WORLD OF RADIO #1223, produced March 10, 2004 by Glenn Hauser
*WOR now at 5 different times on WBCQ, newest Sunday 2330 on 9330-
CLSB, and previous broadcast moved to UT Sun 0030 on same; also
a newish one is Sat 2130 on 17495-CUSB
*Winter SWL Fest almost upon us March 11-13; WBCQ will broadcast a lot
of shows from the Fest, not just Allan Weiner Worldwide, UT Sat 0100
on 7415; some on other frequencies, 5105, 9330, and especially
Saturday daytime on 17495
*WBCQ to broadcast from motorsailor Katie, fitted out with studio,
this spring; and also complete ham station aboard
*VOA cutting shortwave broadcasts in English by two thirds at the end
of March, so will be tougher to hear; includes English to Americas,
0000-0200; also Africa, Asia
*Enamored with ill-conceived services instead like Radio Marti, Sawa
*AFGE Local 1812 at VOA says budget shortfalls are not the reason for
cutting English, but change of priorities. Budget has actually
increased slightly the last few years. Radio Free Iraq to be
integrated into METN/Sawa, eliminate RFA in Cantonese; reduce
English from 19 to 14 hours daily
*WWRB`s new transmitter Global 5 now in use on 5050, 2300-0500 UT on
150 degrees to South America; another antenna reconfigured, 45
degree rhombic, changing vertical takeoff angle from 46 to 8 degrees
at 12 MHz, to put better signal at a distance, such as Europe, by
raising cables higher above ground
*FCC A-04 frequency schedule available for private US SW stations;
WSHB still on schedule just in case; as is WWBS, Macon, GA, actually
off the air since owner died last year: Sat & Sun 2300-0100 on 11910
*KIMF, Pinyon, New Mexico, still not on air, 5835 2200-1800, 11885
1600-2200; an overlap allowing flexibility in changeover time
*WMLK, Pennsylvania shows 250 kW 1600-2200 on 15265; and new 9955 with
half power 125 kW 0300-0900, but not on air yet either; 9955 also
used by WRMI so will have to coordinate with them. WMLK still on 9465
with old 50 kW, 1600-2200, 0300-0900
*KNLS, Alaska, changes frequencies monthly; March: 0800 11765, 1300
on 9655; from March 28 0800 still 11765, 1300 on 11870
*Radio Canada International, main evening to US then at 0100 will have
CBC World at Six, instead of RCI Canada Today, but the RCI weekly
programs including mailbag will be retained at 0130
*Another SW station destined for extinction shortly: XERMX, Radio
Mexico International. IMER says it would cost too much to replace
ailing transmitters, and hey, BBC already cut SW to North America.
But IMER will invest more in internet broadcasting. Staff was told
in mid-Feb but just now coming out thru anonymous source. No date
given for closure, and I am still hearing it as of March 11; 9705 and
maybe 11770. March 10 at 1400 in the clear, [but VOA Saipan in
Cantonese normally blocks]; call-in discussing 1954 CIA coup in
Guatemala
*Radio Huayacocotla, Veracruz, 2390 kHz, lengthly feature article in
DX Listening Digest 4-044, via http://www.worldofradio.com
*XERTA, 4810, Mexico, what a strange station, terrible sound quality
yet uses operatic background music, English station breaks claiming
continental coverage; review by Steve Waldee
*Radio Maya de Barillas, Guatemala, 3324.8, nice morning show with no
echo chamber, no hype and hysteria, like circa 1939
*The 1223rd edition of World of Radio, woradio at yahoo.com or P O
Box 1684, Enid, OK 73702, USA
*Thanks this week for financial support go to Michael Beu
*Bjoern Malm in Quito has his own website now with audio clips of hot
SW DX in Latin America, and local MW stations, Voces de America
Latina http://www.malm-ecuador.com
*Radio Nacional del Paraguay reactivated on 9736.9v, irregularly
between 2200 and 0200 mostly with sports
*RTV Malagasy, Madagascar, 5010 was on late March 6 past 2330; due to
cyclone hitting the island; usual sign-off is 1900
*Cyclone caused power shortage and Radio Nederland relay off
temporarily tho no danage; not heard March 8 at 1700 but back at
2000 on 11655
*Radio Peace, a mystery station heard on 4750, at 0315, English IDs
and African vernaculars, but no location given; also at 1612-1655.
Solution seems to be via http://www.persecutionproject.org --- new
Christian station for Sudan. More at
http://www.missionvisionnetwork.org [not missionnetwork as I said]
*New Somali SW station, Radio Shabele, ajusted from 6961 to 6960;
heard in Sweden almost every evening around 2015-2100*; tentative
in Michigan opening at 0357
*If R. Mexico International imagines internet is a suitable
replacement for SW, they must have had a very tiny audience; Swiss
Radio International, now known as Swiss Info, page won`t load for
days in a row, so no text or audio
*Switzerland about to close SW permanently at end of October 2004;
so their last SW transmitter, 500 kW ABB at Sottens is for sale,
either whole or as spare parts; covers 5.9 to 26.1 MHz, built in 1989
*A third Albanian MW frequency for relays of China, 1215, as well as
1395, 1458; also high-power; 1600 Albanian, 1700 Esperanto, 1800
Romanian
*CRI says it is broadcasting in Finnish on FM, in Helsinki: a local
company translates the English program and broadcasts it in Finnish
*Fan site for Radio Tirana, under construxion:
http://www.rtirana.8m.com
*Chief of Radio Kontynent, Ukraine, had to flee the country to avoid
arrest; another station chief, Yuta Radio, on way to negotiate with
Radio Liberty, was killed in mysterious auto accident
*Non-identifier on 6025 with Christian programming to Iraq at 0030-
0330 turns out to be Bible Voice Broadcasting via Germany; same on
7340 at 2230-2325+
*Lao National Radio, 7145, heard with English at 1330-1359* but is
irregular, weak modulation; better signal in Philippines on 4660
Luang Prabang, listed with much less power
*Plans to axe the Radio National network of the ABC in Australia,
upon which Radio Australia relies for much of its programming
*Radio New Zealand`s new schedule from March 28: from 2051 on 15720;
0459 to 9615; 0706 to 9885; 1100 9885 on different beam; 1300 6095,
1851 on 9885; [1951 on 11725]
*Air America, the new Liberal radio network, signed up affiliate in
New York City, WLIB -- coincidentally already its call letters;
with Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo, Randi Rhodes
*Travel info station at LAX authorized to increase power on 530 to
100 watts, in case of terrorist emergency, but is even that enough
in the greater LA area?
*World Radio TV Handbook will publish no more Shortwave Guides in
summer: not enough sales; hope they continue with monthly udates on
website
*Propagation outlook from Boulder March 9: flux range 125-90
*Did you know that DX stands for ``I am sinking`` in an Argentine
military code?
*Glenn Hauser concluding with a standard disclaimer, World of Radio
1223 ###
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