DX LISTENING DIGEST 7-064, May 31, 2007
Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING
edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com
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NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1361: ** tentative
Fri 0630 WRMI 9955**
Fri 1030 KAIJ 5755
Fri 1100 WRMI 9955**
Fri 2030 WWCR1 15825
Sat 1630 WWCR3 12160 [irregular]
Sat 2130 WRMI 9955
Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070
Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215
Sun 0800 WRMI 9955
Sun 1500 WRMI 7385
Mon 0300 WBCQ 9330-CLSB
Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 [time varies]
Mon 0530 WRMI 9955**
Mon 0930 WRMI 9955**
Tue 1030 WRMI 9955**
Wed 0730 WRMI 9955**
WORLD OF RADIO, CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL SCHEDULE:
Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite
and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at:
http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html
For updates see our Anomaly Alert page:
http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html
WRN ON DEMAND:
http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24
WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE:
http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php
OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]
http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html
or http://wor.worldofradio.org
** ALBANIA. R. Tirana, 13720, May 30 at 2024, G signal with talk on
Albanian language, penultimate stress; hum, to 2028* 13750, May 31 at
*1300, fair, fading in and out during schedule announcement still
giving 6115 instead of 6120 at 0145, but the rest of it seems correct
in UT (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ANGUILLA [non]. 6090 kHz observations - sans DGS --- Here are the
results of monitoring ~ 6090 kHz, in the absence of University
Network, from 0258 until 1200 UT on 30 May 2007. The entire spectrum
from 5945 to 6135 kHz was recorded overnight via an RFSpace SDR-14
receiver and a Wellbrook ALA-100.
6089.95 R Bandeirantes, Sao Paulo, Brazil - Presumed due to
Portuguese talk, but no ID ever heard. Alone on the channel at 0258
tune-in at poor to fair levels. Peaking to very good levels from 0930
until 0938 UT during sunrise at transmitter, then slowly fading until
carrier dropped below the noise floor by 1050.
6089.85 R Nigeria, Kaduna, Nigeria - carrier on at 0418 UT but no
real audio noted until just after 0500, which is sunrise at the
transmitter, with Kaduna signal rising to equal levels with
Bandeirantes. Talks by man and woman in presumed Hausa interspaced
with African vocals every 10 minutes or so until 0530, when format
changed to all vocals. Presumed news at 0600. Signal began slowly
fading at 0610 after being at equal or slightly better levels with
Brazil for over an hour. Carrier was still visible past 0730, 2.5
hours after sunset!
6089.94 UnID - a weak carrier, slightly variable, began to be
noticeable just below Bandeirantes around 0600 but gaining strength
rapidly until it was within 10 dB of Bandeirantes, and almost equal
during peaks. No audio discerned and carrier began to fade rapidly by
0800 and no longer visible by 0900. One possibility is R Veritas,
Liberia which Africalist shows to sign on at 0545. Although sunrise
at Monrovia is around 0630, the carrier not disappearing beneath the
noise floor until around 0900 would closely mirror my observation of
Kaduna's carrier not disappearing until 2.5 hours after transmitter
sunset.
Other observations: no sign of R Esperanza, Temuco, Chile. I was also
looking for any sign of reported R Universal, Cusco, Perú, listed on
Latin American SW Logs site as being heard in March 07 on 6089.2 kHz.
Nothing seen at by 1200 tune out (Brandon Jordan, TN, May 30, dxldyg
via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
11775 still off during the day May 31, so maybe 6090 will also remain
off into June (gh, DXLD)
** BANGLADESH. QSL from Bangladesh Betar --- Dear Friends, today on
30th of May, I received a nice detailed QSL verification card
depicting paddy field applying traditional irrigation technique,
verified by Mahesh Chandra Roy from Bangladesh Betar for my detailed
email reception report on 7th of January 2007 from 1330 to 1400 UT on
the frequency of 4750 kHz of their Bengali language broadcast. The
envelope also contained a letter of Senior Engineer stating as
follows: -
Dear Listener, Thanks and warm greetings from Research and Receiving
Center on behalf of Bangladesh Betar.
I have really appreciated your effort for tuning our SW frequency. For
your kind notice I would like to inform you that we have two SW
transmissions of frequency 4750 kHz (Home Service, Bengali) that
operates for the duration of 0830-1710 UT, and 7185 kHz for external
service that operates for the duration of 1230-2000 UT. May I request
you to receive both frequencies for the time being and report us for
those frequencies?
With regards, (Mahesh Chandra Roy) Senior Engineer, Research and
Receiving Center
Their web and email addresses are as follows: -
Web: http://www.betar.org.bd
Email: rrc @ dhaka.net
Regards & 73’s (Mukesh Kumar, The Cosmos Club, Muzaffarpur, INDIA, May
30, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BELARUS. BIELORRUSIA, 7440, Radio Belarus, 2006-2010, escuchada el
30 de mayo en idioma inglés a locutor con boletín de noticias; a pesar
de llegar con muy buena señal el nivel de audio era muy bajo y apenas
se escuchaba al locutor. La transmisión iba acompañada de un molesto
zumbido, SINPO 45332 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España,
dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA [and non]. Awake May 31 at 0610, so checked 7335. WHRI was
still atop CHU with a SAH of about 4 Hz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA. Ten Years Ago Today the last edition of Morningside with
Peter Gzowski aired on CBC Radio. Peter lived 5 or 6 years longer,
passing away on my birthday. After Peter retired, the CBC in its
infinite wisdom, slotted Michael Enright and Avril Benoit into the
timeslot and shuffled Shelagh Rogers off to CBC Radio 2. Dumb Dumb
Dumb.
Gzowski was truly unique. He talked to Prime Ministers and ordinary
folk with the same deference, and insightful questions. Every weekday
morning, for 3 hours Canadians sat down and had a chat around the
kitchen table about so many different aspects of life, Canada and the
world.
I miss this program. Shelagh is back from 10-11:30 with Sounds Like
Canada, but I truly loathe "The Current" (8:30-10 am). Nice tribute by
Shelagh this morning, even if it was just a few minutes, playing an
excerpt from that last show (oddly enough there was more Stuart
Maclean than Peter...oh well).
Hard to believe it`s been 10 years...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/obit/gzowski_peter/
(Some neat clips there including an interview with a then 13 year old
Wayne Gretzky)
http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-68-1793/arts_entertainment/peter_gzowski/
"The Sleeping Cricket" clip is one of the all time classic moments of
CBC Radio.
To those of you who seek lost objects of history, I wish you the best
of luck. They're out there, and they're whispering. - Clive Cussler
http://www.doghousecharlie.com
(Fred Waterer, ON, wishing there were a few more Peter Gzowskis and
Pierre Bertons in this country..., May 30, ODXA via DXLD)
** CHAD. Checking this distorted audio station (Chad?) today 30 May
2007. I think they appeared sometime around 1730 UT with approximate
centered frequency of 7288. When checking around this frequency
earlier, past 1700 UT nothing of this station heard. I think it was
similar yesterday, they appeared around the same time. This was no
propagation-wise, seems they started on/around 7290 later than usual.
(Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** CHILE. CVC in DRM --- Ciao a tutti, vi segnalo che sto ascoltando
da circa mezz'ora il programma DRM di CVC Voz Cristiana, trasmesso
dal Chile sui 17640 Khz in spagnolo, il segnale qui a Roma e' ottimo,
un SNR di circa 17/20 dB, nessuna interruzione dell'audio. La radio e'
un IC 756 con convertitore 455/12 kHz esterno e l'antenna e' una
verticale di 7 metri. Saluti, Andrea IW0HK Roma -- (Andrea Borgnino
IW0HK http://www.mediasuk.org/iw0hk http://www.mediasuk.org/archive
http://www.biciurbana.org bclnews.it yg via DXLD)
** CHINA [and non]. Jamming of presumed Sound of Hope now on 18180 (as
reported) and 14620, ex-18160 and 14500 (May 31 at 1230). 13970, 10300
and 9200 also heard (Olle Alm, Sweden, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
See also ZIMBABWE [and non]
** CROATIA. Comments about R Croatia or Voice of Croatia as they
announce themselves for the English service. They don't actually
broadcast about Croatia or the country's history and culture, etc.,
but do have some music programmes in the Croatian service with very
few announcements between records. The English broadcasts concentrate
on local and international news as well as sports news and the weather
(Richard Read, Making Contact, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD)
** CUBA. RHC, 15370, May 31 at 1342 had usual strong signal, but
modulation suppressed to low level, as if stereo leads were out of
phase; this did not keep it from splattering to each side with
stronger audio than center frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** CUBA [non]. Jeff, what`s the latest on La Voz de la Fundación,
which was going to return to WRMI the last week of May, Tue-Sat 0000-
0100 on 9955, replacing WRN English on 7385 during that hour? (Glenn
to Jeff White, via DXLD)
Glenn: I just talked to someone from the Cuban American National
Foundation this afternoon. They had advised us that they would be
starting their new daily radio program at the end of this month. They
now say there is no definite start date. I don't know what the problem
is, but I sense there is some internal division as to whether or not
to resume the broadcasts at this time. We are not going to reserve the
hour for them any more (Jeff White, WRMI, May 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** FRANCE [non]. See PAPUA NEW GUINEA
** FRANCE. Re 7-063, English Radio in Paris --- Hi Rémy, Just wanted
to say that it is too bad that you lump all of us Americans together.
I happen to agree with you about the imperialism, especially with the
idiot we have in the white house right now. Not all Americans agree
with our government and not all English speaking radio stations spout
imperialism.
I have always argued with people here in the USA who are anti France
especially being of French descent myself, but when I see a close
minded hate filled letter like yours it makes me think that perhaps
some of my anti-French brethren are maybe partially correct (Bob
Young, Millbury, MA, USA KB1OKL, May 29, mwdx yg via DXLD)
Hi Rémy, RFI relays are active on a lot of cities. Berlin, Dresden,
Leipzig, Barcelona, Moscow.. .. If people enjoy speaking English in a
large city like Paris, where is the problem? At Paris, Radio Orient &
Alpha broadcast in Arabic and Spanish ... Why not in English or German
in a major touring city? Best regards (Michel, France, ibid.)
Because English is the language of the USA and you don't support the
language of your enemies. Wouldn't mind German or Italian, but not
English! Regards, (Rémy Friess, ibid.)
This thread then degenerated into vicious name-calling. Friess is a
real American-hater (gh, DXLD)
** GABON. May 30 at 2035 check, I could barely detect a carrier on
19160, S6 plus a bit o` music audio, surely Africa Numéro Un harmonic
from 9580. Bears frequent checking, and surprisingly late into the
local evening when it often peaks as heard here at this hour or even
later (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GERMANY. MV Baltic Radio this Sunday: 3th of June 2007 at 1200 UT
on 6045 kHz. Good Listening (Tom Taylor, May 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GERMANY [and non]. CVC until July via Wertachtal, other M&B news
The Christian Vision transmissions via Wertachtal, originally to cease
as of tomorrow, will now continue until July 31 with unchanged
schedule (0500-0600 9430, 0600-0900 15640, 1500-1759 15715, 1800-2100
13820, all 125 kW beamed due south).
Presumably the second Zambia transmitter will thus not go on air until
August, since it was supposed to be operated on the current Wertachtal
frequencies in the 0500-0600 and 1500-1800 slots.
Other Wertachtal/Jülich changes, effective tomorrow: The Family Radio
transmission 1600-1800 on 12020 (500 kW, 75 deg.) will already start
at 1500. RNW will again use Jülich during the holiday season until Aug
31, presumably for the last time ever: 0559-0657 on 11655 (20 deg.)
and 0659-0757 on 9610 (50 deg.).
And the latest news about Media&Broadcast itself:
Acc. to a Wirtschaftswoche report Deutsche Telekom hopes to earn up to
one billion Euro from selling M&B. One of the most promising
candidates is TDF which itself has the financial companies Texas
Pacific, Axa Private Equity and Charterhouse as major shareholders.
Just recently TDF bought Antenna Hungaria. Other parties expected to
file a bid are the Australian investment bank Macquarie Bank Ltd. and
the financial company 3i. In March Macquarie beat 3i by offering 3.6
billions Euro for the broadcast distribution network of National Grid
in the UK.
http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2007-05/artikel-8308906.asp
Deutsche Telekom will sell only if the wanted price can be achieved.
In March the media authorities of Germany had warned to not sell M&B
because this could result in fundamental changes of the German
broadcasting landscape. T-Systems has a de-facto monopoly for the DVB-
T networks, created with public funds and the resulting privileges.
This monopoly will persist because neither frequencies nor transmitter
sites are available for alternative nets. It would create further
interconnections if M&B will be sold to investors who already own
cable nets or held shares in broadcasting companies.
http://www.satundkabel.de/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=19569&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
(Kai Ludwig, Germany, May 31, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** HAITI. Police and UN forces raid the community radio station Radio
Sel, in Gonaïves, Haïti. Des policiers et des casques bleus de l`ONU
ont effectué, dans la nuit du 29 mai, une descente dans les locaux de
la station communautaire Radio Sel, située dans le quartier populaire
et mouvementée de Raboteau aux Gonaïves, a annoncé la direction de la
radio à l`agence en ligne AlterPresse. Plus de details:
http://www.medialternatif.org/alterpresse/spip.php?article6054
Abbreviation in the article: MINUSTAH = Mission des Nations Unies pour
la stabilisation en Haïti, that is The United Nations Stabilization
Mission In Haiti (via Dr. Anton J. Kuchelmeister, DK5TL, Germany,
DXLD)
Apparently the station supported a police crackdown on bandits?
Unravelling exactly what goes on there is difficult, without knowing
the background or reading French more fluently than I (gh, DXLD)
** HUNGARY. RADIO BUDAPEST TO SHUT DOWN ON JUNE 30
See forwarded link below. "Not official yet, but it's known for sure:
All foreign language programs of Radio Budapest will be on air for the
last time on June 30."
(Probably some Hungarian, in practice from Kossuth Rádió, will still
be carried on shortwave, but this remains to be seen.)
http://www.pesterlloyd.net/Archiv/2007_22/0722radio/0722radio.html
(via Markus Weidner, via Kai Ludwig, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
RADIO BUDAPEST OFF FROM JULY 1ST
Bad news from Pester Lloyd, German language newspaper:
http://www.pesterlloyd.net/Archiv/2007_22/0722radio/0722radio.html
Radio Budapest - Hungary's Foreign radio service since 1934 - will
will be heard for the very last time on June 30.
Auslandsdienst wird abgeschaltet.
Radio Budapest wird zum 30. Juni seinen Sendedienst einstellen. Es ist
noch nicht offiziell, aber bereits sicher. Magyar Radio, die
oeffentlich-rechtliche Rundfunkanstalt Ungarns, wird seinen
Auslandsdienst komplett einstellen. Wie aus zuverlaessiger Quelle im
Funkhaus in der Brody Sandor utca zu erfahren war, erklingen
saemtliche noch verbliebenen Fremdsprachenprogramme – darunter auch
auf Deutsch – am 30. Juni 2007 zum letzten Mal. Weitere Einzelheiten
zur geplanten Abwicklung liegen noch nicht vor.
Radio Budapest war 1934 gegruendet worden. In Zeiten des Kalten
Krieges galten die Programme des Senders als relativ liberal und
ideologisch nicht so stark belastet wie andere Angebote aus dem
Ostblock. Ungarn ist damit das erste Land in der Region, das
Kurzwellensendungen in Fremdsprachen komplett einstellt (Pester Lloyd,
German language newspaper in Budapest, via Michael Wlochinski, A-DX
May 31 via Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD)
Dear Radio Budapest, I just tread in the PESTER LLOYD newspaper that
all foreign language broadcasts on shortwave are to end on June 30. Is
this true? Will you still have web-based news in English and German? I
could find nothing on your website about this. Thank you (Martin
Gallas, Jacksonville, ILLINOIS 62650, USA, May 31, cc to DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
French transmissions will be cancelled tomorrow, June 1st. A special
programme has been aired for the last time this Thursday (Jean-Michel
Aubier, France, May 31, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Not specifically announced, but: "The traditional forms of media must
adjust to the expectations created for us by the ever more
increasingly globalising social and information conditions."
http://www.english.radio.hu/index.php?rovat_id=1054
(Hungarian Radio website via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD)
See also Radio Budapest website
http://english.radio.hu/index.php?rovat_id=1059
(Posted: 31 May 2007, kimandrewelliott.com, via DXLD)
** INDIA. Re 7-063, AIR to turn digital for world audience ---
I don't know which of the modes listed by DRM have been fully tested.
To get quality better than FM radio you would need DRM in 18/20 khz
bandwidth; 9/10 kHz is not as good as FM. I'd assumed that the AIR
mediumwave simulcast tests were using a 20 kHz bandwidth though there
is a 30 kHz bandwidth one listed, 20 kHz DRM and 10 kHz AM, can
countries in Region 3 use 30 kHz bandwidth on AM?
http://www.drm.org/broadcastmanual/summarytable2.php
(Mike Barraclough, England, May 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Recommended bandwidth for MW in region 3 is 9 kHz/18 kHz.
Following DRM modes were tested in Delhi :
- SCS AM (9 kHz) DRM(9 kHz) 100 kW AM, 2.5 kW DRM 22kbps A/64/4/0.5/S
**
- SCS AM (9 kHz) DRM(9 kHz) 100 kW AM, 2.5 kW DRM 22kbps A/16/4/0.5/S
- SCS MW A/16/4/0.5/S 11 kbps AM-DRM ( 96 - 4 kW) coverage comparision
- SCS AM (9 kHz) DRM (4 kHz) A/64/4/0.5/S
- Full channel (18 kHz) DRM transmission on MW ( 666 kHz)
A/64/16/0.6/S 45 kbps
- DRM 26 MHz local broadcasting (20 kHz) B/16/4/0.5/L 21 kbps, 500 w
- NVIS Static 3315 kHz (10 kHz) B/16/4/0.5/L 11 kbps 2 kW
- NVIS 6100 kHz (10 kHz) B/16/4/0.5/L 11 kbps 150 kW
- DRM Long distance SW via DW Trincomalee (10 kHz) 90 kW 17 kbps
B/64/16/0.5/L
** A/64/4/0.5/S - Mode A/MSC 64 QAM/SDC 4 QAM/Code Rate 0.5/Short
Interleaving Regds (Alokesh Gupta, India, ibid.)
** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. 15 YEARS OF WORLD RADIO NETWORK
The current edition of World Radio Network's magazine Network Live has
an article on 15 years of WRN. Jeff Cohen and Karl Miosga were working
in adjoining offices at the BBC in 1990, Karl was setting up the BBC's
fifth national radio network and Jeff was writing a report for BBC
News on how digital communication would impact newsgathering. They
would lunch together daily and discuss how they could revolutionise
the delivery of international radio, something they both had a passion
for. They spoke to broadcasters, including some who had never really
operated internationally such as NPR and RTE, and came up with the
idea of channels in a single language with programming from many
stations around the world which would be placed on varied platforms
that might be available.
They carried out a week of trial broadcasting in the spring of 1992
using an audio channel lent by Sky television. The whole 24 hour
operation was carried out manually including making recordings,
playing out and mixing. By that stage they had a third partner in Tim
Ashburner and had realised that the whole operation would have to be
automated. They designed it all in house including the software.
They then got a call from Father Borgomeo at Vatican Radio asking them
if they could put together a system for distribution of Vatican Radio
by satellite in Europe. They were offered satellite audio channels on
Eutelsat plus some offices in Docklands, in return for carrying out
work for UPI and so by the end of 1992 WRN was formed and capitalised.
They moved into the Strand in September 1993 and a month later WRN's
radio service for Europe began, by December 1993 they were
broadcasting in North America and had become one of the first
broadcasters to be on the internet, later they got into Africa and
Asia. In 1994 they moved into new facilities near Vauxhall station.
The company currently has three English channels: Europe, North
America and Africa/Middle East/ Asia Pacific. They have a recently
added Arabic channel WRN Sawt al Alam as well as ones in French,
Russian and German. All channels operate 24 hours a day. They also
offer broadcasters consultancy and transmission services and have over
50 clients.
In the UK WRN English for Europe is on Sky Channel 122, Virgin Digital
Cable 920 in some areas as well as some programmes being relayed via
Spectrum Radio 558.
Copies of their free bi-annual magazine Network Live may be obtained
by writing to WRN Limited, P O Box 1212, London SW8 2ZF (via Mike
Barraclough, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD)
** JAPAN. Radio Japan NHK World broadcasts in English at 1000-1100 UT
also on 17720 kHz. This was missing last year too. I guess its missing
on Radio Japan's website. I am not going to write to Radio Japan about
this, because they have not replied to my reception reports (David
Crystal, Israel, Making Contact, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD)
Radio Japan on 17720 kHz at 1000-1100 does show in the latest edition
of TAFIE, so it seems as if the station found out themselves or were
advised of this omission. As for not receiving a reply to reception
reports, this can happen from almost any station from time to time due
to several reasons, cost, staff or office reorganisation. However, in
your case David it might be due to someone playing international
politics with what they consider having correspondence with a resident
of an unfriendly nation. It would be helpful to know more, so if
anyone is writing Radio Japan they might add a P.S. to the effect "I
understand that a radio listener in Israel has not received a reply to
his reception reports. Could you please look into this?" On another
subject it seems as if surface mail from Israel, excluding Pakistan
and several other countries to which there is no service, costs a
lot less than that at present charged by Royal Mail (Arthur Ward, WDXC
ed., ibid.)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. STUDENTS JOIN BROADCASTS AIMED AT NORTH KOREANS
http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=70810
A collaboration between Student Media Without Borders and Open
Radio for North Korea aims to deliver culture from South to North
The Korea Herald Monday, May 28, 2007 By Jeong Hyeon-ji
Student broadcasting clubs at 14 universities are attempting to narrow
cultural gaps between the two Koreas and to let North Koreans know
what's going on outside their tightly controlled country.
Student Media Without Borders is providing their production to Open
Radio for North Korea, a Seoul-based radio station working to improve
human rights of North Koreans.
"There's been a constant flow of goods and economic cooperation
since the inter-Korean summit in 2000. Now we need to further it into
that of culture and spirit. The people of North Korea have a right to
know what's going on in the world," said Kang Won-cheol, co-director
of the SMWB, which was officially launched last month.
Kang, 26, a business administration major, is a North Korean defector.
After living 21 years in the North, Kang came to South Korea via China
in 2001. He leads a student defectors organization in Seoul.
"When I arrived in China, I listened for the first time to South
Korean broadcasts with a shortwave radio receiver. That's when I first
learned that we (North Koreans) can actually go to the South," Kang
said.
In South Korea, Kang heard other defectors talking about listening to
South Korean radio programs in the North, sometimes in groups.
"I feel sorry for those stuck in a society of prisons and censorship,
without any idea of what's going on in the world. Radio is a great
medium for these people to learn what is really happening in the
outside world. Nobody would know it better than I do, that's why I
decided to take part in this," he said.
Since last December, the student broadcasters have been transmitting
one-hour radio programs every day to the North and northeast China
through Open Radio for North Korea.
The programs are aired from 11 p.m. to 12 p.m. [= UT 14-15], either
through the shortwave frequency 7390 kHz or the Open Radio's website.
The SMWB plans to extend its network to all 202 university
broadcasting stations nationwide and even high school broadcasting
clubs, said Lee In-gun from Dongguk University, a co-director of the
organization.
Lee first got involved in the movement when he took part in a one-time
show last year. The thrill of having audiences thousands of miles away
from Seoul got him hooked on this project ever since, he said.
"All of us in SMWB enjoy what we do. Taking part in this movement has
made us feel more responsible for the production itself," said the 23-
year-old student.
Lack of government support
The student network is demanding the South Korean government provide a
broadcasting frequency to enable more stable and lower-cost
broadcasting. It plans to file an application with the government and
petition with the National Assembly.
But the Unification Ministry's response has been negative. The
government supports only those programs agreed upon by the governments
of both South and North Korea.
"Programs with government support should meet certain conditions
which are beneficial for both South and North Korea," said Kim Gye-
jin, director of the Unification Ministry's Social and Cultural
Exchanges Team.
Open Radio has aired programs for audiences in North Korea and
northeastern China since 2005. It is financially supported largely by
the United States, Ha Tae-keung, executive director of the radio
station, said.
"We've been transmitting the recorded show from a shortwave frequency
abroad. Broadcasting daily radio shows for one year costs 100 million
won ($109,000), which could be reduced to 2.5 million won if it could
be transmitted from Seoul," he said.
Most of the funding has been raised in the United States, from NGOs
and the American government and Congress, Ha said.
Ha did not want to name all the supporting organizations and
institutions but some of the groups who recognized the importance of
his activities include the State Department of the United States and
Freedom House, a Washington D.C.-based NGO whose aim is to support the
expansion of freedom around the world.
There has not been any financial support from the Korean government on
this project. The government has refrained from allowing frequency
bands for the open radio project, claiming that it is a politically
sensitive matter.
Far East Broadcasting Co., which sends out gospel and missionary
programs, is the sole broadcaster that has been officially allowed [by
South Korea, surely --- gh] to air radio shows toward North Korea
since the 1950s.
The student broadcasters provide material that North Koreans will find
interesting and useful in understanding South Korean culture.
"We produce our show with other member organizations of the SMWB
network. We include university program materials from topics such as
economics, management and natural science, English expressions and
Korean and western pop songs," Kim So-young, producer of Open Radio,
said.
"We'd love to air some contemporary adult pop songs in the near future
since defectors from North Korea really love them," Kim said,
referring to the Korean pop music genre called "trot."
She visited the border towns of China and North Korea last year and
still remembers how many people received news broadcasts and
information from South Korea on cheap shortwave radios that flowed in
from mainland China.
"The power of information is huge. You can see it from the amount of
radios that are getting into North Korea everyday," she said.
Four percent of North Korean defectors are believed to have listened
to South Korean radio shows before they came to Korea, according to a
Korea Press Foundation survey of 304 North Korean defectors, taken in
2005. This is a relatively large increase from the 1 percent recorded
in the first survey of 2003.
Shortwave radios are very common among North Koreans these days. They
even smuggle DVDs from China, but radios are still more popular
because they don't leave any trace, radio station director Ha said.
"The definition of reunification can vary for different people. The
legal matter will take a lot of time. But I'm sure free civil exchange
is near at hand, within five years," he said. "Giving a voice to the
young generation is very important. After all, they are the ones who
will lead a reunified Korea in the future."
Ha was an ardent student activist and was imprisoned for two years in
the early 1990s. He later went to China and earned a doctorate in
international economics. After spending four years as SK Telecom's
regional investment director of China, he moved to Washington D.C.
and worked as a research fellow at the International Forum of
Democratic Studies.
Ha's primary goal is to extend the running time of the show and have
more radio stations for North Koreans. Ha also plans to vary the
content of the programs to include soccer and Chinese lessons, in
which North Korean citizens are interested.
Once a month, SMWB members visit Hanawon, a government-run-
resettlement support institution for dislocated North Koreans. They
collect reports and opinions from volunteer North Korean defectors for
consideration of future shows.
One of the volunteers, a former citizen of North Korea who has
successfully settled in the South, edits the language and content of
the show for items that could possibly cause misunderstanding for
potential listeners.
"We also get reports from our acquaintances along the Chinese
border," said Kim, who refrained from disclosing any further details.
Park Sang-bong, a professor of North Korean studies in Seoul Jangsin
University, said the SMWB marks a positive development in student
movement.
"Hanchongryun couldn't last because they were trapped within the shell
of nationalism. Being free of nationalist dogma and considering North
Korea's problems as an international issue is a step in the right
direction," Park said.
Hanchongryun, the Federation of University Students Councils, is a
leftist student organization that was criminalized under the National
Security Act in 1999 for its alleged pro-North Korean activities.
Park said that there has not been a genuine civil exchange between the
two Koreas, criticizing it as a one-way flow from South to North.
East and West Germany had continuous non-governmental civil
exchanges, which proved to be one of the strongest push factors that
eventually led to reunification.
Leaving aside the economic price of reunification, cultural and
ideological discrepancies continued in Germany for over a decade,
even after the constant civil exchanges. The growing cultural gap
between South and North Korea is not going to make reunification any
easier.
"Peaceful reunification can only be achieved by constant exchange
between the two Koreas and SMWB could be a good preparation tool
for North Koreans before they face a drastic change in social ideology
and structures," the SMWB co-director Kang said. Date Posted:
5/28/2007 (via Zacharias Liangas, Greece, DXLD)
** LIBYA [non]. 17667.50, a carrier from Grigoriopol, Moldova site
noted around 1145 UT May 31. Later at 1215 UT observed anti-Libya
opposition Radio Sawt Al-Amal, S=6 on peaks.
17665 UNID French language station at 1210 UT, tiny, poor S=2 level.
Another Gabon [jamming] outlet?
17660 West African music station from Gabon, weak today at 1215 UT,
S=3 level only. From 1400 UT underneath of much stronger BSKSA Riyadh
in French, also heard again around 1528 UT (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc
BC-DX May 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** LIBYA [and non]. MOLDAVIA, 17667.5, Sawt al-Amal, 1205-1225,
escuchada el 31 de mayo en árabe con canto del Cor`án, ID, sintonía,
locutor con comentarios, locutora con ID y segmento musical; un
chequeo a las 1254 se observa que cambia a 17665, SINPO 45444.
17630, África Nº1 en francés, chequeada a las 1203 y a las 1255,
emisión sin problemas.
17660, Emisora afro-pop, 1205 y chequeada mas allá de las 1315.
17600 // 17725, Voz de África en Swahili a las 1310 (José Miguel
Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, May 31, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** LITHUANIA. The Mighty KBC with reduced power June 2nd.
"This coming Saturday it will be a real DX adventure for all of you.
The AM 1386 transmitter with a power of 500.000 Watts is not working
at the moment.
The 500 kW (1386 kHz) AM transmitter is temporarily out of service due
to shortage of high-power vacuum tubes for the RF amplifier. The tubes
have been ordered, but delivery will take some time. Therefore, on
Saturday the program probably will be transmitted via a backup 25 kW
(1386 kHz) transmitter near Klaipeda on the Baltic seashore.
So let us know if you hear us on 1386 --- touch and taste the
sensation of The Mighty KBC. Our shortwave service is normally working
on 6255 kHz [1386 kHz on air 2100-2200, 6255 kHz 2200-2300 UT]
Check our website http://www.kbcradio.eu for the latest news..."
Eric van Willegen to mediumwave.info 30/5-2007.
(via Ydun Ritz, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Hoy a partir de las 1530 UT (10:30 del centro de México) he
escuchado a XEYU Radio UNAM en los 9600 kHz con muy baja potencia,
apenas perceptible aquí en la Cd. de México (Julián Santiago Díez de
Bonilla, DF, May 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) First report of it in
several weeks; or really closer to the usual 9599? (Glenn Hauser, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** MOROCCO [and non]. RTM may have been on 15340 the day before, but
May 31 at 2100 UT check, the usual slow SAH was on 15345 between this
and Spain, the latter with its accurate timesignal, and nothing on
15340; nor could I hear any sign of RAE 15344v at this time either
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see UNIDENTIFIED
** NETHERLANDS. Hello from Hilversum, As I mentioned last week, there
are a lot of changes to our English schedule effective Saturday 2
June. There are no changes to our shortwave broadcast times, but a lot
of changes to the programming.
The State We're In, a major new programme, will replace Weekend
Connection, Vox Humana and Euroquest.
In a 50-minute version on Saturday and a half-hour version on Tuesday,
The State We're In will look at current events from an unexpected
perspective. The programme brings you stories from all over the world
and the main focus is on human right issues.
The Wednesday Documentary will be replaced by another new programme,
Arts and Culture, which features a selection of some of our best work
in the Documentary and Vox Humana series.
Also, once a month we introduce a new feature called Radio Books. This
is an eclectic collection of short stories by Dutch and Flemish
writers presented for the first time in English translation.
Network Europe, Amsterdam Forum , The Research File and Flatlanders
remain, though those last two will switch positions; Flatlanders will
in future be broadcast primarily on Mondays, and The Research File on
Thursdays.
Click here for our programme line up for next week.
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/listeningguide/this_week
(Andy Sennitt, Media Network newsletter May 31 via DXLD)
** NIGERIA. See ANGUILLA [non]
** PAPUA NEW GUINEA [and non]. Hi Bryan and Glenn, Checked 7325, May
28, 29 & 30, *0930-1030*, assume this is R. France Inter. (site?) but
did not hear ID. During intermittent checking, heard Chinese
programming, but clearly they have a regular segment of a French
language radio-drama before sign-off, which was heard on both the 28th
& 30th, then a few words in Chinese at sign-off, mostly fair, no sign
of any other station. Hard to say how Wantok Radio Light will stand up
against this (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
Dear OM, I have received Wantok Radio Light on new frequency 7325 kHz
at 0900-1057 (KO'ed by China Jam. on 7330 kHz) on May 31. ID at 0910
by female. QRMed by RFI-Chinese via Taiwan on 7325 kHz 0930-1030. I
was able to receive unID station on same frequency at 1040 on May 30.
S. Hasegawa
Audio file:
http://sky.geocities.jp/peace_jju_ujjj/070531_1805_7324.9k.mp3
de peace J via Kageyama BCL Communication Page BBS (S. Hasegawa, NDXC,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
There was also a lot of rapid pulsing QRM, so that`s the Chinese
jamming from 7330? (gh, DXLD)
7325 R. FRANCE INT. 0930-1030 1234567 Chinese 100 352 Tainan TWN
12010E2303 RFI a07 (Aoki list via Noel Green, dxldyg via DXLD)
** POLAND [non]. I want to thank Edwin Southwell for the information
on Poland in Hebrew. This is the only Hebrew on short waves which does
not come from Israel or an enemy country or Christian missionaries.
Many decades ago, the SSC had a broadcast in Hebrew.
Polish Radio External Service. You can hear a half hour of music fill,
Polish songs, on Saturdays at 1800-1830 UT on 9695 kHz; other days it
can be their Hebrew service, music fill, or even a silent carrier.
Here in Israel, our radio and TV operates as usual on Saturday. I have
a good reason to believe there is a repeat of the Hebrew service but I
don't know when or where, so please publish the all-language sked for
Poland (David Crystal, Israel, Making Contact, June World DX Club
Contact via DXLD)
** SERBIA. Now my own comment - although Radio Serbia moved to 7240
kHz, this is a poor choice of frequency with Family Radio using this
frequency and is noted mixing with Serbia for the 1830 GMT
transmission which means neither station can be heard clearly. One
point to raise and asked by a few shortwave listeners is where is
Stubline actually situated. I can't see any reference to Stubline in
an atlas or geographical co-ordinates? (Making Contact, June World DX
Club Contact via DXLD) Who is ``my``? Perhaps Arthur Ward, the editor,
or contributor Edwin Southwell, but items in this publication are not
clearly attributed (gh)
By the way ... a quick "Google-search" for Stubline, Serbia shows the
location as 44 24' 55N, 20 54' 24E (although, of course, the actual
transmitters may be a little way from that location (Alan Roe, ibid.)
** SRI LANKA. Re 7-063: Oops: I omitted the frequency for the 09 DW
broadcast via Sri Lanka in my report on hearing DW-Dari at 09 signoff
on 17705: the 09 transmission in English is on 17700 which is also
using Trincomalee, beamed 45 deg. and was not audible at all when
checked on May 28 (Joe Hanlon, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K. Another British VTMC spurious signal; Seemingly outstanding
prop condition tonight? 9925, Deutsche Welle German service much ahead
of IRIB's Hausa service co-channel, noted powerful spurious from
Woofferton site. Mixture at 1800-1959 UT of two WOF outlets on 9545 /
9735 kHz in 152 and 170 degrees. On symmetrical 9355 kHz - 190 kHz
apart - nothing of DWL program heard so far, so maybe spurious coming
from 9545 tx/antenna unit. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, May 30,
dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also WORLD OF HOROLOGY
** U S A. On Message May 25, 2007 --- The U.S. Arabic-language
satellite network Al Hurra has had an uphill struggle for viewership.
Lately, it’s been trying to diversify its range of perspectives. But
when it featured “terrorists,” congressional funders cried foul.
Political scientist Marc Lynch discusses the latest salvo in the war
for hearts & minds.
http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2007/05/25/02
(via David Cole, OK, DXLD)
which leads to a 7-minute audio clip and also:
http://abuaardvark.typepad.com/abuaardvark/2007/05/alhurra_controv.htm
l
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. VOICE OF AMERICA (VOA) UPDATED A07 FREQUENCY SCHEDULE
-----------------------------------------------------
AFAN OROMO
1730-1800 9875 11500 11675 11905 13870 MON-FRI
ALBANIAN
0500-0530 9460
1600-1630 13740
1830-1900 9840
AMHARIC
1800-1900 9875 11500 11675 11905 13870
ARABIC (Radio Sawa)
0000-0400 990 1170 1431 1548
0400-1645 990 1170 1548
1645-2400 990 1170 1431 1548
ARMENIAN (VOA TV only)
(Satellite and local affiliates only)
AZERBAIJANI
1730-1800 6050 7235 13725
BANGLA
0130-0200 11735 15205
1600-1700 1575, 7430 11835
BOSNIAN
(Satellite and local affiliates only)
BURMESE
1430-1500 1575, 9325 11910 12120
1500-1530 9325 11910 12120
2330-2400 6185 9505 11980
CANTONESE
1300-1500 1170, 7115 9355
CHINESE (Mandarin)
0000-0200 9545 11830 11925 15150 15385 17765
0200-0300 9545 11830 11925 15385 17765
0700-0900 13610 13740 15250 17780 17855 21705
0900-1000 11825 11965 13610 13740 15250 15665 17780 17855
1000-1100 9575 11825 11965 12040 13610 15250 15665 17855
1100-1200 1170, 6110 9575 11785 11825 11990 12040 15205
1200-1230 6110 9845 11785 11825 11990 12040 15205
1230-1300 6110 9845 11785 11805 11825 12040 15205
1300-1400 6110 9845 11785 11805 11965 11990 12040
1400-1500 6110 9845 11805 11965 11990 12040
2200-2300 7190 7200 9510 9845 11925 13775
CREOLE
1130-1200 11890 15390 MON-FRI
1630-1700 15390 17565
2100-2130 11895 13725 21555
CROATIAN
0430-0500 5965
1830-1845 7180 15180
DARI (Radio Ashna)
0130-0230 1296, 9335 12140
1500-1530 1296, 9335 15090 15120
1630-1730 1296, 9335 11565 11580
1800-1830 1296, 9335 11565 11580
1930-2030 1296, 7555 7595
ENGLISH to Europe, Middle East, and North Africa
1400-1500 15530 17740
1500-1600 15445 15530
2200-2230 1593
ENGLISH to Africa
0300-0330 909 1530, 4930 6080 7340 9885 12080 15580
0330-0400 909 1530, 4930 6080 9885 12080 15580
0400-0430 909 1530, 4930 4960 6080 9575 11835 12080 15580
0430-0500 909, 4930 4960 6080 9575 11835 12080 15580
0500-0600 909, 4930 6080 6180 12080 15580
0600-0700 909 1530, 6080 6180 12080 15580
1400-1500 4930 6080 13570 15580 17685
1500-1600 4930 6080 13570 15580 17895
1600-1700 909 1530, 4930 6080 15580
1700-1730 4930(Sat-Sun) 6080 15580
1730-1800 4930(Sat-Sun) 6080 15410 15580
1800-1830 909(Sat-Sun), 4930(Sat-Sun) 6080 15410 15580 17895
1830-1900 909, 4930 6080 15410 15580 17895
1900-2000 909, 4930 4940 6080 15410 15445 15580 17895
2000-2030 909 1530, 4930 4940 6080 15445 15580
2030-2100 909 1530, 4930 4940(Sat-Sun) 6080 15445 15580
2100-2200 1530, 6080 15580
ENGLISH to Zimbabwe
1730-1800 909, 4930 13755 15775 MON-FRI
ENGLISH to Afghanistan
0000-0030 1296, 7555
2030-2400 1296, 7555
ENGLISH to Far East Asia, South Asia, and Oceania
0100-0200 7430 9780 11705
1100-1130 1575 Sat-Sun
1130-1200 1575
1200-1300 1170, 6140 9645 9760 11860
1300-1400 9645 9760
1400-1500 7125 9760 15185
1500-1600 7125 12150 13735 15105
2200-2400 7120 9415 11725 15185
2230-2400 1575 Fri-Sat
ENGLISH-SPECIAL
0000-0030 1575 1593
0030-0100 1575 1593, 9715 9780 11725 15185 15205 15290 15560 17820
0130-0200 6040 13740 TUE-SAT
1500-1530 6160 9590 9760 12080 15550
1530-1600 1575 1593, 6040 6160 9590 9760 11520 12080 15550
1600-1630 1170(Mon-Fri) 1593, 6040 11520 12080 13600 17895
1630-1700 1170(Mon-Fri), 12080 13600 17895
1900-2000 7480 9670
2230-2300 1593, 9570 11705 15145
2300-2330 1593, 9570 13755 15145
2330-2400 1593, 7350 9570 13755 15145 15340
FRENCH to Africa
0530-0600 1530, 4960 6035 6095 9885 13710 MON-FRI
0600-0630 4960 6035 6095 9885 13710 MON-FRI
1830-2000 1530, 9815 9830 12080 15730 17785
2000-2030 9815 9830 11720 12080 15730
2030-2100 9815 9830 11720 12080 15730 SAT-SUN
2100-2130 9815 9830 12035 12080 MON-FRI
GEORGIAN
1530-1600 11945 15475
GREEK
(Satellite and local affiliates only)
HAUSA
0500-0530 1530, 4960 6045 9600
0700-0730 4960 6045 9600
1500-1530 9710 11905 13750
2030-2100 4940 9815 9830 11720 12080 15185 MON-FRI
HINDI
1600-1700 7260 9320
INDONESIAN
0000-0030 9535 11805 13705
1130-1230 9700 9890 12010
1400-1500 13620 15105 THU-SAT
2200-2400 7225 9535 11805
KHMER
1330-1430 1575, 5955 7155
2200-2230 1575, 6060 7130 15340
KINYARWANDA/KIRUNDI
0330-0430 6095 7340 11905
1600-1630 11905 15430 17725 SAT
KOREAN
1200-1300 5890 7235 11625
1300-1400 648, 5890 7235 11740
1400-1500 5890 7235 11740
2000-2030 6060 7125 9510
KURDISH
0400-0500 9845 15460 17490
1300-1400 1593, 11635 15390 17730
1600-1700 9805 11705 15130
1800-1900 7205 11520 11705
1900-2000 1593
LAOTIAN
1230-1300 1575, 9510 11930
MACEDONIAN
(Satellite and local affiliates only)
NDEBELE
1800-1830 909, 4930 13755 15775 MON-FRI
PASHTO
0030-0130 1296, 9335 11605
1430-1500 1296, 9335 15090 15120
1530-1630 1296, 9335 15090 15120
1730-1800 1296, 9335 11565 11580
1830-1930 1296, 7555 7595
PASHTO (Deewa Radio)
1300-1600 9310 11510
1600-1900 7510 9310
PERSIAN (VOA)
0230-0330 9695 11870 17855
1630-1700 1593, 6040 11520 11780
1700-1730 1593, 6040 9760 11520
1730-1800 1593, 6040 9760 11925
1800-1830 648 1593, 6040 9760 11925
1830-1900 648, 5860 6040 11925
1900-1930 5860 6040 11925
1930-2030 5860 9310 9725
PERSIAN (Radio Farda)
0000-0030 1575
0030-0200 1575, 7295 9805 9865
0200-0330 1575, 9510 9805 9865
0330-0400 1575, 5860 9805 9865
0400-0530 1575, 5860 9865 15255
0530-0600 1575, 9865 15255 15690
0600-0800 1575, 15290 15690 17845
0800-1000 1575, 15690 17845 21715
1000-1200 1575, 7125 15690 21715
1200-1400 1575, 7125 15690 17755
1400-1500 1575, 15170 17510 17755
1500-1600 1575, 15410 17510 17755
1600-1700 1575, 15165 15410 17510
1700-1900 1575, 7105 7580 9770
1900-1930 1575, 7105 7580 9505
1930-2000 1575, 5830 7580 9505
2000-2100 1575, 5830 7580 9505
2100-2130 1575, 5830 7580 9505
2130-2400 1575
PORTUGUESE to Africa
0430-0500 1530, 6095 7340
1000-1030 17740 21590 SAT-SUN
1700-1730 1530, 9565 12080
1730-1800 1530, 9565 9815 12080 15730
1800-1830 1530, 9565 9815 17785 MON-FRI
RUSSIAN
1300-1400 9465 11725 15130 15565
1700-1800 6105 7340 9520 11805
1800-1900 6105 9520 11755 11805
SERBIAN
0530-0545 9460
1930-2000 9785
2100-2130 7210 MON-FRI
SHONA
1700-1730 909, 4930 13755 15775 MON-FRI
SOMALI
1600-1630 1431, 11675 15675
1700-1730 11675 15675
SPANISH
0030-0200 9560 9885 11815
1100-1230 7370 9535 13790
SWAHILI
1630-1700 9815 13670 15730
1700-1730 9815 13670 15730 MON-FRI
THAI
(Satellite and local affiliates only)
TIBETAN
0000-0100 7255 9855 11690
0400-0600 15265 15490 17685
1400-1500 6030 11520 11975
TIGRIGNA
1900-1930 9875 11500 11675 11905 13870 MON-FRI
TURKISH
0330-0400 7205 MON-FRI
1030-1045 15205 21590 MON-FRI
1830-1900 11865 12025 MON-FRI
UKRAINIAN
2000-2015 7230 11840
2015-2030 7230 11840 MON-FRI
URDU (Radio Aap ki Dunyaa)
0000-0100 972 1539
0100-0200 972 1539, 7145 11805
1400-1500 972 1539, 9510 12005
1500-1700 972 1539
1700-1800 972 1539, 9320 9780
1800-2400 972 1539
UZBEK
1500-1530 801, 7280 9700 11590 15265
VIETNAMESE
1300-1330 1575, 5955 9720
1500-1600 1170, 5955 7455 9780
2230-2330 6060 15340
Best regards & many 73s! (Dragan Lekic from Subotica, Serbia, May 30,
dxldyg via DXLD)
** U S A. Dear Glenn, I would like to mention that this Saturday at 9
PM Eastern (June 2nd [0100 UT Sunday June 3]), Marion's Attic will be
broadcasting its 300th original program. This program was recorded in
Fritztown, PA at the home of very kind radio fans who are phonograph
collectors. The show features the use of a 20th Century Graphophone
cylinder machine with a four inch diameter reproducer diaphragm and
mechanical amplifier. You will hear sounds never heard before off of
cylinder records. It was a moving experience for me to hear 100 year
old cylinder records with this machine. We also will be playing very
rare 6 inch long 20th Century cylinders that play 3 1/2 minutes.
Standard cylinders played for 2 minutes only, so these were the LP
version!
Marion's Attic continues to be very popular and I receive many letters
from new listeners each week. Our sponsors are happy too. There is no
doubt in my mind that shortwave radio is alive and well. Thank-you so
much for the work you do keeping the listeners informed so we don't
miss the good stuff. Lovingly, (Marion Webster, Marion's Attic, WBCQ
7415, May 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. KVOH, 17775, again putting out strong spurs, May 30 at 2030
on 17631.5, distorted, and peaks in modulation cause a dip in S-meter
reading, // 17918.5, i.e. plus and minus 143.5 kHz. 2032
`Desencadenados``, the Spanish version of ``Unshackled`` from Pacific
Garden Mission, Chicago. 17775 was steady at S9 + 16 while the spurs
peaked at S9 + 10 dB. On previous occasions there were further spurs
at double the distance, but nothing audible now on 17488 or 18062, as
the fundamental itself was not at the overpowering level it sometimes
reaches. No doubt after 2100, 17631.5 caused the usual awful QRM to
France in Spanish via Guiana French on 17630 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. MORE ON THE CATALINA ISLAND FIRE AND KBRT
CGC #792 reported on the devastating Catalina Island fire and
tentatively traced its origin to work being done by a tower crew at
the KBRT (740 kHz) directional antenna array on the island. While the
official cause of the fire is under investigation and the final
details may differ somewhat from the account given in our report, all
information available to our office continues to exonerate Bill
Agresta, KBRT's Transmitter Chief.
Bill reports that day-to-day operations at the transmitter plant are
currently difficult at best. The station is now without utility power,
program lines and phone service. KBRT is relying on generator power
and a satellite audio feed. For a brief period of time, the station
was operated at half power to conserve fuel.
Why was KBRT off the air last Tuesday? A field coil opened in the
generator. A small solid enameled wire (probably #24) which was
covered with RTV at the point where it connected to a binding post
chose this most inopportune time to corrode in two, perhaps the result
of exposure to 20 years of salt air. Then again, this was just one of
many technical failures that have mysteriously plagued the station
lately.
Bill is slowly recovering from three cracked ribs and a head-to-toe
case of poison oak from the oak soot carried by the fire. (We have
told him about the Zanfel treatment for poison oak mentioned later in
this newsletter.) One person who saw Bill last week described him as a
"blistered mess" - yet Bill is adamant about carrying on his day-to-
day activities at the remote site where life, even in the best of
times, is not easy.
Bill asks for your good thoughts and prayers as he continues to make a
difficult recovery.
http://tinyurl.com/2be3cz (Fire Photos, L.A. Times)
(CGC Communicator May 30 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD)
** VATICAN. 50 YEARS OF SANTA MARIA DI GALERIA
The agreement between Italy and the Holy See of October 8, 1951
acknowledged the extra-territorial status of the area of Santa Maria
di Galeria, destined to become the telecommunication centre of the
Holy See. Situated about 20 Km from Vatican City, the area at that
time belonged to the German-Hungarian Pontifical College and covered
approximately 450 hectares, a good part of which devoted to
agriculture, even today.
Thanks to the transmission installation of the new Radio Centre,
inaugurated October 27, 1957 by Pope Pius XII, the Holy See became
independent and was able to communicate with the entire Catholic
world.
The Short Wave transmitters are installed in the main building which
is hexagon-shaped and features the electrical-supply equipment on the
lower floor, while nine transmitters of various type and age are
situated on the upper floor (see box). The Medium Wave transmitters
are kept in a smaller building and are remotely controlled. Three rows
of fixed directive antennas for Short Wave depart in a "Y" from the
main building. There are 28 of the curtain dipole type, which are
invertible and positioned in such a way as to serve all the required
areas with the appropriate frequencies and directional angle. Three
rotating antennas, positioned at the extremities of the three rows,
complete the Short Wave antenna park. The Centre also features two
Medium Wave directive antenna systems.
The management of the Radio Centre has always included technical
personnel in the projection and construction of installations.
Currently, modern digital techniques of modulation are being
introduced: in particular, experimental transmissions according to DRM
standards (Digital Radio Mondiale) have begun. Vatican Radio is an
active member of the Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium. For some years
now the principal international radio stations whose programmes are
transmitted via satellite have been exchanging broadcasts.
The Frequency Management Department plays an important role in the
scientific selection and coordination of appropriate transmission
frequencies in international sites. As far as the environmental issue
of electromagnetic fields is concerned, the emissions are monitored by
the appropriate Vatican offices who have always complied with the most
rigorous security standards established by the World Health
Organization. In conclusion, it can be said that the presence and
careful maintenance of our installations have preserved the natural
environment of the Roman countryside of the 1950s, which has by now
disappeared elsewhere.
Constantino Pacifici, Director of Santa Maria di Galeria Centre
TRANSMITTERS
1 x Philips
2 x Telefunken
1 x RCA
1 x Telefunken
1 x Telefunken PDM
1 x Thomcast
(TONY ASHAR and MIKE CASEY forwarded from the latest Vatican Radio
newsletter, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD)
** VENEZUELA. Glenn, Apropos the color TV restriction [RADIO EQUIPMENT
FORUM]:
You may not be aware, but Venezuela had no FM broadcasting until the
late 1980's. My copy of the original technical regulations (Dirección
de Ingeniería de las Comunicaciones, División Técnica de
Radiodifusión, Departamento de Frecuencia Modulada) was stamped in to
our library January 11, 1985, and the original Ministry of Transport
and Communications issued "Instructivo Técnico para Estaciones
Radiodifusoras en Frecuenca Modulada" is dated February 1985.
I don't believe that there were licenses granted until about 1988, and
I made several trips to all the major cities in Venezuela except
Mérida and Cd. Bolívar from about 1985 until 1989 or so on behalf of
our firm's clients there to locate and evaluate potential FM sites.
Many of the TV sites were established for wide area coverage assuming
outdoor antennas, so they weren't necessarily suitable for FM. Up
until the late 1980's the only signals on FM were from low power
transmitters with simple antennas at in-city sites and with no
baseband modulation but only a background music subcarrier, one in
each city, all operated countrywide by a single licensee, if my memory
is correct (Ben Dawson, WA, May 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** VENEZUELA. It's called TVes - I guess they want us to pick it up by
Es! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCJ_Gdd4S_M
(Jeff Kruszka, WTFDA via DXLD)
A 24-minute clip starting with the national anthem for 5 minutes, this
time without captioning, so de-emphasizing ``vile egotism``,
``respecting the law``, etc. Then very slick produxion of all the
great things TVes will present, including, it seems, novelas, for
which RCTV was well-known. It`s pronounced Te-Ves, which is a play on
words, meaning ``you see yourself``, as well as being the abbr. for
Televisora Venezolana Social[ista], and goes on ¡Como eres de verdad!
-- ``the way you really are``. And of course, linx to several other
videos on this subject.
What I`d like to know: has RCTV been compensated fairly for the
expropriation of its transmission facilities, and whatever else the
government has taken over? Will RCTV in fact continue as a program
producer, just without its on-air terrestrial network?? ``Venezuela –
¡Patria del Expropiador!`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Re 7-063, DXing RCTV: Glenn, were you living in Oklahoma, Texas, or
where when you logged YVKS-2? That was a great catch (Danny
Oglethorpe, Shreveport, LA, WTFDA via DXLD)
I just dug out my verie letter. It was May 30, 1968, in Enid, OK. I`ll
scan and post this historical document soon. IIRC, they had channel 2
in both Maracaibo and Caracas, so could not be positive which one I
got.
[Later:] I`ve now added a 27th item to my small gallery of QSLs (the
rest being antique shortwave ones), at
http://worldofradio.com/QSL.html 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.)
LA AMPUTACIÓN:
Decía Marshall McLuhan sin equivocarse, que los medios son extensiones
del propio cuerpo. La ropa extiende a la piel, la rueda al pie, la
televisión amplifica a los ojos y claro, a los oídos también.
Consecuentemente, lo que ha sucedido en este país, no es otra cosa que
una amputación, pues la noción misma de televisión que el venezolano
tiene esta asociada a su vínculo con RCTV. Es por ello que la
sensación primaria que experimenta la inmensa mayoría de nosotros es
de sajadura, de herida en la carne.
Cumplida la medida, resta evaluar aquí las implicaciones que este
machetazo tiene para el gobierno, particularmente para Hugo Chávez y
también para lo que en Venezuela llamamos, a falta de una palabra
mejor, la oposición. Intentaremos también evaluar en qué medida
compromete este sacudón a todo el ecosistema comunicacional.
QUÉ GANA Y QUÉ PIERDE CHÁVEZ
El gobierno ha cerrado a RCTV por la simple razón de que no le quedaba
otra. En su ambición de imponer la proclamada “hegemonía
comunicacional” es necesario anotar que Chávez no contaba con otro
momento para asumir el riesgo. El 28 de mayo está todavía a pocas
horas de su triunfo electoral de diciembre pasado y además, constituye
este día, una fecha rodeada de una cierta aura de legalidad, muy
discutible por cierto.
El efecto necesario de esta aventura se expresará en la pérdida de más
de un 30 por ciento de respaldo popular, lo que equivale a dos
millones quinientos mil votos. Este bajón dramático, de no manejarlo
el gobierno con cuidado, podría echar al trasto a su ambicionada
reforma constitucional y con ella, la reelección indefinida que es el
único tema que verdaderamente interesa de toda esa operación
leguleya.
Otra consecuencia que tendrá que arcar el gobierno es la protesta
violenta, que por cierto ya está en marcha. La violencia – emocional y
física - es inevitable. A los seres humanos se nos lleva a la
violencia por dos motivos esenciales: defensa del territorio y defensa
de la identidad, y esas dos condiciones aplican con el cierre de RCTV.
Al tomar la medida, la población siente que el gobierno ha violado el
espacio individual. Ya no somos patronos en nuestra propia casa, ya no
podemos escoger lo que nos gusta dentro del propio hogar. En ese
sentido, no es exagerado afirmar que el pase de RCTV a TVES en la
madrugada del 28 de mayo, quedará grabado en la consciencia colectiva
del país como el mayor gesto de violencia simbólica que recuerde una
generación entera.
Cuenta además como dijimos, el corte brusco de nuestra noción de
identidad. No te puedes llevar 53 años de cultura, buena o mala, esa
es otra discusión, sin romper con la imagen que el venezolano se hace
de sí mismo. Con el cierre del canal dos, los venezolanos hemos sido
llevados a una frontera psíquica que forzará a millones de
compatriotas, chavistas y antichavistas a la búsqueda agresiva de
significado. Esto lo sabe el gobierno, o lo intuye mejor dicho, pero
también sabe que no existe hoy un liderazgo preparado para capitalizar
la revuelta. Es por eso que al final de día, Hugo Chávez decide
tirarse la parada del cierre.
Con el cierre, el gobierno alcanza ciertamente la codiciada “hegemonía
comunicacional”, un verdadero pujo ideológico que abriga el riesgo de
sobre mercadear al gobierno. Actualmente Venezuela cuenta con la señal
abierta de 12 canales nacionales. La propiedad de estos medios es como
sigue: a Venevisión lo controla el gobierno y a Televen igual. La Tele
fue recientemente adquirida por el régimen, lo mismo que Puma y CMT.
VTV es propiedad de Chávez, así como Telesur, Vive, y ANTV. Restan
Meridiano, que es un canal de deportes y Globovisión, un canal privado
de noticias, pero con un dígito de share (con el cierre de RCTV pasará
a dos dígitos de audiencia real). RCTV era el medio de comunicación
más visto e influyente de Venezuela. En los últimos meses llegó a
aventajar en 15 puntos a su competidor más cercano, Venevisión, y a
facturar casi el doble en publicidad. De doce canales nueve pertenecen
hoy al régimen bolivariano. O sea, que a los venezolanos les quitaron
los ojos y los oídos.
Esto va a forzar la radicalización de algunos sectores nini y de
oposición que antes no habían sido activados. Cuando la oposición veía
la entrevista de Miguel Angel Rodríguez en las mañanas, muchos sentían
que podían irse tranquilos al trabajo porque, a final de cuentas,
alguien estaba protestando por ellos. Al aniquilar esa válvula de
escape, el gobierno está forzando a estos grupos al radicalismo, algo
que no necesitaba. Chávez ha desconocido que el canal dos le resultaba
instrumental a su proyecto. Aquí hay algo mal calculado, pues RCTV era
en esencia una canal de entretenimiento. El cierre es un pujo
ideológico, insisto. Sin embargo, este último dato deberían confirmar
aún un más el escenario de violencia que se cierne sobre el país.
El costo internacional también será inevitable. Chávez habrá perdido
con esta jugada un apoyo internacional que no va a recuperar con
facilidad, sobre todo porque a partir de aquí, el hombre tendrá que
reprimir abiertamente. ¿Quién vendrá ahora a retratarse con el
gobierno venezolano? No mucha gente. El hecho es que el presidente se
metió en un escenario que muy poco controla. De aquí para abajo no va
a recibir backing de ningún medio de comunicación internacional con
algún margen importante de influencia. Tendrá que olvidarse de la gran
prensa mundial que tanto lo ayudó en el Carmonaso y el pasado tres de
diciembre. Ni a los periódicos, ni a los periodistas occidentales, le
gustan los presidentes que cierran medios.
Resta mencionar además, que Chávez verá mermado su apoyo dentro de las
Fuerzas Armadas, especialmente entre la tropa y los mandos medios. No
estamos seguros de que un soldado venezolano esté dispuesto a
dispararle a su tía, a su hermana o a su amigo porque estos reclamen
su derecho a ver El Concurso Millonario.
QUÉ PIERDE Y QUÉ GANA LA OPOSICIÓN
La oposición encontró un tema para unificar al país. Existe otro, la
inseguridad, pero el liderazgo opositor nunca lo ha usado
sistemáticamente. Hoy esos dos asuntos se tocan con el cierre del
canal dos. Para el pueblo se acabó su principal canal de
entretenimiento, pero también, el medio más importante para denunciar
la inseguridad personal.
La oposición se queda sin medios, pero con mensaje. Necesita un
mensajero, pero no se le ve en el radar. Chávez es hoy un presidente
que quita, no un presidente que da. Es un líder que no escuchó a su
pueblo. Ahora Venezuela no es de todos. Eso lo entienden hoy chavistas
y antichavistas
En ese sentido, la oposición gana consciencia de que realmente
necesita un liderazgo. No un liderazgo electoral, esa vía está
cerrada, sino un liderazgo político, que construya un camino firme,
pasito a pasito, hacia el poder. La oposición también gana una voz
ante la comunidad internacional. El denunciado autoritarismo de Chávez
ya no se escuchará en el extranjero como una consigna política.
COMO QUEDA LA INDUSTRIA DE LA COMUNICACIÓN
Con el cierre de RCTV, la industria de la comunicación en Venezuela
queda totalmente trastocada. Los medios independientes quedan
temerosos del gobierno, así como los anunciantes. Estos últimos
contemplan atónitos lo que sin duda constituye el mayor atropello a la
propiedad privada que haya habido en Venezuela en toda su historia.
Hasta el momento en que escribimos estas líneas, la señal de TVES
sigue saliendo por las antenas transmisoras de RCTV, sin que exista
hasta el momento una ruta jurídica para saldar la confiscación de que
ha sido objeto la gente de Bárcenas.
La industria publicitaria también tendrá que reacomodarse ya que es
mentira que habrá un pase mecánico de anuncios hacia los canales que
se plegaron al gobierno. Es decir, se requerirá la creación de nuevos
medios para alcanzar el reach de una campaña. Habrá eso sí, un aumento
exponencial de la televisión pagada, con lo cual el gobierno perderá
penetración. En dos años habrá tres millones de decodificadores en la
calle, lo que equivale a 15 millones de personas huyéndole a las
cadenas presidenciales. Nadie compra o alquila el cable para escuchar
a Chávez.
La radio sufrirá también un repentino crecimiento como medio
noticioso, lo mismo que los portales informativos digitales que
crecerán en cuñas y en lectoría. En fin, es todo un sacudón de
proporciones telúricas.
Hay para terminar, una generación de periodistas venezolanos y
estudiantes de comunicación que se confronta finalmente con la misión
de la profesión: el anti poder y la defensa de la libertad de
expresión. Poco a poco hemos venido entendiendo que Hugo Chávez
no viene a otra cosa que a cumplir el viejo ciclo autoritario de los
militares golpistas latinoamericanos. Poco a poco hemos entendido que
es requisito ganarse la democracia.
Opinión, Aquiles Esté, Noticiero Digital.
Publicado: Mar May 29, 2007 9:08 pm
Fuente: http://www.noticierodigital.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=195484
(via Jorge García R., Venezuela, DXLD)
MÁS SOBRE EL CASO RCTV, APOYO INTERNACIONAL Y NACIONAL...
LULA RESPETA DECISIÓN VENEZOLANA DE NO RENOVAR LICENCIA A RCTV
TeleSUR _ 29/05/07 - El presidente brasileño, Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva, rehusó opinar este martes sobre la decisión del mandatario
venezolano, Hugo Chávez, de no renovar la licencia a la televisión
opositora RCTV, por considerar que sería una injerencia, según reseña
AFP.
"Ese es un problema de la legislación venezolana. Un problema del
gobierno venezolano", dijo Lula a periodistas, tras un almuerzo
oficial con el secretario general del Partido Comunista de Vietnam,
Nong Duc Manh.
"De la misma forma en que yo no quiero que ellos den opiniones sobre
las cosas que yo hago aquí, yo tampoco quiero (opinar sobre lo que
hace el gobierno venezolano)", añadió Lula.
RCTV salió del aire el domingo 28 y fue sustituida por el estatal
Televisión Venezolana Social.
MONSEÑOR TORREALBA: DECISIÓN DEL GOBIERNO SOBRE RCTV ESTÁ AJUSTADA A
LA LEY --- Por: Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias (ABN)
Caracas, 29 May. ABN.- La decisión que ha tomado el presidente de
Venezuela, Hugo Chávez Frías, sobre no renovar la concesión a Radio
Caracas Televisión (RCTV) está ajustada a la ley, así lo expresó el
monseñor Nelson Torrealba, miembro del Consejo Eclesiástico de
la Embajada de Venezuela en El Vaticano.
Monseñor Torrealba señaló en declaraciones a Venezolana de Televisión
(VTV) que «Venezuela no es el primer país en el que se aplica una
medida de esta naturaleza».
«Estados Unidos, Canadá, Uruguay, Perú y en tantos lugares de América
Latina, de Europa y Asia se ha tomado esta medida contra los medios de
comunicación masivos. Esto está a la vista pública», agregó.
El clérigo, además, realizó un llamado a la conciliación y la paz para
que todos lo venezolanos puedan convivir.
El pasado 27 de mayo de 2007 culminó la concesión a RCTV y el espacio
dentro del espectro radioeléctrico fue ocupado desde el 28 de mayo por
la Televisora Venezolana Social (TVes), como parte del proceso de
democratización de los medios de comunicación.
PARTIDO DE LOS TRABAJADORES DE BRASIL RESPALDÓ DECISIÓN SOBRE RCTV
Caracas, 29 May. ABN.- La dirección nacional del Partido de los
Trabajadores (PT) de Brasil, organización política del Presidente Luiz
Inácio Lula da Silva, y el Partido Socialismo y Libertad (PSOL),
suscribieron un manifiesto de respaldo a la no renovación de la
concesión a Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV), informó una nota
publicada en el portal online http://www.rondoniagora.com
La nota dio cuenta de que el documento fue difundido por la Embajada
de Venezuela en Brasilia en una nota que indica que se recibió el
apoyo de otras siete organizaciones populares brasileñas, entre las
que destacan el Movimiento de los Sin Tierra (MST), el Movimiento de
los Pastores Negros de Brasil, el Círculo Bolivariano de Brasilia y la
Central de Movimientos Populares de Brasil.
El pronunciamiento de las organizaciones citadas se suma a la posición
asumida por el Partido Comunista de Brasil, a través de su órgano
comunicacional Vermelho (Rojo), en el que alegó que con la
finalización de la concesión a RCTV, comienza a debilitarse en
Venezuela la dictadura de los monopolios mediáticos.
Según Rondonia Agora, el Palacio de Planalto, sede de la Presidencia
de la República Federativa de Brasil, evitó emitir un pronunciamiento
sobre el tema alegando respeto a la soberanía de Venezuela (all via
Adán González, Catia La Mar, Estado Vargas, VENEZUELA, May 30, DXLD)
Well, of course the Commies are for it! Perhaps I should summarize
where I am coming from. In US terms I am a social-leftist, but I
cannot countenance leftist regimes anywhere which curtail civil
liberties, freedom of speech! It doesn`t have to be that way (Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
CALM RETURNS AFTER VENEZUELA TV PROTESTS
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/4851811.html
(AP via kimandrewelliott.com May 31 via DXLD)
** ZAMBIA. CVC not starting new broadcasts yet: see GERMANY
** ZIMBABWE [and non]. China helping Zim media --- China is actively
pursuing rebroadcasting deals for both its international radio and
television channels in Africa; China Radio International has an FM
frequency in Nairobi and is understood to be negotiating in other
major cities, while CCTV-9, the English-language TV channel, is also
actively seeking partners in the continent. A high-level delegation
from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings company - which is owned by
the government and controls ZBC - visited China this month.
ZBH chief executive Henry Muradzikwa met CCTV vice-president Zhang
Changming in Beijing. During the meeting Zhang said that CCTV is eager
to air Zimbabwean television programmes "in order to help counter the
monopoly that Western countries have over reporting on Zimbabwean and
African issues."
Zhang also said that China is willing to offer exchange programmes and
to host broadcasting personnel from Zimbabwe in order to assist in the
improvement of broadcasting standards for Zimbabwe. CCTV president
Zhao Huayong has offered training facilities for ZBH staff in
technical, production and journalism areas (From the AIB media
industry briefing newsletter via David Pringle-Wood, Zimbabwe, DXLD)
UNIDENTIFIED. Around 6223 I'm listening now, at 1130-1216, to an UNID
religious. Maybe Baluarte reactivated and up in frequency? or
harmonic? Can't stick to it since have to go to work.
Estoy escuchando alrededor de 6223 una UNID religiosa, en português de
Brasil, en el horario 1130-1216. Quizá Baluarte o alguna armónica? No
puedo seguir escuchando ya que me voy a trabajar (Horacio Nigro,
Montevideo, Uruguay, May 31, condig list via DXLD)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15340, Arabic with a strong clear signal (54454) noticed
from 2100. Ended with a merry jingle at 2200. NOWHERE with any Arabic
at this time except if RTM has finally done the decent thing and
shifted away from the overcrowded 15345. If this is the case it will
help RAE Buenos Aires! 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Brentwood, England, May 30,
dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Could be. Around 2030 I tuned across and noted RAE again was well
below 15344, and something on 15340 as well as 15345 (Spain), but did
not notice the usual SAH on 15345, now that you mention it (Glenn,
ibid.) See MOROCCO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WORLD OF HOROLOGY
+++++++++++++++++
TIME SIGNALS ON BBC
From November 1922 time signals were regularly transmitted before the
news bulletins at 7 pm and 9 pm by an announcer playing the
Westminster Chimes on a piano or, later, on tubular bells installed
for the purpose. This innovation was so well received that it became
necessary to improve the clocks and a contract was placed with the
Synchronome Company for master clocks and slave dials to be installed
in studio centres. The loudness of the tick was adjustable and it
could be arranged to start some seconds before the hour. An announcer
could then begin counting and ring a gong on the hour. At Aberdeen,
Bournemouth and Manchester impulse clocks, made by Gent & Company were
installed.
In a broadcast on 21 April 1923 Frank Hope-Jones, a well-known radio
amateur and horologist, concluded his talk by counting down the last
five seconds to 10 pm. He afterwards suggested that a regular service
of accurate time 'pips' might be provided by the Royal Observatory and
broadcast by the BBC. Equipment was designed for reproducing the six
pips accurately from a 1 kHz oscillator, the output of which was
controlled by a switch operated directly by the escapement wheel of a
chronometer at the Observatory, which was then at Greenwich. The
Greenwich Time Signal (GTS) was regularly broadcast from 5th February
1924, the signal consisting of six pips starting five seconds before
the minute and ending on the minute.
Under the chapter Outside Broadcasts I found the following about Big
Ben. An important 'first' was the inauguration of the long series of
broadcasts by Big Ben. This took place at midnight on New Year's Eve
at the end of 1923 and was treated as an OB. It was followed by a
regular broadcast twice a day from March 9th 1924. The microphone and
amplifier were first installed on the roof of Bridge Chambers, Bridge
Street, Westminster. The microphone was a Round-Sykes, and it is
thought that this may have been the first time one of these was used
on an OB, the Western Electric double-button type having been used
hitherto. The microphone was enclosed in a biscuit tin filled with
cotton wool, but was later transferred (still wrapped in cotton wool)
to a football bladder sealed with rubber solution 'to guard against
the inclemency of the weather and suspended about 15 foot above the
bells.
The signal from Big Ben was fed to all stations, and the great bell
was heard at midnight to the accompaniment of ships' sirens on the
Thames and in the docks. When the Marconi-Reisz microphone became
available in 1926, one was installed permanently in the Clock Tower
(extract from book BBC Engineering 1922-1972 by Edward Pawley who
worked for the BBC for forty years until his retirement in 1971 as
Chief Engineer, External Relations via Edwin Southwell, June World DX
Club Contact via DXLD)
RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM
+++++++++++++++++++++
RADIO CONTROLADO VIA INTERNET !
Olá pessoal, Instalei aqui em casa um ICOM IC-PCR1500 com DSP!
Para quem desejar brincar um pouco com o equipamento instalamos o
mesmo e disponibilizamos na internet assim você poderá controlar o
mesmo de forma remota e até mesmo fazer algumas escutas on-line.
Para maiores informações e acesso:
http://www.amantesdoradio.com.br/rxonline
PS: O sistema esta em testes ainda, mas boa parte do tempo esta
totalmente operacional. A interface é simples mais funcional.
NOTA: Para os interessados nesse tipo de receptor: O receptor é
excelente e quebra todos os antigos tabus de que receptores do tipo
SCAN não servem para a radioescuta.
Apesar de sua larga faixa de cobertura de 10 kHz a 3.3 GHz o receptor
possui excelente performance, seletividade e sensibilidade, além é
claro de recursos sofisticados como o DSP, IF-Shift e vários filtros
de seletividade e a praticidade de manuseio de uma bela interface
gráfica com um sofisticado analisador de espectro.
Confesso que me surpreendeu! Portanto eu recomendo, inclusive já com o
DSP!!!! Em breve um bom review no site Amantes do Rádio! Um forte 73 a
todos! (PU2LZB Renato Uliana http://www.amantesdoradio.com.br
radioescutas yg via DXLD)
INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR OF RIZ, ZAGREB, CROATIA
During my websurf, I found a interesting interview with the director
of RIZ Croatia Mr. Darko Cvjetko [Darko Tsvyetko], which is dated
October 02, 2006, on Croatian business portal "poduzetnistvo.org".
Since the story is in Croatian language only, I've translated the most
interesting parts into English:
- RIZ drži 30 posto europskog tržišta radioodašiljaca.
>>>> RIZ holds 30 percent of the European radio transmitter market.
- Prvi izvozni posao ostvaren je 1965. Kad su isporucena dva
radioodašiljaca u Indiju.
>>>> First export business realised in 1965, when two radio
transmittters were delivered in India.
- Posljedni veliki izvozni posao RIZ je ostvario ovih dana kada je
partneru u Jemenu isporucen srednjovalni radiodifuzni odašiljac kao
prva isporuka prema ugovoru vrijednom 2,2 milijuna eura. U tijeku su i
drugi vrijedni izvozni poslovi. Tako je isporucen 250-kilovatni
srednjovalni odašiljac u Tajvan, a uskoro ce biti isporucen i drugi
ukupne vrijednosti oko 862.000 eura. A nakon montaže 250/500-
kilovatnog kratkovalnog digitalnog odašiljaca za tvrtku VT
Communication u Engleskoj, RIZ je potpisao novi ugovor za isporuku
cetiri digitalna kratkovalna odašiljaca, a vrijednost ugovora prelazi
5,2 milijuna eura.
>>>> The last big export business RIZ accomplished in these days, when
to a partner in Yemen was delivered a mediumwave broadcasting
transmitter, as a first delivery according to contract worth 2.2
Million euros. Momentarily there are other valuable export businesses.
Thus a 250-kiloWatts mediumwave transmitter is delivered in Taiwan,
and soon will be delivered another one worth 862.000 euros. And after
the installation of a 250/500 kiloWatt digital shortwave transmitter
for a company VT Communications in England, RIZ has signed a new
contract for a delivery of four digital shortwave transmitters, and
the worth of contract is over 5.2 Million euros.
Full interview (in Croatian only) is at:
http://www.poduzetnistvo.org/novosti.php?subaction=showfull&id=1159799375&archive=1160145810&start_from=&ucat=&select=novosti&ar=1
There is also a picture of Mr. Cvjetko.
Best regards! (Dragan Lekic from Subotica, Serbia, dxldyg via DXLD)
DIGITAL BROADCASTING
++++++++++++++++++++
SONY SUPPORTS HD RADIO, RELEASES TWO PRODUCTS
Sony has acknowledged that it believes in HD Radio with its
announcement that it will develop and distribute a range of HD Radio-
enabled consumer products over the next several years. Sony has
released an AM/FM/HD table radio (model XDR-S3HD) and a mobile HD
Radio tuner (model XT-100HD) car adapter, the company announced today.
There are currently more than 1300 radio stations broadcasting with HD
Radio technology. Source:
http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/2007/05/29/sony-supports-hd-radio-releases-two-products/
(via Jaisakthivel, Chennai-600106, India, dxldyg via DXLD)
DRM [see also CHILE; INDIA; VATICAN]
PAUL WATSON [previous] comments on DRM which I was interested in and I
fully agree with Paul's comments when he says in his view DRM is a
waste of time. Many contributors to logbook comment on this subject
and how it causes severe interference to adjacent channels which you
are tuned into, it seems to cause sideband splatter over 10 to 15 kHz
and like many others I think they should be allocated a dedicated
piece of the shortwave spectrum and well away from the standard
listening format. Another point to raise about DRM is where are the
receivers? and also we seem to have very few specialist shops where we
could get advice even if we were interested in buying such a receiver.
All it seems today is sell it off the shelf. This is a fine thing if
you are buying a standard type analogue receiver but with DRM and also
DAB advice would help. I know a friend who bought a DAB receiver and
had problems with it. He could pick up very few stations. He went back
to the shop and mentioned the problem of being able to pick up few
stations and they told him you need an aerial and some other piece of
equipment, after which he said to the salesman "you never told me
this". (via Edwin Southwell, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD)
In the May issue of Contact, Paul Watson asks if any member listens to
DRM mode transmissions. I have several receivers which are DRM capable
and use them on a regular, daily basis to listen to DRM transmissions.
At least one receiver is used to monitor DRM transmissions and is in
use for this for most of the day; I find the log files produced by the
decoding software most interesting. Early in the morning, I check BBC
World Service on 7440. BBC World Service used to be available until
the afternoon but regrettably now drastically cut back. Also monitored
is RTL Luxembourg on 5990to practise my French and then finally in the
evening I listen to the classical music transmission from Deutsche
Welle on 3995. The latter is particularly appreciated because it is
simply non-stop music, i.e. no chatter which allows me to get on with
something else without irritation.
I do listen to conventional AM but I'm afraid my days of scratching
around in the noise for weak DX are over, partly due to other
interests and partly due to the ever increasing noise level at my
'semi' rural location. I think that we should not lose sight of the
fact that broadcasting is an expensive business. Those transmitters
are not simply on the air to allow us enthusiasts to put another
station in the log and demand a QSL. A broadcast service has to earn
it's keep in some way or another and the DRM mode, being efficient
makes that task easier. Kim Elliot, in one of his VOA programmes
talked about "the long slow fade of hf broadcasting".
He was right and anything which prolongs the life of hf should be
encouraged. I'll nail my colours to the long wire for all to see and
state that I'm a great fan of DRM and I hope it prospers. Of more
serious concern for the future of shortwave listening I believe is, as
I have mentioned, the steady rise of the noise level on hf. This is
normally S3-4 at my QTH but sometimes much greater. The majority of
this comes in via the mains supply and although I only have two close
neighbours, I do have a 66kV overhead line approx 200m away. Perhaps I
should try a loop instead of the long wire (Glyn Jones, ibid.)
DTV UPDATE, FCC REGULATION
The FCC has approved the applications of 32 stations to not build out
their interim DTV facilities. These stations will flash-cut to DTV
operation on their permanent DTV channel.
In most cases, these stations are in small markets. In many cases, the
stations' interim DTV channels are outside core. (above channel 51) 25
of the stations are "satellites" – stations that relay some other
station – a category of operation that was singled out as eligible for
flash-cutting. The stations in question:
Station City A B
KVTH-26 Hot Springs, Ark. 14 26
KVTJ-48 Jonesboro, Ark. 49 48
KGMD-9 Hilo, Hawaii 8 9
KHVO-13 Hilo, Hawaii 18 13
KAII-7 Wailuku, Hawaii 36 7
KMAU-12 Wailuku, Hawaii 29 12
KMEB-10 Wailuku, Hawaii 30 10
KWHM-21 Wailuku, Hawaii 45 21
KBSD-6 Ensign, Kans. 5 6
KUPK-13 Garden City, Kans. 18 13
KBSL-10 Goodland, Kans. 14 10
KBSH-7 Hays, Kans. 10 7
WBKP-5 Calumet, Mich. 11 5
KBRR-10 Thief River Falls, Minn. 32 10
KPOB-15 Poplar Bluff, Mo. 18 15
WHLT-22 Hattiesburg, Miss. 58 22
KYUS-3 Miles City, Mont. 13 3
WDAZ-8 Devils Lake, N.D. 59 8
KQCD-7 Dickinson, N.D. 18 7
KGFE-2 Grand Forks, N.D. 56 15
KJRR-7 Jamestown, N.D. 18 7
KMCY-14 Minot, N.D. 15 14
KMOT-10 Minot, N.D. 58 10
KUMV-8 Williston, N.D. 52 8
KOBF-12 Farmington, N.M. 17 12
KENV-10 Ely, Nev. 8 10
KWNV-7 Winnemucca, Nev. 12 7
WENY-36 Elmira, N.Y. 55 36
WVPX-23 Akron, O. 59 23
WMEI-60 Arecibo, P.R. 61 14
WECN-64 Naranjito, P.R. 65 18
KJWY-2 Jackson, Wyo. 14 2
A: Interim DTV channel (which will go unused) B: Permanent DTV channel
At the same time, the Commission launched their 3rd Review of the DTV
Transition. They propose these actions: (among others)
.. Limit future extensions of time to build DTV facilities.
.. Offer expedited processing of applications for operation on a
station's post-transition channel.
.. Consider allowing reduced analog power when necessary to facilitate
building of posttransition DTV facilities.
.. Consider allowing stations to cease analog operation altogether,
before transition, to facilitate building of post-transition DTV
facilities.
.. Consider allowing stations to switch early, ceasing analog
operations before Transition Day and switching to DTV-only operation.
.. Require stations to file a form by December 1st detailing the
station's digital progress and a plan for completing transition.
.. Require stations whose permanent DTV facilities are on a different
channel from their interim operation to complete construction by
February 17, 2009. (Transition Day)
.. Refuse applications to increase power on permanent DTV assignments
until all initial facilities have been built.
These points are not final; they're proposals put out for public
comment. I suspect they'll be adopted pretty much intact though.
One thing to note here is that, contrary to what I'd expected,
stations will be expected to vacate their interim DTV channels
immediately on Transition Day. This will cause some interesting
logistical issues for many stations. Those whose permanent DTV
channels are different from their interim assignments will have to
build a DTV facility on the new channel, but cannot test it on the air
(they'd better hope it works on February 17th!).
(a quick scan of the FCC document – it's HUGE – suggests stations will
be allowed to test their permanent DTV facilities in advance, but it
will often require careful cooperation of competing stations –
which will be required to go off the air, or at least accept serious
interference, for such testing to proceed.)
Another order disposed of 145 applications for additional time to
complete DTV construction. Most were granted:
- WABC, WNBC, WNJU, and WNYE in New York cited the 9/11 attack as
grounds for extension.
- 29 extensions were required by delays in the Commission's own
actions.
- Hurricanes were cited by WPAN, KVHP, WGNO, and WSTE. The latter
station was not directly affected by the storms, but crews scheduled
to install WSTE's DTV equipment were diverted to New Orleans.
- Five Denver stations had problems (to say the least!) obtaining
local approval for their antennas at their existing analog site.
Congress finally stepped in, overruling local zoning authorities. KPAZ
in Phoenix also cited problems with local approvals.
- Twelve stations cited unexpected technical and mechanical issues.
- Nine stations had problems acquiring previously ordered equipment on
time.
- Five stations cited problems with contractors or weather.
- 70 stations cited financial issues. One (KNLC St. Louis) recently
sold co-owned KNLJ; this sale may have raised enough cash to complete
DTV construction in St. Louis.
Finally, two stations cited other problems. Two California stations –
KCET and KICU- were denied extensions of their permits to increase DTV
power to "maximized" facilities with greater coverage than their
analog signals. However, these stations will not be sanctioned as they
did build DTV facilities that "replicate" their analog coverage.
Three stations were "denied" extensions outright. Since KECY and
WTVA's interim DTV facilities are on different channels from their
permanent operation – and the FCC has de-emphasized construction of
interim operations – the stations will simply be formally admonished
and expected to complete construction within 30 days of adoption of
this report.
The third station, KJUD in Juneau, Alaska, told the Commission it
couldn't complete its DTV facility until co-owned KIMO Anchorage did
so. However, other filings indicate KIMO-DT was complete in July 2006.
KJUD's interim DTV channel is the same as its permanent assignment.
The Commission has extended KJUD-DT's permit for six months anyway,
but formally admonished the station and imposed extra reporting
requirements. Another report shows the status of the transition:
Markets # Stns On Air Full Pwr STA
All 1,723 1,603 1,215 388
Top 10 40 40 38 2
Top 30 119 119 110 9
Non-comm. 373 348
21 stations do not have a DTV permit or license at this point.
With regard to viewers, the report states that there are roughly
18,700,000 homes that receive only over-the-air analog TV (another
1,300,000 receive only over-the-air TV but have digital capability).
These 18.7 million homes have 44.2 million analog sets. Another 23.5
million TV sets in homes that have cable/satellite are not connected
to the cable/satellite service. Whew. (I hope y'all bought stock in
the Hammermill Paper Company before I printed all this stuff...)
Good DX! (Doug Smith, June WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD)
PROPAGATION
+++++++++++
NO GLOOM AND DOOM WITH DTV TRANSITION
Here’s an interesting letter from veteran TV Dxer Bill Draeb: “I’m
surprised you’re preaching “gloom and doom” when all the lowband
stations in the “lower 48” decide to pull the plug on their analog
stations. For someone who has been plagued by WBAY-2 for the last
54 years (much of that time 24/7), it will be interesting to see what
else is there instead of logging WEDU-3 for the umpteenth time. So,
bring on Cuba, South America, Mexico, Central America and whatever
else gets covered up by stations in the 1000 mile range. I’ll be
waiting for that 2Es, F2 or TE opening with bated breath. But I
suppose if you prefer quantity to stations versus quality, then you’ll
be disappointed.” (Bill Draeb, Kewaunee WI, June VHF-UHF Digest via
DXLD)
Bill, I see your point. You fellows in the Midwest will no doubt have
your share of TV skip openings when the analogs go off the air. Right
off the top of my head I think of Jeff Kadet in IL, who always has his
share of Mexicans and Puerto Rico via e-skip in the summertime.
But then you can consider the DXers farther north, where receiving a
Mexican via Es is a rarity. I think you will need to have some amount
of “quantity” just to people interested. If a DXer only “sees” Es on
his television only two or three times in a season, will that be
enough to keep him interested in the hobby, even if the skip he sees
is two or three hop from somewhere in Central or South America? I
don’t know the answer. We will have to find out (Mike Bugaj, CT,
ibid.) see also VENEZUELA
CICLO SOLARE
Ciao a tutti, visto segnalo che abbiamo raggiunto "forse" il punto di
bassa attivita' del ciclo solare, di sicuro il flusso solare e' ai
minimi storici dal 1997 come si puo' leggere qui sotto:
http://www.solarcycle24.com/index.htm
As of yesterday, the solar flux stood at 67. This is the lowest it has
been in nearly 10 years. The last time it was this low was July 13th,
1997. Saluti, (Andrea Borgnino IW0HK, bclnews.it yg via DXLD)
RADIO 'SCREAMS' FORECAST DANGEROUS SOLAR STORMS
By Jeanna Bryner, Staff Writer - Space.com, 29 May 2007, Honolulu
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070529_solar_news.html
Speedy solar storms carrying a billion tons of charged gas through
space let out a thunderous scream before they unleash satellite-
stopping radiation storms that slam into Earth's magnetic field.
A team of astronomers presented this finding here today at a meeting
of the American Astronomical Society, one that could give astronauts
and engineers forewarning of a type of coronal mass ejection (CME)
capable of showering Earth, spacecraft and space travelers with
damaging radiation.
Coronal mass ejections are violent solar eruptions that carry massive
amounts of electrically charged gas called plasma from the Sun's
atmosphere. Once unleashed, these plasma clouds race away from the Sun
at up to a million miles per hour.
Depending on the orientation of the associated magnetic fields, Earth-
ward eruptions can generate magnetic storms that can flick a giant
circuit breaker of sorts on Earth, causing widespread power outages.
Some coronal mass ejections also bring intense radiation storms that
can disable satellites or cause cancer in unprotected astronauts.
Here's how these radiation "snowstorms" form: As a CME plows through
space it bumps into the charged particles constantly blown from the
Sun called the solar wind, resulting in a shock wave. If the shock is
powerful enough, it accelerates particles in the solar wind to high
speeds capable of triggering radiation storms. "Some CMEs produce
radiation storms, and some don't, or at least the level of radiation
is significantly lower," said lead researcher Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy
of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
For instance, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has
observed more than 10,000 CMEs over the past 10 years, Gopalswamy
said, and only about 1 to 2 percent of them produce these particle
storms.
"The trick is to identify the ones that can produce dangerous
radiation, so we can warn astronauts and satellite operators,"
Gopalswamy said.
Radio screams
Gopalswamy and his team may have found a way to do just that. Like the
calm before a storm (but louder), they found that CMEs with shocks
capable of unleashing radio storms are preceded by "screams" in radio
waves as they barrel through the solar wind.
They analyzed nearly 500 large coronal mass ejections, finding that
while the so-called radio-loud CMEs (those that were preceded by
"screams") led to radiation storms, none of the more than 150 radio-
quiet CMEs were followed by such storms.
Since radio waves travel at the speed of light, the screams could give
forewarning of an impending radio, or radiation, storm.
"We can use a CME's radio noise to give warning that it is generating
a radiation storm that will hit us soon," Gopalswamy said. "This will
give astronauts and satellite operators anywhere between a few tens of
minutes to a couple hours to prepare, depending on how fast the
particles are moving."
The team also noticed that most of the radio-loud CMEs came from the
Sun's equator, a place known as an active region for solar flares,
while most of the radio-quiet CMEs sprouted from the Sun's edges
(via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD)
REPLACE THE IONOSPHERE?
Well, maybe not replace it exactly but at least create a partial new
one [with orbiting needles]. What follows was a serious proposal and
trial put forward around the early 60s. Details were published in the
January 1961 issue of Science and Mechanics. You can find this and
many other items from the radio and communications past by going to
http://blog.modernmechanix.com. Interesting categories to click on are
communications, radio, and war (Robert Ellis, Ute, Worldwide Utility
Column, June CIDX Messenger via DXLD) ###