DX LISTENING DIGEST 7-076, July 1, 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 1364: ** tentative
Mon 0300 WBCQ 9330-CLSB [reconfirmed June 25]
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
** ARGENTINA. Weak signal in Spanish on 15345.35 or so, presumably R.
Nacional, off-frequency on the high-side for a change, 2237 UT June 30
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Dear Glenn, I can confirm that RAE in Argentina has been heard most
evenings the past week on 15345.3 with German at 2100 UT. Occasionally
they can also be heard on 15344.25 or thereabouts. Kind regards
(Christer Brunström, Halmstad, Sweden, July 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ARGENTINA [and non]. /MOROCCO/SPAIN --- The terriblest band region
these days is 15340 to 15350 kHz channel occupation on evenings in A-
07 season. Strongest today 15344.17 kHz RAE Buenos Aires, S=9+10 dB.
Two broadcasters on exact 15345.00 kHz, RTM Rabat via Nador in Arabic
music on top S=9, and REE mixed Arabic / Spanish program towards
NE/ME, S=7 underneath. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, July 1,
dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ARGENTINA. ALERTA EN RADIO NACIONAL
Una situación por demás delicada se plantea a nivel financiero en
Radio Nacional (AM 870), emisora que, desde la renuncia de Mona
Moncalvillo, funciona sin dirección artística. Al personal contratado
por ella le adeudan tres meses de sueldos. Este atraso ha provocado un
clima de gran malestar en los integrantes de numerosos programas, dado
que no ha tenido respuesta a sus reclamos. Héctor Larrea, conductor de
Una vuelta nacional (de lunes a viernes, de 14 a 17 [hora local? = UT
-3]) decidió desde el pasado miércoles no realizar el programa,
debido, precisamente, a esta delicada situación y a no tener un
interlocutor válido con quien dirimir la cuestión. Larrea señaló que
retornará al micrófono cuando las autoridades clarifiquen este
proceso. Cabe recordar que nada se sabe respecto del nuevo director de
la emisora, Eduardo García Caffi, el funcionario designado para la
nueva gestión que aún no ha asumido su cargo. Esta acefalía provoca no
pocos trastornos en Radio Nacional, que encuentran en Héctor Larrea a
uno de sus damnificados, así como al resto de los integrantes de su
programa (La Nacion, Argentina vía Arnaldo Slaen, Conexión Digital
July 1 via DXLD)
R. Nacional staff are restless because they are not getting paid and
lack anyone in charge (gh summary translation for DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ARGENTINA. UN HERIDO GRAVE AL ARROJARSE DE LA ANTENA DE LU3
Un hombre de 47 años sufrió graves heridas al arrojarse desde la
antena de LU3 Radio Del Sur de Bahía Blanca. El sujeto, cuya identidad
no trascendió, intentó quitarse la vida y, para eso, escaló la antena
de LU3 ubicada en Avenida Pringles y Fortaleza Argentina.
Desde la altura le gritó al sereno que todo se encontraba bien pero
que se iba a suicidar y, sin dar ninguna explicación, se arrojó al
vacío.
El hombre fue trasladado, de inmediato y tras un llamado al 911, al
hospital local, donde quedó internado en terapia intensiva en grave
estado. La causa fue caratulada "suicidio en grado de tentativa", con
intervención de la Unidad Funcional de Instrucción Nº 7 y del
Departamento Judicial de Bahía Blanca. Fuente:
http://www.impulsobaires.com.ar (La Plata - Buenos Aires) (11-06-07)
http://www.amplitudmodulada.com.ar/ (vía Nicolás Eramo, Conexión
Digital July 1 via DXLD)
Copycat? Someone else hung himself from the antenna of LRA24 as
reported recently (gh, DXLD)
** ARGENTINA. LU20 Radio Chubut (580 kHz), emisora con estudios en la
ciudad de Trelew, inauguró su página web, http://www.radiochubut.com
que permite escuchar online toda su programación. Fundada en noviembre
de 1963, Radio Chubut privilegia en su programación los contenidos
locales y provinciales y la difusión de ciclos deportivos y musicales.
Los programas más importantes de LU20 son: "Redacción 20", "Cuando la
Radio Suena", "El Bazar" y "Se Viene la Noche", entre otros. Radio
Chubut es una de las ocho emisoras de Amplitud Modulada de la
provincia. Además de LU20, se encuentran LU17 Radio Golfo Nuevo, LRA9
Radio Nacional Esquel, LU4 Radio Patagonia Argentina, LRA11 Radio
Nacional Comodoro Rivadavia, LRA55 Radio Nacional Alto Río Senguer,
LRF210 Radio 3 y LRA58 Radio Nacional Río Mayo. (05-06-07) Fuente:
http://www.amplitud modulada.com.ar/ (vía Nicolás Eramo, Conexión
Digital July 1 via DXLD)
** AUSTRALIA. "ABC 702 is essential to Sydney. It is nothing like a
commercial station, as many of its detractors say. It has a tiny
marketing budget and yet in the ratings this week managed second. Find
another government agency anywhere in a competitive and now ever wider
market like Sydney achieving such success. It still has the best news,
the best current affairs, the best sport, intelligent company and a
commitment to impartiality, integrity and objectivity."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/the-many-voices-ruling-the-waves/2007/06/29/1182624164905.html
(Peter Wall, Sydney Morning Herald, 30 June 2007 via
kimandrewelliott.com July 1 via DXLD)
For those of us half a world away, the 702 ABC website has audio
streams. http://www.abc.net.au/sydney/
Audio streams of other ABC domestic services are available at the ABC
Radio Listen Online page. http://www.abc.net.au/radio/listenlive.htm
Posted: 01 Jul 2007 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.)
** AUSTRALIA. 6230-USB, VMW-Wiluna, *1330-1350* Jun 24, weather
broadcast for western coastal waters of Australia; QRM from
Mississippi river boat traffic during part of the transmission. Fair
at tune-in, and deteriorating (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge CO, DXplorer
via World Radio Report, July ODXA Listening In via DXLD)
** BOLIVIA. 4732, R. Universitaria --- Haven't had any luck with this
new one lately during checks in the AM or PM. Every time I check
there's some RTTY there (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, July 1, HCDX via DXLD)
** BOLIVIA. Amigo Glenn, Mando esta noticia de Bolivia. 73, QRV
Rogildo Aragão http://www.hoybolivia.com/portal/Noticia.php?id=9863
EVO MORALES SIGUE LOS PASOS DE CHÁVEZ ---
GOBIERNO VETA LICENCIAS RADIOFÓNICAS A POLÍTICOS Y RELIGIOSOS
26 de jun - 14:18:39 La Paz --- (AP).- Un decreto del presidente Evo
Morales que limita la concesión de licencias radiofónicas para el área
rural y prohibe a esas emisoras difundir mensajes políticos fue
rechazado el martes por representantes de la prensa, la Iglesia
Católica y del movimiento cívico.
La norma, firmada la semana pasada por Morales y publicada por la
prensa el martes, señala que no podrán entregarse licencias a miembros
de los tres poderes del estado, ni a dirigentes políticos, ni a
sacerdotes católicos o ministros de otras confesiones y que las
emisoras afectadas por ella deben ''abstenerse de transmitir mensajes
partidistas o proselitistas de cualquier naturaleza''.
En declaraciones al diario La Razón, el director general de
Comunicación del gobierno, Gastón Núñez, señaló que el decreto no
afecta a las cerca de 30 ''radios comunitarias'' que fundó Morales
desde su asunción, en enero de 2006, con financiamiento venezolano
para propalar el mensaje de su gobierno, pues responderían a otra
norma.
Al respecto, el presidente de la Asociación de Periodistas de La Paz,
Renán Estenssoro, dijo a la AP que la organización pedirá
explicaciones al gobierno por considerar que la medida es
discriminatoria.
''Este es un decreto restrictivo y discriminatorio en cuanto a la
libertad de expresión. Nosotros vamos a pedir explicaciones al
gobierno sobre los alcances de este decreto, el porqué se afecta a
ciertos sectores y no a otros y qué es lo que lo ha motivado a aprobar
este decreto, porque consideramos que las normas son para todos'',
señaló.
A su vez, el obispo católico Tomás Cornejo, vicario de la vecina
ciudad de El Alto, manifestó su impresión de que la medida atenta
contra la libertad de expresión. En El Alto, la tercera ciudad más
poblada de Bolivia, la Iglesia Católica tiene la cabecera de un
sistema de radios rurales de gran predicamento en el occidente
boliviano.
''Los medios de comunicación son para nosotros muy importantes porque
mediante ellos nosotros llegamos con nuestros mensajes a todas las
familias bolivianas; pero esta medida nos parece discriminatoria,
porque las licencias para tener una radiodifusora deberían estar
disponible para todos'', señaló el prelado a la AP.
El vicepresidente del Comité Cívico de Santa Cruz, Luis Núñez,
manifestó sospechas de que el gobierno busca dejar sin voz a otros
sectores, después de que la organización anunciara su intención de
crear una red de radios rurales en respuesta al sistema radial fundado
por Morales. Recordó que el oficialismo busca la reelección de Morales
en 2008.
''Con esto, (Morales) lo que está haciendo es demostrar sus
intenciones de querer implantar un gobierno totalitario, dictatorial,
ellos quieren (...) más años de mandato'', indicó a la AP.
''Esto va en contra de la libertad de expresión, todos tenemos que
tener los mismos derechos. Ellos (el gobierno y el oficialista
Movimiento al Socialismo, MAS) tanto hablan de marginación y ahora con
este decreto sólo están marginando a diferentes sectores'', agregó
Luis Núñez, al señalar que el comité luchará contra la medida.
Morales, quien con frecuencia habla al país desde la red de radios
comunitarias, ha señalado que ellas tienen el propósito de dar a
conocer las medidas de su gobierno y del MAS, y que para ello cuenta
con 500.000 dólares facilitados por Venezuela.
Sostiene que esa es la forma, también con la instalación de varios
canales de televisión, de defender a su gobierno del ataque de algunos
medios privados a los que considera opositores, y que la prensa es su
''peor enemigo'' (via Rogildo Aragão, Bolivia, DXLD)
Why, o why, do such `progressive` leaders think they have to stifle
freedom of expression? Perhaps an over-reaxion to the vanquished
oligarchy. They just want to be dictators (gh, DXLD)
** BRAZIL. 2030z July 1. In the absence of R. Nacional da Amazônia on
its usual 11780, no splatter on adjacent 11785, Rádio Guaíba, Porto
Alegre, is coming with futebol for Copa América's Brazil vs. Chile
match, barely audible, clashing with RFA in Chinese. Curiously Aoki
doesn't show this frequency being used by RRI until 2000 (Raúl
Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) VOI frequency
usage is constantly changing (gh, DXLD)
** CANADA. SNAP CRACKLE AND POP ON CBC RADIO ONE (maybe)
Despite the fact that the CBC Radio One website still lists Fresh Air,
and the CBC Hotsheets say nothing about it...
Roy Forbes` website http://www.royforbes.ca suggests that another of
his occasional Snap Crackle and Pop specials will air Sunday morning
(July 1, Canada Day) at 6 am until 9 am (local time). [0900-1200 UT +
1/2/3/4/ hours]
They are usually broadcast on holidays, giving regular hosts the day
off. If so, it`s a good opportunity to hear some more gems from his
massive record collection of 78s, 45s and LPs
[tagline]: 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, Ont., June 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Yes, it was, and I enjoyed some of it from the Vancouver feed, but
then wanted to go to Sunday Edition from eastern zones. Forbes has his
own weekly show on CKUA, Roy`s Record Room, UT Tuesdays 02-03, added
to the next update of MONITORING REMINDERS CALENDAR (Glenn Hauser, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA. CBC Radio One has been airing some truly great “classic”
programs. Sure they are re-runs, but some of the people broadcasting
these shows are old favourites and many have passed away.
Sunday night/Monday morning local time at midnight one can hear
“Rewind”. During this hour, I have heard programs featuring Peter
Gzowski (Morningside), Arthur Black (Basic Black) and the never to
be forgotten Allan McFee (Eclectic Circus). McFee remains perhaps my
favourite all time CBC host. His style and humour are hard to forget.
Billed as “The best of the CBC Radio One archives. Host Michael
Enright takes listeners back in time to relive classic radio moments
from Barbara Frum, Lister Sinclair, Peter Gzowski and more.”
Rewind also airs Monday through Saturday at 1 AM and 5 AM Eastern on
Sirius Radio 137 (Fred Waterer, Ont., Programming Matters, July ODXA
Listening In via DXLD)
That`s 0305-0400 UT Mondays on CBC R1 +1/2/3/4 hours --- or is this
part of the sked when AT/NT airs simultaneously with ET, so it would
start at 0405 UT with only 3 repeats? (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
** CHILE. 6089.85, R. Esperanza (presumed), 1030-1056 30 June, M
preaching in Spanish mentioning Jesucristo and possibly Esperanza.
Live Gospel song, then segment with M and W hosts mentioning La Cruz
and La Palabra de Dios, and Cristo. Fady with some excellent peaks at
1034 and 1050, along with some adjacent channel QRM. Always a tough
one to ID as they're few and far between. Glad to see the earthquake
didn't knock this off (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, July 1, HCDX via DXLD)
Certainly best window for this especially at midwinter with latest
sunrises there, and after Anguilla nominal 1000* (gh, DXLD)
** CHINA. GREAT FIREWALL OF CHINA
http://criticaldistance.blogspot.com/2007/06/great-firewall-of-china.html
[Note the graphic: Olympic rings become handcuffs --- gh]
With just a year to go before the Olympics, I see that Reporters
Without Borders has issued a reminder about how China continues to
tighten the handcuffs around press freedom, censoring to the point of
being paranoid. I know from contacts living in China that even this
blog in English is on a black list apparently - must be the name of
the blog or perhaps previous posts about why I think the Olypmics
might fail (good job they were not held about now in Greece this year
eh?). If you have ever been in Beijing in August you will know why I
am not keen to head out there for sports in an oven. Dust storms mixed
in with pollution. They may do something about the pollution levels
for the period of the games. I wonder what they can do about the heat?
Now, a year before the opening ceremony, it is clear the Chinese
government still sees the media and Internet as strategic sectors that
cannot be left to the “hostile forces” denounced by President Hu
Jintao. The departments of propaganda and public security and the
cyber-police, all conservative bastions, implement censorship with
scrupulous care.
At least 30 journalists and 50 Internet users are currently detained
in China. Some of them since the 1980s. The government blocks access
to thousands for news websites. It jams the Chinese, Tibetan and
Uyghur-language programmes of 10 international radio stations on short
and mediumwave. After focusing on websites and chat forums, the
authorities are now concentrating on blogs and video-sharing sites.
China’s blog services incorporate all the filters that block keywords
considered “subversive” by the censors. The law severely punishes
“divulging state secrets,” “subversion” and “defamation” - charges
that are regularly used to silence the most outspoken critics.
Although the rules for foreign journalists have been relaxed, it is
still impossible for the international media to employ Chinese
journalists or to move about freely in Tibet and Xinjiang.
The Chinese authorities promised the IOC and international community
concrete improvements in human rights in order to win the 2008
Olympics for Beijing. But they simply changed their tone after being
awarded the games. Some people hope that “the Olympic Games will help
to improve the human right situation in China. I agree with RSF that
all the signs are that the repression will get worse before it gets
better. Knowing how old fashioned the IOC has behaved in the past with
Internet rights, I cannot imagine them doing much to change this
deplorable situation. Posted by Jonathan Marks at 6/29/2007 08:01:00
(Critical Distance blog via DXLD)
** ECUADOR. Three HCJB signals noted also in Europe in deep night:
12040 HCJB German S=4 at 2305 UT.
11920 HCJB Portuguese S=7 at 2310 UT.
11720 HCJB Spanish S=5 at 2313 UT.
73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, June 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** GERMANY [non]. DWL German 2 x 6075 on harmonic 12150 kHz, S=7-8 at
2230 UT (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, June 30, harmonics yg via DXLD)
Per HFCC, Woofferton and Sines are both scheduled after 2200. One
thing for sure: if you hear DW now, it`s not transmitted from Germany!
(gh, DXLD)
12150, DWL German (2 x 6075 from Woofferton-UK seemingly) strong S=7
level at 2210 UT. \\ via Almaty KAZ 7420 relay. And 11965 DWL Irkutsk
also S=8 at 2325 UT. Seldom propagate in deep night path.
12170, terrible BUZZ signal, supposed to be harmonic of digital [DRM
hybrid] buzz from BR Ismaning 6085 kHz, S=7 at 2300 UT June 30
(Wolfgang Büschel, Stuttgart, July 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GERMANY [non]. SRI LANKA, 9855 kHz - Deutsche Welle, Trincomalee.
Recebido cartão QSL full data, grade de programação, revista
"Deutschland" em português, 2 adesivos e bandeira. 155 dias.
V/S: Annelie Johannemann. QTH: Informe de recepção enviado por e-mail
para: annelie.johannemann@... [truncated by yg]
OBSERVAÇÕES: O cartão QSL parece-me ter sido preenchido de maneira
equivocada, a começar pela data de escuta, que foi feita no dia 14/02
e não 14/01, como mostra o cartão. O parque transmissor apresentado no
cartão é o de Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) - no entanto, tenho quase
certeza de trata-se das Ilhas Ascensão. Alguém da lista pode me ajudar
a descobrir qual o verdadeiro parque transmissor da escuta em
questão?? 73 e boas escutas a todos, (Fábio Mattos (Garopaba, Santa
Catarina - Brasil), radioescutas yg via DXLD)
Hora e língua? Segundo B-06 HFCC em fevereiro,
9855 0800-1000 alemão via Bonaire,
2200-2250 indonésio via Sri Lanka
73, (Guilherme Glenn Hauser, radioescutas yg via DXLD)
It`s not unusual for stations with multiple transmitter sites to
feature them on their QSLs, unrelated to which site is axually being
verified, which ought to be specified in the data fill-ins. You didn`t
give the time or language concerned! B-06 HFCC in Feb showed DW using
9855 at 08-10 in German via Bonaire, and 22-2250 in Indonesian via Sri
Lanka, so if the latter, the site was coincidentally matched (Glenn
Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GREECE. July 1 at 0520 I ran across some lovely exotic music on
11645; dissonant harmonious and monotonous singing, two voices and
instruments. Seemed to be album tracks with pauses but never any
announcements, past 0545. Kept listening, but dozed off by 0600 if
there was any ID. Looking it up later, it must have been the R. Filia
Albanian service from VOG at 05-06, with English to follow (Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Solar-terrestrial indices for 30 June follow. Solar flux 74 and mid-
latitude A-index 4. The mid-latitude K-index at 0600 UTC on 01 July
was 2 (16 nT). No space weather storms were observed for the past 24
hours. No space weather storms are expected for the next 24 hours (SEC
via DXLD)
** GREECE [non]. 12120, ERA5 via Olimpia Radio, Pyrgos (presumed),
1500-1510, June 24, Greek, local music, announcement, news by female,
22432 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Navarro DX Camp; Navarro is a small
city 100 km west of Buenos Aires. Past Sunday I was a few hours near
the nice local lake. I catched this log with my Degen DE1103 with a
long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
As far as we know, the Olimpia relays ceased almost 3 months ago. Now
on the sked per Eibi: 12120 1430-1530 USA Voice of America BR SEA /CLN
But I don`t see how Burmese could be mistaken for Greek! (Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAM. Dear OM, KUAM Agaña QSY to 630 (ex 612 kHz) first noted at
0951 on July 1. http://homepage3.nifty.com/MWDX/630-1-1.wma
de H. Okamura (S. Hasegawa, NDXC via DXLD)
Results from overwhelming pressure to get on `even` channels favored
by caradios, in far-flung US possessions with 9-kHz spacing; also
happening in AmSam. Most of the cars there are probably Japanese, also
with Japanese FM bands 76-90 MHz only. They may also have a hidden
switch for 9/10 kHz, but too much bother (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** HUNGARY [and non]. Re: Radio Budapest last broadcast to NAm ---
0230-0300 UT June 30 was the final English broadcast with own
programming. Tonight another English transmission went out as
scheduled 1900-1930 on 3975 and 6025, but it contained "Insight
Central Europe" only. Yet another play-out of it could follow, 2100-
2130 on 6025 and 9525.
Last German program 1930-2000: Welcome by head of the German service,
pointing out that this is their last transmission, music fill with two
read-outs of MR's official release on the closure of Radio Budapest,
then only "Treffpunkt Europa" (the German-language counterpart to
"Insight Central Europe") followed and even got the last words chopped
off by the automation, switching to the ID loop at 1958. Since 2000
now only continuous music is played out on 3975 and 6025, no surprise
of course since French and Italian are already gone (since June 2 and
March 1, respectively). I failed to watch if they inserted the ID loop
from 2028 to 2030 or just let the music run through.
The wording of the mentioned release suggests that probably *all*
shortwave transmissions will stay on air, like was the case when Radio
Norway International had been closed down and NRK could not get rid of
the transmission contract for another two years. But this will turn
out tomorrow anyway.
[Later:] And so it happened, at least on 6025 (9525 was skipping over
me, only a faint carrier could be detected here). As scheduled 3975
had been switched to another feed at 2059:30 for Hungarian, probably
recorded material since it did not start with the Radio Budapest
opener but was not // 540 either, thus no relay of Kossuth.
English ran into the 2129 minute, not getting chopped off like German
before. After closing the program, an antenna switch had been made on
6025 while the other transmitter which had to change the frequency,
too, came on even later, only at 2130/31; apparently Jászberény site
staff listens before making switches and does not cut off programming
that's still in progress. Now Spanish is on, even with two announcers,
talking about this being the very last transmission as far as I can
understand it. It should indeed be the last foreign language
transmission at all.
Btw, we just compared the Eutelsat Hotbird signal of Radio Budapest
with shortwave and found a nice analogue satellite delay between them.
So Jászberény still receives audio via terrestrial circuits.
Rimavská Sobota did as well while temporarily relaying Radio Budapest,
since it was practically synchronized with Jászberény. Good old
steam radio.
For me time to remember the song by Blankenfelder Boogie-Band, played
via FM here in eastern Germany exactly 15 years ago: Gut' Nacht, heut'
Nacht (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Well, I guess we can "congratulate" Hungarian Radio with a perfectly
devised and executed plan for their External Service's
extermination...
Here are a few invaluable lessons for those working on shutting down
Kol Israel, VoA, etc.:
- Keep your decision to get read of int. broadcasting a secret for as
long as possible.
- Make sure that the staff isn't allowed to discuss your decision on
the air. (To be nice and sensitive you can allow them to say their
teary "good-byes" during the final broadcast.)
- Do everything possible to preclude listeners, local journalists and
politicians from mounting any organized protest or inquiry.
- Don't try to do everything at once. To prevent negative backlash you
can start with closing one or two language services first.
- Money-saving tip: try canceling some broadcasts ahead of the
officially scheduled date.
As we have seen, these tactics worked very well in case of R.
Budapest, R. Tashkent and R. Georgia (Sergei Sosedkin, IL, June 30,
dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Indeed.
Last night I made a point of listening to the end of Spanish on 6025
(// 7250 got wiped out by Urumqi, already on for CRI programming
starting at 2200): I did not understand much more than the word
"amigos", but the tone of the voices said it all. They closed with
their farewell, then about 20 seconds of silence until the
multilingual ID loop had been played at 2158, presumably for the last
time. At 2200 scheduled Hungarian started, opening with references to
both foreign service transmissions and Kossuth.
Right now, in the 1200-1300 hour, 6025 is on, apparently relaying
Kossuth. The former Radio Budapest audio subcarrier on the analogue
Duna TV transponder on Eutelsat Hotbird 6 carries Kossuth as well.
There is no signal on 7275, scheduled to go on air on Sundays during
this hour for Gruß und Kuß (// 6025), so obviously they did not keep
all shortwave transmissions on air and the remaining schedule needs to
be figured out now.
I will post some recordings to the Yahoo Group within the next days, I
think including a high quality one of the ID (off satellite). (Kai
Ludwig, Germany, July 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
I listened to the two July 1, 2007 English broadcasts from the R.
Budapest site. Other than an ID in English the programs were only
music/songs. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, ibid.)
I guess the automation takes care of recording the semihours in
question as per previous sked. Remember how the ``Italian`` service
continued, including Italian songs (gh, DXLD)
The last full broadcast day was 29 June in the target areas (Andy
Sennitt, ibid.)
9525, Radio Budapest at 2100 with English program "Inside Central
Europe" abrupt off at 2130 without announcement. Very good signal
(Mick Delmage, AB, June 30/07, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Ultimo programa español de Radio Budapest::
http://real1.radio.hu/nemzeti/2007/06/30/2007-06-30-n23-30.ram
Esta es la web de la emisora: http://real1.radio.hu/nemzeti.htm
Cordiales 73 (José Bueno, Córdoba, España, dxldyg via DXLD)
Radio Budapest ends foreign language broadcasts.
Radio Budapest's last day of English broadcasting, on 30 June, with
unceremonious, with the usual play of Insight Central Europe, co-
produced with other international broadcasters of the region (Radio
Prague, Radio Austria International, etc.). The actual goodbye, albeit
brief, came at the end of the broadcast on 29 June. Listen to this mp3
excerpt. http://www.kimandrewelliott.com/R_Budapest_end_29_June_07.mp3
The farewell message confirmed that Radio Budapest will continue
international broadcasts in Hungarian only. "This is part of changing
the programme structure of Hungarian public radio in order to have a
more cost-effective operation." See Radio Netherlands Media Network
blog, 30 June 2007.
See also discussion at DX Listening Digest, 30 June 2007.
And Pester Lloyd, 27 June 2007.
http://www.pesterlloyd.net/Archiv/2007_26/0726radiobudapest/0726radiobudapest.html
In its final days, the Radio Budapest English Service broadcast
programs from its archives, including several presented by its former
head, Charlie Coutts, who died in 2000. More about Mr. Coutts in his
obituary,
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000413/ai_n14300069
The Independent, 13 April 2000.
See previous post about Radio Budapest. Posted: 01 Jul 2007 (from
http://www.kimandrewelliott.com/index.php?id=1855 via DXLD)
At the end of the programme, the following announcement was broadcast:
“Now I would like to call your attention to the fact that as from June
30th 2007, Radio Budapest will cease to broadcast in English. Instead,
Hungarian language broadcasts will be aired on our frequencies. This
is part of changing the programme structure of Hungarian public radio
in order to have a more cost-effective operation. Thank you for having
listened to us.” (Media Network blog via DXLD)
** ICELAND. Re: RÚV reports end of shortwave broadcasts ---
13865 checked today, 1210-1222 and again at 1246, no broadcast heard
(Harry Brooks, NE England, July 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA. 15155, AIR GOS English from Aligarh suffers very bad audio
feed. Noted in 1730-1945 UT time span. I guess the local technician
tuned ASIDE of the feeder frequency on the satellite tuner. July 1st.
73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 9525, Voice of Indonesia at 1700 to 1800 in Spanish,
1800 in German with mostly music outside of the beginning and ending
newscasts. At 1900 there was an English ID and sign on in French. Re-
tune at 2055 UTC when signal was at threshold level. Noted English
newscast to 2100 off (Mick Delmage, AB, June 30/07, DX LISTENING
DIGEST) see also BRAZIL
** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. see OKLAHOMA
** ISRAEL. Glenn, How is anyone able to follow their schedule? After
hearing them begin English at 0330 6/29 on 11585, back to 11590 on
6/30. Listening to their English afternoon broadcast today 7/1 at 1900
on 11605, rather than 11590. Announcer doesn't even give a 25 meter
frequency for either broadcast, but keeps referring to 17600. Aside,
11605 was a good frequency for their English broadcast today with no
interference and strong signal (Tom Sliva, NYC, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Could be it depends on who is operating transmitters any particular
day, relying on memory rather than something more reliable as to which
frequencies are supposed to be emanated (gh, DXLD)
** ISRAEL. IBA DIGITAL SATELLITE
As mentioned a few months ago, the IBA will start broadcasting on
digital satellite via Amos, and cease broadcasting on analog
satellite via both Hotbird and Amos. This means that people receiving
the Hotbird broadcasts in Europe, will no longer have satellite access
to programming. The Amos beam is narrow and aimed at Israel.
The below is a posting found on the IBA's website. Digital satellite
broadcasting will start on Wednesday, July 4. There is a fax number
listed, for more information.
http://www.iba.org.il/reception/index.asp?classto=TedarimKlali&type=hodaot&entity_code=210072
"Change over to digital satellite broadcast
Public Announcement
Israel Broadcasting Authority wishes to announce to the public that
television Channels One and 33 will change over to the digital Amos
satellite on 4/7/2007.
Here are the particulars on receiving the programs: 4 degrees W;
Vertical, 11,633.25 Megahertz; fine tuned (FEC) 3/4, and 8,518.5 kSps
(Symbol Rate).
The analog system of carrying Channel One will be terminated shortly
as will Channel 33 programs over the HOTBIRD satellite. For further
explanations and information, it is possible to FAX (02) 5003107.
Viewers using private satellite dishes are asked to do the following:
Owners of digital converters should scan and then set the station in
the memory. Owners of analog sets should change to digital converters.
The above changes will not affect those who subscribe to cable and
satellite companies or are connected to a central antenna.
28.06.2007 11:42" (via Doni Rosenzweig, June 28, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
Although IBA Channel 33 is still broadcasting from the Hotbird 8
satellite, when I checked today at 1055 UT there is no Kol Israel
audio (Harry Brooks, NE England, July 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH. KOREA D.P.R. Monitoring today July 1st confirmed my
note of Thursday June 28th, that Voice of Korea replaced 9335 by
v15185 kHz to NAm at 1300 to 1750 UT slot. Nothing heard on 9335
today.
Program to NAm at 1300-1750 UT on
15185.42 at 1327
15186.59 at 1407
15186.78 at 1417 and
15185.91 11710.13 at 1716 UT instead.
At 1402 to 1410 UT also other KRE services on 15245.21, 15245.42,
13760.14, 13760.17. 9324.98, 12014.98, 11735.02, 13649.97. At 1715 to
1730 UT also on 15245.15, 11710.13, 12014.98, 13760.11.
1300 En, 1400 Fr, 1500 En, 1600 Fr, 1700-1750 Korean. 73 (Wolfgang
Büschel, Germany, July 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. Re DXLD 7-070: Weekend reception of Open Radio
for North Korea? Checked 9930 on June 30 (Sat.), 1059-1107, ID for
KWHR Hawaii, ToH into religious program in English, produced by the
Matthew Flanigan Ministries, gives postal address in Hastings 3915,
Victoria, Australia.
Per: http://www.mfmaust.com/Radio%20Broadcasts.htm this is on Saturday
to Asia on Angel 3, 1100-1300 UTC via KWHR-3 on 9.930 MHz and also
Saturday to Australia/NZ/NG/Pacific on Angel 4, 0730-0800 UTC via
KWHR-4 on 11.565 MHz. Supposedly ORNK will in the future broadcast on
weekends, but not yet (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** KUWAIT. Radio Kuwait in English closing down transmission before
2100 on 11990, S=3, fortunately with good soul ballads, so different
from the stupid pop music they were playing when I first checked out
at 2224 [2024?], July, Sun.1, wasting kW deserving a better use. 73
(Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** LIBERIA. There is little doubt that Liberia’s 3.6 million
inhabitants live in difficult conditions. Life expectancies in the
West African republic hover around 42 years, while average income
totals about $150 CAD per person, per year. Further, Liberia struggled
through decades of war and unrest, and is only now beginning to re-
stabilize (with the help of 15 000 UN peacekeepers). Media
infrastructure is in poor shape, with radio coverage largely limited
to the capital, Monrovia. Liberia isn’t an international broadcaster,
yet it is; the state-run Liberian Broadcasting System does not
broadcast internationally, yet the Swiss-supported Star Radio does.
Liberia Star Radio: http://www.starradio.org.lr/
First things first – as of 15 June 2007, Star Radio is off the air,
albeit temporarily, according to their website. No website updates
will be forthcoming until the organization has completed their move to
a new location, and no date is given for the completion of that move.
So, here’s what can be found on the website, which is in English.
Across the top of the page are headings such as News, About Us,
Programs, Liberia, and Contact Us, which link to the expected content.
Further along are links to a discussion Forum, a link for those
looking to Donate, a blank page for Classifieds, a section for
Members, and an Online Shop, with Star Radio clothing and accessories.
Membership is free, and gains you access to a variety of audio files.
Hopefully Star Radio will be back in the near future so we can all
investigate its online offerings in more detail! (Paul E. Guise, MB,
Click!, July ODXA Listening In via DXLD)
** LIBYA. Long the bad boy of North Africa, Libya has very recently
been (re-)accepted by most western nations. Led by Muammar Gaddafi
since 1969, the country of nearly six million has marched to its own
carefully controlled beat, first with an eye towards other Arab
states, and now with a much greater focus on Africa. Libya has
recently accepted responsibility for certain acts of terrorism and
renounced weapons of mass destruction, greatly appeasing western
leaders. And it doesn’t hurt that the nation has plentiful reserves of
oil and gas that remain largely untapped.
All media in Libya are state-run and carefully controlled, yet
satellite television reception and internet access are allegedly free
of interference.
Voice of Africa: http://www.voiceofafrica.com.ly/ or
http://www.ljbc.net/
The first URL given is the proper address for Voice of Africa, but
leads only to a page of photos with the caption “Under Construction”.
Following the second URL brings us to Voice of Africa’s parent
organization, Libyan Jamahiriya Broadcasting Corporation (LJBC).
Click English at the top of the page to explore Libya in detail – as
there’s no Voice of Africa content listed, I’ll leave the exploring to
you, the reader (Paul E. Guise, MB, Click!, July ODXA Listening In via
DXLD)
** LIBYA. I am hearing strong signals from a station in Arabic on
11835 from beyond 2000 going right up to 2300. It has begun recently.
Previously 11840 Darwin was free from cross channel QRM. Now Radio
Australia's signal here in Europe at 2200 is much worse thanks to the
mystery "neighbour". Needless to say I have checked EiBi, the brand
new Aoki, as well as HFCC. All think that Voice of Africa ends at 2000
leaving 11835 silent. They are all wrong. Any ideas? (Dan Goldfarb,
Brentwood, England, June 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Noel said something about LBY on 11835 kHz around 2200 UT. 73 wb
(Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.)
Voice of Africa I would imagine. I heard mentions of 'jamahiriyah'
just prior to 2100. BDXC Africa List mentions that sign-on/sign-off
times may vary slightly, so it appears the Libyan's are extending
their hours a wee bit (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, ibid.)
I am receiving what I suppose is the station reported by Dan on 11835
kHz. I picked it up at around 2155 with fair to good signal and no QRM
and is still on the air at this time (2225). Slow paced Arabic talks
by male announcer, sometimes interrupted by Beethoven music, sometimes
with Chopin music and other classical music in the background. I
couldn't hear any clear ID but the style definitely sounds like Voice
of Africa, LBY. 73, (Moisés Knochen, Montevideo, Uruguay, Degen DE1103
+ TG-34 active antenna (indoors), ibid.)
UNID? LBY program on 11835 kHz, powerful S=9 in Germany. 22-23 UT. 73
wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, June 30, harmonics yg via DXLD)
Yes, 11835 is Voice of Africa from Libya in Arabic, and the ID also
includes the well known word "Ozma". It's in parallel with 15550 after
2000, but sign-off time isn't known. I heard 15550 sign on at 1600 on
June 30 (as VOA in English listed via Udorn was closing) with a very
strong signal, and it has been heard to close abruptly at 2200 (Noel
R. Green (NW England), dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Libya (tent.), 11835 noted yesterday June 30 in 2100-2300 UT span,
strong in Germany, like S=9 at 2240 UT. No \\ noted so far (Wolfgang
Büschel, Stuttgart, ibid.)
Re 15650 tentative: This (programme) is from Libya: I managed to
record a short clip of phone discussion which probably went
accidentally on the air. Tarek could recognise the dialect as Libyan.
73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, via Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
LIBYA/FRANCE: More Libyan Arabic heard on 15550 kHz, S=2-3 tiny
signal, supposed to be via ISS at 155 degree lobe angle, around 1850-
1900 UT. Similar poor ISS RFI on 15300 at same time span, here in ISS
dead zone.
Different modulation on two outlets seems direct transmission from
Libya soil, starts at 1900 UT in Hausa:
9590 S=8, at 1910 UT, is the better signal level here in Europe.
11835 S=6, at 1900 UT. Strong carriers, but compared both, and both
suffer by low modulation though.
July 1st. (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.)
Hi WB, contrary to what you receive, at 2225, I'm getting stronger
signal from Libya, nearly S=5, on 11835. // 15550 is weaker, showing
S=3-4. 73. Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, 2047 UT July 1, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST) Probably meant time to be 2025 UT (gh)
Saludos Raúl - I guess both locations for LBY broadcasts are in use:
ISS France transmitter relay site and two new SW senders on Libyan
soil.
15550 18-20 UT via ISS France side, tiny signal S=3-5 here in Germany.
9590 and 11835 from 1900 in Hausa via Libya. see below
11835 and 15550 kHz from Libya, latter when 9590 Hausa broadcast ends.
15550 S=9+20 dB at 2055 UT
11835 S=8-9 dB at 2100 UT
(Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.)
** LITHUANIA. As with the other Baltic countries, Lithuania is
accustomed to having visitors. Over the centuries the region has been
ruled and/or controlled by the Poles, Russians, Germans, and others.
Lithuania itself has been an independent nation since 1990, and its
3.4 million people live in a period of rapid economic and social
change. In 2004 Lithuania became a member of both the EU and NATO;
a recent attempt to join the Eurozone (currency) was rejected because
of high inflation. Lithuanian print and electronic media are
plentiful, competitive, and free of significant interference; LRT, the
state broadcaster of radio and television, also operates the
international Radio Vilnius. Radio Vilnius: http://www.lrt.lt/
Radio Vilnius’ Lithuanian-language homepage is a feast of photos,
audio and video clips, links, and lots of news and articles. For those
without a firm grasp of written Lithuanian, however, the English
language pages are rather more limited. Clicking the little English
link at the top of the homepage leads to News in English, which
describes Radio Vilnius’ news service and how to receive it via
shortwave (there is also a contact email address and a podcast link),
but does not actually provide any news. Of the other two English-
language pages, Contact LRT provides a comprehensive listing of
contact information for some (all?) of the senior staff, while About
LRT summarizes the workings of Radio Vilnius and its parent
organization, while providing times and frequencies of shortwave
broadcasts to Europe and North America (Paul E. Guise, MB, Click!,
July ODXA Listening In via DXLD)
** LUXEMBOURG. Re item in DXLD 7-075, BCDX 814:
http://www.drmrx.org/forum/showpost.php?p=39669&postcount=555
(Noel Green, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.:
The transmitter was shut down for maintenance reasons (mainly
inspection & cleaning tasks) (Michel Asorne, Luxembourg, LX1NW, June
29, drmdx forum via Mike Barraclough, DXLD) An official of station?
Thanks Mike - and long may the maintenance last! I've been trying to
ID something on 6100 that fades-in/comes on (?) around 1800, and goes
off before 2130, but it has so far failed to come up significantly out
of my local noise level. When LUX returns it will be time to give up -
unless I know what it is by then. 73 (Noel Green, ibid.)
** MALAYSIA. 15295, Suara Malaysia/Voice of Malaysia (RTM), 1623-1645,
June 30, in Arabic with Middle Eastern type music (both traditional
and upbeat songs), ID “Suara Malaysia Kuala Lumpur”. Fair-good (Ron
Howard, Monterey, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. MÉXICO: GUTIÉRREZ VIVÓ ANUNCIA FIN DE MONITOR, TRAS CASI 40
AÑOS DE TRANSMISIÓN --- La Jornada On Line 29/06/2007 13:32
México, DF. El periodista mexicano y director general de Grupo
Monitor, José Guitérrez Vivó, anunció esta mañana que el noticiario
radiofónico que durante casi cuatro décadas se escuchó en la radio en
México llega a su fin.
Al hacer un recuento de la larga tarea de su noticiero, indico
enfrentar problemas financieros porque "la publicidad no llega y no
llega porque hay indicaciones de que no llegue. Es un boicot
económico".
En la transmisión, se despidió de su audiencia e informó que a partir
de este sábado en Grupo Monitor inicia un movimiento de huelga.
"Mañana a las tres de la tarde se inicia una huelga de los
trabajadores de la Industria de la Radio y Televisión motivados porque
Monitor no ha cumplido con sus deberes económicos con sus
trabajadores", indicó.
Durante la última edición hizo un recuento de anécdotas a lo largo de
su trayectoria al frente a los micrófonos y también explicó las
dificultades que enfrenta su empresa para continuar al aire.
A partir de ahora el concepto periodístico continuará sólo en su
versión escrita, mediante Diario Monitor, agregó el periodista.
Durante la administración de Vicente Fox, Gutiérrez Vivó, uno de los
periodistas más reconocidos en México, enfrentó diversas presiones
financieras y administrativas, así como litigios frente al Grupo Radio
Centro, por cuya frecuencia transmitió varios años su noticiario.
En esta última edición de Monitor, Gutiérrez Vivó recordó aquel día 3
de marzo de 2004, cuando Grupo Radio Centro – sin previo aviso y pese
a perder el proceso legal contra Grupo Monitor - sacó del aire el
noticiario del mediodía.
“En el México de 2004, en plena democracia sacaron del aire una
estación informativa, como hacían las dictaduras”, dijo y recordó que
esa acción se hizo horas después de que el entonces jefe de Gobierno
del Distrito Federal, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, anunció en el
noticiario la intención de contender por la Presidencia de la
República.
El pasado 6 de diciembre, durante la ceremonia de entrega de los
Premios Nacionales de Periodismo, donde recibió un reconocimiento a su
trayectoria, Gutiérrez Vivó reveló que antes del cambio en la
Presidencia, Grupo Monitor recibió el siguiente mensaje del equipo
entrante:
“Están castigados. Vamos a ver cómo se comportan. Si quieren difundir
nuestra información, bien; si no, también. Cuando consideremos que
hay un buen comportamiento, entonces se arreglará una entrevista con
el presidente” Felipe Calderón.
Gutiérrez Vivó sostuvo ese día que nunca antes, en sus 40 años de
comunicador, “había percibido una agresión perfectamente disfrazada y
disimulada como la que estamos recibiendo desde mediados de la pasada
administración”.
El periodista hizo esos comentarios una semana después de anunciar que
suspendía sus transmisiones de radio en la frecuencia 102.5 de FM de
la ciudad de México, el pasado 30 de noviembre, por problemas
financieros.
En punto de las diez de la mañana y al cumplir 640 transmisiones por
la señal de cable, en el canal 52MX, Gutiérrez Vivó expresó: "Se nos
murió Monitor, estamos tristes… Que el destino le cobre la cuenta a
cada quien por lo que ha hecho. Muchísimas gracias por estos 36 años".
(via Roberto E. Gómez Morales, México, Noticias DX via DXLD)
In Mexico and a few other countries there is a tradition of
independently produced broadcast news companies such as this, which
then are extremely dependent on agreements with licensed broadcasters
to carry them, instead of producing their own news (Glenn Hauser, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** NETHERLANDS. It may be flat, windy, and rather damp, but the
Netherlands is possibly the most bicycle-friendly nation on earth (and
as I’m an avid cyclist, that’s worth a lot). It’s also the source of
the thousands of tulips found in our capital, Ottawa, which must count
for something. Long a world power in international trade, the
Netherlands also has (had?) a reputation as a progressive, tolerant
society. Dutch media outlets are in no short supply, although print
media ownership is quite concentrated. International broadcasts come
courtesy of Radio Netherlands.
Radio Netherlands (RNW): http://www.rnw.nl/ or
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/
Radio Netherlands is one of the preeminent shortwave broadcasters, and
their website is equally impressive. Offered in eight languages –
we’ll go with English, which seems to be the default – there are
reams of audio offerings, photos, and extensive and thought provoking
articles. The layout of the main page is fairly typical, with major
headings down the left side, features (including audio links) towards
the top, and links to news stories, editorials, and similar content
filling most of the page. Contact information is easily found by
clicking Getting in touch; here you’ll find the usual email addresses,
telephone numbers, and postal information, plus a link to a map and
directions for those wishing to visit in person (please, call ahead).
Radio Netherlands’ Listening Guide is excellent, with times,
frequencies, and target areas listed, plus information on DRM
broadcasts, a podcast guide, RSS news feeds, and biographical
information for RNW’s presenters. You can also sign up for a weekly
email that explains what you can expect to hear in the coming days.
Two other highlights; by clicking on the Photo Galleries link and then
Webcam, you can see live video footage of the broadcast area in
Hilversum, but even better, you can use on-screen controls to steer
the camera wherever you like! Further, the depth of articles found on
the RNW website is phenomenal; instead of being given a summary,
content is presented in a deep, meaningful way. I found the RNW
website extremely welcoming and yet intellectually engaging, which
seems to be a perfect combination. Highly recommended (Paul E. Guise,
MB, Click!, July ODXA Listening In via DXLD)
** NIGERIA. 15120, V.O.N., 1856-1902 24 June, Pop music, 1859 pleasant
Hi-life music to ToH. 1900 TC, ID, and news intro in English by M,
then news read by W also in English. Strong signal but just a tad
distorted.
9690, V.O.N., 0939-1005 30 June, Long talk by M in local vernacular
from tune-in to 0953. Indigenous wind instrumental, then hi-life
music. 0957 weakly modulated M announcer possibly in English. 0958-
0959 MOR instrumental music. 0959 W ID "This is V.O. Nigeria...", then
English news to 1005 followed by commentary by different W. Weak and
modulation level varying (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, July 1, HCDX via DXLD)
** OKLAHOMA. From the General Manager June, 2007
http://www.kcscfm.com/news_main.asp
Dear Members and Listeners, Broadcasters, public and commercial, who
“stream” or send their signals out over the World Wide Web are
concerned these days about the new ruling by the Copyright Royalty
Board (CRB) which would result in a sharp increase in royalty fees
paid by broadcasters to music producers. Stations like KCSC whose
music content is largely in the public domain will be affected equally
with commercial stations playing new popular music.
Broadcasters have always had to pay royalties for publishing.
Traditionally the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has negotiated a
group rate with the various royalty collecting agencies (ASCAP, SESAC,
BMI, etc.) for CPB qualified stations, however this new ruling by the
CRB would charge a new per-song-per-internet listener fee (yes, we
would have to start keeping those statistics!).
There is now a bill before congress, the Internet Radio Equality Act
(HR2060) which seeks to throttle back this new fee.
KCSC is pleased to be able to come to you by web as well as by air
and, as a result, we have listeners worldwide and members across the
country. On the other hand, if this new ruling from the CRB creates a
situation which further strains our already thin margin, we will
discontinue our web stream. Sincerely, Brad Ferguson, General Manager
(KCSC via DXLD)
** PAKISTAN. 11570, Radio Pakistan at 1600 with news in English. ID at
1605, off at 1615 UT. Threshold to poor (Mick Delmage, AB, June 30/07,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PAKISTAN. PEMRA DIRECTS PAK FM STATION TO STOP AIRING BBC NEWS
BULLETINS --- Malaysia Sun Sunday 1st July, 2007 (ANI)
http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/303b19022816233b/id/261055/cs/1/
Karachi, July 1 : A local radio FM station has stopped broadcasting
hourly news bulletins of BBC Radio on the instructions of the Pakistan
Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
PEMRA in a letter to the FM 103 management said: "You are hereby
directed to immediately stop the broadcast of all sorts of BBC
content/programmes failing which PEMRA shall be constrained to take
appropriate legal action against you."
Anis Mansoori, head of news and current affairs at FM 103, told the
Daily Times that the station stopped transmission after the PEMRA
letter warned it would shut down the station and seize its equipment
if BBC broadcasts were not stopped.
The BBC Pakistan Editor, Aamer Ahmed Khan, said in a statement that
the BBC was fulfilling all PEMRA requirements for transmission and FM
103 supported his claim.
However, PEMRA spokesman Muhammad Saleem said they had disallowed FM
103 from airing news from any organisation whose editorial policy was
controlled in a foreign country (via Alokesh Gupta, India, dxldyg via
DXLD)
Well, there`s always SW, and in this case MW. Surely BBC is more
worthy of Pakistani relays than, say, CRI (gh, DXLD)
** QATAR. TELEVISION CRITIC PRAISES ALJAZEERA ENGLISH
"I’ve been monitoring the new channel for several months over the
Internet, paying $6 a month to watch a video stream supplied by Real
Networks. And I am convinced it is the most important English-language
cable channel to come along since Fox News. It’s everything our cable
news isn’t: global, meaty, consequential and compelling in the best
sense of the word." Aaron Barnhart, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2007.
"The U.S. is one of the few countries that, for the most part, doesn't
carry the 24-hour BBC World news channel, which is available in 235
million households worldwide." Barnhart, Kansas City Star, 30 June
2007.
"It’s not impossible to see Al Jazeera English on TV in our town. Walk
into the Jerusalem Bakery on Westport Road most days and the flat
screen in the dining area will likely be tuned to the channel. Owner
Farid Azzeh pulls it in from Globecast, a specialty satellite-TV
maker. It’s free once you buy the Globecast dish (about $200)."
Barnhart, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2007.
Samah El Shahat, development economist who now works for Aljazeera
English: "I wanted a channel that was rooted in its sovereign
audience. I found that very fundamental, and I also wanted a channel
that wanted to challenge the mainstream." ArabianBusiness.com, 1 July
2007.
Dave Marash, Aljazeera English Washington anchor: "We want to do fewer
stories per half hour. Our 24-hour tempo is already radically slower
than any of the other 24-hour news networks." Post-Journal (Jamestown
NY), 30 June 2007. Posted: 01 Jul 2007 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD)
See http://www.kimandrewelliott.com/index.php?id=1858
for linx to the five stories (gh)
** ROMANIA. 11880, Galbeni transmitter in Spanish, covered three
channels on wide range of 17 kHz at 2320 UT June 30, S=9+20dB
(Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SAINT MARTIN & SINT MAARTEN. FS & PJ7, ST. MARTIN AND ST. MAARTEN
ISLANDS (Update/Survey). Operators Marq/CT-1BWW, John/EA3GHZ and
Tomas/EA5YH will be active as FS/homecall and PJ7/homecall between
July 15-25th. The trio (with their XYLs) will start their activity on
the French side of the island but will make visits to the Dutch side
throughout their stay. Activity will be on 80-6 meters, CW, SSB and
the digital modes. QSL via their home callsigns. Visit their very
interesting Web page at: http://www.dxciting.com/index.htm
They have also added to their Web page a survey to determine what
bands and modes are needed the most for each entity. During their
operation, visit the DXFUN Web page for updates, photos and logs.
Their survey is also available on this Web page too (Ohio/Penn DX
Bulletin No. 814 June 24, 2007, via QRZ? Ham Radio Corner, July ODXA
Listening In via DXLD)
BTW this publication has greatly expanded its ham radio section since
it went pdf --- in this issue QRZ occupies 24 of 71 pages; mostly
derived from the several ham radio online DX bulletins, from which we
quote very selectively. Free sample: see PUBLICATIONS (gh, DXLD)
** SOUTH AFRICA. Re 7-075: Ah, politics! As if the lack of criticism
on the air will prevent it taking place anyway. Perhaps I'm a little
naïve, but I thought South Africa was supposed to be a democracy, with
freedom of speech, etc? Of course, some countries have freedom of
speech --- as long as the speech you speak agrees with the rulers, hi.
Anyway, this is all sort of off-topic, so I won't pursue it any
further. Thanks for the information, John (Dave Bennett, location
unknown, mwdx yg via DXLD)
SOUTH AFRICA: TALKING SHOP WITH TALK RADIO 702
Business Day (Johannesburg) 11 June 2007 Posted to the web 11 June
2007 --- Thom McLachlan, Johannesburg
ONE cold autumn night, Talk Radio 702 turned up the heat with a
showdown between Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille and
little-known blog-guru Dave Duarte. The topic was should blogs be
regulated. The debate revealed how ignorant most adult South Africans
are on the topic. Even presenter Eric Miyeni struggled with the topic
of "social networking" and fumbled over the pronunciation of
established sites, like Wikipedia . . .
http://allafrica.com/stories/200706110231.html
(via Víctor Castaño, Conexión Digital July 1 via DXLD)
** U K [and non]. If you don`t normally watch VH1 on US cable TV, at
the moment (1647 UT Sunday July 1) they are carrying a live concert
from Wembley Stadium in honour of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
Seems to be a little of everything, from hip hop to Swan Lake ballet!
Scheduled to last until 2100 UT. Also NBC has one hour of it at 0000
UT Monday (Glenn Hauser, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Yes, this broadcast is going out live in 140 countries to an estimated
audience of 500 million, so should be available to most people on ths
list. I have it on two TV sets in the house so I can go up and
downstairs without missing anything. The ballet was sensational - it
got the biggest applause of the concert so far (Andy Sennitt,
Netherlands, ibid.)
And the hosts on VH1 remarked it was the first time there had ever
been ballet on that network. (No doubt they would have deleted it if
it were not part of this live event.) Later had a nice ALW medley, Tom
Jones, etc., but much of the rest I could do without, Rod Stewart,
etc. It ran over until 2130 UT.
They say it`s on demand at http://dianaconcert.vh1.com and plugged the
clip show on NBC at ``7 pm Eastern`` but zap2it says it`s at 7 pm
Central, i.e. 8 pm Eastern, tho following the n-th repeat of the
Dateline interview with her princely sons. VH1 also repeats two hours
of it Wednesday July 4 at 2300-0100 UT July 5 (Glenn Hauser, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K. BBC RADIO HUMBERSIDE EMERGENCY TRANSMISSIONS
1485AM is currently broadcasting a continuous 5-minute loop of flood
advice, including updated weather forecast, advice from the
authorities about what to do if you are in danger, what to do if you
need to leave your home and where to get help.
The FM and DAB transmissions are carrying normal programming.
Surprisingly the special AM service was only advertised on FM from
Thursday onwards as far as I know, although on Tuesday morning, which
was the worst day so far, the AM service carried a complete list of
closed schools at 07.45 and 08.15 BST, separate from the other
transmissions.
BBC Humberside covers the East Riding of Yorkshire and northern
Lincolnshire as well as the City of Hull, and scores of schools were
closed, well over 200 I would think. Thirteen schools have been so
badly damaged that they will not be re-opened until September. See
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/6252550.stm.
The medium wave public information service is quite unusual, and it
reminds me of what I would have expected in younger days in the event
of a threatened nuclear attack, although, of course, not as serious.
They are suggesting that people needing to evacuate should carry a
battery powered radio with them so that they can listen for further
instructions, and to leave the home taking any medications. They are
also instructed to take the telephone numbers of friends and relatives
with them in case they are needed. I shall record it for posterity.
Digital radios’ short battery life is a good case for retaining
receiver energy-efficient AM in an emergency! Digressing slightly,
although the AM transmission costs might be higher, calculating the
net electricity consumption when one considers one transmitter and a
few tens or hundreds of thousand receivers would be interesting.
73 (Andrew Brade, UK, June 30, MWC via DXLD)
This is exactly the sort of usage for which AM MW is best suited.
There would never be enough DRM receivers purchased for this kind of
flood advice to work on MW. Also (as you say Andrew) portable
batteries (no supplies during emergencies) would not last as long on
FM or digital. And yes, the carbon footprint for manufacturing and
earning the money to purchase DRM receivers, followed by listener's
power consumption, must far exceed the 'leave alone' existing Eco-AM
total. Cheers (Graham Maynard, ibid.)
Further to my earlier message, I’ve recorded some of the flooding
announcements on BBC Radio Humberside. They can be found here:
http://www.6kh.mediumwaveradio.org/
This page contains samples of the current programming on 1485 kHz. BBC
Merseyside is in the background I think!
If you don’t want to listen to it all, I recommend listening to the
sample entitled “Evacuation”. Uniquely in this clip there is no
mention of flooding. I have a suspicion that this might be a library
clip of a more general emergency nature and not one especially
recorded for the current events. Unlike in the other clips, I don’t
recognise the announcer; he’s not a Humberside regular whereas the
others are. 73 (Andrew Brade, ibid.)
** U K [non]. Intelligent Radio --- Living as I do in Eastern Ontario
just 60 km, line of sight, from the U.S. border, we are lucky here in
Stittsville (just a wee bit Southwest of Ottawa) to have off-air
access to NPR signals from Canton, NY (89.5 - WSLU) as well of course
as CBC Radio 1 and 2 and the best kept secret in all of Canada if you
like classics and Jazz, "Espace Musique" the Radio-Canada (French
network) equivalent of CBC RADIO 2.
Having once as a young man worked in private radio as a news reporter
and classical music "DJ" I decry the emptiness and banality of
commercial radio today. It's all formula and empty stupid blather
dictated by 'bright' (!!) young men'... with MBAs at broadcast
chain HQs in Toronto! Even the so-called "Talk Radio" formats are just
that - blah-blah-blah - so much empty-headed stupid redneck yakking
designed to attract/distract/provoke or whatever the aforementioned
MBAs and formula programmers dictate, with little or no real
illumination of issues or original intellectual content.
"Talk is cheap." Intelligent radio takes a little more effort, and
is so much harder to find. Such a shame the BBC has abandoned its SW
radio listeners in North America (Michael Bryan, Canada, June 28, ODXA
yg via DXLD)
The BBC is on Sirius and XM radio. They are on cable TV. They have a
half hour news program on most NPR stations. It`s more efficient and
cheaper than HF. They reach many more listeners/viewers that way.
I think it sucks as I like HF. There are not enough of us HF listeners
though to make it worth their while. I hate it but its life in the New
World Order (Kevin Redding, Gilbert, AZ, USA, ibid.)
Hi Kevin in my favourite state, nice to hear BBC directly on the
Hertzian waves so to say; other methods too clinical. Best (Paul
Birke, I love Sedona what a great place!!!, ibid.)
"Newshour" is getting frequent pickup on NPR stations after Morning
Edition at 9 AM ET (1300 UT). Many NPR stations carry BBCWS
programming in the late evenings and overnight. Some NPR stations are
using one of their HD side channels to broadcast BBCWS programming for
extended periods -- a few are 24/7.
Canada, though, isn't so lucky. A few - very few - non-CBC public
radio stations pick up an occasional BBCWS newscast but nothing more.
It is unfortunate that the BBCWS felt it needed to scale back all
North America-targeted SW broadcasts. They could have kept one
frequency - perhaps two - on the air instead of the 3 or 4 frequencies
that were simultaneously in use in the local evenings (5975, 6175,
9590, 9915 back in 2001).
As I mentioned in the comment to the radio listening habits post that
Brian Smith shared the other day, we who are on the upside of 30 have
much different listening habits than the folks under 30.
One issue I remember from 2001, the year that NA broadcasts were ended
(coming up on the 6th year anniversary on July 1st), was that the
BBCWS "audibility" rating -- a subjective assessment as to how well
BBCWS signals came in -- was lower in North America than on any other
continent. Add that to the percentage of the North American
population that owned a shortwave radio (pretty low) and you have,
unfortunately, a recipe for exiting shortwave.
Someone had mentioned in another thread that it was easier to tune in
a SW radio than bring up a computer's audio player -- when you
consider the need to boot up a PC, have it connect to the Internet,
then go the relevant website. That's true...but if one is already
sitting at a PC (answering e-mail, paying bills, monitoring sports
scores), it's then easier to fire up that audio player.
It comes down to *how* one listens to the "radio" nowadays (Richard
Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.)
Yes, I too can easily receive BBC-WS by sitting at my Mac and opening
an audio player. But that ties me down to said computer unless I
wander into the family room and turn on MY Sirius satellite receiver.
I'd far rather be able to carry around a good SW portable so I could
go out on the deck or into a hammock for an afternoon of lazing
listening and reading. That's what BBC's hasty and premature exit
from SW for North Americans has cost me.
BBC correctly read the technology trends , but I maintain their exits
from SW have been above all else PREMATURE -too far ahead of the
curve in their management's stubborn determination to show how
technically "cognoscenti" and modern they were. The manner of their
leaving was too sudden and arrogant and dismissive of SW listeners.
Now, it seems, SW has been largely abandoned to the wacky U.S. far
right political fringe and and almost equally bizarre religious
fundamentalist stations that have sprung up in such obnoxious numbers
to populate SW. I'd be surprised if too many of the kind of people
who would take them seriously even own SW radios - I doubt many of
us hobbyists consider their programming anything but a source of
horrified amusement and derision (Michael Bryan, VE3 CGT, ODXA via
DXLD)
No argument there. Religious tolerance is considered a virtue here in
the US, not that you'll find it from these kooks. My own litmus test
is, "Will I hear it in a church in my neighborhood?" If yes, then it
should be considered part of the mainstream, and I may know someone
who believes that way. If no, then it's a fringe group or cult.
Most of what I hear on SW religious stations is the latter. I don't
expect to hear Illuminati-New World Order-9/11-Freemasonry-Secret
Society conspiracy nonsense at the Little Church Around the Corner,
nor will I hear Anti-Semitic or Anti-Catholic bigotry. This crew to
the right of George W. lives on the bands as a source of morbid
entertainment to those who take it with more than a grain of salt-
sort of like rubbernecking at a car accident (Dan Malloy, KA1RDZ, ODXA
yg via DXLD)
I must confess that mostly I'm listening to streaming audio these
days --- when listening to "non-local" radio --- and I "get away" from
the computer by connecting one of those small "micro" FM transmitters
to the soundcard output jack on a computer.
My micro transmitter is tuned to 90.7 MHz. FM which is about the only
relatively "empty" FM frequency in the Toronto area, and the little
transmitter surprisingly has a range of about half a city block --- if
the FM radio receiver is of reasonable quality.
On really "crappy" FM radios I get splatter from CJRT, the local non-
profit jazz station here in Toronto on 91.1 and Radio Canada's "Espace
Musique" service which locally is on 90.3.
The cheapie transmitter I have runs on a pair of AAA batteries. It has
no "off" switch; I have to remove the batteries to turn it off! A pair
of alkalines in the little transmitter will usually last 3-4 days.
Even cheap carbon-zinc batteries will last about 36 hours.
I use a spare old Pentium II 450 MHz. computer as a dedicated
"streaming audio" box. I run Linux on it (Xubuntu) and so no security
worries at all. So I can always listen to streaming audio and I'm not
"glued" to the computer.
(BTW, I would agree with a previous poster that "Espace Musique" is
wonderful!)
I find that I'm not listening to BBCWS as much as I used to; instead
I'm listening to the domestic BBC Radio 4. I find that it "feels" a
lot like the BBCWS of the "good old days" on shortwave.
I've also used my website as a way to "bookmark" streaming audio
links. Mind you from looking at the weblogs it looks like a lot of
other folks are finding it useful as well.
My main list of streaming audio links is at:
http://www.ve3sre.com/streaming3.html
There you'll find links to audio streams from WRN, CBC/Radio Canada,
Canadian campus and community stations, NPR stations, Pacifica
stations, BBC world service and domestic, ABC (Australia), Radio New
Zealand, SABC domestic stations and RTE (Ireland).
Elsewhere on the site I have streaming links to Toronto area AM & FM
stations, and to "shortwave" stations. The streaming links and
formats change frequently and so it's hard to keep up-to-date (it's
only a hobby!) but I do what I can ;) 73 (Bob VE3SRE,
http://www.ve3sre.com ibid.)
Bob - I too use a small FM transmitter to extend the reach of, in
this case, my ExpressVu satellite receiver's radio and audio services,
in particular Toronto's classical FM station on 96.3, to my garden and
all around the house via any FM radio portable.
I had to send $C70.00 away to Britain to order this excellent and
rock solid stable 9-volt FM transmitter, which runs a relatively high
power of about 100 milliwatts - enough for the signal to carry at
least a block away from my house in all directions. This necessitates
my using a channel which is covered most of the time by a full-power
commercial FM rebroad operation about 70 km away and is thus in no way
a usable frequency in my metro area, & thus carefully avoiding any
potential for interference with legit broadcast ops.
A better solution for me: I could actually use something with a
little less power and that is why I wonder what manufacturer and model
number of FM transmitter you have and what its power level is, if you
know.
The many little FM transmitters from Belkin and others that are sold
for the Ipod aftermarket are absolute crap as they are of such poor
component quality and so terribly underpowered and, I find, are
reliable only within about 10 to 15 feet of the FM receiver being
targeted.
I want something that will fully quiet and hold a cheap FM portable
at a distance of at least 125 feet in any direction from the
radiating element. Suggestions welcomed (Michael Bryan, VE3CGT, ibid.)
Get the C. Crane transmitter. Review here:
http://www.geek.com/mini-review-c-crane-digital-fm-transmitter/
Listed here:
http://www.ccrane.com/radios/fm-transmitters/fm-transmitter.aspx
There is a variable pot you can easily adjust in order to boost the
gain to the point where you get the power you need without annoying
the neighbors. Doing so is illegal, voids the warranty, etc., etc.,
but a Google search will quickly yield the method to do this. Takes
two minutes to adjust.
At maximum gain I get about a 1-block useful radius. It is priced
roughly the same as the one you mention (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA,
ibid.)
I have it and it`s worth the money; buy it (Kevin Redding, Gilbert,
AZ, ibid.)
Good point regarding BBCR4 -- there is less emphasis on news, and more
emphasis on features. While much of their content, appropriately, has
a more British feel to it than what the WS has, there is a lot to
like.
Another good aspect is much less repetition -- each R4 feature program
airs once or twice, not the 4-5 airings characteristic of the World
Service.
WiFi radios also bring an element of portability of streaming audio
that didn't exist until the past year or so. Tivoli has a couple
interesting ones that I know John Figliozzi is salivating over.
WiFi and WiMAX capable cellphones also are in the mix as "radios"
suitable for international broadcast listening.
As Bob also points out, one needs to focus on their Internet
bandwidth, more so than the horsepower of the PC itself, in an
optimized streaming environment. Most Pentium II 450 MHz machines
serve as doorstops, I'd bet; yet as Bob says they have the oomph to
handle streaming audio (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.)
I guess I'm one of the lucky ones in BC, Canada as I get BBC on the
following frequencies and U times:
11750 at 1200 through 1400 via Nakhon Sawan, Thailand
and 9740 at 1300 through 1500 via Kranji, Singapore.
I'm at work during those times during the week but weekends I pick
them up all the time. Just using a S350 with a whip they are very
clear (Andrew, ibid.)
** U K. CALL FOR 2015 END TO ANALOG RADIO --- 26.06.2007
According to an article in the Sunday Telegraph, commercial radio
companies in the United Kingdom are looking set a firm end date for
analog radio. The industry body RadioCentre is expected to approach
the British broadcast regulator, Ofcom, this week about setting a
shutoff date for analog radio that could be as early as 2015. An
analog shutdown would mirror the transition path being followed by the
television industry, which will see an end to terrestrial analog
broadcasting in 2012. There is a concern, according to the Telegraph
report, that only a firm analog shutoff date will ensure continued
investment and development of digital radio, although there are
political concerns about making millions of analog receivers obsolete.
http://www.radioworld.com/pages/s.0138/t.6860.html
(Svenn Martinsen, MWC via DXLD)
It's all part of the Ofcom Future of Radio consultation which closes
Friday, anyone can submit a view, most of the responses already
published say they are against any date being set for analogue switch
off. The BBC have responded and it is available online.
On medium wave they point out that 5 Live has a weekly reach of 6
million on AM and that medium wave is needed for local and regional
coverage, as to the future they say "Our view at this time is that
the future shape of radio is likely to be a mixed economy of DAB and
FM, potentially supported by DRM – but it is far too early to
determine this with any certainty."
As to DRM they state:
"17. Given our usage of medium wave, and the potential short-comings
of local radio on DAB, we have begun a trial of the only alternative
digital radio technology which seems suitable for this waveband:
digital radio mondiale (DRM). The trial is re-using the frequency for
BBC Radio Devon in Plymouth, converting this to DRM operation, and
then researching the reaction to it with a specially selected audience
panel. The transmission has been in operation since the end of April
2007 and it is too early to draw any conclusions from the trial.
Nevertheless, it demonstrates that DRM on medium wave in the UK from
an existing transmitting station is technically possible, even if
there are considerable engineering challenges to be met.
18. For this reason, we consider that it is too early to determine
whether DRM has a part to play in the future of radio. Just as it was
with the introduction of DAB, the key will be the availability of
radios which are able to receive the transmissions. We believe that
the next three years will be crucial for DRM, as the intentions of
radio manufacturers become better known and the technologies of choice
for the future become clearer. In three years, there may well be DRM
networks on-air or planned in other countries and the use of DRM for
international broadcasting may have brought the receiver market to
maturity.
Similarly, over the next three years, DAB+ may have been sufficiently
adopted to have become built in as default to receivers (and we note
that if it did, its elements of commonality with DRM may make it
easier to implement the latter in receivers also). In the same
timescale, WiFi radio may be better established and Wimax might have
come to fruition. To make a decision now on the choice of technology
is too soon."
The responses can be read at the link below which also includes a link
to the online response form, sections 12 to 34 of the BBC's response
deals with possible analogue switch off and use of digital
technologies: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/futureradio/
(Mike Barraclough, England, MWC via DXLD)
** U S A. Despite repeated plans to resume 17495, WBCQ still on 18910,
June 30 at 2235 check with music and preaching. VG signal at this
time; somewhat weaker by 2300, at which time on Wednesdays WORLD OF
RADIO is supposed to air on this frequency. I believe there was a big
sporadic E opening over this path into the FM band, which probably
helped rather than F2 struggling to rise to such an MUF; OK stations
heard in NY, etc. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. KUNM COMES TO ESPAÑOLA, by Richard S. Towne, KUNM General
Manager
KUNM is building a new broadcast transmitter in Española. The new
station is full-power and will receive our main channel signal from
Sandia Crest before re-transmitting our sound to the upper Rio Grande
Valley and much of Rio Arriba County. There are an estimated 60,000
people in the new Española service area who do not have any public
radio at present. We look forward to bringing them KUNM’s award-
winning news, music and cultural programs.
In addition, the new transmission point will send a southbound signal
toward Santa Fe, Tesuque, and Los Alamos. This will provide a new
“fill-in” signal for communities and neighborhoods that can’t get a
good KUNM signal from Sandia Crest. Since radio won’t go through
mountains, we decided to beam our new signal to these neighborhoods
from a new direction. Pretty cool, huh?
Construction begins in earnest this summer. Our FCC construction
permit for Española expires, without opportunity for renewal, in March
2008. Our total project costs will come in at just under $500,000, not
including staff time. I mention this to give you an idea of the scope
of work to launch the Española station. We are close to completing our
site acquisition, working on a design to build a low-profile tower,
and designing the housing for Española newest transmitter and
electronics. To be sure, we have a hefty ton of work left to get this
station up and on-the-air.
The Española station has been in the pipeline at KUNM since 2001 or
thereabouts. I can tell you a dozen great back stories about how this
all came to be and I look forward to sharing the stories as the new
station comes online. This time, I am proud to recognize and honor the
visionaries who are helping KUNM create a brand new public radio
service.
The McCune Charitable Foundation has long recognized KUNM’s vital role
in connecting sectors and communities with our diverse programming.
Early on in this project, McCune’s leadership recommended and assigned
Mr. Arturo Sandoval to serve as KUNM’s lead project development
consultant, specifically to create strong bonds with the people,
communities and governments in the Española service region.
One could simply not ask for a better advocate than Arturo Sandoval.
He was born and raised in Española, still has plenty of family there,
and he knows the long and short of the valley like the palm of his
hand. Arturo lives in Albuquerque now, and is El Presidente of Voces,
Inc. (247-2729), a company where individuals, companies, non-profits
and communities can get help in realizing their natural potentials.
Arturo and I have spent many days in Española and the county, getting
to know the people, places and deep heritage of one of the most
beautiful places on the planet… (shout out to the Truchas Land Grant
gente).
The good folks at McCune Charitable Foundation also offered to put
funds into the project, giving us a solid footing to launch early
negotiations in the region to make this station a reality. During the
summer of ‘06, when UNM’s top leadership saw where we wanted to go,
and knew that McCune was a fellow traveler, UNM backed our efforts to
approach state legislators from Española and Albuquerque to help
create funding to complete the whole Española station. Former UNM
President David Harris assigned government affairs specialists Marc
Saavedra and Tom Rutherford to work as KUNM’s advocates for the
Legislative session, and advocate they did.
But I am just a bit ahead of the story here. Arturo and I had already
met in 2005 with Representative Nick Salazar (at Angelina’s) in
Española. Rep. Salazar became our earliest elected advocate for
bringing public radio to Rio Arriba county. Our thanks for that! José
Griego, President of Northern New Mexico College, also signed on as an
early advocate and supporter for KUNM in the region. Before much
longer, Senator Richard Martínez had joined Rep. Salazar in agreeing
to co-sponsor the enabling legislation to fund KUNM’s Española station
through New Mexico’s capital outlay process.
The needs for capital infrastructure in Rio Arriba County and the
region are many, with sparse populations scattered across a vast
amount of land. With that in mind, we turned next to ask for help from
our elected representatives here in Albuquerque. We needed their voice
and vote to help us extend our public service broadcasting to our
neighbors to the north.
Senator Cisco McSorley stepped right up to the plate, as did Senator
Dede Feldman. So did Representatives Gail Chasey, Danice Picraux and
Mimi Stewart. What terrific teammates and allies we have in this work!
And guess what? You are on our team as well. Your personal
contribution to KUNM has helped fund the countless hours of planning
and implementation work conducted so far by myself, Chief Engineer
Mike Stark and KUNM Development Director Mary Oishi to get the project
this far down the field. We’ll continue to need your kind assistance
to get us to goal. Wish us luck and send a little extra with your next
contribution so we can bring KUNM’s unique style of community radio to
our neighbors near Española and across the upper Rio Grande valley.
Indeed, you are crucially important in our ongoing demonstration that
public and private partnerships make public broadcasting work in New
Mexico.
Originally, we had requested $600,000 at the 2007 Legislative session.
Our request included additional funding to help build improved
services in Las Vegas, Socorro and Taos. During the session, our
request was pared down and approved for $370,000, all designated for
Española. With our grant from the McCune Charitable Foundation, we are
going to make the Española project work. Later this summer, we will be
coming directly to our friends in Las Vegas, Socorro and Taos to help
fund signal improvements in these communities. As in Española, our FCC
permits to build these new services will expire in March 2008, so
there is no time to lose.
Bringing public radio service to people who can benefit from our work
together is a wonderful and noble task. If I have stirred your soul or
captured your imagination on this endeavor, I hope you will join in
the effort. Be a donor, be an advocate, help us grow, help us serve
the whole community. Drop me a line, so we can stay in touch on this …
RichardTowne @ kunm.org (KUNM Zounds, July via DXLD)
Details from FCC at http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=93833
show 91.9, 8.7 kW ERP, which apparently qualifies as ``full power`` in
this mountainous state, 164m HAAT, 2083m AMSL, 17m AGL, at
36 09' 8.00 " N Latitude, 106 02' 21.00" W Longitude (NAD 27).
KUNM already has a translator on 91.9 in Taos, which this will
presumably bump off; without checking the terrain closely, the new
Española signal ought to make it into Taos OK (Glenn Hauser, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. New Broadcast Test Coordinator --- Dear List
Members, We were all unhappy to hear of Les Rayburn's resignation as
Broadcast Test Coordinator. He had revitalized DX Tests for both IRCA
and the NRC, and his creativity and energy will be sorely missed.
We have however, been fortunate to have a volunteer for the position
come forward from IRCA, Jim Pogue. He will be getting assistance from
J. D. Stephens, a former IRCA CPC chair, as well as Brandon Jordan,
and Les will be helping for a smooth transition of the duties of the
position. Both the IRCA's Board and the NRC Board have approved Jim
as the new Broadcast Test Coordinator. Others who wish to volunteer
to assist Jim may contact him via email at KH2AR @ comcast.net
We appreciate Les Rayburn's past service and Jim Pogue's offer to
continue as the Broadcast Test Coordinator for Both Clubs! 73
Nick Hall-Patch, President, International Radio Club of America
Wayne Heinen, Board Chair, National Radio Club (via Nick Hall-Patch,
Victoria, B.C., Canada, June 30, IRCA via DXLD)
** U S A. So is this test still starting tonight? I suppose reports
should not go to Les as previously announced (Glenn Hauser, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
KXTO 1550 kHz Reno, NV DX Test (QRSS Mode Added!)
http://www.dxtests.info/2007/06/kxto-1550khz-reno-nv-dx-test-qrss-mode.html
Date(s): Daily from July 1st thru the 15th, 2007.
Time: 00:00 AM until 04:00 AM Pacific Time (0700-1100 UT)
Modes of Operation: Normal, except when test material is running near
TOH and BOH. Night time power of 96 watts ND. July 14th & 15th ONLY-
Full power of 2500 watts ND.
Programming: Morse Code ID's, Sweep Tones, Voice ID. Quasi-QRSS 2.5khz
Slow Speed Morse Code
Test Material: Morse Code ID's, Sweep tones, and a "QRSS" (Slow Speed
Morse Code ID'S). The QRSS signal is encoded at 2.5khz. Dot length is
5 seconds in length.
You can attempt to detect the QRSS signal using only your radio,
computer soundcard and some free spectrum analysis software from
http://www.weaksignals.com Download the software called "Argo".
Notes: Please do not telephone the station during the test or
afterwards. The test is being done by remote control and automation.
QSL Information: Reception reports are desired via e-mail (first
choice) and snail mail (only if e-mail is not available) Station would
prefer to received recordings of the test (MP3, CD, or cassette).
Submit reports to: les @ highnoonfilm.com and please put "KXTO DX
Test" in the subject line.
All standard mail reports should go to:
Les Rayburn
High Noon Film
100 Centerview Drive Suite 111
Birmingham, AL 35216
SASE Required for QSL. Our special thanks to Jose and the staff of
KXTO, and especially to member Paul Walker, who arranged this test and
many others! Thanks Paul!
++Best bet for up to the second DX Info is on the #mwdx chat room at
http://www.starchat.net Join us during the test nights!++ (via DXLD)
Glenn, I presume so. I talked to Les today and he is handling the
tests for the time being. 73, (Patrick Martin, KAVT Reception Manager,
ABDX via DXLD)
Allow me to stress that for most of us, we'll want to wait til July
14/15 when they'll be 2.5 kW. 73 KAZ who won't try til then (Neil
Kazarross, IL/WI, ibid.)
** U S A. Breakfast with the Arts is gone from the A&E cable network.
Had been nothing but repeats the last few months, and since fine arts
had been abandoned last year, I seldom watched, but kept checking the
listings just in case. Suddenly for July 1, it`s vanished from the A&E
website, and other online listings, replaced by two old episodes of
Biography, Sundays 12-14 UT. Of course, it could be just a summer
hiatus, but who knows? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. I've been trying to ID something on 6100 that fades-
in/comes on (?) around 1800, and goes off before 2130, but it has so
far failed to come up significantly out of my local noise level. When
LUX [DRM 6090-6095-6100] returns it will be time to give up - unless I
know what it is by then. 73 (Noel Green, England, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15595: Dos emisoras sin identificar. 1048-1105,
escuchada el 1 de julio dos emisoras sin identificar, una
probablemente algún servicio de Radio Vaticano, idioma sin
identificar, parece oromo o amárico, programa religioso con cantos
corales; de fondo una emisión en francés, locutor con comentarios,
referencias a Gabón. Tonos horarios a las 1100, locutor con titulares,
creo que es RFI y se corta la emisión por momentos. 73 (José Miguel
Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Per HFCC, Vatican is supposedly in a one-hour break from 15595 at
1030-1130, and nothing else listed then. Also no leads in EiBi, Aoki
and WRTH, which I assume JMR checked too. VR does not have any Amharic
scheduled at this hour. BUT per WRTH there is Amharic liturgy on the
first Sunday of the month at 0800-1000 on 17765 via SMG site, so maybe
that is on 15595 now, and it ran over, and won`t be back for a month
(gh, DXLD)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Please accept this love offering to DXLD in memory of the late Rev.
Jerry Falwell. I know you miss him as much as I do (Harry Helms, TX,
June 30, with a contribution via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com)
PUBLICATIONS
++++++++++++
ODXA LISTENING IN FREE SAMPLE
To celebrate our country`s birthday, the ODXA is offering a free
sample of the PDF version of our monthly journal, Listening In. The
July issue is 71 pages. E-mail me at listeningin @ rogers.com if you
would like it e-mailed to you (Harold Sellers, Ontario DX Association
http://www.odxa.on.ca ODXA yg via DXLD)
EL DIAL (d) JUNIO [sic] 2007
Hola, La AER, ASOCIACIÓN ESPAÑOLA DE RADIOESCUCHA, informa que ya está
disponible el número del boletín gratuito 'EL DIAL (d)'
correspondiente a JULIO [sic] de 2007 en:
http://edd.aer-dx.org/ o http://www.aer-dx.org/eldiald/
El SUMARIO de este número es el siguiente:
PORTADA
LA VOZ DE RUSIA EN ESPAÑA, que incluye una entrevista al responsable
de las emisiones en español (en formatos HTML, PDF y MP3) y un perfil
de la propia emisora.
NOSOTROS
(Actividades, agenda, servicios, tablón de anuncios, correo, socios,
etc.)
LA ACTUALIDAD en:
Emisiones EN idioma ESPAÑOL
Onda Corta (muy extensa y dividida en 4 páginas) Ondas Medias y Largas
Frecuencia Modulada Diplomas y Concursos Y ... además otras noticias
QSL:
Noticias y últimas tarjetas recibidas
Por último, las colaboraciones son bien recibas y para ello hemos
habilitado un sencillo formulario en
http://aer-dx.org/eldiald/colaborar.htm
Un saludo cordial (Pedro Sedano, Madrid, España, COORDINADOR GENERAL,
Noticias DX via DXLD)
¿¿On the contrary, the cover story in the July issue is about La Voz
de Turquía. I guess this got mixed up with June, which does not seem
to be available now (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM
+++++++++++++++++++++
Discussion of low power FM transmitters: see UK [non]
NEW GRUNDIG G1 LATER THIS YEAR
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/2001.html
The Grundig G1 is a digitally synthesized, dual conversion shortwave
receiver covers all shortwave frequencies. Adjacent frequency
interference can be minimized or eliminated with a choice of three
bandwidths [7.0, 4.0, 2.5 kHz]. The sideband selectable Synchronous AM
Detector further minimizes adjacent frequency interference and reduces
fading distortion of AM signals. IF Passband Tuning is yet another
advanced feature that functions in AM and SSB modes to reject
interference. AGC is selectable at fast or slow. High dynamic range
permits the detection of weak signals in the presence of strong
signals. All this coupled with great sensitivity will bring in
stations from every part of the globe.
Organizing your stations is facilitated by 500 user programmable
presets with alpha labeling, plus 1200 user definable country
memories, for a total of 1700 presets. You can tune this radio many
ways such as: direct shortwave band entry, direct frequency entry,
up-down tuning and scanning. Plus you can tune the bands with a manual
tuning knob. There is also a dual-event programmable timer. Whether
you are listening to AM, shortwave, or FM you will experience superior
audio quality via a bridged type audio amplifier, large built in
speaker and continuous bass and treble tone controls. Stereo line-
level output is provided for recording or routing the audio into
another device such as a home stereo.
The absolutely stunning LCD has 4 levels of backlighting and instantly
shows you the complete status of your radio. Many receiver parameters
such as AM step, FM coverage, beep, kHz/MHz entry etc., can be set to
your personal taste via the preference menu. The G1 has a built in
telescopic antenna for AM, shortwave and FM reception. Additionally
there is a switchable antenna jack [KOK] for an external antenna.
There are jacks for Line Input, Line Output, earphones, and external
speaker. The G1 comes with an AC adapter or may be operated from four
D cells (not included). 13.1 x 7.1 x 2.3 inches 4 lbs. 3 oz.
1. Superior shortwave performance
2. Continuous Shortwave with Selectable Single Sideband (SSB)
Reception
3. Dual Conversion Superheterodyne Circuit Design
4. Digitally Synthesized PLL Tuner with Synchronous Detector
5. Passband Tuning and Selectable Bandwidth Filters
6. 1700 Station Presets with Memory Scan Function
6. Direct Keypad Entry
7. 5.7 inches Oversized Illuminated Multi-Function Dot-Matrix LCD
Screen
8. Stereo Line-Level Audio Inputs/Outputs and External Antenna
9. Dual Clocks and Programmable Timers
10. Adjustable Snooze/Sleep
11. Separate Bass and TrebleControls
12. Programmable preference settings
Availability Note: The information shown is preliminary. This new
model is not expected until late 2007. Universal Radio is not
accepting orders yet. [02/12/07] List price: $500 (Universal Radio via
DXLD)
STUDENTS HELP DESIGN DIGITAL SHORTWAVE RECEIVER
Hi Glenn; This is an interesting development. I hope the students can
make an affordable digital shortwave radio. Just like with MP3 players
and DVD machines, DRM receivers could be made cheaply enough once a
certain level of production is achieved.
Topics in this story: digital shortwave, evangelism, letourneau, radio
A version of a digital shortwave radio.
USA (MNN [Mission Network News]) -- HCJB Global will soon begin their
work on a digital shortwave radio receiver.
Junior and senior electrical engineering students from LeTourneau
University will be designing the receiver with the help of HCJB and
Rockwell-Collins engineers. Rockwell-Collins, an aerospace and defense
company of Iowa, has given a $25,000 grant for the project.
Digital shortwave radio is superior to regular shortwave because of
its clearer sound. "It allows people in distant locations to get a
very clear signal, much like that of a CD, rather than the very
distorted signal of shortwave radio," said Jon Wineman of HCJB.
People in third world countries often can't afford to buy a radio. If
they can, it is difficult for them to buy batteries to keep it
working. It is also very expensive to link a studio to a satellite and
back to a broadcast transmitter.
HCJB would like to create low-power receivers that anyone can use at
low-cost. In many places shortwave radio is used much like a Bible
study.
"Individual heads of households or heads of tribes would call people
together to come and listen to the radio in the evenings in order to
learn more about the Bible. It's like having a missionary in every
home. It's important to us to make that more attractive to the
unsaved," said Wineman.
For those countries where radio is illegal, these radios will be much
less conspicuous. "In restricted countries, if you put a satellite
dish on the side of your house, it's like inviting yourself to go to
prison. Digital shortwave doesn't have that disadvantage. So it allows
us to reach folks in restricted countries more effectively," Wineman
said.
Programming will include Focus on the Family, programs about health
issues, and "helping them come to a saving knowledge of Christ and
also to grow in becoming more conformed to the purposes of God in
their lives."
There will also be programming by indigenous teams who know what the
needs of each area are.
Engaging students in this project will help them see where they can
serve. "It allows them to see older Christians who have been serving
the Lord for many years as a missionary and understand firsthand what
it's like to be a missionary. In this case, it's a technical
missionary."
Sincerely (via Bruce Atchison - author of When a Man Loves a Rabbit
http://www.bookadz.com/whenaman.htm June 28, DXLD)
I object strongly to the assertion that shortwave is inherently ``very
distorted``. HCJB, of all stations, was and still is to the extent it
still broadcasts in Spanish from Ecuador, one of the least-distorted
and most reliable signals both north and south of the Equator. And how
sad that DRM is seen as yet another way to further weasely
evangelization, trying to deprive people of their original beliefs and
lock them into Christian fantasy (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
DIGITAL BROADCASTING
++++++++++++++++++++
DRM: see REF just above; GERMANY; LUXEMBOURG; NETHERLANDS; UK; UNID
6100
HD/IBOC OBSOLETE ALREADY
I'ts July, so I can turn loose a monthly post on IBOC.. Delete it now
if it spoils your day. (grin)
On Friday Apple released the long-awaited iPhone, which they tout as
"the best iPod ever". Projected sales are 7 million for the remainder
of 2007 and 15 million in 2008. The iPhone has significant internet
connectivity ability, plus there are rumors that Cisco is working on a
way to connect it to corporate networks. That will filter down to
better personal connection abilities as well.
If we add another 15 million to the iPhone sales for 2009, assuming
that V2.0 of the device is as popular, then 37 million iPhones will be
out there by the end of that year. Compare 37 million units to the 2
million IBOC radios iBiquity set as a goal by 2010. Far more people
will be able to get streaming audio than HD Radio. Yet iBiquity and
it's supporters refuse to even consider this.
Streaming audio is the way to get digital audio to the listener. Cell
phone coverage currently is exceptional. It no doubt exceeds by a
significant amount the projected IBOC coverage, even if it's on every
station. I will ignore the interference and weak IBOC signals which
significantly detract from HD Radio coverage. Even IBOC's best case
scenario is worse than the reach of streaming.
Streaming has unlimited channels, and better data rates. Other than
the monopolistic power and money grab of SoundExchange and their
members, there is nothing in the way of streaming audio. Private
streams of your own content are easy to set up, and beyond the reach
of any rights fees.
HD Radio is obsolete right out of the box. It's silly to drive full
speed down a dead end street (Craig Healy, Providence, RI, July 1,
IRCA via DXLD)
Good points, although I disagree that the iPhone is a viable choice
for streaming. It uses EDGE, which is pokey to the point that it
doesn't support a good streaming experience, based on my tests of
dozens of other EDGE handsets over the years (Tim Kridel, ibid.)
LANGUAGE LESSONS
++++++++++++++++
ITATIAIA
Re 7-075: I see that I could have misled a reader by abbreviating
North American "N. American" and then going on to use "Native
American," so that one might suspect that I am myself a Native
American. But I am not (Ben Dawson, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###