DX LISTENING DIGEST 1-086, June 23, 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] DX PROGRAM LIST REVISED as of June 23: http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/dxpgms.html ** ARGENTINA. Finalmente no habrá cambios de horarios; Argentina Seguirá utilizando el actual huso horario UTC menos 3. No changes. Finally Argentina will be UTC minus 3 (Nicolás Éramo, Argentina, Conexión Digital June 22 via DXLD) So did they change their mind, or was the previous report of shifting to UT -4 on June 17 erroneous?? (gh, DXLD) ** BELARUS. The new radiostation in Minsk, named "Radio Baranovskiy," in Russian, was received on the Jun 21, beginning with 0845 on the frequency 10268 kHz (modulation?). The programme was called "On a visit with Pasha". Radiostation was established by the Belarus State University. Announced frequency in Minsk - 99.5 MHz. Tel. (0172) 209- 5555 SO - 47 (Slavutskiy, RUS-DX via Klepov Jun 22, via Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Se ha discutido la ausencia de R Aparecida en este foro de discusión. Ayer, Junio 22, en los 6135 kHz, observé que se apagó el transmisor justo antes de las 2200 UTC, en el momento preciso en que se anunciaba el programa a seguir: A Voz do Brasil. Chequeé la frecuencia en varias ocasiones, hasta la 0100 UTC, y no había regresado; solo es escuchaba entonces R Santa Cruz, de Bolivia. Por QRM no pude verificar el estado de las otras frecuencias de R Aparecida (Henrik Klemetz, Suecia, radioescutas via DXLD) So detested is A Voz do Brasil that stations sign off rather than broadcast it (gh) ** BURMA [non]. CLANDESTINE from SITES to BURMA. Democratic Voice of Burma: 15405/17805 from 1430. 15405 came on a couple of minutes before 1430 June 15 with music from 1429 and programme from 1430. Nothing on 17805. Around 1454 open carriers appeared on both 15405 and 17805. At 1455 both switched into the programme that was already on the line on the earlier transmitter on 15405. The second transmitter on 15405 was stronger than the first one. Most likely the first one on 15405 was Norway, weak today due to poor short distance propagation. 17805 is there with a one or two second delay as compared to 15405. The signal is very weak and the carrier is unstable, so does not appear to be one of the big Madagascar txers. 15405 still rather weak at 1430 due to poor short distance propagation from presumed Norwegian site (Olle Alm, Sweden, Cumbre DX via DXLD) The Observer schedule lists 17485 as 50 kW so I assume that is still in use on new 17805 -- but it used to close down at 1455. So what have we been hearing after 1455 in sync with 15405? (Noël Green, UK, Jun 20, Cumbre DX via DXLD) {More: DXLD 1-087} ** CANADA. 15170, RCI, 0030: Recently, I've heard RCI transmitters putting out several spurs and mixing products, but on UT June 23 the TX on 15170 was bleeding over hundreds of kHz, up and down. I could hear RCI below 15000 and as high as 15570. I guess this is just indicative of the recent troubles they've been having (David Hodgson, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CONGOS. La conexión cubana de Radio Congo Escuché ayer, en los 4765 kHz, "Radio Congo, Cadena Nacional", de 2145 a 2200 TU, en donde se mencionó, entre otras cosas, la firma de un acuerdo con la Embajada de EE UU para la habilitación de una frecuencia de FM en Brazzaville para la VOA. Ya existe, al parecer, un servicio similar para las emisiones de RFI. Al finalizar el segmento en español, se despide el locutor "hasta mañana a las 2 de la tarde", por lo que se puede suponer que hay otra emisión en español a esa hora. Se anuncia la frecuencia de 5985 para la emisión de las 5,30 a 8 de la mañana /hora local/ y de 2 a 12 pm. Entre las 8 am y 6 pm también se emite por 9610 kHz. Todo el día se emite también en 96.4 MHz. La frecuencia de 4765 no se menciona para nada. Como ya se ha dicho en este foro, parece que hay la emisión en español obedece a razones muy especiales, ya que en la República del Congo no hay nativos que hablen español (como por ejemplo en la Guinea Ecuatorial). Pero resulta que el jefe de estado actual tiene un pasado que le une al marxismo-leninismo y al castrismo. Con el fin de combatir unas fuerzas opositoras suyas, parece que ha pedido la renovada presencia de tropas y asesores cubanos. Lo reportó primero la agencia católica Fides y dice lo siguiente ADRA (Acção para o Desemvolvimento Rural e Ambiente) en su informe correspondiente a enero de 1999: - Governo de Angola e dos Congo Democrático e Brazzaville, assinam em Luanda uma aliança política-militar comum que visar unir esforços para por fim a rebeliões armadas nos seus países na região centro- africana. 19 - Diário de Notícias de Lisboa, e BBC, sem citar as fontes, divulgaram a notícia de que tropas cubanas estão a chegar a Braz[z]aville para ajudar Angola, o Congo-Braz[z]aville e o Congo- Kinshasa a combater as suas rebeliões internas. Outra informação refere-se à presença de 300 conselheiros militares cubanos juntos das FAA. (...) http://www.info-net.net/adra/jan.htm Que se me permita mencionar, como curiosidad, que tanto Brazzaville como la capital al otro lado del río, Léopoldville (actualmente Kinshasa) siempre fueron sedes radiales muy importantes desde la época de la segunda guerra mundial, Brazzaville como la voz en el exilio de la Francia ocupada, y Léopoldville como la voz de la Bélgica ocupada. Ambas emisoras se captaban en todas partes del mundo, y emitían en una variedad de idiomas, incluso en mi idioma materno, el sueco. Las emisiones provinientes del Congo Belga contaban con varios fan clubs en este país y en otros, y en 1949, por ejemplo, se rifaban para los oyentes de la emisión en sueco premios de diversa índole, como por ejemplo una máscara indígena de madera preciosa, una canasta hecha a mano, una cabeza de ébano, cortapapeles y otros objetos, todos de maderas finas. "Todos los premios se envían por barco desde Leopoldville", anota una revista sueca contemporánea, "por lo que hay que contar con una demora de un mes antes de que los reciban los agraciados en el sorteo." (Henrik Klemetz, Suecia, June 23, radioescutas via DXLD) ** CYPRUS. Glenn, In regards to DX LISTENING DIGEST 1-085, June 21, 2001 entry for CYPRUS GREEKISH SOUTHERN, CYPRUS TURKISH NORTHERN I would like to note that no such countries exist. There is Cyprus recognized by United Nations and most of the countries of the World, and then there is the occupied portion of Cyprus recognized only by the occupiers (Turkey). (Christos Rigas, Wood Dale, Illinois, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECH REPUBLIC. Radio Svobodna Evropa under review A decade after the first broadcasts on Czech soil Radio Svobodna Evropa is at the centre of a public controversy. This is reflected in the following items of RFE/RL MEDIA MATTERS: BROADCASTING COUNCIL TO MONITOR RFE/RL. The Czech Council for Radio and TV Broadcasts approved a request by its Deputy Chairman Petr Stepanek and councilman Petr Zantovsky to monitor the broadcasts of RFE/RL, the daily "Lidove noviny," reported on 28 May. Both Stepanek and Zantovsky were appointed to the council by Vaclav Klaus' Civic Democratic Party. According to Petruska Sustrova, the journalist reporting on the decision, "Czech Radio Free Europe is the only public station that regularly and to a large extent analyzes both domestic and foreign developments and brings extensive commentaries. This is nothing new, and to find this out no monitoring is necessary." ("RFE/RL Newsline," 29 May 2001) REPORTER WINS AWARD. Czech Radio Free Europe (RSE) journalist Jana Blazkova was awarded the "Novinarska krepelka" Annual Award, the highest award given to young professional journalists. This annual journalism award for young journalists is presented by the Czech Literary Fund. She was given the award in recognition of her reporting on a notorious building industry corruption scheme, the so- called H-system. Her reports helped hundreds of small investors to gain justice. (Czech Radio Free Europe, 6 June 2001) POLITICIANS DISAGREE ON REPORT ON RFE/RL BROADCASTS. Petr Pleva, a parliamentary deputy representing the opposition Civic Democratic Party (ODS), on 19 June told journalists in Brno that a report submitted to the Chamber of Deputies' Media Commission by the Council on Public Czech Radio indicates that RFE/RL's broadcasts in Czech infringe on legislation forbidding political involvement by public broadcasters, CTK reported. Freedom Union Deputy Vladimir Mlynar said he does not share Pleva's interpretation of the report and that "in the document it is stated that the Czech Radio 6-Radio Free Europe has satisfied the [legal] stipulations." The report was submitted to the council by an expert staff of Prague's Charles University and referred to coverage of strikes at Czech Television in December 2000- January 2001. ("RFE/RL Newsline," 20 June) Right after the fall of Communism Radio Svobodna Evropa was able to use to medium wave 1278 kHz which had been in use for Radio Prague`s external service. Broadcasts started in September 1990 4.00-6.40 and 14.00-24.00 h. After Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty moved to Prague, a joint programme of the Czech home service and several external broadcasters started on 1. February 1996. Cesky Rozhlas 6/Radio Svobodna Evropa also included Czech programmes of BBC London, Deutsche Welle (now closed) and Voice of America. When the Czech home service moved into a new building on 18. May 2000 the staff of Czech Radio Svobodna Evropa also moved in while the other services of RFE- RL remained at their sites (Dr. Hansjoerg Biener, 23 June 2001, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. On 12110, *1700 sign-on with flute IS followed by Amharic ID by a male voice "Netsa'net" is the frequently used pronunciation during their one hour transmission and that is applicable to the sign-on ID. Basically the program is ethnic pro Amhara propaganda and mainly anti Tigrean broadcasting news at 1715. They have a regular interview with a female "Dr. Ababa" at 1745 preceded by "Yekh Ye-yat Ongatchino" announcement by a male voice, 1800*. S9+10dB on clear with occasional fading and a studio audio (Mahmud Fathi, Germany, Jun 17 and 20, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** GHANA. Dear friends! Has my AOR 7030 gone nuts or what? On June 19th during very good Africa conditions between 2115 and 2220 I received same African station, most likely Ghana BC, on three different frequencies on 90 mb: namely 3,205,30; 3,285,60 and 3,446,30. Program consisted mostly of nonstop music until 2200. Then a time signal and news in clear BBC-style English. From 2210 onwards mostly pop music again; Show me heaven, True colors etc. Three transmitters on 90 mb? Ghosts? All the Best and Merry Midsummer season from Helo ! (Kari Helopaltio, Finland, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) Dear Kari, No, they are all spurs from 3366 which right now has some transmitter problems. On June 15 DSWCI member in Portugal Carlos Lino Relvas de Assunção Gonçalves heard 3366, GBC, Accra at 2251 with good QRK, but also noted again with transmitter spurs on 3285.5 @ 34332 & 3446.5 kHz @ 35333 (!) I tried these frequencies last evening, but heard only R Ghana on 3366. Best 73, (Anker Petersen, Editor of DSWCI Domestic Broadcasting Survey, ibid.) Ghana's 90m outlet is famous for throwing out spurs. Looks as if they are throwing out spurs +/- 80.3 kHz and multiples from their 3366 outlet. -- 73's (Martin Elbe, Germany, ibid.) ** HONDURAS. A Report On SANI Radio by Larry Baysinger When seen from a distance the tower seemed to be leaning. Closer inspection revealed that not only was the tower leaning - but various sections were leaning in different directions! My partner David Daniell and I had chanced upon the remains of this mysterious station while returning to Puerto Lempira, Honduras after having completed an inspection tour of the low powered shortwave station - HRET - at nearby Campo Bautista. David is the Media Consultant for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and I am a retired broadcast engineer serving as a volunteer. The faded lettering on the concrete wall adjacent to the entrance said "AVANCE SANI RADIO 4755 kHz", the lettering on the front of the camper-trailer said "Estudios Sani Radio", and the sign on the door of an abandoned jeep said "AVANCE". We had found SANI Radio - but no one was home! In fact, from the look of the vandalized and overgrown facilities, they had turned off the lights, locked the door, and walked away quite some time ago. Now comes the "mysterious" part - as late as the 2000 issue of the World Radio and TV Handbook, SANI Radio is listed as operating on 6300 kHz at 1 kilowatt. Earlier issues had also listed 4755 kHz at 10 kilowatts. But, according to locals, HRRI SANI Radio operated in the mediumwave band and broadcast propaganda. It turns out that in the late 1970's or early 1980's the "U.S. Agency for International Development" launched the powerful station - but then in the early 1990's transferred control to a Honduran government agency called "Avance", which soon went broke and ceased operations in 1994. A peek into the transmitter building revealed the partially dismantled remains of a 10 kW mediumwave AM transmitter (the nameplate had been removed but it looks like an early Sparta model 710) and what looked like a small, "homebrewed" shortwave transmitter - perhaps a one kW model. Following the three-inch diameter coaxial transmission line from the 10 kW transmitter out to the base of the 300-foot tower, we found a Kintronics MW band antenna tuning unit and the partially exposed ground radial system. Another piece of 3-inch line ran from the building to one of two short towers which stood on opposite sides of the building. The top two sections of this tower had been removed and were lying on the ground nearby and the transmission line had been cut off. There was no indication as to what kind of antenna these had supported but it could very well have been some sort of shortwave array. While we were there, the owner of the property came by and offered to sell us the whole mess for $17,000 U.S. - the amount of unpaid rent he says is owed him by some un-named U.S. Government agency! (May 2001 - Larry Baysinger, Cumbre DX June 21 via DXLD) ** IRAQ. Radio transmitter inaugurated | Excerpt from report by Iraqi TV on 13 June Information Minister Muhammad Sa’id al-Sahhaf has inaugurated a 300- kW radio transmitter at the Al-Nasiriyah radio station in the Dhi Qar governorate. The transmitter will boost the Republic of Iraq radio transmission on 846 kHz. The transmitter was repaired and installed after it was completely destroyed during the treacherous 30-state aggression. It will improve radio reception in all the Iraqi governorates and neighbouring countries... On the media services in Dhi Qar and other governorates, especially radio and television transmission, the information minister made a press statement in Dhi Qar in which he said: [Al-Sahhaf] The purpose is to relay the Republic of Iraq radio’s main programme on this transmitter. We have been talking with the governor and the Ba’th Party organization comrades. ... On the creativeness of the Iraqis and their efforts in the field of manufacturing radio and television transmitters, using indigenous materials, Dr Nash’at Shawkat, chief of the engineering and technical department in the Ministry of Information said: [Shawkat] The unfair sanctions imposed on our militant country have hit all sectors without exception. They have affected basic humanitarian aspects like health, water, food, the sewage system, and other things. We are aware that the aggressors tightened restrictions on technical things, not only equipment and devices but information materials as well. They prevented entry of scientific magazines and books. Yet, the Iraqi engineers rebuilt the transmitters that had been destroyed since the 1991 aggression. Not only have they rebuilt these transmitters, devices, and support systems but the have also developed them and manufactured alternative equipment. On this occasion, I would like to tell our great people that the engineering cadres at the information ministry, in cooperation with their comrades and colleagues at the Military Industrialization Organization, have been able to manufacture one-hundred per cent Iraqi transmitters. Thus, we no longer need to import these equipment. We intend to acquire our technical needs to complete the radio and television transmission process. Therefore, we no longer care about this aspect in the ban on equipment, but will shortly be self-sufficient, thanks to our resources and capabilities to fully, I repeat fully, manufacture radio and television transmitters. This means that we have overcome all the scientific and technical difficulties. No one should think that we can manufacture only certain parts, that there are missing links. We have been able to manufacture all the necessary radio and television transmitters. God be praised... Source: Iraqi TV, Baghdad, in Arabic 1500 gmt 13 Jun 01 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** ITALY. Rai`s complete revised schedule: A NORD AMERICA 1400 1425 17780 21520 Italiano 1830 1905 17780 21520 Italiano 2240 0055 9675 11800 Italiano * 0055 0115 9675 11800 Inglese 0115 0130 9675 11800 Francese 0130 0315 9675 11800 Italiano * 0315 0335 9675 11800 Spagnolo B AMERICA CENTRALE 0130 0230 11765 Italiano C SUD AMERICA 2240 0055 9840 11755 Italiano * 0055 0115 9840 11755 Spagnolo 0115 0130 9840 11755 Portoghese 0130 0230 6110 Italiano * 0130 0315 9840 11755 Italiano * 0315 0335 9840 11755 Spagnolo D SPAGNA - AFRICA NORD OCCIDENTALE 0435 0445 5975 7235 Italiano 0445 0500 5975 7235 Inglese 1330 1355 9670 Arabo 1500 1525 9670 11880 Italiano 1630 1655 9670 11725 Francese* 1700 1800 9670 11910 Italiano * 2025 2045 6110 7290 Arabo 2050 2110 6110 7290 Portoghese * 2110 2130 6110 7290 Spagnolo * E AFRICA NORD ORIENTALE 1330 1355 11800 Arabo 1500 1525 11880 Italiano 2135 2155 7290 Arabo * F EUROPA ORIENTALE 0405 0425 7235 9670 11800 Ucraino 0505 0525 9670 11800 Lituano 0530 0550 9670 11800 Rumeno * 0630 1300 9670 11800 Italiano * 1335 1355 7190 9635 Albanese * 1400 1415 7190 9585 Sloveno * 1415 1435 7190 9585 Tedesco * 1435 1455 7190 9585 Croato * 1500 1520 9585 11895 Turco * 1520 1540 9585 11895 Greco * 1540 1600 9585 11895 Bulgaro * 1810 1825 6130 7240 Ceco * 1825 1840 6130 7240 Slovacco * 1840 1900 6130 7240 Polacco * 1910 1930 6130 7240 Serbo * 1935 1955 6130 7240 Ungherese * 2115 2135 5970 7250 Rumeno * 2135 2155 5970 7250 Ceco 2155 2210 5970 7250 Slovacco 2210 2225 5970 7250 Polacco F RUSSIA 0345 0405 7235 9670 11800 Russo 0600 0620 11800 15290 Russo * 1605 1625 11800 15290 Russo * 2000 2020 6185 9670 11800 Russo G EUROPA OCCIDENTALE 1530 1555 9670 11855 Francese 1555 1625 9670 11855 Italiano 1805 1825 5970 9575 Tedesco 1935 1955 5970 9750 Inglese 2000 2020 9595 11755 Svedese * 2000 2020 9595 11755 Danese * 2000 2020 9595 11755 Esperanto * H AFRICA CENTRALE 1700 1800 15320 17720 Italiano * 2050 2110 15240 Portoghese * I AFRICA ORIENTALE - VICINO ORIENTE 0435 0455 15250 17780 Amarico 0455 0530 15250 17780 Italiano 0530 0550 15250 17780 Somalo 0600 0620 15250 17710 Arabo 0630 1300 17710 21520 Italiano* 1630 1655 11910 15240 17760 Arabo 1700 1800 15330 Italiano* 1910 1930 11890 15240 17640 Somalo 2025 2045 7125 9635 11800 Inglese 2050 2110 9800 11880 Portoghese* L ESTREMO ORIENTE - GIAPPONE 2205 2230 9675 11900 15265 Inglese * M AUSTRALIA - OCEANIA 1000 1100 11920 Italiano* G - D - E BACINO DEL MEDITERRANEO 1500 1525 9670 Italiano 2300 0500 6060 Notturno dall'Italia Italiano 0500 2300 6060 9515 Radiouno Italiano 0500 2300 7175 Radiodue Italiano Alla Domenica, dalle 1352 alle 1730, i programmi sono ridotti o soppressi per trasmettere le rubriche sportive 'TUTTO IL CALCIO MINUTO PER MINUTO' e 'DOMENICA SPORT': A 1352 1730 17780 Nord America * C 1352 1730 21535 Sud America * G 1352 1730 9670 Europa * H 1352 1730 21710 Africa Centrale * I 1352 1730 21520 Africa Orientale* * Rai International satellite Hot Bird 13 Est Vert. 1,446 GHz 7,56 MHz Analogico Wegener Panda 1 UTC = GMT = ora italiana estiva - 2 (via Kim Andrew Elliott, DC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN [non]. CLANDESTINE from ARMENIA? to MIDDLE EAST: 9960, Bopeshawa seems to have moved out from Bulgaria to a CIS site, with Gavar being a good candidate. They now have a CIS type tune-up. I think the only transmissions still originating from Bulgaria are Ezra and Eurosonor (Olle Alm, Sweden, Jun 19, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** MEXICO. 4813, XERTA, Radio Transcontinental de América is still broadcasting with low power and a bad modulation. 6010, XEOI, Radio Mil Onda Corta: Alejandro Vargas Guajardo, president of MVS Radio (an important communications company in Mexico) is the new president of administrative council of Núcleo Radio Mil. Edilberto Huesca Perrotín as president and General director and Guillermo Salas Peyro as founder president of Núcleo Radio Mil. The change on the company`s shares between Núcleo Radio Mil and MVS Radio had 25% of the shares, They have 49.8% now, and the 50.2% left is belonged to Núcleo Radio Mil (Héctor García Bojorge, DF, June 20, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** MONGOLIA. Re DXLD 1-085: What happened to the Voice of Mongolia website? Nothing's happened to the Mongolian pages unless I misunderstand what Ricky Leong is looking for. We have the correct links for Mongolia on the Radio Netherlands Media Network' Hitlist at http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/hitlist.html Andy Sennitt and I do the best we can to make sure the links are up to date. And Andy's prior experience at BBC Monitoring and the World Radio TV Handbook is unmatched. Mongolian Radio And Television : http://www.mol.mn/mrtv/MRTVhome.htm. Note that you need the page name to make this work, otherwise it forwards the user to the overseas VOM page. Voice of Mongolia : http://www.mongol.net/vom/ Regards, (Tom Sundstrom, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. ZLXA: From my sporadic listening, they are running 24 hours, with Radio NZ's National Programme being relayed overnight. Last year I visited the station and was taken out to the transmitter site, about 3 kilometres south of the studio. They have a vertical mast for 1602 AM and I was shocked to see that shortwave antenna was nothing more than a wire running from top of the mast down to the little shack containing the transmitter. To my untrained eye it was nothing more than a random wire! (Bryan Clark, NZ, Jun 16, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3220, R Morobe, June 17 1116-1130, noted back after an absence of several months. Programming today consists of M and W talking in TP (Don Nelson, OR, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Typical time lag in PNG newspapers: story about its absence due to vandalism of guywires May 2 just published and quoted this week on WOR 1084 (gh) ** PERU [and non]. Hi Glenn, Please pass a warning re a possible virus from the download of Geoclock. Norton Anti Virus detected two suspicious files which I quarantined. The program continued to function OK despite the two files so I deleted them. May be over- zealous anti-virus protection, though it pays not to take chances so I would recommend a virus-sweep of the extracted files. It is an excellent program and I can highly recommend it. Cheers, (Paul Ormandy, NZ, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. THE WORLD TUNED IN TO MOSCOW DURING WORLD WAR II Sixty years ago nearly the whole world was caught up in the flames of the Second World War. People in many countries turned to Radio Moscow for the latest news. More about this from Ilya Simanchuk. During the war a cartoon by the famous trio of artists known as the Kukriniksy appeared in the newspaper Pravda depicting a giant-sized loudspeaker with the words "This is Moscow" flowing out in all directions. Below it a terror-stricken Hitler and his supporters had their fingers stuffed in their ears. By December 1941 Moscow was broadcasting in 24 languages more than fifty hours a day. The day Hitler invaded the Soviet Union transmissions began to Poland, already overrun by the Nazis, and on the next day to Norway. Radio Moscow won prestige and popularity for its outstanding contribution to the war effort. Enemies as well as friends tuned in for its analytical programs about the home and foreign policies of the Soviet Union and other countries. There is every reason to say that Radio Moscow helped to rally support for the battle against fascism, discharging its international duty most honorably. What it said could be believed. And there's no underestimating the role Radio Moscow played in serving as a link between the anti-fascist movements, the enslaved nations and the armies fighting fascism. 06/22/2001 from http://www.vor.ru [Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941] (via Sergei Sosedkin, IL, DXLD) ** RUSSIA [non]. I just received a QSL card from Voice of Russia for their English transmission on 11500 kHz at 1500 UT, saying the transmission originated from Xi`an, China. HFCC and ILG show this transmission coming from Dushanbe-Orzu i Tadjikistan (Christos Rigas, Wood Dale, Illinois, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TANNU TUVA. RUSSIA. 6100.52, GTRK Tyva, Kyzyl, with local programming at 2210-2300 and again from 2310. At 2330 Xinjiang PBS, Urumqi, signed on 6100 kHz (with an ID also in English), completely covering the signal of GTRK Tyva. 567 kHz is their official AM frequency, but who knows about this SW operation? Sorry for the delay in sending this logging, but I had time to check the recording only a few days ago myself (Mika Makelainen, Finland, May 7, Cumbre DX June 21 via DXLD) ** TANZANIA. 5985, R Tanzania, Dar es Salaam 1500-2100*, Swahili announcements, Afro music, Time Signal, news -- back on this frequency with the General Service // 5050 & MW 837. 33333. Also heard June 14 & 18 at *0157-0330 // 5050 & 837. Opens with Swahili ID, National Hymn and Muslim Call to Prayer. This reactivation of 5985 has been confirmed by DSWCI member in Tanzania, Gerhard Werdin (Anker Petersen, Denmark, Jun 13-15, 18, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** TURKMENISTAN [non]. Christian broadcasts to Turkmenistan started HCJB World Radio and Back to the Bible announced that additional broadcasting in Turkmen started on Wednesday, June 20, thus complementing Trans World Radio's Turkmen transmissions that began earlier this year. The 15-minute programs, broadcast at 9 p.m. local time Sundays and Wednesdays, air from an undisclosed medium-wave site outside of Turkmenistan. While HCJB and Back to the Bible are reluctant to disclose information on their broadcasting to Central Asia, the TWR printed schedule for summer 2001 lists a Turkmen programme Sundays 16.40 h UTC on 864 and 5855 kHz from Armenia. The US-organizations started their efforts to start broadcasting Christian programming in Turkmen in 1991, but due to the lack of Christians with a command of Turkmen and qualified for broadcasting it took a decade to bring the programmes on the air. Dave Hansen, Back to the Bible's vice president of international ministries, says his organization "adopted" the people of Turkmenistan in 1991. "We began to raise funds for what we hoped at that time would soon be a radio ministry in the Turkmen language. Now in the year 2001 after 10 long -- sometimes frustrating -- years, we are grateful that we've been able to work with HCJB World Radio to put this language on the air." Roger Stubbe of HCJB World Radio's International Radio Group in Colorado Springs, Colo. "A Turkmen speaker was identified in the past year, and he has produced a number of programs that are now being aired." When German Evangeliums-Rundfunk started their broadcasting in Kyrgyz and Kazakh in the early 80s they relied on ethnic Germans who left Central Asia for Western Germany. There are only few ethnic Turkmen Christians and Turkmenistan government has stepped up efforts to persecute any religious activity aside from the state-sanctioned Sunni Muslim Board and the Russian Orthodox Church. According to Keston News Service, confiscation of private property used for religious activity appears to be the latest weapon in the Turkmen government's campaign. It appears to have begun in late 2000 with the confiscation of the homes of four protestant families who have since fled the country. Since then the Pentecostal and Baptist churches in the capital of Ashgabad have been confiscated, while the home of a family of Jehovah's Witnesses in Ashgabad is in the process of confiscation. A Turkmen government agency informed bookstores in March that the Bible may no longer be offered for sale in either the Russian or Turkmen. (Top news stories from HCJB World Radio for June 18-22, 2001, with additional information from Dr. Hansjoerg Biener, who earlier this year published an article on (international) "Radio Broadcasting and Central Asia", in: Central Asia Monitor (Institute for Democratic Development, Vermont) 10,2001,1, S. 17 - 23.) (Biener, June 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Looks like these qualify as clandestine broadcasts (gh, DXLD) ** U K / U S A. My report on the BBC cuts airs this weekend on On the Media. It goes out to the public radio system today. Check your local NPR station for the time, or to see if they carry it. Thanks everyone for your help. Best regards, (David Goren, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) For airtimes see http://www.publicradiofan.com/cgi-bin/program.pl?programid=69 It`s also archived at http://www.wnyc.org (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) Here's where the audio will be available on the net. http://www.wnyc.org/new/talk/onthemedia/otmindex.html (Goren, swprograms via DXLD) ** U K. Subject: [BDXC-UK] BBCWS decision: replies to my letters to politicians Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 11:28:38 +0100 DX Information from the British DX Club (BDXC-UK). Copies of my letters to my M.P and the various Ministers posted. Three replies so far: Menzies Campbell, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesman: Standard pre-printed House of Commons acknowledgement card received Wednesday "...acknowledges with thanks the receipt of your communication of the 14th June re BBC World Service the contents of which have been noted" However his secretary did write on "He will do all he can!" The exclamation mark gives me some hope he might bend on a few ears. Letter in this morning from my M.P., Oliver Heald, who is a Conservative, who says: "Many thanks for your letter and for enclosing a copy of the correspondence you sent to various Ministers about the BBC World Service's decision to cease broadcasting to North America, Australia and New Zealand with effect from 1st July. I have immediately taken up the matter on your behalf with both the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, as well as the Opposition Spokesman, Peter Ainsworth MP. I shall be in touch with you again just as soon as I receive their replies." And one in from Peter Ainsworth MP as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport copied to my MP. "Thank you for your letter of 14 June in which you raise your concerns about BBC World Service to cease broadcasting on shortwave to North America, Australia and New Zealand from July 1st. I am immediately writing to the BBC and will be in touch in due course. " Interesting that the Conservatives line of approach seems to be to the BBC direct via Culture, Media and Sport, i.e. Mark Byford's bosses. Will keep you posted. (Mike Barraclough, UK, swprograms and BDXC-UK via DXLD) viz.: --------------------------------------------------------------------- 14th June 2001 Dear Mr Heald, I am enclosing a copy of a letter I have sent to Mr Dennis MacShane, Minister at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with Responsiblity for BBC World Service. Copies, with an amended last paragraph, have also been sent to the Rt. Hon Francis Maude and Rt. Hon Menzies Campbell as Opposition and Liberal Democrat FCO spokespersons. The Prime Ministers Office has been directing letters from North American listeners about this decision to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport so I have also sent my letter to the Rt. Hon Tessa Jowell, Peter Ainsworth and Nick Harvey. The decision was announced on 8th May; I would have contacted you and the respective Ministers and opposition spokespersons earlier had it not been for the election campaign. You may well have seen several letters, particularly in the Daily Telegraph, on this matter from North American listeners and they have set up a campaign to co- ordinate their efforts. I do not feel the BBC World Service should be allowed to take this decision without Parliamentary scrutiny. The maintenance of an effective BBC World Service has always had cross party support and I would hope that you and other MP`s will ask that the BBC World Service rescind this decision. Yours sincerely, Michael Barraclough June 14th 2001 Dear Mr MacShane, I have been a shortwave listener for 37 years and am writing to you concerning the decision of the BBC World Service to cease broadcasting on shortwave to North America, Australia and New Zealand from July 1st. This decision is premature. BBC figures show that 1.2 million people in North America listen to the shortwave service. The FM rebroadcasts the BBC refers to as an alternative are either between midnight and 6am or short news capsules outside of peak time listening hours. They are carried by low power public radio stations with limited coverage. An analysis has shown that many parts of North America have no FM coverage whatsoever. Internet audio, which the BBC also refers to, suffers from net congestion, interruptions due to rights issues and lack of portability. I have travelled to most parts of the North American continent. I have always taken with me a reasonably priced shortwave receiver about the size of a paperback book. I have nearly always been able to clearly receive BBC World Service shortwave transmissions, often in less than ideal conditions in downtown hotel rooms. Reception is the equivalent of local mediumwave stations. 10% of North American households have access to a shortwave set. Annual sales of shortwave sets are over one million and both major receiver manufacturers, Grundig and Sony, report increasing year on year sales. The cost savings are half a million pounds a year, a very small percentage of the World Services budget. The BBC World Service favourably influences attitudes towards Britain throughout the world. This results in business investment, tourism, political support and understanding, and purchase of British products. In North America the BBC World Service gives a balanced view of the Northern Ireland situation, important given the constantly fragile nature of the peace process and to counter fund raising efforts in North America by Republican terrorist organisations. We need the BBC World Service to give a balanced view of the impact of the foot and mouth crisis so that the tourism industry can recover. I fail to see why the BBC World Service is abandoning effective coverage of the important North American audience by the cessation of its shortwave service. The reaction I have seen on the internet newsgroups and through letters in UK newspapers shows how much it is valued by its North American shortwave audience. I trust that your Department will ask the BBC World Service to urgently reconsider this decision. Yours sincerely, Michael Barraclough cc. Oliver Heald MP (Mike Barraclough, BDXC-UK June 23 via DXLD) Friday June 22 5:38 PM ET Shortwave Lovers Mourn BBC Service By CHRIS FONTAINE, Associated Press Writer LONDON (AP) - Long before CNN and the Internet were born, the British Broadcasting Corp.'s World Service radio was a global information force, beaming trusted dispatches past the censors of oppressive regimes, providing in-depth stories to those who craved word of events beyond their own borders. From Tuscany to Tibet to Texas, huddling around a shortwave radio to listen to the BBC is for millions a tradition that dates back to the days when the sun never set on the British Empire. But shortwave listeners in the United States, Canada and Australia are about to lose that scholarly voiced BBC welcome - ``This is London'' - at the top of every hour. The service is being discontinued on June 30. Full story at: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010622/wl/britain_shortwave_blues_1.html (via Sergei Sosedkin, David Alpert, Mike Cooper, and several others, DXLD) ** U S A. WBCQ`s program manager Michael –- plans to widen the variety, with shows from BBC and RCI which are going to be missing from SW in NAm, and some from public radio, such as World Cafe, produced at WXPN Philadelphia. He was conversing on the phone with Allan Weiner on AWWW UT Saturday June 23 after 0000, but a sudden fade interrupted already marginal copy here around 0015 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re KMJ, Boehnke`s comments: Very interesting. They claim to not be using the new antenna system, but several reliable DX'ers have reported them as having virtually disappeared. The old antenna is ND, but an odd wavelength (3/8). I have always thought they got out quite well. The new antenna will be a half wavelength. It should be interesting (if they aren't already using it and aren't fessing up because they're disappointed in the performance) to see how it turns out. 73, (Dennis Gibson, CA, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. Hi Glenn, "Jim Hawkins' Radio And Broadcast Technology Page" has added a page dedicated to 1220 WGAR (now WKNR, soon to be WHK) in Cleveland. Included are many pictures and a history of the station. http://hawkins.pair.com/wknr.html 73, (Dave Kirby N1DK, http://www.n1dk.com DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WAMU Cuts Daily Bluegrass, Country Shows -- By Frank Ahrens Public radio WAMU is taking all weekday music -- bluegrass and classic country -- off the air and relegating it to weekends and its new Internet site beginning Monday. To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35491-2001Jun22.html Now, if we can just get WAMU to drop All Things Considered (already carried in this area by WETA) in favor of the BBC World Service, we can hear the BBC while we're stuck in traffic on the Beltway. The Brits will enjoy that, since their last incursion was in 1814. (Tom McNiff, Burke, Virginia, USA, June 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Dear Sir, I checked out http://www.timesurvey.nist.gov and it has two different versions of the survey, also the deadline is September 30, 2001. 73, your listener, (David Moore, Morro Bay California, June 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [?]. Special News: To the folks at F.R.W.!!! Yep... The upper HF propagation in the 11, 13, 15, 16, and 19M bands still suck!!! However, on some evenings the 11M sporadic-E Summer propagation has been in there. Although not as strong as I'd like it... But... We take what we can get!!! So, when the 11M skip has peaked to decent signal levels, relays of Radio 3 and Mystery Science Radio have gone out on 25.820 MHz on either USB and lately NBFM, (narrow band FM) mode! The NBFM is much cleaner and doesn't bother the phonelines. If you don't have NBFM on your rig, try this old trick!!! Go to AM mode and tune either +/-3 kHz of the frequency you want to DX that's in NBFM. This is a very simple form of what's called Slope Detection. Yeah... It will sound a bit raspy, but it should do the trick!!! To try this out, go to a known 10M FM repeater on 29.620, 29.640, 29.660, and 29.680 MHz. Also, some commercial radio stations have 24 hour auxiliary stations in Florida on 25.870 MHz and 26.470 MHz using NBFM. Barring any T-storms and even worse propagation... Look for relays to go out on 25.820 MHz USB or NBFM from 23:00 to 04:00 UT. Best way to RX this? Get out them CB 11M antennas!!! Happy DX'ing!!! The Dude (Slope detection does work, not well it does work, Editor). (Free Radio Weekly June 23 via DXLD) ** VATICAN. After having broadcast for years on 5882/5883 (nominal frequency 5880 kHz) Vatican Radio is now broadcasting right on 5885. Hi all, (Stefano Valianti, Italy, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re Vatican Radio on 5885, further checks show they still use 5883 during evenings and move to 5885 during daytime. 73, (Stefano Valianti, ibid. June 23, DXLD) ** VIETNAM [non]. Re DXLD 1-085: I have seen an official RFA sked in which this broadcast is listed as a test transmission. However I have also seen a "not for release" version which confirms Taiwan is the source of this broadcast (Richard Jary, Australia, Jun 16, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA. Bill Westenhaver spotted this on the Guardian Unlimited site and thought you should see it. ------- Note from Bill Westenhaver: So, would this mean an end to the RASD radio broadcasts via Algeria?? 73- Bill ------- To see this story with its related links on the Guardian Unlimited site, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk UN admits defeat on Western Sahara Security council urged to accept Morocco's annexation Giles Tremlett in Madrid Thursday June 21 2001 The Guardian The United Nations is about to capitulate to Morocco and, on the recommendation of the former US secretary of state James Baker, replace its long-standing plan for a self-rule referendum for the people of Western Sahara by a scheme to turn them into Moroccans. Mr Baker, now the UN envoy to Western Sahara, has reversed 25 years of UN policy in a report to the security council urging it to drop the referendum. UN diplomats in New York said the council would be asked in the next few days to give Mr Baker five months to bring about an agreement which would, in effect, recognise Morocco's annexation of this stretch of phosphate-rich desert on the north-west coast of Africa. Officials said he would try to persuade leaders of the Polisario Front, which represents the once-nomadic Sahrawi people, to accept autonomy within Morocco. His recommendation has enraged the Polisario, which successfully evicted the Moroccan army from part of the territory during a 16-year war which ended in a ceasefire 10 years ago. "This may work for Morocco but not for the Sahrawi people," its representatives in Madrid, Brahim Gali, said. "The point should not be to present alternatives to what is already recognised by international law. No one can substitute our right to self-determination. "We cannot judge a proposal that we have not seen. But it must be remembered that Mr Baker is not the United Nations. The decisions are made by the security council." The Polisario's highly effective fighters were geared up to return to war earlier this year. They halted plans to reopen their desert campaign after last minute pressure from their main backer, Algeria. Morocco moved into the desert region - about the size of the UK - after it was abandoned by its former colonial master, Spain, in 1975. Mr Baker's recommendation, which is said to be supported by the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, follows the UN mission to Western Sahara's repeated failure to organise the referendum on self- determination. Held out as a promise to the Polisario Front when it agreed to a ceasefire with Morocco mediated by the UN in 1991, the referendum was meant to be held eight years ago. About 160,000 Sahrawis have spent the past 25 years living on aid in tents and mud huts in vast refugee camps in the middle of an infertile, stony desert. Frank Ruddy, once a senior UN official in Western Sahara, has blamed the UN for not standing up to the Moroccan bullying that prevented a voter list being drawn up. But UN sources said yesterday that Mr Baker was convinced this was the only way forward. "This report will mark a turning point in the Western Sahara affair," one said. "Without a compromise, this question will never be resolved." Morocco, whose UN representative, Mohamed Bennouna, declined to comment formally, was reported to be happy with the proposal. There was no explanation yesterday of how, in a highly centralised state like Morocco, Sahrawi autonomy might be exercised or guaranteed. The French newspaper Le Monde reported that the plan foresaw Morocco handing over 20% of the income generated by the region to a central- government appointed regional administrator and a local assembly. Control of the police, the army, foreign affairs and customs would stay in Moroccan hands. If the security council votes for the plan, the future of the Sahrawi people will hang on the diplomatic wishes of Washington, Paris, Rabat and Algiers. The first three are reported to be happy to follow the Baker agenda. Algeria has said it is dissatisfied with the proposal, but has sent Mr Baker a memorandum saying it does not rule it out as a basis for talks. Washington is particularly keen to see Algeria and Morocco become friends, and act as a bulwark between the Arab world and the west. Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited (via Bill Westenhaver, QE, DXLD) ###