[HCDX]: Glenn Hauser's SW/DX 99-01

["Glenn Hauser" <wghauser@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

        GLENN HAUSER'S SHORTWAVE/DX REPORT 99-01, January 6

{items from this and all our other reports may be reproduced
and re-reproduced only providing full credit be maintained at
all stages}

THIS WEEK ON WORLD OF RADIO 971. For topic summary see
http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/Wor971.html

WORLD OF RADIO on WGTG - We have cancelled, due to unreliability
so we could never be certain our show would air as scheduled.
We do thank them for the airtime provided in the past months.

CONTINENT OF MEDIA. A new edition for January has been produced
and will start airing soon on RFPI, and via http://www.DXing.com
For topic summary see 
http://www.angelire.com/ok/worldofradio/Com9901.html
It includes an expanded version of our 1998--Shortwave Year in
Review, which appeared in a shorter version on VOA Communications
World Dec 26.

BRAZIL. The status of shortwave and tropical bands in Brazil: 
There are currently 62 stations transmitting on SW, with two
more to be installed in the states of Sao Paulo and Minas
Gerais. Data is from the Ministry of Communications. On the
tropical bands there are 78 stations, also with two more to be
installed, one in Amazonas, and another in Rondonia. The state
with the greatest number of SW is Sao Paulo, 21 frequencies.
SP also leads the tropical list with 15, while Amazonas has 
only 9. I wonder which two are the SW stations to be installed;
in Sao Paulo, it may be R. 9 de Julho. Some states have SW
vacancies ("vagas"). Ceara has two, which should be for the
old Ceara Radio Clube; Maranhao has one, which should be for
the old Timbiras which once used 19 meters. On tropical bands,
the number is much greater: 542 channels; the state of Sao
Paulo alone has 60 available (Celio Romais, RGS, radioescutas
newsgroup, Dec 22, translated by gh for WORLD OF RADIO 971) 
I assume the 542 figure includes possibility of piling up 
several stations on each frequency, much like mediumwave 
(Hauser)

COSTA RICA. Thanks to RFPI Members' contributions, operation
should be more reliable now: has backup blowers for cooling
units on 10 and 30 kW transmitters; and some backup tubes, so
if there are failures can be quickly replaced. Also can 
change frequency quickly to avoid interference if really
necessary rather than wait 5-6 weeks for crystals to be ground
in US and shipped. Another on-air fundraiser is coming up soon.
(James and Debra Latham, RFPI Mailbag Jan 1 via gh) RFPI is
about to put its audio on internet, says Weekly Update; listen
for announcements. We have also noticed 15049 showing up 
sporadically in the 1800-2100 period again, and on Dec 31,
6975 was already on and audible here at 2131 check; on Jan 5, 
15049 was testing in the morning. Spanish programming is 
supposed to be back in the 1200-1600 period (Glenn Hauser, OK)

CUBA [non]. Part of Pres. Clinton's initiative to improve 
relations with Cubans is "expanding R. Marti broadcasts"! It's
hard to see how this would help, and how Cuba could be any
more saturated with RM than it already is (Glenn Hauser)

FRANCE. RFI has cancelled its French Guiana relay, 15530 for
English to North America at 1200; also less Spanish and French
to Americas, as M. Bochent of TDF confirms; unheard when checked
Jan 3. 1200 best frequency now may be 15155 for Europe (Joe 
Hanlon, PA, WORLD OF RADIO 971)

Grrr, can't be surprised due to previous developments; guess
we were lucky they kept it going until yearend. It appears to
be impossible to reason with these people. Whatever excuses
they may make, I'm convinced it's basically chauvinism, and an
anti-American attitude - who needs 'em? Everybody needs such a 
vital means of communication and understanding between major 
nations. Jan 5 at 1250, I checked all the frequencies listed
below and could not hear RFI on any of them, tho conditions
seemed subnormal. Now we'll have to try all the frequencies at
the other times in case some marginal offbeam signal arrive. 
At *1359 17560 came on with a pretty good signal, but heavy
flutter and echo; 12030 detectable but not 11910 (Glenn Hauser,
WORLD OF RADIO 971)

RFI in English as of Oct 25 already unshows 15530 at 1200 which 
was in fact the NAm frequency via French Guiana until Jan 1:

1200-1300 9805 11600 15155 15195 15540 17575
1400-1500 11910 12030 17560
1600-1700 11615 11995 12015 15210 15530
1700-1730 11615 15210 (BBCM via British DX Club Communication)

ICELAND. RUV on New Year's Eve: not much audible on the lower 
frequencies, nor 5055 reported by Hill Xmas eve, but 11402 was 
on a bit past 0100 Jan 1 (Glenn Hauser, OK)

IRAQ. Republic of Iraq Radio main domestic service in Arabic
at 0255-2400 is observed on SW: 5935 0255-1500, 3900 1500-2400, 
9715 0700-1200; and irregularly on 11785 (BBC Monitoring Jan 1-4
via WORLD OF RADIO 971)

ISRAEL. Reshet Bet, 7495, weak and squeezed between stronger
stations, indeed UT Mon Jan 4 at 0030 went into 5 minutes of
news in English. Nothing audible on 9390 so maybe not on yet,
but even so would be lost in splatter from 9385 US station.
UT Tue Jan 5, 7495 was detectable but unreadable. Tnx to Doni 
Rosenzweig for tip about this, who later reports they will
try 9395 instead of 9390 (Glenn Hauser, OK, and WORLD OF RADIO
971)

MOLDOVA. Fax in Spanish from R. Moldova International asks
for listener support against increasing government moves toward 
closing down the station. To help keep RMI on the air so that
world public opinion will not be deprived of first-hand news
about Moldova, please write to:

Mr. Petru Lucinschi
President of the Republic of Moldova
Ave. Stefan Cel mare, 154
Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

Ministry of External Affairs
31 of August St., 80
Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

To contact RMI itself: 

Radio Moldova Internacional
Str. Miorita 1
277028 Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

Tel.: 3732 723379 / 723385
Fax.: 2732 723307; Telex: 163210

(Iurie Moraru, Director of [Spanish] Department, RMI, via Ruben
Guillermo Margenet, Argentina, Jan 4 via Hauser)

TONGA. I heard on the news last night that the island of 
Tonga has been hit by a cyclone with over 100 mph winds. The 
report said that over 70,000 people were left in the dark and 
every banana tree was stripped off the island. Well, I guess we 
won't be hearing Radio Tonaga on SW in our lifetime because their 
antenna was mounted to a banana tree. With their main export gone, 
this may cripple the country for many years to come. I heard 
Tonga 12 years ago and reported it to you. I had some help from 
the FCC Monitoring Station on Hawaii who DFed the signal and they 
let me listen to it on the phone (Artie Bigley, KY, Dec 28, 
REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING and WORLD OF RADIO 971)

U K O G B A N I. Found to my displeasure on one of my BBC-
overnight tapes of KMUW relay for Fri Dec 18: at 0630 there was
no Pick of the World as scheduled, but The World Today from 0600
just kept running for the rest of the hour without explanation
or apology. As a result I never got to hear that edition of POTW.
Probably BBC thought that during Baghdad/Bill, Iraq/Impeachment
there was "so much news" that other programmes had to be blown
off. I dispute that we could not do without an additional half
hour of news at that point!

This is but one more example of what's wrong not only with BBC 
but most other stations, especially American: making programme 
changes at the last minute is one thing, and may sometimes be
justified -- but whatever became of the "courtesy announcement"--
"we regret that the program scheduled will not be aired because
of the following special report" or some such. NOBODY gives a 
damn about the loyal listeners/viewers any more (Glenn Hauser,
REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING)

U S A. WMLK, 9465, unmistakable intonations of Elder Meyer
barely audible at 1955 Jan 4 in heavy sideband splash from
The Overcomer on 9475. Tnx for tip to Hans Johnson, Cumbre,
who found out they're back with only 20 kW, daytime only
(Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 971)

U S A. WWBS, 11900, Macon at closing 0200* UT Sun Jan 3 had
Joanne Josey identifying herself as hostess for the evening,
and admitting they "had some problems with interference in
the neighborhood". When resolved they hope to expand to more
nights than just Saturday and Sunday. She has a pronounced 
southern accent, sounds quite pious and sincere in her faith
(Glenn Hauser, OK)

U S A. World Harvest Radio again demonstrates its utter
incompetence, and insults both its listeners and program
producer: Sat Jan 2 at 2300 on 5755 I decided to tape DXing
With Cumbre, not having caught it earlier, whilst paying
primary attention to VOA Communications World on WWCR. WHRI
audio kept dumping out every few seconds for the entire half
hour, making it impossible to follow anything Marie Lamb was
trying to say. It may have been a satellite feed problem, 
tho already going at 2327 was the same show on 9495, which
did not to have this problem, although there was crackling
in the background. IF there were an actual human being at WHR 
running the station(s), and monitoring what was going out of 
the studio, what was coming back from the satellite, and from 
the SW transmitters, at least this problem could have been 
dealt with rather than ignored. Tho they would never admit it 
in a megayear, I'm sure one reason for automation is they know 
most of their programming is so boring and obnoxious that 
forcing one of their own people actually to listen to it, even 
in spot checks, would be cruel or at least soporific -- leave 
that to what few listeners may happen upon their wasted 
frequencies (Glenn Hauser, REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING)

U S A. Gleaned from Al Weiner Worldwide, UT Sat Jan 2 from 0120
tune-in on WBCQ 7415: Overcomer is dropping 0800-1100 slot (did 
you notice he's also gone from the WRMI sked; heard Fri afternoon
on 13790--WINB?). New Randi Steele show is Sat 2100-2200, but pre-
empted this week for a special German music show. Basic rate is 
$50 an hour, but discounted at 3 am or for quantity. At outset, 
WBCQ was prepared to give Pacifica some airtime, but they got all 
"hoity-toity" about it and wanted to be paid for their programming. 
That's not the way it works on SW. Down the road is possibility
of a second transmitter. Not frequency-agile yet, so needs to 
stick to 7415, but can expand further into daytime when skip is 
shorter (Glenn Hauser, OK)                                  ###


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