the Somali people at least have a chance to provide accurate and instant information about events as they unfold. We hope the BBC Somali Section quickly finds its lost bearings in these troubled waters. We hope that our former pride in the news service can be restored. We also hope the BBC is again a source of pride for Her Majesty. We hope it doesn't take the road taken by the UN's IRIN [Integrated Regional Information Network] news organization. An organization intended for the coordination of humanitarian affairs and to bridging the information gap, but has sadly recently profited from the sufferings of the Somali people; profiting by fueling the flames of the Somali civil war. We hope that they too will refocus their energies to humanitarian affairs and not to fabricated lies and constant parade of pro-Arta faction witnesses that never surface. Witnesses referred to by IRIN as "confirmed reliable inside government sources". A government that doesn`t even govern and in a prison of its own making! Source: Horseed web site, in English, 9 Feb 01 (via BBC Monitoring via DXLD) ** SWEDEN [non]. R. Sweden lauded its RCI relay 0230 to WNAm on 9560. But UT Wed Feb 7 no English till near end of transmission. Some other language aired. Back to normal next night. I seem to keep finding oops on SW (Bob Thomas, CT, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Swedish? ** TAIWAN. Regarding the subject of Taiwanese transmitters: Once the CBS facilities were strictly apart from the ones of the BCC, but probably this has changed now, too. As far as I know originated the RTI transmissions once from Tainan-Annan, where four 250 kW BBC transmitters from 1975/76 are available. Otherwise the former BBC shortwave equipment includes in two other sites eight 100 kW Harris and Continental units, which were installed between 1981 and 1986, an ancient 100 kW from 1967 and some lower powered transmitters. CBS had one site with five new 10 kW Continental transmitters (installed between 1983 and 1995), another site with the high power transmitters, in detail seven 100 kW Continentals, four older ones from 1972, the other three new ones from 1992. The four 300 kW units date back to 1979 and were supplied by Marconi. I guess the transmissions for Merlin customers, which are given as 250 kW, originate from the original RTI Tainan-Annan facilities, while the 300 kW transmitters at Fu Wei-Huwei are still used for their original purpose, i.e. the services for mainland China (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Feb 12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** U K. The ZDNet Web site reports that the BBC plans to block access within the U.K to its international news Web site, and block international access to its domestic new Web site. Bbcnews dot com, which will launch later this year, will have a version for international users which will carry advertisements. The version for U.K. will not have advertisements, as domestic BBC activities are publicly funded. Technical experts dismiss this plan, saying that it is not feasible to block users geographically. This is an interesting story, because the BBC apparently proposes to do what the government of China has been doing for years, which is to block access to news Web sites. The reasons are different, but the technology to accomplish this task might be the same. [USA] Furthermore, if BBC manages to succeed in blocking access to its Website by users in certain locations, the Voice of America may be compelled to adopt this new technology. U.S. law requires that VOA content not be disseminated within the United States. VOA could no longer claim that there is no way to keep Americans from visiting the VOA Web site. Americans who wish to keep track of what VOA is telling the world would then have to listen to their shortwave radios. But VOA shortwave transmitters may gradually be taken off the air because of the assumption that people around the world can access VOA content ... through the Internet! The mind fairly boggles (Kim Elliott, VOA Communications World Feb 10 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** U K. Glenn, If you enjoy popular classics, then other Radio 2 programmes you might be interested in include "Friday Night is Music Night", a weekly live concert by the BBC Concert Orchestra and guest artists at 1930-2115. On Sundays there is "Melodies for You" at 1900- 2030 and "Your Hundred Best Tunes" at 2100-2200. The latter is presented by Alan Keith, who I believe is the same age as Alistair Cooke (Chris Greenway, UK, Feb 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. BBC4, A World in Your Ear, Saturday, 17 Feb 2001, 2005 UT: 800 pm News, A World in Your Ear. Emily Buchanan presents highlights from the best English language radio programmes from around the world. [This Week:] She tunes into women`s radio, hearing international news from a feminist perspective and talks to Ramata, who has managed to set up a chain of community radio stations in Mali (BBC Online http://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/2001/02/17/radio4.html via Chet Copeland, Feb 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Martin Phillips, G3RFX, on BBC Local Radio One of our [RSGB] newsreaders in the South West - Martyn Phillips, G3RFX - has been approached to do a live 15 - 20 minute slot about amateur radio on BBC Radio Bristol - not quite so parochial as it might sound, with broadcast radio via the Internet these days and calls afterwards from all over the world. He will be doing his best to promote the newcomer and new blood angle, and will provide as much contact information as possible, making our hobby sound as fascinating and intriguing as he can. If you have the opportunity, listen in to BBC Radio Bristol on Wednesday the 21st of February, at 10 am (Radio Society of Great Britain GB2RS News February 18, posted February 16 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. On Sunday 02/11/01 at 2353 CST announcer Bruce Duffie closed the classical format at WNIB with an announcement thanking listeners for 45 years of loyalty to the station. He then played Lyric for Strings by George Walker, and then there was dead air until the transmitter was turned off at 0001 CST Monday morning. I stopped listening a few minutes later, but according to his page at http://my.voyager.net/duffie/, Bonneville played New York, New York at 0025 CST. I tuned in at 0925 02/12/01 and heard them playing Barbra Streisand recordings, with a YL IDing "WNIB FM Chicago" at the top of the hour, with no other announcements. Today, 02/12/01, at 0945 CST I heard them playing country music, with the same ID at the top of the hour, but no other announcements. I will continue monitoring WNIB periodically until they begin normal operations and settle upon a format, and report at that time. I sent Glenn a .wav file of the final classical announcement... I don't think they were running the transmitter at full power, as normally there is no noise, and I can see the Chicago skyline from my window, and all the antennae, so I enjoy line of sight reception. 73 de (KB9NXD, Michael A. Mathis, IL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. http://www.suntimes.com/output/feder/feder14.html WNIB-FM not being calm before storm February 14, 2001 BY ROBERT FEDER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST On Monday, it was all-Barbra Streisand. On Tuesday, it was all-Garth Brooks. Today, it's all-Rolling Stones. In an unusual stunt to buy some time and generate some excitement before they launch their real format, the new owners of WNIB-FM (97.1) are airing only one artist or group each day -- all without commercials or announcers. Bonneville International Corp. this week took over the station along with WNIZ-FM (96.9) after finalizing its $165 million deal with Bill and Sonia Florian's Northern Illinois Broadcasting. The two outlets previously simulcast classical music. Zion-based WNIZ has been turned into a full-time simulcast of WTMX-FM (101.9), Bonneville's modern adult-contemporary station. The move greatly increases the signal coverage of "The Mix" through northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Drew Horowitz, president of the Bonneville Chicago Radio Group, said a new format has been determined for WNIB, but it will not be rolled out until early spring. Until then, it will remain a closely guarded secret. "We have identified a [format] opportunity that we believe there's a significant appetite for, that we can execute well and that will enhance Bonneville's assets in the market," Horowitz said. Meanwhile, with the demise of WNIB's format, the city's sole classical survivor, WFMT-FM (98.7), is wasting no time in trying to win over disenfranchised listeners. As of this week, WFMT has dropped its 50-year slogan as "Chicago's Fine Arts Station" in favor of a more direct positioning statement-- "Chicago's Classical Music Station." The station also has invited listeners to submit classical music requests. Three days of all-request programming will air from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., starting Monday. "We respect every listener and want them to feel they are an integral part of WFMT," said Steve Robinson, radio vice president for parent company Window to the World Communications (Robert Feder, Sun Times Feb 14 via Christos Rigas via WORLD OF RADIO 1069, DXLD) ** U S A. More about KUNC and whether it should be bought by Colorado Public Radio: http://www.frii.com/friendsofkunc/ http://www.badcheese.com/~becky/classic/kunc/ (Kevin A. Kelly, Arlington, Massachusetts, USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Sounds as if NPR is taking lessons from Pacifica.-hi! 73- (Bill Westenhaver) The following story appeared in The Globe Online: Headline: WBUR-FM suspends 2 in fight over 'Connection' Date: 2/16/2001 Byline: By Mark Jurkowitz, Globe Staff Climaxing months of stalemated contract negotiations and growing hostilities between key players at the station, WBUR-FM sent shock waves through Boston's cultural, intellectual, and media provinces by placing ''Connection'' host Christopher Lydon and senior producer Mary McGrath on a two-week paid leave of absence starting today." To read the entire story, click on the link below or cut and paste it into a Web browser: http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/047/nation/WBUR_FM_suspends_2_in_fight_over_Connection_+.shtml ** U S A. Hello Glenn: Thanks again for the 17.490 information; it was very helpful. Due to that situation [Brother Scare QRM from Germany] we had to make the following changes. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2001 [all times EST = UT -5] WBCQ PROGRAM CHANGES As of Saturday, February 17, 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 17.495 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM Complex Variables Studio (moved from 17.495 at 12 noon - 6:00 pm) -------------------------------------------------------------------- 9.335 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM Bedtime Revelation Stories (moved from 17.495 at 11:00 am-12 noon) -------------------------------------------------------------------- 10:00 PM - 10:30 PM World of Radio (moved from 9.335 at 9:00 PM - 9:30 PM) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks. (Elayne Star, WBCQ, Feb 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Following report that Portland 25950 was QRP, Feb 12 at 2028 check a good signal with reggae, so likely back to normal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Several reports in IRCA of ``jamming`` or some type of QRM around 1140 kHz, heard in California even in the daytime. At other times, it could have been Cuban jammer, or maybe even Chinese jammer against VOA 1143. Someone thought it was coming from KCMJ 1140 Palm Springs, maladjusted transmitter, but then Kevin Redding determined that the QRM was fading differently than KCMJ`s carrier. Another to report it directly to us was Michael Watson, somewhere in CA, who later replied: (gh) Glenn; Thank you for the inquiry you made on my behalf, regarding the 1140 kHz interference. I inquired of the FCC, and just heard back from their Tom Hora. He`s received a report from the people at KHTK, in Sacramento, including a recording of the signal. He says the sound is characteristic of an idling RTTY transmitter, presumably malfunctioning. He`s notified the enforcement office in this area about finding the transmitter and seeing the problem corrected. That must be a whale of a malfunction, that could make a RTTY transmitter send on 1140 kHz, AND drift in its pulse-rate from about 50 beats per minute to over 250, AND do so in such a way that it would not become obvious to an operator or engineer for well over three weeks, and so have been corrected! I really must confess entertaining some serious doubts. As the signal continues to be heard in the day-time, I doubt it is outside the country. If you run across any reports similar to mine, where foreign jamming does not appear the likely explanation, I'd appreciate learning of them. 73, (Michael (KC6YUW) Watson, Feb 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) http://community.webtv.net/bison1/SETISECRETS ** U S A. For anyone interested, here`s a reminder of upcoming DX tests; if anyone has any additions or corrections, please contact me. Friday/Saturday February 16/17, 2001 - WGAI-560 Elizabeth City, NC 11:30 pm-12:30 am EST. [UT Sat Feb 17 0430-0530] E-mail: wgai560am@aol.com Saturday, February 17, 2001 - WFBS-1280, Berwick, PA 12:00-2:00 am EST. [UT Sat 0500-0700] (NRC) (Lynn Hollerman, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. 2599.99. WZZZ Fulton, NY (2 x 1300 harmonic) 1107-1155 Feb 15, News, weather, ads mentioning "Oswego County", 1155 announcer with TC and ID. Weak with very good peaks (Mark Mohrmann, VT, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Dear Mr. Hauser: I am reading, for the first time, with great fascination, your DXLD column on February 16, 2001, and thought I would pass on the following clarification, for anyone who wants to know for certain: Regarding the article which read: "U S A. For anyone who cares: I did a very quick check of AM stations running Art Bell at 1 am EST, as heard from Bridgeport CT with a Kenwood R-2000 and 75` longwire: ... 900 Canada [CHML?]..." The station mentioned is 900 CHML, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, which I believe is the oldest continuously running AM station in my hometown. Take care, (Ken Smith, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN. From: http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/medianews.html 14 Feb 2001: Three senior officials of Vatican Radio are due to go on trial on 12 March for allegedly violating Italy's very strict standards on electromagnetic fields emitted by radio transmitters. The three are the Rev. Pasquale Borgomeo, Director-General, the Rev. [now Cardinal -gh] Roberto Tucci, President of the Management Committee, and Costantino Pacifici, the senior engineer. All three could face up to a year in prison if convicted of environmental pollution. Exactly 50 years ago, Vatican Radio opened its large shortwave and mediumwave transmitting complex at Santa Maria di Galeria on the northern outskirts of Rome. At the time, the area was sparsely populated. Today some 100,000 people live in the nearby suburbs. In recent years, some have complained that the transmissions interfere with their home appliances, telephones and television reception, while environmental groups allege that the electromagnetic waves cause cancer. In 1998, Italy passed new rules on electromagnetic radiation which are far more stringent then those in other European Union countries. The Vatican argues that the radio station is protected by the extraterritorial status granted to the Vatican and its properties under a 1929 pact with Italy that established Vatican City as an independent city-state. Furthermore, the Vatican contends that the transmissions meet international standards ((c) Radio Netherlands Media Network via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via WORLD OF RADIO 1069, DXLD) ** VATICAN [et al.]. Subject: Danger of RF radiation? One would rather expect danger from electromagnetic radiation to increase with shortness of wavelength. In other words, gamma rays should be more dangerous that x-rays which should be more dangerous than ultraviolet, visible light, infrared and...radio waves. So is there any actual scientific evidence that radio waves in say the 20 meter range are dangerous even at high power and near proximity? Certainly European popular fears of technology is less than impressive. The Europeans have been fighting the evils of American "frankenfood" and attempting to keep their food "pure" whatever that might mean. Yet, who has the problems with BSE and with animal feed contaminated by carcinogens? This is not to say that one should not stare these gift horses in the mouth. But people sometimes have fears that are not supported by evidence and are not weighted at all properly. People will jay walk across the boulevard into the path of a truck to avoid a group of happy teenagers, especially with the wrong skin color, returning from a dance in a place where any mischief would be seen by scores of people (Joël Rubin, NY, Feb 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN. SPECIAL BROADCAST. For a radio station whose main target is not only to spread the Pope`s voice world-wide, but also to amplify the voice of the Church for the edification of a world of peace and dialogue between people, Pope`s activity, celebrations and meetings with people coming from all over the world do represent a very important part of Vatican Radio activity. Every Wednesday, at 10.30 am, Vatican Radio live broadcasts from Paul VI Hall in Vatican City the General Audience of the Pope with the pilgrims. Every Sunday morning from 12 pm, from the window of his studio located in the Apostolic Palace inside Vatican City, the Pope's Angelus morning prayer is broadcast live through Vatican Radio microphones. Time is CET (Central European Time) SUNDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2001: Liturgical celebration in the Armenian Rite WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2001: Ordinary Public Consistory THURSDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2001: Holy Mass with the new Cardinals Wednesday 21 February 2001: Ordinary Public Consistory at 10.30 a.m. From St. Peter's Square, Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of 44 new Cardinals Live broadcast from 10.20 am: - in English for Western Europe on kHz [they said "kHz" then gave the freqs in MHz! So I removed the decimals--jn] 13765 SW, for India on kHz 21815 SW and for the area of Rome on kHz 1530 MW and on MHz 93.3 FM and via Internet on Channel 2 [NOTE: 21815 first QRM to RFPI if it last past 1300 CET -gh] - in French for Africa on kHz 17515 SW and on kHz 21850 SW and for the area of Rome on MHz 103.8 FM and via Internet on Channel 4 - in Spanish for Western Europe and Latin America on kHz 15595 SW and for the area of Rome on MHz 96.3 FM and via Internet on Channel 5 - in Italian on kHz 5880 SW and for the area of Rome on kHz 527 MW and MHz 105.0 FM and via Internet on Channel 1 - in German on kHz 11740 SW and for the area of Rome on kHz 1260 MW and via Internet on Channel 3 Thursday 22 February 2001 Holy Mass with the new Cardinals presided over by the Holy Father at 10.30 a.m. From St. Peter's Square, Holy Mass with the new Cardinals presided over by the Holy Father and including the consignment of the Cardinals' ring. Live broadcast from 10.20 am: - in English for Western Europe on kHz 13765 SW, for India on kHz 21815 SW and for the area of Rome on kHz 1530 MW and on MHz 93.3 FM and via Internet on Channel 2 - in French for Africa on kHz 17515 SW and on kHz 21850 SW and for the area of Rome on MHz 103.8 FM and via Internet on Channel 4 - in Spanish for Western Europe and Latin America on kHz 15595 SW and for the area of Rome on MHz 96.3 FM and via Internet on Channel 5 - in Italian on kHz 5880 SW and for the area of Rome on kHz 527 MW and MHz 105.0 FM and via Internet on Channel 1 - in German on kHz 11740 SW and for the area of Rome on kHz 1260 MW and via Internet on Channel 3 Sunday 18 February 2001 Liturgical celebration in the Armenian Rite at 9.00 a.m. From St. Peter`s Basilica, Liturgical celebration in the Armenian Rite presided over by the Holy Father and officiated by the Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians, His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX, on the occasion of the 17th Centenary of the Conversion and Baptism of Armenia Live broadcast from 08.50 a.m.: - in Armenian on kHz 11625, 15595 and 17515 SW and for the area of Rome on kHz 1260 MW and on MHz 103.8 FM and via Internet on Channel 4 - in Italian on kHz 5880 SW and for the area of Rome on kHz 527 MW and MHz 105.0 FM and via Internet on Channel 1 Time is CET (Central European Time) (radiovaticano.org via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM. (Cumbre DX follow up) Kept checking this one around 1230- 1530. No jamming of FEBC, TWR, BBC, Radio Veritas, Que Huong, Radio Free Vietnam or VOA. Many of these broadcasts are outside of the time Radio Free Asia is on, so they could devote the effort against these other broadcasters if they wanted to. There had been reports that they hadn`t provided any news domestically of the trouble in the Central Highlands. This coupled with the fact that some thought FEBC`s broadcasts may have played a role in the disturbances, made me wonder if the Vietnamese government might want to jam other foreign broadcasts. This apparently is not the case. I don`t understand their jamming of Radio Free Asia either. At 1400- 1500, RFA`s website mentions the following channels for Vietnamese: 9365, 9455, 9920, 9930, 11535, 11760, 13365, 15470. The Vietnamese use some noise jammers and also put their domestic service on a slightly different frequency in order to jam these broadcasts. Yet this effort is hard to understand as they don`t effectively jam any of the frequencies. I have only heard jammers against the 9 MHz frequencies. I have Never heard more than four jammers at one time (one domestic service, and three noise). One is totally useless as it continues to jam against a channel not used -- 9450. The other three often start quite late (say 20 minutes past) and/or quit quite early (also at about 20 past). What good is jamming if you don`t jam the news that is at the start of the broadcasts? (Hans Johnson, AZ, Feb 9-12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 4345.0 LA Station? 1100-1120, Drifting, raspy carrier with male ballads and possibly Spanish talk. Fading by 1120 which might suggest Peru or Colombia. Similar log made back in December on 4351.1 Nothing heard the morning of Feb 15 (Mark Mohrmann, Vermont, Feb 13/15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PROPAGATION This just came in. Of general interest and of interest because of the implications for aurora DXing. - (Phil Gebhardt, ODXA via DXLD) NASA Science News for February 15, 2001 NASA scientists who monitor the Sun say that our star's awesome magnetic field is flipping -- a sure sign that solar maximum is here. FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast15feb_1.htm?list105308 HFCC Conference I had a talk with one of the Swedish delegates to the HFCC conference that took place in Geneva last week. He had some interesting news of general interest. On the matter of PLC (Power Line Communications), the conference concluded that this is deadly threat to AM broadcasting. The electric field next to the electric wires will be as much as nearly 3 V/m, which is the maximum value permitted from health aspects - and this will be throughout the spectrum from 9 kHz to 30 MHz and in all spaces where there is mains wiring. (Radio signals normally have a field strength that is only a small fraction of that, except next to the transmitters. OA) The reason for the incredibly strong signals is the poor signal to noise ratio of the system. My contact described the concept as sheer madness. It is not only that PLC will kill all other signals and will be a very obvious health hazard, it will still have mediocre performance with modest bit rates. After the common ABSU-HFCC conference last fall the situation was now back to normal with separate meetings. On the other hand, the coordination process for the northern summer period is unproblematic (Olle Alm, Cumbre DX via DXLD) DRM (as DXers we may come to write DRM instead of QRM in the future?) is rapidly approaching implementation. The first regular tests, program blocks that are being broadcast in DRM on a daily basis, are expected to begin already in April this year. Radio Sweden expects to join this activity very soon. Widespread DRM transmissions are expected already in 2002. Receivers for DRM will not be available on the market for some time yet, but broadcasters want to be present with DRM to create an interest in receivers. On the subject of frequencies, my contact said that most likely DRM will not be referred to specific parts of the SW bands as has been suggested by some sources, but will mingle with AM transmissions. It is also expected that stations will not add more transmitters to take care of DRM, but will simply convert existing ones and gradually switch to DRM. Andy Sennitt has opposed to my critical remarks concerning DRM, but as DXers we have a legitimate right to express our concerns. With DRM taking to the air, DXing will not be what it used to (Olle Alm, Feb 13, Cumbre DX via DXLD) INTRUDER WATCH: SPAIN. 21050 and 21405 Spanish fishermen. KOREA. 21120 often used as chat channel by Korean vessels. RUSSIA. 07038.9 and 07039.9 MX: Russian navy Arkhangel`sk, RUS, cluster beacon S, CW (WIA Q-News February 18, posted February 16 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###