DX LISTENING DIGEST 1-154, October 20, 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 #1101: (STREAM) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1101.ram (DOWNLOAD) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1101.rm (SUMMARY) http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wor1101.html NEXT BROADCASTS on RFPI: Sun 0600 on 15050; 1200 on 15040? 21815? NEXT BROADCASTS on WWCR: Sun 0628 on 3215; Mon 0000 on 3215 DX AND MEDIA PROGRAMS, another update anticipating changes as of Oct 21: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html GLENN HAUSER`S VHF DX IN THAILAND, 1970 ======================================= I have now uploaded Glenn Hauser's Thailand VHF DX article: http://www.geocities.com/toddemslie/glennhauser_thai_vhfdx.html I've uploaded most of Glenn Hauser's 'Australasian scene' WTFDA, Thailand VHF DX reports: http://www.geocities.com/toddemslie/glennhauser_austscene1.html http://www.geocities.com/toddemslie/glennhauser_austscene2.html http://www.geocities.com/toddemslie/glennhauser_austscene3.html Since Glenn is the only DXer that has seriously monitored for VHF DX in the equatorial zone, these articles are an important reference. I've written to Glenn, regarding his old Thailand open reel tapes. He still has them, but he's not sure were! I think it is important that he eventually copies these tapes on to disc. The BBC ch B1, ChF2 TV, and ch2 AFKN audio is especially important. Since the scans are from a photostat of a another photostat, the quality is mediocre. Also, please be patient for the scans to download. Regards, (Todd Emslie, Sydney, Australia http://www.geocities.com/toddemslie/index.html Oct 19, WTFDA via DXLD) Thanks, Todd! I read through them again, and brought back a lot of memories (Glenn) UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL I just wanted you to know how much this DXer appreciates your website! I have listened to shortwave since I was a teenager, but just recently found your site by linking through HCJB. Thank you so much. I just wish you had your own domain, so angelfire ads would not constantly pop up. This is a small price to pay however. You may not know it, but you are the anchor for DXers on the Internet, just like the BBC is the anchor for all English speaking shortwave listeners around the world! By the way, are you really based out of Oklahoma? My wife is from Stigler. God bless (John D. Burr, Houston, Oct 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AFGHANISTAN [non?]. Subject: [SWL] 8700 kHz via long path? Tonight I had a very noticeable echo on the 8700 kHz Commando Solo/Psyops/Information Radio broadcasts. It was most prominent when the signal peaked around 0130z. By 0200 the signal was much weaker, and the echo was less noticeable. It didn't sound like room acoustics, but more like the signal was arriving via two paths, as sometimes happens on shortwave. This was on an R8A with a K9AY antenna (which produced the same S- meter reading in all 4 directions). Oddly enough, there was no echo on my Icom 706 ham rig with a 40 meter Isotron antenna (an omni- directional looplike thing about 30" in diameter). The only thing I can figure was a difference in vertical patterns between the two antennas. Coincidentally, this was just after sunset in Seattle and near sunrise in Kabul, so it was essentially a greyline path between those cities at that hour (and maybe an hour or so after sunrise in Diego Garcia, fwiw). Has anyone else noticed this? (Bruce Portzer, Seattle, WA, USA, Oct 19, hard-core-dx via DXLD) The US 'psyops' station on 8700 heard here in Canberra tonight (Sat 20 Oct) at good level on 8700U, from 1255 t/in, with talks in Dari/Pashto, then regional music. This is being reported here at various times of the day (Matt Francis, Canberra, AUSTRALIA, ARDXC, via DXLD) ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. Afghanistan via USSR facilities: Perhaps it is of some interest that back in the old days not only Russian transmitters was in use by Radio Kabul. A listing from 1990 shows 4740, 4940 and 4975, frequencies known for the Yangi-Yul site in Tajikistan. It is also possible that Soviet sites outside Russia operated some of the higher frequencies like it was probably the case with Radio Habana Cuba; I dimly remember gossip that RHC transmissions used to originate from the Ukraine. By the way, today 8700 was again quite good here during the afternoon. Regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not much audible Oct 20 from 1230, but confirmable again Oct 21 from 0030 well past 0200 on 8700-USB (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AFGHANISTAN. Interview with Mike Linstead of BBCM Caversham with excerpts of Information Radio, including identifying some of the songs, and translations of the messages. On NPR`s Weekend Edition Saturday, Oct 20, originally airing at 1340 UT: Psy-ops (5:30) Scott Simon talks with Mike Linstead, a news editor with BBC Monitoring in Caversham, England, about U.S. military broadcasts to the people of Afghanistan. The BCC recorded some of these broadcasts this week from their monitoring post in Caversham. Using specially fitted C-130 aircraft called "Commando Solos," U.S. forces are playing music and advising Afghan civilians to stay away from military targets in their country. For more on this story, visit our feature, "Good Morning, Afghanistan." http://www.npr.org/features/2001/psyops/011020.psyops.html [also has links to two of the songs on SSB without interruption, as long as they last, until the files end abruptly between 2 and 3 minutes] Listen to the entire report: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20011020.wesat.18.ram (via Glenn Hauser, DXLD) Today`s Times has an article on Caversham with colour picture on the web: How Caversham is keeping tabs on the Taleban BY ADAM SHERWIN, MEDIA REPORTER BEHIND the imposing doors of Caversham Park an army of experts is tuning in to every word of the Taleban. A 400-strong team working round-the-clock at the BBC Monitoring Centre near Reading could prove as influential as the Bletchley Park code-breakers. A network of satellite dishes behind the mansion are the only clues to the high-tech operations within. Inside, rows of listeners sit with earphones to monitor satellite television and radio broadcasts from the furthest corners of the globe. The aim is to monitor what the world media is saying and select the material of greatest interest to customers, who include the Foreign Office. Full article here: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2001350020-2001364027,00.html (Mike Barraclough, England, Oct 20, DXLD) COMMUNICATIONS WORLD script: KIM: Welcome to the program for October 20th, 2001. In Afghanistan, bombs and missiles are not the only weapons being used against Taliban and Al Qaeda forces. Words are also being used, by U.S. military psychological operations personnel. In the past week, there have been many news stories about leaflets being dropped into Afghanistan, and broadcasts being transmitted in the area by U.S. Air Force C-130 Commando Solo aircraft. These leaflets and broadcasts contain specific information for military personnel and civilians in Afghanistan. Some of the leaflets tell people to listen to special broadcasts at 5 to 10 and 17 to 22 local time, which is 030 to 530 and 1230 to 1730 UT. The frequencies are 864 and 1107 kilohertz medium wave. Eleven-0-7 was formerly used by Taliban radio in Kabul. Another frequency on the leaflet is 8700 kilohertz. That is a shortwave frequency. DXers through Asia, Europe, and North America, including me, have been hearing the broadcasts on this frequency. This is in upper sideband mode, which cannot be received by most shortwave radios used by civilians in Afghanistan. Many DXers think this is a feed transmission to the aircraft from a land-based transmitter. The station using these three frequencies is called, simply, "Information Radio," and here's an excerpt as heard by BBC Monitoring. AUDIO KIM: And the broadcasts are, of course, in Dari and Pashto. Among the messages transmitted, according to BBC Monitoring: TALENT: Attention please, people of Afghanistan. The United States forces are passing over your country. We did not come here to harm you. We just came here to capture Usamah Bin-Ladin, Al-Qa'idah and those who support Usamah Bin-Ladin. Please don't take part in any military action and keep away from roads and bridges. Stay at home. We did not come here to colonize your country or to loot your country. Stay safe, stay indoors. KIM: Other broadcasts, however, appear to be directed at Taleban troops with statements such as "Our bombs are so accurate we can drop them right though your window." And still other broadcasts accompany the humanitarian food drops, letting listeners knows that the food now being dropped in Afghanistan is Halal, or prepared in accordance with tenets of Islam. [For the translated contents of leaflets dropped into Afghanistan, see http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/18/ret.flyers/index.html ] There is an extra medium wave transmitter on the Commando Solo aircraft, so VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty accepted an opportunity to use it for clear reception in Afghanistan. The frequency is 980 kilohertz. The programming consists of VOA Dari and Pashto and RFE/RL Uzbek, Tajik and Persian. These are combined in two five-hour transmission streams at same time as the other Commando Solo broadcasts: 030 to 530 and 1230 to 1730 UTC. On 980, no other programming is being mixed with VOA and RFE/RL content, and that channel does not transmit the messages or public service announcements heard on 864 and 1107 kilohertz. BBC Monitoring continues to follow broadcasting in and to Afghanistan. As of Friday, the Taleban's Radio Voice of Shari'ah in the city of Mazar e-Sharif, close to where Northern Alliance and Taleban forces are fighting, was still on the air on 1584 kilohertz. The domestic and external services of Radio Voice of Shari'ah in Kabul have not been heard on medium or shortwave since October 8th. (VOA Communications World Oct 20 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** AFGHANISTAN. Media roundup 20 Oct 2001 Balkh radio still on the air Radio Voice of Shari'ah of Balkh Province - the Taleban-controlled provincial radio station based in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif - continues to be heard by BBC Monitoring. It was heard on 1584 kHz mediumwave from 1230-1500 gmt on Friday 19 October. On Saturday 20 October, it signed on at the usual time of 0230 gmt and was heard until scheduled sign-off at 0430 gmt. It was heard later on 1584 kHz mediumwave from scheduled sign-on at 1230 gmt, broadcasting a preview of the evening's programes, followed by recitations from the Koran. Balkh radio, 0230-0430 gmt, 20 October Following are some of the items included in the morning broadcast on 20 October: - 0230 gmt - Recitation from the Koran and interpretation. - Feature on Islamic education, giving examples from the Islamic tradition and teaching methods. - Slogans. - Listeners' letters acknowledged and answered. - More slogans. - 0330 gmt - News in Pashto. - Poem praising the Taleban: this was heard with very poor reception, and the first lines of the poem were indistinct. The poem was first recited in a declamatory fashion, sentence by sentence, and then sung as a rhythmic melodic song without music: Dear Taleb, you are pursuing the right path, This is the track of glory and fame for the whole nation that you are on, One can see the champions of the nation in you. The Afghan nation takes pride in you, You will not give up dying for liberty. Dear Taleb, you will mount attacks on the enemy as required, You will not let up your consolidated might. The Afghan nation takes pride in you. You are making sacrifices for the Afghan nation's honour. [Further lines of the poem were indistinct.] - Commentary on US-led air raids across the country. - More slogans. - 0400 gmt - News in Dari. - Northern Alliance forces in the areas of (?Dalan) sub-district have been severely defeated as result of mopping-up operations which started last night and have been continuing until today (repeat of previously-broadcast report from 19 October). - The commander of army corps No. 5 met the commander of No 1 military division (repeat). - A thief caught by security officials of Andkhoy District some time ago was given 39 lashes after admitting to his crime (repeat). - A delegation of the military department for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice of the northern zone attended a meeting held by the religious people of Sholgara District recently (repeat). - The head of Dawlatabad District chaired a meeting of the villagers and people's representatives in the district (repeat). - A public meeting was held in Balkh Province's Chemtal District to condemn the US attacks on Afghanistan (repeat). - Commentary: The efforts made by foreign countries to form a government for Afghanistan will fail because this does not ensure the interests of the country. - 0421 gmt - Uzbek programme. Balkh radio 1230-1500 gmt, 19 Oct Following are some of the items included in the Balkh radio broadcast in Pashto, Dari and Turkmen from 1230-1500 gmt on Friday 19 October: - Recitation of the Holy Koran, followed by interpretation. - Songs in Pashto and then in Dari. - An interviewee said that Americans should not be permitted to enter the sacred territory of Afghanistan. - Song in Pashto. 1330 gmt - News in Pashto, followed by commentary: 1. Northern Alliance forces in the areas of (?Dalan) sub-District have been severely defeated as result of mopping-up operations which started on the night of 18 October and have been continuing until the 19th. Fifty of the opposition are reported to have been killed and 30 injured in these operations. 2.The commander of army corps No. 5 met the commander of No 1 military division. 3. A thief caught by security officials of Andkhoy District some time ago was given 39 lashes after admitting to his crime. 4. A delegation of the military department for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice of the northern zone attended a meeting held by the religious people of Sholgara District recently. 5. The head of Dawlatabad District chaired a meeting of the villagers and people's representatives in the district the previous day. 6. The deputy head of Chemtal District chaired a meeting of the villagers and representatives of the district recently. 7. Reception poor - possibly a commentary but unmonitorable. - Songs in Pashto praising soldiers fighting at the front. - Programme "Rah-e-Nijat" (Way of Salvation); a cleric answers religious questions about social life. - Song in Pashto followed by song in Dari. - Discussion: Islam will be victorious. In these nine (as heard) days of attacks the Americans have failed to achieve their goal and will fail in future. - Song in Pashto. 1430 gmt - News in Dari followed by commentary; this was a repeat of the 1330 gmt news bulletin in Pashto. -Annoucements (poor reception). - List of pharmacies on duty. - Commentary (unmonitorable). - Songs in Dari. 1454 gmt - News in Turkmen: 1. A report says that enemy forces failed to withstand Taleban forces and were dispersed into the mountains. 2. The commander of the 5th division met another commander today and noted the high morale amongst the troops. 3. At a meeting held in a district, the deputy governor of the district delivered a report on the political and military situation in the country and referred to the "wild attacks" being carried out by the USA and its allies on Afghanistan. The speakers voiced their readiness for holy war, jihad to defend the sacred values of Islam religion. 4. A resident of Gorgan District was caught red-handed stealing. He was given 39 lashes by the local court on 18 October. Kabul radio still unheard The Taleban radio station, Radio Voice of Shari'ah from Kabul, has remained unheard by BBC Monitoring since Monday 8 October. ... Iran: TV commentary says US wants to impose "censorship" on media A commentary broadcast by Iranian TV on 19 October focused on alleged efforts by US officials to censor and control reporting of developments in Afghanistan, and said the aim behind this was to prevent revelations of the number of civilian casualties. The following is the text of the commentary: [First announcer] American officials have been trying to prevent the disclosure of the number of civilian casualties caused by the attack on Afghanistan and this has led to limited the media's coverage [of the events in Afghanistan]. Please listen to a commentary on this issue: [Second announcer] At a time when we are receiving various reports on the massacre of Afghan civilians as a result of America's air raids on Afghanistan, news sources have reported that the American War Department, the Pentagon, has sought to prevent the mass media from gaining access to highly accurate photographs of the effects of the bombing of Afghanistan which have been taken by non-military satellites. Military experts say that America has managed to obtain highly accurate intelligence on and satellite photographs of Afghanistan by using its military satellites and that it does not need the photographs taken by non-military satellites at all. However, the Pentagon has spent millions of dollars to buy the photographs taken by non-military satellites because it intends to make sure that those photographs will not be shown. Those photographs clearly show that civilians have been killed and that non-military areas in Afghanistan have been destroyed as a result of American air raids. This shows that American statesmen are scared that the massive scale of the American military's crimes against humanity and against the innocent people of Afghanistan will be revealed. [Journalist, Felahatpisheh - identified by on-screen caption - recording] America's attempt to impose censorship on the news media began when journalistic circles began to raise the issue of an American land attack and the timing of such an attack. In my view, the censorship has been imposed for two reasons. Firstly, during the operations, the Americans surely committed a number of inhumane acts. Thus we are likely to witness terrible humanitarian catastrophes. The other issue is that if the Americans encounter any problems in Afghanistan or if, for example, Afghan forces inflict casualties on them, they want to ensure that news of such events would not be given full coverage throughout the world. Moreover, we have seen that American politicians are making a huge effort to impose a kind of respectable censorship on various media organizations in the world. In fact, they want to prevent them from providing the necessary information to people around the world. At present, at least 85 per cent of media organizations inside America and more than 65 per cent of European media organizations are seriously under the influence of the Zionist lobby. Thus we can see that, as far as the events in Afghanistan are concerned, the Zionists and the Americans are pursuing a common policy. [Second announcer] Of course, since the beginning of American military operations in Afghanistan, the American media, which had already fired the first shot in the operations, began to coordinate fully with the Pentagon and accepted the responsibility for justifying and supporting the military attacks on Afghanistan. This is despite the fact that Pentagon and American State Department officials have officially imposed censorship on Western media organizations. This censorship, which still continues, has been imposed on the pretext of national security considerations. However, the fact of the matter is that this development has certainly discredited popular slogans in the Western world, especially in America, on the importance of the transparency of the information dissemination process, freedom of expression and freedom of journalists. As a result, media organizations have been turned into instruments of the American Defence Department's propaganda campaign. The American people have remained uninformed about the situation and they are falsely satisfied with the futile war which American generals have started. [Journalist - Taha Hashemi - identified by on-screen caption - recording] News agencies in independent countries are opposing such American policies and they are insisting that if one wants to fight terrorism decisively and comprehensively, then the United Nations should lead any such operation. Thus they should try to guide the public opinion and cover the events which are taking place in Afghanistan and Palestine and even in other countries which are putting pressure on Muslim minorities because of the West's wrong and negative propaganda campaigns. Now, in order to inform the international community of those realities, there has to be a kind of unity and convergence, in terms of providing news coverage, among independent news agencies. Naturally, the Islamic Republic [of Iran] should play the main role in that important undertaking. In this way, such [word indistinct] operations carried out by America can be limited and revealed. Above all, they can report on the reality of the situation in the areas which America has attacked. The people must know about those atrocities and the poverty and miserable existence of [the Afghan] people. Afghanistan becoming less prominent in Central Asia media reporting The media in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan were behaving normally on Friday 19 October, with Afghanistan generally moving further down the running order in major news bulletins and the focus shifting to domestic politics, industry and agriculture. Economic news moved back to the top of the main evening news on Uzbek TV on 19 October, with Afghanistan moving back down to the foreign news slot. The southern border town of Termez featured only in a report on archaeological excavations which are under way in preparation for the town's 2,500th anniversary. However, Iranian radio from Mashhad reported that US servicemen had been landed in northern Afghanistan from a helicopter flown from Uzbekistan. On Kazakh TV, news from Afghanistan was well down the running order, with President Nazarbayev's meetings with the public featuring at the top. In Kyrgyzstan, the Advokat newspaper said that "agitators of the Hezb-e Tahrir religious extremist movement" had stepped up their activities in southern Kyrgyzstan, which was attributed to the US military action in Afghanistan. Turkmen TV carried a live broadcast of President Saparmyrat Nyyazow's address to the joint session of the People's Council, the Elders' Congress and the National Revival Movement. Nyyazow, who opened his speech by saying that he would remain seated because his leg ached, appeared distracted as he presented the Ruhnama, or the Turkmen moral code, written on his instructions. He also called for talks over Afghanistan. The Tajik media gave wide coverage to Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi's visit to Tajikistan and his talks with President Emomali Rahmonov. In an interview broadcast on television, Kharrazi described the talks about Afghanistan and regional security as "fruitful". Compiled by Foreign Media Unit, BBC Monitoring Telephone +44 118 948 6261 e-mail: fmu@mon.bbc.co.uk Source: BBC Monitoring research 20 Oct 01 (via DXLD; some repetitive portions omitted) ** BRAZIL. Rádio P1 I Nos dias 12 e 13 de Outubro foi ouvida esta emissora pirata brasileira transmitindo nos 7148 kHz. Várias manifestações foram apresentadas na lista radioescutas. Abaixo um relato sobre esta emissora. - Nascida de uma brincadeira e porque não um sonho de duas pessoas. Um deles aficcionado em eletrônica, radioescuta; codnome "SKY" e o outro radioescuta desde os anos 80, com vários países confirmados; codnome "BLUE". Tudo começou com uma montagem costumeira de um transmissor de ondas curtas de baixa potência. Foram usadas várias peças tiradas de eqptos. com defeito. O transmissor foi configurado da seguinte forma: Potência de saída 4 watts, frequência operada à cristal 7148 kHz, transistor de saída TIP 41 (isso mesmo!!!), fonte de 15 amperes/13,8 volts, microfone de eletreto usado em computador e acoplado a um gravador p/ amplificar o áudio até o modulador. Modulador foi feito com um transformador de áudio de rádio a válvula. A antena foi uma dipolo cortada p/ a frequência dos 40 metros. Na parte musical e identificação foi usado um microsystem com 2 decks e um disk man p/ as músicas. Acreditem!!! O pássaro que identifica a emissora é de estimação nosso. Trata-se de um canário belga (o nome depende da região) que canta muito. No dia 12 de outubro por volta de 22hs local não tínhamos idéia do que ia acontecer e até onde estava chegando a transmissão, pois pensávamos que o alcance iria ser sòmente na cidade. Mas não...Começaram a aparecer telefonemas e e-mails de vários lugares distantes. Ficamos surpresos pois apenas uma brincadeira ficou sério. Resolvemos então mantê-la no ar por mais tempo. Iríamos deixar sòmente uma hora mas aí deixamos duas horas. No dia 13 de outubro retomamos a transmissão também às 22 horas até às 00:15hs local. Agradamos uns e desagradamos outros. Nossa intenção foi fazer algumas pessoas se animarem (incentivar) ainda mais com o hobby da radioescuta. Muitas pessoas tem rádio mas não sabem a quantidade de informação que podemos ter através das emissões em ondas curtas principalmente enriquecendo-nos com a cultura de outros povos. Também fazer o pessoal prestarem atenção nas emissões de baixa potência que é um verdadeiro DX. Agradecemos a todos que de uma forma ou de outra contribuíram p/ o sucesso desta transmissão. Lembrando que o pessoal que enviou o relatório de recepção via e-mail. Serão com certeza confirmados com o cartão QSL. Abraços...Rádio P-1, Transmissores - SKY, Programação musical - BLUE (@tividade DX Oct 20 via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. A Rádio Aparecida transmitirá um programa "Encontro DX" especial no dia 3 de novembro próximo. Será em comemoração aos 15 anos do programa. Confira em 5035, 6135, 9630 e 11855 (Célio Romais, @tividade DX Oct 20 via DXLD) ** CANADA. This gets more interesting (at least to me!!!!!!) by the minute. I THINK what you are referring to, in Past years, is 2200 UT 5.925 MHz RCI SACKVILLE beamed to USA (NOT Europe), perhaps I am wrong, if so I am puzzled!!!!! (Ken Fletcher, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe so, or maybe too, but didn`t you see already the 1995 listing WB pulled out showing 5925, Sackville to Europe, 60 degrees, 20-22 UT in DXLD 1-152 (gh, DXLD) 9755 is not one of the frequencies to Europe at 2200-2300 UT. 5995 was usually used direct from Sackville during the winters 2200-2300. It is now an hour earlier (Ricky Leong, QU, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Just a few further comments regarding RCI on 49 metres to clarify the point: 5995 is indeed a traditional Skelton frequency, currently in use from Hörby instead. But now they drop this long-established European relay and just keep the frequency up from Sackville instead, certainly propagating but nevertheless resulting in a considerable loss of signal strength, and this within the 49 metre band which is here in Europe during winter evenings severely overcrowded. It is my impression that Europe is no longer an actual target for RCI's shortwave service; they just keep up something for the die-hard listeners. All this while some people still hope for a possible revival of RCI broadcasts in German. Recently a discussion of this matter in the German A-DX mailing list led to a comment "it's dead, just forget it". Perhaps somewhat cynical, but I am unable to contradict. Regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. KIM: In the past few days, a number of news reports said that China had relaxed its restrictions on foreign Web sites. This is to allow reporters covering the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, or APEC, to keep in touch with their newspapers or broadcasting organizations back home. But according to my friend in Xi'an province and recent news reports, all the Voice of America Web sites are still blocked. My friend in Xi'an said he was able to access the BBC World Service Web site for a few minutes at about 015 UTC on October 18th. He wrote, "These few minutes of BBC opening up almost galvanized me to heaven, because this is the first time I've seen the BBC's homepage since 1998." Now he tells me that he can access the World Service home page, but no further into the site. The Deutsche Welle site was off for a time, but is back on. According to BBC News, the U.S. television networks CNN and NBC, and the Washington Post newspaper, are now accessible. My friend in Jiangsu province confirms the report from my friend in Xi'an that the VOA Web sites are still blocked there, including voaspecialenglish dot com. My Jiangsu friend is concerned about the blocking of the Special English Web site. He writes that it would have done a lot in facilitating language learning and fostering listener interest. (Kim Elliott, VOA Communications World Oct 20 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** CUBA. Published Thursday, October 18, 2001 Russia closing huge eavesdropping site in Cuba BY NANCY SAN MARTIN WASHINGTON -- Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday the closing of his government's huge eavesdropping facility in Cuba, an intelligence site that has been a source of political friction between Moscow and the United States for nearly four decades. For Cuba, the decision to close the electronic listening post at Lourdes, just outside of Havana, represents another financial blow because of the estimated $200 million in rent paid annually by Russia, which said it could no longer afford the expense. The site was a crucial Soviet asset throughout the Cold War, and afterward for Russia, because it could monitor virtually all non-land telephone line communications in the southeastern United States as far as Washington. The base occupies about 28 square miles and houses approximately 1,500 Russian engineers, technicians and soldiers, as well as their families, according to a variety of government sources. The principal listening devices constitute a large ``antenna farm,'' mostly of the parabolic variety but with a few vertical towers as well. Together, they download communications signals and feed them to a couple of buildings where computers process the signals and analysts try to decipher them. The sophisticated electronic equipment is employed to intercept telephone calls, faxes and information exchanges by computer, according to documents and testimony presented to Congress. Moscow also has used the facility to communicate with surface and submarine units of its fleet, as well as for communications with its embassies in the Americas. Its demise serves as a political farewell from Russia to its former Cold War ally, analysts said. ``It's the conclusion of what began [with the Cold War],'' said Luis Aguilar León, a professor at the University of Miami's Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies. ``The Soviet Union came with the missiles and the Russians are leaving with a smile.'' Cuban officials in Washington declined to comment on Moscow's announcement, saying official reaction would come from Havana. None was immediately offered by Fidel Castro or any other government official. Russian authorities also confirmed that it would pull out of its military base at Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, in operation since 1979. [originally an American base!! -gh] Moscow's decision to dismantle the base in Cuba immediately strengthened the relationship between Washington and Moscow, which already had gotten a boost from Putin's public support for President Bush's anti-terrorism campaign following the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington. ``I welcome President Putin's announcement . . . that Russia will close its military intelligence-gathering facility . . .,'' Bush said in a statement released in Washington Wednesday. ``This decision is another indication that the Cold War is over. ``President Putin understands that Russia and America are no longer adversaries; we do not judge our successes by how much it complicates life for the other country,'' Bush stated. ``Instead, both nations are taking down relics of the Cold War and building a new, cooperative and transparent relationship for the 21st century.'' The move by Russia raised speculation that China would now take the lead in covert operations on the island. The Chinese are alleged to have built an identical eavesdropping facility in Cuba known as Bejucal. The 2-year-old post in Havana province is believed to be capable of both eavesdropping and ``cyber-warfare.'' For Cuba, the closing of the Lourdes base represents both a financial and political humiliation because Russia is believed to pay about $200 million a year for use of the site in both hard currency and other subsidies, primarily military spare parts for Cuban military equipment. Cuba already is suffering from a decline in both the tourism industry and remittances, a combination that has provided the island with an infusion of dollars and served as the backbone of an ailing economy within the past decade. The decline has been compounded by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which have weakened both travel and money transfers by wire. Cuba also has seen a decline in prices for exports such and nickel and sugar. ``It could not have come at a worse time,'' said María Dolores Espino an economist at St. Thomas University and expert on Cuba's economy. For Cubans on the island that means ``hard times ahead,'' Espino said. Russian chief of staff Anatoly Kvashnin told reporters in Moscow the decision to close the Lourdes base was for financial reasons and it would be dismantled ``this year.'' ``It costs $200 million a year in rent to Cuba,'' Kvashnin said. ``For that amount, we can buy and launch 20 military satellites into space.'' Moscow has said that the intelligence gathering center was needed to monitor U.S. compliance with nuclear treaties and keep tabs on U.S. missile launches. Democratic Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, chairman of the Intelligence Committee said: ``The Russian withdrawal from Lourdes is an indication of the declining influence of Fidel Castro and the strengthening relationship between the United States and Russia. These are both very positive developments.'' Edward González, a consultant to the Rand Corporation on U.S.-Cuba relations, speculated that Castro might attempt to make the Russian decision ``rebound to his advantage'' by offering to cooperate with the United States on terrorism in order to ease the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba. Herald staff writers Juan O. Tamayo and Tim Johnson contributed to this report. Copyright 2001 Miami Herald (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** CUBA. ¿Televisión para entretener? Miriam Leiva / CubaNet LA HABANA, octubre - La programación de la televisión cubana atraviesa por una etapa aún más crítica que la acostumbrada. Las opciones para los televidentes resultan muy limitadas. Sólo existen dos canales nacionales y telecentros en las provincias con emisiones de alrededor de dos horas diarias. Si se restan las horas de transmisiones políticas, también dos diarias como mínimo, así como los súbitos cambios de programación por otras actividades políticas, no queda casi tiempo para "disfrutar" de uno de los pocos entretenimientos a disposición del cubano. Desde hace muchos años se trata de reemplazar los materiales foráneos por otros de producción nacional, principalmente en los programas de mayor teleaudiencia. Ahí comienzan los problemas: libretos hechos por encargo u otros que quizás no fueran inicialmente malos sufren modificaciones para "adecuarlos" a los requerimientos "formadores" del país. A esto se añade los limitados presupuestos, y el resultado es el desastre. Un ejemplo fue la teleserie Violetas de Agua, en la cual psicólogos curaban todos los males con la terapia floral y eran capaces de resolver los más complejos problemas existenciales de sus pacientes como por arte de magia, pero no podían solucionar los propios. Tantos fueron los desaciertos que hasta los periódicos nacionales publicaron devastadoras críticas. No obstante, en el afán por imponer lo cubano, se le concedió mayores frecuencias semanales en detrimento de la telenovela brasileña, que encanta, quizás por sus idílicos personajes, excelente actuación y temáticas con toques de ensoñación. Escape de nuestra cotidiana y dura realidad. [actualmente la Fuerza del Deseo] Al reiniciarse la programación habitual luego de la veraniega, todos esperaban otra novela cubana. Para asombro, se está reponiendo Tierra Brava, de buena factura, pero vista no hace tanto tiempo. Por suerte, no repitieron El Naranjo del Patio, que ya conocemos al detalle y cuya calidad es más que pésima. Llama la atención el espacio Día y Noche, donde tradicionalmente se le hace propaganda a las actividades de la Policía y la Seguridad del Estado. Resulta interesante que junto al habitual tema de la delincuencia común se ha abierto espacio el de la corrupción, que supuestamente no existía en Cuba. Así, empresarios son vinculados a los comerciantes extranjeros que les proporcionan regalías por contratos o pagos para sacar del país obras de arte u otras mercancías adquiridas en el mercado negro. Ello les permite tener un nivel de vida superior, el envanecimiento y hasta la colaboración con "el enemigo". ¿Acaso el problema está muy extendido, y se quiere prevenir o intimidar a los empresarios, o se desea ponerlos en la mira de la población, hoy bastante empobrecida? Respecto a los programas cómicos, el cubano siempre tan hilarante parece perder el humor frente a las cámaras de televisión. Los verdaderos chistes son muy escasos. El mal gusto y la poca imaginación ocupan su lugar. Mención muy especial merecen los niños. En Cuba, los pequeños expresan con mucha frecuencia: "Estoy aburrido". Y es que carecen de juguetes, sólo se venden a altos precios en las tiendas dolarizadas. Entonces las madres y abuelas les sugieren ver "los muñe" (cartoons). Las miradas son más que elocuentes: "Pero si me los sé de memoria". ¡Qué decir del programa televisivo Aventuras, puesto y repuesto! Finalmente, hay que referirse al muy limitado casting. Da la sensación que la mayoría de los actores y actrices cubanos se encuentran trabajando en el extranjero, pues los mismos se repiten en los escasos programas producidos hoy en Cuba. El devenir de la televisión cubana no parece muy halagüeño. Es de esperar que sus problemas se profundicen, porque las finanzas de la nación tienden a disminuir progresivamente. Esta información ha sido transmitida por teléfono, ya que el gobierno de Cuba no permite al ciudadano cubano acceso privado a Internet. CubaNet no reclama exclusividad de sus colaboradores, y autoriza la reproducción de este material, siempre que se le reconozca como fuente. (Cordiales 73's, via Oscar, Oct 20, DXLD) ** CZECH REPUBLIC. Oct 15, 2001 (New World Publishing via COMTEX) A "table with a view" has a different meaning at the Prague 1 eatery Zahrada v Opere these days. As of Oct. 4, customers can - and do - request a table looking out at the armored transport truck stationed some 50 meters from the building. But customers have been few since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. After less than a year the trendy restaurant, which is nestled behind and adjacent to the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty building and next door to the offices of the State Opera, had built up a solid clientele of local business people, opera buffs and musicians. But security measures taken in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. have put a stranglehold on the restaurant's business and threaten the livelihood of the owner, 29-year-old Daniel Jablonsky, and his staff of 40. Outside, black-clad special police and paratrooper forces patrol the area, demarked with green and red police tape. "It's the safest place to eat in the world," says Jablonsky with typical good humor. He is handed an e-mail; it's a reservation cancellation, from someone who had planned a visit to Prague. His brow furrows momentarily and then he shakes it off. "I'm not so concerned with out-of-towners," he said. "It's the ones here I'm trying to reach." The problem is that he, or his restaurant, more precisely, is practically unreachable. Access to the building has become so restricted that to get to the restaurant, patrons must either walk nearly a complete circle around the RFE/State Opera complex, trudge through a makeshift dirt path, through some bushes, next to the Natural History Museum or, for the more athletic, dart from Vinohradská street across the perpetually busy expressway (magistrala) and jump over a barrier - none of which are particularly suited to the elderly or high-heeled. And at present, it doesn't look like the situation will get any better any time soon; lack of advance information about any modifications makes it tricky for the restaurant to place better signs. "Even now, we don't have any information about how long this will continue and what kind of access will be made available. ... The police... they only answer, 'I don't know,' or '[the blockade] will be there until it's cancelled'," Jablonsky said. "If information were better, we could at least inform our patrons better." Although he says business has dropped by more than half, he remains optimistic and adds that communication with RFE has been good. "They don't want to be a problem," he said pointing out that the radios had already written the police on his restaurant's behalf. RFE spokeswoman Sonia Winter is sympathetic to the restaurant's plight. "The poor restaurant! It's hard to cross the street from Vinohradská and [the expressway]. That's the main problem," she said. "I go to that restaurant as often as I can. We [RFE] patronize it." But she also acknowledged that safety of the hundreds of RFE employees in the building was most important. "I think in the wake of the Sept. 11 events, respectable people have to take into account all kinds of scenarios," she said. "This building has been a target of previous threats. The foremost concern of RFE is to protect its employees and not to do damage to its host country. We don't want to do anything to damage this beautiful country or the people who live here." Armored transport carriers have been parked around the building since Oct. 4, and the Interior Ministry announced last week that it has reinforced security measures at some other buildings in Prague. The government accepted without reservation U.S. requests addressed to its NATO allies in connection with the planned retaliatory action for last month's terrorist attacks in the U.S. One of those requests was to strengthen protection of U.S. and NATO countries' buildings in the country. Interior Minister Stanislav Gross said last week that given information available to his ministry, the special protection of the RFE building would not be lifted. U.S. Congress-funded RFE moved to Prague from Munich in 1995, in part to lower costs. In 1998, it began broadcasting into Iran and Iraq. Regarding rumors that RFE might move, Winter could only say "that the issue was being discussed in a very general way, but there are no concrete proposals under consideration. Any move from this building would be really costly for both the Czechs and the U.S." Despite his devil-may-care attitude, he admits he is concerned for his employees. "Look, I could close this restaurant and reopen in a year. But I don't want to lose such a team," he said. In part to find extra work for his employees, he's planning to begin a V.I.P. catering service. "If they don't want to come to the restaurant, perhaps we can come to them." In light of the available information Jablonsky has taken the offensive to save his Kc 16 million investment. He's planning radio spots and other promotions, including a concert with Daniel Hulka and an exhibition of photos from India and Nepal. The idea, he says, is not to make light of the tragedy in the U.S., but to poke a little fun at his situation. Already at the top of the list of daily specials reads the new motto: "The safest garden in the world." By Valentina Huber (Prague Business Journal via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** EGYPT. R. Cairo`s NAm service in English at 0200 Oct 21 on 9475 had muddy audio again, better when the woman was speaking. In commentary after the news, instances of terrorism affecting Africa were recounted, rather enlightening, but one still cannot detect any explicit Egyptian support of current US anti-terrorist actions (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA. 15435, Voice of Africa, 2050 Oct 14, English news, headlines about air strikes on Afghanistan and Zionist aggression against Palestine. Into French from 2054. Strong signal, and for once, remarkably clean audio (Matt Francis, Australia, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** LITHUANIA [non]. Radio Vilnius via Jülich: The Jülich station confirmed that 6120 is indeed a backup arrangement only, i.e. still no regular transmissions anymore. Regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGER. Here are my latest observations: 0749 UT, 45.65 MHz, La Voix du Sahel, Zinder, talk, African mx, 0.5 x 91.30 MHz (Jürgen Lohuis, Lünen, Germany, harmonics yahoogroup Oct 20 via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. Two of the first LPFMs in the country, both here in Enid, were missing when checked Sat Oct 20, 94.3 and 104.7. Driving around the outskirts, we punched up 104.7 and heard KIXR, Ponca City, instead, so its CP to increase coverage and move from 100.1 is now in effect. Tho its signal is still marginal here, it should further degrade KUAL`s LP coverage --- and we can only wonder if KUAL would have been granted had the FCC realized the Ponca CP was on the way (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PARAGUAY. 9735, R. Nacional del Paraguay, 0155-0255 Oct 14, Good reception. Traditional music and announcements in Spanish by older man. Station ID at 0120 and 0150 [sic]. The musical selections had a lot more horns and brass than one would normally hear in Spanish and Mexican music. My first time logging (Joseph Miller, MI, Cumbre DX via DXLD) So they have standardized from the usual split 9737.5v, or did you not measure it to be sure? (gh, DXLD) ** QATAR. THE MEDIA MIND by Loren Cox ``Condolezza, Condoleeza`` (to be sung to the tune of ``Mona Lisa``) has ``requested`` U.S. media outlets not to present in their entirety videotaped utterances by sweet Osama and his compatriots. These are videotapes which are provided to and broadcast by the Arabic language television channel AL JAZEERA, based in Qatar and disseminated world wide by satellite. I`m very much offended by the notion that utterances by ``the enemy`` have to be ``edited`` for my consumption --- this is, or is very close to, censorship. Of course it`s ``propaganda``, but I`ve always sought to hear as much as I can of what ``the enemy`` has to say. That` why I was an avid listener to Radio Berlin (Reichsrundfunk) during WW II and to Radio Moscow during the Cold War. How well do you know the enemy unless you know his story, his mind set, the idées fixes which provide the impetus for his actions, to the extent that is revealed by his utterances? The silliest reason proffered by the Administration for not presenting Al-Qaida videotapes unedited on U.S. television networks is that they might contain coded messages to terrorist operatives in regard to future activities. It seems unlikely that terrorist cells are using CNN and other U.S. networks as a means of receiving directives from their leadership, and even if these videotaped statements do contain coded messages, they can be seen/heard anywhere in the world of AL JAZEERA. AJ, a kind of Arabic CNN, is financed primarily by the Emir or Qatar. The Bush Administration has not been pleased with what it perceives to be pro Al-Qaida content. But from what I`ve seen of actual news coverage on the channel, it appears fairly well balanced: Bush and Blair speeches presented in their entirety as are press conferences by U.S. officials (in Arabic translation). The U.S. networks have been using AJ news footage, the initial video of the first U.S. bombing and missile attacks being provided by AJ. AJ is a thoroughly professional operation, and appears to be covering all sides of the current situation. Of course, being ignorant of Arabic, I cannot accurately determine whatever ``slanting`` AJ may be doing, to what degree they provide an effective platform for ``the enemy``. Up until the morning of October 15 I was able to view AL JAZEERA, it being a part of a ``bouquet`` of Arabic channels in MPEG2 on PanAmsat 9. But tuning to the channel that morning, there was only a black screen, tho` a signal was being received, indicating that the channel has been encrypted (the previous week a U.S. 800 telephone number was being put up from time to time, evidently in regard to obtaining a subscription for the channel). The channel may be available on the DISH DBS system. But I noticed that some AJ programming is being carried on another Arabic language channel: ART LATINO in the same bouquet. I regret losing AJ, tho` I can still look in on another ``enemy`` via Iraqi television, which has some news in English. THAT DISTEMPER OF THE HUMAN MIND: RELIGIOUS FANATACISM (and, one might be tempted to say, not just religion in its more fanatical forms). No ``jihad`` was ever instigated by an atheist or agnostic. THIS ``NEW KIND OF WAR`` --- this war on terrorism --- could have that kind of futility Dorothy Thompson once described as ``perpetual war in the name of eternal peace.`` (Loren Cox, Jr., Lexington, KY, Oct 16, exclusive for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. October 18, 2001 MOSCOW JOURNAL Wired Radio Offers a Fraying Link to Russia's Past, By MICHAEL WINES MOSCOW, Oct. 17 - Anyone who still regards this as the land of the balalaika hasn't listened much to its radio stations, where, increasingly, heavy metal competes with Britney Spears and Natalia Oreiro, a singer who gained a cult following from roles in the Argentine soap operas that dominate daytime television here. Which is one reason Taisiya Klimenko, 83, and her 88-year-old husband Aleksei don't listen to ordinary radios at all. The Klimenkos get their entertainment not from the air, but from a little box with a wire that runs straight from their 10th-floor kitchen to state studios in downtown Moscow - and has, since the 1930's.... [Full story:] http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/18/international/europe/18MOSC.html (via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** SINGAPORE. Mr Hauser, R. Singapore International, 1341-1345 UT 10/20/01 on 9600, English Program "Nike Watch Campaign". It is on every Saturday. 9600 is clear here whereas the // 6150 is co-channel Radio Canada International in Chinese. Hope all is well with you, (Bruce MacGibbon, OR, DX LISTENING DIGEST) All well, tnx. So is that a consumerist program or a Nike commercial program? (gh, DXLD) ** SWEDEN. I read the news about Radio Kristianstad on 6065 just timely after 1400 and of course tuned in to find the transmission in progress. After 1450 they had popsongs and were going into a talk with some studio guests (football heroes I guess) when the carrier was abruptly cut inmidst sentence at 1458, back on some 30 seconds later with SR Stockholm feed // 1179. The signal strength prior and after the carrier break was identical, so certainly in both cases the corner antenna was in use; perhaps the system requires a carrier break also for audio source switchings. Radio Kristianstad has a regular FM outlet at Hörby (101.4), so it is quite unlikely that the audio was routed via Stockholm. Regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Dear Glenn, I'm looking at the new BBC On Air for November. At 1400 gmt Mon-Fri to Europe it still lists the old "World Showcase" block instead of Newshour - or is this correct and the new edition of Newshour at 1400 is only temporary? There's also the new frequency chart and the next is going to be the second consecutive winter without a frequency in the 75 metre band (was on 3955) - by far the best for late evening listening here in Northern Italy (and much more needed in Central Europe, I presume). 73, (Stefano Valianti, Bolgona, Oct 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) One can only compare to online weekly/daily schedules and hope the latter are more accurate (gh, DXLD) ** U K. RADIO PSICOSIS TERRORISTA Como ocurre casi en todo el mundo, las autoridades de seguridad de Reino Unido evacuaron este miércoles una sección de las oficinas de la BBC de Londres ante una alerta de ántrax, luego que los empleados detectaron un sobre que contenía una sustancia sospechosa. En la sede del BBC Millbank los cuerpos de seguridad investigaron el martes la presencia del un polvo blanco sospechoso, reportó la misma BBC de Londres. Las labores no fueron suspendidas en el resto del complejo de oficinas y estudios del Servicio Mundial, donde se encuentran los estudios de Radio de la Sección Latinoamericana y su servicio de internet, BBC Mundo, cuyo personal no se vio afectado. El gobierno y la policía han pedido a la población que mantenga la calma tras conocerse varios casos falsos en Londres y en Liverpool, noroeste de Reino Unido (Deradios.com, http://www.deradios.com/noticias0.htm#bbc via Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, Oct 20, DXLD) ** U K [non]. "BBC Canada" is a new cable channel just made available in Canada on cable television and pay-satellite systems during the past few weeks. The all-news BBC television channel has already been available. BBC Canada is a really lame collection of shows (including shows that have nothing to do with the BBC, such as "Due South," apparently there to fulfill a 40 percent (?) Canadian-content requirement). BBC Canada does uphold one BBC tradition. It's impossible to get a program schedule on the http://www.bbccanada.ca Web site. Go to http://www.bbc.canada.ca/ schedule and one gets a "404 - page cannot be found" message (Mike Cooper, GA, Oct 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. VOA's new director, Robert Reilly, appointed by President Bush, was sworn in on October 12th. In a e-mail Thursday to VOA staff, Mr. Reilly wrote: "One of the many differences that characterizes our side in the war of ideas is that we are not afraid to tell the truth." But, he added, "Telling the truth requires a great deal more than simply recounting the positions of the various sides in a dispute. It requires an act of discernment as to the veracity of the contending claims. In order to tell the truth, we must know it. In reporting it, our stories must point our audiences in its direction." (Kim Elliott, VOA Communications World Oct 20 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** U S A [clandestine]. HAVE WE HEARD THE LAST OF ``UNITED PATRIOT RADIO``? In light of the news stories in recent DXLDs, that could well be the case. It appears that the ``Somerset Psycho``, the ``Pulaski County Paranoid``, has done exactly what he said he would do if ever stopped by police and questioned, in this case in regard to a traffic infringement: he opened fire, shooting up a patrol car, but not injuring any law enforcement personnel, tho` that was clearly his intent. The jolly gentleman then hightailed it into the hills, his truck being able to negotiate terrain which the police vehicles could not. The following morning Anderson`s abandoned truck was found. As this is written, he`s still on the loose, facing an attempted murder charge (criminal intent to kill a police officer). In a perhaps prescient moment the other day he said he know of hiding places, e.g. caves, in the Kentucky hills where he could never be found. Not surprisingly, Steve was, and presumably remains, well armed. The shooting incident and the chase occurred in the early hours of Monday, October 15. Last evening (0200 UT Oct 16) I tuned to 6900, but there was no Anderson. I then tuned to the lower frequency he was going to be using, 3260, but no Steve there. I then went back to 6900 and let the receiver set there for a while, with nothing being heard but some two-way traffic in Spanish. Then, some time after 0200, for just an instant, there was a voice, ``This is United Patriot Radio`` --- rather weak, nothing more. Had Anderson gotten back home? Does he have a battery transmitter of some sort? His property was to be searched this morning (Oct. 16). Altho` a connoisseur of outrageous opinion --- a form of humor for me, tho` if taken seriously by someone can have dangerous consequences --- I was interested in, and wrote about, Anderson`s broadcasting operation because it was occurring in my own back yard, so to speak. As some may know, those remarks of mine in DXLD were picked up by the ``CLANDESTINE RADIO WATCH``, which Anderson saw, and got me on his ``hit list``, the ``Somerset Psycho`` label causing him a bit of pique --- to the degree that he put my address and phone number on the air, the obvious reason for doing so being that I should be harassed or even be done bodily harm (``liquidated``, in the old Soviet terminology). (My address and phone number are publicly available --- they`re in the Lexington Telephone Directory.) But there was no harassment , no drive-by shooting. I received only one phone call: from someone who has known Anderson for a long time and is not among his apparent handful of admirers. In a personal communication to Anderson (was it intercepted by the FBI?) I told him I was not asserting that he was clinically psychotic, not being in a position to make such a judgement, and that he has a right publicly to espouse his views as I do mine. But an understandable reaction to his utterances would be ``that guy`s a psycho``. Being alerted to its airing by gh, I heard the RFPI ``Far Right Radio Review`` program on Anderson, in which such matters as the ``Franklin Hoax``, which he has continued to repeat, were discussed. How long has all of that old, discredited, anti-Jewish stuff been festering in Steve`s mind? It was in pro-Nazi publications in the 1930s; it was in the rantings of speakers like Robert H. Best on Reichsrundfunk; it was in Ezra Pound`s vituperations on Radio Rome. (I started to send Steve some transcripts of Pound`s broadcasts and recordings of Best to use on his program.) The psychiatrist on the RFPI program for whom some of Steve`s utterances were played used two words to describe him: ``charismatic`` and ``paranoid`` --- a bad combination. There is no doubt about Steve`s paranoia. But does it rise to the level of psychosis? Whatever is wrong in the world, Jews are somehow responsible. What brought down the WTC? It was explosives Jews had planted in the towers, in anticipation of the supposed terrorists` attack. It was all really a vast plot of the Jew-Communist New World Order to complete the job of converting the U.S.A. into a Nazi-type police state. But it`s hard to find a coherent narrative in Steve`s highly emotional presentations punctuated with maniacal laughter and digs at all of us ``sheeple`` (did he get that from Cooper? --- a person with whom he has some views in common). Ezra Pound`s longtime friend and publisher, James Laughlin, has written: ``Pound`s extreme anti-Semitism in the 1940s put a severe strain on my affection for him. But I came to understand his obsession with more charity when Dr. Overholser, the head psychiatrist at St. Elizabeths Hospital [where Pound was confined for a number of years], told me, `You mustn`t judge Pound morally, you must judge him medically.` He explained that Ezra was paranoid and that anti-Semitisim is a recognized element in paranoia. Pound could not control himself.`` (James Laughlin, EZ AS WUZ, p. 17.) Neither, apparently, can Steve. Addenda: Wherever he is this cold October night, presumably YHWH is with him. Steve is a man not without talents --- a considerable extempore orator. Always a question about people like Steve: what sent him off his trolly? According to a report on WLEX-TV, he had promised (don`t recall hearing it) if he`s to go down his last act will be to take out the lady who is editor of the Somerset newspaper. When he hadn`t shown up by 11 pm last night, I tuned over to the McCaysville maddog, Jones on 6890 --- a caller phoned in a report about Anderson he`d heard on a Knoxville TV station. Jones spoke of Steve as ``Captain Anderson`` who had served in Special Forces. My caller re Steve [?] indicated that Steve had never been in the U.S. military, and I don`t recall him ever saying he was. What did Steve accomplish with UPR other than being something of a curiosity for shortwave listeners? (Loren Cox, Jr., Lexington, KY, Oct. 16, exclusive for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ex-militia member remains on the run Search of Pulaski County home turns up weapons, explosives By Lance Williams and Bill Estep, Herald-Leader Staff Writers [excerpts] State police are expected to bring in an armored personnel carrier today to protect officers searching for Anderson near Middlesboro. Police think Anderson is armed with the assault rifle, a large amount of ammunition and perhaps grenades. They also think Anderson, who apparently has a military backround, may have survival gear and perhaps food... {APC usage denied in next story} Listeners to Anderson`s broadcasts say he was known for right-wing talk and allusions to violence. ``The rhetoric he would use was often very violent,`` said Mark Pitcavage, director of fact-finding for the Anti-Defamation League, a national organization that tracks militia groups. Anderson talked about killing police officers, Pitcavage said. Pitcavage said the ADL contacted state and federal officials about Anderson`s show on a number of occasions and that the FBI called the organization to gather more information about Anderson. James Latham, a spokesman for Radio for Peace International, based in Costa Rica, said Anderson`s radio show was broadcast Friday night and that he would have been on the air Monday night before the gunbattle with police. No one was injured in the exchange of fire. Anderson continued broadcasting in defiance of the FCC, Latham said. `` He said if they were going to shut him down, they were going to have to do it by taking his gun from his cold, dead fingers,`` Latham said.... Pitcavage of the ADL said his primary concern is Anderson`s reaction when finally confronted by authorities. ``I don`t think he`s liable to give himself up lightly.`` Pitcavage said. ``I`m really afraid that if they find him --- that he`ll go down shooting.`` (Lexington Herald-Leader, Oct 17, via Loren Cox, DXLD) Anderson has managed to evade authorities By Carol Coffey Law enforcement officers in Pulaski and Bell Counties continued their search yesterday for Steve Anderson. Anderson has remained on the run since Monday when he repeatedly shot into the cruiser of a Bell County deputy sheriff and then fled in his 1990 camouflaged 1990 Chevrolet pickup truck. Although Anderson remains at large, some law enforcement officials are taking issue with some statements being made in the media. Kentucky State Trooper Buddy Simpson, public relations officer for the Harlan KSP post, said despite a published report, there will not be armored personnel carriers used to search for Anderson. Simpson said nothing was said by officials about using such a carrier. He speculated that reporters heard a cell phone conversation and assumed such a vehicle would be used. ``We never had one on the way,`` Simpson said yesterday. In addition, Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman David Beyer said officials from his department have not released any information about items seized from Anderson’s Elrod-Martin home when a federal search warrant was executed Tuesday. Simpson said officials still are not sure where Anderson may be. Although the search for Anderson has been focused in Middlesboro, Simpson said ``nothing is written in stone.`` Authorities had a potential sighting of Anderson Tuesday that proved to be false. The sighting in Middlesboro was thoroughly investigated after the report of a man in camouflage was spotted going up a hill to an empty building. Simpson said the scene was cleared and Anderson was not found. As for being armed, Simpson said officials were not certain what type or how many weapons Anderson may be carrying. Anderson, 54, of Somerset, is being sought on a warrant. (Somerset KY, Commonwealth-Journal, Oct 18) Published Thursday, October 18, 2001, in the Herald-Leader Fugitive's fire injured deputy's girlfriend By Lance Williams SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY BUREAU As police spent a third day looking for a former militia member who allegedly shot up a police cruiser on Sunday, new details emerged about another victim of the assault -- a 17-year-old girl who was a passenger in the car at the time of the shooting. The girl, whose name was not available yesterday, is the girlfriend of the Bell County deputy who pulled over the pickup truck of 54- year-old Steve H. Anderson. Police say Anderson shot at the cruiser, then engaged in a gun battle with police while fleeing. No one was seriously hurt, including the girl. Anderson, a Pulaski County resident who police think is heavily armed, remained at large last night after fleeing into the mountains. Bell County Sheriff Harold Harbin confirmed yesterday that the girlfriend of Deputy Scott Elder was in the vehicle during the Sunday night attack. The girlfriend, who was injured by shards of glass as the cruiser was shot up, was treated that night at a hospital and released. Harbin said Elder, 25, was taking the girl home before his shift began at 8 p.m. Sunday. On the way, a motorist stopped Elder and told him about a truck driving erratically with no lights on U.S. 25E near Middlesboro -- the truck belonging to Anderson, Harbin said. Elder, who could not be reached yesterday for comment, decided to stop the motorist briefly before taking his girlfriend home. ``It was supposed to be a little thing over some lights,'' Harbin said. During the stop, police said Anderson became angry and eventually pulled an automatic weapon on Elder. Harbin said Elder yelled to his girlfriend to lie on the floorboard while he ran behind the patrol car. Harbin said no action would be taken against Elder because he was off duty when he was taking his girlfriend home. ``It was just one of those days,'' Harbin said. After the shootout, Anderson drove his truck into the mountains, where police cruisers couldn't follow. It was found early Monday, and contained pipe bombs, police said. A search of Anderson's home on Tuesday found explosives and guns, officials have said. As of last night, Anderson had been on the loose for more than three days, and officials have not been able to determine his travels. Kermit Owens, a park ranger specializing in security for Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, said the area Anderson escaped into makes tracking anyone difficult. ``He could probably hide from them, and they could walk right by,'' Owens said. He also said the mountain Anderson escaped on is a spur ridge that offers several paths, and that some of them would lead back to a main road. ``There are plenty of places he could have gone,'' Owens said. If he's still in the mountains, the nighttime temperatures aren't low enough to cause significant problems for someone with survival training, Owens said. Published Friday, October 19, 2001, in the Herald-Leader Reward offered in fugitive case Ex-militia member wanted on a variety of counts By Bill Estep SOUTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY BUREAU Federal authorities set up a $5,000 reward yesterday to try to catch ex-militia member Steve H. Anderson, who has been on the run since allegedly shooting at police in Bell County Sunday evening. Carl Vasilko, resident agent in charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms office in Lexington, said the reward is for information leading to Anderson's arrest. ``In this particular case, we think there is a threat to the community, and to the law-enforcement community, so we're offering the reward to help facilitate the capture of Mr. Anderson,'' Vasilko said yesterday. Anderson, 54, allegedly shot at police near Middlesboro after a sheriff's deputy stopped him for having no working tail lights on his pickup truck. No officers were hit, but police say Anderson did extensive damage to a police cruiser with an assault rifle, then fled into the hills. Police continued searching for him yesterday. Police said they found pipe bombs in his truck. Based on that, ATF agents charged Anderson on Tuesday with one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device, Vasilko said. Anderson also has been charged with attempted murder in Bell County. Federal, state and local authorities found explosives and weapons during a search of Anderson's home in rural Pulaski County. Vasilko declined to confirm what police found in the search, but said it is possible there will be more charges against Anderson. At the request of the federal government, U.S. Magistrate Judge J.B. Johnson Jr. has sealed the documents related to the search of Anderson's home, including an inventory of what agents found there. Until this week's fireworks, Anderson was best known as host of a far-right radio program broadcast over short-wave radio from his house. He promoted anti-government, racist and anti-Semitic views, and often espoused violence, according to groups that monitored the show. Earlier this year, the Kentucky State Militia kicked him out because of his extremist views. There has been a war of words in cyberspace this week over Anderson's case, with some people on a Web site catering to militia members supporting him and others castigating him, according to information supplied by Mark Pitcavage of the Anti-Defamation League. ``If any `patriot' turns their back on Steve now ... shame on them,'' one supporter, ``California Republic,'' said in a posting. Police said Anderson may have outdoor survival gear with him, but James Latham of Radio for Peace International, which monitors extremist broadcasts, said it is possible Anderson has holed up with a supporter somewhere. Extremist groups tend to have an ``effective underground'' to hide and help members, he said. One Web message posted this week makes clear, however, that Anderson would not be welcome at the homes of some militia members. ``Steve Anderson is not, and has never been, a true patriot,'' the message said. ``He is yet another of the scumbags who have hijacked the militia/patriot movement to promote his own agenda. ... If you've followed Steve's posts over the years, on this and other boards, it's fairly plain to see that his paranoid fantasies finally got the better of him.'' Published Saturday, October 20, 2001, in the Herald-Leader Police fear fugitive may not give up Intensive search fails to yield armed former militia member STAFF, WIRE REPORT MIDDLESBORO -- Five days after a former militia member fled into the mountains after allegedly shooting up a police cruiser, police yesterday remained concerned that the heavily armed man would not give up peaceably. ``We're aware of the type of person he is, and we're taking every precaution to ensure our safety and to ensure his safety,'' said Trooper Buddy Simpson, spokesman for the Kentucky State Police post in Harlan. Despite an intensive search, as of last night police have been unable to find Steve Anderson, a Pulaski County man who police say opened fire on a Bell County police cruiser Sunday night. Bell County Sheriff Harold Harbin said yesterday that police ``don't know if he's hiding out, or if somebody is out there helping him. ``We're still getting leads, but we haven't had much luck yet.'' Bell County Deputy Larry Elder, the father of the officer who was shot at, said authorities found six pipe bombs in Anderson's truck, which had been abandoned on a mountain road about a mile outside Middlesboro after the shootout. He said they also found 6,000 to 7,000 rounds of various types of ammunition and a grenade box. Authorities have been concentrating their search in a heavily forested area near Kentucky's border with Tennessee and Virginia. ``If he's still in the woods, he's got to be getting cold and hungry,'' said Don York, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest. Anderson, 54, is charged with attempting to kill a police officer. He is accused of shooting repeatedly into the police cruiser, then fleeing in a camouflaged 1990 Chevrolet pickup truck. Bell County Deputy Sheriff John Hoskins said Anderson ``tried to saw a cruiser in half'' with fire from the rifle after Deputy Scott Elder pulled him over to alert him to a broken tail light. Hoskins said the shooting left the cruiser's windows shattered and the car's body riddled with 25 bullet holes. When Elder pursued in the damaged cruiser, Hoskins said Anderson made a U-turn and chased him, shooting at him again. Patrick Perry, a spokesman for the Kentucky State Militia, said he was not surprised by the incident. He said Anderson may have been patrolling for terrorists when the shooting occurred. ``I kind of thought he was prone to do something like that,'' Perry said. ``He was sort of a lone wolf type.'' Police have scaled back the ground search on the mountain where they found Anderson's truck abandoned. But officers still are following up on leads being phoned in by local residents, Simpson said. ``We're still doing everything within our means to try and locate him,'' he said. ``We're not focusing our efforts only on Bell County.'' York said authorities are counting on residents to help find Anderson. ``We want the public to know that someone who would do something of this nature would probably not hesitate to become violent at someone else. That's one of our main concerns.'' (all via DXLD) ** U S A. WDWS Streaming audio: Got it to work this evening. http://www.newsgazette.com/wdws/archives.cfm We won't stream any local ads or copyrighted material (CBS, Rush), but Brant should be in the clear! [Monday 2000 UT, as in DXLD 1-153] Thanks! (Eric Loy, WDWS, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 38770, UG Dispatch (Oregon/Washington), 2235 Oct 19, I received this US Government WX station which only IDed as "UG Dispatch", and then gave a Pacific time zone time check. I assume the U stands for Federal Government, and the G is the Forestry Service. The weather report was for The Cascades Mountains "Zone 606" and "South Zone 608." I know that the federal government has not made frequency records available for years, but perhaps someone could shed more light on this (David Hodgson, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###