Days of radio yet to be over

Special thanks to Achim Brueckner for the link to this story at Twitter.

Shihab Sarkar
'Radio Days', was a widely acclaimed 1987 feature film directed and starred by Woody Allen. The movie vividly showed that commercial radio network always had a dominant place in the American life even in the late eighties. By then television had already made deep inroads into the US society. But the general people did not stop tuning in to radio, be it local or national.

 Listening to radio news and other programmes and watching TV go parallel in the US even these days. By mid-eighties in Bangladesh, radio was largely driven out by the wonder-box TV in the urban areas. The upscale rural pockets have also witnessed the similar scenario. It's only lately that radio-listening has undergone resurgence with the launch of a number of private radio channels in the country. These FM (frequency modulation) radios can be found in the mobile phones.
Against this backdrop, this year's theme of the World Radio Day (February 13) --- 'Radio in Times of Disaster and Emergency', has appeared before us with fresh importance. No other slogan applies to Bangladesh more aptly, as the country is periodically battered by cyclones.

Additional story at: http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2016/02/20/16940 

Radio Öömrang slated for annual broadcast on February 21

Amrum Island, Germany

Radio Öömrang will transmit their annual broadcast on Sunday February.21, 2016 from 1600 to 1700 UTC on 15215 kHz in German, English and Frisian.
(Caroline Mesnier via EuroRadio)

Radio Öömrang  (Radio Amrum) is broadcasts once in a year on February 21, a major North Frisian holiday. Broadcast are in North Frisian language (Öömrang dialect) as well as Standard German, including English identifications. Programming is aimed to the descendants of North Frisian immigrants in North America. 

The program was founded by the radio amateur Arjan Kölzow on the island of Amrum in North Germany. The first shortwave broadcast was February 21, 2006. This weekends broadcast will be relayed via the Media Broadcast transmitting facilities in Issoudun, France. 

To obtain a QSL, send your program details to Media Broadcast at: 

qsl-shortwave@media-broadcast.com  (or) Michael.Puetz@media-broadcast.com

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VOA Radiogram weekend schedule

Hello friends,

Last weekend’s World Radio Day edition of VOA Radiogram was successful, based on the number of emails I received, and the response on Twitter. Even if you don’t have a Twitter account, you can see many of the decoded images at twitter.com/voaradiogram . If you are on Twitter, follow @voaradiogram for program reminders and retweets from listeners.

This weekend, we resume Olivia 64-2000 as our robust mode of the week. Most of the show will be in the usual MFSK32.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 151, 20-21 February 2016, all in MFSK32 except where noted:  

1:35  Program preview

 2:40  Remnants of atmosphere on exoplanet*

7:50  Olivia 64-2000: System stores renewable energy (image in MFSK32*)

15:42  Preparing for winter at the South Pole*

26:45  Closing announcements*

* with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com .

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5865 kHz
Sat 1600-1630 17580 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.

The Mighty KBC will transmit a minute of MFSK32 Sunday at about 0220 UTC (Saturday 9:20 pm EST) on 6040 kHz, via Germany. Reports for KBC reception and/or decoding to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

Keeping up the pattern of alternating between oldest and newest reports, I am now preparing the gallery of images from program 136, 7-8 November 2015, and will be responding to those reports this weekend.

I hope you can tune in and write in this weekend. If you are at the Winter SWL Fest this weekend, please relay my greetings and encourage the listeners there to decode the modes.

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net

Twitter: @voaradiogram

Report of the Week returns to shortwave February 20

Special thanks to John, and his return to shortwave. Teak Publishing welcomes you back to realm of shortwave !
Gayle Van Horn

To shortwave listeners.....

My You Tube channel focuses primarily on reviews of popular fast food items and while this may seem irrelevant at first, this actually is a major part of the broadcast. The channel name is "TheReportOfTheWeek".

Over years, this channel has built up a following of 43,000 subscribed individuals and come February 20th, my channel will have existed and been in operation for 5 years now. 

Aside from reviews though, I also run a "talk" program known as VORW or "Voice of theReportoftheWeek" in which I discuss current events, read listener letters and heavily promote my very favorite hobby, shortwave radio. 

I try my very best to educate my audience (most of whom are in their 20s) about shortwave radio, and I have successfully sprouted several dozen new shortwave listeners and enthusiasts. 

It was a dream to get this show onto shortwave radio and that dream was achieved in 2015.The VORW program was broadcast weekly on 7490 kHz and 5110 kHz via WBCQ from January - July of 2015. 

Thanks to listener funding, I will again be on the air this Saturday to commemorate the five year anniversary of the channel, on my favorite medium of all and it will feature talk about shortwave radio, current events, discussion regarding the YouTube channel and its history, and it will also feature an eclectic variety of western music, past and present. 

The schedule for the transmission is as follows:

February 20 - 2016

WBCQ - 7490 kHz - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Eastern 2100 - 2200 UTC 

WRMI - 7570 kHz - 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Eastern 0100 - 0200 UTC 

Any reception reports will be met with an E-QSL card and can be sent to vorwinfo@gmail.com 

All the best,

John (TheReportOfTheWeek)

Report's of radio's death are greatly exaggerated

The truth is, radio is alive and kicking. In many parts of the world, audiences are bigger than ever, and South Africa has some of the radio highest listenership levels globally. Zulu language station Ukhozi FM, for example, has a reported 7.4 million listeners. Contrary to that pop song, video hasn’t killed the radio star.

Radio has managed to keep up with the times. It follows listeners through the twists and turns of their ever-changing lives. It continues to appease breaking-news addicts, music aficionados and podcasting millennials alike.

Across Africa, radio more than any other medium, continues to play an important role in daily community life. Radio’s impact reaches far beyond the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and even millions of listeners of individual stations. What differentiates radio from the broader global media landscape is how incredibly local it can be. It plays music, uses local languages and idioms and discusses topics in ways that reflect the singularity of a particular area. A radio station is the engine room of local ideas where issues are debated and opinions are formed.

Additional story at:http://themediaonline.co.za/2016/02/reports-of-radios-death-are-greatly-exaggerated/? htm_content=bufferd8fa0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Euro weekend relay schedules

Radio City, HLR & EMR Relays

  

Radio City Relays:

Scheduled Radio City programmes in February 2016 are:

Friday 19th between 19 to 20 UTC via IRRS on 7290 kHz and via Challenger Radio, Italy on 567, 846 and 1368 kHz'

Saturday 20th between 09 to 10 UTC repeat via IRRS on 9510 kHz.

Saturday 27th between 13 to 14 UTC via Hamburger Lokalradio on 7265 kHz (different programme).

Every Saturday between 20 to 21 UTC via Radio Merkurs, Riga, Latvia on 1485 kHz (different programmes).

Contact address remains: citymorecars@yahoo.ca

Saturday HLR:
07.00 to 11.00 UTC, on 6190 KHz
11.00 to 16.00 UTC, on 7265 KHz

Sunday HLR:
10.00 to 13.00 UTC on 9485 kHz

E-mail: redaktion@hamburger-lokalradio.de  Thank you!

HLR FM-DAB+ Program via the Internet :    www.hamburger-lokalradio.net  Daily 24 h

European Music Radio Relays on 21st February 2016:

08.00 to 09.00 UTC  on 7265 & 6070 KHz  Tom Taylor & Tony Currie Mail Box (from January 2016)

09.00 to 10.00 UTC  on 6045 & 9485 KHz  Tom Taylor & Tony Currie Mail Box (February 2016)

17.30 to 18.30 UTC  on 9405 KHz  Tom Taylor & Tony Currie Mail (February 2016)

Internet Repeats on 21st February 2016:

EMR will have this months Transmission via two streams running at the following Times:16.00, 18.00, 20.00 UTC

http://nednl.net:8000/emr.m3u will be on 96 kbps /44 KHz stereo for normal listening

http://nednl.net:8000/emr24.m3u will be 24 kbps / 22 KHz mono will be especially for low bandwidth like mobile phones.

Good Listening!

73s,  Tom

--

European Music Radio:
website: www.europeanmusicradio.com
email:    emrshortwave@gmail.com

Russia back on shortwave ? First step to rebirth of a powerful broadcasting?

Today, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Communications conducts regular competition for the right of broadcasting terrestrial broadcasting.

Among the subjects of the contest for №№ 8 and 9 as the sole applicant stated State Budget Institution of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), National Broadcasting Company "Sakha" (NBC "Sakha"), intending to obtain the right to exercise of terrestrial analogue broadcasting in short wave.

For this purpose, two transmitters will be used by setting in place a. Tulagino about Yakutsk: 250 kW at a frequency of 7295 kHz and a power of 100 kW at a frequency of 7345 kHz for the declared schedule (local time - GMT + 6:00.)

Monday Friday:
from 06.00 to 09.00; from 12.00 to 14.00; from 18.00 to 21.00

Saturday Sunday:
from 07.00 to 14.00; from 18.00 to 21.00

According to Director of Directorate broadcasting NBC "Sakha" Maxim Berezin, broadcast is scheduled to begin in the spring, most likely - in May. For our part, we hope that the broadcasts could be started earlier after receiving a broadcasting license.

Add in conclusion that it is in these days of January the station number 1 branch RTRS "RTBC the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)" in the village Tulagino where a shortwave signal NBC "Sakha" will spread to the entire territory of the republic and to reach the most remote corners of the globe, is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.

A small addition to this report, and apologize for a certain group editor incorrect header. The fact is that after closing, a few years ago, Russia's foreign broadcasting (Voice of Russia) and off last shortwave domestic broadcast transmitters (Radio of Russia, including - in Tulagino) in this range, continued its work of a single transmitter, broadcasting a program of the Adygeya radio (STRC "Adygea") in the amount of three hours per week for compatriots abroad on Circassian, Turkish and Arabic. Current schedule of his work: 2100-2200 GMT on Monday and Friday, 2200-2300 GMT on Sunday at a frequency of 6000 kHz exactly (in the range of 49 meters) over 100 kW transmitter radio center of the Kuban branch of RTRS "Krasnodar KRTPTS" in the Tbilisi district of the region. Link to the archive of programs online http://www.adygtv.ru/programs/radio-inoveshchanie/bro..

As a result of competition for the right to carry out terrestrial broadcasting using specific radio frequency (hereinafter - Competition) recognized the winners:
...
9. NBC "Sakha" - Yakutsk (para transmitter installation - with Tulagino.), The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), 7295 kHz, 250 kW, the broadcast concept of "cultural education";
10. NBC "Sakha" - Yakutsk (para transmitter installation - with Tulagino.), The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), 7345 kHz, 100 kW, the broadcast concept of "cultural education"
(http://vk.com/ctvspb?w=wall-59176345_5476

From the Isle of Music program preview for February 15

February 15 in the Americas (Feb 16 in Europe and Africa): our next broadcast will include an interview with (and the music of) Multiple Latin GRAMMY and Cubadisco winner Septeto Santiaguero (in English with Alden Gonzalez and in Spanish with Fernando Dewar) that we recorded in Santiago de Cuba as well as a conservation with Orlando Sanchez Soto (plus music), who has worked with many of the best Jazz artists in Cuba and Bulgaria and is working in the United States  right now.

*** Every Monday night from 8pm-9pm EST in North, Central and South America (Tuesday morning from 0100-0200 UTC in Europe and Africa) on the short waves on WBCQ The Planet, 7.490 MHz:

From the Isle of Music, a new radio program dedicated to the music of Cuba – Jazz, Fusion, Timba, Nueva Trova, Son, Classical, Folklorica, interviews with musicians, even a little history of the music now and then. Partly in English, en parte en español. “Like” our page to keep informed about what we will bring you. (For those without shortwave or outside of viable signal range, there are also a couple of ways to stream the frequency via Internet; see the instructions in our NOTES section).

William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer

Brazilian stations to air special programming

The program called, Com a mãe Aparecida (Together with Mother Apparition) will broadcast by many stations in Brazil on medium wave and FM from 21 February - 16 October 2016.

Shortwave broadcasting will air as;
2300-0800 on 5035, 6040, 6135, 9630, 9725, 11855, 11935
0100-0800 on 9820 and additional shortwave stations in Brazil; Radio Aparecida, Radio Be Dios and Radio Nove de Julho.
(Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria/DX News/BDXC Communications-Feb 2016)

Iraqi radio station aimed at ISIS-held population

(photo via RUDUW)

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region--The Iraqi army started broadcasting a radio news channel in the Makhmour region last week in order to fight Islamic State (ISIS) through the media, said an official from the Iraqi army.

The Voice of Nineveh Liberation Operation transmitting on frequency 89.8, launched when the first batch of the Iraqi army arrived in Makhmour last week.

"People from Gayara and Makhmour outskirts can listen to the radio broadcast," Salim Ahmed, a member of the radio crew, told Rudaw. "People in the ISIS-held territories are happy to listen to our radio."

"We are sending them messages that we intend to liberate them from the darkness and oppression of Daesh. With the help of God we are close to them," Ahmed added using an alternate name for ISIS.

Additional story at: http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/150220161

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins

Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2016 Feb 15 0238 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/weekly.html
#
#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 08 - 14 February 2016

Solar activity was low from 08-11 Feb. The largest C-class event during that period was a C8/1f observed at 11/2103 UTC from Region 2497 (N13, L=087, class/area Eac/250 on 12 Feb) with associated Type II (est. speed 483 km/s) and Type IV radio sweeps. A CME was visible
following this event and is anticipated to arrive at Earth early on 15 Feb. Solar activity was moderate from 12-14 Feb with Region 2497 producing an M1 flare each day. No other Earth-directed CMEs were observed.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at normal to moderate levels during the period.

Geomagnetic field activity began the week at minor storm levels due to effects from a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) ahead of a CH HSS. Predominately quiet to unsettled levels were observed for the remainder of the period with isolated active periods on 09, 11 and 12 Feb associated with extended periods of negative Bz.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 15 February - 12 March 2016

Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels with a chance for M-class flares from 15-17 Feb. Activity is expected to decrease to very low levels with only a chance for C-class flares
from 18-29 Feb as Region 2497 moves beyond the west limb. Low levels are anticipated once again on 01-12 Mar as well as a chance for M-class flares with the return of Region 2497.

A slight chance for a proton event exists at geosynchronous orbit from 15-17 Feb due to the flare potential and position of Region 2497.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal to moderate levels for the majority of the period. High levels are likely on 18-20 Feb following effects from a
CME and a subsequent CH HSS.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to reach minor storm levels on 15 Feb due to effects from the 11 Feb CME. Quiet to active conditions are expected on 16 Feb as CME effects subside. Minor
storm conditions are likely again on 17 Feb as a recurrent negative polarity CH HSS becomes geoeffective. Quiet to unsettled conditions are expected with isolated active periods possible on 18-20 Feb as CH HSS effects continue. Mostly quiet conditions are expected on 21-29 Feb. Quiet to unsettled conditions are expected from 01-03 Mar due to effects from a positive polarity CH HSS. Mostly quiet conditions are expected for the remainder of the period with unsettled to active periods possible on 06-07 Mar and 11 Mar as two sequential small recurrent coronal holes affect the field.

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2016 Feb 15 0238 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html
#
#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
#                Issued 2016-02-15
#
#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest
#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index
2016 Feb 15     108          27          5
2016 Feb 16     108          12          4
2016 Feb 17     105          20          5
2016 Feb 18     103          12          4
2016 Feb 19     106          10          3
2016 Feb 20     107           8          3
2016 Feb 21     110           5          2
2016 Feb 22     115           5          2
2016 Feb 23     115           5          2
2016 Feb 24     115           5          2
2016 Feb 25     115           5          2
2016 Feb 26     115           5          2
2016 Feb 27     115           5          2
2016 Feb 28     115           5          2
2016 Feb 29     118           5          2
2016 Mar 01     120          15          4
2016 Mar 02     120          10          3
2016 Mar 03     120          12          4
2016 Mar 04     115           8          3
2016 Mar 05     115           5          2
2016 Mar 06     110          15          4
2016 Mar 07     110          10          4
2016 Mar 08     105           8          3
2016 Mar 09     105           5          2
2016 Mar 10     105           5          2
2016 Mar 11     105           8          3
2016 Mar 12     105           5          2
(NOAA)

VOA Radiogram weekend schedule features World Radio Day

Hello friends,

February 13 is World Radio Day. VOA Radiogram this weekend will include content pertaining to World Radio Day.

In addition to our usual MFSK32, one VOA News story will be in MFSK16. MFSK16 and MFSK32 are both 16-FSK, but MFSK16 is about half the speed and occupies about half the bandwidth (316 Hz). MFSK16 performed well in difficult reception conditions in past VOA Radiogram and Radio Australia broadcasts. 

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 150, 13-14 February 2016, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:35  Program preview
  2:55  MFSK16: Galaxies behind the Milky Way (MFSK32 image*)
  9:43  SpaceX will attempt another launch later this month*
15:39  Da Vinci drawings converted to real objects*
21:34  World Radio Day*
26:57  Closing announcements*

* with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5865 kHz (might still be audible in Europe via the gray line)
Sat 1600-1630 17580 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.

The Mighty KBC will transmit a minute of MFSK32 Sunday at about 0220 UTC (Saturday 9:20 pm EST) on 6040 kHz, via Germany. Reports for KBC decodes to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

Here is the World Radio Day logo as decoded last weekend by VOA Radiogram listeners around the world ...

http://voaradiogram.net/post/139005577392/the-world-radio-day-logo-as-transmitted-on-voa

And here are videos of last weekend's VOA Radiogram produced by listeners in Italy, Colorado, and Japan. You can watch the decoding, or decode the modes yourself from the audio ...

http://voaradiogram.net/post/138987733077/text-and-images-via-shortwave-herald-world-radio
https://t.co/ESLiXP7uV1

Thanks for your reception reports. I'm still answering the reports from program 145. Hope to have that finished today. 

Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram
voaradiogram.net
Twitter: @voaradiogram

World Radio Day set for February 13

translated from original post in Spanish via Jose Bueno/playdx

Dear listeners
I would recall that on 13 February was established by UNESCO as World Radio Day (World Radio Day), a day to celebrate radio as a medium of communication and to promote access to information and freedom expression.

The theme of World Radio Day 2016 is "Radio in times of disaster and emergency," with which it is intended to celebrate the importance of radio in our lives, both in peacetime and in difficult circumstances.

We would be interested to know your views on this issue and, therefore, we invite you to send short written or recorded messages, email our span@rri.ro direction. The most interesting messages will be broadcast in a special program.

We also hope to send us personal photos free of copyright and referred to the role that radio plays in their lives, to upload them with your comments to the page RRI and our profiles in social networks.
Victoria Sepciu

Additional information
UNESCO World Radio Day 2016 The theme is “Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster”. There are events all over the world and, of course, on air. See www.worldradioday.org. In the UK, SOAS (School of Oriental and Asian Studies) in London (1500-2000 UTC) are celebrating radio as a medium to improve international cooperation between broadcasters through radio and peacebuilding. More at
http://www.diamundialradio.org/event/world-radio-day-london-radio-peacebuilding
(BDXC Communications/Feb 2016)

Marconi Radio International to celebrate World Radio Day

On February 13, let's celebrate free radio together on the occasion of World Radio Day! Tune in to MRI as well as Italian Broadcasting Corporation and Radio Europe! Thank you for your participation!

Greetings from Italy!

On February 13, Marconi Radio International celebrates the  role of free shortwave radio on the occasion of World Radio Day. That's why we have produced, in cooperation with other two free radios of Italy, Radio Europe  and IBC – Italian Broadcasting Corporation, a special 1 hour show in Italian.

This day of celebration is also an opportunity to remember why we love free  radio, to highlight the power of this medium to bring people together and to share this with shortwave enthusiasts.

With this in mind, we invite SWLs  to listen  not only to Marconi Radio International on 11390 kHz but also Italian Broadcasting Corporation on 6970 kHz and Radio Europe on 6875 kHz. These shortwave stations  will in fact carry over the air, next Saturday at different times, that special programme which includes interviews with people behind the operation of the three free radios.

As usual MRI, which this Saturday, 13 February 2016,  will be on the air from 09.00 to 14.00 UTC on 11390 kHz with 30 watts, encourages reception reports from listeners. Audio clips (mp3-file) of our broadcasts  are welcome! We QSL 100%.

Our E-mail address is: marconiradiointernational@gmail.com [mailto:marconiradiointernational@gmail.com] but please don’t forget to include your postal address as some lucky listeners will also receive a printed QSL card.

Last but not least,  we need your help! If you use social networks, please post an announcement on Facebook  or send out a tweet the day  before the broadcast.   You can also forward this message to a friend. This should help increase our  potential audience.

We hope to hear from a lot of shortwave listeners about our transmission on the occasion of World Radio Day.

Best 73's
Marconi Radio International (MRI)
Short wave test broadcasts from Italy on 11390 kHz

Italian Broadcasting Corporation weekend programming

Dear listeners,ITALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION – IBC, will broadcast again as follows:
– Friday 12 February
18.00-21.00 UTC on 6970 kHz USB BEAMING TO ASIA AND JAPAN
22.00-01.00 UTC on 6970 kHz USB BEAMING TO NORTH AMERICA

– Saturday 13 February
07.00-11.00 UTC on 6970 kHz AM TO EUROPE
During our airtime we will also broadcast, on the occasion of World Radio Day 2016, a joint commemorative program produced in cooperation with  Marconi Radio International and Radio Europe.
Please spread the news and send your reception reports to:ibc@europe.com

Good listening!

Blog Logs

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

Algeria
11985, Radio Algerienne Holy Quran. 1800-1900 with French and Arabic programming. Scheduled for 2248* Format present on subsequent daily checks 1830 +  with Qur'an (Vam Horn, NC)

Argentina
15345, Radio Argentina Exterior, 1830. Tuned into English service news to tango music. "This is RAE" identification. Announcer's news of riots in Mexican  prison with casualties and additional news about Mexico, Cuban migrants, operations in Colombian mines and additional news from Latin America, with a focus on the Zika virus. Puerto Rico's economic news with comparisions to Argentina. (Van Horn, NC/NLD-SDR)

Armenia
4810, Voice of Armenia 1744. Programming targeted to Middle East. Station info and website quote to interval signal. National anthem to Persian service intros. Newscast format between music bridges to  1755. Persian musical vocals to Signal SIO 433. Station ID at 1802. Announcements and Armenian music (Van Horn, NC/NLD_SDR)

India
13640, All India Radio, 1845. Arabic text to lady's Indian vocals (SIO 434) // 9620 to Middle East weak SIO 232, no sign of // 11710. English service 1900 on 11670 and very weak // 11935. International newscast to main points at 1904. Press Review to 1909. Station ID to Indian pop vocals. Urdu service on 7520 via NL-SDR with Indian vocals (Van Horn, NC)

Iran
6060, VOIRI 2135. Arabic speeches, ect. Bosnian/Serbo Croatian audible at this time on 5950 // 9590 kHz. Japanese service heard 2145 on 5965 and // 7425 kHz. English service monitored on 11940 and 13785, both to various target areas. Programming on Internet security. Kazakh service on 9480, 1615-1620 (Van Horn, NC/NLD SDR)

Morocco
9575, Radio Mediterranee International 2158. Closing bits of info 2158-59 to station ID at 2200. Arabic newscast topics between fanfare music. Moderate signal and minimal fades observed (Van Horn, NC)

Romania
9800 Radio Romania International, 1615-1626. Russian topics to fanfare music and talk about Valentine's Day. Russian love songs to 1624. Station info to ID and closing info about station Closing as "goodbye" in Russian. Station interval signal to 1628* (Van Horn, NC)

Russia
4996, RWM STFS Taldom 2235. Just barely there (SIO 222) amid noise with beeps and CW (Van Horn, NC/NLD-SDR)

Saudi Arabia
11820 Radio Saudi-Holy Qur'an 2225. Excellent signal on 11820 for Qur'an recitations // 11915 and 11930 (SIO) 232) audible on 17615, 1520-1535, scheduled for 1557*. Scheduled for 2257 sign-off (Van Horn, NC) Radio Saudi Gen Prgm 1 on 9555 and // 9870, both with excellent signal quality. Announcer's Arabic conversations about Washington, D.C. (Van Horn, NC)

Sudan
9505, Voice of Africa 1737. Station ID, "this is the Voice of Africa," into continued English service comments on personal health care and precautions. Feature about the Arab Peninsular and Islam practices. SIO 434. (Van Horn, NC/NLD-SDR)

Southern Thailand Violence Raises Fears of Insurgent Escalation

(photo via VOA)

Ron Corben

February 12, 2016 10:54 AM

BANGKOK—

Attacks across Thailand’s southern border provinces have raised fears of an escalation in insurgent violence, even as the Thai government has stepped up security operations and reports progress in its efforts to hold peace talks.  Human-rights advocates are calling for an investigation into claims of torture against detainees, including a death in custody.

Outbreak of violence

The outbreak of violence in Thailand’s southern provinces of Yala and Pattani on Friday included the roadside bombing of a military patrol providing security for local school teachers, drive-by shootings and arson attacks.

The insurgency in the largely Muslim-populated region, in its 12th year, has claimed over 6,200 lives, defying official efforts to end the bloodshed.

Panitan Wattanayagorn, a security adviser to the Thai defense minister, says the latest insurgent attacks are in response to security sweeps, including a raid Wednesday in Pattani Province that led to the seizure of a large quantity of bomb-making materials.

Additional story at: http://www.voanews.com/content/southern-thailand-violence-raises-fears-of-insurgent-escalation/3188312.html?utm_content=socialflow&utm_campaign=en&utm_source=voa_news&utm_medium=twitter

HSK9 Radio Thailand World Service

Effective to: 27 March 2016

All times UTC

0000-0030 on 13745 UDO 250 kW / 006 deg to NEAm English
0030-0100 on 13745 UDO 250 kW / 030 deg to NWAm English
0100-0200 on 13745 UDO 250 kW / 038 deg to NEAm Thai
0200-0230 on 13745 UDO 250 kW / 006 deg to NEAm English
0230-0330 on 13745 UDO 250 kW / 006 deg to NEAm Thai
0530-0600 on 12015 UDO 250 kW / 308 deg to WeEu English
1000-1100 on 17630 UDO 250 kW / 300 deg to N/ME Thai
1100-1115 on  5875 UDO 250 kW / 144 deg to SEAs Vietnamese
1115-1130 on  5875 UDO 250 kW / 144 deg to SEAs Khmer
1130-1145 on  5875 UDO 250 kW / 030 deg to SEAs Lao
1145-1200 on  5875 UDO 250 kW / 276 deg to SEAs Burmese
1200-1215 on  9390 UDO 250 kW / 154 deg to SEAs Bahasa Malay
1230-1300 on  9390 UDO 250 kW / 132 deg to SEAs English
1300-1315 on  9390 UDO 250 kW / 054 deg to EaAs Japanese
1315-1330 on  9390 UDO 250 kW / 030 deg to EaAs Mandarin
1330-1400 on  9390 UDO 250 kW / 054 deg to EaAs Thai
1400-1430 on  9390 UDO 250 kW / 132 deg to SEAs English
1800-1900 on  9390 UDO 250 kW / 316 deg to WeEu Thai
1900-2000 on  9390 UDO 250 kW / 324 deg to WeEu English
2000-2015 on  9390 UDO 250 kW / 324 deg to WeEu German
2030-2045 on  9390 UDO 250 kW / 324 deg to WeEu English
2045-2115 on  9390 UDO 250 kW / 316 deg to WeEu Thai
(DX Bulgaria 12 Feb 2016)

Hobart Radio International weekend schedule

We are on air this weekend covering three continents:
Shortwave:
Radio 700 7310 15h00-15h30UTC Sunday (Europe)
WRMI 9955 4h30-5h00UTC Sundays (North, South America, India)
WBCQ 5110 4h30-5h00UTC Mondays (North America)
FM:
World FM 88.2MHz 3h30-4UTC Thursdays (Tawa, New Zealand)
Soundwave FM 107.7MHz & 87.8 2h00UTC Sundays (Napier, New Zealand)

We are airing "In The Zone" music show.
Kind regards,
Rob Wise.
Hobart Radio International - The Voice of Tasmania
Lewisham, 7173 Tasmania, AUSTRALIA
Web: hriradio.org Twitter: @hobartradiointl Facebook: facebook.com/hobartradiointl

Hobart Radio International is a shortwave community service relayed across Europe, North America, South America and New Zealand and features the The Buzz and In The Zone shows!

Solar cycle 24 activity continues to be lowest in nearly 200 years

by Anthony Watts

Ir has been a couple of months since WUWT has checked in on the progress of solar cycle 24. Right now, the sun is in “cue ball” mode, with no large visible sunspots as seen above the most recent Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) photo.

Since there is a new analysis out at Pierre Gosselin’s website by Frank Bosse and Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt, I thought it would be a good time to do an update. They write:

[The sun was] rather quiet in January. The determined solar sunspot number (SSN) was 56.6, which is 71% of the mean this far into the period, calculated using the 23 previously measured solar cycles.

Additional story and graph at: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2016/02/11/solar-cycle-24-activity-continues-to-be-lowest-in-nearly-200-years/ 

Russia warns of 'new world war' starting in Syria

By Richard Spencer, Middle East Editor, Matthew Holehouse in Brussels and Louisa Loveluck in Gaziantep

Foreign and defence ministers of the leading international states are meeting in Munich and Brussels following the collapse of the latest round of peace talks. 

Russia warned of “a new world war" starting in Syria on Thursday after a dramatic day in which Gulf states threatened to send in ground forces.

Foreign and defence ministers of the leading international states backing different factions in the war-torn country met in separate meetings in Munich and Brussels following the collapse of the latest round of peace talks.

Both Russia and the United States demanded ceasefires in the long-running civil war so that the fight could be concentrated against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) - but each on their own, conflicting terms.

Additional story at The Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/12153112/Russia-warns-of-new-world-war-starting-in-Syria.html

Tune-in to Sputnik Radio slant on this and other related stories at http://sputniknews.com/