READING INTERNATIONAL RADIO GROUP Three more dates for meetings of the Reading International Radio Group have been booked, they are September 26, December 5 and February 6 all 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.
ABKHAZIA Abkhaz Radio, Sukhumi noted June 13 opening at new 0245, under radio Exterior de Espana, on 9535 parallel to 9495. Closed at 0300, 9495 continued till 0530. 9495 also observed at 1100-1125 and 1400-1600. Own programmes except Radio Rossii relay 0500-0530 and 1435-1600.
On July 22 I heard them at 1500-1700 on 9495 with Radio Rossii Dubl 4 and 1700-1715 with own news programme in Abkhaz and Russian, a repeat of the 1100 news. (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BDXC-UK Communication)
AFGHANISTAN The Radio Solh shortwave antenna and towers in Kandahar have been completely dismantled and taken away. The station has been replaced by a propaganda FM station. (Al Muick, Afghanistan, DX Listening Digest)
ALBANIA I listened to Radio Tirana at 0030 on 9345 on June 28 and 30, July 1 and 9. The broadcasts were exactly the same on all four occasions. They appear to be playing a taped broadcast from around February 20. They begin by listing broadcast times and frequencies for October to March 28 and then go on to discuss plans to celebrate the February 20 anniversary of the collapse of communism in Albania. This is the first time I've listened to Radio Tirana so I don't know if this is a regular occurrence. (Todd Demone, Ontario, DXLD)
ANTARCTICA For about a week late June I couldn’t hear Radio Nacional Arcangel 15476. I emailed them and they said that they had temperatures of -60 degrees and 207 kilometres per hour winds that had prevented them going on the air. They sent me a photo of the base. (Manuel Mendez, Spain, DX Listening Digest)
Photo like some aerials we’ve seen before; all the buildings are painted red to stand out from the snow. Quite an impressive mountainous backdrop in this one. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
AUSTRALIA Station heard on 2368.5 0815 July 29 with Greek sounding music. (Wayne Bastow, Australia, DX Listening Digest)
Noted here 1253-1337 July 30, I emailed Radio Symban and they confirmed it is them and that they have returned to the air in test mode with 50 watts. They plan to increase power. (Ron Howard, California, ibid)
BANGLADESH 4750 is currently off the air and 7250 is used for morning home service programmes. Bangladesh has changed to UT +7h time zone on 20th June. The time change will be permanent if the change does not have any major negative impact. (WRTH update via DX Listening Digest)
BELARUS Oblastnoye Radio is the new name used for the regional transmission from Hrodna. It was heard on 6040 June 27 at 1500 with a music programme, poor to fair strength.
Radio Brest was heard on 6070 1500-1600 June 22 with an unusually good signal, regional transmission until 1600. (Christer Brunstrom, Sweden, Shortwave Bulletin via Thomas Nilsson, DX Listening Digest)
Radio Belarus was observed with intermodulation June 30 on 7030 between 2100 and 2200, this is 2 x 7210 - 7390. (Veit Pelinski, DARC Bandwatch, Felix Lechte, A-DX both in Germany via Wolfgang Bueschel)
BRAZIL Radio Educadora Limeira completed 70 years on the air June 29. It is on 1020 and 2380 and is one of the oldest stations in Brazil. Current director is Caio Bortlan, the third generation of his family to run the station. Noted here on 2380 at 0116 with music and announcements, SINPO 24222.
A new AM station in Goiania Radio Daqui is now being relayed on 4915, formerly Radio CBN Ahanguera. Radio Daqui noted at 2301 July 2 with identification and music.
Radio Maria is new on 4885, heard June 28 1250-1310 with Catholic programmes. Location is Anapolis, power of 1 kw. (Marcelo Bedene, Brazil, DX Clube do Parana via DXLD)
Radio Voz do Corocao Imaculado, 1kw from Anapolis on 4885, listed as inactive by WRTH and last reported in Conexion Digital August 2004. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
Radio Voz do Corocao Imaculado sold the frequency licence to Radio Maria four years ago. (Adalberto Marques de Azevedo, Radioescutas, ibid)
Heard June 28 and July 2 at 0933-1210, schedule is live programmes 0900-0300, recorded programmes 0300-0900. Postal address: Qna 05 Lote 20, Brasilia DF, Brazil CEP 72110-050. E-mail: radiomaria@radiomaria.org.br (Azevedo, Cassio, Bedene, Cunha in Radioescutas, translated by Nigro for Dxplorer via DX Window)
PPE Observatorio Nacional on 10000 has confirmed my report in 14 days with a letter, information and calendar, power is 1 kw, time announcements in Portuguese every 10 seconds. Address is MCT Observatorio Nacional, Divisao Serviço da Hora, Rua General Jose Cristino 77, CEP 20921-400, Sao Cristovao, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil. (Patric Robic, Austria, A-DX via Wolfgang Bueschel)
CHINA Voice of Strait latest schedule is: News channel 2230-1600 on 9505, except Wednesday 0400-0955. Focus on China in English is at 1500-1525 Sunday only.
Entertainment channel 2230-1600 on 7280 except Wednesday 0400-1000.
Amoy channel 2230-1600 on 6115 except Wednesday 0400-1000.
China Huayi Broadcast Corporation schedule is now 2230-1300 on 6185 except Wednesday 0400-1000. (Hiroshi via S. Hasegawa, Nagoya DX Circle via DXLD)
The jamming done by the China first was directed to stations like Radio Free Asia, Voice of America Chinese, BBC Chinese, Voice of Tibet, Sound of Hope, Radio Taiwan International and others. But in the last few years they have stepped up jamming of these stations in languages other than Chinese.
Recently jamming has been heard even on English programmes. Why would they do that? Simple. China is the largest maker of shortwave radios in the world. TECSUN alone last year made over 3 million units. To buy a shortwave radio in China is easy. Every shop has at least 3 or 4 models. Every radio made in China before 2000 had the shortwave bands, and many Chinese listen to shortwave broadcasts in areas not covered by AM or FM.
In the last few years the China has been very busy upgrading transmitter sites and officially saying this is for broadcast purposes. But broadcasting what? Stations in the past which have not been jammed are now blocked such as the Chinese service of Radio France International. The jamming targets stations that are directing signals to China. So if, let's say, RFA or VOA add a new frequency, they start jamming that, and so on.
The official figures of transmitter sites in China is nothing compared to the real amount of sites. Around China there are more than 20 sites used for a mix of real broadcasting and jamming. When members of the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) meet to coordinate frequencies (of which China is a member) China knows right away what frequencies will be used by the VOA and others. So you can say it's like giving the Chinese authorities the keys to the safe. All the target stations can do is add more frequencies hoping that at least some can get through. (Keith Perron replying to question from Ron Howard about increased Chinese jamming, DX Listening Digest)
Jamming Radio France International means that for the first time they jam the shortwave broadcasts of a station that maintains an airtime exchange with CRI. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid)
CNR8 has replaced by 7250 kHz 0200-0300, 7410 1000-1100, 7225 1400-1500 and 7445 1500-1700.
CNR1 Shijiazhuang operates now on 7365, ex 7110. CNR1 has stopped operation on 7125 and 7140.
CNR2 has stopped operation on 7130 and 7150. (WRTH Domestic update via DXLD)
COLOMBIA Marifil Estereo 5910 and La Voz de tu Conciencia 6010 have a new QSL policy. They only accept postal reports which should be sent to the stations c/o Rafael Rodriguez R., Ap. A No. 67751, Bogotá D.C., Colombia. 2 IRC’s helpful but not required. (Martin Stendalh, Conexion Digital via DX Listening Digest)
CONGO Richard McDonald of Radio Kazuhi 6209.9 says that they have increased airtime, weekdays they are on the air 0530-1600 in French, 1600-2007 in Swahili, English and French. The English and Swahili programmes are often relays of the VOA satellite feed. Email addresses are radiokahuzi@sbcglobal.net for the US offices, radiokahuzi@gmail.com for Richard in Bukavu, postal address: Richard McDonald, Radio Kahuzi, B.P. 42, Cyangugu, Rwanda. (Martin Elbe, Germany via Wolfgang Bueschel)
Station heard on 6210 July 2 via Global Tuners UK receiver from 1933 tune in to possible sign off at 2000, heavy utility interference after 1945 and splash from 6200 and/or 6195. Difficult copy but there were significant stretches of clear audio, mostly man in French, sounded like a call in programme or possibly discussion. Female announcer and music 1958-2000 and no audio after 2000. (Bruce Churchill, Cumbre DX)
CONGO (REP OF) Radio Congo Brazzaville heard on 15 July on 6115 in French from 1745 to 1815 with local music till 1802 when they identified and went into a string of post-electoral speeches. Fair signal but the modulation was a bit rough. Gone when re-checked at 1915. (Vashek Korinek, South Africa, DXplorer via Wolfgang Bueschel)
CUBA At a private meeting last week in Havana between representatives from Cuba’s Ministry Of Culture, Ministry Of Communications, and China’s Ministry Of Telecommunications, China agreed to send to Cuba an ALLISS rotatable antenna. The antenna is a Chinese copy of the one made by Thales, a French company that sold a few of these to China in 2002 and early 2003. These are the same antennas that China is mostly using for jamming. What the purpose of these antennas are for is a mystery. Will they be used for CRI broadcasts? RHC broadcasts? Or jamming.
China will also be sending 2 x 250 kW transmitters once used by one of CRI’s relays. China will also send to Cuba a few hundred radios made by Tecsun. Tecsun, as you may know, makes radios for Eton to sell under the Grundig name.
My other question is: What is Cuba doing in return? This is the $64,000 question. China is using Cuba as a relay for shortwave broadcasts, but I don’t see Cuba using China’s relays to reach other areas.
At the meeting there was also discussions for China to set up a monitoring station, I have no other details at the moment and it may just be in the negotiation phase. (Keith Perron, Taiwan, June 24, DX Listening Digest)
CZECH REPUBLIC WRMI has greatly expanded its schedule of Radio Prague relays in English or Spanish, most of which are subject to replacement by new programming. These are as of July 11: 0300-0430 Tuesday to Saturday, 0430-0500 daily, 0600-0700 Monday to Saturday, 0700-0900 Monday to Friday, 0900-1000 daily. 1000-1100 Monday to Friday, 1200-1430 daily, all on 9955. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
EQUATORIAL GUINEA I received a QSL letter from Radio Nacional Bata 5005 July 1 from the presenter of the Listeners Letters programme Esono Ela. He says the transmitter is 5kw, antenna is omnidirectional. Address is Radio Bata, Apartado 749, Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial. (Fabricio Andrade Silva, Brazil, Radioescutas via DX Listening Digest)
FRANCE The strike at Radio France Internationale (RFI) was suspended on July 10 at a mass meeting of journalists, technical and other staff. Unions leading the action say they will relaunch industrial action in September in their efforts to fight a management plan to axe 206 jobs if a settlement is not reached before then. At nine weeks the strike has been the longest in the history of broadcasting in France since the 1968 general strike.
Representatives of the striking unions, along with management, met officials from the Ministry of Culture that evening. They hailed this as "a kind of negotiation" of the sort they say they have been demanding for weeks.
The action has been selective. Key workers have taken action to disrupt broadcasts, with their earnings made up from collections by supporters of the strike who were still working. A management communiqué welcomed the move, calling the strike a "danger for the radio station". (RFI website via DX Listening Digest)
The meeting in the Ministry of Culture led to nothing. A union representative is quoted as being “furious” over this. (AFP via Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid)
GERMANY The current schedule for Wachenbrunn on 1323 is believed to be:
Voice of Russia English 05000-0900, German 0900-1200 (Saturday -1100), Russian 1500-1700, German 1700-1800 (except Wednesday 1745-1800 and Sunday) and 1800-1845 (Wednesday -1900), French 1900-2100 (except Friday 1930-2000), 2100-2200 Russian.
Mezhdunarodnoye Russkoye Radio in Russian 1200-1500
Radio Santec German Sunday 1100-1200 and 1700-1800, French Friday 1930-2000.
Lutherische Stunde in German Wednesday 1745-1800.
Missionswerk Heuelbach German daily except Wednesday 1845-1900. (Tony Rogers, July BDXC-UK Communication via DX Listening Digest)
The reduction in airtime for ERF Mainflingen 1539 in German was less drastic than previously announced, now scheduled 0400-0900 and 1730-2100. The foreign language programmes 0300-0345 are also still on mediumwave. (Kai Ludwig, DX Listening Digest)
GREECE Voice of Greece now has a new time for the weekly Greek in Style programme aired on Sunday’s, 1306-1400 on 9420 and 15630. (Edwin Southwell)
IRAN Radio Voice of Iranian Kurdistan heard 13 June with sign-on at 0158 on new 4781 with patriotic songs, 0200 identification, then hymn, identification and music by Wagner, identification by lady in Turkmen and man in Kurdish and news in both languages, by 0230 was on 4789. Identification in Turkmen “Radio Turkmen Kurdi Iran” in Kurdish `“Eira Radio Dengi Kurdistana Iran”
Voice of Kurdistani Irana , identification in Kurdish “Dengi Kurdistana Irana” heard on 14 June with sign-on at 0145, same hymn as above station, sermon, identification, news in Kurdish; noted at 0145 on 3932 and at 0205 on 3837. Unheard on 13 June at these times. (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BDXC-UK Communication via DX Listening Digest)
IRELAND Unidentified parish station heard on July 15 on 27600 at 1844-1855 in English with mass. Back in early July, 2008, not less than 5 of these stations were logged simultaneously, at around 1800, on frequencies from 27065 to 27725. (Carlos Goncalves, Portugal, DX Listening Digest)
ISRAEL Galei Tsahal is changing its 19 metre band frequency almost daily. They were on 15781.2 kHz on 20 July, heard with usual Hebrew programme and pop music at 1721, they went to 15790.5 the following day, heard with better signals at 1750. The next day, they were on 15791.7 interfering until 1730 with BBC Darfur Salaam on 15790. 23 July at 0800 they were on 15791.2, this time interfering with Radio Cairo in Arabic on 15790. Today, 24 July, they are on 15786.5, heard at 1745, signals relatively low. (Robert Foerster, Germany, DX Listening Digest)
KUWAIT The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has awarded Thomson for the supply of a rotatable shortwave antenna system for their Kuwait station. The new system will
enhance the coverage and flexibility and provide for reduction in maintenance and operating costs. Scope of supply includes design, delivery and installation of the rotatable shortwave antenna type HP-RCA 2/2 (High Performance Rotatable Curtain Array), including high band and low band antenna, rigid dipole, balun, foundation design and service works.
The design of the new rotatable shortwave antenna is based on the Thomson rotatable curtain array 4/4. The 2/2 system is optimised for near distant coverage up to 4000 km in analogue AM or digital DRM modes and features highest flexibility (rotatable system), high antenna gain, cost-efficient operation and low life cycle costs due to easy maintainability. (Thompson Broadcast and Multimedia Radio News via Rachel Baughn, Monitoring Times via DXLD)
LAOS Lao National Radio is active again on 7145, heard June 26 in English 1335 to 1355, poor reception.
Also heard on 6130 June 29 (Monday) 1416-1423. After the news in Laotian; introduction in Laotian for “Functioning in Business”; mentions “VOA”, who produces this program in English; "Hello. I am Elizabeth Moore. Welcome to Functioning in Business"; show about making and confirming reservations (sounded like a repeat program); poor. Scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, but often also noted on Friday and Saturday in the 1415 to 1430 time period. (Ron Howard, California, DX Listening Digest)
7145 restarted operations in June, English 0600-0630 and 1330-1400, French 0530-0600 and 1300-1330, Khmer 0000-0030 and 1230-1300, Thai 1130-1200 and Vietnamese 1200-1230 and 2330-2400. (WRTH update via DX Listening Digest)
MALAYSIA RTM Sarawak, Sibu on 6050 is inactive and Kuching 7130 has been closed instead of moving to a higher frequency. (WRTH Domestic update via DXLD)
I heard Sarawak FM July 19 1224-1321 with easy listening pops parallel to 5030 which was poor under China, fair and free of interference, believe their last broadcast here was March 30. (Ron Howard, California, Cumbre DX)
MALAWI James Burnett, Regional Engineer at Trans World Radio Africa says that their TWR Malawi partner has committed to getting the Malawi shortwave relay station on the air by the end of the year. Thorsten Hallmann’s online Africa list has it’s planned frequency as 4870 with 1kw. (Brandon Jordan, Tennessee, DX Listening Digest)
MEXICO XEQM Merida 6104.7 heard in Spain July 7 0515-0559 with very weak signal, best audible in LSB with Spanish songs and announcements. Is wiped out at 0559 by the BBC starting a transmission in French on the same frequency. (Manuel Mendez, DX Listening Digest)
MOROCCO Radio Morocco International (sic) has contracted Thomson for upgrade of its long wave station at Nador. Scope of works includes renewal of three pylons and installation of two new 800 kW longwave transmitters type S7HP. The transmitters replace equipment which has been in operation for 30 years. The new equipment will increase the service reliability while bringing considerable savings in operation expenses thanks to enhanced overall system efficiency. (Thompson Broadcast and Multimedia Radio News via Rachel Baughn, Monitoring Times via DXLD)
Nador means 171 and Radio Mediterranee International. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
MYANMAR Myanmar Radio heard on 9730.8 1242-1303 and 1334 to 1530 sign off July 4 in vernacular, parallel with 5915 which was poor under China Radio International. Format was a wide range of music, I believe the addition of this frequency is quite recent, also 5915 used to carry the Educational Service at this time with lessons about chemistry, maths and the English language. However on July 10 9730.8 had been off for some days. (Ron Howard, California, Cumbre DX)
Myanmar Radio heard on 5915 2345-0014 July 5 with vernacular talk and westernised pop songs, was about equal strength to co/channel CRI in English but surfaced when CRI signed off 2356.
On July 9 heard Myanmar Radio on 5985, carrier at 2244, at 2300 one minute into on indigenous instruments, opening announcement dominating co-channel WYFR. 5915 opened at 2330 with different opening procedure and played more westernised pop. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DX Listening Digest)
NIGERIA Voice of Biafra International heard on 15665, ex 17520, at 1930 July 10, Fridays only 1900-2000. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
A letter sent to Voice of Biafra International at the address given in WRTH has been returned marked “not known”. (Allen Dean)
Voice of Nigeria has been broadcasting a reduced schedule, 0600-0800 and 1700-1900 on 15120 and 0800-0900 on 9690. (Thorsten Hallmann, July 10, DX Listening Digest)
A consortium led by Thompson has been installing a new shortwave station at Abuja. This has three 250 kW shortwave transmitters, including integrated digital DRM front-end, two curtain antennas and a rotatable high performance curtain antenna. the project will reach a timely completion in 2009. (Thompson Broadcast and Multimedia Radio News via Rachel Baughn, Monitoring Times via DXLD)
PAKISTAN I have received a printed copy of Radio Pakistan’s external and domestic services. There is no longer any listing for Peshawar or Quetta and so I assume the shortwave transmitters there are now definitely closed.
Islamabad 100 kW is listed as carrying Regional Programme Rawalpindi-III on 4790 at 0045-0215 and 1445-1815, and on 7265 at 0900-1215. The same programme also via Rawalpindi (10kW) on 4790 at 0230-0425 and 1335-1430. I think these timings will actually be 1 hour earlier due to DST.
There are no longer programmes in Balti or Sheena listed, and of course their schedules never list the Kashmir clandestine transmissions. (Noel Green, Blackpool, DX Window)
I have not heard Islamabad on 4790 since June 2008. (Anker Petersen, Denmark, ibid.)
PHILIPPINES Philippines Broadcasting Service has reactivated its relay on 6170.4, heard in Japan 1130-1300. (S. Hasegawa, Nagoya DX Circle via DX Listening Digest)
POLAND Dwojka Radio, a public radio station in Poland aired non-stop bird song for 24 hours as part of a protest against plummeting license fee revenues that journalists say are undermining commercial-free programming. "Our existence is threatened by a dramatic decline in revenue from the audiovisual license fee," announcers repeated on Dwojka radio once every 10 minutes, interrupting the otherwise constant warbling.
Every Polish household owning a radio or television is required to pay a public broadcasting licence fee, but a draft media reform law proposing it be removed by January 2010 has encouraged many to stop making payments already.
"Don't condemn us to silence.... pay your license fee," read a statement on the Dwojka website. "Keeping the license fee is the only way to maintain our cultural, literary and musical programming at its current level."
The proposed reform would see public broadcasters funded directly from the annual state budget. It has been criticised by the conservative opposition and must still gain parliamentary and presidential approval before coming into effect. (Daily Telegraph, July 9)
It is possible that under this law that no money will be made available for the External Services according to a report aired by the Polish Radio German Service. (Udo Jackenroll via Anton Kuchelmeister, Germany, A-DX via Wolfgang Bueschel)
The Polish Radio German service, 1530-1600 on 5945 via Issoudon, was not broadcast for at three weeks. Instead AWR Hindi, which Issoudon is supposed to broadcast on 15160, was transmitted. (Paul Gager A-DX, Wolfgang Bueschel)
RUSSIA Xradio Tambov, 11770 via Juelich, confirmed my reception report within 51 days with a detailed QSL card, $1 enclosed for return postage. Address: ul Polynkovskaya 156, 392028 Tambov, Russia, verification signer Protivzla Sergei Stepanov, Director.
XRadio is a Russian rock station who also broadcast on the internet, schedule is 1200-1600 11770, 1600-1800 13640, 1800-2000 11945. (Patrick Robic, Austria, A-DX via Wolfgang Bueschel)
RWANDA After two consecutive months being off air due to a controversial programme it broadcast, the contentious Gahuzamiryango programme aired by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), was expected back on air on local FM June 23. Information Minister Louise Mushikiwabo, told The New Times that they had written to the BBC management authorising them to resume broadcasting.
Rwanda maintains the programme has for long been used as a means to spread heinous messages but also acknowledged that the problem lies within the language barrier, which top BBC management cannot understand to make an independent judgement on violation of some ethics. (Allafrica.com via Alokesh Gupta, DX Listening Digest)
SERBIA The International Radio of Serbia has received a draft contract from the Ministry of Culture, according to which the French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Greek and Arab services should be disbanded, while the remaining programmes would be broadcast in English, Chinese, Russian, Albanian, Spanish and Serbian. The station director, who resigned a month ago, says the contract is not acceptable. The editor in chief supports her and said “the shortwave broadcasts should not be cancelled, and if the country wishes to make some savings, it should decrease the number of various advisors, for example.” (glassrbije.org via Media Network July 15)
The Serbian Ministry of Culture and Radio Yugoslavia (International Radio Serbia) concluded the contract on the basis of which the only shortwave radio station will be able to broadcast programs via satellite and the Internet and inform the world public in 11 foreign languages and the Diaspora in the Serbian language. The contract on the co-financing that will be valid by the end of this year was signed by representatives of the Ministry and our Radio. Representatives of Radio Yugoslavia communicated that during the next week talks on the social program for a certain number of Radio employees. (Statement posted on the English service website July 17)
Wording is unclear but it appears only internet and satellite will be used under the contract. (Mike Barraclough)
SLOVAKIA Reports for Miraya FM relay at 1500 on 15650 can be sent to Foundation Hirondelle, Avenue du Temple 19C, CH-1012 Lausanne, Switzerland.
World of Radio via IRRS now only 3rd and 4th Saturday of the month on 9510, DX Partyline at 0830 each week. (Allen Dean)
Is always pre-empted by Radio Joystick on the 1st Saturday and Alfredo Cotroneo advised Glenn Hauser that Radio Rasant would be on the air in that timeslot July 8 and August 11.
SOLOMON ISLANDS Adrian Sainsbury recently visited the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, 5020 has been off the air for some time awaiting spare parts, which are hard to find, and then it takes a long time to get them to the Solomons; it maybe back in a few months. 9545 is on the air, or rather 9542 due to a problem with the oscillator in the transmitter, which they are also working on, but don’t expect it to be on frequency any time soon. (RNZI Mailbox June 29 via Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
There are no shortwave broadcasts at present. The transmitter on 9541 has been turned off to save electricity. It was not covering the Solomons but was being heard elsewhere, which was not its purpose. (Gordon Brown, NWDXC via Wolfgang Bueschel)
SOUTH AFRICA Radio Sonder Grense is now on 7285, ex 7185. (WRTH Domestic update via DX Listening Digest)
SPAIN Euskadi Irratia transmitter in Bilbao has moved from 1071 to 1386 and San Sebastian transmitter on 1161to 1476. (WRTH Domestic update via DXLD)
Both of these channels were good in the UK for DX stations as well as being used by pirates. (Mike Barraclough)
SUDAN Radio Peace 4750 and 5895 has returned to the air after several months of inactivity. We'd appreciate monitoring reports and any information you might have about transmissions. The schedule is on 4750 (WRTH gives 1kw) Monday to Friday 0230-0415 and 1600-1800 in English, Arabic and local languages and on 5985 (WRTH gives 4kw) Monday to Friday 0300-0400 and 1500-1600 in English and Arabic. (Converted from local times assumed to be UTC+3). (Pete Stover email to Patrick Robic, Austria via Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
During a routine maintenance and resupply trip this week, the Radio Peace technical team plans to fine tune both of the transmitters. In the process, engineer Livingstone Kiniaru will change the frequency of the 4750 transmitter to 4740 to avoid an interference problem that has been created by another broadcaster in the neighbouring country of Uganda. (GlobalEndeavour.com via Gayle Van Horn, North Carolina)
SWITZERLAND SRG, Switzerland's public broadcaster, will close down also its last remaining mediumwave outlet on 765 as of 2011. Abandoning mediumwave is part of a programme of cost-saving measures, approved by SRG's administrational council on 22 June. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX Listening Digest)
TAJIKISTAN Voice of Tajik was received in Sofia in English with a weak signal at 1700 on 7245. Its identification is “This is Radio Ovozi Tojik”. They announce that they broadcast one-hour programmes in English at 0900 and at1700 hours on the same frequency, as well as on 1143 to Central Asia. There signal is clearer in Sofia when they start their broadcast in Russian at 1400 on 7245 when they announce the following address: Ovozi Tojik, Chapaev 31, Dushanbe 734 025, Tajikistan. (Rumen Pankov, Radio Bulgaria DX via DXLD)
TRANSATLANTIC FM DX Between 2100 and 2200 June 27 I had reception up to at least 98.1 MHz of North America. Stations received:
88.5 WXPN Philadelphia Pennsylvania, 90.7 WFUV Fordham University New York, 92.1 CJOZ Bonavista Newfoundland, 94.1 WYSP Philadelphia Pennsylvania, 95.1, WAYV Atlantic City New Jersey, 95.1 WXTK West Yarmouth Massachusetts, 95.9 WOSC Cape Isle Of Wight Maryland, 95.9 WCRI Block Island Rhode Island, 97.3 WENJ Millville New Jersey, 97.3 WJFD New Bedford Massachusetts, 98.1, WOCM Cape Isle Of Wight Maryland. (Paul Logan, Northern Ireland, WTFDA via DX Listening Digest)
Paul then asked for help on a recording of a station on 90.7, which had Smooth Jazz and with three news items on Montgomery, Alabama. The programme director of WVAS Montgomery confirmed they had local news at the time of Paul’s recording, he made a recording of their newsreader, Marcus Hayles, from the web stream and is now convinced that was the station he heard. The reception is 4011 miles E skip. Recordings of Paul’s reception of CJOX 95.1 and a mix of WENJ and WJFD on 97.3 can be found on his YouTube page: www.youtube.com/user/yogi540
UNITED KINGDOM Latest RSL’s from the Ofcom website:
Blandford, Dorset: Steam Fair FM 87.9 August 29 to September 7
Brill, Buckinghamshire: Brill Oldies 87.9 August 22 to 31
Dartmouth: Regatta Radio 87.7 August 24 to 29
Derry: Raidio an Phobail 107.4 September 1 to 28
Eastbourne: Radio Airbourne 87.7 August 10 to 16
Herne Bay: Radio Cabin 105.3 August 17 to 31
Ipswich/Bury St. Edmunds: DINAS 87.7 August 14 to 23
Kelmarsh: Radio Kelmarsh 87.7 August 12 to 16
Lincoln: Grapevine FM 103.6 August 27 to September 1
New Cross: Reprezent (Peace on the Streets) 87.7 July 27 to August 18
Roehampton: Roe FM 87.8 August 12 to 16
Tattenhall: Dashin Dogs FM 87.7 August 21 to 27
Truro: CHBN Truro Hospital Radio 107.5 August 16 to September 6
The following Radio Ramadan stations will be on the air for 28 days commencing broadcasts between August 20 and 22: Blackburn 87.7, Bradford 87.9, Bristol 87.7, Burnley 97.1, Burton 87.7, Bury 87.9, Cardiff 87.7, Dudley 87.7, Edinburgh 87.7, Glasgow 87.7, High Wycombe 87.9, Huddersfield 87.7, Keighley 102.1, Leeds 87.7, Leicester 87.7, Luton 87.7, Middlesbrough 87.7, Milton Keynes 87.7, Newcastle 87.9, Oldham 87.7, Preston 87.9, Reading 87.9, Sheffield 87.7, Slough 87.7, Southall 87.9, Stepney 87.8, Stoke on Trent 87.9, Sutton 87.7, Walsall 87.8, Woking 87.8,
UNITED STATES Fans of Radio Free Afghanistan will write ornate letters and send them to the Kabul station, which in turn sends them over to Prague. According to Akbar Ayazi, director of Radio Free Afghanistan some 300 to 400 letters are sent their way each week. In his office he has me lift the bags and rifle through the correspondence, mostly on loose-leaf paper. I can't make sense of any of it but Ayazi tells me the listeners tell the station they are fans of the show, their likes and dislikes, and pretty much whatever else is on their minds.
And then he shows me one of the longest letters ever sent. Glued together and unscrolled, it came to about 6 metres. It was written by a 14-year-old Afghan boy and broken into sections about himself, his country, the drug problem, girls, and poetry.
Radio Free Afghanistan is the most listened to of all the RFE broadcasts, with 52 percent of the market tuned-in to them (12 hours of talk, news, and music). (Victorino Matus, The Blog, The Weekly Standard via kimandrewelliott.com)
George McClintock reports that the construction permit for his own shortwave station Leap of Faith near Nashville, has been granted June 30. Should take at least three months to get this “labour of love” on the air, but no big hurry. Much of the equipment is already on hand, and transmitter number 1’s time is already sold out. Number 2 to follow is expected to be 50% in Spanish, roughly 6 pm to 6 am local. Callsign has not been selected yet. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
WBOH noted at 2320 July 12 on 5920 with an announcement “for all WBOH listeners”: “We will be having to make some very important decisions about WBOH in the near future”. Continued by asking listeners to email or write-in, saying at what times and where they were listening: “We want to hear from you as soon as possible”. Suggests they are thinking about cutting back shortwave transmissions or even closing down? (Alan Pennington, Caversham, BDXC-UK Communication)
VANUATU Radio Vanuatu noted at a good level on 3945 July 1 at 1030 in presumed Bislama, must be the new 10 kW transmitter. Good to hear this one back. (John Durham, New Zealand, Hard Core DX via DXLD)
They want reports to PMB 9049, Vila, Vanautu. Include return postage. (Johno Wright, from Nigel Holmes, Radio Australia., ibid.)
Two new 10kw transmitters are being installed and testing began this week. They should be inaugurated by the middle of the month. Frequencies are 3945, 5050 and 7260. Plans are to use 3945 at night, 5050 in the daytime moving to 7260 daytime for the summer, likely in November. (Adrian Sainsbury, RNZI Mailbox June 29 via Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
Noted here July 29 via Chris Mackerel’s online receiver in New Zealand, fair strength but muddy audio on speech, best readable in LSB, 1135 tune in had religious programme in French with occasional music, 1200 similar programming in Bislama to 1215 off with brief announcement and music. (Mike Barraclough)
ZIMBABWE Voice of the People has discontinued the 1700-1800 broadcast via Madagascar on 7395. (Media Network)
CONTRIBUTORS Germany: Wolfgang Bueschel, United Kingdom: Allen Dean, Edwin Southwell, United States: Gayle van Horn. Until next month, MIKE
