World DX Club - DX News November 2008

AFGHANISTAN Radio Solh has changed their music schedule after well over a year playing exactly the same tunes at exactly the same time every day, obviously from a single master recording or automation setup. B-08 schedule is 0300-1200 11675 via Dhabbaya, 1200-1500 13830 and 1500-1800 9875 both via Rampisham. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)

ALGERIA Radio Algerienne Holy Kor`an service broadcasts via Rampisham are now scheduled on 6090 0400-0600, 6125 0400-0500, 7435 1900-2000, 9455 1900-2100 and 5915 2100-2300. Broadcasts via Sines are 6125 0500-0557, 7435 2000- 2100 and 9850 2100-2300. (Andreas Volk, ADDX via Wolfgang Bueschel)

ANTARCTICA LRA36 heard at 1955 September 24 with tango music and multilingual identifications. (Mauro Giroletti, Italy, PLAYDX via DXLD)
They are broadcasting with a 10kw transmitter. (Elojodigital.com via Jose Miguel Romero, Spain, DX Listening Digest)

ARGENTINA RAE returned to the air on October 8 after having been off for some weeks with transmitter trouble, heard at 2154 on 15345.2, fair signal and multilingual identification loop. (Ron Howard, California, DX Listening Digest)
RAE broadcasts have shifted one hour earlier due to local summer time, on October 21 heard German 2000, Spanish 2100 until 2255 on 15345. On 11710.8 Portuguese at 2345 check, Japanese 0000, English 0100, French 0200 to 0258 close. (Bryan Clark, New Zealand, ibid)
Italian now heard 1800-1900. (Roberto Scaglione, Italy, ibid)
Noted in English 1700-1800 on 15345 October 30, clear channel but weak signal with some fading. (Mike Barraclough)

AUSTRIA Surprised to hear some news in English on 6155 October 6 at 0610, giving temperatures in the Alps, 0611 into French, 0615 into German talking about Pulcinella, and music followed a bit later. This has to be OE1, but these newscasts are not accounted for in WRTH. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
This news bulletin has been relayed on shortwave since OE1 began being relayed on shortwave in July 2003 and has been listed in TAFIE, now at 0709 and confirmed here October 30. (Mike Barraclough)
Listed in the programme grid as part of Morgenjournal and Monday to Friday. (Dragan Lekic, Serbia, DX Listening Digest)
On the Postbox segment of Report from Austria, Murray Hall announced that OE1 will continue on shortwave in 2009 after all, but all English, and I would guess Spanish programming will cease. (Will F, ibid)
ORF sources confirm that the relay of the First Home Service programme via Moosbrunn might be discontinued soon, but no final decision will be taken before the future use of the site is established. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
Radio Austria International/Osterreich Ein schedule on their website is valid till December 31, to Europe and Africa 0600-1800 6155, 0600-1400 13730, 2100-2200 6155, to Middle East 0600-0630 17870, to America East 0030-0100 7325, to America West 1600-1700 13675 via Sackville, to America Central 0000-0030 7325, to South America 0100-0130 9840, to Asia/Australia 1300- 1330 17855. (Mike Barraclough)

BAHRAIN Radio Bahrain heard on 6010 at 0140 on October 16 with poor signals, programme of blues music with time pips on the hour and identifications in English. No announcements between the songs. (Al Muick, Afghanistan, Hard Core DX via DXLD)

BELARUS Radio Racja via Lithuania due to resume shortwave transmissions in B-08, schedule 1430-1530 Russian, 1530-1730 Belarussian on 3960. (Wolfgang Bueschel)
Radio Racja confirmed on 3960 October 27 at 1625, full identification at 1630 and jingle in Belarussian, on October 28 noted at 1444, sign off 1730. (Edwin Southwell)
Radio Station Belarus heard October 29 starting English programme at 2100 on new 7135, news followed by light instrumental music, fair but muffled audio and adjacent channel splatter, weaker 7360 in parallel, monitored to past 2130. (Brian Alexander, Cumbre DX)
Similar here October 30, 7135 is listed as 250kw, 7360 75kw. 7390 150kw is also listed as carrying the broadcast but was not monitored. (Mike Barraclough)

BOLIVIA Radio San Jose heard on 5580.2, 2320 to 2335 October 3, weak signal with music, fading in. Seems to be maintaining a regular schedule. (Bob Wilkner, Florida, Cumbre DX)

BRAZIL Radio Pioneira de Teresina is inactive on 5015, they are waiting for a new modulation transformer and as soon as they receive the equipment, the station will return to shortwave. Radio Pioneira is one of the few stations in Northeast Brazil still on shortwave. (Celio Romais, DXing the Finnish Way via Mike Terry, DX Listening Digest)
Radio Educadora de Limeira is still active on 2380, heard 0110 September 25, full identification, time check and music, SINPO 22232. (Adalberto Marques de Azevedo, Brazil, Hard Core DX via DX Listening Digest)
Radio Rio Mar, Manaus heard on 9695 2040-2105, October 10 with international music, 2100 news then sing off, strong signal on clear channel but adjacent channel interference from 2100. (Carlos Goncalves, Portugal, DX Listening Digest)

BULGARIA Due to a technical glitch many Radio Bulgaria transmissions were only on one frequency last month, the 50/100kw Sofia site transmitters are in very bad shape, final tube, audio, modulation wise as they are 35 years old. Even the newer Plovdiv equipment has lost audio quality in the last 2 or 3 years. (Wolfgang Bueschel, DX Listening Digest)
Still heard using just one frequency, though announcing two, at start of new schedule period, English to Europe noted 0730-0800 on 7400, 1230-1300 on 15700, 1830-1900 and 2200-2300 on 7400. (Edwin Southwell)
Radio Varna now scheduled 2200 Sunday-0400 Monday on 6000. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)

CHINA PBS Xizang, Lhasa heard on 7385 at 1630 with English Holy Tibet service on 1 October. Announcers trying to read the news over a too loud disco music bed, talk of construction projects planned for the area. This transmitter needs help! Music audio was at an OK level, but the voice audio was distorted and slightly echo-ey. Very hard to understand even on AM- wide setting despite booming signal. (Al Muick, Afghanistan, Hard Core DX via DX Listening Digest)
Voice of Pujiang changed to winter schedule from October 5 now 1130-1600 3280 4950 and new 5075, ex 9705. (S. Hasegawa, Japan, DX Listening Digest)

COLOMBIA On October 3 I found La Voz de tu Conciencia dominating on 6010 at 0715, talk by male, identification in Spanish and English at 0720. Weak to fair strength, frequency usually dominated by Belarus but this had faded by 0715. Their other station, Marfil Estereo, was heard on 5910.1 with popular Colombian melodies and slightly stronger than 6010. (Noel Green, Blackpool, DX Listening Digest)
Many of the radios provided to Russell Stendal of Colombia Para Cristo, operator of the two stations, are dropped by parachute into remote areas of Colombia. They are fixed-tuned and will only receive 5910 and 6010. (Galcom Prayer Bulletin, Autumn, via DXLD)

CONGO DR Radio Okapi schedule is now 0400-0600 on 11690 and 1600-1700 on 9635 both via Meyerton. (Kathy Otto, Sentech, DX Listening Digest)

CROATIA Winter schedule of Croatian Radio via Deanovec is 0558-0857 6165, 0858-1457 9830, 1458-2157 6165, 2158-0557 3985. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, via DXLD)
Also to North and South America via Werchatal 2300-0400 and Nauen 0200-0600 both on 7375 and to Australia and New Zealand 0500-0800 on 9470, 0600-1000 on 11690. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
English has been monitored here October 28-30 at 0700-0705, 1100-1103, 1700-1715, 1905-1917, 2315-2330. (Mike Barraclough)
Short English newscast also heard at 0300 October 27 on 7375. (Joe Hanlon, New Jersey, DX Listening Digest)

ECUADOR As mentioned last month the last HCJB German broadcast from Pifo was September 30, the steerable antenna will not be scrapped but will be removed and newly erected at the HCJB Australia site in Kununurra next year. (HCJB via A-DX via Wolfgang Bueschel)
Woke up shortly before 0700 September 30, turned off the radio's timer set to just a few minutes later, plugged in the antenna wire and headphones, turned the radio on and punched up 9740. And there it was: a faint signal, with occasional fading peaks making the programme content momentarily audible, even making it possible to recognize the typical Pifo audio processing. It brought up memories from fifteen years ago: I'm on daytime duty at work, my first Shortwave Radio sat on the window-sill, behind it the sun was just getting up, the radio was tuned to 6205 and there was a DX show in German, with interspersed missionary content, a bit weak and fadey, but I was well aware why.
The German programmes will still be produced, even still be transmitted on shortwave to Europe, from other sites and coming in better than ever before. But it will never be the same again. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX Listening Digest)

EQUATORIAL GUINEA Radio Nacional Malabo noted back on 6250 at 0529-0610 September 28, instrumental music, Contemporary Christian music. Local religious choral music. Spanish talk. Mentions of Malabo. Transmissions are irregular, poor in noisy conditions. Bata 5005 not heard at this time. Malabo 6250 heard later the same day at 1955 to 2005, Spanish talk. local hi-life music and abrupt sign off. Weak but readable. (Brian Alexander, Pennsylvania, Cumbre DX)

ETHIOPIA Radio Oromiya heard on 6030 to 1900 close down October 4, ex 1800, interference from BBC Arabic. (Shigenori Hasegawa, Japan, DX Listening Digest)
Station heard signing on at 1550 October 7 and 8 with talks and Horn of Africa music, fair strength, interference from China Radio International. (Anker Petersen, Denmark, PLAYDX via DX Listening Digest)

GERMANY Deutschlandfunk interviewed Horst Scholz, head of transmission management at Deutsche Welle about the forthcoming joint DRM service with BBC World Service. It's supposed to become a mixture of world news, analysis, reports, background on current events and culture news. For the time being the goal is not to attract additional listeners, instead this is meant to support DRM. It took a very long time until the DRM technology was fully developed. They have now reached this point, so now they have to take care of the content which so far is certainly insufficient. It is the opinion of both the BBC and Deutsche Welle that you cannot just copy shortwave content on a DRM channel with good quality, instead you need new content.
DAB and DRM are not competitors but complement each other. The idea of the Australians for example is to start in the core areas with high quality DAB and, if one reaches the fringe area of a town or if one reaches an area where it is not worthwhile to install lots of DAB transmitters, to go over seamlessly to DRM on mediumwave which offers very good quality, also in stereo, and then, if one goes further out into the rural territory, one can listen to DRM via shortwave. The listener will have just one digital radio, he starts downtown and if he moves outwards he will be seamlessly handed over from one technology to another. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX Listening Digest)
The German Focus magazine reports about a draft of tDeutsche Welle’s planning for the period from 2010 to 2013. The paper carries a remark by director Erik Bettermann himself that it is "not to be released to a public outside DW" This document states that "important audiences can be reached only by considerably increasing the amount of English-language offerings". A "very strained financial situation" is said to make rationalization measures necessary, and most of these cost savings will be done at the expense of German-language services. Thus DW employees have already founded an initiative called "Pro Deutsche Welle" that calls these plans "a good-bye to our audiences". The Focus report also points out that DW is required by law to promote the German language. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX Listening Digest)

GREECE The Voice of Greece still sends QSL cards. Reception reports can be sent by email to apodimos_era5@ert.gr or by post to ERA5 Voice of Greece, Mesoghion 432, 15342 Aghia, Paraskevi, Attiki- Greece. (John Babbis, DX Listening Digest)
ERA5 Radio Filia is now in English 0700-0800 on 12105. The Sunday English Greek in Style music programme was heard October 26 1105-1200 on 9420 and 15650. (Mike Barraclough)
Same programme heard starting 0006 October 27 on 7475 and 9420. (Harry Brooks, England, DX Listening Digest)

GREENLAND Kalaalit Nunaata Radioa via OZL Radio, Tasiilaq on 3815 USB heard from 2041 to 2114 abrupt sign off October 25. Best signal ever heard from any receiver location, almost like a power increase, SINPO 44544 with no utility interference typical of previous loggings. Woman announcer, pop music, canned announcement 2100, interval signal and news, interval signal 2110, instrumental music and off. (Bruce Churchill using remote receiver in UK, Cumbre DX)
Heard here October 26 with music 2053, much stronger than I have heard them before and clear of any interference. (Mike Barraclough)

GUATEMALA Radio Verdad 4052.5 is off the air due to a lightning strike to their shortwave transmitter on September 22 at 2200, despite having 3 lightning rods with 3 tips each, the electric transformer lightning rod, and a well calibrated sparky device inside of the transmitter with good grounding. Almost all power transistors were burned out and some smaller ones. I thought I had enough spare transistors but they were not enough, our transistors are very strange and difficult to find, they work on 600 volts. We’ll have to ask for them to be produced in the United States. (Edgar Amilcar Madrid, Station Manager, DXLD)

HUNGARY Hungarian Radio schedule is now 0200-0300 5995, 0500-0600 3975, 1100 1200 and 1700-1800 6025, 2200-2300 3975. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DXLD)
IBB relays via Jaszbereny, Hungary ceased September 30, mostly replaced by Biblis and Lampertheim. (Wolfgang Bueschel)

IRELAND CIMR Hot Country is transmitting Saturday 0000-Sunday 2400 every weekend until December on 549, good reception here, they are using the 25kw transmitter in County Monaghan formerly used to relay UCB broadcasts. Website is www.countryandirish.ie.
The Rock, Dublin is also transmitting on a temporary licence Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on 1278. (Mike Barraclough)

KASHMIR Radio Sedayee Khashmir heard on 6100 0224 October 10 with nice 1 kHz test tone into "Salaam Aleikum", full identification 0230 then talk in Urdu with traditional music. Transmitter faulted off several times but usually came back within a second or so. They also lost audio for about 20 seconds. This is supposedly a tiny little division of All India Radio in Delhi. (Al Muick, Afghanistan, Hard Core DX via DX Listening Digest)

KYRGYSTAN Radio Maranatha/Hit Shortwave from Bishkek is heard again here in Finland on 6030 with rather good signal around 1530, before Oromia signs on at 1550. Some interference from China. (Mauno Ritola, Finland, DX Listening Digest)

LAOS Sam Neua heard September 23 on 4412.6 at 2255 signing on with instrumental interval signal. At 2257 I heard what sounded like the Laos national anthem, 2258 talk by woman, they started playing music at 2300, but the signal seemed quite low. (Hans Johnson using remote receiver in Philippines, Cumbre DX)

LITHUANIA Radio Vilnius is now 0900-0958 on 9710, 2300-2358 on 7325, 0000-0058 on 9875, first half hour Lithuanian, second English. (Wolfgang Bueschel)

MALI Radio Mali noted on 7285 0801 to 0825 September 26, flute interval signal, French identification announcements followed by vernacular talk, local string music 0823, weak but readable, slightly stronger on parallel 9635. (Brian Alexander, Pennsylvania, Cumbre DX)

MYANMAR Radio Myanmar was heard after 1450 hours in a local language, at 1530 with news in English and pop music after 1535 hours on 5985 until the end of the programme at 1600 marked by the National Anthem. QSL address is: Myanmar Radio & TV, GPO Box 1432, Yangon 11181, Myanmar
Myanmar Defence Forces Radio has been on again on 5770 with popular songs until signing off at 1530. (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, R. Bulgaria DX via DX Listening Digest)
Myanmar Radio heard on 9730 via remote receiver in Australia at 0700 with English news read by woman, just one news item, 0703 weather, and then into pop music. Good reception September 28. (Hans Johnson, Cumbre DX)

NETHERLANDS Regarding the closure of Radio Netherlands English to North America the Dutch service is paid for by the Dutch taxpayer (including me). The Dutch government knows exactly how many Dutch expats they are, and where they are. We have a separate mission statement to serve this niche audience. But even there, the number who listen to shortwave is dropping. There will come a point at which the shortwave transmissions will no longer be viable. But, in fact, we receive a far larger amount of feedback from North America to our Dutch service than to our English service. If there are a lot of people in North America still listening to our English shortwave transmissions, most of them appear to be incommunicado.
What amuses me is that shortwave listeners always imagine they are part of some huge international community. In fact, as I visit the websites of different international broadcasters, I am more and more seeing the same listeners' names cropping up in mailbag programmes. The number of SWLs in North America who actually listen to our programmes for the content, as opposed to those who only tune hoping for a QSL every time we use a new transmitter site, is probably a few thousand at the most. Someone even suggested on this list that it was not more than a thousand. They could well be right. That means the cost per listener is astronomically high.
Our Spanish service still reaches hundreds of thousands of listeners by shortwave in Latin America. They get a huge listener response compared to English. That's because in many parts of Latin America, shortwave is still used for domestic broadcasting. And it's a key target for us in terms of press freedom rankings, which North America isn't.
Some of the guys in our Programme Distribution Department are radio hams, and are genuinely saddened by the gradual move away from shortwave. But you people who have a shortwave radio only see things from the listening end. I used to be an SWL, and indeed a Dxer, for quite a long time. But working inside an organisation like Radio Netherlands makes you see things from a totally different perspective. It's hard to tell a journalist that he or she cannot go to Africa to report on a human crisis because you have spent all the budget broadcasting three hours a day on shortwave to an area of the world where hardly anyone listens any more. About 50% of our annual budget has been spent on programme distribution in recent years. In other words, it costs us as much to get the programmes to the listeners as it does to produce them.
We are now trying to reduce these distribution costs, and have to identify the areas where we can make savings while inconveniencing the minimum number of people. Shortwave is by the most expensive way of reaching our audience, so it's the first thing to look at when you want to make cuts. We stopped broadcasting on shortwave in English to Europe some years ago, with very little complaint, suggesting that there weren't many regular listeners left.
Quite a few SWL's are not honest to broadcasters about their listening habits. You'd be surprised how often I've seen letters and emails from people claiming that they are regular listeners to a programme that ended several years earlier! I know that many people on this list are disappointed, even angry, at the decision. But we can't change reality. (Andy Sennitt, Radio Netherlands, DX Listening Digest)
Radio Netherlands has reintroduced Arabic broadcasts on shortwave, 1900-1957 Monday to Friday on 11830 Meyerton, 2000- 2057 daily on 7385 Santa Maria de Galeria and 2159-2257 Monday to Friday on 5970 Issoudon. (Station website)
The Mighty KBC via Lithuania is now 2130-2228 on 6055 to Europe, 0200-0258 Sunday on 6110 to North America. (Station website)

NEW ZEALAND ZLXA Radio Reading Service heard on 3935 at 0620 October 4, good signal with news by female but became noisy after 10 minutes. (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, bdx mailing list via DXLD)

NIGERIA Voice of Biafra International is back on 17650 ex-15280 which was in use July -August; Fridays 2000- 2100 and heard. September 26 at 2055 check, just barely audible on 17650 with “God Bless Africa” hymn on authentic instrument followed by closing announcement, this is WHRI, 250 kW at 87 degrees. for B-08 the plans are to go to 15665, but I`ll believe it if and when I hear it. (Glenn Hauser, Oklahoma, DXLD)
The Voice of Nigeria transmitting station in Abuja will be completed by the first quarter of 2009, according to Alhaji Abubakar Jijiwa, the station's Director-General. “Most of the equipment in terms of transmitters, antennae, mast systems and generators are already on site at the moment,'“ he said. The station will have the capability to broadcast on shortwave in analogue and digital modes. The station has the capability of a rotating antenna that can target any country in the world when desired. (Voice of Nigeria website via Mike Terry, DX Listening Digest)

NORTH KOREA Part of my day job is to study the media environment in North Korea. We know that some Chinese- built radios with shortwave bands are finding their way into North Korea. And many senior officials have shortwave radios. The Economist ran a leader September 25 stating that shortwave radios are common and broadcasts from outside should be stepped up. This is probably an overstatement. Radio with medium wave (AM) bands are much more plentiful in North Korea. A medium wave relay is key to successful international broadcasting into the country. So far, South Korea has not allowed VOA or RFA relays on medium wave or any other waveband. Other medium wave relay opportunities are farther from North Korea. With VOA and RFA both broadcasting five hours per day in Korean, never concurrently, "stepped up" broadcasts would add hours during fringe listening hours, producing diminished marginal returns. A more significant "step up" would be a BBC Korean Service, a language that World Service has so far avoided. (Kim Andrew Elliott posting to kimandrewelliott.com)
Echo of Hope and Voice of the People broadcasting from South Korea to the North have increased transmission times. Echo of Hope is now 0300-0500, 1100-1900 and 2200-2400 on 3985 6003 6348, Voice of the People now 1100-2100 and 2200-2400 on 6518 6600. (S Hasegawa, Japan, DX Listening Digest)
Furusato no Kaze/Nippon no Kaze schedule now 1430-1500 on 9880, 1500-1530 on 9690 both via Darwin, 1600-1630 on 9780, 1700-1730 on 9820 via Taiwan, 1333-1357 on 9455 via Taiwan. (S. Hasegawa, Wolfgang Bueschel, DX Listening Digest)

PALAU Glenn Hauser reported to DX Listening Digest September 25 that KWHR Hawaii usage of 9930 at 0500-1200 and 1400-1800 was replaced by KHBN 0500-1800, 12130 which had been KWHR at 1200-1400 is now KHBN at 1000-1400.
On September 29 Glenn further reported broadcasts 0100-0500 on 17800 and 0500-0800 on 13650 were switched from Hawaii to Palau.

PERU Radio Melodia, Arequipa heard on 5939.2 at 0630 to 0700 September 26, Spanish talk, identification 0638, poor to fair and very poor after 0658 due to adjacent channel splatter. (Brian Alexander, Pennsylvania, Cumbre DX)

PHILIPPINES Radyo Pilipinas 15190 sent me a nice personal QSL with decal, card and information, seems they like to get reports. (Bjorn Fransson, Sweden, Shortwave Bulletin via Thomas, Nilsson, DX Listening Digest)

ST. HELENA A reminder that Radio St. Helena will be on 11092.5 USB November 15 2000-2330, full details in last months Contact. (Mike Barraclough)

SERBIA International Radio of Serbia noted October 30 at 1400 on 7200 starting 30 minute English broadcast with news bulletin, strong signal but slightly muffled audio on the speech. News and features until 1423 then classical music, Serbian broadcast at 1430. (Mike Barraclough)

SRI LANKA IBC Tamil Radio now 0000-0100 on 6045 via Werchatal. (Wolfgang Bueschel)

SUDAN Private Sudanese newspaper Al-Ra’y al-Amm September 27 reported that a radio station based in the Netherlands was due to start broadcasting that day in three Darfur states in local tribal dialects. An unknown body in the Hague had produced almost 5 million small sized radios which could be hidden in peoples hands. (BBC Monitoring via DXLD)
The project was launched last November. Pressnow.nl reported that “Radio Darfur is part of the national campaign “Thus far! Darfur“. Its aim is to reveal the humanitarian disaster which is taking place. In the past years two and a half million Darfuri have fled and became homeless, many of them are living in a hopeless situation in refugee camps and more than 200,000 people died. With a short-wave radio transmitter outside Sudan Radio Darfur will focus on broadcasting humanitarian programs and independent news, to be listened in entire Darfur. With Radio Darfur Dutch artists, journalists, creatives, politicians, sportsmen and aid, peace and human rights organizations join forces to break the radio silence around Darfur. The initiative is supported by the public broadcasting service. The radio station is thereby also an expression of Dutch support for peace initiatives in Darfur and an invitation to the Dutch government to show its commitment. (Jari Savolainen, Finland, ibid)
Nothing has been launched yet. I don't know where the Sudanese newspaper got the date from. Some tests have already been carried out, including one Glenn Hauser heard at 0300 on 7245 from Madagascar. When there is some factual information to report, I will report it. Until then, too much attention from DXers is just a nuisance to the people who are working on the project, unless you want to offer financial or practical support. (Andy Sennitt, ibid)

SYRIA The English language section of Radio Damascus is keen to get the programme online because of the weak shortwave reception. The transmissions are on satellite. English on shortwave is now at 2100-2200 on 9330. (Kris Janssen, Belgium, DXLD)

TAIWAN The Taiwan government denied September 30 that it was facing a rebellion at its international radio station over orders not to offend China. The Chinese-language Liberty Times reported that independent board members of Radio Taiwan International were about to resign en masse in protest at the government’s interference. Cabinet spokeswoman Vanessa Shih said the government had told station management to propagate the country’s new image, but she denied that was an order to abstain from criticism of China. Opposition Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Tsai Huang-liang accused the government of attempting to launch a purge at the radio station. (Media Network)
The board of directors approved the resignations of chairman Cheng Yu, Radio Taiwan International director-general Shao Li- chung and deputy station chief Chang Cheng-Lin at a meeting October 2. (Asiamedia via Dale Park, Hawaii)
As of November 1 Radio Taiwan International broadcasts via WYFR 0200-0300 on 9680, 0300-0400 on 15215, 0700-0800 on 5950 and 2200-2300 on 9355 have been cancelled. Broadcasts to North and South America 0200-0400 on 5950 continue. (Alokesh Gupta, India, DX Listening Digest)

UKRAINE The National Radio Company of Ukraine has designed and printed a series of new QSL cards for confirmation of reception reports to Radio Ukraine International and the home services of the Ukrainian Radio. Reports for Radio Ukraine International transmissions should be sent to Radio Ukraine International, 26, Khreshchatyk str, 01001, Kyiv, Ukraine, e-mail vsru@nrcu.gov.ua. Ukrainian National Radio, now on 5970, reports should go to National Radio Company of Ukraine, monitoring department at the same address, email egorov@nrcu.gov.ua. (Olex Yegorov, Whole World on the Radio Dial, DXLD)

UNITED KINGDOM Latest RSL’s from the Ofcom website:
Amersham: Radio Christmas 87.7 November 28 to December 24
Ashfield: Ashfield Community Radio 102.4 November 10 to 16
Ballymena: Radio Cracker 107.6 November 28 to December 24
Banff: Deveron FM 87.7 November 24 to December 21
Basildon: Gateway FM 87.7 November 27 to December 24
Birmingham: Burn FM 106.2 November 3 to 30
Boston: Endeavour FM 87.7 December 9 to January 5
Cheltenham: Cheltenham Open Radio 87.7 November 14 to 16
Circencester: Corninium Radio 87.7 November 21 to 23
Eastbourne: EYR 87.7 November 19 to 21
East Grinstead: Meridian FM 87.7 November 20 to December 17
Glasgow: Campglen Radio 87.7 November 18 to December 15
Harrow: Harrow Community Radio 87.8 December 4 to 31
Hexham: Tyndale FM 87.7 November 27 to December 24
Huddersfield: Radio Hajj 87.7 November 17 to December 14
Keighley: Paradise Radio 102.1 December 1 to 28
Leeds: BIG FM 87.7 December 8 to January 4
Leicester: Demon FM 97.5 November 3 to 30
Leicester: Lush FM 107.5 November 10 to December 7
Leicester: Radio Haaj 87.7 December 3 to 30
Leicester: Wiggle FM 87.9 November 14 to 22
Liverpool: HBN FM 87.7 November 28 to December 12
London SW1: SW1 87.7 December 3 to 30
Newhaven: Christmas Haven FM 87.7 November 23 to December 20
Nottingham: YMCA Digital 87.7 November 24 to December 20
Oldham: Hajj FM 87.9 November 20 to December 17
Peterborough: Oscar Radio 96.3 November 11 to December 8
Salford: NME Radio 87.7 November 10 to December 7
Sandy: Biggles FM 87.9 November 27 to December 24
St. Neots: Black Cat Radio 87.7 December 1 to 24
Stevenage: Lister FM 87.7 November 29 to December 6
Thame: Thame FM 87.9 November 15 to December 12
Thetford: Wayland Community Radio 105.0 November 27 to December 24
Uckfield: Uckfield FM 87.9 December 1 to 21
Warminster: Kingdown FM 87.7 November 23 to 29

UNITED STATES Reverend John Harden Norris, the co-founder of Red Lion Broadcasting, died September 27 in York Pennsylvania. He was 88. His Pennsylvania company, which owned WGCB, operated on AM, FM, and TV. He also owned religious shortwave outlet WINB, which was at the centre of a landmark "Fairness Doctrine" case involving a journalist being given equal time to rebut allegations from an evangelist carried by the station. (John Cereghin, Deleware, DX Listening Digest)

VANUATU UCB Pacific Partners are working with a Port Vila-based ministry to open a new shortwave station with two transmitters in 2008-09. (WRTH 2008 via Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
Their website, www.pacificpartners.org, says that they want to establish a short-wave radio station to reach the estimated 40,000 very isolated tribal people of Torres and Banks and Santa Cruz Islands. This station will be used in support of local church planters who are attempting to reach some of the 'kastom' (custom) villages where people have rejected everything from the outside world and still live the same primitive lives as their ancestors. (Mike Barraclough)

VIETNAM Voice of Vietnam monitored in English since October 26 at 1600-1630 on 7220 7280 9550 9730, 1800- 1830 on 5955 via Moosbrun and 1900-1930 on 9730. (Edwin Southwell)

ZAMBIA Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation will soon commission new short wave antennas for both Radio One and Two. The installation of the new transmitters by a South African contractor at Shorthorn in Lusaka started in July. ZNBC Director General Joseph Salasini visited the site where the antennas have been installed. He said ZNBC will be more consistent in reaching out to the general public, particularly in outlying parts of the country once the antennas are operational. The new antennas are able to withstand all weather patterns and seasonal changes without affecting the quality of radio reception. The ZNBC principal engineer, in a report to Parliament in June, said that a long-term solution is a replacement of a shortwave with FM transmitters as provided for under the Fifth National Development Plan. Funds permitting, this process should start in 2009. (Artie Bigley, Ohio, DX Listening Digest)
CVC Lusaka 1Africa tentative B-08 schedule: 0400-0600 7160, 0600-1400 13590, 1400-1700 13650, 1700-2200 9420. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)

ZIMBABWE SW Radio Africa schedule is now 1700-1900 on 4880 and 11745. (Media Network)

CONTRIBUTORS: Germany - Wolfgang Bueschel, UK - Edwin Southwell. Until next month. MIKE