READING INTERNATIONAL RADIO GROUP The next meeting will be on April 10 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 heard again via phone line from the Russian transmitter on 9535 February 26 at 0800-0911 off, news in Russian from 0900. Their own transmitter on 9495 has been damaged. (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Australian DX News via DXLD)
ANTARCTICA LRA36 resumed transmissions on 15476 March 15. Transmissions are now on Monday, Wednesday and Friday 1200-1500. (Manuel Mendez, Spain, Cumbre DX)
AUSTRALIA CVC Voice Asia in Hindi via Tashkent now scheduled to India 0000-0400 on 6260, 0400-1100 on 13630, 1100-1400 on 9660, 1400-2200 on 6260, to South Asia 0100-0400 on 9975. (DX Mix News via Wolfgang Bueschel, Alokesh Gupta, Cumbre DX)
Craig Allen, who has a licence for 3210, says that the HCJB Pifo 1 kW transmitter is now at Schofields New South Wales, about 20 miles west of Sydney. Craig has a block of land and is presently installing an antenna. (Johno Wright, New South Wales, DX Listening Digest)
AUSTRIA Radio Austria International schedule is now to Europe 0500-0615 on 6155, to Asia/Australia Monday to Saturday 1200-1230 on 17715, to Central America 0000-0030, North America 0030-0100 and South America 0100-0130 all Monday to Saturday on 9820. Short English news bulletin heard at 0609 March 30 on 6155. (Mike Barraclough)
AZERBAIJAN Voice of Justice from Nagorno-Karabakh heard on 9677 at 0600-0626 February 24. Starting in Azeri with interval signal and identification, later some sentences in Armenian and Russian. Believed to be Wednesday and Saturday only. (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Australian DX News via DXLD)
BAHRAIN Radio Bahrain confirmed still active on 6010 however I can only catch their weak signal from 1700 to 1755 in the China National Radio silent period. Usual Western DJ type programme heard on the channel. (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka, 4S7VK, DXplorer via Wolfgang Bueschel)
BHUTAN Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) heard March 24 at 0001 on 6035, talks by man followed by monks' slow music, fair to good reception. It sound like they are on air with 100 kW again. (Giampiero Bernardini, Italy, Cumbre DX)
The BBS transmitter was under repair during February, and under test in first week of March, it was irregular then but for the last 10 days it has been noted strong and continuous 0100-1500. (Partha Sarathi Goswami, India, March 24,ibid)
BBS are still using 50 kW old transmitter. (Alokesh Gupta, ibid)
BULGARIA Radio Varna now scheduled Sunday 2100-0300 on 6000. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via Wolfgang Bueschel)
CHILE Schedule for Voz Crista in Spanish is now to Northern South America 1200-2300 on 17680, 2300-0200 on 11665 and to Southern South America 1200-2300 on 9635, 2300-0200 on 6070. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via Wolfgang Bueschel)
CHINA China will be activating two new transmitter sites by June which will be used for jamming my sources in CRI inform me. The locations are: Qinghai (located some 100 km outside Xining City) and Guizhou (located some 70 km outside Guiyang City). Each site will house 4 transmitters and the antennas are Chinese copies of Thales Group ALLISS antennas. Power output is suggested to be around 300 and 500 kW (unconfirmed).
Both sites will used Firedrake and echo jamming using CNR 1 as well as some local stations. My sources also told me that in the last few weeks on some occasions CRI's China Drive program was fed to the Hainan jamming site. (Keith Perron, Taiwan, DXLD)
CROATIA The Zadar mediumwave transmitter on 1134 which carries Voice of Croatia has cut back its schedule from 1400-0630 to 1500-2030. (Dragan Lekic, Serbia, DXLD)
CUBA Radio Havana Cuba announced that as of March 22 they would begin broadcasts in the tropical bands on 5040, programmes in Spanish, English, French, Creole and Esperanto would be broadcast at 2300-1100. (Alan Roe)
Schedule monitored as 2300 English, 0000 French, 0100 Creole, 0130 French, 0200 Spanish which is scheduled to run till 1100, this replaces 13790 2300-0500. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
The new national service is designed to provide coverage of the most famous Cuban tourist resorts, like Varadero Beach, Cayo Largo, Jardines del Rey, Guardalavaca, and others where last year some two million three hundred thousand foreign tourists visited to enjoy their holidays. The antenna used on 5040 is an NVIS system, Near Vertical Incidence Skywave radiating system, also known as a "Cloud Warmer" because it sends the signals at very high angles above the horizon, so I am not expecting many reports outside the primary target area of the broadcast. (Arnie Coro, Dxers Unlimited via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD)
Radio Havana observed on 5040 March 25 around 0728 in Spanish with fair signal, still audible at 0850 but fading out. On March 26 I tuned in at 0620 and they were in English with good reception, still in English at 0730 recheck. (Edwin Southwell)
DJIBOUTI La Voix de Djibouti, mentioned last month, confirmed February 25 at 1530-1630 on 15165, is Thursdays only. I heard presumed Somali until local noise overrode at 1610-1619 when it was in French. Dave Kenny in Caversham said French started at 1612, good signals in the UK. (Glenn Hauser, Oklahoma, DX Listening Digest)
ECUADOR HCJB German via Lithuania is now 1630-1730 on 5940 via Lithuania, this site is also used at 1530-1600 in Russian, 1600-1630 Chechen on 9770. Chilean transmitter is scheduled 2300-0000 in German on 9835, 2245-2300 in Kulina and 2300-0045 in Portuguese on 11920. (Stephan Schaa, Germany, DX Listening Digest)
Radio Oriental in Tena has reactivated 4781.6, noted March 6 at 2220-2310 with social protest songs, full identification and frequencies at 2300. On March 20 I heard them 2230 till 2304 when they closed down. (Rafael Rodriguez, Colombia, DXLD)
EGYPT Incredibly awful signals from Radio Cairo, February 28 at 0036:
9390 big carrier but whine and undermodulated; 9915 had similar mix of talk and music, but not parallel, and in contrast was very distorted and overmodulated; they should split the difference? 6270 was open carrier, no modulation unlike somewhat distorted Arabic on 6290. All three of them supposedly carry Spanish starting at 0045 but 9915 and 6270 are not scheduled to open until then.
9390, at 2244 February 28 Radio Cairo no doubt again the source of strong but unmodulated carrier except for light whine. 9390 is supposed to bear the Portuguese service for Brasil at 2215-2330. What a farce. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
ETHIOPIA EOTC Holy Synod Radio, Monday only transmission 1600-1700 on 15195 via Samara, heard March 1, strong signal with deep fades, programme started 1600 but powerful Ethiopian broadband hissing noise jammer started at 1602:40, the programme was scarcely audible underneath noise. Ethiopian jammer covered at least 15189.6 to 15201.3. (Wolfgang Bueschel)
International shortwave radio monitors have confirmed that VOA broadcasts in the Amharic language are being jammed. Amharic is the main official language and the language of commerce in Ethiopia. VOA representatives in Ethiopia have been received complaints from listeners about noise drowning out its Amharic Service broadcasts. People trying to tune in can hear occasional snippets of the VOA broadcast covered by a loud crackle.
The static began February 22 on all five VOA shortwave frequencies aimed at East Africa in the 25 and 31-metre shortwave bands. The other foreign broadcast heard in Ethiopia, the German government's Deutsche Welle Amharic language program, also reports experiencing some interference in the past few days. Monitors say VOA transmissions in two other Ethiopian languages, Afan Oromo and Tigrinya, are being heard normally. They are broadcast on the same frequencies, before and after the hour-long Amharic program.
In a telephone interview, Ethiopian Communications Office spokesman Shimelis Kemal denied any government involvement in the jamming. "This is a baseless allegation. The government doesn't espouse a policy of restricting media outlets from disseminating their messages to Ethiopian audiences," he said. Ethiopian officials have often described VOA's Amharic Service as the 'voice of the opposition', saying its broadcasts reveal an anti-government bias. Meleskachew Ameha, an Amharic Service reporter in Addis Ababa, was detained for two weeks, last year, in a case involving alleged possession of illegal broadcast equipment. He was released without charge.
Audience research in 2008 suggested about 11 percent of adult Ethiopians regularly tune in to VOA language service broadcasts.
On March 18 Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi denied having authorized the interference VOA Amharic listeners have been experiencing since February 22. But speaking to reporters he acknowledged ordering preparations for jamming, and said as soon as the equipment is working properly, he would give the go ahead.
"We have to know before we make the decision to jam, whether we have the capacity to do it," said Meles Zenawi. "But I assure you if they assure me at some future date that they have the capacity to jam it, I will give them the clear guideline to jam it. But so far there has not been that formal decision to jam."
He said what listeners may have been experiencing for the past four weeks is testing of the jamming equipment. The prime minister compared VOA's Amharic Service to Radio Mille Collines, which broadcast hate messages blamed for inciting the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. "We have been convinced for many years that in many respects, the VOA Amharic Service has copied the worst practices of radio stations such as Radio Mille Collines of Rwanda in its wanton disregard of minimum ethics of journalism and engaging in destabilizing propaganda," (VOAnews.com via Alokesh Gupta, Cumbre DX)
The VOA launched satellite transmissions of the daily Amharic programme over the weekend of March 22 in order to overcome the jamming. (Kimandrewelliott.com)
GERMANY Radio Bremen switched off its 936 transmitter on March 10 assuming that hardly any listeners still tune in. The decision is not final yet and could be revoked if complaints demonstrate that the assumption is wrong. Listeners who already called Radio Bremen to complain have been told that their reactions have been registered.
A permanent closure would be remarkable because the whole transmission facility is not more than 11 years old.
A German investment group is interested in purchasing the Julich transmitter site, now offered for sale by Christian Vision, and presented its plans to the municipal parliament, including a restaurant in the transmitter hall and a radio museum for which they intend to keep three of the towers. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX Listening Digest)
Deutsche Welle has cut back shortwave transmission hours for Hindi and Urdu , Hindi has been cut by half, Urdu has been cut from three broadcasts to one. There have been cutbacks in transmission hours for Chinese and Russian, Kiswahili broadcasts to Africa have been dropped. According to sources they plan to reduce or drop most of the shortwave during the next year. After clinching an FM distribution partnership in Bangladesh, they are working on an FM partnership in India. (Alokesh Gupta, Cumbre DX)
GUYANA A reply from the shortwave-transmitter builder for GBC February 28:
I will be going down to Guyana within a month or so to get 3290 / 5950 on the air. They had requested the wrong 5 MHz frequency and I built the transmitter for 5290. I will have it sorted out within a couple months. (Jamie Labadia, DX Listening Digest)
HUNGARY Hungarian Radio schedule is now at 0100-0200 on 6150, 0400-0500 on 3975, 1000-1100 on 6025, 1600-1700 on 6140, and 2100-2200 on 3975. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via Wolfgang Bueschel)
INDIA Partha Sarathi Goswami spoke with the transmitter engineer for AIR Kohima 4850. He was very pleased and appreciated our listening habits, but he said that it’s a very sad experience that the power supply is irregular for the shortwave transmitter and the insufficiency of the staff are the main problems in running the shortwave transmission regularly. He also admitted that he likes very much when listeners write from Oslo or USA and also said that they do verify the reports with QSL. (Union of Asian Dxers)
A correspondent to All India Radio’s Faithfully Yours programme 22 March at 2125 on 7550 mentioned that the airlive@air.org.in, as shown in WRTH 2010 doesn't work. The host didn't know why it was not working, but recommended the following e-mail address for correspondence: gosesdair@yahoo.co.in. (Alan Roe)
INDONESIA RRI Jambi is back on 4925, heard March 24 opening at 1245 to 1555 off, fair to good reception. (Atsunori Ishida, ><>www.max.hi-ho.ne.jp/a-ishida/ins/ via DXLD)
KURDISTAN Belgian police raided sites in Brussels, Antwerp and other cities March 4 as part of an international investigation into connections with a Kurdish separatist group, the PKK. Denge Mezoptamya 11530 and 7540 noted silent on the morning of March 5, both back on the air March 7. (Wolfgang Bueschel)
It is the radio station of Roj TV, using a transmitter in the Ukraine. The offices of Roj TV which were raided are in fact the studios, so it’s no surprise that the transmissions apparently ceased. (Kai Ludwig, Media Network blog)
KYRGYZSTAN Radio Free Europe's popular Kyrgyz television and radio programmes have been off the air in the capital city of Bishkek since March 10, shortly after affiliate managers reported that they had been pressured by Kyrgyz officials. RFE/RL's Bishkek television affiliate station 'Echo of Manas' was warned by Kyrgyz authorities that they would face difficulties in renewing their broadcast license if they continued to air the Kyrgyz Service's widely viewed 'Inconvenient Questions' and 'Azattyk Plus' programs. Radio affiliates in Bishkek and the northern city of Naryn have also stopped carrying Kyrgyz Service programming. The broadcasting of RFE/RL programs was halted just days before expected rallies and protests marking the fifth anniversary of the country's so-called Tulip Revolution.
Several dozen activists and opposition politicians rallied in the capital of Kyrgyzstan March 15 in protest against the removal of the radio and TV programmes. Presidential office spokesman Almas Turdumamatov denied the government was behind the problems. "As I understand it the problem is with private companies that have refused to relay these broadcasts," he said. (RFE/RL via Yimber Gaviria, DXLD, kimandrewelliott.com)
LIBERIA A reply from the shortwave-transmitter builder:
In regards to Star Radio, Liberia I'm not sure what the status is yet. It takes a while to get through customs, so I doubt if they are on yet. The frequency is 4025. Chances are I will have to travel there to get them on the air. (Jamie Labadia, DX Listening Digest)
MALAYSIA Voice of Malaysia now being heard regularly in Lancashire each morning on 15295 in English, there is a news bulletin at 0900. (Allen Dean)
MEXICO XEOM relaying Candela FM heard in Italy February 20 at 0100-0222 on 6104.8, serious talks in Spanish mentioning "Mexico", commercials, really weak but with slow fading sometimes better. I used narrow filters in SSB. At 0205 nice songs and other commercials. (Giampiero Bernardini, Italy, DX Listening Digest)
Jorge Freitas in Brazil received a full colour E-QSL, nice design including pyramid, and station data except frequency. Says 250 watts, dipole antenna at azimuth 240 degrees. I thought dipoles were bi-directional; 240 is bad for both of us, aimed South West out into the Pacific. If it is really bi-directional, + 60 degrees, that would explain the relatively good signals in Florida and also making it to Europe. Reply came from Ariadne Gallardo de Diaz, ariengalfi@gmail.com. They operate 24 hours a day with Mayan language programme from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mexican time, relay of Candela FM overnight. (Glenn Hauser, Oklahoma, DX Listening Digest)
MONGOLIA Voice of Mongolia English broadcast 1530-1600 on 9665 now being heard on a regular basis in Lancashire. (Allen Dean)
NORTH KOREA 60 minute English to Europe from Voice of Korea now at 1300, 1500, 1800 and 2100 on 13760 and 15245. (Allen Dean)
Heard here at 1310 March 29, 13760 weak, 15245 fair strength but the broadcast kept cutting out every minute, 10 minutes later they resumed and stayed on the air but with a weaker signal. (Mike Barraclough)
A VOA news report February 24 read:
Shortwave radio broadcasting to North Korea is nothing new. The Voice of America has done it for decades, and many other organizations have sprouted up in recent years. The content is often a collaborative effort between South Koreans and North Korean escapees who have taken up residence in the South. But one broadcaster is giving North Korea residents an opportunity to hear from each other.
The broadcaster in Seoul, called Free North Korea Radio, is taking an innovative and risky step: it records the voices of people living in North Korea, then broadcasts those voices back into the North. "We have at least one stringer, or reporter, in every North Korean province. We throw them issues to talk about, like 'currency reform', or 'market conditions.' They go out and do interviews, and put together a sort of news report," said Kim Seong Min, the broadcaster's director, who is himself a defector from North Korea. The result is a program called "Voices of the People," an unfiltered sample of what some North Korean citizens have to say about their leadership.
"Kim Jong-il is such a hypocrite. He only cares about himself. He makes everyone obey him and praise him, as if that is such a good thing to do. Sometimes he hands out presents. But those presents all came from the sweat and blood of the people," said one person heard on the broadcast. Such criticism of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is a potentially capital offence.
Free North Korea Radio connects with North Korean citizens via mobile phones. But conversations have to be brief to avoid tracing. Longer reports are recorded onto tiny digital devices similar to these. The devices are passed hand-to-hand in a chain that smuggles them across North Korea's border with China. Director Kim says getting the sound to Seoul is accomplished in less than a month. There is risk, and stress, for everyone involved.
Voices are electronically distorted to protect identities. However, not all reporters are told their recordings will be broadcast back into North Korea. Kim downplays concerns about journalistic ethics. "We are doing this for the democratisation of North Korea. Since what we are dealing with here is unlike any other ordinary state, and considering how much oppression the North Korean people are suffering from, we cannot condemn this as a violation of media ethics," he said. Kim says all of the contributors to "Voices of the People" are individuals he and his team have known for at least five years. The recording devices, he says, are supplied by American and Japanese activists. (Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD)
Yonhap News reported March 4 that:
“A North Korean resident was publicly executed for talking to a North Korean defector living in South Korea via a Chinese cell phone, the Seoul-based Open Radio for North Korea (ORNK) reported March 4. The resident, identified only as Jung, was reportedly a munitions factory worker in the north-eastern city of Hamheung. He was executed in late January after a Chinese cell phone was found in his home, the ORNK said, citing a source in North Korea.
Jung was accused of talking to the defector about current living conditions in the North, such as market prices for rice, the ORNK reported. The station allows individuals, student groups and private organizations to broadcast messages to North Korean people via shortwave radio. It noted that the North Korean authorities have recently toughened their crackdown on residents attempting to contact North Korean defectors in South Korea through Chinese cell phones.”
I wonder if that poor guy talked to an Open Radio employee? Personally, I'm not so comfortable with the ethics of this particular project as those freelancers are literally risking their lives (Sergei Sozedhkin, DXLD)
PAKISTAN PBC Current Affairs Channel has been renamed as National Broadcasting Service. It is carried on mediumwave and planned to start on shortwave on 7205 or 7215. (WRTH Domestic update February 19 via DXLD)
Radio Pakistan noted March 29 with English news at 1100 on 15100 and new 17720. Latter very strong but extremely distorted modulation, 15100 fair with fading, modulation better than on 17720 but still poor. Brief announcement in Urdu 1105 and off 1106:30 after anthem. (Mike Barraclough)
PERU Radio Altura has reactivated its shortwave frequency of 5014.4, heard 1110-1230 February 21, folk music, announcements in both Quechua and Spanish. Not heard since August 2008. Their identification said that they were broadcasting from the world‘s highest city, Cerro de Pasco. (Rafael Rodriguez, Colombia, DX Listening Digest)
Wikipedia says that the city has a population of 70,000, elevation 13973 feet. (Mike Barraclough)
Radio Altura heard on 5014.3 with full identification in Spanish at 0509, February 25, was the strongest Latin American signal on 60 metres, rarely heard at this time so maybe a special event. (Bryan Clark, New Zealand, DX Listening Digest)
Radio Frecuencia Popular is a new station on 5485.6 heard at 2306 to 0202 off February 20 from Olmos, province of Lambayeque. Strong here with folklore music and identifications. Had been reported by Robert Wilkner and Dave Valko on February 18 as a presumed reactivation of Radiu Reina de la Selva. (Rafael Rodriguez, Colombia via Yimber Gaviria, DX Listening Digest)
POLAND Polish national independent news agency PAP reported February 17 that Polish Radio (PR) may fire from 300 to 500 people under a restructuring scheme launched to appease PR's dwindling finances, PR spokesman Radoslaw Kazimierski said. He said that the sackings were necessary in light of dwindling licence fees, which to date constituted PR's main income source. He added that the main layoff wave was planned until the end of May.
According to estimates by the National Radio and Television Council, the level of collected fees reached 880 million zlotys in 2007, while forecast for 2010 speak of 350 million. Out of this sum, Polish Radio is expected to receive between 100 and 130 million zlotys, 30% less than in 2009. As of March, a new media fee law will relieve pensioners, unemployed and welfare-takers from radio and TV fees. (BBC Monitoring via DX Listening Digest)
Polish Radio External Service has already had to consolidate programming due to budget and/or staff cuts. We all know what a low priority external broadcasting has in most countries, so this could be a big threat to the shortwave service. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
PORTUGAL Following the terrible flooding and mudslides on Madeira, I made a point of listening to RDPI’s weekly “Abracao da Madeira” show, Sunday February 21 on 15560 at 1435. Announcer from Funchal studio was trying to make phone contact with people, not always successfully, who needed to convey messages to relatives and friends; including someone in the Czech Republic. Excellent signal here as usual on weekends to North America. (Glenn Hauser, Oklahoma, DX Listening Digest)
SOLOMON ISLANDS Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation transmitter on 5020 noted back on air February 19, received from 0800 by many Japanese Dxers. (S. Hasegawa, Nagoya DX Circle via DX Listening Digest)
SOMALIA The director of new Radio Bar Kulan, David Smith posted March 1 that:
Bar-Kulan speaks with its own voice. Editorial independence is its bedrock. Bar-Kulan is answerable only to the people who produce its content and the people of Somalia and its Diaspora.
As with any new media outlet, the rumour mill runs rampant before the first broadcasts have hit the airwaves. We have even received reports of people listening to our programmes before the transmitter has been switched on!
The most prolific rumour circulating about Bar-Kulan is that it is the mouthpiece of international organisations based in Mogadishu – this is absolutely not true.
Bar-Kulan invites all who are interested in the peace, safety and prosperity of Somalia to take part in what it is doing. The discussion table is open to everybody, and monopolised by nobody." (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
Schedule is now 0500-0600 on 15750 via Dhabbaya and 1600-1700 on 9930 via Meyerton. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via Wolfgang Bueschel)
Presumed the station heard here on 9930 at 1615 tune in March 29, weak with Horn of African music and talk in East African language, had to use LSB due to strong signal from Radio Stathmos Makedonias on 9935. (Mike Barraclough)
Received a detailed reply from David Smith, Director, Radio Bar-Kulanin less than 2 days for a reception report sent on 1st March, 2010 just after the inaugural transmission was over, email barkulanradio@gmail.com. (Alokesh Gupta, Cumbre DX)
SRI LANKA The All Asia English transmission from SLBC is at 0055-0330 (Sunday to 04300 on 6005 10 kW, 9770 10 kW and 15745 35 kW. Indian Service is 0030-0300 (Sunday to 0430) and 0830-1230 on 7190 10 kW and 11905 35/200 kW. Middle East Service in Sinhala for Sri Lankans in the Gulf: 1630-1900 11750 35 kW, on Tuesdays 200 kW when the programme is sponsored by the Bank of Ceylon. (Union of Asian Dxers)
SUDAN The frequency for the new morning broadcast of Miraya FM 0300-0600 last month should have read 7385, apologies. Schedule for Miraya FM from March 28 is per their website 0300-0600 on 9740, 1400-1700 on 15650. (Mike Barraclough)
SURINAM Radio Apintie again decently heard on 4990 March 7 from 0425 tune in with the usual pop vocals to past 0700 and occasional short commercial, steady S2 signal and good audio modulation, no interference and very little noise. Radio Apintie is usually all carrier and not much audio at this location. (Bruce Churchill, California, Cumbre DX)
SWEDEN Radio Sweden will terminate its medium and short wave broadcasts this October 31st in favour of web services, with Swedish Radio management stating that is the best use of resources and in line with international trends. The English-language service is to continue on the web and on national broadcasts. The Russian output will be available on the web as is German now. (Station website, Allen Dean)
What will happen with the 1179 transmitter? Will Teracom shut it down and have done with it, or will they seek another customer? More China Radio International on the European mediumwave dial? The same question of course applies to the shortwave site at Horby, too, but I guess here a shut-down is by far the most likely scenario. (Kai Ludwig, DXLD)
THAILAND Yesterday I was passing the frequency 8743 and Bangkok Meteorological Radio is continuing to request reception reports at the end of their English weather report.
Coincidentally this morning the mailman delivered an envelope from Bangkok containing QSL-folder and personal letter. This for my e-mailed report of 15 February. Their mailing address is Telecommunications and Information Technology Bureau, Thai Meteorological Department, 4353 Sukhumvit Road, Bangna, Bangkok 10260, Thailand, e-mail address tmd@metnet.tmd.go.th (Jari Savolainen, Finland, Cumbre DX)
Checking for a detailed schedule I found this item from John Wilkins, Colorado in Dxplorer via DX Listening Digest who monitored December 9 2007 from 1309 on 6765.1:
Three languages are rotated: English, Thai, and Khmer, I think. Each segment lasts 2-4 minutes and is separated by their 1.5-minute-long interval signal. The English segment is by a man, the other two by ladies. The English identification is simply "This is Bangkok Meteorological Radio..." followed by frequencies, announced as 6765.1and 8743, and schedule announced as 0000-0200, 0300-0500, 0600-0800, 0900-1100, 1200-1400, 1500-1700, 1800-2000, and 2100-2300. True to the announced schedule, they went off at 1400. (Mike Barraclough)
UGANDA The new Media Broadcast schedule shows Radio Y'Abaganda (Ababaka) listed at 1700-1800 Saturday on 15410 via Issoudun, France. Googling I found that this seems to be a new target broadcast on shortwave to Uganda from an existing internet-only radio station in support of a Bugandan group. The online stream had lively African music with English announcements for "Buganda Internet Radio". (Tony Rogers, British DX Club email list)
UKRAINE Due to financial constraints the relay of Home Service1 of Ukrainian Radio on 5970 was cancelled on February 22. The one hour English broadcast to North America at 0400-0500 (one hour earlier now with summer time) on 7440 was also cancelled. (Alexander Yegerov, Ukraine, DX Listening Digest)
UNITED KINGDOM Latest RSL’s from the Ofcom website:
Badminton: Radio Badminton 87.9 April 30 to May 3
Ballymoney: Life for You 105.3 April 30 to May 2
Bracknell: Hug FM 87.7 April 8 to 11
Bradford: Sabrang Radio 87.7 March 29 to April 25
Brighton: Brighton Festival Radio 87.7 April 26 to May 23
Coventry: Synergy FM 102.6 May 4 to 21
Ealing: Blast Radio 87.7 May 4 to 30
Hastings: Hastings Rock 87.7 May 1 to 28
Ilfracombe: Celebrate FM 87.7 April 1 to 11
Lancaster: Bailrigg FM 87.7 April 30 to May 2
Leeds: LCR FM 87.9 April 22 to May 19
Lisburn: Emmanuel Live 107.7 April 9 to 11
Liverpool: VFM 87.7 April 23 to May 3
Newbury: Belgian Shepherd FM 87.7 April 24 to 25
Nottingham: SNC Radio 87.9 April 19 to 24
Oundle: OSCAR Radio 87.7 April 27 to May 10
Peterborough: Truckfest FM 106.2 April 30 to May 3
Portishead: Dynamic FM 87.9 April 12 to 16
Rossendale: Alder 87.9 April 27 to 29
Thornbury: Gloss FM 87.7 April 19 to May 16
Winchcombe: Radio Winchcombe 87.7 April 16 to 25
UNITED STATES Let us try to persuade congress not to allow the Greenville shortwave station to be closed down, as the Broadcasting Board of Governors plans to do later this year. Besides writing your own congressperson and senators, these North Carolinians are directly concerned: http://jones.house.gov and http://burr.senate.gov/public. We suggest that you emphasize the long-term value of the United States retaining an active international shortwave broadcasting facility within its own borders and under its direct control. All the other relays are subject to restrictions by host countries, or even closedown in an emergency. Contact information can be found on each member’s website. As usual, standard remark that postal mail is thought to be more effective than e-mail. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
WRNO are working on launching 24/7 broadcasting. They do not have an approximate date yet. They will be using 7505 mostly but will also use 7355 and 15590. (Station email to Sergei Sozedkhin, DX Listening Digest)
WRNO are currently on 7505 from 0200 to 0500 but only when the feel like it, maybe once or twice a week. No set days at all and more often, they are off than on the air when they are supposed to be. (Pat Blakely, South Carolina, ibid)
World's longest delayed QSL? Just received in the mail today a QSL from WMBI 1140 Chicago. This was sent in November 1999, and I sent no follow-up. The Chief Engineer says he is retiring and cleaning out old files. He had held my letter until he got new QSLs printed, but then lost track. The letter was received at my old Rochester address, handed over to my former wife by the new owner who bought the place from her two years ago, and hand-delivered to me today! (Jim Renfrew, New York, February 19, NRC-AM via DXLD)
As of March 9 a second transmitter, a 100 kW Continental 418, was being installed at WTWW per George McLintoch. It may not be ready to go on the air for four to six months and they are also looking at purchasing more transmitters.
On March 11 they moved from 5755 to 5080 as a nighttime frequency, scheduled 0000-1200. Day frequency is 9480, during the testing period they have been relaying Pastor Pete Peters, who also has 24 hour airtime on WWCR. Moved back to 5755 March 23. Programming scheduled to officially begin April 1. Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
In DXLD and elsewhere, WJHR Milton Florida has been reported with what would appear to be programming. FCC rule 73.712(a) limits an international broadcast station conducting equipment tests to voice identification and tones only.
I inquired to the FCC about the status of this station. The Commission responded that this station has a construction permit and has not filed an application for license. The station can only do equipment tests, not actual programming, until a license application is filed and program test authority (PTA) is granted. PTA and licensed operation must be at 50 KW PEP (Benn Kobb, DX Listening Digest)
WJHR noted March 25 at 1401 on 15550 USB “beginning our broadcast day” with address wjhr@usa.com. Then instrumental hymn on plucked instrument, “Rock of Ages“; 1403 into the usual preacher. (Glenn Hauser, Oklahoma, DXLD)
Heard here same day 2200 to off 2203:32, identification, off after gospel tune. (Harold Frodge, Michigan, ibid)
VANUATU As of Wednesday, February 24th, here is what we accomplished at Radio Vanuatu. 5055 is on at about 3,500 watts, and 3945 is on at 7,000 watts. But, due to the unstable A.C. power infrastructure, I had to design the protection circuits to be very sensitive. The systems will "fold-back" the transmitters to 2,000 watts if it senses any kind of spike or surge in the A.C. power feeds. It may take the staff at Radio Vanuatu a few days to respond and clear the "fault mode" power cutback.
The antennas for each frequency are two fan dipoles, in phase, side by side. They are broadside north by northwest, by south-south east. The 7260 frequency won't be used until next January or February, depending on how the cycle progresses. I'm also curious on how the audio sounds. This new design I focused on trying to have great audio quality. It would be nice to get critical reports on how the audio compares with the "big guns". (Jamie Labadia, DX Listening Digest)
VIETNAM VOV1 home service for Gulf of Tonkin on 7435, 9635 and 11720 has been extended to 24 hours a day. (WRTH Domestic update February 19 via DXLD)
WESTERN SAHARA National Radio of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic noted back on the air March 9 on 6297 at 2040, music, clear identification in Arabic heard at 2049, very good reception in Massachusetts. (Bruce Fisher, DX Listening Digest)
Transmitter is in Algeria, 8 kilometres north of Rabouni, the West Saharan administration camp and 14 kilometres south of Tindouf village. (Wolfgang Bueschel)
CONTRIBUTORS: Germany: Wolfgang Bueschel, UK: Allen Dean, Alan Roe, Edwin Southwell. Until next month, MIKE
