Blog Logs - Bahrain on SW

BAHRAIN 6010.1 on 12 Dec at 1915 UT noted a weak station with western pops. Buried by IRIB at 1930. Today 13 Dec I checked this and it was again audible around 1750, but 6010 was too crowded until 1900. After 1900 I heard this station with pops (George Michael etc) and few announcement in (British) English. Mentioned twice "National Day 16th" which fits with Bahrain and by passing what sounded like "... Radio Bahrain, this wonderful, wonderful station". That fits R Bahrain even better :-)

At 1930 IRIB started again on 6010. This station had a carrier and upper side band but I couldn't check if there was audio on lower. R Bahrain used to be AM/U. Haven't seen loggings of R Bahrain on this frequency for a long time. Maybe it has been here for some time or is this reactivation?

Again, the ID I heard was not too clear, so I hope someone could confirm Bahrain on this frequency. (Jari Savolainen-FIN, hcdx Dec 14) I have been noting Bahrain on 9745 AM/U lately at significantly improved levels (S-4 to 4+) on DX Tuner Sweden in the 2130 time frame, with no hint of the former co-channel stas V. of Han or HCJB. A few months ago it was hard to dig Bahrain out of these co-channel occupants. Of course this channel is continuous Arabic music, so programming much different than 6010. Seems like they might be using full 60 KW power now, whereas before using only lesser output - maybe a revival all around w/ Bahrain?!
(Bruce Churchill-CA-USA, hcdx Dec 14)
(Source: WWDXC Top News-BC DX # 786)

Kurdistan Youth Radio begins regular broadcast

The first radio station in the new local radio infrastructure for youth in Kurdistan, Radio Lawani Kurdistan (Kurdistan Youth Radio), has started its regular broadcasts. Radio Lawan is a project initiated and supported by the Ministry for Sports and Youth, Kurdistan Regional Government. This is a non-profit project inspired by the Swedish community radio model.
The first step of the radio infrastructure was built in Ranye east of Hewler, Radio Lawani Ranye. The radio station was built from scratch in 25 days. It was completed the 22nd October 2006 when test broadcasts started. The studio is built with modern technology which provides high quality broadcasting and enables creative studio work. As a part of this project a technician, Daniel Araya, from Swedish Public Service Radio visited Kurdistan in December. The aim of this visit was to initiate further cooperation and establish contacts.
The second radio station is under construction in Kirkuk. It will be completed in the following days where test broadcasts also will take place.
(Source: Kurdish Media/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

WRN renews satellite contract

WRN, the UK-based radio and television transmission company, today announced that WorldSpace® Satellite Radio has renewed its existing satellite uplink station contract for its AfriStar™ satellite which covers Western Europe, the Middle East and all of Africa. Under the terms of the agreement, WRN will continue to manage WorldSpace’s satellite uplink requirements for a number of channels transmitted on AfriStar and that are produced or aggregated in Europe and North America. These channels include BBC, CNN International, Virgin Radio UK, among others. WRN has provided this service for WorldSpace since 1999.
(Source: WRN/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Best of the Best - weekend radio DX shows

Here's a quick look at weekend radio DX shows, we like and consider these Best of the Best. You'll find plenty of info, tips and programming news. Enjoy !!

UTC Day/Time - Program, Station, kHz

Saturday
0040 DX Program Radio Bulgaria 7400, 9700
0100 Alan Weiner Worldwide WBCQ 7415
0220 DX Corner Radio Budapest 6110
0245 DXers Special Supplement R.A.E. 11710
0340 DX Program Radio Budapest 7400, 9700
0350 DX Corner Radio Budapest 6035
0510 DX Corner Radio Japan 6110 bi-weekly
0730 DX Partyline HCJB 11750
1010 DX Corner Radio Japan 6120 bi-weekly
1030 DX Partyline HCJB 15360
1130 DX Partyline WRMI 9955
1345 DX Corner Voice of Turkey 11735, 12035 bi-wwekly
1430 Wavescan WRMI 7385
1930 DXing With Cumbre WHRI 15285
2105 DXers Unlimited Radio Havana Cuba 9505, 11760
2310 DX Corner Voice of Turkey 5960 bi-wwekly

Sunday
0010 DX Corner Radio Japan 6145 bi-weekly
0140 DXers Unlimited Radio Havana Cuba 6000, 6180
0230 DXing With Cumbre WHRA 5850
0245 Ask WWCR WWCR 5070
0315 DX Partyline WWCR 5070
0335 DXers Unlimited Radio Havana Cuba 6000, 6180
0415 DX Corner Voice of Turkey 6020, 7240 bi-weekly
0500 DX Partyline WRMI 9955
0530 DXers Unlimited Radio Havana Cuba 6000, 6060, 9550, 11760
1045 Ask WWCR WWCR 5070
1110 DX Corner Radio Japan 6120 bi-weekly
1530 DXing With Cumbre WHRI 11785
1900 Allan Weiner Worldwide WBCQ 7415
(Source: ODXA/Listening-In)

Blog Logs - MARE

The following loggings represent what is being heard on shortwave from the fine folks of Michigan Area Radio Enthusiasts. Thanks for sharing your monitoring with our readers.

Gayle VH

ANGUILLA: 6090 University Network. Date: 9 Dec 06. Time: 2250-2300.Typical Dr. Scott programming. QRM from Family Radio on 6085. P-f.(Wood, TN).

ARGENTINA: 15820/L Radio Continental; 2113-2131+, 12-Dec; 2M in SSw/cmtrys & many ads/promos; Continental spot @2123 (sounds like "Con-tinente" sometimes, "al" this time); pips @BoH. SIO=122+ w/flutterQRM, good when flutter absent. SS 2-way in USB, (Frodge-MI)

CUBA: 9550 Radio Habana. Date: 9 Dec 06. Time: 2329. YL in English withnews of a film festival in Havana. Good. (Wood, TN).

GERMANY: 7285 Voice of Croatia. Date: 9 Dec 06. Time: 2312-2324. Pop mxfollowed by Croatia Today in EE about politics in Croatia followed byskeds, target areas, and freqs. Poor. (Wood, TN)

ISRAEL: 6985 Kol Israel; 1905-1940+, 11-Dec; M&W cmtry & phone inter-view w/vocal & instr'l music breaks. Hrd tentative mentions of Shabele& Mogadishu but then hrd clear Kol Israel ID @1935. All in LL; soundssomewhat like AR. Assume this is the Somalia/Unknownia hrd last week-end on 6985. SINPO=3+4233-, one brief clatter burst. Not //7545 w/M&Win HB. (Frodge-MI)

JAMMERS: 11945 CC Crash & Bang Music Jammer; 1843, 12-Dec; AgainstRadio Asia, Tinian? (Frodge-MI)

RWANDA: 6055 Radio Rwanda (t); 2046-2059, 12-Dec; M cmtry in FF totent. RR ID by W @2049, then non-Afro pop & reggae tunes. Disappeared@2059; 07 Passport shows a target shift @2100. SIO=252, USB best;should have improved toward ToH, but didn't. (Frodge-MI)

TANZANIA: 11735 Radio Tanzania Zanzibar (p); 1844-1915+, 12-Dec; LongAfro vocal--ran at least 16 min.; brief anmt @ToH, then drum chant,then W w/news. All in LL. SIO=2+53 (Frodge-MI)

TURKEY: 5960 Voice of Turkey (Ankara). Date: 9 Dec 06. Time: 2301-2307.OM in EE with nx of the Bosporus region. Poor. (Wood, TN).
PirateWBNY Radio Bunny (p); 6925/U, 2022-2029:19*, 12-Dec; Pop tune shorts,belching & monkey boy bits--very innovative pxing. On/off severaltimes. SIO=2+53 (Frodge-MI)

(Source: MARE Tip Sheet # 431)

Radio, TV Marti to be aired locally in South Florida

The Miami Herald says that US audiences will be able to get news from TV and Radio Martí via two South Florida stations, despite a law that generally prohibits distribution in the United States. The newspaper says TV and Radio Martí are spending $377,500 to air select programmes on South Florida broadcast stations over the next six months, using loopholes in a law that prohibits the propaganda channels [sic] from distribution within the United States.
The stations - Univisión’s Radio Mambí 710 AM and WPMF-TV 38, the Azteca América affiliate owned by TVC Broadcasting - technically can reach Cuba.
(Source: R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

DRM updates for Voice of Russia

Some changes for Voice of Russia in DRM mode:
All times UTC
0700-0800 on 12060 MSK 035 kW / 240 deg in Russian RIR, additional
0800-1000 on 12060 MSK 035 kW / 240 deg in English WS, additional
1100-1300 on 12060 MSK 035 kW / 240 deg in German, cancelled
1300-1400 on 12060 MSK 035 kW / 240 deg in English WS, cancelled
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX Dec 12)
(Source: WWDXC Top News-BC DX # 786)

Mancow says 'thanks' for listening

Erich "Mancow" Muller, the Chicago-based morning radio host, says he's pleased at the response to his "Mancow's Morning Madhouse" on the area's first commercial FM talk station, WFTK-FM (96.5).

"We're getting lots of calls from Cincinnati," says Muller, 40. Muller slipped into Cincinnati on Wednesday to meet "Supertalk96.5" advertisers. Cincinnati is one of 30-some markets for Muller, who was dumped by Chicago's WKQX-FM (101.1) in July after eight years.
Read more on the calmed down former shock jock at:
Cincinatti .Com/The Enquirer
http://news.enquirer.com
(RDN 12/18)

Blog Logs - Indonesian monitoring

INDONESIA 9680 RRI Jakarta, on Dec 6 (Wed.) at 1006-1031 UT, Kang Guru Radio English program #5302, same as heard Nov 1 (Wed.) and Nov 5 (Sun.) no sign of the usually heard WYFR. At end of KGRE program (1022), went to open carrier (strong audio hum) till 1028, into Bahasa Indonesia programming. Fair.
(Ron Howard-USA, JPNpremium / DXplorer Dec 8)

Reactivated RRI Nabire 49 mb transmitter (last check in Oct. 1998 on 6127 kHz) heard on 6125.3 kHz at 0815-1400* with Love Ambon on Dec. 10. Local news in Nabire at 1000-1012. Jakarta news at 1100, 1200 and 1300. Acc. to "Kageyama BCL Communication Page "in Japanese http://6103.teacup.com/akage/bbs?BD=10&CH=5 first noted on Dec. 9 at 0900 with unID RRI, reported on S. Kiyota. (A. Ishida-JPN & S. Hasegawa-JPN, NDXC-HQ, wwdxc BC-DX Dec 10)

3215.09 RRI Manado, 1318-1355* Dec 6, vocal mx, M&W ancrs with long chats between songs; final song ended at 1355 and, after a short 10-sec. anmt, the stn went off the air. Generally fair signal, about even with the local noise level. Spot checks throughout the week show the same pattern, i.e. mx in this time frame, and going off the air arnd 1400, sometimes a bit earlier, sometimes later. Have never hrd them running Jakarta prgms, although they may do so earlier. Fqy has been the same all week, 3215.09. (John Wilkins-CO-USA, DXplorer Dec 11)

4750 RRI Makasar fair-poor at 1350 with soft choral European-style songs; woman ancr in Bahasa Indonesian [listed]; ID with the word "Makasar" at 1400; off at 1401 UT. Interesting that PWBR spells it Makassar; the usually authoritative Oxford World Atlas has Makasar. My first Indo regional; thanks to Ron Howard and Don Jensen for help on this.
(James Ronda-OK-USA, DXplorer Dec 6)
We monitored RRI Nabire on Dec. 10 to 14.
+0700-0815v* on 7290 kHz
*0815v-1400* on 6125.3 kHz, QRMed CNR-1 (*1000-)
*2030v-2300+ on 6125.3 kHz, QRMed CNR-1, BBC (*2055-)
Jakarat nx at 0800, 1100, 1200, 1300, and 2200 UT.
Local Nx (Berita Daerah) at 1000-1015v.
Local Nx signature (bamboo drum) and local ID on Dec. 10 at 0959 UT. Recorded by Mr. S. Yamamori-JPN, A. Ishida-JPN, S. Aoki-JPN and S. Hasegawa-JPN.
(NDXC-HQ, via Hasegawa-JPN, wwdxc BC-DX Dec 14)

3215.1 RRI-Manado, Dec 07 1318-1331 35343 Indonesian, Telephone talkback and music, ID at 1321. 6125.29 RRI-Nabire, Dec 13 1223-1239 33443-34443 Indonesian, Jakarta news realy and music, ID at 1232 UT. Thanks for tip from Kiyota via Kageyama BCL Communication Page BBS. (Kouji Hashimoto-JPN, JPNpremium Dec 15)
(Source: WWDXC Top News-BC DX # 786)

Broadcast to Cuba, worth the cost ?

Cubans who manage to find Radio or TV Marti through Cuban government jamming discover programming sprinkled with vulgarity, biased programming presented as news, and programming that omits stories critical of the Bush administration and Miami's Cuban exile community, according to recent U.S. government reviews. All these things are in apparent violation of federal broadcast standards and of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting's own guidelines, according to recent U.S. government quality-control reviews of the Office of Cuban Broadcasting offerings.
To read in-depth of this on going debate of U.S. broadcast efforts to Cuba, refer to:
Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0612140145dec14,1,6251140.story
(Source: RDN 12/18/06)

Trans World Radio-Albania schedule update

TRANS WORLD RADIO - SHIJAK, ALBANIA
TIME/UTC DAYS LANGUAGE FREQ PWR AZI
0615-0630 1234567 POLISH 6235 100 350
0615-0630 1234567 POLISH 7380 100 350
0630-0645 12345.. SLOVAK 7380 100 350
0745-0920 ......7 ENGLISH 11865 100 310
0800-0920 12345.. ENGLISH 11865 100 310
0815-0850 .....6. ENGLISH 11865 100 310
1442-1457 1...... RUSSIAN 11615 100 33
1442-1527 ......7 RUSSIAN 11615 100 33
1442-1557 .23456. RUSSIAN 11615 100 33
1457-1527 1...... BELORUSSIAN 11615 100 33
1527-1557 1...... RUSSIAN 11615 100 33
1545-1600 ......7 POLISH 7355 100 350
1600-1630 1234567 POLISH 7355 100 350
1633-1703 12345.. ARMENIAN/EAS 7380 100 100
1633-1703 12345.. ARMENIAN/EAS 9945 100 90
1715-1815 ......7 FARSI 7375 100 90
1715-1815 ......7 FARSI 9960 100 90
1715-1830 123456. FARSI 7375 100 90
1715-1830 123456. FARSI 9960 100 90



TRANS WORLD RADIO -FLLAKE, ALBANIA
1910-1940 ......7 Macedonian 1395 500 330
1910-1940 123456. Serbian 1395 500 330
1940-2015 1234567 Hungarian 1395 500 330
2015-2030 ......7 Russian 1395 500 330
2015-2030 ....5.. Arabic 1395 500 330
2015-2030 ...4... Kurdish/Sora 1395 500 330
2015-2030 ..3.... Farsi 1395 500 330
2015-2030 .2..... Turkish 1395 500 330
2015-2030 1...... Polish 1395 500 330
2015-2045 .....6. Croation 1395 500 330
2030-2045 ......7 Croatian 1395 500 330
2030-2115 12345.. Croatian 1395 500 330
2045-2115 .....67 Bosnian 1395 500 330
2115-2130 1234567 Slovak 1395 500 330
2130-2200 1234567 Czech 1395 500 330
Day 1 = Mon .. 7 = Sun
(WWDXC Top News-BC DX # 786)

Revised Radio New Zealand English schedule

Revised schedule of Radio New Zealand International from Dec 6:
All times UTC
1300-1550 5950 RAN 050 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
1300-1550 7145 RAN 050 kW 000 deg DRM All Pacific
1551-1750 9870 RAN 050 kW 035 deg AM NE Pacific,Fiji,Samoa,Cook Isl
1551-1750 9890 RAN 050 kW 035 deg DRM NE Pacific,Fiji,Samoa,Cook Isl
1751-1950 11725 RAN 050 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
1751-1850 11675 RAN 050 kW 035 deg DRM NE Pacific,Fiji,Samoa,Cook Isl
1851-1950 15720 RAN 050 kW 035 deg DRM NE Pacific,Fiji,Samoa,Cook Isl
1951-2259 17675 RAN 050 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
1951-2050 11675 RAN 050 kW 325 deg DRM NW Pacific,Vanuatu,Solomon Isl
2051-2259 15720 RAN 050 kW 325 deg DRM NW Pacific,Vanuatu,Solomon Isl
2300-0559 15720 RAN 050 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
2300-0559 17675 RAN 050 kW 000 deg DRM All Pacific
0600-1059 9765 RAN 050 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
0600-1259 9890 RAN 050 kW 000 deg DRM All Pacific
1100-1259 13840 RAN 050 kW 325 deg AM NW
Pacific,Bougainville,PNG,Timor,As
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX Dec 12)
(Source: WWDXC Top News-BC DX # 786)

Latvia relay service to return during Christmas holidays

LATVIA 9290 The shortwave relay service on 9290 kHz will return to theair with 100 kW during the Xmas holidays. License holder is the companySIA "RNI Radio", owned by Raimonds Kreicbergs and local investors.
0n 7 December, the Latvian Radio & TV Council (NRTP) issued the license to thiscompany. The company would like to point out that the relay service as*no* connection with the website www.rni.fm which since early2006 incorrectly claims being the holder of a license for shortwave relaysfrom Latvia. The Radio & TV Council did not receive any application fromthe person(s) behind the website.
(Bernd Trutenau-LTU, wwdxc BC-DX Dec 14)
(Source: WWDXC Top News-BC DX # 786)

Japan Radio to end production of NRD-545

JAPAN Japan Radio Co. declared in their web site that they will end the production of NRD-545 receiver in January 2007. The sales will be discontinued after the stock is out.

(Takahito Akabayashi-JPN, wwdxc BC-DX Dec 9)
(Source: WWDXC Top News-BC DX # 786)

RTM and CRI agree to collaborate

Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and China Radio International (CRI) today agreed to collaborate by exchanging officers and programmes. Malaysian Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said the officers exchange programme could be implemented next February after all the administrative issues had been ironed out. He said the programme was among the proposed areas of cooperation discussed during his visit to CRI last October.

“At that time CRI requested RTM to send its officers to work there. I also agreed then to accept CRI officers to work in RTM,” he told reporters after receiving a courtesy visit from a four-member CRI delegation to Malaysia today.

Zainuddin said the officers selected for the exchange programme would be based at the radio station for one year. He noted that such an exchange programme was crucial to expose the officers to the culture and customs of the host nation hence, helped them to create programmes that meet the listeners’ needs.

On the exchange of programmes, Zainuddin said RTM and CRI would do this via web links, selecting specific packages that contained suitable Malay and Mandarin programmes to be exchanged. “RTM will provide a package of specific programmes that can be sent to Beijing and vice-versa. However, the programmes created must be suitable for the targeted areas,” he said.

The scope of these programmes would be history, tourism, culture, social and education.
Zainuddin said programmes, prepared by CRI, will be aired by RTM radio stations including its Mandarin station, i-FM and Klasik Nasional, for two hours every week. However, the exchange of programmes will only be implemented after the officers exchange scheme had been carried out, he said.

(Source: Bernama/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Canada's CFRB radio host resigns

Citing a desire to spend more time with his family, CFRB's Ted Woloshyn resigned yesterday, ending one of the longer current runs in local morning radio.
Woloshyn, host of The Morning Show, (CFRB News-Talk 1010 AM) had celebrated his 10-year anniversary on the show only a few weeks ago. He had inherited the show in 1996 from morning legend Wally Crouter, who had the times lot for 50 years.
Read more on Ted's resignation at:http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2006/12/16/2823416.html

(Source: Tornoto Sun/ RDN 12/18/06/CFRB)

Special Canadian ARO prefix to celebrate 'Hello' broadcast

SPECIAL CANADIAN PREFIX TO CELEBRATE "HELLO"....100 YEARS OF VOICE OVERRADIO WORLDWIDE".

From: "Radio Amateurs of Canada HQ" <rachq@rac.ca>

At the request of Radio Amateurs of Canada, Industry Canada has authorized all Canadian radio amateurs to use special event prefixes for the months of December 2006 and January 2007, to mark the 100th anniversary of the first AM voice broadcast by Reginald Fessenden on December 24, 1906.

Reginald Fessenden, who was born in East Bolton, Quebec, on October 6, 1866, and lived until July 22, 1932, was the holder of more than 500 patents on a wide variety of subjects, and the inventor of radio as we know it today. He is particularly known for: the first voice transmission by radio in 1900,the first transatlantic two-way radio communications in January 1906, and the first radio broadcasts of entertainment and music in December 1906.

On Christmas Eve, 1906, from a transmitting station in Brant Rock,Massachussetts, he sent a short program which included the song "O HolyNight" played on the violin and a reading from the Bible. A second short program was broadcast on December 31, 1906. Canadian radio amateurs areauthorized to use the following special event prefixes during the period ofDecember 1st (2006) to January 31st (2007) inclusive:CF for VA stations CI0 for VY0 stationsCG for VE stations CI1 for VY1 stationsCH for VO stations CI2 for VY2 stations

(Source: Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin # 788/Outer Banks)

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty guards monitor via video and photograph

Employees of a private security service guarding Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in Prague photograph and video record with digital apparatus selected passers-by at public places, which some experts and lawyers say is problematic, daily Pravo writes today. The paper says the security service workers wear plain clothes and that they monitor quite a wide vicinity of the building in the upper part of Wenceslas Square.

The building has been officially guarded since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in 2001 and it is separated from its vicinity by concrete barriers. The radio station is to move to another building which has started to be built outside the city centre. Referring to a source close to RFE/RL, Pravo writes that the security service agents make a database of possible suspects which they send to the United States, probably for the needs of the US secret services.
Read the full story in Prague Daily Monitor
(Source: R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

XM-4 satellite begins broadcasting to XM subscribers

US broadcaster XM Satellite Radio, today announced the completion of its new two-satellite broadcast system. On Friday, XM began broadcasting through its recently launched XM-4 satellite (known as “Blues”) manufactured by Boeing Satellite Systems International, Inc. The combination of “Rhythm (the XM-3 satellite launched in early 2005)” and “Blues” provides a solid foundation to deliver a full complement of digital broadcasts across the next two decades.
“The Rhythm and Blues satellites form the most powerful and stable delivery system in satellite radio,” said John Dealy, XM Senior Advisor who leads the Company’s Satellite Systems Team. “Both satellites are healthy and expected to deliver excellent service beyond their contract requirement of 15 years, providing the richest entertainment content to XM subscribers for the long-term.”
Rhythm and Blues replace XM’s original satellites, “Rock” and “Roll,” launched in 2001, which will serve as in-orbit spares for the near-term.
(Source: XM Satellite Radio/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Radio Nepal available live on internet Dec. 19

Radio Nepal will be available live on the Internet throughout the world from tomorrow. Only the news and several programmes can be downloaded at the moment, but from tomorrow, all the programmes will be continually fed live round the clock.

Listeners of Radio Nepal can now listen to Radio Nepal from wherever they are, whether in America or Europe.

The direct broadcast is being carried out by Radio Nepal with cooperation from Worldlink Communications and NITV of Japan.
(Source: Radio Nepal, Kathmandu, in Nepali 1115 gmt 18 Dec 06 via BBC Monitoring/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)