WORLD DX CLUB BOOK OFFER
We are happy to offer the 2010 edition of the World Radio TV Handbook at a discounted price to members.
The Handbook has comprehensive up to date listings of national and international broadcasters with receiver reviews and features. The 64th edition will be published in early December. Cover price is £23, price for UK club members is £17 including postage.
For European members World Radio Handbook is £20, 22 Euros. Euro cheques not accepted, subscription adjustments given for cash payments in Euros or sterling.
Orders are now being accepted either via Arthur Ward if renewing your subscription or send a cheque or Postal order payable to M.W. Barraclough to 39 Sollershott Hall, Letchworth, Hertfordshire SG6 3PW. Deadline for orders is November 25th. Order the Handbook via the club, receive the book as soon as it is available and make a great saving on the cover price.
READING INTERNATIONAL RADIO GROUP The next meeting will be on December 5 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.
ARGENTINA 6060, Radio Nacional, Buenos Aires heard on 6060 at 2230-2247 August 30 in Spanish with live football, parallel to 15345. Poor, losing out to co-channel Sichuan PBS and Voice of America. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DX Listening Digest)
AUSTRALIA Radio Australia is being heard in English on 9475, 9710 and 11945 0700-0800. 2 different programme streams, 9475 and 11945 carry Life Matters from ABC National, 9710 has Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat. (Mike Barraclough)
AUSTRIA It seems we may still refer to Radio Austria International, since that is exactly the identification in English, plus French, German and Spanish versions, mixed with Blue Danube interval signal, heard at 0459 September 1 on 6155, rather than the cumbersome “Ö1” or “OE1“; 0500 cut into that domestic relay in Austro-German. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
BRAZIL The 25 metre band Brazilian stations I have been able to log of late in Portugal are:
Radio Trans Mundial 11735, very strong signals, best reception of all.
Radio Nacional Amazonia 11780, still 250kw? Doesn’t seem as strong
Radio Brasil Central 11815, second best reception
Radio Aparecida 11855
Radio Boa Vontade 11895, rarely heard and always very weak
Radio Gaucha 11915, usually under interference particularly from Saudi Arabia 11920.
Radio Bandeirantes 11925.2, fair to good when not co-channel with Saudi Arabia.
Apart from Boa Vontade they are all audible even at midday. Inactive channels are 11724.9 Radio Novas de Paz not heard since Apr '09, 11765 SRDA not heard since May '09, 11785, Radio Guaiba not heard since Oct '08, 11805 Radio Globo not heard since Feb '09, 11830 ex-Radio CBN Anhanguera, now Radio Daqui, not heard since the new name is being used. (Carlos Goncalves, DX Listening Digest)
Radio Globo has sold the 6120 and 9595 Sao Paulo and 6030 and 11805 Rio de Janeiro frequencies to the Deus E Amor Pentecostal Church.
Radio Capital Rio de Janeiro on 6070 is also now carrying Deus E Amor programming.
Radio Transmundial on 9530 now closes at 2100.
Radio Cancao Nova is active again on 9675, heard 2126-2206 September 16 with religious programming to 2200 then A Voz do Brasil. Strong signals but distorted modulation. (Celio Romais via DX Listening Digest)
CANADA CFRX returned to the air September 2 on 6070, noted here at 2040 seemingly at full power. (Steve Lare, Michigan, DX Listening Digest)
CHAD Radio Nationale Tchadienne noted back on 4905 at 1852 September 4, talks in Arabic, folk songs, news in French at 1900. (Zacharias Liangas)
On September 8 they were heard on 6165 in French at 2130 with African pop songs, SINPO 34343. (Pedro Turner, Portugal, DX Listening Digest)
On September 10 heard on 7120 at 1532 with Koran and talk, drumming at 1700, signed off at 1850. (S. Hasegawa, Japan, DX Listening Digest)
Again on 7120 September 11, news in French at 1935 tune in. Fair signal with some interference from what sounds like a data transmission, off 2007. Frequency usage seems to be variable, worth checking 4905, 6165 or 7120. (Dave Kenny, Caversham, BDXC-UK)
CHILE CVC La Voz in Spanish now scheduled 1200-2400 on 9635, 0000-0200 on 9745, both 100kw at 30 degrees and 1200-2300 on 17680, 2300-0200 on 11665 both 100kw at 0 degrees. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
CHINA Beibu Bay Radio (ex Guanxi Foreign Broadcasting Station) noted on 9820 2300-2308 August 30 in Chinese, music, announcement by female, news by female, 24432. (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, DX Listening Digest)
Nei Menggu PBS moved from 7105 to 7430 at 0950 on September 1. (S. Hasegawa, Japan, Nagoya DX Circle via DX Listening Digest)
Nei Menggu PBS heard on 6040 at 2203-2217 August 29, Mongolian announcement, traditional songs parallel to 9750 which was also audible. Badly mixed with co-channel CNR -2. Radio Nederland blocks this frequency until 2200. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DX Listening Digest)
CONGO DR Radio Tele Candip, Bunia, on 5066 was very strong in the morning 0400-0900, also quite strong in the evening.
Radio Kahuzi on 6210 from 0700 to 2000 from strong to fair, static, no interference.
Africa is going on FM, fewer and fewer short wave stations exist. Powerful short wave signals: VOA Sao Tome and VOA Botswana plus SW Radio Africa on 4880 and RTE Ireland via Meyerton on 6220.
The problem was erratic power supply, often went out at 1900 hours, so it took a big strain on my Duracell batteries. Quality batteries could not be found in Bujumbura markets or supermarkets. (Rolf Lovstrom, Norway, at a hotel on the beach of Lake Tanganyika in Burundi, DX Window)
CROATIA Voice of Croatia via German sites to the Americas has returned to 7375, ex-9925, at 2200-0500 including the 15 minute (less on Saturdays and Sundays) English programmes at 2215 and 0200. Heard with excellent signal at 0115 in Croatian, including lots of pop music on September 9. (Joe Hanlon, New Jersey, DX Listening Digest)
CUBA The Radio Havana frequency department is the floor above the English service and there was always the problem of information never reaching the language sections. I remember a few times when I was there a new schedule would come out and each time I would get the frequency list as much as 7 months later.
A colleague told me a funny story a few years back, that for two days the Spanish service was on air, but no one was listening. Why? The frequency department didn't inform master control and no one fed the switch to the transmitter. (Keith Perron, Taiwan, DXLD)
Radio Havana noted on 11770 at 2030 September 22 and 23 with interval signal, identification and Arabic broadcast, good reception.
Radio Havana heard on 11760 September 22 with English at 2100 tune in, good reception, on September 23 also noted in English earlier but weaker reception. On September 24 11760 heard at 2030 tune in with Spanish, carrier cut off at 2100. On September 25 11760 in English at 2015 with weak signal. (Edwin Southwell)
DENMARK The postal address of the World Music Radio (WMR) transmitter site was Gedhusvej 24, Ilskov, Karup, Denmark and from the first period from here, we were on the air from that very farm house. However the transmitter operator wanted the aerial to be moved some metres away from the house, and so the aerial was moved I guess close to 100 metres to the other side of the road. There is absolutely nothing left now. The transmitter operator died from cancer almost one year ago, and everything was removed and is now in a warehouse.
The first test broadcast on 15810 was on May 9th 2004, first test broadcast on 5815 was on May 18th 2004 at 1710 local time. Tests from first site ceased on July 5th 2004 at 0800 local time. Resumed from second site mid-August 2004. The station was silenced in a hurricane (39 m/sec in the area) on January 8th 2005. This really was the end of WMR once again. The transmitter was later used to rebroadcast Free Radio Service Holland and Radio Spaceshuttle, last on the air June 15 2008. I ran out of money so I had to stop it. But I would love to bring WMR back on the air if I had sufficient amount of money. (Stig Hartvig Nielson, shortwave sites Yahoo group)
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC A new tropical band shortwave station was inaugurated during the HFCC-ASBU Conference in Punta Cana. Radio Discovery broadcast on 4730 during the event. No confirmed reports were received from outside the Dominican Republic, but the station's antenna situation was very limited by the physical restraints of the hotel from which the broadcasts emanated. Radio Discovery will resume transmissions in the near future from its permanent location in Santo Domingo on the frequency of 4780 which has been authorized by the Dominican Telecommunications Institute INDOTEL. It had been hoped to conduct tests in the WinDRM digital transmission mode from Radio Discovery in Punta Cana, but these were not done due to the antenna limitations. However, Pedro Estrella of Radio Discovery hopes to do the WinDRM tests after the station is re-constructed in Santo Domingo. (Jeff White, Sept NASB Newsletter via DX Listening Digest)
Radio Amanecer has reactivated on 6025. Heard at 0148, September 24 in Spanish, mostly talk, several identifications and short jingles, off in mid sentence at 0302, poor with adjacent channel interference. (Ron Howard, California, Cumbre DX)
ECUADOR HCJB did test transmissions in Portuguese and German 2300-0100 between September 7 and 11 on 9865 and 11745 using the Christian Vision transmitters in Chile. (blog.romais.jor.br via Sarmento Campos, Hard Core DX via DX Listening Digest)
Radio Quito heard on 4919 in Spanish at 0855 on September 10, easy listening Spanish ballads, identification by man as "Radio Quito, La Voz de la Capital," then into more music. Full identification at 0900, station promos/ads, then back to music at 0903. (David Sharp, Australia, DX Listening Digest)
Heard earlier in Colombia at 0015, tremendous signal and carrying commentary of the Argentina v Paraguay football game. (Rafael Rodriguez, Colombia, ibid)
HCJB regional transmissions in Spanish and native languages on 6050 are to continue from a new 10 kW installation at Mount Pichincha instead of the Pifo site. They will use a Lazy-H antenna, azimuth main lobe at approx. 35 / 225 degrees. They hope to be on the air from the new site in November. (Stephan Scha A-DX, Kai Ludwig via Wolfgang Bueschel)
ETHIOPIA Amhara State Radio heard on 6090 at 0257 on September 2 with interval signal and opening announcement at 0300. Until 0257 on this frequency only Anguilla carrying the English programme from University Network was heard. (Erich Bergmann, Germany via Wolfgang Bueschel)
Radio Oromia tentatively heard on 6030 at 0358 to 0422 September 21, apparent opening with woman announcer in unidentified language (presumably local Oromo language if them) followed by news at 0400. A couple of selections of male local vocals at 0411. Very poor but no Marti/jammer made this possible. Another station beginning to build around tune out (Canadian?) as this seemed to fade out. (Richard D‘Angelo, Pennsylvania)
Radio Fana is again using 6890, noted at September 13 at 1800. (Jari Savolainen, Finland, DX Listening Digest)
Radio Fana heard on 6890 opening at 0255 September 18 parallel to 6110, on September 19 heard closing at 2101, again parallel to 6110. (Brian Alexander, Pennsylvania, Cumbre DX)
FRANCE Employees at Radio France International have resumed their long-term strike action over a labour dispute. The strike began on 12 May and affected RFI’s broadcasts, but the action was suspended in July, in order not to affect summertime listening. A majority of union members voted for a resumption of the strike on 1 September. On its website, RFI says that “because of a strike call, the RFI broadcasts and website updates are in disarray” and is offering its apologies. (Media Network)
FREE RADIO WR International is active most Sundays on 12257 (website says 12256). Until 0700 a computer playout system is in use, live output 0700-1100. Website is www.wrinternational.co.uk . Email is radio@wrinternational.co.uk, website gives address as WR International, c/o SRS Germany, P.O. Box 10 11 45, 99801 Eisenach, Germany. Transmitter is in the UK and is a 2 valve type running 35 watts. (bclnews.it, Station website)
GERMANY. James Serpell of Christian Vision announced that they have decided to cease operations at its Julich, Germany transmitter site at the end of the A09 season. He cited as reasons for the closure financial considerations and "the changing patterns of how people are using media." (Jeff White, report on HFCC meeting, Sept NASB Newsletter via DXLD)
There are still Wertachtal and Nauen, and if both sites run out of capacity (something that indeed happens at peak hours) there are still Issoudun and Fontbonne, run by companies of the group Media Broadcast belongs to now.
CVC took over at Juelich on New Year's Day 2008. I fear that the most likely scenario is now a complete demolition of the station. It could be that Media Broadcast takes away the transmitters for spare parts, as they already did at Zeewolde (Flevoland). The background of all this is Deutsche Welle's retreat. They pulled out of Juelich already in 1996, and it was understood that this would be the end of the site. Instead it survived by selling airtime to other customers. Now Wertachtal and Nauen had to survive the very same way. And selling enough airtime to keep all three sites was just impossible. (Kai Ludwig, DXLD)
GREECE The Voice of Greece English music programme "Greek in Style" is confirmed back at 0905 on Sundays, ex 1305, on 9420 and 15630 . Programme on September 13 was presented by Angelica Timms who also presented the English hour from Filia Radio at 0600 on 11645. (Alan Roe)
GREENLAND KNR via Tasiilaq heard on 3815USB September 12 at 1956, closedown at 2110 so it seems the automatic start up of the transmitter is a few minutes fast. The station is definitely about20 Hz below nominal frequency. (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin via Thomas Nilsson, DX Listening Digest))
INDONESIA RRI Jambi heard on 4925 August 30 with news, music, local identification at 2330 followed by regional news, fair to good reception. (Giampiero Bernardini, Italy, DX Listening Digest)
RRI Palangkaraya quite strong on 3325 September 12 at 2030, only Indonesian I heard during Ramadan this year. (Jan Edh, Sweden, SW Bulletin via Thomas Nilsson, DXLD)
RRI Pontianak heard on 3976.1 at 1550 September 8.
RRI Manokwari heard on 3987 at 1555 September 10.
RRI Kendari often heard on 3995 at 1540, closedown 1600. (Stig Adolsson, Sweden, ibid)
RRI Pontianak heard September 12 on 3976.1 with close down and identification at 1730. (Thomas Nilsson, ibid)
JAPAN Radio Nikkei 1st Programme was observed signing-on at 2225 September 1 on 6055 (good), 3925 (fair), 9595 (poor). Five minutes of their interval signal, chimes repeated on a 40-second cycle, topped and tailed with frequency announcements. At 2230 programming became parallel with their web stream, albeit with a time delay of course. Note that the 1st Programme sign-on time differs to that given in WRTH, and it may vary from day to day.
Radio Nikkei 2nd Programme sign-on procedure observed at 2300 was a much briefer affair, crash-starting on 6115 (good), 3945 (fair), 9760 (poor) with a frequency announcement followed by a station jingle. (David Kernick, UK using Global Tuners receiver in Japan, DX Listening Digest)
NHK on 11705 at 1400-1430 is almost unlistenable at my location , most often due to a very strong echo effect, and I'm wondering if this is because on it the transmission is simultaneous Japan and Sackville? I suppose it's reasonable to assume the signal direct from Japan is hitting my antenna just a bit behind the New Brunswick signal. (Rick Barton, Arizona, ABDX via DX Listening Digest)
I have reported and complained numerous times about the echo from NHK on 11705, which is as Jerry says. The problem is that NHK insists on running two transmitters with the same programme on opposite sides of the world without being sure they are synchronized. This could be done by adding a delay to the direct broadcast from Japan to match the satellite delay via Sackville. Or better yet, put them on different frequencies. (Glenn Hauser, ibid.)
MALAYSIA RTM heard with a relay of domestic station Salam FM on 9750 at 1701 on September 24. At 1701 what seems like a religious programme (Qur'an extracts interspersed with comments) then from about 1710 easy listening and local music interspersed with talk and with telephone call-in. Many jingle identifications. Transmission pretty much blocked by AWR via Austria starting up on 9755 at 1800. (Alan Roe)
Unidentified station heard often at 1545 on 7130, most likely RTM Kuching, very weak audio but decent carrier, closedown usually just before 1600. (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin via Thomas Nilsson, DX Listening Digest)
MALI. Radio Mali’s occasional Saturday broadcast in English confirmed on 5995 August 1 at 1905 tune-in. Reception very difficult underneath co-channel BBC World Service, only the occasional words were audible but enough to confirm it was Mali in English, with reggae music in between the news items. When checked two weeks later, on 16 August at the same time, programming was in French. (Dave Kenny, Caversham, BDXC-UK Communication)
MONGOLIA Voice of Mongolia was observed on 9665 August 25 and 26 at 1400-1600, including English 1530-1600, but with bad results. Voice of Korea was on 9665.7 throughout, resulting in heterodyne whistle, plus Iran till 1428 and CRI from 1530. (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Australian DX News via DX Listening Digest)
NETHERLANDS KBC ceased broadcasting on shortwave via the Sitkunai, Lithuania site on September 30. (KBC website via Mike Barraclough)
An independent commission appointed by the supervisory board of Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) to look into the performance of the organisation in 2004-2008 published its findings early last month. It's the first time that such a commission has carried out an appraisal of RNW's operations. Its findings were largely positive, though a few specific matters were highlighted as needing close attention.
The commission believes that, although cooperation with the Dutch domestic public broadcasters has been strengthened in the past five years, still more can be done. In particular, the commission recommends that the NOS should be entirely responsible for the provision of news in Dutch, and RNW's Dutch service should focus more on programming for specific target groups such as expats, holidaymakers, truckers, merchant seamen and the Dutch military abroad. On the other hand, the domestic broadcasters should make better use of the international expertise among the RNW staff.
The commission was positive about RNW's approach to its services in foreign languages. RNW differentiates itself from most other international broadcasters by concentrating on themes such as human rights and press freedom, and on targeting countries that have low ratings in these areas. But the commission warned RNW to be careful not to spread its resources too thinly across a large number of languages, target areas and target groups. The commission says RNW needs to be clearer about how it makes its strategic choices and chooses its priorities. It noted that RNW was in the course of transforming itself from a radio station to a multimedial and cross-medial organisation, and that shortwave is declining in importance as a delivery platform.
Closer analysis of the effectiveness of RNW programmes carried by approximately 3300 partner stations around the world was one of the commission's recommendations. It recognised that carrying out detailed listener surveys in all RNW's target areas is not practical as such surveys would consume a disproportionate percentage of the organisation's budget. But it says RNW needs to be clearer and more transparent about the criteria that lead to decisions on the optimal distribution mix for each target group.
RNW Director-General Jan Hoek is pleased with the generally positive assessment, and especially welcomes the commission's suggestion that the domestic broadcasters should make better use of RNW's international expertise. Mr Hoek said that RNW recognises that shortwave is less important overall than it once was, but stressed that RNW intends to retain a shortwave presence, which can be increased in emergency situations, and furthermore shortwave is still needed to broadcast to target areas identified as being of high importance (for English this means specifically Africa and South Asia) where there are currently no better distribution platforms. (Media Network)
NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand International frequency schedule is now 0459-0658 11725, 0659-1058 6170, 1059-1258 9655, 1300–1550 6170, 1551–1850 7285, 1851-1950 9615, 1950–2050 11725, 2051-0458 15720. (NZ DX Times via DX Listening Digest)
NIGERIA Voice of Biafra International was heard, though just barely audible, signing-on on at 1900 on 17520 via WHRI on September 11with their Friday-only broadcast. They have moved back here from 15665.
Radio Biafra also heard the same evening at 1902 on 12050 via Skelton. (Alan Roe)
The Radio Biafra broadcast began by requesting more financial support from listeners as 3 million Naira is needed monthly for broadcasting (around US$ 18,000). (James McDonell, Nigeria, DX Listening Digest)
NORTH KOREA This week I was having a chat with Bob Zanotti. I'm not sure how many of you are aware of this, but did you know that after Swiss Radio International (SRI) closed, Swisscom, the company that operated the SRI transmitters, sold them to the DPRK. The North Koreans jumped on them right away. But the DPRK is not doing as good a job as the Swiss to maintain them as the Swiss did. (Keith Perron, Taiwan, August 28, DXLD)
Since there's a power generation problem in DPRK, even to the point of satellite photos showing few city lights at night, where are they getting the power for all these transmitters? Many of the transmitters sound to me like they are every bit of 250 kW and perhaps 350 kW. (David Sharp, Australia, ibid)
The former SwissCom transmitters which moved to North Korea are approximately 44 years old. They have 2 250kw transmitters, originally installed in Beromunster in 1965 and two 250kw transmitters from Schwarzenburg originally installed in 1966. (Ulrich Wegmueller, SRI via BC-DX via Kai Ludwig, DX Listening Digest)
The foreign service has 10 shortwave transmitters. 8 transmitters use curtain antennas, estimated power of 100/200/250kw, depending on mains power limitations. They also have 2 50kw transmitters on non directional antennas.
There are also 19 shortwave transmitters used as a feeder service to other transmitter sites and for domestic service relays, including ones targeting Korean nationals abroad. Estimated power is 5/15/50kw according to the Aoki online frequency list. (Wolfgang Bueschel, ibid)
The often mentioned power cuts are obviously no failures but the result of intended switches, done within the load balance management. This goes to a point where the power for a certain railway line is off for days, thus a train with coal can not leave, thus the consignee has to shut off whatever he runs with the ordered coal. Perhaps it is even a thermal power station.
At the same time it seems that there were in recent years hardly any disruptions of shortwave transmissions. Not that it would help too much to shut them off, it would save some megawatts which are really peanuts. But it shows that foreign broadcasting must be a priority when they keep it up while cutting power to private homes, industrial plants, railway power substations. (Kai Ludwig, ibid)
NORTHERN MARIANAS Remarkably good signal of FEBC via Saipan at 1435 September 20 on 9465, first thought it is a transmitter in Europe. They broadcast a recording of a lively sermon in Russian, indeed sounding genuine, not being a studio fake with artificial reverb. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DXLD)
NORWAY Foreningen Bergen Kringkaster has succeeded in leasing the LKB/LLE former Bergen Kringkaster/Broadcasting Station at Erdal for a period of 10 years from Askøy Kommune. They have recently applied for a test licence involving 3 mediumwave frequencies and shortwave.
In addition to the original set-up for 890 (20 kW) and 1115 (1 kW) there are 3 250 watts old MW transmitters on the site plus at least 4 vintage Military transmitters but they are unsure if they can be brought back to life. There are also 4 old shortwave transmitters. They plan a Museum and Nostalgia station. Current antenna set-up: Longwire/Windom. They plan to put up smaller and slimmer new masts, for "T" with top loading.
They are currently doing ham transmissions on LA1ASK Sunday mornings from around 0700 onwards on or near 3725. Reports welcomed, QSLs issued. Address: PO Box 100 N5331 Rong, Norway. Email: post@bergenkringkaster.no (Svenn Martinsen, Pirate/Free Radio message board)
PORTUGAL RDPI noted on 15560 at 1311 Sunday September 20 at 1311 opening the Abraco da Madeira, very good signal, announcer said it was from the Funchal studio, weekly two hour show. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
RUSSIA Voice of Russia in English to North America is now heard on 5900 at 2200, replacing 9890. (Roger Tidy, DX Listening Digest)
5900 listed on the Voice of Russia website as 2200-0200. (Mike Barraclough)
SERBIA International Radio Serbia has added a new broadcast in Serbian 2130-2200 on 7230. (Dragan Lekic, Serbia, DX Listening Digest)
SLOVAKIA World of Radio is now only heard on the second, fourth and when available fifth Saturdays of the month at 0800 on 9510 via IRRS. However a new time for the programme has been added, weekly at 1800 on 7290. (Alfredo Cotroneo, IRRS via DXLD)
SWITZERLAND The HBG Prangins standard frequency and time signal station on 75kHz will cease operations by the end of 2011. It has been on the air since 1966. Users have been advised to tune to the German Mainflingen DCF77 station on 77.5kHz. (Andrea Borgnino, bclnews.it via DX Listening Digest)
TAJIKISTAN Voice of Tajik heard on 7245 at 1703 September 25 in English, local news, identification and music. Interference from other stations but Vatican 7250 off air. (Edwin Southwell)
UNITED KINGDOM World Radio Network has secured a contract with IMG to broadcast English Football in Chinese to China every Saturday and Sunday. First match was on September 12 at 1345-1430 on 13860, 1425-1600 on 12180; on Sunday Sept 12 it was at 1045-1300 on 13860 from Tashkent at 90 degrees. The times vary from week to week. (World Radio Network via DXLD)
Radio J-Com Leeds started broadcasts on 1386 September 6. The station broadcasts 24 hours to the 9000 strong local Jewish community. Reports to info@radiojcom.com. (BBC Radio Leeds, Andrew Brade, Medium Wave Circle)
BBC World Service ceased shortwave transmissions on September 20, now uses FM affiliates, satellite and the internet. (Dragan Lekic, Serbia, DX Listening Digest)
Latest RSL’s from the Ofcom website:
Aberdare: Dapper FM 87.7 September 21 to October 18
Birkenhead: Vintage Radio 87.7 November 2 to 28
Bradford: Radio Hajj FM 87.9 November 10 to December 7
Bradford: Sabrang Radio 87.7 October 12 to November 8
Bromley: Smile Radio 87.7 October 30 to 31
Cheltenham: Cheltenham Radio 87.7 October 16 to 17
Edgbaston: Burn FM 106.2 October 5 to November 1
Glasgow: Bolt FM 106.7 October 3 to 30
Gloucester: CAM FM 87.7 October 16 to 18
Hendon, NW4: Radio Hajj 107.8 November 1 to 28
Huddersfield: Radio Haaj FM 87.7 November 1 to 28
Leeds: Akash FM 99.9 October 16 to November 12
Leicester: Diwali FM 87.7 September 22 to October 19
Lowestoft: East of England Radio 87.7 October 23 to 25
Manchester: Fuse FM 87.7 November 3 to 30
Manchester: Manchester Asian Radio 87.9 October 2 to 29
Newtonards: Bow FM 105.3 November 7 to 8
Oundle, Peterborough: OSCAR Radio 96.3 November 10 to December 7
Reading: Prospect FM 87.7 October 15 to 18
Redditch: Radio Redditch 87.9 November 2 to 29
Southall: Akash FM 87.7 October 13 to November 9
Southampton: SURGE 87.7 October 13 to 26
Sutton, Surrey: Radio Marsden 87.7 November 2 to 29
Tarporley, Chester: Radio Oulton 1602 October 9 to 11
Thornbury, South Glos: Thornbury FM 87.7 November 2 to 29
Westhoughton, nr. Bolton: Washacre FM 87.7 October 28 to 31
Winchcombe: Radio Winchcombe 87.7 October 31 to November 8
Rally GB FM will operated on 87.7 from Cardiff October 22 to 25, from Sweet Lamb, Powys October 23, from Sennybridge October 24, and from Walters Arena, Glynedd October 25.
UNITED STATES WEWN is now using new 12160, full English schedule is apparently now 0000-0900 11520, 0900-1200 11640, 1200-1500 12160 and 1500-2400 15610. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
A former top official for Voice of America has pleaded not guilty to accusations that he was corrupted after being lavishly entertained by now-imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Horace Cooper entered the plea during his arraignment September 9 at federal court in Washington. He is accused of taking thousands of dollars worth of tickets to sporting events and concerts like 'N Sync, the Dixie Chicks, and Bruce Springsteen without reporting them. He's also accused of receiving thousands of dollars in meals and drinks at the restaurant Abramoff owned and a Super Bowl part for him and about 25 friends. Prosecutors say Cooper illegally advanced the interests of Abramoff and his clients when he was working as chief of staff at Voice of America and then the Labor Department. (Associated Press via Dave Alpert, DX Listening Digest)
URUGUAY Gustavo Cirino, who worked on the plan of resuming the shortwave broadcasts in SSB from 6045 CXA61 Radio Sport no longer works for the company. The future of these broadcasts remains uncertain at the moment.
S.O.D.R.E. heard on 6125 at 2130 September 19 relaying 1050 Radio Uruguay, good modulation and decent signal. (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, DX Listening Digest)
VANUATU Radio Vanuatu heard on 3945 from 1209 to 1217 sign off September 7. Vocal music to 1217, then apparent closedown announcement by man. Presumed anthem at 1218, then open carrier for about 5 minutes before cutting transmitter. Fair at best. Ditto next day within a minute or two. (John Wilkins, Colorado, Cumbre DX)
VENEZUELA A Radio Nacional de Venezuela press release reported that on August 26 the governor of Guarico state and the Director General and Director of Engineering of Radio Nacional de Venezuela had a meeting about the new shortwave station being constructed in Calabozo. However no information about the project’s progress was given in the press release, which was worded very similarly to one issued last May. They said then that the station would be on the air within eighteen months. (Yimber Gaviria, Jose Miguel Romero, Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
VIETNAM Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) officially launched its East Sea broadcasting project August 29 at the VN1 transmitter station in Hanoi’s Son Tay town. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung pressed the button to start the transmitter.
Now that the project has been put into operation, fishermen and soldiers operating offshore or living on islands will have a channel providing accurate, timely, trustworthy and round-the-clock information on domestic and foreign affairs, economics, cultural, and social events, and especially forecasts about extreme weather, search and rescue work at sea to minimise loss of life and property caused by natural disasters.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung praised the VOV’s effort in putting the first phase of the project into operation while the country is celebrating the 64th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day and the 40th anniversary of implementing President Ho Chi Minh’s testament. (Media Network)
Voice of Vietnam-1 is now using new 7435 2250-1200 and 9635 2145-1500, this is the new service referred to. (S. Hasegawa, Nagoya DX Circle via DX Listening Digest)
Domestic network Voice of Vietnam-4 heard on 6020 August 30 at 2248-2303, Vietnamese announcement, indigenous songs, pips at top of the hour then into presumed news. At first had different programming to VOV-2 on 5925 but joined up for the 2300 news. Frequency seemed clear, splatter from Iran on 6025 wasn't too bothersome.
Voice of Vietnam-4 also heard on 6165 at 2152-2158 on August 29, Vietnamese opening announcement, intro routine as for Foreign Service, competing with co-channel CNR-6. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DX Listening Digest)
WESTERN SAHARA Radio Nacional de la R.A.S.D heard off frequency on 6297.1 at 2120-2200 August 30 with Arabic talk and local music, good signals. (Brian Alexander, Pennsylvania, Cumbre DX)
ZIMBABWE There are two main excuses that ZANU PF has been using as reasons that the Global Political Agreement has not been fully implemented - the issue of the 'sanctions' and the so-called 'pirate' radio stations broadcasting into Zimbabwe. The regime's public criticism of 'pirate' stations has become more vocal of late, and even senior army senior army chiefs are accusing the stations such as SW Radio Africa and Studio 7 of treason, through their "asymmetrical warfare". Lieutenant-General Phillip Valerio Sibanda, the Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, told a study seminar of army officers in Harare that foreign-based radio stations are at 'war with Zimbabwe' and told the soldiers to remain on guard against such things. (SW Radio Africa website via BBC Monitoring via DX Listening Digest)
CONTRIBUTORS: Germany: Wolfgang Bueschel, Greece: Zacharias Liangas, UK: Alan Roe, Edwin Southwell, United States: Richard D’Angelo. Until next month MIKE
