DX LISTENING DIGEST 1-176, November 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] ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. Hi Glenn! My name is Adolfo Murrieta González and I'm writing to you from Guanajuato, Mexico. I have listened to Radio Netherland since 1988, so I know you from several years ago. Since Saturday 17th. I have listened to "Radio Sharia Afganistan" from 1330 to 1430 UT at 9950 kHz with a SINPO code of 4-4-3-4-4 using a directional antenna. I don't understand the language, but I think is a Pashto Broadcasting transmitting from Kabul, Afghanistan. Glenn, I want that you confirm me this DX. And do you know where could I send out my reception report to? Because I would like to get this QSL-card. Well, That's all for now, Thank you and 73! (Adolfo Murrieta G., Mexico, Nov 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx for a VERY interesting report. No such station is listed or has been reported elsewhere as far as I know. I`ll see what I can hear tomorrow. It seems doubtful, however, that a `Sharia` station could be broadcasting from Afghanistan now, especially Kabul, since the Taleban are in retreat and had their facilities bombed more than a month ago. Can you supply any further details on what you heard, or possibly a recorded clip of the ID? The Kabul station, no longer Taleban controlled, is reported to be planning a return to shortwave. If this is it, the frequency was not previously used. 73, Glenn to Adolfo FWIW, this is the only 9950 entry in HFCC B-01: 9950 1600 1800 28 ABS 250 325 1234567 281001 310302 D EGY ERU PWBR ``2002`` has EGYPT and INDIA on 9950 at other times So we were monitoring 9950 starting at 1326 UT November 20. Open carrier was already on. Rolled a tape for the entire hour. Times approximate: 1329:30 brief tone test. 1330 Opening mentioning Afghanistan frequently, Qur`an; 1334 ID as ``Sauti Afghanistan ---``. There were frequent musical interludes or backgrounds. 1339 an apparent poem declaimed with great drama, ``Watanah Drawn Watanah``, something about the Fatherland; 1341 ID as ``Afghanistan --- Radio``. 1345 may have switched languages, ID as ``Radio Seday-e Afghanistan``, which would be Dari, surely meaning RADIO VOICE OF AFGHANISTAN, giving frequencies in kHz (Unfortunately I haven`t yet learnt to count in Dari); 1355 switched to Pashtu, I think; 1359 ``Radio Seday-e Afghanistan`` ID again with frequencies, and mentioned address, telephone, fax numbers. I could not recognize anything in the address. 1400 sharp, apparently another language switch, ID as ``De Afghanistan --- Radio``. 1408, the ``Watanah Drawn Watanah`` poem again. 1412 announcement mentioning ``Radio --- Afghanistan``. 1415 ID again like at 1400; 1424 the ``Watanah`` poem yet again. 1427 closing announcement with kHz; 1429 to brief open carrier and off. Reception was very good, even on the breakfast table DX-390 and nothing but its whip. There was minor QRM from WRMI-9955, which increased slightly toward the end as VOA was fading down a bit. Modulation, precision and production were of high standard, as was the signal strength, and I very seriously doubt this could have been transmitted directly from Afghanistan. More likely, *to* Afghanistan. As far as I know, there have been no previous reports of this in the DX or mainstream press, nor by BBC Monitoring, though there were certainly plans for the Northern Alliance to start up such a station, originally from areas it controlled north of Kabul. My guess is that this is transmitted from IBB or CIS facilities, but studios where? There were also plans for a US-sponsored Radio *Free* Afghanistan, presumably from RFE/RL HQ in Prague. Possibly this is it, as RFE/RL were reported to be ready to start at a moment`s notice. However, the word ``Azad`` was never heard in the IDs. Since Afghanistan is increasingly ``free`` of the Taleban, perhaps that word has been considered unnecessary. Nor did I ever hear the word ``Sharia`` during the broadcast, unlike what Adolfo reported, so we may safely assume this station has nothing to do with Taleban --- besides, music was prominently included. Those who understand Pashtu and Dari could no doubt garner more details from the announcements. We await reports from all other monitors! (Glenn Hauser, OK, November 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The following item from Adrian Peterson, may or may not relate to the above! R. Afghanistan in Kabul was already reported back on the air on MW, with plans for SW. The 7 pm local time does not match, as that would be 1430 UT: (gh) AFGHANISTAN. RADIO AFGHANISTAN RETURNS TO THE SHORTWAVE SCENE This evening, NPR gave a report from Kabul in Afghanistan regarding the re-activation of the radio station, indicating that the station has returned to the SW scene. The NPR reporter was in Kabul, in the studios of Radio Afghanistan. He stated that the station and its facilities were previously operated by the Taliban as "Radio Shariah" and the station name has been changed (reverted) to Radio Afghanistan. There are now two women announcers on the air reading the news, one in Dari and one in Pashto, I would imagine. They are now broadcasting music, children's programs as well as sports information. The station is operating at less than half capacity, probably program-wise as well as power output. The man who is now the manager of Radio Afghanistan was last week managing the small Northern Alliance station in the Panjir Valley. He has retained the previous Taliban staff, mainly due to the unavailability of experienced staff. It was also stated that SW is the best way to give coverage to all of Afghanistan thus indicating that the station is again on the air SW. The station is on the air daily beginning at 7:00 pm (local time). The NPR reporter also played a cut from one of the announcers reading the news as well as some traditional Afghan music now on the air from this station. During the time I lived in Pakistan, I visited Kabul in Afghanistan more times than I can count, and on many occasions I also visited the studios and transmitter facilities of Radio Afghanistan. Although the reporter did not specifically state where the studios are located where he was making his report, it is clear to me from the context of his information that he was in the building on the road to the airport that has been the studio facility of Radio Afghanistan for the past nearly 30 years. Greetings! (Adrian M. Peterson, IN, Nov 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here`s the link to the 5-minute NPR All Things Considered report, which includes an opening ID as ``Radio Afghanistan, Kabul``, but we never heard Kabul mentioned in the ID on 9950: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/20011119.atc.02.ram (Glenn Hauser, November 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###