Voice of Strait programming update

China
4940, Voice of Strait. I can confirm that Focus on China, now has both a new schedule and new format. Heard now on Saturday (ex-Sunday), from 1505 to 1535 UTC (ex: 1530-1600 UTC).

Saturday, April 2, at 1505 a new brief “Voice of Strait, Focus on China” station ID; “Welcome to our program Focus on China. I am your host ... In today’s program we will share with you some of the major events in review”; “Chinese President Hu Jintao has delivered a message of condolences to his Myanmar counterpart U Thein Sein over the losses of life and property inflicted by a strong earthquake. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Hu extended heartfelt condolences to U Thein Sein and via him to the victims of the disaster which struck the country last Thursday”, etc.; no IDs during the show as there were in the past; 1534 VOS ID with email and postal address; final ID: "This is the Voice of Taiwan Strait News Radio"; then into Chinese programming. In a few more weeks I will have too much daylight to hear this. Will have to wait till next winter for good reception again. Audio clip at www.box.net/shared/q53r3ibvqm

I must confess I will miss the former recorded introduction: "This is the Voice of Strait, Fuzhou, China . . . Hello everyone. Welcome to our program Focus on China. This is Gary . . .”, as I enjoyed hearing it for many years, even long after “Gary” had in fact left the show.

Ron Howard
Asilomar State Beach, CA
(Cumbre DX)

China to celebrate New Year January 26

The Year of the OX is here
The Chinese New Year begins January 26, and is known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival. To the Chinese culture it is the most important Chinese holiday. My blog post from January 23 (Blog Logs-China) is a sampling of what DXers have logged recently from China. If you enjoy DXing stations broadcasting behind the bamboo curtain, here is a chance to tune into to the lunar new year. Many stations in China and other Asian countries will carry special programming, and may be on extended broadcast schedules.



China Radio International - English service

Effective to: 29 March 2009
All times UTC
Target Areas: af (Africa) as (Asia) eu (Europe) me (Middle East) na (North America)
pa (Pacific) va (Various)

0000-0057 6020na 6075as 6180as 7370eu 9425as 9570na 11650as 11790as 11885as
0030-0100 11730as
0100-0127 11730as
0100-0157 DRM 6080na
0100-0157 6005na 6020na 6075as 7180as 7350eu 9410eu 9570na 9580na 11650as 11885as
0200-0257 11770as 13640as
0230-0257 15435me
0300-0357 6190na 9460as 9690na 9790na 11770as 13620as 15110as 15120as
0400-0457 6190na 9560as 13620as 15120as 17725as 17855as
0500-0557 5960na 6190na 7220af 11880as 15350as 15465as 17540as 17505va 17725as 17855as
0600-0657 16115na 1750af 11880as 13645as 15145me 15350as 15465as 17540as 17505va 17710as 17770me
0700-0757 11785eu 11880as 15125va 15350as 15465as 17490eu 17540as
0800-0857 9415as 11785eu 11880as 15350as 15465as 15625va 17490eu 17540a
0900-0957 9415as 15210pa 15270eu 15350as 17490eu 17570eu 17690pa 17750as
1000-1057 5995as 7135as 7215as 9415as 13590as 13720as 15190as 15210pa 15270eu 15350as 17490eu 17570eu 17690pa 17750as
1100-1127 5960na 5995as 6060as 9570as 11650as 11795as 13645as 13665eu 17490eu
1200-1257 5955as 7250as 9460as 9600as 9645as 9730as 9760pa 11650as 11690as 11760pa
11980as 12080as 13665eu 13790eu 17490eu
1230-1257 11780as
1300-1357 5955as 7300as 9590na 9655as 9730as 9765as 9870as 11760pa 11885na 11900pa 11980as 13610eu 13790eu 15230na
1400-1457 5955as 7300as 9460as 9700eu 9765as 9795eu 9870as 11665as 13675na 13685af 13740na 15230na 17300af
1500-1557 5955as 6095va 7160as 7325as 9435eu 9525eu 9720va 9785as 9870as 13685af 13740na 17630af
1530-1557 9600me
1600-1657 6060as 7110af 7235as 7255eu 9435eu 9525eu 9600af 11650eu
1700-1757 6090as 6100va 6140as 7100me 7120as 7130as 7180as 7205eu 7255eu 7335eu 9600me
1800-1827 6020eu 6100eu 6165me 7100eu 7265eu
1900-1957 7285eu 7295va 9440va
2000-2027 7160eu
2000-2057 5960eu 5985va 7190eu 7285eu 7295va 9440va 9600eu 11640va 13630va
2100-2157 5960eu 6135eu 7120eu 7190eu 7205af 7225eu 7285eu 7325af 9600eu 11640af 13630af
2130-2157 7160eu 7325eu
2200-2257 5915as 7170eu
2300-2357 5915as 6145as 7180as 7350eu 9610as 11790as
2300-0000 5990sa 6040na 11970na
(Gayle Van Horn, Frequency Manader/Monitoring Times SW Guide)

A prediction from the Chinese seers
Year of the Ox looking very un-bullish seers say
Hong Kong: If the global economy fails to recover in 2009, the housing bubble or credit crunch may not be to blame. It could be a lack of fire.

Chinese fortunetellers say fire — one of the five elements mystics believe form the basis of the universe — is essential to financial well-being.

Obama, born in the Year of the Ox, is taking office in a particularly bad year for his Chinese astrological sign. The ox sign is in direct conflict this year with a traditional Chinese divinity called the "God of Year," considered a bad omen. Obama also is the 44th president, a number the Chinese deem extremely unlucky, because "four" is pronounced the same as "death" in Chinese.

The new U.S. president is not having good luck this year. His honeymoon will only be short-lived," said fortuneteller Alion Yeo, predicting Obama may even face impeachment in his first year in office. "The Year of the Ox looks slightly better and less dire than last year, but it will still be bumpy." Yeo also predicted that the U.S. mortgage crisis would worsen and the stock market would plunge to new lows.

Additional story at: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/01/23/asia/AS-Asia-Year-of-the-Ox.php

South Korean TV airs Olympics rehersals

Olympic organisers have slammed a South Korean TV station for an unauthorised broadcast of a dress rehearsal for the Games opening ceremony, but the network claims it shot the footage legitimately. The broadcast by the private SBS network has irked Chinese organisers who had, according to state media, made performers sign confidentiality agreements not to divulge details of next Friday’s ceremony.
“I find it very disappointing that any organisation would breach protocol on something as exciting as an opening ceremony where it’s supposed to be one of the big surprises of the Games outside of athletic performance,” IOC press chief Kevan Gosper told Reuters. “It’s also the spirit of it, they know very well it should be kept private.”
The network, one of three South Korean TV rights holders allowed to distribute Olympic footage, aired just over a minute of video of the closed-door rehearsal. We went, and nobody stopped us. So we just shot,” a staff reporter at SBS’s sports desk said in Seoul.
A spokesman for the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) said that reporters had been told not to take footage of the rehearsal, and that the matter was being investigated. “At the beginning of the rehearsal, they made a broadcast saying that nobody is supposed to take any pictures,” BOCOG spokesman Sun Weide told reporters. “Of course, I don’t think it’s authorised. We are still looking into the details of the situation,” Sun said.
The broadcast drew swift condemnation from Chinese Internet users, some of whom called for a boycott of Korean goods. “How could such a network be so unprofessional? They are no better than paparazzi!” fumed one comment posted on popular Chinese web portal Tianya. “Resolutely boycott Korean goods!” said another.
But other Internet users called for calm and said the TV station should not be blamed for a lapse in security that allowed them to film. “We should look for the reason within the measures and system to guarantee the opening ceremony’s secrecy. Blaming others doesn’t solve anything,” a commentary posted on web portal Sina.com said.
A video of the broadcast posted on SBS’s website had been removed by Thursday afternoon.
(Source: Reuters)

QSL Report Central

Thanks to contributor Ron Howard for sharing his logging and eQSL card from China Huayi BC.

4830 China Huayi BC, 1235-1304, March 22, on air phone conversations with many "ni hao" (a standard "hello" greeting), "Wei. Wei." (a traditional Chinese phone greeting also roughly meaning, "Hello. Hello.") and the distinctive "ba ba ba" (number 888) and seemed like "shi" (number 4). Assume this must be a local phone number for this program? ToH 5+1 pips. Thanks to Mark Schiefelbein's initial tip.
(Ron Howard-CA)

4830, "China Huayi Broadcast Co.", blue E-QSL, full data, in one day, v/s Qiao Xiaoli (2883752 [at] 163.com), who is the CHBC QSL Manager. Happy with this, as the station had not responded to my 2005 reception report. (Ron Howard-CA) Back cover of QSL via :







http://2883752.blog.163.com/blog/static/30157479200822504147463/