A bit of news "bytes" from the world of shortwave radio across the globeAll times UTC // parallel frequency
Aussie DX Report # 209 available
Audio news magazine about shortwave broadcasting includes reports of field monitoring research during the local Melbourne winter daytime in the 6 MHz, 7 MHz and 9 HHz bands. It also features news and information about shortwave broadcasting, propagation, a solar activity report, monitoring notes, and extracts from schedules of the A10 season.
It's free, of 15 minutes duration, produced by Bob Padula of the Electronic DX Press Radio Monitoring Association based in Melbourne, Australia, and may be accessed from the Australian Internet Radio Service website, at http://airm.edxp.org/
You may download/listen to/save the episodes as MP3 files on your laptop, desktop, iPad, set up a Podcast, or receive/save them on your mobile phone or other portable internet-enabled digital device. You may also subscribe via the site's RSS/Atom feed - full details are at the site. Links to the episodes are also available on my Facebook service within a few minutes of their release.
The episodes are also available on-air, over WWCR Nashville, 0200-0215 on Sundays, on 4840, and on Mondays 1145-1200 on 15825, and via WWCR's streaming audio (live) at http://wwcr.com/ (Bob Padula, Melbourne, Australia/Cumbre DX)
BBC Uzbek monitoring
Via China, Thailand, United Kingdom: 17695 BBC Uzbek service loud and clear via Rampisham-United Kingdom, 500 kW beast, 1308 UT July 1st, S=9+40dB.
But in contrast via \\ 17515 Zyyi, Cyprus relay and 15330 Nakhon Sawan, Thailand which both totally covered by China National Radio Chinese jamming, SINPO 17515 S=7-8 fair level at 1305, but very bad mixture of three CNR Chinese, Chinese BUZZ jammer tone, and BBC Uzbek also, deep fades and fluttery of S=9 ... S=9+10dB strength.(wb, Germany/HCDX)
Bangladesh Betar appoints new Director General
Bangladesh’s national radio network, Bangladesh Betar, has a new Director General. He is A K M Shameem Chowhdhuri, who was formerly the Principal Information Officer. He also served earlier as Director General of the Press Institute of Bangladesh and Director General of the Department of Film and Publication. Mr Shameem succeeds Mahbubul Alam as head of Bangladesh Betar.
Established in 1939, Bangladesh Betar transmits through 15 medium wave, two shortwave and 12 FM transmitters. Its network comprises 12 stations and more than 70 studios.(Source: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
Bosnia - International Radio Servia A10 schedule
1800-1828 on 6100 BIJ 250 kW / 070 deg to RUS Russian
1830-1858 on 6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu English
1900-1928 on 6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Spanish
1930-1958 on 6100 BIJ 250 kW / non-dir to WeEu Serbian Sun-Fri
1930-2028 on 6100#BIJ 250 kW / non-dir to WeEu Serbian Sat
2000-2028 on 6100#BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu German Sun-Fri
2030-2058 on 6100#BIJ 250 kW / non-dir to WeEu French
2100-2128 on 6100#BIJ 250 kW / non-dir to WeEu English
2130-2158 on 6100#BIJ 250 kW / 100 deg to AUS Serbian
0000-0028 on 9675 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to NoAm Serbian Mon-Sat
0000-0058 on 9675 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to NoAm Serbian Sun
0030-0058 on 9675 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to NoAm English Mon-Sat
0100-0128 on 9675 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to NoAm Serbian Wed
# co-ch China Radio International in Arabic from 2000
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews June 30 via/BC DX 970)
Bulgaria changes Spanish frequency
Radio Bulgaria in Spanish to southern Europe from June 28:
0600-0630 new freq 15200 PLD 170 kW / 260 deg, x 15800 to avoid Radio Cairo in Arabic. (DX Mix News # 630/Alokesh Gupta, India)
Central African Republic
Curt Bender and Dan Anderson and myself went to Central African Republic in April to set up two new shortwave stations. One is in Boali for ICDI where they were currently broadcasting on 6030 kHz. The new transmitter will broadcast on 3390 kHz during the evening hours. We were able to do some test broadcasts with Lazy H antenna at 1 kW.
The other station was for the government site at Bimbo near Bangui where they currently have a Chinese built shortwave transmitter operating. We used another 1 kW transmitter with Lazy H antenna from a small room at this facility. The frequency there was 5035. The government was able to do one test broadcast before we left at the end of April but they still needed to put the air-conditioning in the room. (Hank Zeck-IN-USA, HCJB Global Technology Centre, via WDXC Contact June 30/BC DX 970)
China
New Xinhua English new channel " not a propaganda station."
"China's state news agency Xinhua has launched a 24-hour global news channel in English. ... CNC - China Xinhua News Network Corporation - said it would offer 'a better view of China to its international audiences' and enable 'more voices to be heard by the rest of the world'. ... Wu Jincai, controller of CNC World, told the BBC's Chinese service ... the channel was initially broadcasting in Hong Kong but aims to reach 50 million viewers in Europe, North America and Africa within its first year. Mr Wu insisted that the coverage would remain objective, saying: 'We are a news channel, not a propaganda station.'" (BBC News)
"As a new international TV network, CNC broadcasts to the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, North America and Africa by satellite, cable, cellphone and the Internet. The Chinese-language CNC has been airing across the Asia-Pacific region and in parts of Europe since Jan. 1. It started airing on Hong Kong cable television on July 1. Xinhua Internet and cellphone broadcasts are already in operation and are expanding to overseas markets. CNC World will have global satellite coverage by the end of the third quarter this year. By Oct. 1, it will be available on cable networks in regions including the United States. Xinhua will also promote production of TV programs in Russian, French, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic with contributions from its overseas branches." -- On 1 October, will CNC be available on, or (more likely) available to, US cable networks? (Xinhua)
David Barboza: "Xinhua’s move is just one of several planned by Beijing. China Central Television, the country’s biggest state-run television broadcaster, has also been expanding overseas and offering broadcasts in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and other languages. And China has heavily financed a makeover of China Daily, its English-language daily newspaper, and introduced a new English edition of Global Times, which is controlled by People’s Daily, the leading Communist Party-run newspaper. Whether state-run news services financed and controlled by Beijing can attract a big international audience or earn significant revenues overseas remains uncertain. Many media experts say Chinese news agencies, though improving, lack credible and objective reporting and are widely perceived to be propaganda vehicles for the Chinese government." (NY Times/Kim Elliott blog)
Clandestine, Radio Free Chosun
Korean
1500-1600 new freq 11560*DB 100 kW / 070 deg to North Korea, ex 7475
*co-ch WYFR Family Radio in Hindi via Taiwan, HUW 100 kW / 285 deg to South Asia.
For this transmission were registered alternative frequencies 11565, 13845.
(DX Mix News 630/Alokesh Gupta, India)
Clandestine, Radio Republica schedule
Spanish
0900-1200 UTC Monday-Friday on 9955 kHz
2300-0000 UTC Monday-Friday on 9490 kHz
0000-0200 UTC Tuesday-Saturday on 9490 kHz
0200-0400 UTC Sunday & Monday on 9955 kHz
E-mail: radiomiami9@cs.com
http://www.wrmi.net/
(Jeff White/WRMI)
CNR Jamming
China/ Cyprus/ Thailand/ United Kingdom: 17695 CNR jamming against BBC Uzbek at 1300
UT. BBC Uzbek service loud and clear via Rampisham-UK 500 kW beast, 1308 on July 1st, S=9+40dB.
But in contrast via \\ 17515 Zyyi-CYP relay and 15330 Nakhon Sawan, Thailand which both totally covered by CNR Chinese jamming.
17515 S=7-8 fair level at 1305 UT, But very bad mixture on 15330 kHz of three CNR Chinese, Chinese BUZZ jammer tone, and BBC Uzbek also, deep fades and fluttery of S=9 ... S=9+10dB strength. Lousy condition on 41, 31, 25 mb today. (wb, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 1/BC-DX # 970)
Croatia monitoring
6164.75 Very odd signal from Croatian Radio Deanovec at 1610 on July 1. English section on tourism items, ID "The Voice of Croatia", S=7-8 poor signal, Temperatures forecast 20 to 25 at night, 28 to 33 centigrade at daytime. Thunderstorms in Slavonia. Scheduled 1400-2030. Recently 50 Hertz odd, but today at least 250 Hertz on lower side. Move to 3985.03 kHz at 2205 UT, deep fades, S=8 up to S=9+10dB. At 0435 on 3895.05 kHz.(wb, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 1/2/BC-DX # 970)
Deutsche Welle frequency changes
Amharic
1400-1500 new freq 15460 KIG 250 kW / non-dir, ex 9865
new freq 15540*TRM 250 kW / 270 deg, ex 11755 // 9880 KIG, 11965 TRM
* co-ch Clandestine-Radio Xoriyo Ogadenia in Somali 1430-1500 Mon/Fri
Chinese
2300-2400 new freq 9550 TRM 250 kW / 045 deg, ex 9785; add 9785 KIM 250 kW / 275 deg // 9865 SNG, 9900 NOV, 11830 P.K. (DX Mix News 630/Alokesh Gupta, India)
France - Radio Y'Abanga QSLs
15410 kHz, I received a full detailed e-confirmation from the clandestine Radiyo Y'Abaganda (Baganda Radio), 15410, via Issoudun-France, in 3 weeks after a couple of follow ups. My original report was sent to: info@ababaka.com , but answer came from babaka.com@gmail.com
The text of the e-mail is:
"Dear Mr Artur Fernandez Llorella,
Thanks for your letter.Your reception report is correct. So, we can confirm that on 29 May 2010, at 1700 UT and on 15410 KHz, you listened to Radiyo Y'Abaganda, via Issoudun, France.
Sorry for the delayed response, but things tend to get super hectic over here. The Radio is called Baganda Radio, you can get more information about who we are from our website http://www.ababaka.com/
Our short wave broadcast is fed directly from our internet radio live show every Saturday at 1700 UT and for one hour. The language spoken in our programme is Luganda of the Baganda people. We are about 8-10 million strong, inside a country called Uganda in East Africa.
Once again we apologize for taking this long to write back. Please find attached our station cards.
Regards
Alex Kalazani Kigongo
For http://www.ababaka.com/ Admin. Team"
(Artur Fernandez Llorella-ESP, HCDX/June 25/BC-DX # 970)
Germany - DLF Berlin Britz update
6190 at 0234-0259 UT on June 26, Deutschlandfunk, in German. Classical music. At 0235 male talks and ID. Opera style music at 0236 , 0246 short male talks and more music. Help in ID
via link http://www.dradio.de/streaming/dlf.m3u
But unfortunately - probably - DLR-DLF Berlin Britz 6190 kHz ceased for ever from July 1st. 'Ancient' like 17 kW transmitter of 1951, pre-USIA United States Information Agency issue with VOA and RIAS {American Sector of} Berlin programmes to Germans in central Europe, also heard well by many German nationals in adjacent Poland, CSSR and Hungary.
At 0800 UT this morning July 4, 49 mb was totally free from 6090 to 6195 kHz here in southwestern Germany.
Thanks to mails from Olle Alm and Kai Ludwig.
DLF was still on the air on 6190 on July 2, 2315, weak but with the distinct sound of their maritime weather forecast, parallel to 1269 kHz but not to their longwave and local FM outlets.
6190 is silent right now here in Leipzig (Germany) - July 4, 1411. There's a super-weak carrier which might be Mahiliou or Meyerton or Yamata or Urumqi.
15345: Morocco already here (1410 UTC), earlier than listed 1500Z switch from 15341. Talk in Arabic, apparently about World Cup, Uruguay and Almanya mentioned. Now about players Podolski and Klose, so not "apparently".
(Eike Bierwirth, Leipzig, Germany/HCDX)
thanks to Olle Alm in Sweden
DLR_DLF Berlin Britz is back on 6190 kHz, S=9 in Stuttgart.
(wb, Germany/HCDX)
Greece schedule update
A-10 Voice of Greece in Greek
0400-0550 on 7450 AVL 100 kW / 323 deg
0500-1000 on 11645 AVL 100 kW / 355 deg >Radio Filia 666 in various languages*
0600-1000 on 15630 AVL 100 kW / 285 deg
1100-1000 on 9420 AVL 170 kW / 323 deg
1100-1650 on 9935 AVL 100 kW / 285 deg >>Radiophonikos Stathmos Makedonias
1100-2250 on 15630 AVL 100 kW / 285 deg
1700-2250 on 7450 AVL 100 kW / 323 deg >>Radiophonikos Stathmos Makedonias
2300-0350 on 15650 AVL 100 kW / 105 deg
2300-0450 on 7475 AVL 100 kW / 285 deg
*05-06 French/Spanish; 06-07 German/Rusian; 07-09 Greek;
09-10 English/Turkish
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews June 30/BC-DX # 970)
Guinea
4900, Radio Familia from Guinea launched on 4900 kHz shortwave. A new shortwave station has begun broadcasting from Guinea in Western Africa. Radio Familia, a station previously only heard on the FM band, has begun shortwave transmissions on the frequency of 4900 kHz in the 60 meter shortwave band. The station began broadcasting intermittently in the end of March from the town of Timbi Madina.
Radio Familia is using a 1-kilowatt transmitter built by HCJB Radio. Radio Familia broadcasts at 1800-2400 UTC in the French, English, Susu, Kpele, Pular and Maninka languages.
The station was observed by Carlos Goncalves in Portugal and by other DXers in early May. Electricity for the remote transmitter is provided by solar and wind generators.
Future plans include extending evening transmissions to 0300 UTC. Radio Familia (105.3 FM) was launched in December 2006 by AFEG, Actualite Feminine En Guinee, a local NGO.(DXing.info, via Mike Terry BrDXC-Uk ng June 14 / July 1/BC-DX # 970)
Interview with Gambian pro-democracy station staffer
Freedomnewspaper.com carries the transcript of an interview with Ms Sigga Jagne, Vice Chairperson of the Save The Gambia Democracy Project, about the “Baati Rewmi” (Voice of the Nation) radio station that recently started broadcasting on shortwave.
Unfortunately, according to the transcript, Ms Jagne twice says that the frequency is “1525 MHz” and that the broadcast is in association with “Radio Manny International”. This appears to the result of a transcription by someone with no knowledge of international broadcasting. In fact the organisation that arranges the broadcasts, via a transmitter in Germany, is Radio Miami International and the correct frequency is 15255 kHz. The programme is on the air every Saturday at 1815-1830 UTC.
The correct details are given on the Save the Gambian Democracy Project website at: http://www.savethegambia.org/
(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty films update
Charles Dameron: "In a bizarre moment of historical revivification, Oleg Kalugin, a former KGB general who was linked with the [Sergei Markov] killing, came face-to-face last Tuesday night with the story of the Markov assassination as he sat in the audience of the U.S. premiere of the film, To Russia with Love: The Great Radio War. The movie, by the late independent German documentary filmmaker Christian Bauer, was screened at the Goethe Institute in Washington, D.C. last week, and Kalugin, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1995, offered pointers after the show on how America might improve its overseas information programs. (Kalugin currently works in Washington as a counterintelligence consultant). Bauer first got involved with the project at the suggestion of a former RFE/RL staffer in Germany, but began his research with a considerable amount of skepticism. According to former RFE/RL president Ross Johnson, Bauer grew up with a distaste for RFE/RL’s early CIA affiliations. But, after reading the testimony of former dissidents writings crediting the radios as invaluable sources of truth during Eastern Europe’s darkest periods of state oppression, Bauer gained respect for RFE/RL." (RFE/RL Off Mic via Kim Elliott)
Voice of America's Radio Ashna
And when VOA's Radio Ashna comes on the air, the solar-powered device becomes an electric egg scrambler
"RFE/RL President Jeffrey Gedmin discussed his recent trips to Pakistan and Afghanistan in an event titled, 'Af-Pak Diary: Notes from Islamabad and Kabul' at the New America Foundation. Gedmin shared his observations on U.S. policy in the region, RFE/RL's broadcasting in the countries, and the importance of promoting press freedom, tolerance and pluralism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. ... Gedmin also announced a joint RFE/RL-ISAF initiative that will see some 20,000 solar-powered radios delivered to rural areas of Afghanistan in time for the country's Fall parliamentary elections." With link to video of the event. (RFE/RL via Kim Elliott)
Voice of Indonesia
9525.889, 1303. Voice of Indonesia on June 30. Lovely signal from VOI in English. Excellent modulation, but marred by a intermittent ute noticeable on USB only. News to 1310, by lady announcer with interesting facts about Indonesia.Seventy percent of Indonesian gas production is for export, for example. This is preferred to kerosene or firewood. This followed by a jingle, 'Voice of Indonesia, let's make the world green'.(Walter Salmaniw-B.C.-CAN, DXplorer June 30)
9525.87, Voice of Indonesia in Arabic noted 1600-1700. Signal S=9 strength, but much fluttery signal.(wb, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 1/BC-DX # 970)
VOR Japanese service to close
We just came to know the Voice of Russia (VOR) Khabarovsk staffs of Japanese language department are to resign and close the branch in August. Khabarovsk branch has been known to us very friendly and has heart warming programs. It seems the policy of the VOR has been changing to more News oriented station, after a new head (Mr. Bistristky) came in to the station in 2008. VOR programs, as appreciated by PWBR and nominated to Ten of the Best Shows of the year for many years supported by abundance of musical archives, has been known with its excellent music programs. Alas, many of those music programs are vanishing and a kind of entertainment programs are going to be less day by day. We concern even the listeners letter corner is to be cut off. The shortwave transmission is only one frequency this season. They had three to four frequencies in the past. (Toshimichi Ohtake, Kamakura-JPN, JSWC / dswci DXW June 27/BC-DX # 970)
Radio France International launches Swahili service
Via Meyerton, South Africa relay
From July 1
0430-0458 on 7360 MEY 500 kW / 005 deg
0530-0558 on 9835 MEY 100 kW / 015 deg
1500-1558 on 12015 MEY 250 kW / 007 deg,co-ch VOKorea in Russian on 12014.6
(DX Mix News 631/Alokesh Gupta, India)
Voice of America adjust Georgian service
From June 28
1600-1700 on 9435 LAM 100 kW / 092 deg,13745 WER 250 kW / 090 deg, retimed
1700-1800 on 7425 BIB 100 kW / 088 deg,11940 BIB 100 kW / 085 deg,unchange
1530-1600 on 11945 IRA 250 kW / 324 deg,15460 LAM 100 kW / 092 deg, deleted
1600-1630 on 9850 LAM 100 kW / 092 deg,15460 WER 250 kW / 090 deg, deleted
(DX Mix News 631/Alokesh Gupta, India)
WRTH updates summer schedules
The WRTH editorial team is pleased to announce that an update for the Summer (A10) schedules file is now available for download for http://www.wrth.com/ .
The file is 131kB in size and is in PDF format, which requires the free Adobe Acrobat reader (available from http://www.adobe.com/ ) to open.
(Sean Gilbert/Cumbre DX)
WYFR test transmissions schedule
English
1700-1900 on 7560 UNID transmitter to WeEu, test
1800-1900 on 9600 UNID transmitter to SoAf, test
1800-1900 on 9880 UNID transmitter to SoAf, test
1800-2000 on 9925 UNID transmitter to SoAf, test
2100-2300 on 9715 DHA 250 kW / 330 deg to WeEu, cancelled
additional WYFR transmissions via VTC:
1500-1600 on 17580 ASC 250 kW/ 115 deg to South Africa - English
1800-2000 on 9830 RMP 500 kW/ 105 deg to west Asia - English
2100-2300 on 9715 DHA 250 kw/ 350 deg to western Europe - English, x 2100-2200
(DX Mix News 630, 631/Alokesh Gupta, India)