Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Blog Logs

This edition of shortwave BLOG LOGS, represents a portion of logs recently cut from my Broadcast Logs column in Monitoring Times magazine at www.monitoringtimes.com/, due to space constraints. Contributions are always welcome for the magazine or blog, and may be directed to the above email address in the masthead. Thanks very much to the contributors and blog readers for your kind words and continued support.
Gayle Van Horn

All times UTC

Frequencies in kHz, English unless otherwise indicated // parallel frequencies.
* sign-on - sign-off *

Anguilla Caribbean Beacon 6090, 0349. SIO 333. Replay for the late Doc Scott’s sermon series. (MacKenzie).

Bolivia
Radio Kawsachun Coca 6075, 1050-1057. Aymara programmming with brief talks and items about farming problems in Peru. SINPO 34433 (Slaen).

Bulgaria
Radio Bulgaria 9700, 2330. History Club program on the history of the Bulgarian Post. SIO 555. Noted on // 11700 (SIO 554) (Fraser).

Canada
China Radio International relay 6080, 0425. Comments and editorial on the Industrial Bank
of China. “CRI” station ID // 6030 (SIO 333) (MacKenzie).

Voice of Vietnam relay 6175, 0340. Announcers exchange of chat and news and Obama’s problems regarding Iran (MacKenzie).

China
Firedrake (non-stop Chinese music jamming). Scan from 7100-1900, 1220-1240 + 1320 + 1409. Noted on 8400 // 9000 both with good signals. During the gap at 1400,* observed 8400 kept their transmitter on, while 9000 was off the air. Frequency 8400 came back on at 1404, while 9000 kHz signed off at 1405 (Howard).

Clandestine
RADS-Radio Nacional Saharaui 6300, 2220-2232. Arabic programing of announcers’ talk and Arabic music vocals. SINPO 24342 (Slaen).

Costa Rica
Radio Exterior Espana relay 9630, 0338. Spanish programming from announcer duo including news and ID (MacKenzie).

Cuba
Radio Habana Cuba 5990, 2305. News and Reports on CRI program. SIO 554. Noted on 6220, 0358-0405.+ Strong interference from Spain's Radio Exterior Espana on 6055. (Frodge).

France
Radio France International 15605, 1750. Program of pop vocal music tunes with an SIO of 453 (Fraser).

Germany
Croatian Radio/Voice of Croatia 9925, 2215-2225. Croatian news to 2220, followed by international newscast, ID, sports roundup and weather update. Next feature on sardines and anchovie cuisine (Frodge).

Guam
Trans World Radio (Agana) 9910, 1212-1221. Mongolian (per schedule). Lady announcer speaking, followed contemporary Christian music at 1213. Additional announcer talk at 1214. Poor signal. Evans)

India
All India Radio-Bengaluru, National Channel 9425, 1431-1500. English news buttetin to National Channel identification with frequencies. Program Vivdha interviewing a professor concerning urban planning and management. The Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule continues for this program (Howard).

Indonesia
RRI Makassar 4749.95, 1159-1232.+ Song-of-the-Coconut-Island interval signal, followed by Jakarts program. Local talk from 1226-1232 tune out. Fair signal quality (Wilkins).

Israel
Galei Zahal 6973, 0143-0200. Hebrew programming of announcer’s talk segments between pop music ballads. Live comedy routines at 0148 to announcer’s talk-over wind instruments. Reveille and station ID at 0158 and martial-like music. Presumed commercial string and newscast at 0300. Signal fair at best (Barbour).

Madagascar
Radio Sweden relay 7395, 2030. Report on first swine flu case in Sweden. SIO 454 (Fraser).

Malaysia
Klasik Nasional 5964.92, 1106-1125. News in progress to Klasik Nasional jingle. Qur’an verses alternating with flute music and commentaries. Tuned out at 1125 (Wilkins).

Malaysia/Sarawak
Limbang FM and Wai FM 7270 via RTM, 1308-1335 + 1405. Program in vernacular to “RTM” news and DJ’s pop music. Singing “Limbang” jingle. Poor-fair signal quality with China’s PBS Nei Menggu interference. At 1405, caught the change over to Wai FM programming, singing “Wai FM” jingle (Howard).

Mali
RTV du Mali 5995, 0730-0745. “Ici Radio Mali” in French at 0730 then into newscast. Presumed commentary or editorial, sprinkled with “Radio Mali” IDs for poor signal quality (Barker).

New Zealand
Radio New Zealand International 6170, 0800-0835. Time signal pips to station ID and five minute newscast. Music from the Pacific program with island music. Great early morning listening (Barker).

Northern Marianas
KFBS (saipan-Marpi) 11650, 1221-1230. Religious talk in Russian to contemporary Christian vocal music at 1225. Talk from lady announcer at 1230. Signal poor but steady (Evans).

Oman
BBC WS relay (presumed) 9430, 0211-0215.* Listed as the Azeri service with news items and sound bites. Station pulled the plug in mid-sentence at 0215. Signal fair (Barbour).

Romania
Radio Romania International 9790, 2226. Romanian news features, SIO 453. Noted on // 11940 // 9675 // 7440 with SIO 453 (Frodge) RRI 11735, 1708 with Romanian Business Environment program. SIO 454 (Fraser).

Russia
Radio Rossii via Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka 5920, 1242-1300.* Pop Russian and English music tunes. Station ID and time pips, carrier off at 1302. Fair audio with moderate warble. Signal // to 5940 Magadan (fair) 7200 via Yakutsk (weak) and 7320 via Magadan (weak). Audio was fine on the other frequencies, 7200 is the only one continuing past 1300 (scheduled for 1500 sign-off (Howard).

Rwanda
Deutsche Welle relay 11865, 2110. Report on G-8 meeting in Italy, SIO 454. Noted on // 15205 (also Rwanda) (Fraser).

Singapore
BBC relay via Kranji 9740, 1118. News regarding U.S. Supreme Court nominee and a BBC promo. Various news items, audible too weak amid interference (Barbour).

Spain
Radio Exterior Espana 9665, 1940. Cultural news items between musical bridges, SIO 453 (Fraser).

Thailand
BBC WS relay (Nakhon Sawan) 11750, 1238-1245. Announcer duo with harsh political comments regarding Gordon Brown. Good signal with some fading. (Evans). Harsh political comments ? Geez... ya oughta hear what we say about Obama !!!

USA
WBCQ Monticello, Maine (presumed) 5109.85, 2255-2303. Funky music to brief NPR news at 2300. No ID heard, SIO 354, best to monitor in USB (Frodge).

Armed Forces Radio Network/AFRTS 7811 (via Key West, FL) 2238. Sports program, mentions of “AFRN.” SIO 323 (Frodge).

WINB 9265, 2245. Screaming preacher for poor signal quality (Frodge).

WRMI Miami, FL 9955, 2213-2230. Spanish programming with mentions of “pueblo de Cuca" (Cuba Libre ?) SIO 4+33 on peak with grinder interference (Frodge).

WWCR 7465, 2205. Golden Age of Radio show on the Great Gildersleeve. SIO 454 (Fraser).

Venezuela
Radio Nacional de Venezuela via Havana, Cuba relay. Talks about DXing. Station ID noted as, “Radio Nacional de Venezuela, Canal Internacional.” SINPO 34433 (Slaen).

Thank you to the following contributors
Scott Barbour
Bruce Barker, PA
Jim Evans, TN
Bob Fraser, ME
Harold Frodge, MI
Stewart MacKenzie, CA
Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina
JohnWilkins, CO