DXers Unlimited - Midweek Edition, February 12-13

RADIO HAVANA CUBA
DXERS UNLIMITED´S MIDWEEK EDITION FOR 12-13 Feb 2008
BY ARNIE CORO, CO2KK

Hi amigos radioaficionados all around the world, and moving in orbit around Planet Earth, with solar activity at rock bottom levels... it is really amazing to be able to hear the VP6DX Ducie Island expedition with such good signals here in the Caribbean,and also according to reports received, they are making many contacts in Europe too. Congratulations to the devoted group of radio amateurs that are providing the opportunity to work this rare DX spot, and I hope that the team will also QSL to the many short wave listeners that are expected to send QSL cards to them.

More about the Ducie Island amateur radio DX expedition later in the mid week edition of your favorite radio hobby program , Dxers Unlimited with yours truly Arnie Coro, radio amateur CO2KK at the microphone...

Item Two: A nice analysis of the role of the human voice in broadcasting started around the use here of a especially shaped audio frequency response curve that , it´s true, sounds almost like telephone quality because the lower frequencies are attenuated and the frequency range between 500 and 1500 Hertz or cycles per second are boosted in order to increase the talk power... We also cut abruptly above four kiloHertz, as very little information is sent with my voice above three point five kiloHertz... As a result of this shaping of the audio frequency response curve, Dxers Unlimited is heard better when propagation conditions are marginal, and also in areas where the signal from the station is normally very low because they are not the target of the broadcasts. Thanks to the Ontario DX Association mailing list, we learned that Andy Sennit, from Radio Nederland also used a specially tailored for his voice audio frequency response curve during the time that his popular Media Network program was on the air.

Item Three: During my recent visit to Venezuela I had the opportunity to meet with several well known radio amateurs there that are contests enthusiasts... and they told me that on 160 meters success was very much tied to the use of very effective Beverage type antennas. I fully agree with them and we also discussed about the K9AY receiving loop, an extraordinary antenna system by all standards, that the Venezuelan radio amateurs have also installed and used for their very succesful contest stations. The K9AY loop is not too difficult to homebrew and according to what I have heard about it, reception of the lower frequency bands, including the AM medium wave broadcast band is outstanding as compared with other loops.

More about our radio hobby and its more than 83 ways that you and I can enjoy it in a few seconds when the mid week edition of Dxers Unlimited continues after a short break for station ID. I am Arnie Coro in Havana... stay right on this frequency amigos..

You are listening to Radio Havana Cuba, the name of the show is Dxers Unlimited and YES, we do QSL, we do verify reception reports with a nice QSL card... Just send an e-mail to arnie at rhc dot cu and I will be sending you our QSL card to your postal mailing address VIA AIR MAIL.

Item Four: Some time ago an American broadcast band Dxers wrote to me asking about Radio Reloj, the 24 hours voice only news and information service of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television, the Cuban broadcasting organization. Amigo Chuck from Utah told me in his e-mail that he could pick up several of the RADIO RELOJ´S relay stations, and that he wanted to know which one was the main station in Havana. Well amigo Chuch, RADIO RELOJ was founded in 1947 and it will soon be 61 years old ... its main station transmitter is on 950 kiloHertz and it runs 10 kiloWatts to a very efficient antenna system . The fact that RADIO RELOJ broadcasts on CW Morse Code its station ID with the letters R R, make it a very easy to verify station when you are trying to pick up DX on the AM broadcast band... the one kiloHertz tone with the audio keying of the letters RR is capable of drilling right trough the worst
iInterference conditions, and makes you sure that the station you are picking up is certainly RADIO RELOJ. By the way Radio Reloj is a national network that also has some transmitters on the FM broadcast band... here in Havana, the frequency used is 101.5 megaHertz and the transmitter power is about 10 kiloWatts effective radiated power... So when the upcoming Sporadic E skip season starts sometime in late April, if you hear Radio Reloj on 101.5, you can be sure that it is the City of Havana transmitter !!! The 24 hours of Radio Reloj´s programming is news and information in the voice of two announcers... You can hear two men´s voices, two women´s voices or in some cases a man and a woman reading the news at a speed of about 130 to 150 words per minute in very articulate Spanish... Radio Reloj´s Sunday programming is also voice only, but the words per minute is reduced to about 120 words per minute and each news item is read totally by one of the announcers. The weekend program is called ¨Revista Semanal¨or weekly magazine, and it shares the air time with news bulletins at the top of the hour and the half hour... And before leaving this topic let me add that the Radio Reloj station management does QSL. You can send your QSL requests to Radio Reloj , 23 no 258 and M street Vedado , Havana , Cuba, again , Radio Reloj 23 no 258, and M Street Vedado, spelled Victor Echo Delta Alpha Delta Oscar, Havana, Cuba...

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Item Five: More about my visit to Venezuela... Radio Nacional of Venezuela is now involved as I explained during the weekend edition of Dxers Unlimited, in reaching a nation wide expansion and modernization of its broadcast facilities, that includes he installation of a large number of FM broadcast band transmitters to increase the overage even to the most remote locations. The installation of several new AM broadcast ransmitting stations is also now in the works, using solid state transmitters and highly efficient folded monopole vertical antennas. Most of the new AM broadcast band sites will be serving two of Radio Nacional of Venezuela´s national programs, by means of a diplexer arrangement that allows using the same antenna system for transmitting two different

AM band frequencies . This is a very sound and economical approach that has been used for a long time by AM stations around the world, and now it is even a more efficient approach thanks to the use of the vertical folded and grounded monopole antennas, that also provide additional protection for the solid state output modules of the modern transmitters...

So, in the not too distant future, I am sure that Dxers in South America, the Caribbean Central America and North America will be able to pick up the new Venezuelan AM transmitters broadcasting Radio Nacional of Venezuela different programs, as several of these sites will be using power outputs in the 10 to 50 kiloWatt range... the kind of power that makes possible frequent DX pick up from distances of more than one or two thousand miles away...

But there is still more good news for short wave listeners around the world from Radio Nacional of Venezuela, their international service, CANAL INTERNACIONAL , is also part of the broadcast expansion plans, and a new short wave transmitting station is now under construction there. The new installation will include a 50 kiloWatt transmitter to be operated on the 60 meters Tropical Band, and five 100 kiloWatts short wave transmitters to be operated with several antenna arrays . The new transmitting station is located in the State of Guarico, and the antenna systems will include several high gain curtain arrays and also quadrant type omnidirectional antennas for short and medium range coverage. The new transmitters are of the pulse step modulation type, and very efficient from the point of view of energy conversion, that is that they are capable of producing a 100 percent modulated signal with much less electricity than what is required for a high level plated modulated transmitter.

The Radio Nacional of Venezuela engineering department is in charge of the project and it is expected that the first transmitter may be on the air pretty soon. The new Venezuelan international broadcasting facility is going to be one of the most modern and energy efficient installations in the Americas, and its antenna systems where designed with coverage of the Americas as the prime target area, but as expected , it may be heard around the world when propagation conditions are good. The old Venezuelan Radio Nacional 50 kiloWatt transmitter on 9540 kiloHertz may also soon be back on the air on that traditional frequency that has been in use by the station for many years.

At the present time Radio Nacional of Venezuela Canal Internacional is broadcasting via the Radio Cuba transmitters outside Havana , according to an agreement between the two nations.

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You are listening to Radio Havana Cuba, the name of the show is Dxers Unlimited, and you can send your signal reports, comments about the program and radio hobby related questions to arnie at rhc dotcu, again, very easy to remember and to type too... arnie at rhc dot cu..., VIA AIR MAIL you can get in touch by sending a postcard or letter to Arnie Coro, Radio Havana Cuba, Havana , Cuba... and now the weekend edition of Dxers Unlimited continues via short wave and from 05 to 07 UTC we are also on the world wide web via streaming audio from http://rhc.cu....

And now amigos, just before going QRT, now back in Havana, at RHC Studio 6 and with the audio frequency equalizer set for optimum response to my voice...here is Arnie Coro´s HF plus low band VHF propagation update and forecast. According to solar scientists we are still heading for more zero sunspots days... solar cycle 23 seems to be going to last for at least several more weeks... predictions call for extremely low solar activity , rock bottom solar flux near 70 units and lower, and zero sunspots for at least six more weeks... so , again we will see short wave propagation conditions will limited to the lower frequency bands, with daytime propagation reaching only up to 18 or 20 megaHertz. Night time maximum useable frequency on some paths will dip even below 7 megaHertz , something typical of extremely long periods of very low solar activity. Also be on the alert if you enjoy Dxing on the Low frequency bands Dxers, in the range between 100 kiloHertz and 2 megaHertz, because propagation conditions will be ideal during periods of quiet geomagnetic activity...

AM broadcast band conditions are ideal to bring in some rare and nice DX especially to the South of your location. Amateur radio operators that enjoy the use of the 160 meters 80 and 40 meters bands will be able to work some nice DX during the rest of February and early March... we will see possibly the best conditions for 160 meters for many years to come...

Hope to have you all listening to the weekend week edition of Dxers Unlimited , Saturday and Sunday UTC days, and don´t forget to send me your signal reports , comments about the program and radio hobby related questions to arnie at rhc dot cu, or VIA AIR MAIL to Arnie Coro, Radio Havana Cuba, Havana, Cuba..

French Public TV and Radio Staff Strike

PARIS — Staff at France's public radio and television stations walked off the job Wednesday to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to eliminate advertising on their channels.

Public television stations ran other programs in the slot for newscasts _ reruns of "Friends" replaced one morning news show. Radio stations played music and messages explaining the strike.
More on this story at:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5538276.html
chron.com/Associated Press

Strike hits French state TV and radio
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSL1390668720080213

Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation facing possible strike

The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) – the main propaganda tool for President Robert Mugabe’s government - faces a crippling workers’ strike within days unless management can stump up on a 1200 percent pay adjustment demand. The workers have filed notice to embark on industrial action next week after the meeting of the broadcaster’s board of directors scheduled for 19 February.
In letter dated January 24, and addressed to Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings’ Chief Executive Officer Henry Muradzikwa, the workers said they would strike within 14 days after reaching a stalemate with management on salary negotiations. “The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings employees are demanding a salary increment, a transport allowance increment, a housing allowance increment. The ZBH management has made it a point that they will not meet the demands,” part of the letter reads.
Muradzikwa has since written a letter to the workers warning that any collective job action would be illegal. “I wish to point out that management is aware of the need to review salaries and allowances and is very much cognisant of the hardships the ZBH workforce is facing in the current inflationary times,” Muradzikwa said in a memorandum dated 7 February.
A ZBC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the corporation’s finances were in “precarious position” due to low advertising revenues. The Zimbabwe government, the official said, had also been reluctant to enforce the payment of TV and radio licence fees, fearing the move could cost Zanu PF votes in general elections on March 29. The ZBC enjoys a radio and television monopoly in Zimbabwe, allowing President Mugabe’s Zanu PF party to employ it as an exclusive propaganda tool.
(Source: NewZimbabwe.com/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Venezuela's Antena Internacional plans for new shortwave station

In the not too distant future, I am sure that Dxers in South America, the Caribbean, Central America and North America will be able to pick up the new Venezuelan AM transmitters broadcasting Radio Nacional of Venezuela different programs, as several of these sites will be using power outputs in the 10 to 50 kiloWatt range... the kind of power that makes possible frequent DX pick up from distances of more than one or two thousand miles away

But there is still more good news for short wave listeners around the world from Radio Nacional of Venezuela, their international service, CANAL INTERNACIONAL, is also part of the broadcast expansion plans, and a new short wave transmitting station is now under construction there.

The Radio Nacional of Venezuela engineering department is in charge of the project and it is expected that the first transmitter may be on the air pretty soon. The new Venezuelan international broadcasting facility is going to be one of the most modern and energy efficient installations in the Americas, and its antenna systems where designed with coverage of the Americas as the prime target area, but as expected, it may be heard around the world when propagation conditions are good. The old Venezuelan Radio Nacional 50 kiloWatt transmitter on 9540 kiloHertz may also soon be back on the air on that traditional frequency that has been in use by the station for many years.

At the present time Radio Nacional of Venezuela Canal Internacional is broadcasting via the Radio Cuba transmitters outside Havana, according to an agreement between the two nations.
(excerpt from DXer's Unlimited via Arnie Coro, 12 Feb. 2008)

Located in the State of Guárico, the antenna systems will include several high gain curtain arrays and quadrant type omnidirectional antennas for short and medium range coverage. The new transmitters are of the pulse step modulation type, and are capable of producing a 100 percent modulated signal. This type will produce less electricity than what is required for a high level plated modulated transmitter.
Gayle VH

Saint Helena revises P.O. Box

SAINT HELENA. QSL-Address: Change of P. O. Box-Number

Please change the Post Box number from 24 back to 93 for all reception reports and letters in future to Radio St. Helena. Any mail sent to Post Box 24 will still be received at RSH, but RSH would like to change back to using only one Post Box for any future correspondence.
Many thanks and with best greetings to all SWL's everywhere,

Miss Laura Lawrence, Station Manager of Radio St. Helena.
(Source: Robert Kipp; Feb. 2008, via Rich D`Angelo, NASWA Flashsheet)

Review - World Radio TV Handbook 2008

The 2008 edition of World Radio TV Handbook, has recently released their 62st edition, for the worldwide listening audience.

This years edition begins with WRTH Receiver Reviews that include semi-pro receivers from ICOM, Flex Radio, and DRM receivers. Readers will enjoy features taking a closer look at broadcasting from the Falklands Radio and a Digital Update.
In recent months Radio Voice of the People, a Zimbabwean clandestine station has been a focus in the hobby press. This year's WRTH feature delves into the station's past and plans for the future.
George Jacobs features the HF Broadcast Reception and conditions to expect during 2008 with Most Suitable Frequencies to compliment your bandscanning for the year. From active monitoring, the National and International radio sections, as the previous year, appear to be as accurate as possible, thanks to an international contributing staff. Information on seasonal frequency adjustments may be viewed and downloaded at http://www.wrth.com . The station frequency updating information, posted between the annual issue, continues to be a successful solution for hobbyists seeking current frequencies as they become available

National Radio and International Radio provide detailed listings that include station name, leading personnel, postal addresses, and website URLs. AM/FM/SW frequencies, power, and programming complete each country listings. Clandestine and other target Broadcast have station listings for stations politically motivated from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
The Frequency List, contains world medium wave listings, followed by the by-frequency
Shortwave Stations of the World, Broadcast in English, DRM International Broadcasters and world television. An extensive Reference section will assist the radio listener through many hours of listening and viewing periods.

WRTH 2008 continues to set radio hobby standards. It remains the most respected and authorative radio reference book in the world, and should be in every hobbyist listening post. Mr Hardyman and his dedicated staff have once again provided the radio listener with the ultimate guide.

WRTH 2008 (BOK-03-08) is available from Grove Enterprises http://www.grove-ent.com for $ 26.95 plus S/H, at: 1-800-438-8155; 7540 Hwy 64 West, Brasstown, NC 28902..
Review by Gayle Van Horn/Monitoirng Times

Review - Klingenfuss 2008 Shortwave Frequency Guide

The 12th Edition, 2008 Klingenfuss Shortwave Guide, has been released to the world listening hobby, in the midst of this years DX season. The latest edition, as with last years volume, has combined worldwide broadcast and utility stations in one edition, to comprise two reference aids in one book.

The 474 page , 12th Edition, begins with Monitoring Utility Stations, a how-to guide of features and a by-frequency utility radio station arranged with call signs, station name, mode and details.
Frequency list of broadcast radio stations introduce the worldwide broadcast scene, DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) and a start/end DRM schedule.

The broadcast radio stations is listed by frequency (2310-26045 kHz), station name, country, start/end times, language, target areas and remarks.

DXers who would rather focus on a particular county, will find the same frequency listing and easy to follow format in the by-country section, Alphabetical List of Broadcast Radio Stations.

Frequency information, as well as parallel frequencies appear to be as accurate as possible considering seasonal frequency adjustments. As with other hobby publications, the Shortwave Frequency Guide, uses a respected staff of leading radio cntributors, providing the latest in information on the broadcast scene.

The Klingenfuss Shortwave Guide, remains a favorite reference aid in the Van Horn DX Cabin. The modern layout for quick information access is easy to use. Whether monitoring a utility or broadcast station, this basic, no frills method of radio reference remains an asset to every listener.

For ordering information on the 2008 Klingenfuss Shortwave Frequency Guide book, refer to: http://www.klingenfuss.org/ or Universal Radio http://www.universal-radio.com/ Book # 5055, $ 39.95 + S/H. Phone: 1-800-431-3939; FAX 1 614 866-2339. Universal Radio, Inc., 6830 Americana Parkway, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068-4113 USA.
Review by Gayle Van Horn/Monitoring Times

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins

Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2008 Feb 12 2253 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC contact on the Web
# http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/weekly.html
#
# Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity
04 - 10 February 2008

Solar activity was very low. No flares were detected. Region 982 (S09, L = 248, class/area Bxo/060 on 30 January) decayed to plage early in the period.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels during 4 - 9 February.

The geomagnetic field was mostly quiet during 04 - 09 February. Activity increased to minor storm levels on 10 February with major to severe storm levels detected at high latitudes. ACE solar wind measurements indicated a solar sector boundary crossing on 08 February (negative (toward) to positive (away) polarity) associated with minor changes in velocity, proton density, and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). A co-rotating interaction region (CIR) was detected during 09 - 10 February, in advance of a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream. The CIR was associated with increased proton densities (peak 27 p/cc at 10/0506 UTC) and significant changes in the IMF including increased Bt (peak 17 nT at 10/0600 UTC) and intermittent periods of southward Bz (minimum -15 nT at 10/1020 UTC). The high-speed stream commenced early on 10 February and reached a peak velocity of 742 km/sec near the close of the period.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity
13 February - 10 March 2008

Solar activity is expected to be very low.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels during
13 - 24 February and 29 February - 10 March.

The geomagnetic field is expected to be unsettled to active on 13 February due a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream. Quiet to unsettled conditions are expected during 14 - 15 February as the high-speed stream gradually subsides. Mostly quiet conditions are
forecast for 16 - 27 February. Activity is expected to increase to active levels during 28 - 29 February due to another recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream. Quiet to unsettled levels are
expected during 01 - 07 March as the high-speed stream subsides. Activity is expected to increase to active levels during 08 - 09 March with minor to major storm periods possible at high latitudes due to a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream. Unsettled conditions are expected on the last day of the period as the high-speed stream begins to subside.


Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2008 Feb 12 2253 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC contact on the Web
# http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html
#
# 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
# Issued 2008 Feb 12
#
# UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest
# Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index
2008 Feb 13 72 15 4
2008 Feb 14 72 12 3
2008 Feb 15 72 10 3
2008 Feb 16 72 5 2
2008 Feb 17 72 5 2
2008 Feb 18 72 5 2
2008 Feb 19 72 5 2
2008 Feb 20 72 5 2
2008 Feb 21 72 8 3
2008 Feb 22 72 5 2
2008 Feb 23 72 5 2
2008 Feb 24 72 5 2
2008 Feb 25 72 5 2
2008 Feb 26 72 5 2
2008 Feb 27 72 5 2
2008 Feb 28 72 15 4
2008 Feb 29 72 15 4
2008 Mar 01 72 12 3
2008 Mar 02 72 10 3
2008 Mar 03 72 8 3
2008 Mar 04 72 5 2
2008 Mar 05 72 5 2
2008 Mar 06 72 8 3
2008 Mar 07 72 10 3
2008 Mar 08 72 15 4
2008 Mar 09 72 15 4
2008 Mar 10 72 10 3
(NOAA)

All India Radio continues DRM testing

All India Radio continues to test DRM as follows on February 13 as follows:

Test transmissions in DRM mode between 0530 UTC - 1130 UTC on 15050 kHz (via Khampur, Delhi)
(Source: Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India)

Radio Heritage Foundation Newsletter

News from the Radio Heritage Foundation
http://www.radioheritage.net/
Connecting the stories of Pacific radio and popular culture

What's New! You'll find some of our new look Radio Dial series now online. As well as being a 'snapshot' of the radio dial at a specific time, we now look at the social and popular culture context of the same time.music, movies, population trends, big events, and, as usual, lots of nice images.

You'll enjoy Shanghai Radio Dial 1941 with the eye witness reports about XMHA's Carroll Duard Alcott, the American broadcaster who wore bullet-proof vests and see the surprising number of local stations on air at the time. This item has been getting hundreds of hits and local Shanghai commentators say the radio dial sounded more interesting then than now..so check it out!

Another of the new look snapshots covers the California Radio Dial 1928 in the days when barely 50 stations were on air across the entire state, and the two most powerful stations were KFI Los Angeles and KGO San Francisco..fascinating and long forgotten callsigns and names of
broadcast pioneers..now at http://www.radioheritage.net/

Coming soon..Australia Radio Dial 1931.
Plans to privatize the Samoan Broadcasting Corporation feature in our multi-media presentation Samoan Radio Sale Threatens Public Radio Future. Online you'll find the full story plus exclusive images, expert analysis of public radio changes in Samoa, Cook Islands and American Samoa and what the future holds as new and free public radio services enter the airwaves. At http://www.rnzi.com/ you can listen to the audio version as one of our growing number of documentaries featuring on the long running 'Mailbox' program. [Click on January 21 audio]

This is one of a new series looking at challenges facing Pacific radio that we'll be releasing over the coming six months.leading up to the Pacific Radio Conference to be held in Wellington, New Zealand in lateSeptember 2008. You'll find more information about the conference shortly at http://www.radioheritage.net/ .

Keep September 26-28 free and make plans to attend. We've booked substantial room blocks at several central city hotels at excellent rates, and it just so happens that the world famous Wearable Arts Awards will be on in the city at the same time!

RNZI/Radio New Zealand Shortwave 60th Anniversary...September 26, 2008 is also the anniversary of shortwave broadcasting from New Zealand. We're looking for old audio recordings, program guides, QSL cards, magazine or newspaper clippings, photos, and memories of the station, its programs and personalities. Can you help? Let us know what you have as it may help us as we research special radio documentaries for RNZI to celebrate the anniversary. What you have, may be a vital part of the story!

Please email info@radioheritage.net or write to us at Radio Heritage Foundation, PO Box 14339, Wellington 6241, New Zealand. You can also see our online account of the first broadcasts from Radio New Zealand on shortwave at www.radioheritage.net today.

More New Content Online ..our series about radio broadcasting in the Borneo and Singapore region continues with the story of Radio in Brunei, our series about merican broadcasting from Australia during WWII now includes VLC Shepparton and the story of early American shortwave radio heard around the Pacific has added CBS on Air from Philadelphia [WCAU].and we'll continue to add more to these series shortly.

You'll also find the story about Radio Pasifik Nauru the new station on the island, and one that may hold some of the answers to the challenges facing Pacific radio today. Golden Memories looks at how radio broadcasting of music from the 1930s-50s may help elderly Australians cope with the challenges of growing old.

Volunteers Needed to Grow Website Content...our webmaster needs help! Do you have a spare hour or two a week? Some basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, ASP, image optimization, RSS and FTP desirable, but also suitable for people wanting to learn.

The job involves taking stories and provided images and making them up accurately according to a template, deciding on image size/placement and optimizing for the web, modifying an RSS file, uploading the files to a test site. Opportunities are available to undertake functional development with ACCESS databases and ASP if suitable.

These are volunteer roles, and you'll be contributing to the growth of the Radio Heritage Foundation website www.radioheritage.net During 2007, the number of hits to the site rose 65% over 2006 to reach almost 2 million, and the number of visitors grew almost 60% to reach nearly 200,000. Volunteers welcome from anywhere in the world.

Contact us today at info@radioheritage.net if you'd like to help us expand. Volunteering with us is fun!

Kiwi Radio Campaign....you'll see we now have a special zone at the website for news and information about the 3 year campaign...including an item about our first Kiwi Radio Celebrity.Ambrose Reeves Harris, the founder of the Radio Broadcasting Company of NZ.

Pacific Radio Guides.......Bruce Portzer in Seattle continues to expand this wonderful online service for listeners, stations and the business community. As well as the Pacific Asian Log Mediumwave guide we now have the Pacific Asian Log Shortwave guide and work has now started on the new Pacific Asian Log FM guide to reflect the massive growth in FM radio across the entire region.

These are major efforts, with thousands of stations, transmitters, locations and other data available to freely download or search online at www.radioheritage.net.

You'll also enjoy our new series of Pacific Radio Guides, coming online shortly, and starting with New Zealand AM Radio, Australia Narrowband 1611-1702 AM Radio, Hawaii AM Radio, Pacific Islands AM Radio and Pacific Islands FM Radio.

Our highly popular New Zealand Low Power FM Radio Guide will be included in the new series, and is currently online with nearly 1,200 entries. Check out the NZLPFM Blog for some great art work and news from some of the great LPFMs on air today! We'll also be making guides easier to access, easier to use, and expanding the information
available. In the meantime, enjoy!

Pacific Wide Content.also coming in 2008, many more early Australian AM stations from our popular Long lost Australian Radio Stars series, more in our Armed Forces Radio Heritage series, more of our popular on-line art exhibitions in the Art of Radio series, and more from our Radio Dial series.

Los Angeles, San Francisco, Argentina, Japan, China, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Antarctica, are just some of the places covered in our planned content during the year..and if there are places and stations you want to see included, write to us at info@radioheritage.net and tell us.

Please pass this newsletter on to friends and colleagues who you think will be interested in making the connections between radio and popular culture across the Asia Pacific region. No state funded radio or sound archives in the entire region makes their collections freely available online 24/7 like we do.
(Source: Radio Heritage/HCDX)

BBC announces shortwave changes for Europe

The remaining BBC World Service shortwave transmissions to Europe will close on 18th February 2008.

This change is being made in line with listener trends in radio. Increasing numbers of people around the world are choosing to listen to radio on a range of other platforms including FM, satellite and online, with fewer listening on shortwave.

Alternatives
This is particularly the case in Europe, where the majority of shortwave transmissions ceased in March 2007. The current closures affect the remaining transmissions heard in southern Europe.

This will be a loss to some listeners, but there are alternative ways of hearing BBC programmes. For more information about other ways to listen, please follow the link below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/help/2007/12/071204_western_euro.shtml

(Source: BBC World Service) http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/help/2008/02/080208_sw_changes_euro.shtml

Blog Logs

Thanks to Jim Evans, Harold Frodge, Stewart MacKenzie, Chuck Bolland, Brian Alexander, and Ron Howard, for the following loggings. Contributions are always welcome at the above email address.


All times UTC *sign-on sign-off* // parallel frequencies

Algeria
6300. Radio National Saharaui (Rabouni), 2303-2330, Spanish. Local pop music with announcements by man. Possible brief news items at 2330. Poor signal, improving slightly (SINPO 24222). (J Evans, TN)

Argentina
15820LSB Radio Continental relay (presumed)2037-2105, Wide variety of tunes of Andean flute, baladas, opera and flamico (my description) to announcements in Spanish at 2100. One promo began as, "Cinco" (5-90?). SIO=153- at tune-in but deteriorated continually and gone by 2105. (H. Frodge, MI/Cumbre DX)

Australia
Radio Australia via Shepparton. 11880, 2002. English. SIO 333. Announcer's comments to news items. Frequency noted as noisy during monitoring. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Bolivia
3310, Radio Mosoj Chaski, 1000-1015. Noted a weak signal here for a few minutes until about 1005 when it started to fade in a little better. At that time a male in Spanish comments was heard until about 1009. The male "stepped aside" then for music which continued for a minute or two. At 1013, possible canned promos heard. Signal was poor to fair. (C. Bolland, FL)

4732, Radio Universitaria, 1048-1100. Noted music at tune-in. Announcers' canned promos and program comments to station identification. Signal was poor to fair with CODAR interference. (C Bolland, FL)

Botswana
Voice of America relay. 12080, 2010 French features and interview to ID. SIO 333. (S. MacKenzie,CA)

Brazil
4754.86 ZYF904 Radio Immaculada Conceicao (presumed) 0548-0602+, Male announcer in Portuguese with lite regional ballads. ID @0600 may have been Radio Immaculada with out Conceicao. Talk with a religious cadence but didn't hear any key words. SIO=3+32+. Best in USB, lite swiper. QRM (H. Frodge, MI/Cumbre DX)

Bulgaria
Radio Bulgaria. 9400, 0030 English. SIO 333. Lady announcer's comments plus music to male announcer's program comments at 0400. //7400. SIO 222. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Equatorial Guinea
6250, Radio Nacional-Malabo, 0535-0610, Spanish talk. Hi-life music. "Radio Nacional" ID at 0603. Radio Malabo ID at 0604. Fair but occasional RTTY QRM. (B. Alexander, PA)

Eritrea
7099.98, VOBME, Asmara, Program 1, *0355-0425 Opening announcements and talk at 0359. Horn of Africa music. Fair signal. Program 2 on 7170/7175 not heard. (B. Alexander, PA)

Ethiopia
7110, Radio Ethiopia, *0259-0325. Sign on with interval signal on electronic keyboard. Amharic talk at 0300. Horn of Africa music at 0303. Fair but some adjacent channel splatter. No //s heard. (B. Alexander, PA)

Guam
15320 AWR (KSDA) (Agat), 2245-2259*, English. Religious talk by man. Closing announcements by man and woman at 2258 followed by music. Very poor signal with heavy fading (SINPO 24222). (J Evans, TN)

Guinea
7125. Radio Conakry (presumed). 2231-2301, French service. Upbeat West African music with occasional announcements from male host. Signal at noise level at tune in, improving to good with significant fading (SINPO 34323). (J Evans, TN)

Indonesia
3976, RRI Pontianak,(presumed) 1023-1035. female announcers' Indonesian language comments, joined by male announcer at 1027. Music tunes at 1028. Amateur radio operators on frequency temporarily causing interference. Weak signal. (C Bolland, FL)

11785.0. Voice of Indonesia, Jakarta-Cimanggis, 1701-1755. Multi-language ID for the VOI program in Spanish. Music ballads, Middle Eastern type music. Poor-fair signal, surprised to find them on frequency. (R. Howard, CA)

Japan
Radio Japan-NHK. 13650, 0015 English. SIO 444. Announcer's presentation Pop Up Japan program of pop music. "Sayonora" at 0018 to station ID at 0019. Programming off by 0020, //17810. SIO 333. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Kurdistan
6335, Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan, 0337-0355. Middle eastern style music. Talk in unidentified language. Qu'ran at 0341-0350. Lite instrumental music at 0350. Poor signal under RTY staiton. (B Alexander, PA)

Liberia
4760 ELWA (Monrovia), 2254-2303*, English. Religious music with short religious talk by man. Anthem at 2300 followed by a couple of minutes of unmodulated carrier to 2303*. Poor signal (SINPO 22222). (J Evans, TN)

Madagascar
11610, Radio Voice of the People via Madagascar. *0400-0430. Still on this frequency. Sign on with vernacular talk. Short music breaks. Occasional IDs. Poor. Weak. Fairly well covered by the music loop jammer which did not start until 0420. (B. Alexander, PA)

Myanmar
5985.83. Myanma Radio, 1430-1600*. Just after Shiokaze signed-off at 1430 heard start of an English lesson, "International English" program presented by David and lady announcer. "My name is David. My name is …" "Where are you from? I am from India", question repeated many times with different responses (U.S., Japan, Brazil, etc.), vocabulary given (cinema, hotel, restaurant, etc.), played some music (Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance", etc.), in the past I have also noted a similar program on 5040.6. At 1514 usual marching music, local time given, news in English (several mentions of the State Peace and Development Council and the Ministry of Defense, etc.), weather for Myanmar and Myanmar waters, "That was the news from Myanma Radio, Yangon", slogans about development given over indigenous music, long segment of non-stop easy-listening instrumental music, before sign-off titles of music given to national anthem. Signal fair-poor, after 1445 bothered by a het, after 1500 splatter from strong station on 5980. Not often that I hetrodyne them with decent reception. (R. Howard, CA)

Niger
9705 La Voix du Sahel (presumed). 2106-2130+. Announcer in French, taking phone calls--some in local languages. All calls brief with music between calls. Poor signal at QRN level. (H. Frodge,MI/Cumbre DX)

Nigeria
15120 Voice of Nigeria (Ikorodu), 1755-1800, English. "60 Minutes" program with economic news by man and regional news by woman. Identification by woman at 1800 as "Voice of Nigeria, Lagos" followed by news by woman. Good signal (SINPO 44333). (J Evans, TN)

Northern Marinas
11850 Radio Free Asia (Tinian), 2230-2235, English and ?. English identification by man with announcement that Thai programming was beginning (schedule and lists indicate Khmer language). Talk by woman and man. Moderate signal SINPO 34333). No parallels noted. (J Evans, TN)

Oman
15140, Radio Sultanate of Oman. 1408-1500. Tune-in to Euro-pop/US pop music. Chimes/gongs at 1430 & into English news at 1431-1440. Station ID to pop music at 1440-1500. Weak modulation but better than usual. (B. Alexander, PA

Peru
4774.97, Radio Tarma, 1059, 1105. Live station ID noted at tune-in as, "...Radio Tarma ...", followe dby brief music. Announcers' text at 1101, followed by additional identificaiton at 1102. Signal poor with splatter. (C. Bolland, FL)

5039.17, Radio Libertad, (presumed),110, 1115. Spanish comments, possibly newscast and to 1115. Music presentations, amid fading signal being fair. (C Bolland, FL)

Slovakia
9825, Miraya FM, via IRRS, *1459-1515. Sign on with African music. Time pips, ID and English news about Africa at 1501. Canned "Miraya 101" ID. Fair signal level but poor, difficult overall copy due to co-channel station in at equal level. No sign of any jammers today. (B. Alexander, PA)

South Korea
9805. KBS World Radio via Kimjae. (presumed), 2306-2317. Chinese comments followed at 2310 by program of talk by woman and occasional music. Signal at noise level with little improvement. (J Evans, TN)

Sweden
606. Radio Sweden via Hoerby. 2229-2235. English. Interval signal to ID and sign-on with announcements via male/female announcer duo. News and discussion on economics. Initial signal poor signal improving quickly to SINPO 33223. Some cochannel interference from China. (J Evans, TN)

Tanzania
11735, Radio Tanzania-Zanzibar. 1800-1830. Still no English news. Swahili talk only. Distinctive local music. Fair to good signal. (B. Alexander, PA)

Thailand
Radio Thailand. 9680, 0021. English. ISO 333. Male/female's converstation and comments plus music tunes. News items at 0026. Suddenly off the air 0029, resuming in English with an ID as "Radio Thailand." // 12095. (S MacKenzie, CA)

United Arab Emirates
7115 NHK/Radio Japan (Al-Dhabbaya) relay, 2238-2245, Japanese. Traditional Japanese music with talk by two women. Poor signal (SINPO 24222). Much better signal (SINPO 34333) via parallel Ascension relay. (J Evans, TN)

Zanzibar
11735Radio Tanzania Zanzibar, 1900-2017, Swahili. Talk by man on the hour followed by program of upbeat local music with announcements by man. Same at 2000. Initially a poor signal with heavy fading (SINPO 24222), improving slightly throughout the broadcast. (J Evans, TN)

11735, Radio Tanzania-Zanzibar, 1757-1812. Pop song to Swahili at 1800, seemed to be segment about Islam and brief reciting from Qur'an, into music program (calypso type song, songs in English ["You're Still The One" by Shania Twain, etc.]). Fair signal. As Brian Alexander and others have recently noted, the Spice FM news at 1800, in English, is "rarely heard lately". (R. Howard, CA)

Chadian national radio operating from temporary studios

Chadian state radio and TV have resumed broadcasting, following a break in operations after rebels stormed the capital Ndjamena on 2 February.
Hobbyists, who had been listening carefully for shortwave transmissions from Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne (RNT, also known as Radio Tchad), reported on enthusiasts’ websites that erratic broadcasts were heard on 6 February, and more consistent output monitored the following day. The transmissions are being heard on the usual shortwave frequency of 4905 kHz.

Studios
Radio France Internationale (RFI) noted on 8 February that Radio Tchad was also broadcasting locally in Ndjamena on its usual frequency of 98.05 FM. It said that alternative studios were now being used, after the station’s former premises were looted and burnt during the recent fighting.

The French news agency AFP on 7 February said Radio Tchad was now being hosted in the offices of a private radio station inside Ndjamena’s grand mosque. AFP had reported on 5 February that national television returned to the air that day.
(Source: BBC Monitoring research 6-7 Feb 08/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne active frequencies

7 February 2008 at 1900 R Chad had a frequency announcement on 4905 kHz. I noted they announced one 41 mb frequency, but couldn'tmake out what it was. Jean-Michel Aubier in France had a listen tothe audio file and he says:------"Not easy to unsterstand with their african accent !The man announces 7120 kHz in the morning and 4905 kHz in the evening + 94.5 MHz in N'DjamenaNo precise schedule given."------So, 6165 was changed to 7120.Many thanks, Jean-Michel and many thanks also to Mauno Ritola and Henrik Klemetz for their help.Jari (Source: J. Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland/HCDX)

Usually in the past x 6165:
4905 0430-approx. 0730 + 1800-2300
7120 0730-1030 Fri/Sat 1030-1800 daily
(wb, Germany/HCDX)

Radio Stations in the United Kingdom publication now available

NEW 21st edition of BDXC's ever popular publication "Radio Stations in the United Kingdom" is now available.

This 68-page booklet follows the successful format of previous editions with its comprehensive frequency-by-frequency guide to domestic mediumwave and FM stations in the UK. It covers all BBC, commercial and community radio stations as well as the low power AM and FM stations operating with long-term restricted service licences.

Features include:
All stations listed by frequency as well as station name
Frequencies cross-referenced to show parallel channels
Transmitter sites, powers and transmitter polarisation
full postal addresses, telephone and fax numbers, web sites
Comprehensive listing of long-term Low Power AM and FM stations at colleges, hospitals, schools, sports venues, prisons and army garrisons
Full details of the many new Community Radio stations
Separate section covers RTE and independent stations in Ireland
"Radio Stations in the UK" aims to be the most accurate and comprehensive guide to British domestic radio for the DXer and UK radio enthusiast. Since the last edition there have been many changes and dozens of new stations have come on the air.

Anyone planning a holiday or business trip in the UK, or visiting the country would find the guide invaluable in helping to identify the numerous radio stations now on the air. Why not order a second copy to keep in your car?

For ordering information of Radio Staions in the U.K. consult:
http://www.bdxc.org.uk/

HD radio: If a Tree Fell and No One Hears It ...

By Marc Fisher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 10, 2008; Page M05

Chasing an audience that has migrated to iPods, Internet radio, pay satellite services and the burgeoning world of cellphone music, the AM and FM radio industry has spent the past couple of years beckoning listeners to discover the "secret stations" of HD radio.

But what is the secret? If you were to shell out somewhere between $80 and $300 for a new radio capable of receiving the digital signals that have added about 1,600 stations across the country, what would you hear?

I spent the better part of a week listening to the HD offerings on Washington stations, and came away impressed by the commitment two stations have made to the new technology but underwhelmed by the great majority of what's on HD
More on this story from The Washington Post at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020801035.html

Photo: HD Radio 2/Gadgetell

Waging a tiny rebellion via shortwave radio

At Ease
By John Vinocur

The kid has a sharp eye. Look, mom, he says, pointing, there's a crazy-man on that roof.

What he sees, about an hour past nightfall, is a guy on the second-floor roof-terrace of a small white building, holding what in the just-short-of-blackness probably resembles a small silvery box attached to a fishing rod.

He is facing the sea, about 30 yards distant, and moving the rod as if he were angling for something. His box has a slightly greenish glow. In the trace of light that's left, he could seem to be fiddling with one of those remote controls that power model racecars.
More on this story from International Herald Tribune-Americas
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/08/america/letter.php?page=1

New Swiss radio station hopes to unite football fans

Fans to tune in to Rhythm of Football

A unique radio station will hit the Swiss airwaves in June aimed at uniting football fans from all the countries participating in the Euro 2008 tournament.
Radio 11 will run only during the competition, offering a diverse mix of music from the 16 nations and tips for supporters on where to go and what to do to get the most out of their stay in Switzerland.
Read more from Swissinfo.ch at:
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/Fans_to_tune_in_to_Rhythm_of_Football.html?siteSect=108&sid=8716172&cKey=1202551843000&ty=st

Pirate logs from Free Radio Weekly

Thanks to the pirate chasers at Free Radio Weekly for the latest newsletter Enjoy this sampling of pirate logs.
Gayle VH

All times UTC *sing-on sign-off*

Artificial Intelligence Radio
6925USB, 1650-1700* 1/27/08 SIO=141/141+. A new one for me, just barely fished out of the noise with a weak signal. A discussion between from two males with a chipmunk voice about the digital future of the planet. Plenty of new age space music. One phone call to the aliens who made some remarks toward the end. (G. Zeller, OH)

Captain Morgan
6924.5USB 2111-21151* 1/27/07 SIO=141/242. A very confusing production of some rock music, but mainly cell phone calls from amale in the toilet of a restaurant who calls the waitress to get some toilet paper into the bathroom, which he needs. Another phone call to the waitress about a customer who went nuts after drinking coffee in the restaurant and then got arrested by the cops on the way home. The male calling wants $250 from the waitress to bail
the guy out of jail. Outer Limits TV audio here and there. The show went all the way until 2141 until it had an ID of "Captain Morgan in the pirate zone." A confusing program. No address announced. (G. Zeller, OH)

Long Range Radio
6925USB 0120-0211* 1/26/08 SIO=444. Lengthy program f almost an hour w/a comedian right there in the studio. The comedian was some guy from Hoboken, NJ. He told jokes, and the host laughed. There were several episodes of why the internet is better than the radio. A few novelty tunes were mixed into this comedy extravaganza. The comic told a story about a woman's dogs who were playing tug of war with a pair of her panties. One of his better jokes was about baseball. He said that rooting for the Yankees was like going into a casino and rooting for the house. No aaddress announced during the long broadcast. (G Zeller, OH)

Maple Leaf Radio
6925USB 1/17/8 17:16 sio232, weak, with a lot of noise, some sort of skit, followed by sign off Canadian anthem at 17:18, back on again at 17:40 or so with "Snowbird" (A. Fansome, PA)

Puxatawney Pothead
6925USB, 1713-1746*. 02 Feb 08. English. First log of this station. Puxatony Phil’s annual broadcast on Groundhog Day. Mentions of broadcasting from Puxatawney Pennsylvania. USA. Several ID’s and music by the Stones and others. Address given as P.O. Box 1, Belfast NY 14711, USA. (J.Wood, TN).

WBNY
6925 USB 01/30/08 21:35- SIO 444 Monkey Boy repeated with sound clips, Dark Side of the Moon and echo. (Ragnar-MI)

Wolverine Radio
6925 USB 01/16/08 01:00-02:13 SIO 444. Bob & Tom skit, song from Heywood Banks, ID at sign off (Ragnar-MI)
(Source: Free Radio Weekly #625 via Ed Insinger)

Blog Logs - China

All times UTC // parallel frequencies *sing-on sing-off*

3900, Hulun Buir PBS, Hailar, 0020-0030, Jan 24, Chinese talk, RTTY QRM, SINPO 34443. (Petersen)

3990, Gannan PBS, Tianshui, 0010-0020, Jan 24, Tibetan ann, opera - quite clear under Xinjiang, SINPO 33443. (Petersen)

4460, Voice of China, Beijing, 2319-2345, Jan 26 and 27, Chinese talks, music, advs (?), ID, SINPO 55343. (D’Angelo/FCDX and Gonçalves)

4500, Xinjiang PBS, Urumqi, 0117-0129, Jan 26, Mongolian, light music, IDs, SINPO 45333. (Gonçalves)

4750, Voice of China, X'ian, 2245-2315, Jan 24, Chinese discussions and talk // 4800. Qinghai relayed the same programme until time signal at 2300. Then it continued with own programme. Qinghai was slightly stronger here, SINPO 33333 CODAR QRM. (Petersen)

4900, Voice of the Strait, Fuzhou, 1525-1545, Jan 23, Amoy ann, Chinese instrumental music, talk, 24232 splashes from Xizang PBS 4905. (Petersen)

4950, Voice of Pujiang, Fuzhou (t), 1127-1135, Jan 26, music and Chinese comments. Signal is very, very threshold and only fading in periodically. Earlier broadcast than previous schedule. (Bolland)

5039.96, Fujian PBS, Fuzhou, 2310-2323*, Jan 23, Chinese news, Heterodyne SINPO 23333 // 4974.8 (15111). (Petersen)

6050.0, Xizang PBS, Lhasa (p), 1335, Jan 29, talk in Chinese over piano music. After years of hearing the heterodyne against Asyik FM (via RTM on 6049.64) and not being able to get any audio from the station on 6050.0 that caused the heterodyne, I have finally found the identity of my mystery station, with the timely assistance of Noel Green, who tipped me off that it was Tibet. On Jan 25 he had a heterodyne, caused by a weaker Asyik FM (presumed). Fortunately for me Asyik FM has been off the air for several days, plus better than normal reception conditions for Tibet today, all help to solve this puzzle. Thank you Noel! (Howard)

6115, Voice of Strait, Fuzhou (p), 0946-1002, Jan 25 and 31, program of indigenous chanting/singing, // with 7280 till about 0958, when 7280 changes to a different program, ToH 5+1 pips, both about equal level, fair-good. (Howard)

6200, Xizang PBS, Lhasa, 1340, Jan 29, CNR-8 programming: traditional singing, assume in Tibetan, fair, // 4905 (weak), 4920(weak), 6110 (fair). Clearly // with CNR-8 at http://www.multilingualbooks.com/online-radio-chinese.html . Decent day for Tibet reception. (Howard)

9750, Nei Menggu PBS, Hohhot, 0743-0802, Jan 24, in assume Mongolian, played variety of music (traditional Asian music, modern Western orchestra music, indigenous chanting/singing, etc.), unusually good reception till strong *0755 of NHK. Heard // 7270 (fair), under which I heard a station sign on at about 0800, in French (Radio Gabon?), but Nei Menggu dominated. (Howard)

9820, Guangxi FBS, Nanning, 2343-0027, Jan 27, talks in Vietnamese, fair with // 5050 poor. (D’Angelo/FCDX)

9820, China Business R, Xi’an, 1330-1417, Jan 28, Chinese talks hosting a program of Chinese music. News at 1355. Fair to good signal but intermittent transmission breaks. (D’Angelo/FCDX)
11720, Voice of Minorities, Beijing, *1100-1110, Feb 02, Uighur talks, SINPO 44444. Heard // 9690 and 12055 which both were weaker. (Bredahl Jorgensen)
(Source: DSWCI/DX Window # 343 via Anker Petersen)

Radio Netherlands launches Chinese website

On Monday 11 February, Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) will be launching its new Chinese-language website www.rnw.nl/chinese in Amsterdam.
The site is aimed at Chinese people with a special interest in the Netherlands and provides Dutch news and background information. It is the first time RNW has targetted China. The site is designed to help promote press freedom and pluralism in China long-term.
There will be daily news reports from the Netherlands and a review of Dutch newspapers on the site. It will also include topical pieces where the Dutch view is of interest to China, for example, the environment, water management, health care and culture. Chinese people will gain information on the Netherlands and Dutch society.
Limits
The website will have to take some account of the limitations in China. RNW’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief, China expert Ardi Bouwers, explains:
“We’ve chosen a realistic approach without setting ourselves editorial limitations. Bearing in mind the very specific information contained on the site, we don’t expect to be blacked out by the Chinese government straightaway”.
However, the editorial team are not going to avoid politically sensitive issues.
“We intend to make use of what room we believe is available. If risky topics are considered to be within the scope of the site, we’ll publish.”
RNW has chosen an approach which looks to the future, and it will continue to analyse China’s media landscape and the state of press freedom into the years after the 2008 Olympic Games. “We hope the website will be a bridge for Chinese people on the lookout for information. We hope to extend what we do as soon as new possibilities open up,” says Ardi Bouwers.
Launch event
RNW is launching the site on 11 February at Amsterdam’s Pakhuis de Zwijger. Speakers at the launch event, whose theme is ‘China and the Internet: opportunities and limitations’, will include Xiaoying Zhang of Deutsche Welle, Jeroen de Kloet from the University of Amsterdam, and China and Internet expert Xiao Qiang, who is flying from the United States to attend.
(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Movie planned on Radio Caroline

Filmmaker Richard Curtis is apparently making a movie about pirate radio. The Love Actually director is moving away from his traditional romantic comedies to make a film about Radio Caroline, which started broadcasting from a boat off the coast of Essex in the 60s, reports The Sun.
The paper says Curtis has cast Welsh actor Rhys Ifans in the lead role of the film, currently titled The Boat That Rocked. A source said: “This project is a departure from his usual films. Hugh Grant isn’t in it and there will be no cheesy soundtrack. It’s rock ‘n’ roll all the way.”
“Richard and Rhys loved working together on Notting Hill and have remained friends ever since. Rhys is the perfect man for the job and he will be hilarious. The film is set during an exciting time for music and showbiz. DJs became friends of the stars and the story will be brilliant on the big screen.”
Radio Caroline, which launched the careers of top DJs including Tony Blackburn and Johnnie Walker, began broadcasting in 1964, with tens of millions of listeners tuning in.
(Source: Metro/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Weekend relays update

Thanks to Tom Taylor for the following info on this weekends relays\Gayle VH

Relay this weekend via 9290kHz

February 10th
Latvia Today 14.00 -15.00 UTC

Radio Joystick
At 1300 UTC on the new channel of 6140 kHz Radio Joystick is on the air from the transmitting station in Wertachtal Germany. We will be using a non-directional antenna system (Quadrant antenna).
Radio Joystick in teamwork with MV Baltic Radio

Blog Logs - Bolivia

All times UTC // parallel frequency * sign-on sign-off*

3310, Radio Mosoj Chaski, Cochabamba, 2317-0048, Jan 12 and 28, talks in Quechoa, Indian songs. At 2328 canned ID and ann with echo effect by a man and woman. Into Spanish programming at 2331, 55343. (D’Angelo/FCDX and Gonçalves). Also noted at 1000-1015, Jan 30, Spanish comments, music and promos, weak signal here for a few minutes until about 1005 when it started to fade in a little better. (Bolland/DXW)

3310, Radio Mosoj Chaski, Cotapachi, 1033-1040 fading out, Jan 21, Spanish comments. (Bolland/DXW)

4409.8, Radio Eco, Reyes, Beni, 2312-2400, Jan 23 and Feb 02, Spanish Bolero songs, Andean flute, locutor presenting the programme: "Muy bien, muy bien por nuestra música", mentioned "Reyes", 25322. (Grimm and Méndez/DXW)

4409.79 Radio Eco, 0218-0230*, Jan 27, Spanish. Easy-listening SP music. Ancr at 0024 w/ distorted audio; mx from 0226 until pulled the plug at 0230. Poor. (Barbour-NH/NASWA FS)

4451.2, Radio Eco (tentative), Reyes, 2313-2326, Jan 26, Spanish communiqués and messages, IDs as "Eco Radio", many refs. to Bolivia, 23341, adjacent QRM from North Korea 4450. (Gonçalves/DXW)

4545.396, Radio Virgen de Remedios, Tupiza, Potosi, 1030-1040, Jan 15, weak audio. (Wilkner). Also heard 2322-2325, Jan 14, Spanish talk, SINPO14321. (Méndez/DXW)

4699.34, Radio San Miguel, Riberalta, 1048-1100 fade out and 2305-0130, Jan 26 and Feb 02, Spanish talks and music, time check and ID, 23332, CODAR QRM. (D’Angelo/FCDX, Bolland, Gonçalves and Méndez/DXW)

4716.6, Radio Yura, Yura, 2311-2325, Jan 12, Quechoa, Andean flute tunes, talks, SINPO 35322. (Gonçalves)

4732, Radio Universitaria, Cobija, Pando, *1030v-1110 fade out, Jan 23, 25, 29, 30 and 31, Feb 04 (sign on at *1100) harmonizing trios and piano music. ID: "...Emisora de Bolivia..en el departamento de .... [sound effect] ..metros, Radio Universitaria...", surprising strength after fade out of R Yura 4717v and R San Miguel 4699v. Also heard 2328-0149*, Jan 28 and 29, Spanish ann and Bolivian music. TCs and IDs with buenas noches at closedown. This under ryryryryryryry of RTTY and CODAR. Still Universitaria is dominating on this good Bolivian night, SINPO 33433. (D’Angelo/FCDX, Bolland, Bobrowiec, Wilkner-River DXPedition/DXW)

4732.02, Radio Universitaria, Cobija, Pando, 0930-1126 fade out, Jan 16, 18, 21 and 22, slow ballads and flauta andina, 1058 advs, 1107 ID in echo: ".informativo, en ?? 97.9 en Frecuencia Modulada. Universitaria.. los Pando", tremendous signal. Nothing noted 1055 on Jan 19. (Bolland, Valko and Wilkner). Also heard 2243-0200, Jan 14, 15 and 18, talks in studio and outside alternating local music selections, 2320-2330 advs, 2327 ID: "onda corta...", "Radio Universitaria .", "Cobija", under weak CODAR and in the evening RTTY " ....RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY...", SINPO 32232. (Bobrowiec and Wilkner). Weak carrier heard, but no audio at 2330, Jan 18. But heavy RTTY most of the time. (Petersen/DXW)

4781.5, Radio Tacana, Tumapsa, 2249-2258, Jan 12, Spanish, modern beats, IDs, SINPO 23442, QRM from CODAR signal. (Gonçalves). Also heard at *1000v-1105, Jan 23 and 29, rustic vocals with time checks and IDs: "Radio Tacana", Andean flute, CODAR signal, but best signal in months, until Guatemalan opened on 4780 deteriorating reception to almost useless at that point. (D’Angelo/FCDX and Wilkner/DXW)

4796, Radio Mallku (tent.), Uyuni, 2253-2317, Jan 18, Spanish talks, sometimes sounds like outside “la mañana”. Noisy 22222. (Bobrowiec/DXW)

4865, Radio Logos, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 2254-2308, Jan 14, hymns, 2300 ID: "Usted sintoniza en 4865 kilociclos Radio Logos, desde Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia", SINPO 34333 - 24322. (Méndez/DXW)

5952.4, Radio Pío XII, Siglo XX, 2232-2249, Jan 26, Quechoa, songs, talks, SINPO 3442, adjacent QRM. (Gonçalves/DXW)

6079.8, Radio San Gabriel, La Paz, 1340, Jan 20, Aymara talk, SINPO SINPO 24442. (Slaen/DXW)
/DXW

6134.75, Radio Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 0112, Jan 30, ID: ".. en Bolivia ..... Radio Santa Cruz...." and promptly into flutes. Exceptionally strong signal. (Wilkner). Also heard 1025-1102 fade out, Jan 22 and 29, group vocals, long talk in Spanish with several IDs, TC. Good signal. (D’Angelo/FCDX and Bolland/DXW)

6165, Radio Logos, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 1353-1400!, Jan 21, Spanish religious programme, talk about the Bible, 25342. (Slaen/DXW)

9624.86, Radio Fides, La Paz, 1050-1105, Jan 12, Spanish programme: La Hora del Pais.- TTime check: "las seis de la mañana con 53 minutos...", ID: "Atencion...todas las emisoras de la Cadena Fides, entramos en Cadena Nacional...."; another ann:"... Arrancamos esta edicion saludando a todos los oyentes que nos siguen en el mundo a traves de www.radiofides.com", SINPO 33433. (Slaen/DXW)
(Source: DSWCI #342 & 343 via Anker Petersen/NASWA Flashsheet #314 via Rich D'Angelo)

A closer look at Ethiopia on shortwave radio

Radio Ethiopia is a commercial government station. Re. 5990/7110/9704: From 1400 hours onwards I noted that 5990 first mixed with co-channel VOIRI and is then completely lost under them. I never managed to hear 9704 during my trip, probably due to skip.
The new Oromo Service on 6030, identifying as "Radio Oromia", is on the air daily at 0400-0600, 0900-1100 and 1600-1800. Excellent reception everywhere, must be 100 kW.
The English programme in the Home Sce is now a full hour, viz. Mo-Fr 1400-1500.

In the course of 2008, new MW relays are planned at Nazret (10 kW on 1035) and Nekemte (100 kW on 1053). The Robe relay will be completely rebuilt and the new 100 kW transmitter will shift from 972 to 837 kHz after completion. The antennas will be built by Colton Tower Consulants Inc., and Harris will supply the transmitters.

Mr. Melesse Edea Beyi is the head of the English language programme in the Home Service as well as the programmes in English, French and Arabic of the External Service. Somali is now aired at 0700-0800 and 1200-1300, Tigrayan at 1500-1530 and Arabic at 1400-1500 and 1530-1600. The Afari, English and French programmes are still broadcast as per schedule. In addition to 7165 and 9560, 989 MW is also used for the Addis Ababa region.

Radio Fana now has two 100 kW transmitters, both on 6110 and 7210. Their 5970 appears to be inactive. In a month or two, the station will increase its broadcasting time to 18 hrs daily.

Mr. Fre Tesfamichael has left the Voice of the Tigray Revolution. Mr. Abera Tesfay has succeeded him as director. He told me that since May 2007 they have been using a 100 kW transmitter. It is located near Addis for better nationwide coverage. The two old 10 kW transmitters at Mekele will remain as standby. I was told that they simultaneously broadcast on two frequencies from the new transmitter. I expressed my surprise about this, but I am a technical layman, so who knows! They are still in a testing phase. Their assigned frequencies are: 5950, 5980, 6170 and 7155. I frequently heard the combination 5950 and 6170, but they were often silent altogether. They broadcast 66 hours a week in Tigrayan and 9.5 hours in Afari. They are now busy moving to a brand new building. An FM relay is projected for Mekele, but there are no plans to use MW.

Before popping in at this station, I visited the impressive monument and nearby museum, dedicated to the long and bloody struggle of the TPLF (Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front) against Mengistu’s Derg (junta). In the museum I also saw the old transmitter and antenna which had been used for some years in a cave in the Simien Mountains at an altitude of over 3500 m. when they were still a clandestine station. There was only one narrow path to the cave and all supplies had to be taken up via this tough route. They even carried up anti-aircraft guns and so the station was never silenced by the Derg. Mr. Abera and the director of PR, Mr. Berhaie, told me of the hardships they had to endure in the cave, such as the cold up there. Before every broadcast they had to heat the frozen cooling liquid for the transmitter!
(Van Delft)

6110, Raido Fana, 0310-0328, Jan 29, Amharic talks hosting program of Horn of Africa vocals. No ID heard but familiar program. Fair with clear signal until Tirana opened at 0328. (D’Angelo/FCDX)

7110, Raido Ethiopia, Geja Jawe, 2020-2100*, Jan 27 and 28, Horn of Africa music, talk in Amharic, ID and closedown ann, orchestra National Anthem. Fair to good signal //5990 which was fair. (D’Angelo/FCDX). Also heard 0637-0652 on Jan 27 with Vernacular ann and Arab pop beat music, 23322. (Bobrowiec)

7165, Radio Ethiopia, Geja Jawe, 1555-1630, We Jan 30, music from Horn of Africa, 1600 English news, interview of an Irish guest. DSWCI-member Maarten van Delft may be heard We Feb 06! Weak signal with strong adjacent QRM and covered totally from *1625, 21441 // 9560 even worse 21321 fading out 1635. (Petersen)

9560, Radio Ethiopía, Geja Jawe, 1715-1720, Jan 27, French programme of music, 33332. (Romero)
(Source: DSWCI/DX Window #343 via Anker Petersen)
Photo graphic: Voice of Ethiopia/Van Horn Archive Collection

Radio Kahuzi encourages residents after quakes

A voice of hope continues to blanket the city of Bukavu and the eastern part of the Democratic of Congo (D.R.C.) after a pair of earthquakes rocked the region on Sunday, Feb. 3, killing at least 46 people, including 10 who were attending church services.

Though the quake left hundreds injured and thousands homeless in the D.R.C. as well as neighboring Rwanda, Radio Kahuzi, HCJB Global Voice's partner station in Bukavu, suffered only minor damage.

Richard McDonald, a missionary who serves at Radio Kahuzi with his wife, Kathy, was making a last-minute check of the radio equipment, preparing to leave for church, when the category-6.0 quake struck at 9:30 a.m. local time. "The very heavy rack supporting the transmitters began rocking violently from side to side," McDonald explained.

"I tried to wrestle it to a stop and switched off the power, waiting for just less than a minute for the quake to finish."Danny Magadju, our journalist in training, powered down the studio and we exited for safety. No equipment was damaged, so we cautiously went back on the air," McDonald explained. Since then the broadcasts have been interrupted only occasionally by brief power outages.

"We continue to share good news with the listeners and what we know about the state of affairs and relay the news live concerning the day-to-day situation. The governor and seismographic experts are giving good counsel to the population via Radio Kahuzi."

McDonald added that engineers are keeping a close eye on two nearby hydroelectric dams that already had cracks and may have suffered further damage in the temblors. "But we are on the air as normal thus far," he said. "We will also continue with shortwave broadcasts from 6 to 10 p.m. Mondays and Fridays, reaching as far as Johannesburg, South Africa. We can also cover the eastern half of the D.R.C. and Rwanda with a good strong signal."

(if local time then -2 hrs for UTC, WRTH 2008: 6210 kHz http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CG/12/Bukavu.html
yes, UTC +2 hrs )

Earthquakes are not unusual in the western Great Rift Valley-a seismically active fault line straddling western Uganda, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania. In 1994 a magnitude-6 tremor in the foothills of western Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains killed at least six people. In 1966 a magnitude-7 earthquake killed 157 people and injured more than 1,300 in the Semliki Valley, also in western Uganda.

HCJB Global has been reaching out to listeners with the claims of Christ for more than 75 years via short-wave radio, local FM radio and now satellite radio and the Internet.
Press Release - HCJB Global Partner Radio Station in Congo Encourages
Residents After Quakes
Contact Colin Lowther Tel 01274 721810
e-mail clowther@hcjb.org.uk Web www.hcjb.org.uk>
(via Dr. Hansjoerg Biener-D, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Feb 6)
(Source: BC-DX #846/WWDXC Top News, wb, Germany)

Peruvian Radio Manantial and Radio Superior on shortwave

Radio Manantial is a new shortwave station in Peru. Radio Manantial broadcasts from Huancán on 4990.8 kHz in the 60 meter shortwave band. According to Henrik Klemetz, the station has no connection with Radio Ancash, which has previously been heard on the same frequency. Officially the shortwave frequency is given as 4985 kHz. The station broadcasts also on 960 kHz mediumwave in Huancayo and on 94.9 MHz FM in Huancavelica. The 1-kilowatt shortwave transmitter of Radio Manantial is located in the district of Huancán, in the Huancayo area. The postal address is in care of I.E.P.J. "Templo La Hermosa", Jirón Santa Cecilia No. 107, Chilca, Huancayo, Peru.

Also from Peru, Radio Superior has been heard on 4523.5 kHz. The station was logged by Rafael Rodriguez in Colombia on December 29-30, 2007, and posted on Radioescutas mailing list. The location of this station has not been determined. During past years, stations named Radio Superior have operated in Distrito de Bolivar (5300 kHz) and Naranjos (6237 kHz, variable frequency).
(Source: DXinfo.com via Antonio Schuler/SW World)

Radio Cóchiguaz continues anniversary broadcast

Dear Friends;
We will continue with our 11th year anniversary broadcast for Radio Cóchiguaz . Here is our schedule:

Starting Thursday (February 7) at 22.00 UTC and ending at 11.00 UTC Monday 11th February.
Broadcasting time: 22.00 UTC to 11.00 UTC on 6307kHz AM This is from transmitter in South America.

We will also be active on the weekend from transmitter in Europe on 6308.8kHz. Sched from this will be published Friday February 8.

Greetings from Cachito Mamani
Reports are welcome to radio_cochiguaz@yahoo.com
(Source: Antono Schuler/SW World)

Radio Netherlands Program Preview February 9-15

Welcome to our weekly guide to Radio Netherlands Worldwide's English Service - a list of the new programmes coming up on Radio Netherlands Worldwide this week, beginning on Saturday.

SATURDAY 9 FEBRUARY
*** The State We're In ***
This week on The State We're In:

A young woman is missing - a young man confesses that he was involved in her death, but the police are powerless to arrest him. The programme takes a look at the legal ups and downs of the Natalie Holloway case. We also ask how far private citizens, journalists and film makers should go in bringing suspects to book?

In this week's theme, making amends, we look at the value and importance of forgiveness, with a visit to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Freedom Park in South Africa.

And we have two reports from China, home to a sizeable Pakistani refugee population and also to Hu Jia, one of the most prominent dissidents in the country, who has just been arrested.

Hosted by Marnie Chesterton.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0000 (Eastern N America 6165)
0100 (Central N America 6165)
0500 (Western N America 6165)
1004 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1204 (Eastern N America 11675)
1804 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
2004 (West Africa 11655)

Note that on Saturday we also run repeats of:

Reloaded on SW: 1400 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
Curious Orange: 1430 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
Earthbeat and Stories of the Twentieth Century: 1900 and 1930 respectively (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120, Eastern N America 15525, Central N America 15315)

SUNDAY 10 FEBRUARY
*** Stories of the Twentieth Century ***
In the middle of the 20th century, most of Europe's colonies in Africa became independent. Hopes were high for a better life everywhere on the continent. But the departing European powers had done little to prepare their colonies for self-rule.

In his satirical novel 'The Laughing Cry', published in 1982, Congolese writer and former Prime Minister Henri Lopes describes a fictitious former French colony with a supreme dictator known as 'Daddy'. Cameroonian Social Scientist Jude Kehla puts the novel in context.

*** Reloaded ***

Here's your chance to catch up with some of the highlights from recent programmes; the best, the most interesting or newsworthy, or sometimes the funniest, chosen by our producers and presented by Mindy Ran.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0000 (Eastern N America 6165)
0100 (Central N America 6165)
0500 (Western N America 6165)
1000 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1200 (Eastern N America 11675)
1400 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1800 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
1900 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120, Eastern N America 15525, Central N America 15315)
2000 (West Africa 11655)

Repeated: Saturday 1930 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120, Eastern N America 15525, Central N America 15315)

MONDAY 11 FEBRUARY
*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0500 (Western N America 6165)
1000 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1200 (Eastern N America 11675)
1400 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1530 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1800 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
1930 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
2030 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 11655, 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
0000 (Eastern N America 6165)
0100 (Central N America 6165)

*** Curious Orange ***
This week on Curious Orange:

Peter R. de Vries is the Dutch reporter who got Joran van der Sloot to talk - on video - about the last hours of Natalee Holloway's life. We'll find out a bit more about de Vries and his controversial methods for getting confessions and making headlines.

We'll also find out about the financial bottom line here in Holland. What's too much - and too little - for the Dutch?

And of course, we'll feature music throughout the show. This week we'll be listening to Gram.

That's this week on Curious Orange.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0030 (Eastern N America 6165)
0130 (Central N America 6165)
0530 (Western N America 6165)
1030 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1230 (Eastern N America 11675)
1430 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1830 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
1830 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120, Eastern N America 15525, Central N America 15315)
2000 (West Africa 11655)

Repeated:
Wednesday
1500 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1900 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
Saturday
1430 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)

TUESDAY 12 FEBRUARY
*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0500 (Western N America 6165)
1000 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1200 (Eastern N America 11675)
1400 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1530 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1800 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
1930 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
2030 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 11655, 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
0000 (Eastern N America 6165)
0100 (Central N America 6165)

*** The State We're In - Midweek Edition ***
This week on The State We're In - Midweek Edition:

A young woman is missing - a young man confesses that he was involved in her death, but the police are powerless to arrest him. The programme takes a look at the legal ups and downs of the Natalie Holloway case. We also ask how far private citizens, journalists and film makers should go in bringing suspects to book?

In this week's theme, making amends, we look at the value and importance of forgiveness, with a visit to the Truth and Reconciliation Park in South Africa.

Hosted by Marnie Chesterton.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0030 (Eastern N America 6165)
0130 (Central N America 6165)
0530 (Western N America 6165)
1030 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1230 (Eastern N America 11675)
1430 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1530 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1830 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
2000 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)

WEDNESDAY 13 FEBRUARY
*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0500 (Western N America 6165)
1000 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1200 (Eastern N America 11675)
1400 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1530 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1800 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
1930 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
2030 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 11655, 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
0000 (Eastern N America 6165)
0100 (Central N America 6165)

*** Radio Books ***
Christiaan Weijts - 'The day Juliet Capulet wrote back'

This week we revisit the tale of a pair of star-crossed lovers. But unlike Romeo & Juliet in Holland, not Italy. It's not the family name that is the scourge of young love, it's fame and celebrity. And yet indeed, there never was a story of more woe...

This week's Radio Book is 'The day Juliet Capulet wrote back' by Christiaan Weijts.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0030 (Eastern N America 6165)
0130 (Central N America 6165)
0530 (Western N America 6165)
1030 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1230 (Eastern N America 11675)
1430 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1830 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
2000 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)

Repeated:
Friday 1500 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1900 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)

THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY
*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0500 (Western N America 6165)
1000 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1200 (Eastern N America 11675)
1400 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1530 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1800 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
1930 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
2030 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 11655, 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
0000 (Eastern N America 6165)
0100 (Central N America 6165)

*** Earthbeat ***
We hear from Nicholas Stern, one of the world's most respected experts on climate change, and author of the Stern Report. And we accompany a couple on a green credit card shopping spree in Amsterdam. And we hear of a novel new source for biofuel - something that poses neither a threat to food supplies nor to deforestation - algae. Yes, green scum grown in a lab could be the most efficient way to go in the controversial matter of biofuels.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0030 (Eastern N America 6165)
0130 (Central N America 6165)
0530 (Western N America 6165)
1030 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1230 (Eastern N America 11675)
1430 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1830 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
2000 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)

Repeated:
Monday
1500 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1900 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
Saturday
1900 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)

FRIDAY 15 FEBRUARY
*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0500 (Western N America 6165)
1000 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1200 (Eastern N America 11675)
1400 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1530 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1800 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
1930 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
2030 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 11655, 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
0000 (Eastern N America 6165)
0100 (Central N America 6165)

*** Network Europe ***

A Pan European team links up across the continent each week to provide a fresh perspective on events and life in Europe.

The programme is a unique example of European co-operation, produced by the continent's leading international broadcasters, it reflects the diversity of European society and voices. Each week we drop in on specialists around Europe and catch up with our extensive network of correspondents for their unique take on the events shaping the week.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC):
0030 (Eastern N America 6165)
0130 (Central N America 6165)
0530 (Western N America 6165)
1030 (East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040)
1230 (Eastern N America 11675)
1430 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1830 (Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050)
2000 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)

Repeated:
Monday
1500 (South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595)
1900 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
Saturday
1900 (East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810, Central/Southern Africa 7120)
(R Netherlands)

VT Communications relay update

ARMENIA Some changes of VT Communications relays

All times UTC

Radio Free Chosun in Korean to North Korea:
1200-1300 on 9950 ERV 300 kW / 065 deg,xNVS 250 kW / 085 deg

Free North Korea Radio in Korean to North Korea:
2000-2030 on 7510 ERV 300 kW / 065 deg,xNVS 250 kW / 085 deg

Open Radio for North Korea in Korean daily to North Korea:
2100-2200 NF 7510 ERV 300 kW 065 deg,x1100-1200 on 9930 W
(Source: DX Mix News #506, Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India; wb, Germany)

Special request Radio New Zealand shortwave memorabilia

I've been asked by RNZI to produce a special documentary[s] celebrating 60 years of shortwave broadcasting from Radio NZ/RNZI since September 1948.

Do you have any old audio recordings of RNZ SW broadcasts? Any old program guides or frequency schedules? Old QSL cards? Old newspaper or magazine clippings? Any interesting stories about the station, personalities etc? Photos?

Please write and tell me what you have, as it may help us with the research involved over the coming months. If it's audio, please advise the format [tape, cassette, CD or whatever] and if they're photos, please send a short list.

I'm especially interested in material from outside New Zealand, and reception by listeners over the years in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

We'll then review all the material available and be in touch. What you think is not important may turn out to be a vital piece of the story!! If you have any queries, please email or write me.

Many thanks, David Ricquish
[RNZI Mailbox contributor]

Mail: Radio Heritage Foundation,
PO Box 14339, Wellington 6241, New Zealand.
Email: info@radioheritage.net
(Source: Radio Heritage via HCDX)

Chad radio and TV reported back on the air

CNN is reporting that government radio and TV broadcasts from Chad, which had been off the air since Saturday, have resumed. The network says that Chad’s president today claimed his government was in control of the entire country, speaking to journalists for the first time since rebels tried to remove him from power. The report adds that “Broadcasts that had been cut have resumed Wednesday, with the message that all is calm, order is restored, and it is safe to return.”
Prior to the coup attempt, the station had been well received in Europe during local evenings on 4905 kHz.
(Source: R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

China's Year of the Rat countdown by shortwave radio

Thanks to regular contributor, Ron Howard,for the reminder that the Chinese New Year is approaching. The year 2008, is noted as the Year of the Rat.

It's year 4706 on the lunar Chinese calendar, which begins on Feb. 7 (in Shanghai, that would be Feb. 6, at 1600 UTC). Other Asian countries also celebrate, such as Solnal, the Korean New Year, and Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. It's a good time to make plans to monitor stations from these countries, as well as other Asian stations, to see what special programming they might have and possible extended schedules.

This also presents an extra opportunity to QSL China on this special ocassion. The following repost of China Radio International's English service should provide plenty of hours for tuning in. Good luck!
Gayle VH

China Radio International - English Service
Effective to 29 March 2008
All times UTC
Target Areas: af (Africa) as (Asia) eu (Europe) na (North America) pa (Pacific) va (various)

0000-0100 6020na 6075as 7130eu 7180as 9570na 11885as 13750as 15115as
0100-0157 7130eu
0100-0200 9535as 11870as 15115as 15785as
0200-0300 11770as 13640as
0300-0400 9690na 9790na 11770as 13750as 15110as 15120as 15785as
0400-0500 6020na 6080na 13750as 15120as 15785as 17725as 17855as
0500-0600 11710af 11880as 15350as 15465as 17505va 17540as 17725as 17855as
0600-0657 6115na
0600-0700 11870as 111880as 13660as 15140as 15350as 15465as 17505as 17540as
17710as
0700-0800 11785eu 11880as 13660as 15350as 15465as 17490eu 17540as 17710as
0800-0857 11785eu 17490eu
0800-0900 11620as 11880as 15350as 15465as 17549as
0900-0957 15270eu 17490eu 17570eu
0900-1000 11620as 15210pa 155350as 17690pa 17750as
1000-1100 5995as 6040na 11610as 11635as 11650as 11795as 13590as 13620as 13720as 15190as 15210pa 15350as 17490eu 17690pa
1100-1200 6040na 11750na 13665eu 17490eu
1200-1257 13665eu 13790eu 17490eu
1200-1300 5955as 9460as 9730as 9760pa 11650as 11660as 11690as 11760pa 11980as 13645as
1300-1357 13610eu 13790eu
1300-1400 5995as 9570na 9650na 9730as 9760pa 9765as 9870as 11660as 11760pa 11980as
13755as 15260na
1400-1457 9700eu 9795eu
1400-1500 5955as 9560as 9765as 9870as 11675as 11765as 11775as 13685af 13740na 17630af
1500-1557 9435eu 9525eu
1500-1600 5955as 6100af 7160as 7325as 9785as 9870as 11775as 13685af 13740na 17630af
1600-1657 7255eu 9435eu 9525eu
1600-1700 6100af 9570af 11800af
1700-1757 6100eu 7205eu 7255eu 7335eu
1700-1800 9570af 11900af
1800-1857 6100eu 7110eu
1900-2000 7295va 9435va 9440va
2000-2030 7160eu
2000-2057 7190eu 9600eu
2000-2100 5960eu 7285eu 7295af 9440af 11640af 13630af
2100-2130 11640af 13630af
2100-2157 5960eu 6135eu 7190eu 7285eu 9600eu
2200-2257 7170eu
2200-2300 9590as
2300-0000 5915as 5990va 6145na 7180as 11685as 11840na
(Source: Monitoring Times, SW Guide)

50th Anniversary bulletin available

Rolf Wernli webmaster@dswci.org webmaster for the Danish Shortwave Club International (DSWCI) informs us that a copy of their 50th Anniversary issue bulletin of Shortwave News is available for a free download from the club's website at: http://www.dscwi.org/news/2007/0712/try.html (non memebers only). If you are looking for a truly international club with a good PDF bulletin and a bi-weekly electronic tip sheet similar to the is also available for viewing.
(NASWA Notes, via NASWA Journal, Feb. 2008)