READING INTERNATIONAL RADIO GROUP The next meeting of the Reading International Radio Group will be on Saturday July 25 in Room 3, Reading International Solidarity Centre, 35-39 London Street, Reading at 2.30 p.m. For more information email me or phone 01462 643899
ADEN The British National Archives has just released a file (T220/1394) revealing that the British authorities in 1959 set up a secret jamming project in their Aden colony. It shows that transmitters of the Diplomatic Wireless Service and transmitters stored in Cyprus were involved in the operation, which was designed to counter hostile broadcasts from Cairo and elsewhere at the time of 'the Aden Colony elections to the Legislative Council'.
There is discussion in the file concerning how best to disguise the budget for the jamming. It is argued by one official that it should be accounted for as a 'miscellaneous item' in the Colonial budget which is appropriate ...from the point of view of preserving anonymity: this is important because for political reasons the Government of Aden has had to preserve the strategic secrecy locally over the operation which gave rise to the expenditure.' Another official says that the jamming equipment 'might be a permanent requirement - this depends on a study by the Electronic Warfare Board.' (Roger Tidy, UK, DX Listening Digest)
ALGERIA Speaking at a seminar on the future of radio in early March, the secretary of state for communications and former director of Algerian Radio, Azzedine Mihoubi said “Radio will benefit from a national FM network with some 300 retransmitters to fill shadow zones, and the installation of an international centre for shortwave broadcasting. (Radio World via BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD)
ANGOLA Radio Nacional Angola heard on 4949.8 from 1800 June 30 with full audio, Portuguese conversation between a man and woman, several identifications. (David Sharp, New South Wales, Australia, DX Listening Digest)
ANTARCTICA BBC World Service made a special midwinter shortwave broadcast to Antarctica on Sunday 21 June at 2130 on 5970 and 7295 from Rampisham and 7360 from Ascension. (British Antarctic Survey Travellin’ South blog via Media Network)
Broadcast included messages from home for members of the survey at the Rothera Station. (Alan Pennington, Caversham, BDXC-UK)
AUSTRALIA Radio Australia has an additional English frequency from July 4: 0000-0200 on 17665 via Darwin. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)
BOLIVIA Radio Santa Ana has reactivated on 4451.2, heard 2325 to 2342 June 9 and 2317 to 2339 off June 11. (Bob Wilkner, Florida, Cumbre DX)
BRAZIL Having returned to 6010 with 25kw Radio Inconfidencia now plans to return to 15190 in the next 12 months, previous station owners had neglected the shortwave transmitters which fell into disrepair. (George Cunhas, Brazil, Radioescutas via DXLD)
Radio Difusora Acreana has reactivated, heard on 4885 June 8 with religious programmes and Voz de Brazil relay at 2245. (Rogildo Aragao, Bolivia, Hard Core DX via DXLD)
Radio Clube Do Para 4885: I received a no data confirmation letter, station post card, sticker, pennant, and lapel pin for one of the dozen or so reports I have sent in over the years. Each report contained an English report, local post card, an applause card, and some had IRCs or $1 (US). Station address: Radio Clube do Para, Av. Almirante Barroso, Nº 2190-3º Andar, Belem-Para-Brasil, CEP 66095-000. I am really happy to get this one after all the years of trying. (Joe Wood, Tennessee, MARE Tipsheet via DX Listening Digest)
CANADA CFRX heard on 6070 at 0155 June 17, English adverts dominated by co-channel CVC, surfaced as soon as CVC closed at 0159:27 but wiped out 42 seconds later when powerhouse DW Sines reappeared on 6075 after 5 minutes silence to allow for beam change. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DX Listening Digest)
CHILE CVC La Voz in Spanish via Chile is now scheduled 1200-2300 on 9635 17680 and 2300-0200 on 6070 11665. (Eike Bierwirth online frequency list)
CHINA The jamming control has two main centres. The first is the main site on Hainan Island in the south which also houses a large military base. But all orders for jamming come from Beijing. Three ministries are involved, 1. Ministry Of Communications (MOC), 2. Ministry Of Culture/Propaganda (MOP), and 3. The Ministry Of The Armed Forces Of The People's Liberation Army (MAFPLA). The latter is due to the fact that the military control all transmitter sites in China, even those used for civilian use.
The two stations involved for both monitoring stations the government deems as un-friendly and to monitor if the jamming is effective are China National Radio near Tiananmen Square, which was also once the home of CRI until the mid 90s, and China Radio International on Shijingshan Road in Western Beijing, on the 3rd Floor less than 20 metres from the live broadcast studios, and is guarded by the military 24/7. The only way to get past the guard to the live studio or master control is by holding an A pass.
There are at least 20 sites around China which are known for jamming. The problem is trying to make a 100% confirmation, as these sites are also used for broadcasting. The only two I can 100% confirm are the one on Hainan Island and one in Shunyi, a suburb of Beijing which is used for ground jamming. Other sites known for jamming are: Ho Hot - Inner Mongolia, Ningbo - between Huangzhou and Shanghai, Guangzhou - across from Hong Kong and Dandong - China/North Korean border.
Here in the Republic of China, when listening to shortwave, you get the impression the only stations on shortwave are Chinese and Firedrake, which is everywhere. On a recent Happy Station show I interviewed Bill Whitacre who told me that in the mid 1990s, VOA was scheduled to have a meeting with people from CRI about jamming. He told me the end result was CRI not showing up for the meeting. (Keith Perron, Taiwan, DX Listening Digest)
CUBA Radio Havana observed in Arabic on 11770 at 2030 followed by Spanish at 2100, ex 11750. (Edwin Southwell)
CZECH REPUBLIC Radio Prague English Sackville relay at 0330 on 6080 has been cancelled as of July 1 due to budget restrictions. (Oldrich Cip via Kevin Molander, DXLD)
EQUATORIAL GUINEA Radio Bata heard on 5005 Sunday May 10 from 1617, often in parallel with Malabo on 6250. At 2023 found Bata 5005, not parallel to 6250, in Spanish reading reception report letters in full from DXers in Finland. Ended at 2045 but listener correspondence programme heard the following Sunday 2013-2052, reading reception reports from Brazil, programme not heard May 24. (James MacDonell, Nigeria, DXLD)
FREE RADIO A Spanish-speaking station was heard broadcasting around 6990.1 May 29 at 2220, identified as La Nueva Voz de Canaria Libre. Does anyone know anything about this station? (Alexander, Netherlands, Cumbre DX)
This station was actually the pirate station Cactus Jack Radio. This is the same op as Radio Barretina/Camping Radio. At this time, he was back in Catalunya, transmitting with 10-watts, as his linear amp was not working, although he said he should be back with 100-watt output this coming weekend. This is the same station that was operating around 6910 last weekend; at that time he was transmitting from a 100 watts mobile in the Balearic Islands. (Alex Vranes Jnr, West Virginia, DX Listening Digest)
GERMANY On Sat May 30 at 1611-1658 on 11885 heard phone conversation in English with much laughter: organization, very attracting walking picture, multicolour, show, public relation, and collaboration. Programme info at 1630 conversation continued: internet, computer, human communication, monetary system, Wall Street, US Treasury, computerpower.net, email, to motivate learning in internet, iphone, learning process, and peoplelearning.com, off abruptly. SINPO 34222. (Tony Ashar, Indonesia, DXLD)
These are infomercials for the Cheetah learning programme, more at their website www.cheetahradio.com. As of June 20 the frequency changed to 11730 due to interference from China reported Jeff White in DXLD. (Mike Barraclough)
AWR Wavescan is currently heard with a strong signal on Sundays on 15335 via the Wertachtal transmitter from 1530-1600. (Alan Roe, Allen Dean)
INDIA Radio Kashmir Srinagar is now noted signing on at 0000 on 4950. They used to sign on at 0025 in Summer and at 0120 in Winter. (Jose Jacob, India, DX India via DXLD)
AIR Delhi is still noted on 7150 at 0030-0040 with news in Hindi and English. Their planned new frequency 7370 is occupied by FEBA to India. (Jose Jacob, DX India via DXLD)
IRAN The Voice of America added new satellite frequencies to ensure millions of Iranians were able to watch and listen to programmes on VOA's Persian News Network (PNN) in the run-up to Iran's June 12 presidential elections. The addition of new satellite paths came after viewers flooded PNN with reports of signal interference. VOA officials subsequently confirmed that Iranian authorities had greatly increased jamming in parts of Tehran, the capital, and some other locations.
PNN has the largest combined radio and television audience of all international broadcasters in Iran, with one in four adult Iranians tuning in to a VOA show at least once a week. PNN broadcasts seven hours of television daily, repeated in a 24-hour format, and five hours of radio. Broadcasts are available on demand on the Internet. (Press release May 28, DXLD)
Heavy jamming against Hotbird satellite frequencies with Persian programming noted June 14, affecting other customers. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 14)
The BBC increased the number of satellites used for its television service June 19 due to intensive jamming. (BBC Press Office)
Jamming commenced against Radio Farda shortwave June 15, previously only medium wave had been jammed. (Wolfgang Bueschel)
VOA's coverage is drawing an overwhelming reaction from inside Iran. Direct visits to PNN's Internet site http://www.voapnn.com from inside the country increased over 800 percent since early June. (VOA press release June 22)
State television has broadcast footage of alleged demonstrators “repenting”: “We were provoked by networks like the BBC and VOA to take such immoral actions.” said one man. (The Times, June 24)
Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran is now using 5940 via Lithuania, for the 1930-2025 English broadcast, a move from 5945. (Alan Roe, Edwin Southwell)
A new station is Voice of Turkman Iran, heard the second part of the identification: “Turkmenistani Iran“. It is heard on variable frequency 4770-4795. Sign-on 4770 was around 0201 and jammed by Iran on May 14 and 15. (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD)
IRELAND The RTE relay via Meyerton at 1930-2030 is now on 6225, ex 6220. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
RTE is losing around £870,000 a week and will not be able to pay staff by October unless a programme of salary cuts and redundancies is implemented in the coming weeks. The crisis comes amid growing anger among staff at the level of pay and bonuses paid to the director-general and senior management over the past number of years.
The director-general Cathal Goan has cautioned that up to 300 jobs are now under threat. Staff at the broadcaster continue to ballot this on whether or not to accept proposed pay cuts of up to 12.5 per cent. There is also growing resentment among workers over the level of executive pay. (Media Network)
ISRAEL Israeli media are reporting that a small and unconventional Iran office in the Israeli Ministry of Defence will be shut down. The unit (technically known as the Lebanon coordinator unit, perhaps because of Iran's role in Lebanon) had in later years just four people
and ran on a budget of just over a million dollars per year, according to Haaretz. They kept track of and sometimes provided assistance to Iranian dissidents who came out of Iran on their way to the West, stayed in touch with Iranian exiles in Europe and the United States (some who they had known in the shah's day), and funded a Farsi-language Israel Radio program broadcast on shortwave into Iran." (Laura Rozen, The Cable, Foreign Policy, 25 May via kimandrewelliott.com)
In his sermon June 22, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reserved special wrath for "Zionist radio" that he said tried to drive a wedge between the Iranian people and the Islamic Republic. Such attention was music to the ears of Menashe Amir, a bespectacled Iranian-born Israeli who has been broadcasting in Persian from Jerusalem for the past five decades.
"We're listened to in Iran and considered very credible and effective," Mr. Amir says with pride. "We're close to the Iranian people, we know what they want, and we have our sources that give us detailed news about everything that's going on in Iran." The spread of the Internet and satellite television in Iran over the past decade seemed to eclipse the prominence of Mr. Amir's old-fashioned shortwave broadcasts on Kol Israel, Israel's public radio. But now, as the Web in Iran is either blocked or dramatically slowed and satellite-TV channels are jammed by the government amid spreading unrest, Mr. Amir has suddenly become relevant again. (Wall Street Journal via Mike Cooper, DX Listening Digest)
ITALY English news on the RAI Notturno Italiano overnight service on 657, 900 and 1107 has been irregular of late and not always heard at the usual times of approximately 2305, 0005, 0105, 0205 and 0305. (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Dave Kenny, England, BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD)
LITHUANIA Radio Liberty via Sitkunai heard May 28 on 9635 at 0354-0400, in Tatar-Bashkir (per schedule). End of transmission at 0400, at which time a Radio Farda broadcast from Wertachtal began on the frequency. Good signal with interference from Costa Rican relay of Radio Exterior de Espana on 9630. Parallel heard on 7390 via Lampertheim. (Jim Evans, Tennessee, DX Listening Digest)
MAURITANIA Radio Mauritania noted 1813 June 4 on 7245 with a French & Arabic live report on arrival Senegalese president at Nouakchott airport, to sudden 1829 sign off. Running late as on June 3 when noted closing here 1823. Frequency is clear after co-channel Tajikistan signs off at 1800. Seems extended use of 41 metre band channel rather than 4845 (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DX Listening Digest)
MEXICO XEQM noted back on 6105 June 5 at 0030 with a programme of music and commercials in Castillian. (Julian Santiago Diez de Bonilla, Mexico, DX Listening Digest)
Heard in the Netherlands June 5 on 6104.7 at 0233-0258, Spanish timecheck, phone calls, promos / adverts and songs eventually got blocked by co-channel Radio Liberty sign-on. Just barely audible, could only make out a few occasional words. Seems reactivated quite recently, daily checks on May 27 to June 02 were all negative. No definite identification as such but fairly confident this must be them. (Martien Groot, DX Listening Digest)
MYANMAR The ruling junta has clamped down on the rising numbers of unlicensed radio owners in a move that media experts see as restriction on the freedom of media and access to pro-democracy broadcasts. They have issued a warning in the New Light of Myanmar newspaper that those listening to radio without holding a licence could be prosecuted under the Wireless Act. The warning carried no information on why people would be prosecuted nor why numbers of listeners are increasing, but a Burmese journalist on the China-Burma border said the increase was linked to the political crisis. (Democratic Voice of Burma via BBCM via DX Listening Digest)
NETHERLANDS Alfonso Montealegre and Jaime Baguena were the guests on Radio Exterior de Espana’s DX programme May 23. They said that there were so many listener protests about Radio Nederland dropping shortwave broadcasts to Latin America that management has agreed to resume one hour a day shortly frequency not mentioned but time will be 2300-0000. They also keep getting requests to bring back Radio Enlace, but that is not happening. However, Cartas@RN, the mailbag show, includes some DX news. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
NIGERIA I've noted that for the past couple of weeks that Aso Radio International has been absent from its usual frequencies for both morning and evening transmissions, 0530 on 9680; 1600 on 15215. (James MacDonell, Nigeria, DX Listening Digest)
German radio amateur Bodo Fritsche DL3OCH is helping set up a 4x4 curtain array at a new shortwave station in Abuja and has posted a photo of the new array online at www.qrz.com/detail/5NOOCH. (Andrea Borgnino, Italy,. Shortwavesites via DXLD)
NORTHERN CYPRUS Radio Bayrak heard on 6150 June 30, 0211-0229. Nonstop US oldies by Cher, Del Shannon, Roy Orbison, Gene Vincent, slightly off frequency which is clear after Budapest off 0200. No identification but choice of music and awful audio leave no doubt it's them. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DX Listening Digest)
NORTH KOREA Voice of Korea presumed the one heard June 4 on 7140, a good signal here in passing by at about 1240, in Korean. Checked back at 1252 and they were gone. Scheduled for 1250 sign off. (Ron Howard, California, DX Listening Digest)
I heard 7140 about the same time as you; it really sticks out in the middle of the hamband now. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
Voice of Free Radio to North Korea in Korean is now 1600-1700 on 7520 via Tashkent, ex 1600-1630. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)
U.S. President Obama was reported to have markedly increased the spending for overseas broadcasting in the budget for the fiscal 2010 submitted to Congress the bulk of which is to go to those broadcasting services that specialize in the anti-DPRK propaganda. This indicates that the present U.S. administration remains unchanged in its hostile policy towards the DPRK.
"The Voice of Free Asia" [sic] operated by the U.S. started its Korean language programs in March 1997. The U.S. has since increased the time for broadcasting by steadily boosting its financial disbursement for the reptile broadcasting services. It allotted 2 million U.S. dollars for its anti-DPRK operation in the fiscal 1998. A huge financial allocation was made for this purpose until 2008 according to the "North Korean Human Rights Act." The Obama administration's huge spending for smear broadcasting against the DPRK indicates that it is little different from the preceding regimes in the hostile policy towards it.
What should not be overlooked is that the U.S. rulers asserted that the important role of the broadcasting services for overseas listeners to meet U.S. interests is reflected in the new budget. It is, indeed, a base and mean act to deceive the world. The main objective of "the Voice of Free Asia" and the Voice of America is to disseminate the American-style "freedom" and "democracy" and corrupt bourgeois way of living to the DPRK and other Asian countries. Most of the contents of their broadcasting programs are a whole string of vituperation against the top leaders of those countries, stories finding fault with their policies, interference in their internal affairs and reactionary propaganda.
It is needless to say that the activities of the above-mentioned broadcasting services are designed to bring down the DPRK and other countries which do not meekly follow the instructions of the U.S. or incur its displeasure. The U.S. is sadly mistaken if it calculates the above-said media's spread of "freedom" and "democracy" would help eliminate the ideology and system chosen by the people of the DPRK themselves. They cherished the ideology in the DPRK as their faith in the course of a protracted and arduous struggle and regard the most advantageous Korean-style socialism centred on the popular masses as more important than their own lives. The U.S. is keen to bring down the dignified and inviolable system in the DPRK and looks forward to any "change" there. This is nothing but a day-dream of those who know nothing of the single-minded unity of the leader, the party and the masses.
Intolerable is the U.S. attempt to do harm to the DPRK by increasing the funds for the reptile broadcasting services and enlarging their broadcasting hours. The new U.S. administration has run the whole gamut of accusations against the DPRK over its satellite launch for peaceful ends and put the sanctions against the DPRK into force. And it succeeded in plugging the south Korean puppets into the PSI. The reality goes to clearly prove that the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK will remain unchanged no matter who takes presidential office in the U.S. The DPRK will bolster up its nuclear deterrent to protect its ideology and system as already clarified. (Korean Central News Agency via Kimandrewelliott.com)
I guess the message is getting through. Such comments are usually a good sign in this sense. (Sergei Sozedkhin, Russia, DX Listening Digest)
PAPUA NEW GUINEA Wantok Radio Light verification received for 7325 after a follow up than the original 2007 report. The station is a 1 kW all solid state transmitter, a Crown TB1000, located in a "shipping container" on the outskirts of Port Moresby. I have neither heard this one in the past year, or have I seen any reports, though fairly widely reported earlier. Apparently this is the result of a new antenna, two dipoles connected in parallel by a ladder line. Support for the antenna are several wooden poles, rather like telephone or utility poles. Feed point is slightly off centre to steer the beam toward the northwest and centre of Papua New Guinea. (Don Jensen, Wisconsin, NASWA Flashsheet)
PHILIPPINES Here’s an odd juxtaposition. VOA from same site 5 kHz apart with two different services at same time: May 30 at 1402 on 7550 there was a rock song in English, but 1405 Indonesian announcement mentioning “VOA Direct Connection`”. Weaker on 7445 with interference from 7550 was VOA news in English. Per Aoki online frequency schedules, 7550 Indonesian at 1400 airs only on Thu/Fri/Sat at 200 degrees from Tinang; while 7545 English at 1400 is daily, 250 kW, 270 degrees from Tinang. (Glenn Hauser, Oklahoma, DX Listening Digest)
RUSSIA Radio Rossii, Arkhangelsk heard June 3 at 0210-0220 on 6160, Russian announcement and nice Russian songs. 34343, co-channel interference from CKZN Newfoundland. (Anker Petersen, Denmark, PLAYDX via DX Listening Digest)
SERBIA The acting direction of International Radio Serbia has resigned her post due to the unresolved status of the organisation. (Media Network)
SIERRA LEONE Cotton Tree News heard via Rampisham on 15220 0730-0800 June 25, long talks in English about rainfall patterns in Sierra Leone, climate change and de-forestation. By 0758 discussion had moved on to hydroelectric power. Abruptly off mid sentence 0800. Interestingly, there was no Vernacular section today, which used to start about 0740. (Michael Ford, Staffordshire)
SLOVAKIA IRRS via Slovakia on 9510 observed in English June 7 carrying DX Party Line at 1145. (Edwin Southwell)
World of Radio heard via IRRS on 9510 Saturdays 0800 followed by DX Party Line 0830. (Allen Dean)
TAIWAN Radio Taiwan International (RTI) recently broadcast a programme where the President of Radio Free Asia and one of the governors of the BBG (IBB) were being interviewed by RTI's Carlson Wong. The interview mainly focused on the global recession's effect on the Media. Perhaps also of interest to listeners & DXers is that Carlson also mentioned that Taiwanese Government representatives are now questioning RTI's future existence. We all know what that means, don't we. (Ian Baxter, Australia, DXLD)
Radio Taiwan International has added two new English broadcasts to North America via WYFR, 0200-0300 on 9680, 0500-0600 on 5950. (Dean Bonanno, Connecticut, ibid)
TANZANIA Radio Tanzania Zanzibar is no more relaying the English news from "Spice FM". They are coming now from the own house from "Voice of Tanzania, Zanzibar" as it is announced. The time is 1800-1810. I observed the English news on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. There were no English news broadcasts on Thursday and Saturday. (Erich via Wolfgang Bueschel)
Frequency presumably 11735. (Mike Barraclough)
UNITED KINGDOM Latest RSL’s from the Ofcom website:
Aberbargoed: Voice FM 87.7 July 27 to August 23
Alderney: Quay FM 87.7 July 27 to August 23
Alton: Jalsa FM 87.7 July 22 to 26
Ballymoney: Fuse FM 106.2 June 20 to July 17
Bexhill on Sea: Bexhill FM 87.7 July 11 to 17
Boston: Endeavour FM 87.7 August 1 to 28
Bradford: Pakistan FM 87.7 July 22 to August 18
Castle Donington: Radio Donington 1602 July 24 to 26
Cosham, Hampshire: Portsdown Radio 87.7 July 13 to 18
Cowes: Cowes Radio 87.7 July 31 to August 9
Croydon: Brit FM 87.7 July 8 to 17
Fairford: Air Tattoo Live 87.7 July 16 to 19
Girvan, Ayrshire: Radio Open Golf 107.5 July 15 to 19
Goodwood: Timeform Radio 87.7 July 28 to August 1
Grantham: Game Fair Radio 87.7 July 23 to 26
Harrow: Harrow Community Radio 87.8 July 7 to 29
Hexham: Tynedale FM 87.7 June 27 to July 24
Hickstead: Radio Hickstead 87.7 July 23 to 26
High Wycombe: Blink FM 87.9 August 1 to 18
Hitchin: Mill FM 87.9 July 29 to August 15
Huddersfield: Radio Sangam 87.9 July 19 to August 15
Irvine, Ayrshire: Irvine Beat FM 105.7 August 1 to 28
Kingissie, Fife: K-Town FM 87.8 July 6 to August 2
Ledbury, Herefordshire: Big Chill Radio 87.7 August 6 to 10
Leicester: Janmashti FM 95.1 August 2 to 28
Leicester: Panj Pani Radio 87.7 July 13 to August 9
Liverton, Devon: New Life Radio 106.2 July 25 to August 5
London E10: Streetlife FM 87.8 July 22 to August 18
London SE1: Southside FM 1134 August 1 to 28
Mallory: Radio Mallory 1602 July 18 to 19
Malmesbury: Radio Womad 87.7 July 22 to 27
Manchester: FM Manchester 87.9 July 22 to August 18
Merstham: Spin FM 87.7 July 22 to August 18
Newark: New Wine FM 87.9 June 27 to July 12
Norwich: Radio Fine Print 87.7 August 8 to 9
Nottingham: Progress FM 87.7 July 20 to 26
Paddock Wood: Radio War and Peace 87.9 July 18 to 26
Peterborough: KFM Faith Camp Radio 106.2 July 31 to August 7
Poole: Festival Radio 87.7 August 3 to 28
Rothwell: Rothwell Carnival Radio 87.7 July 10 to 17
Salcombe: Regatta Radio 87.7 August 9
Shepton Mallet: New Wine FM 87.7 July 24 to August 8
Silverstone: Radio Classic 87.7 July 6 to 26
Skelmersdale: Manor Radio 87.7 August 1 to 28
Staveley, Chesterfield: Springwell Radio 87.7 July 10 to 26
Slough: Radio Underdog 87.7 August 1 to 15
Somerset: Green Radio 87.8 July 29 to August 3
Stourport on Severn: Lickhill Radio 101.4 July 5 to 12
Tatton Park, Cheshire: Radio Tatton 87.7 July 20 to 26
West Sussex: Radio Le Mow 87.7 August 1 to 2
Whitstable: Red Sands Radio 87.7 July 4 to 31
Windsor: Wings FM 107.2 August 1 to 8
Watchtower Convention stations will broadcast from Cardiff 87.7 July 16 to 19, Coventry 87.7 July 23 to 26, Norwich 87.7 July 16 to 19, Perth 87.7 July 16 to 19, Plymouth 87.7 July 23 to 26, Twickenham 87.7 July 30 to August 2.
UNITED STATES I have not heard AFN Pearl Harbour Hawaii 6350 on the air for over two months. 10320 is on around the clock. (Brock Whaley, Oahu, DX Listening Digest)
The 6120 VOA English frequency 1900-2000 reported last month is via Meyerton, South Africa, was added April 28. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
Renovating West Chester Township’s 1940s-era former Bethany Station could bring an estimated 30,000 visitors at its peak and $1.7 million annually to the area once construction is complete later this year, officials have told trustees. The $12 million to $14 million project looks to turn the former Voice of America Bethany Station, a landmark that spread messages of democracy throughout the world for more than five decades via shortwave radio, into The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting.
A capital campaign to raise the funds for rehabilitation is expected to kick off later this year, according to Bill Zerkle, of the museum’s executive board. But the project is largely dependant on the economy, which would make a capital campaign, necessary to raise the money for the renovation, difficult at this time, Zerkle said. The board has also been advised to open the facility all at once, instead of in phases as the work is completed, meaning they’re looking at 2011 as a “hopeful” timeline for a public showing.
The board will also be seeking additional sources of income, an estimated $360,000, through memberships, fundraisers, space rental and federal, state and local grants for its annual operation. Once complete, visitors will be able to walk through the history of broadcasting, including the role which the Bethany Station played in World War II and the events leading to the Cold War; a grand concourse that features the story of “America’s Voice”; a restored 1940s-era control room; the role Cincinnati played in early broadcasting; gift shop, eatery and more. (Middletown Journal May 29 via Mike Terry, DX Listening Digest)
A retired State Department worker with top secret security clearance and his wife have been indicted on charges of spying for Cuba over the past three decades. The indictment says Walter Kendall Myers, 72, and his wife, Gwendolyn Steingraber Myers, 71, have been clandestine agents for Cuba since 1979. The pair were arrested June 4.
The indictment says the couple met with Cuban President Fidel Castro in Cuba in 1995, travelling through Mexico under false names. They allegedly made several other trips to Latin America and the Caribbean to meet with Cuban agents and that in his last year of employment, Kendall Myers viewed more than 200 intelligence reports related to Cuba.
The government said that Gwendolyn Myers revealed to investigators that her favourite places to pass information were Washington-area grocery stores. Kendall Myers was known by the Cubans as Agent 202 and his wife went by both Agent 123 and Agent E-634. The indictment says the couple own a shortwave radio, which they used to broadcast encrypted messages to the Cuban Intelligence Service using Morse code. (Associated Press via Sergei Sosedkhin, DX Listening Digest)
A Reuters report stated that the couple also received messages via shortwave. (Harry Helms, ibid)
URUGUAY Uruguay’s sole active shortwave broadcast station, SODRE, has gone inactive again. The carrier was low modulated resulting in unusable readability as monitored since the end of last year. The announcement that it was retired for repair was made in last Saturday’s SODRE's Radioactividades program. SODRE authorities will keep at least this shortwave active. (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, DX Listening Digest)
VANUATU Radio Vanuatu heard on 3945 at 0910 July 1, programme of light ballads and island music, identification at 0918 as, "This is Radio Vanuatu”, into Pidgin at 0937. (David Sharp, New South Wales, Australia, DX Listening Digest)
VATICAN Vatican Radio is going commercial in July to meet rising costs. It is one of the world's oldest broadcasters, first going on the air as long ago as 1931. But the station now costs about $30m (21.4m euros, £18.8m) a year to run and the Vatican has been looking for ways of raising new funding. On 6 July it will transmit its first commercial advert.
The Vatican has chosen the Italian electricity multinational ENEL as its first commercial radio sponsor. Vatican Radio hopes to attract other advertisers from around the world to help meet increasing costs. An agency will filter all radio ads to make sure they are in keeping with the high moral standards of the Catholic Church, according to the official Vatican spokesman. Pope Benedict XVI has personally approved Vatican Radio's new experimental commercial venture. (BBC News website)
The ads will be broadcast in five languages from July 6 to September 27. ''We are proud to have been chosen as the first advertiser for a radio station that is among the most wide-reaching in the world,'' ENEL President Piero Gnudi.
Vatican Radio generates almost no revenue currently, but is considered a vital contributor to spreading the Gospel. The station employs about 200 journalists and transmits news, religious events and music programs across the world in 47 languages. (Catholic news Agency via Zacharias Liangas, Greece)
As I was tuning around Thursday June 4 at 0507, I came upon someone in Swedish with a DX report on 9645, mentioning Radio Thailand, WRNO, RHC, R. Guaruja Paulista, LRA36. That must be Christer Brunstrom’s regular item on Vatican Radio. Then a lady continued, mentioning DX-Parliament. 0517 played a bit of Swedish Rhapsody, which used to be the theme of Radio Sweden. Fair reception with fading and atmospherics. Christer Brunstrom explained in DXLD that; “Vatican Radio broadcasts in Swedish at 1840 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The programme is repeated the next day at 0500. On Mondays there are frequently contributions in Norwegian. There are no regular programmes in Danish but Vatican Radio's Swedish Section has many listeners in Denmark. I produce a short DX-report which is broadcast as part of the Mail Bag programme on the first Wednesday of each month. It was begun in 1995 if I remember correctly. When not broadcasting in Swedish, programmes can be heard in Finnish and Estonian.
The 0500-0520 broadcast is scheduled on 1260 1611 7335 and 9645 per the Eike Bierwirth online listings. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
Vatican Radio website shows the 1840-1900 broadcast on 1260 1611 5980 and 7360. (Mike Barraclough)
I used to present the DX News on HCJB's Swedish programme for many years. In the mid 1990's HCJB ceased broadcasting in Swedish. Lars Rooth on Vatican Radio offered to include my DX news report as part of the station's mail bag programme in Swedish. Mr Rooth was the legendary head of the radio's Nordic department for a great many years. He's a Jesuit priest and now enjoys retirement back home in Sweden. Occasionally he can still be heard on Vatican Radio commenting of different aspects of the Catholic Church. He is a radio amateur and frequently attended the Swedish DX Parliaments.
I doubt there are any DX news reports on any of Vatican Radio's other language sections. However, they do offer a nice show of classical music six days a week at 1430 on 5885, 7250 and 9645, the programme is introduced in Italian. (Christer Brunstrom, Sweden, DX Listening Digest)
CONTRIBUTORS: Germany: Wolfgang Bueschel, Greece: Zacharias Liangas, UK: Allen Dean, Alan Roe, Edwin Southwell. Until next month,
MIKE
