[HCDX]: DX Listening DIgest 00-35 March 4

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

	DX LISTENING DIGEST 00-35, March 4, 2000
		edited by Glenn Hauser

{Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only providing 
full credit be maintained at all stages}

WORLD OF RADIO on WWCR: The Sat 2030 on 12160 is confirmed canceled; 
but the Sat 1230 on 15685 was also replaced by something else. WWCR 
has been selling more time in March, which may result in further 
disappearances of WOR.

** CHINA [non]. Checking CRI relay via Cuba March 4 at 1200 on 9570, 
Chinese, but at 1205 there was RHC in Spanish for a minute //9550 
until CRI Chinese resumed at 1206. I guess they just wanted to 
confirm the site for us (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CLIPPERTON ISLAND. FO0AAA IS QRV FROM CLIPPERTON ISLAND. Following 
some delays because of heavy rain and high winds, the FO0AAA 2000 
DXpedition to Clipperton Island got on the air a day late early March 
2. But they made up for the late start with some snappy operating, 
racking up some 14,000 contacts within their first 24 hours on the 
air. The "triple A" call sign had been kept secret until the team 
landed, set up, and hit the airwaves. The secrecy was to prevent 
problems with pirate operations.

As it turned out, FO0AAA started attracting huge pileups as soon as 
it put out the first call just after midnight Thursday UTC. On 20-
meter SSB (14195 kHz), operator John Kennon, N7CQQ, told another 
station that the team confronted a "monsoon" the day it arrived off 
Clipperton. "It was really miserable," he said. Even under the best 
of conditions, landing on the island is considered tricky and 
potentially dangerous because of the normally high surf conditions.

Clipperton Island, a French possession, is located some 1600 miles 
south-southeast of San Diego, California, and about the same distance 
west of Nicaragua. Clipperton is number 36 on the 1999 DXCC Most 
Wanted List.

Operating from the southwest side of the island, the team is running 
multiple stations on HF through 6 meters--including the so-called 
WARC bands. On SSB and CW FO0AAA is working split at all times, 
usually listening up. Stations seeking to work FO0AAA are advised to 
avoid calling on the DXpedition's transmitting frequency and to 
follow the operator's instructions as to where he's listening. The 
Clipperton team is equipped to have three CW, three SSB and one full-
time RTTY position on the air at all times. A list of planned 
operating frequencies is available on the DXpedition's Web site. The 
team also will try to use the AO-10, RS-13, UO-14, AO-27, and SO-35 
satellites. Operation is scheduled to continue through March 9.

North American DXpedition pilot station Jay Kobelin, W2IJ, says he 
doubts the Clipperton team will do any contesting during the ARRL 
International DX Contest (SSB) this weekend. "My guess is that they 
won't, only because it will eat at their Q rate," he said this week, 
emphasizing that this was "only a guess." Kobelin says the 1992 FO0CI 
Clipperton team did try some contesting "but we stopped real quick 
when we saw the Q rate being affected," he said.

QSLs go via N7CQQ. For more information, visit the Clipperton 2000 
DXpedition Web Site, http://www.qsl.net/clipperton2000 (ARRL Letter 
March 3, 1999, American Radio Relay League via John Norfolk, OKCOK, 
DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CONGO DR. Rebel leader Bemba sets up shortwave radio station in
Gbadolite - Text of report by Congolese newspaper `La Tempete des
Tropiques' on 25th February

Radio-Tele Liberte is the name of Jean-Pierre Bemba's new radio
station, which has during the last few days been broadcasting on
shortwave from Gbadolite, capital of Nord Ubangi in Equateur Province,
headquarters of the rebels sponsored by Uganda.

According to Olivier Kamitatu, secretary-general of the Congolese
Liberation Movement [MLC], speaking to VOA yesterday morning, this
station can be heard in both Kinshasa and Kisangani and throughout
the Democratic Republic of Congo. "We are competing politically with
Kinshasa and the others," he said.

It is therefore an efficient propaganda instrument aimed at countering
the messages of the regime of Kabila, whose national broadcasting
station inundates the national territory with its shortwave
broadcasts. Jose Kajangwa, president-delegate general of the RTNC
(Congolese National Radio and Television) has just visited Italy where
he signed a contract for the purchase of powerful radio and television
transmitters from an Italian firm. Last week, Kin-Kiey Mulumba,
spokesman of the Congolese Rally for Democracy - Goma [RCD-Goma]
rebels admitted on VOA that Mr Kabila has more powerful means of
propaganda than theirs, because his media are heard well in the
territories under the control of the rebel movement. He even promised
that the rebel movement would acquire the same means of propaganda
as Kabila.

The MLC, Olivier Kamitatu said, already has two FM (Frequency
Modulation) radio stations in Gbadolite and Kisangani. These media
employ at least 50 people. These radio stations, he explained, employ
young people who are not necessarily MLC members. According to
Kamitatu, they are competent journalists who enjoy total freedom of
expression in their work. He described this radio station as an
instrument of public usefulness.

We note that it is not easy for the Congolese rebels to counter
efficiently the propaganda of the regime in power in Kinshasa, which
presents them as puppets, instruments that are easily manipulated by
the Tutsis in power in Uganda (RCD-Kisangani and MLC) and Rwanda (RCD-
Goma). In fact it is a perceptible reality. And besides, the hostility
of Congolese in general, and of natives of Kivu in particular, towards
the Tutsi minority seeking to colonize them makes the rebels very
unpopular.

Source: `La Tempete des Tropiques', Kinshasa, in French 25 Feb 00 (via
BBC Monitoring via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

If only there were ``competent journalists`` at La Tempete, who would
know the story is incomplete without the frequency!! (gh, DXLD)        

** COSTA RICA. RFPI`s 15049 was off for a while but now back after 
James Latham fixed it, at a reduced schedule of 2100-0400 [actually 
often heard from 2000 or earlier, as on March 3 -gh]. When Joe 
Bernard turned on the transmitter there was a loud bang. It turned 
out that one wire was loose which caused a chain reaction burning up 
several components (RFPI Mailbag March 3 via gh) Then on Sat morning, 
March 4, 25930-USB was missing and 15049 was on instead as early as 
1600 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** IRAN [non] Azeri nationalists launch new radio station in Canada
Text of report by Azerbaijani newspaper `Bizim Asr' on 2nd March
entitled "Southern Azerbaijani parliament radio launched" by V.
Huseynoglu

[Subhead] Canada-based radio devoted its first programmes to Khodzhaly
genocide

According to a report by the Southern Azerbaijani Parliament's [SAP]
Baku office, an unexpected event has happened in Canada recently.
Javad Ismayilly, head of the SAP's press service, said that after
lengthy debate, the radio station of the SAP had finally started
operating.

"The radio has aired sample programmes. Its first programmes have been
a success. The radio is called SAP. It intends to publicize in [North]
America the problems of Karabakh and of national liberation in
Southern Azerbaijan [northern Iran]. I think that the radio will
benefit both Northern [Azerbaijan proper]  and Southern Azerbaijan
from the first day of its operation."

The SAP official said that SAP radio would exert a great influence on
the USA's official recognition of the intervention and genocide by the
Armenians. Javad Ismayilly said that the radio was owned by Hashim
Garapapag, former activist of the National Liberation Movement of
Southern Azerbaijan.

"The radio is broadcast on the territory of Canada for the time being.
The idea is to broadcast to the greater part of the USA in future. The
sample programmes were devoted to the Khodzhaly genocide. And they
elicited a strong reaction. It is expected that the SAP radio will be
broadcast on the Internet in the near future. Azerbaijan will then
also be able to listen to the radio station."

Source: `Bizim Asr', Baku, in Azeri 02 Mar 00 p2 (via BBC Monitoring
via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

WTFK?! We are not even given the station(?) this appears on in
Canada. Maybe a subcarrier? Worth watching; remember the Tamils
expanded to hiring SW time outside Canada (gh, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** IRAQ. Checked almost every night since UT Feb 27 on 11787, and RII 
not on again, or not audible again until UT March 4, tune in at 0359 
during French, woman speaking slowly and clearly, 0402 ID as ``Ici 
Baghdad, Radio Iraq Internationale`` and then into man whose speech 
was much more distorted. 0423 recheck found open carrier with loud 
whine (not heterodyne), which continued the same until I finally 
turned off at 0517. There went some 500 kWh wasted (Glenn Hauser, OK, 
DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** IRELAND [NON]. RTE is now using 15315 (ex 15600) for the 1800-1830 
En bc, heard with a good overall rating 20th Feb (Michael Beesley, 
UK, in WDXC March via BC-DX via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** IRELAND [non]. RTE A-00 registrations 
21630 1830-1900 46-48,52,53 ASC 250 085 RTE MER 
15315 1800-1830 39 SKN 300 110 RTE MER 
13725 1830-1900 4,6-9 SAC 250 277 RTE MER 
6155 0130-0200 10,11 RMP 500 275 RTE MER 
AND: 
6200 0000-2400 27NW DUB 10 000 VOR MCB 
[strange Dublin registration via Voice of Russia authorities !] 
{suspect it is not actually RTE, but UCB? Recall that they claimed
that the Russians ``authorized`` them to use the frequency! -gh}
(BC-DX via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** LIBERIA. Hans Johnson of Cumbre DX was glad to hear Bob Zanotti of 
Swiss Radio International, with his report last week about the 
efforts of Star Radio in Liberia to resume its shortwave 
transmissions. Bob reported that Liberia permits no non-governmental 
shortwave stations. However, Hans and Glenn Hauser point out that 
there are two shortwave stations transmitting from Liberia in 
addition to the official Radio Liberia International. They are the 
are the Protestant evangelical ELWA, and the Catholic Radio Veritas. 
However, Hans says the Veritas shortwave service of off the air due 
to a broken transmitter, and the station presently lacks funds to 
repair it. 

Via BBC Monitoring, Radio Liberia International reported on February 
18th that the Liberian Ministry of Information explained that its 
refusal to allow Star Radio to transmit on shortwave is because the 
Ministry's regulations make it illegal for non-Liberian entities to 
operate a shortwave frequency in Liberia. Star Radio is operated by 
the Swiss-based Hirondelle Foundation. But what about ELWA and Radio 
Veritas? Aren't they owned by foreign entities? ELWA has been for 
many years the African broadcasting outlet of the U.S. based SIM 
International, formerly known as the Sudan Interior Mission. 

Ron Frazee at SIM International in North Carolina told me that ELWA 
is completely managed by Liberians. He could not say if the ownership 
of the station is legally considered Liberian or non-Liberian. In any 
case, religious stations tend to avoid news, and thus would be of 
less concern to the present Liberian government. (Kim Elliott, VOA 
Communications World March 4 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. The "Identifying TV DX from Mexico" web site has been 
updated and revised. http://www.geocities.com/doglethorpe/index.html 
(Danny Oglethorpe, Shreveport, LA, NRC-FMTV via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 
Really excellent!

** NEW ZEALAND. Glenn, This Fri morning 3 Mar I checked RNZI again to 
see if it would switch from new 17675 kHz to older 17690 kHz as it 
had done yesterday. When regular SW programming ended at 1000 UT on 
17675, the service continued on that frequency with its special 
b'cast of repeat-material to NZ peacekeeper troops in E. Timor & 
Bougainville. However, an hour later, well within the first minute 
after 1100 UT, the news bulletin in progress suddenly vanished. I 
switched to 17690 kHz, waited out the silence for a moment or two to 
find that the terminated b'cast came on air on that frequency. RNZI 
then stayed on 17690 to closedown at 1209 UT. As yesterday, before 
close, a station announcement on 17690 about b'cast times/frequencies 
made no mention of 17690 itself. "Curiouser and curiouser!", cried 
Alice. [Finbarr O'Driscoll.....Ireland, DX LISTENING DIGEST] 

** NEW ZEALAND. Glenn, this Sat morning 04 Mar, RNZI stayed on 17675 
kHz to closedown at 1209 UT. Amazing reception this neck of the woods 
today. Was quite good, if fluttery, when I tuned in early at 0715 UT. 
Very stable later. It seems that the switching to 17690 at 1100 UT 
approx for the last few days was a computer programming error. I must 
credit Adrian Sainsbury for that info. [Finbarr O'Driscoll, Ireland, 
DX LISTENING DIGEST]

** OKLAHOMA. Oklahoma City`s electronic charnel house, KTOK Radio 
[1000 kHz], has dropped its ABC connection for most newscasts and 
killed off the outstanding afternoon 4-6 news slot, replacing it with 
semi-literate talk show host Mike McCarville from 4 to 8.

Practically from the time the station fell into the hands of Clear 
Channel Communications, the trend has been toward hate-peddling talk 
show hosts, from windbag Rush Limbaugh to verbal harlot Dr. Laura.

Clear Channel leased WKY [930] from the Gaylords, then killed off its 
excellent news department ? only competing news operation in the 
capital city. This chain doesn`t give a damn about the community ? 
only the bottom line. That`s why they hire local cheap operators like 
McCarville, longtime mouthpiece for the Republican Party.

This is a tragic development because the only thing worthy of 
listening to on KTOK has been an excellent news operation. This 
spells the beginning of the end for ``Newstalk Radio``.

Program Director Bruce Collins said McCarville will talk on the hot 
topics of the day. His first effort on the slot was to air some 
Guthrie yahoo who spun a litany of lies about public education. 
McCarville has turned the station into a wholly owned subsidiary of 
the GOP.

Limbaugh and Laura spend a disproportionate part of their time 
defaming the nation`s best institutions, from libraries to public 
schools. Limbaugh, a close pal of neo-Nazi lover Pat Buchanan, is 
obsessed with President Clinton`s sexual prowess.

So where will the community turn for straight news? Certainly not the 
Gazette, a local shopper that features sex for sale, McCarville`s 
puerile column and the rantings of another Republican shill, Scott 
Mitchell. How sad. (Frosty Troy, The Oklahoma Observer, Feb 25 via DX 
LISTENING DIGEST)

** PORTUGAL [non]. Daily to Timor / EAs in Port & Tetum (Programa 
Timor Loro Sa'e): Tx in Taiwan 1000-1100 & 2200-2300 11550 205 deg; 
1400-1500 (ex 0400-0600) 15345 (ex 11550) 180 deg. (Carlos L. R. de 
Assuncao Goncalves, Portugal, and/via Noel Green, UKOGBANI, Mar 2, 
BC-DX via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** UKRAINE. [Cf DXLD 00-34]. Further checks of RUI the following 
night Feb 26: RUI at 0100: 6020 JBA [just barely audible ? hey, just 
the new abbr we need! -gh] with Spanish co-channel; at 0127 R. 
Nederland Spanish comes on. 9560 JBA, het, hash, splatter from 9550 
RHC; 9610 JBA splatter from 9605, one is Vatican in Spanish and there 
is another station also in Spanish. 0400 UT: 6020 JBA. 9600 JBA in 
background. 9610 other. 9810 N[othing?], interference from 9805; 
11825 interference from 11820 (Bob Thomas, CT, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** UKRAINE. Hello Glenn, In regards to the Ukraine item in DX 
Listening Digest 00-34. Radio Ukraine International is being heard 
very well here in English at 0400 UTC on 9870 kHz. Thanks to Thomas 
Moyer for reporting this to me (Daniel Sampson, WI, March 4, DX 
LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K O G B A N I. Another former client of the gone "Merlin Network 
One", which continues on shortwave, is "Global Sound Kitchen", noted 
last night as usual on 3985 and 6170, latter one with a couple of 
short transmitter trips. Considering that there is no longer a "MNO" 
studio feed I wonder, from where the transmitted signal now 
originates, perhaps simply from a Bush House control room? (Kai 
Ludwig, Germany, March 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WJFP, Fort Pierce FL belongs to Black Media Works, and has 
FM outlets at West Palm Beach and Cocoa in addition to Fort Pierce. 
The cue link station has two channels available: 25910 with vertical 
polarized transmission of 60 watts power; and the usually heard 
26470, horizontal polarised at 60 watts, from a 5-element beam at 315 
degrees. Both transmitters are GE Master II type. Technical director 
is Ray Kassis, N4LEM, who verifies reports with a nice QSL card and 
color foto of Fort Pierce. You may hear Black ``Jam`` sessions (I 
don`t know how to describe this ``hot`` rhythm any better) and/or 
religious programs on the 26.47 MHz channel most days, but it does 
depend on propagation, presumably by F2 layer. Currently they are 
audible here most of the day until darkness (Tom Williamson, 
Peterborough Ont, March DX Ontario via Ivan Grishin, via DX LISTENING 
DIGEST)

DXING THE INTERNET. How about a world tour of ISPs? I find this site 
fascinating. Give it a try. Enough to keep me busy for quite a spell.

http://www.guernsey.net/~sgibbs/www.html

(Bill Flynn, OR, Feb 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

A quick look indicates the same mentality as SW DX country and 
transmitter-site hunting! Now all we need are awards for ``Accessed 
all countries``! ;] (gh, DXLD)                               ###

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