[HCDX] AM DX NewsFlash - 6/7/01
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[HCDX] AM DX NewsFlash - 6/7/01
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WELCOME TO THE AM-DX NEWSFLASH - June 7 2001
Vol 7 No 10
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Deadline for next issue - Thursday, June 14 2001 @ 1400 UTC
Send all contributions to me @ phil@xxxxxxxxxxx
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HOT ITEMS
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I will stop publishing the NewsFlash in a few months (by September). As
the concept of an email newsletter for AM DXers has been proven, it is
time for me to concentrate my time on other projects (SDXM, sticker
collecting, WWI airplane modeling, etc).
IRCA publishes its email newsletter 35+ times/year (I edit this too!!).
You may want to consider joining the IRCA and receive its email
newsletter, the "soft" DX Monitor (SDXM). Price to the world is -
$10.00/year. Send to: IRCA HQ, PO Box 1831, Perris CA 92572-1831
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DX GET-TOGETHER NOTICE
Thanks to the completion of the remodel at my home, I will be hosting a
DX Get-Together this summer. Date will be June 30th... time from 2-
10PM. My address is 9705 Mary Ave NW, Seattle WA 98117-2334. Bring
radios, antennas, QSLs... etc as well as your favorite junk
food/beverage.
Mary Ave is between 14th and 15th NW... just north of Holman Road. If
you need a map, let me know and I'll send one along.
Please email me if you are able to make it.
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2001 M STREET RADIO DIRECTORY (10th Edition)
The IRCA Bookstore is proud to announce that the 'M Street
Corporation' has agreed to offer a discount on their 2001 'M Street
Radio Directory' to DXers ordering through the IRCA Bookstore. The
Directory contains a complete listing of over 15,000 radio stations
(AM/FM, US/Canada) including the following information: facilities,
ownership, formats, LMAs, station personnel, phone numbers (and FAX),
addresses, ratings, as well as information on almost 400 radio markets
in the US and Canada. Stations are listed by location (complete info),
frequency (frequency, call, location, power and pattern) and call (call,
frequency, location) and market (frequency, call, location, rating,
format). It also includes a former call reference (old call, location
and current call). Major network information (addresses/phone
numbers/etc) and several interesting radio articles are included as
well.
The price to DXers ordering through the IRCA Bookstore is $70.00 +
Shipping/Handling ($7.00 to US, $17 to Canada or $25 to Europe). Retail
will be $79.00 + S/H.
Checks and Money orders to be made out to: Phil Bytheway.
IRCA Bookstore, 9705 Mary NW, Seattle WA 98117-2334.
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BROADCAST INFO 20
PREPARED ON 6/02/01 1145
FORMAT CHANGES AND ADJUSTMENTS
A FEW ABBREV.
JRN - JONES RADIO NETWORK (SATELLITE SERVICE)
ABC - ABC RADIO NETWORK (SATELLITE SERVICE
// - SIMULCAST
CRN - CATHOLIC RADIO NETWORK
EWTN - CATHOLIC TALK NETWORK
SRN - SALEM RADIO NETWORK IS THE NEW NAME FOR "REACH" S. GSPL NET
NORTENO - FOLKLORIC ACCORDIAN MUSIC FROM THE NORTHERN REGION OF MEXICO
SNR - THIS IS THE NEW NAME FOR ONE ON ONE SPORTS. SPORTING NEWS NET
TEAM - NEW SPORTS NETWORK IN CANADA. CHUM TORONTO IS THE FLAGSHIP
FREQ. CALL SIGN OLD INFO NEW INFO
560 KLZ DENVER, CO A. STNDS OLDIES
570 KLAC LOS ANGELES, CA A. STNDS ADDS TALK
590 WLVA LYNCHBURG, VA A. CONT A. STNDS
620 KJOL COLORADO SPRINGS, CO KSTR- 80'S C. CHRISTAIN
790 WWKY LOUISVILLE, KY TALK SPORTS
810 WYRE ANNAPOLIS, MD C. C&W ADDS TALK
900 WNMB N. MYRTLE BEACH, SC SILENT OLDIES 4
910 WNEZ NEW BRITIAN, CT URB. CONT. TROPICAL // WLAT
KURY BROOKINGS, OR TALK ADLT STNDS - JRN
920 KSRM SOLDOTNA, AK TLK/C&W TALK
930 KKXX PARADISE, CA RELIGION SPORTS - ESPN
960 KOVO PROVO, UT SILENT SPORTS
970 KZTK BAKERSFIELD, CA CHR// KIIS FM TALK
990 CKGM MONTREAL, PQ OLDIES SPORTS - TEAM
1010 KIND INDEPENDENCE, KS TLK/OLDIES STNDS/TLK WW1
WSPT STEVENS POINT, WI TALK ADDS IMUS
1030 WWGB INDIAN HEAD, MD REL. ADDS SS. RELIGION
1040 CKST VANCOUVER, BC STNDS & SPTS SPORTS - TEAM
1050 CHUM TORONTO, ON OLDIES SPORTS - TEAM
1080 WXJK LOUISVILLE, KY AD. STNDS ADDS TALK
WALD WALTERBORO, SC R&B/GOS SILENT 3
1090 WMUS MUSKEGON, MI C&W // FM TALK
CKKW KITCHENER, ON OLDIES SPORTS - TEAM
1130 KHTH DILLION, CO SILENT OLDIES - JRN
1150 KSRB SEATTLE, WA R&B OLDIES KKNW - CNN NEWS
1180 KYET WILLIAMS, AZ SILENT C. C&W - JRN
WMYT CAROLINA BEACH, NC SILENT SS. C. CHRIST
1190 KRFT DE SOTA, MO SILENT OLDIES
1200 CFGO OTTAWA, ON SPORTS SPORTS - TEAM
1210 KLDI LARAMIE, WI OLDIES/TLK C. C&W
1220 KLVZ DENVER, CO OLDIES ADLT STNDS
1230 KKPC PUEBLO, CO NEWS INFO/TALK // KCFR
WZNW COLUMBUS, OH WFII - TLK SPTS/TLK FOX
1240 KVSO ARDMORE, OK OLDIES/TALK SPORTS - ESPN
KFBC CHEYENNE, WY A. CONT/SPTS NEWS/TALK
1260 KTUE TULIA, TX RELIGION SS C. CHRIST. // KUBR
WWIS BLACK RIVER FALLS, WI AC/TLK ADLT STNDS
1270 WKSJ PRICHARD, AL ADLT. STNDS TALK
WWCA E. CHICAGO, IN SS AD. STNDS REPORTED SILENT
1290 WCFI OCALA, FL CNN NEWS AP NEWS
(THIS STATION HAS BEEN SILENT FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS WITH XMTR TROUBLE
AND A STUDIO MOVE. PLANS TO RETURN SOON)
CFST WINNIPEG, MB A. STNDS SPORTS - TEAM
1310 KOCR JOPLIN, MO C. CHRISTAIN REPORTED SILENT
KEIN GREAT FALLS, MT C&W AD. STNDS WW1
1320 KSDT HEMET, CA SILENT REG. MEX // KXRS
1340 KIST SANTA BARBARA, CA OLDIES SPORTS - FOX
KRMD SHREVEPORT, LA SPORTS ADDS ESPN
KTOQ RAPID CITY, SC STNDS TALK
WCDT WINCHESTER, TN OLDIES - JRN C&W JRN
WMON MONTGOMERY, WV C&W S. GSPL - SALEM
1350 KEWS SAN BERNARDINO, CA KCKC - RANCHERS TALK
WSMB NEW ORLEANS, LA SPTS/TLK TALK
CKDO OSHAWA, ON C&W TALK
1360 KKMO TACOMA, WA RELIGION ADDS SS. REL.
1380 CKLC KINGSTON, ON A. CONT. SPORTS - TEAM
1390 KKSO DES MOINES, IA NEWS //KBGG SILENT
(LICENSE HAS BEEN TURNED IN TO THE FCC)
1400 KAYS HAYS, KS OLDIES/ SPTS TALK/SPTS
KEBE JACKSONVILLE, TX TLK/SPTS C. C&W
1420 CKPT PETERBOROUGH, ON A. CONT. ADSS SPORTS -TEAM
1430 WWLO GAINESVILLE, FL TLK/SPTS WTMN - SPORTS
1440 KKXL GRAND FORKS, ND ADLT. STNDS ADDS TALK
1450 WTKI HUNTSVILLE, AL TALK C. C&W JRN
WTAL TALLAHASSEE, FL SILENT TLK/OLDIES
WBYU NEW ORLEANS, LA ADLT STNDS HEALTH TALK
KOKO WARRENSBURG, MO STNDS/TALK DROPS TALK
KVCK WOLF POINT, MT C&W - JRN CD OLDIES - JRN
WCRS GREENWOOD, SC STNDS/TLK RELIGION
1460 KTXX SALINAS, CA NEWS ADDS TALK
WWKL HARRISBURG, PA OLDIES SPORTS - FOX
1500 WKXO BEREA, KY OLDIES // WLFX OLD/TLK // WEKY
1510 KNNS LEARNED, KS ADLT STNDS SPORTS - ESPN
1530 KCMN COLORADO SPRINGS, CO A. STNDS A. STNDS // KLVZ
1550 KDCC DODGE CITY, KS VARIETY/SS CNN H. NWS / SS
1550 WIRV IRVINE, KY OLDIES // WELX OLD/TLK // WEKY
WMRE CHARLESTON, WV NOS SILENT
1560 WINV INVERNESS, FL C&W // WXOF SILENT
1570 WONA WINONA, MS URB AC C&W // FM JRN
1580 WNTF BITHLO, FL TALK // WPGS REPORTED SILENT
WLIM PATCHOGUE, NY A. STNDS TO BE ETHNIC
1590 WABV ABBEVILLE, SC C&W / TLK REPORTED SILENT
1600 KCRG CEDAR RAPIDS, IA NWS/TLK SPORTS - ESPN
ACTIVITY
690 KECN BLACKFOOT, ID REDESCRIBES XMTR SITE AS
43 10 04 112 22 08
840 CJXX GRANDE PRAIRE, AB MOVES TO FM 93.1 100 KW
1010 CKXD GANDER, NF MOVES TO FM 98.7 6 KW
1170 CKGY RED DEER, AB MOVES TO FM 95.5 100 KW
1220 CJOC LETHBRIDGE, AB MOVES TO FM 106.7 100 KW
1240 CJNH BANCROFT, ON MOVES TO FM 97.7 1
1340 KGLC SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA DECREASES TO 790 WATTS DAYS/NIGHTS
CHANGES XMTR SITE TO 35 14 03
120 40 31
1340 WTYS MARIANA, FL CHANGES XMTR SITE TO 30 45 45
85 13 52
1380 WTMC WILMINGTON, DE INCREASES TO 5 KW DAYS/ 1 KW NIGHT
DA-2 FROM NDA CHANGES XMTR SITE
TO 39 48 12 75 37 42
GRANTS
540 KDFT FERRIS, CA ADD 350 WATTS NIGHTS, DA-2 FROM DA-D
600 CKCL TRURO, NS MOVE TO FM 99.5 16750 WATTS
750 CKGB TIMMINS, ON MOVE TO FM 99.3 40 KW
900 WCOR LEBANON, TN CHANGE XMTR SITE TO 36 12 26
86 16 03
920 CJCJ WOODSTOCK, NB MOVE TO FM 104.1 100 KW
1240 CJNH BANCROFT, ON MOVE TO FM 97.7 50 KW
1360 WWLG BALTIMORE, MD MOVE TO 1370 KHZ INCREASE TO 21 KW
DAYS DA-D FROM DA-2 CHANGE XMTRS SITE
TO 39 26 23 76 21 20 , CHANGE CITY OF
LICENSE TO PIKEVILLE, MD
1510 KJQI SAN RAFAEL, CA ADD 200 WATTS NIGHTS, DA-2 FROM DA-D
CHANGE XMTR SITE TO 37 49 49.2
122 17 10 , CHANGE CITY OF LICENSE
TO PIEDMONT, CA
OTHERNESS:
1000 WTAM CLEVELAND, OH SHOULD BE LISTED AS NDA 2
1080 WHOO KISSIEMMEE, FL RUNNING 25 WATTTS NIGHTS 3
1 - INFO FROM MARK COADY - PETERBOROUGH, ON
2 - INFO FROM STEVE KLEMENT - CLEVELAND, OH
3 - INFO FROM CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON - KISSIMMEE, FL
4 - INFO FROM RON GITSCHIER - JACKSONVILLE, FL
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****Rocco Cotroneo - rcotro@xxxxxxxxxx]
LESOTHO - The former BBC transmitter on 1197 khz is now carrying WYFR
programmes at night. I have heard it here in Rio de Janeiro, last night,
from 22,10-23,00, with good signal, with a English phone-in. The weird
thing is that at 23,00 the program in Italian ("Radio Famiglia") starts.
Just wondering how many Italian speaking listeners they do have there...
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Paul Swearingen - PlsBCBDXER@xxxxxxx
The National Radio Club convention will be held in Pittsburgh, PA
August 31-September 3, at the Greentree Radisson. Reservations will be
held until August 10 at $69 per day (for both single- and double-bed
rooms); call 1-800-333-3333 and mention the "National Radio Club" for
the reduced rate. Convention registration fee is $40 and includes the
Saturday night buffet, Sunday morning breakfast, snacks, and drinks.
Other activities will include speakers, a DX quiz, the NRC auction,
station tours, and more. For more info, send an SASE to John Malicky -
995 Shadycrest Rd - Pittsburgh, PA 15216-3046.
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*Pat Martin - mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx
920 KGHO WA, Olympia, heard testing at 1830-1850 EDT 5/31, running
non-stop PSAs and a quick "KGHO-Olympia" ID inbetween the PSAs at
1848 EDT. Stronger than before, so they must be on at least 3 KW.
At the moment (1856 EDT) they have an OC. (PM-OR)
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**Tom - tjdx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
1460 Harrisburg Pennsylvania is now WTKT, the ticket, with Fox Sports
Radio also carrying Philies baseball and NASCAR racing.
1460 had been WWKL carrying WWKL FM 99.3 oldies and Philies baseball
and NASCAR racing.
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**Bob Galerstein - bgwb2vgd@xxxxxxx
WGNY-1220, Newburgh, NY, is back on the air with the same AP all news
format as per log...also noted at night while driving in Newburgh, so
250 watt nighttime power in use.
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*Bruce Portzer - bportzer@xxxxxxxx
Back on the air with oldies and jingles/recorded IDs (including one
about serving Olympia for 45 years). No live announcements, ads, or
PSAs while I type this 2021 EDT 6/3. I wonder how long they'll last
this time?
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*kevin redding - amfmtvdx@xxxxxxxxx
KPLS 830 Orange, CA has changed formats from Catholic Radio to sports
and is not dropping to night power. They have been blast furnace hot the
last two nights. If you haven't heard them, this may be your night.
*Dennis Gibson - dcgibson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
The station is being leased from Catholic Family Radio and is doing
mostly conservative talk, using the slogan "Talk 830", which I just
heard a few minutes ago. The hosts are mostly people I've never heard
of, but I don't listen to much talk radio.
In the past, KPLS has broadcast some games, primarily minor league and
local junior college sports including the Anaheim Pirhanas (arena
football), Anaheim Bullfrogs (roller hockey), and the Cal State
Fullerton Titans (college baseball). I don't know if they are still
doing that kind of thing or not. I don't know what you heard; was it a
sports call-in show? What did they have on or say that gave the
impression of an all sports format? LA already has three all sports
stations (KSPN-1110, KXTA-1150, and KMPC-1540, all of which are 50 KW).
I can't imagine anyone else, especially with an inferior signal, wanting
to jump in to that already crowded format in LA.
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*Eric Bueneman - n0uiheric@xxxxxxx
The past few days, I have been hearing an open carrier from WCBW-880
Highland, IL. This has made it easier for me to hear WLS-890 Chicago, IL
during the daytime. WCBW had been carrying the Here's Help Network's
Contemporary Christian format, augmented by local sports, Chicago Cubs
and Chicago White Sox baseball. Their sister station, WINU-1510, still
broadcasts Here's Help Network's Southern Gospel format (in direct
competition with KSLG-1380, which carries the Salem feed).
Earlier this year, Here's Help Network's parent ministry, the New Life
Evangelistic Center, tried to sell WINU for upwards of $2 million
(U.S.).
So, if you Midwestern DXers hear an open carrier on 880, there's a
good chance that it's WCBW Highland, IL.
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**John Sampson - jsampson@xxxxxxxxx
Per article in today's Minneapolis paper, KSGS, 950, changed format
and calls today. New call is KDOW, format is business news.
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****Bernd Trutenau - btrutenau@xxxxxxxx
A 16-pages-table of mostly European MW stations which currently are in
the coordination process (new stations or modifications to the Geneva MW
Plan) can be found at the ITU site:
<http://www.itu.int/brtpr/brific/index.html>, then choose file
"ge75_107.pdf".
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*Pat Martin - mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx
1150 KKNW WA, Seattle, for the 6th time (at least) has changed once
again. 1150 is now KKNW "News Channel 11-50" and KKNW call, CNN
News, 24 hours a day News and some talk, heard at 0152 EDT 6/6.
Noted again at 1455 EDT 6/6. Promos for programs, etc. Thanks to
Robert Wien for the tip from M Street.(PM-OR)
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****Bernd Trutenau - btrutenau@xxxxxxxx
RUSSIA
[Information from radiostation "Mayak" 06.06.2001 - 15:53]
The broadcasting mast, of 205 metres height, has fallen down in the
town of Angarsk. At night from 5th to 6th of June the 205-metres
broadcasting mast fell down on the territory of radiostation N3, in
Angarsk. As a result of this fall the aerial feeding system was damaged;
the broadcasting of radiostation "Mayak" was broken off. The fallen mast
relayed the signal of "Mayak" for the most of Eastern Siberia.
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INDIVIDUAL LOGGINGS
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*Pat Martin - Seaside OR - mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx
580 KRSA AK, Petersburg, fair on top of jumble with Sat. Christian AC
mx, ID at 0601 EDT 5/31 "580, KRSA, Petersburg, Alaska" Back
into music. (PM-OR)
930 KTKN AK, Ketchikan, good on top of jumble with wx for SE Alaska
at 0545 EDT, 5/31, ID and music promos "KTKN", ID at 0559.50 "AM
930, KTKN Ketchikan" (PM-OR)
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****Karl Leite - kl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Last night, 31 May 2001, at 0010Z, I heard arab transmission around
+/- 710 kHz with excelent signal RS 55 to 57and during half hour I tried
to identify and no luck. Also, I heard spanish transmission by Radio
Nacional de España, in +/- 680 kHz, at 0048 Z, from Sevilla. Excelent
signal RS 57 to 59. Equipment used: Radio OPTIMUS, by Radio Shack,
AM/FM, using longware antenna abt 10 meters.
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***Karel Honzik - karel.honzik@xxxxxx
Last night (JUN 3) I heard foreign service (VOIRI) from Iran on 1152
kHz before and after 0030 UTC in Farsi. ID at 0032.
Maybe it is interesting to note that WRTH does not list any Farsi
(=Persian) service from Iran in the international section.
At the same time I heard IRIB (domestic service) on 1026, 1386 and
15084 kHz.
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***taiheiyou - Yokosuka JAPAN - bitman@xxxxxxxxxxxx
mw logging june 1-3
531 DYDW-Tacloban - 1458* f/p close anmt on 6/3
558 DZXL-Makati 1525- f on 6/1
567 KGUM-Agana 1155- f "k-56-7 Agana"on SJ
630 DZMM-Quezon,MM 1140- f on 6/1
666 DZRH-Navoats,MM 1535- f on 6/1
675 Un-id-PHL 1540- p on 6/1
684 (DYEZ-Bacolod) 1420- p on 6/1
702 (DZAS-Valenzulela,MM) 1515- p on 6/1
720 (DYOK-IloIlo) 1325- p on 6/1 "Aksyon Radyo"
837 Un-id-PHL 1345- "DX??" p on 6/3
846 R.Veritas-Quezon,MM 1309 - R.Veritas... "p on 6/3
855 DXGO-Davao 1305* f/p close anmt on 6/3
909 RRI-Sorong 1530* ending music "love ambon" after close anmt f on
6/2
909 DYLA-Cebu 1220- p "DYLA" on SJ 6/3
1026 (DZAR-Quezon MM ) 1510- p on 6/1
1062 DZEC-Quezon,MM 1600* f/p close anmt on 6/1
1080 KCNM-Saipan 1300 ID was "kcnm-am coconut's pradise" f on
6/1
1206 Un-id-EG 1605 p on 6/1
1475 R.Malaysia-Kota Kinabal 1400* f/p close anmt on 6/1
1503 (DYBB-Roxas) 1430- p/f on 6/1
1512 (DYAB-Cebu) 1520- p/f on 6/1
1548 DZSD-Dagpan 1505* f close anmt on 6/1
antena:Wellbrook ala-1530, RX: RX340
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*kevin redding - amfmtvdx@xxxxxxxxx
1500 XEDF MEXICO, Mexico City 6/4 1130 [utc] with ID slogan "Mil
Quienentos, Cadena Radio Uno." Was very weak.
1210 KPRZ CA, San Marcos, Poway 6/4 0647 with slogan "Positive Talk
Radio" and an ad for "Christian Pirate Radio." Doesn't sound like
a Christian thing to be pirate radio. Hmmmmm....
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HELP WITH...
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**Rick Kenneally - Wilton, CT - woodlandview@xxxxxxxxx
A question for the experienced TA/LA DXers: Is there any indicator or
pattern you look for before going on a coastal DXpedition? I'd like to
try an expedition to a nearby state park on the Connecticut coast
looking out over Long Island Sound, and I was wondering if there is
anything I should watch for that might improve the odds for a good
opening east or south?
My assumption is that there is no good predictor, and that I should
get ready to go, then wait for a night when the weather is clear and
when there has been a good opening the night before.
**Benjamin Dangerfield - ben-dangerfield@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Personally, I think it is just good luck and good timing, The WWV
forecasts seem to me to always be the same, sort of a hedge, and I don't
pay much attention to them. None of the recent solar storms did much
for my DXing, though I do agree with Bruce that you need very low sun
spot activity to get the best TA reception. Now if you're going out to
the shore, and you are on the New England or Canadian coast, I think you
can expect some sort of TA activity on any night. I know that last year
when I spent a weekend in Bass Rocks, MA, and went out with Mark and
Bruce to Rockport, we just took pot-luck and wound up with many
interesting TAs.
**Rick Kenneally - Wilton, CT - woodlandview@xxxxxxxxx
I knew the relationship between low gm activity and TA reception, but
I wasn't sure if there was any more detailed rules of thumb that TA
Dxers follow. I'll just look for a night with few thunderstorms (like
now, while it is unusually cold) and roll the dice.
As for a coastal location, I'm on the CT coast pointing SSE with Long
Island between me and the open ocean. For optimum coastal DX, do you
need a water path all the way to Europe/Africa, or do is it sufficient
to be on the west coast of a large body of water? In other words, would
you expect Long Island to soak up the signals? (I know there is a joke
or two lurking in that question, but I'll leave that up to others :)
Has anyone out there had experience with TA/LA DX right on the western
CT coast?
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*barry.davies@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Name and format mystery solved? Having played tape I am hearing
frequent CDT time checks and YL with SS discos romanticos/pops. The ID
was Radio Pirata (1050). I seemed to have heard a 35kWer from Cancun.
Noted around 06:00 EDT June 1st in Orlando FL. I thought 150kW XEG
1050 was top gun on this channel? Is XEG off at this time? Does XEG
relay XEQOO? Would Cancun be on the same time zone as CDT?
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**Rick Kenneally - Wilton, CT - woodlandview@xxxxxxxxx
I did a mini-DXpedition to the beach in Westport, CT last night using
a portable 1000' Beverage-on-a-spool. Because of the orientation of the
beach, it mostly favored the Maritimes rather than Latin America or
overseas.
Got a few questions, both reception and technical.
1) What do people typically use to provide some selectivity between a
Beverage or longwire and a mere mortal receiver like the Sony 2010? The
strong signals from the antenna overwhelmed the 2010 pretty thoroughly
until I routed the antenna to a RadioPlus coupler, then strapped the
coupler onto my SM-2. I was then able to use the tuned circuits of the
SM-2 to keep from receiving WCBS on every frequency. But I'm thinking
there is probably a better way to do this.
2) On 1610 there was a TIS with information about the shopping and
sites in what sounded like Greenport. The recording was very
distinctive, with the sound of seagulls calling behind the announcer.
There was a definite mention of Connecticut. Now, is this the listed
TIS in Greenport, NY, or is this something new in Greenport, CT?
3) Underneath the 1630 carrier current station (WUSB) at UConn, there
was another TIS that rose up briefly to give a phone number which turned
out to be a parking facility at JFK. There isn't anything in the FCC
database listed for JFK - has anyone else bagged this?
I'll do a bit of a writeup on this for DXN after I've reviewed the
tapes. I'm definitely looking forward to the fall and trying this out
when there are good TA/LA conditions.
**Russ Edmunds - wb2bjh@xxxxxxxxxxx
2) ***There are 3 CT TIS-type stations listed - Rocky Hill, Trumbull &
New Haven. I don't know where Greenport CT is, if there is one, but if
there isn't or if it's not near any of the above, it's likely NY. Check
the following URL: http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/genmen
Then select the type of query you want, enter the data requested, and
remember always to select the "ULS Database" to get this info.
3) ***It is KNAA585, covering airport traffic and parking, regularly
heard by me at the Jersey shore. There's a similar station on 1700.
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***Mark Mohrmann - mohrmannm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Does anyone on the list have experience troubleshooting an apparently
malfunctioning 1026? After working fine for a few years I suddenly find
an inability to get any nulls at all. Both gain controls seem to work
OK, but nulls with the Phase Control are no longer attainable. I'm
assuming my 2 longwires are still working and not the cause of the
problem.
I e-mailed MFJ tech support and have gotten no response. I was hoping
perhaps for a DC Voltage chart to start poking around with a VOM. Has
anyone had to dig into their 1026 yet? Do you have any wisdom to pass
around?
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QSLs
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Greg Myers - gregmyers1@xxxxxxxx
920 KARN AR Little Rock, n/d e-mail in 1 day after several f/u's. V/s
Neal Gladner, VP/Station Mgr.
1170 WKLN FL St. Augustine Bch., p/d ltr. in 1 wk after an e-mail f/u.
V/s Wayne Hickox, Program Mgr.
1230 WOLS SC Florence, f/d prepared QSL sheet, letter opener in 10 days
after a f/u for a past VA reception. V/s Margurite Purvis, office
Mgr.
1400 WGTN SC Georgetown, p/d ltr. in 3 wks for a reception from VA.
Stated that they read my ltr. on one of their talk shows and it
prompted a call from a local listener ..... probally wondering
why they couldn't hear 'em 20 miles away! (hi) V/s Jack T. Flom,
Sales/Promotions Mgr.
1440 WLWI AL Montgomery, f/d ltr. in 1 wk. after a f/u. V/s Richard
Matthews, Asst. PD
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RADIO/ANTENNA TOPICS
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Hutton, Charles - charles.hutton@xxxxxxxxx
Re arrays of verticals, those with space, time and money may want to
search for information on Wullenweber arrays. They are what some of the
FCC monitoring stations were using some 20 years ago rather than put up
a Beverage farm. There was also a lot of military work done with them.
*Charles A. Taylor - calltaylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
The ten-foot height is a factor quoted from FCC R&Rs. It is the height
of antenna that will keep it "legal" for Part 15 operations.
If you can erect two 40-foot masts, better. Even better would be two
100-foot towers, but that's beyond the scope of most MWers.
Obviously, the shorter the mast, the easier it is to erect. A zero-
foot mast would be easiest (an isotropic antenna), but would be
electrically near impossible to work with. The loading coil needed for
an isotropic antenna would eat New York City and Tokyo, and knock over
three or four 1,000-kV high tension lines in the bargain. Your
neighbors would fund your new suit (tar & feathers) and transportation
(a wooden rail) gladly.
The shorter the mast, the larger will be the loading coil. And the
more critical the tuning. This criticality will affect whatever phasing
that you can effect between the two masts.
If you can erect two 40-foot masts, they would be easier to work with
than two 10-foot masts. Also, the CAPTURE AREA is larger for the taller
antenna. That means the voltage induced on the taller masts would be
greater. When dealing with short vertical antennas, electrical losses
relating to the loading coil and matching circuit become so large that
the system will overcome receiver frontend noise more marginally...
exactly the problem with small loop antennas.
I wouldn't suggest masts shorter than 15 feet. That's three of the
Radio Shack 5-foot sections stacked. Four sections stacked is better,
but gets hairier to erect without assistance.
NEXT, try to erect two masts of the same height. That way, the loading
coils for both will have nearly identical inductance.
To affect easiest phasing, two electrically identical masts is best.
The tuning of the loading coil radically influences the phasing.
At 02:16 PM 5/30/2001 -0400, Karl Zuk wrote: wrote:
Hey Pat: Yes, a loading coil would make a great deal of difference.
When I had a Medfer on 530 kHz, I used the traditional ten foot radiator
with a loading coil big enough to kill Cleveland. Use white PVC pipe
(the black stuff conducts and will wreck your coil) and use #12 wire
used for household wiring. Make yourself a tightly wound coil on 3 or 4
inch PVC pipe that is about three feet tall. Connect one end to the
receiver. Then you have to bare small nicks in single winds of the coil
so you can hunt up and down the coil for the right inductance to cancel
the capacitive reactance to achieve resonance. Try touching the antenna
wire up and down the coil until you find the best spot for the
particular frequency you are trying to receive. Use an alligator clip to
hold the antenna onto the right place on the coil. The taps that you
create with these nicks will vary greatly with frequency - more coil for
the lower frequencies. The ground connection should be away from the
coil and go directly to the receiver. You should see dramatic changes
has you hunt up and down the coil. When you hit resonance, you'll see
the signals come way up. Capacitive hats on the vertical help too, but
more on that later. As for the null, it could be due to a nearby
building or tower phased against your vertical by an effect called re-
radiation. Send me back an e-mail with specific questions and I'll help
further. Karl Zuk N2KZ
*Pat Martin - mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx
I have hooked up a 40 foot vertical up in the backyard with a series
of Ground rods for a Ground plane. It works pretty good and does throw a
lobe mostly to the North for some reason. Any ideas on a loading coil I
could wrap to extend the length? Or is it worthwhile? Also has anyone
experimented with more than one vertical tp phase them to get a
directional pattern for receiving? I wonder how they would compare with
other antennas?
*Charles A. Taylor [calltaylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
My preceding reply to Patrick doesn't make a whole lot of sense, upon
my own review.
Let me start again:
I believe that 1/8 wavelength separation between elements of a two-
vertical array is the practical minimum to achieve a complete null of a
station in any direction.
Broadcast Engineering magazine many years ago published a chart of
patterns achievable with two- and three-tower arrays with various
separations (in terms of wavelength) and phase relationships.
Phaser configurations can be achieved with fairly simple variable
capacitor and fixed inductor arrangements, but an elementary schematic
would have to be provided to give one a reasonable starting place.
Provided one were furnished, would you be able to assemble such from
the schematic.
*Pat Martin - mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx
Apparently for MW use the loading coil would have to be quite large.
The small ones I tryed didn't do much. I did go up to the bottom of the
pole in the tree and I coiled the wire all the day down to add for
length. It did make a little difference on some frequencies. CKNW-980-
Vancouver when from S5 to almost S6. The 40 foot vertical is close to
the gain I get on the 400 foot NNW wire and is much cleaner. The
vertical is very quiet. The electric fence noise 20 feet away it much
less too. The electric fence is horizontal, it would cancel most of the
noise.
*Charles A. Taylor - calltaylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
The first question is: How far can you erect another 40-footer from
the first? Can you resite one at one limits of your property and another
at the other.
An efficient ground system isn't of as much importance for receiving
as it is for transmitting.
Have you e-mailed Karl Zuk with your observations on a possible two-
mast DA array?
I call those thing masts. "Tower" is a vast exaggeration.
I've throught about erecting "active" antennas on the property limits
here. I can probably erect 4, 10-foot aerials here without the neighbors
getting their panties & BVDs in a big flutter. Big squawk FMs and TVs
are a problem here...WNTC-TV-9 and WITN-7; and WERO-99.9 and WNCT-FM-
107.9 (last two 100 kW) would be a problem with an active antenna unless
I chose transistors carefully.
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*Dennis Gibson - dcgibson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
For you collectors of unusual radios, or if you live where power
outages are more frequent than you'd like, the Baygen Freeplay radio,
which comes in several versions, might be a good thing to have around
this summer. For those of you not familiar with it, the most basic
version has both AM and FM, runs for an hour after being wound up, or
will run outdoors for as long as it's sunny, thanks to its solar panel.
The AM performance is good but not great. In an area with lots of
signals, on AM it's mostly suitable for casual listening, and the FM
overloads some. In a more rural area, with the help of a loop like the
Select-a-Tenna, it's a quite decent performer. I'd imagine the FM would
do better as well.
The reason I bring this up was while visiting the local Linens 'n
Things store yesterday, they had them (the most recent version made in
China; the older versions were made in South Africa) for only $19.99.
Radio Shack has them "on sale" now for $49.99 (regularly $79.99). Their
web site has a picture:
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fnam
e=CTLG%5F002%5F001%5F014%5F000&product%5Fid=12%2D800
The one Linens 'n Things had on display performed about the same as
mine, which I paid $65 for about a year ago. It's black, not clear in
various colors like the older version in the Radio Shack photo, but
otherwise identical. With the power uncertainties of the upcoming
summer, it might be worth thinking about. A quick look around the web
shows most places still selling them for $50 and up. If nothing else,
it's a fun gadget. I have two; the basic one described above and one
that also has shortwave, which I picked up for $30 a while back. The
shortwave is not great with the whip antenna, but if you add one of the
Radio Shack (or similar) wind up and put in your pocket wire antennas,
the shortwave perks up quite a bit. It is dual conversion, so there are
some images on shortwave, but I've seen worse.
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MISC ITEMS
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***Glenn Hauser - wghauser@xxxxxxxxxxx
WORLD OF RADIO 1082:
(stream) http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wor1082.ram
(download) http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wor1082.rm
(summary) http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wor1082.html
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*Pat Martin - mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx
It was interesting to read that many Californians cannot receive KMJ
anymore since the power boost. KMJ was always a powerhouse 5KWer ND as
they were the first on 580 in the West in the 20s. I don't know when
they went to 5 KW, but driving South on I-5, you could hear KMJ North of
Redding to about LA. An excellent signal through the valley. Well, I
checked the new U3 50 KW pattern and I found they moved the site from
West of Fresno (25 km) to East of Fresno (45 km) and the pattern is a
ballon or tear shaped pattern aimed at the coast, with basically nothing
going North, East, or South. No wonder the listeners are complaining. I
doubt if they reach Stockton or Bakersfield! They now have 4 towers.
Apparently to bull the advertisers selling them "50,000 watts"! They
don't care about the listeners as it looks like 80-90% of the area they
used to cover is gone now. Unbelieveable! I don't really care, as they
run the same talk junk everyone else does, but at one time they were
good personality MOR, one of the "Bee" stations. I cannot hear them up
here tonight. Not a peep as far as I can tell. They might be buried in
the jumble, but no much signal there. KRSA-AK is better now, KMJ used to
QRM even off the Northern wire, but not anymore.
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Mark Connelly - MarkWA1ION@xxxxxxxxxx
I have added links to some new articles on my RF Circuit Building
Blocks Page. These include "What Does Your S-Meter Reading Mean ? (Two
Receivers Compared)" (HTML document) and "Toroidal Core Applications
Worksheet" (zipped Excel file).
These may be published in any established DX bulletin and can be
linked-to from other sites if desired. The RF circuits page URL is:
"http://www.qsl.net/wa1ion/index.html"; .
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**Mark S. Erdman - markse@xxxxxxxx
Radio Station Giveaway Won't Happen
York, NE (AP) - A radio contest with the radio station as the top
prize attracted a lot of media attention, but not enough people willing
to open their wallets for the entry fee.
The contest to win radio station KAWL-AM ended Thursday.
"We're going to let it expire," said station manager Tom Robson. "We
had less than 500 entries, not enough to pull the trigger."
The KAWL-AM contest required 1,000 people to complete a 30 question
radio trivia quiz and pay $1,000 for a chance to own the station. That
would guarantee $1 million for the station's owners in exchange for the
station's building, transmitter and other property.
All entry fees were held in a secured escrow account and will be
returned, Robson said.
The contest was launched at the Radio Advertising Bureau convention in
Dallas on February 1st in the hopes that someone with radio experience
who could never afford to buy a station might win. That way, KAWL could
not be gobbled up by a media conglomerate, Robson said.
After the innovative contest was announced, Robson appeared on morning
radio shows across the country. The unusual contest even prompted
segments on "The Today Show" and the BBC.
"It was fun to do something different, something that put York and our
station on the map, Robson said.
The end of the contest does not necessarily mean the end of attention-
grabbing promotions, however.
"Just wait till you see what we do next," Robson said.
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**Steve Francis - Pellisipi@xxxxxxx
According to a posting on the alt.obituaries newsgroup, legendary XERF
announcer Paul Kallinger died on Wednesday, May 30. He had been in
failing health for some time.
"Many many many thanks for listening to powerful X -E -R -F in Ciudad
Acuna, Coa-hweela, Mexxxico, this is your good neighbor along the way,
Paul Kallinger, saying thanks!"
RIP
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**Mike Brooker - aum108@xxxxxxxxxxx
"Roll over, Beethoven"
ROBERT EVERETT-GREEN
Globe and Mail--Saturday, May 26, 2001
I'm driving in my car, I turn on the radio. Catch the last few minutes
of the adagio from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Wait for the crashing
opening chord of the finale (Ode to Joy) -- but instead hear the host
telling me goodbye.
Much of the core classical repertoire no longer fits on radio.
Symphonies are truncated, sonatas curtailed. Full-length works by Mahler
or Bruckner are seldom heard, even on CBC Radio Two. The short form
rules on classical radio, almost as much as on pop.
For some, the trimming is a sure sign that classical radio has gotten
simple-minded. Feed people a steady diet of short movements, the
argument goes, and they'll never digest extended musical forms.
"There are people who think that if Brahms had intended us to play a
scherzo all by itself, he would have written it that way," says Janet
Lea, head of radio music for the CBC. Lea says that Radio Two hasn't
given up on extended pieces, it has just learned not to play them while
people are driving to and from work.
Classical radio has spent much of the past decade absorbing the notion
that for most people most of the time, radio is background. It makes
little sense to play long complex works when people are jumping in and
out of the car, or washing the dishes.
The CBC discovered just how far its programs had retreated to the
background during the mid-nineties, while trying to come to terms with
private competitors such as Toronto's CFMX. National focus-group
research seemed to show that Radio Two listeners were oblivious to the
names, hosts and programming orientations of even well-established
programs.
The findings grieved Radio Two producers, many of whom believe that
classical radio has a duty to educate the public. No teacher likes to
think his or her lessons are falling into a void.
The irony is that classical radio began shortening its cuts just as
recording formats were expanding, with the introduction of compact
discs. Legend has it that when Sony engineers were establishing the
format's technical specifications, the company chairman ordered them to
ensure that Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 could fit on a single disc.
At the same time, the ascendent period-performance movement was
arguing that the best way to know the music of past centuries was to get
as close as possible to the original listening experience. Obviously
that didn't include hearing a movement of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons
sandwiched between a Chopin waltz and a tango by Astor Piazzola.
In short, as the concert hall and the classical-record industry were
moving toward a purer, more rigorous experience of the music, radio was
facing up to its role in a messy system of real-world interactions. It
was easy for those attuned to the formality and seriousness of the
concert world to condemn the dumbing-down of classical radio.
But as so often happens, the past doesn't entirely conform to its
depiction by the present. Concerts a century and more ago were often
impure events, with light divertissements and popular songs jumbled in
between works of high art.
Cuts to lengthy works by Wagner and others were common, and sometimes
even proposed by the composers themselves. At a rehearsal for one of his
symphonies, Brahms remarked that when people became accustomed to the
work, orchestras could dispense with the long repetitions marked in the
score.
There's also plenty of evidence that concert audiences in former times
could be no more attentive than radio listeners today. In the collection
of the Louvre, there's a painting of an early 19th-century concert as
seen from the back of the hall. In the foreground are some card-players,
a man taking coffee, and another petting his dog. In the distant
background are the performers on stage.
Filmmaker Robert Altman brought a similar scene to life in his
contribution to Aria, a 1988 compilation of 10 directors' responses to
famous opera arias.
Altman's camera looks out from the stage while the music is playing,
and sees the wigged and powdered audience flirting, eating, fighting and
making love.
Driving in my car, I would have liked to have heard the Ode to Joy.
But I was only five minutes from my destination. No way was I going to
sit in the parked vehicle and listen. Beethoven was in the back seat
this time, and when I got out he would have had to leave as well. I
don't feel any dumber for having accepted this realization. But then,
I've got the whole piece on CD, ready whenever I am.
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**kevin redding - amfmtvdx@xxxxxxxxx
Satellite Radio Rivals Picking Up Static
Media: Beaming broadcasts from space to cars is proving to be
financially and technically challenging.
By TERRIL YUE JONES, Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON--In a once-abandoned printing factory that used to churn
out National Geographic magazines, 82 immaculate, gleaming radio studios
stand at near-silent attention, waiting for a master switch to be thrown
in late summer.
XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. is gearing up to go on the air in a
big way: 100 channels of digital music and talk radio beamed to your
car, broadcasting everything from rock, pop and country to news, comedy
and evangelical programming.
Once the laggard in a two-horse race because of launch delays, XM is
poised to be the first to broadcast radio via satellite, the first
innovation in radio technology since the FM band started showing up in
car audio systems about 30 years ago.
But XM and its New York City-based rival, Sirius Satellite Radio
Inc., which was considered the leader as recently as April, face hurdles
that have hammered their stock prices and caused Wall Street to scale
back subscription and revenue projections.
XM was delayed in launching its two satellites--the last one went up
last month--whereas Sirius has had three in orbit doing test
broadcasting since Jan. 4.
Sirius is facing a shortage from its supplier of the microchips that
receive the satellite broadcasts, delaying its start of service until
the end of the year. Last month, it abruptly raised its monthly
subscription fee from $9.95--the same as XM Radio--to $12.95.
Auto makers also are slow to adapt and are not expected to build
satellite-compatible radios into their cars in significant numbers until
next year.
The stock prices of Sirius and XM have taken a beating and are 60%
to 70% below their 52-week highs.
This is not exactly music to the ears of consumers, investors and
the two companies.
The idea behind satellite radio is to offer an unprecedented choice
of channels with digital-clear sound broadcast coast-to-coast so
motorists can listen to the same blues or '50s channel from Miami to
Seattle. For big-rig truckers or those who are on the road a lot, it
will mean a steady stream of their entertainment of choice on long-haul
trips. For others, it will mean being able to listen to a favorite genre
in a market that lacks it. For instance, there is no classical music
station in Detroit or reggae station in New York.
"Every channel is a living, breathing radio station," said Dave
Logan, XM's ebullient vice president for programming operations. The
channels range from Muzak to something called XM Weirdness, which may
play anything from obscure Frank Zappa cuts to William Shatner singing
"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds."
Eric Clapton, for instance, has recorded 346 songs, but only 31 ever
get played on U.S. radio stations. You'll hear many of the others on XM,
Logan said.
Doug Wilsterman, Sirius' vice president for marketing and
distribution, said one of every three compact disks is of a genre that's
never heard on the radio because it won't be supported by advertisers.
But he promises there will be a place for them on Sirius.
Three orbiting satellites for Sirius and two geostationary birds for
XM will transmit to the continental U.S., using a series of ground
repeaters to reach consumers in large cities with tall buildings that
may block the signal.
Until the radios are built into cars, subscribers will have to buy a
new dashboard radio unit with a third band added to AM and FM to receive
the satellite broadcasts. The radios start at $200 and an antenna and a
separate module installed in the trunk that contains the crucial chip
sell for about $300.
Alternatively, the rear module plus a small FM tuner/transmitter will
relay the signal to standard car radios, though the broadcast then
becomes analog instead of the higher-quality digital, for a starting
price of $300.
The fundamental risk is whether people will pay for something long
taken for granted: listening to the radio in cars. XM and Sirius are
banking that they will, as they invest more than a billion dollars each
into what they think is the next big thing on wheels.
"We want to create a very special audio presence, like HBO is special
to the cable industry," said XM Chief Executive Hugh Panero. "We want to
create fans, not listeners."
Sirius plays up its 50 commercial-free music stations. XM will have as
much as six minutes of ads per hour, compared with the average of 22
minutes for commercial stations.
"They [XM] have to target demographics; we just have to provide great
music," said Tom Versen, Sirius' director of production and creative
services.
Sirius and XM say their research shows customers readily will pay the
subscription fee, especially if it is rolled into their car payments.
Wall Street estimates that by the end of the year, Sirius will have
10,000 subscribers and XM 50,000. But the two are projected to be neck
and neck by 2003 with about 2 million subscribers each. By the end of
2004, that number is expected to climb to 4 million, roughly their
break-even point, according to Salomon Smith Barney.
The companies will approach the 15 million mark in 2007, each chalking
up revenue of slightly more than $2 billion.
Because of the slow roll-out, investors in April drove down XM's stock
to $3.87 and Sirius' to $6.12. Now that both are essentially up and
running, their stocks have recovered, with XM closing Friday at $15.50
and Sirius at $13.50, both on Nasdaq, though both are still far below
their 52-week highs of $46.94 and $60 respectively.
"Like most tech companies, we've mirrored the decline in Nasdaq," said
Steve Cook, XM's vice president for marketing. "But all we've done is
de-risk: We're shipping radios, pursuing more auto makers, getting more
broadcast partners."
Both XM and Sirius initially will be driven by the $11-million-a-year
car-radio aftermarket, those car radios sold in retail electronics
stores. That market, plus Sirius' rate hike and auto partners heavily
invested in the broadcasters' success, make Robert Peck, senior analyst
for satellite communications at Bear Stearns, keen on both stocks, with
a per-share target price of $54 for XM and $57 for Sirius by the end of
this year.
"Sirius' raising the subscription price at this time shows they're
reassured it won't affect subscribers," Peck said. "They realized they
were leaving a few dollars on the table." XM could well follow suit, he
said.
Armand Musey, satellite technology and services analyst at Salomon
Smith Barney, is more cautious. Though both companies' share prices
should benefit from the successful launch of XM's second satellite, he
said, the shares have traded like yo-yos. He has a 12-month target price
of $15 for XM and $25 for Sirius.
"Shares of Sirius offer the potential for significant upside if the
company meets its targets, but we expect them to be highly volatile
until market demand proves itself," Musey said.
That demand will be led for at least a year by three-band aftermarket
radios sold at electronics stores until General Motors Corp. and Ford
Motor Co., which own chunks of XM and Sirius respectively, install
satellite-capable radios in their cars.
Not only are the radio stations gambling on this new business, but
also the auto makers. GM, one of XM's largest shareholders, will begin
installing XM-compatible radios in Cadillac DeVilles and Sevilles this
year.
Honda Motor Co. also has invested in XM but is holding off on putting
in radios until it can get units that are capable of receiving both XM
and Sirius broadcasts. (Within five years, satellite radio units
compatible with both systems will be available, avoiding another
Betamax-versus-VHS format logjam.)
"We're basically on track with roll-out volumes that have been in
place for about a year," said Rick Lee, GM's executive director for
satellite radio services. GM is testing the new technology to make sure
bugs are worked out before it goes on sale. "Most [manufacturers] would
not take a big part of their portfolio and put it at risk of the
technology not panning out," Lee said.
Satellite radios could be in half of all GM vehicles in five years or
so, he said.
Ford and DaimlerChrysler have equity stakes in Sirius and Bayerische
Motoren Werke also has signed on as a partner.
Ford is taking its time, considering how best to mount the hockey
puck-size radio antennas and making sure the system can deliver seamless
broadcasts. "As in any new system there are still wrinkles," a Ford
spokesman said. "You want to make sure it works if you're going to ask
people to pay for it."
So what exactly will listeners get as they inch down the freeway in
rush hour or zoom cross-country on vacation?
Both will carry news programming from CNN, Bloomberg Radio, the
Weather Channel and British Broadcasting Corp. Both will have rock, pop,
heavy metal, '50s/'60s/'70s/'80s music, alternative rock, country and
western, classical, jazz and gospel. There'll be talk, C-SPAN, sports,
comedy, evangelists, kid shows and programming aimed at African
Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans.
Then what's the difference? For fans of "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer"
or 24-hour NASCAR radio or L.A. Theatre Works, it must be XM. For those
who must have National Public Radio, Sirius is the way to go.
If you want to take your satellite radio out of the car, for now only
XM has portable Sony Corp. "plug and play" units, which can be used in
the home. Sirius will have portability later, probably next year, and
both companies are eyeing the leisure boat market.
Wilsterman, Sirius' vice president for marketing and distribution, has
recreational vehicles and long-haul truckers in mind as big targets.
"Think of the guy locked behind that wheel: What does he need?
Entertainment and information," he said. "These guys are a super, super
opportunity. Truckers are just clamoring for it."
In the end, it may be the on-air personas, or the atmosphere of the
programs, that attract subscribers.
XM program directors with names such as "Taz," "Phlash" and
"Bladerunner" sit intently at Macintosh computer stations, mixing funky
personal promos. Stuffed Looney Tunes characters and an inflatable
Spider-Man dangle from the retro-industrial ceilings, crammed with
piping and ventilation ducts.
Sirius also has spotless new high-rent studios, 36 floors above Sixth
Avenue in midtown Manhattan, which Wilsterman said supplies a steady
stream of recording artists who drop by while performing on MTV, "Late
Show with David Letterman," "Saturday Night Live" or "Today."
At Sirius, programmers seem to have fewer tattoos and body piercings
but hover over similar high-tech studio workstations with plenty of
keyboards and flat-screen panels.
Both broadcasters have hired veteran DJs, record producers and
musicians as programmers, turning them loose with the mandate to put
together nonstop shows featuring their genre.
Consider reggae: Sirius' programming is led by longtime New York radio
personality Pat McKay. At XM, it's Dermott Hussey, a former associate of
Bob Marley, and "Papa" Wabe, who hosted a reggae radio show in
Washington, D.C., for 23 years. "We have the awesome and blessed task of
doing something that's never been done in reggae before: 24/7," Wabe
said.
Hussey also brings something besides experience. "We have hundreds of
hours of unreleased Bob Marley material," he said. "We're going to be
playing it."
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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The WTFDA Convention will be held on July 27-29 2001 at the Super 8
Lodge, 2773 Elder St, Boise ID 83705. Host is Frank Aden (4096 Marcia
Pl, Boise ID 82704 - N7SOK@xxxxxxx). For reservations (208) 344-8871
(mention Frank Aden). Rates are $62.10 (for a double). Registration is
$20.
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The IRCA/DecalcoMania convention will be held on August 24-26 2001 at
the Best Western Airport Inn, 10232 Natural Bridge Rd, St Louis MO
63134. DecalcoMania member Mike Sanburn (PO Box 1256, Bellflower CA) is
your host (mikesanburn@xxxxxxxxxxx). For reservations 1-800-872-0070 or
(314) 427-5955. Rates are $73/night (up to 4 people/room).
Registration is $35/person. Contact Mike for more information.
An IRCA/DECALcoMANIA Convention Web site is now up and running. Go to
the following link: http://www.geocities.com/n0uih/irca2001.html
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2001 NRC Convention will be in Pittsburgh PA over Labor Day weekend.
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"*" denotes that the tip/info/etc. came from the IRCA eGroup (used by
permission). Subscribe to the eGroup at http://www.egroups.com.
International Radio Club of America
"**" denotes that the following items were originally posted on the
AM@xxxxxxxxxxx list (used by permission). National Radio Club
"***" denotes that the following item was originally posted on the Hard
Core DX list.
"****" denotes that the following item was originally posted on the MWDX
list.
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IRCA's web site... take a peek!!
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/5792/
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IRCA Mexican Log, 6th Edition
The IRCA MEXICAN LOG lists all AM stations in Mexico by frequency,
including call letters, state, city, day/night power, slogans, schedule
in UTC/GMT, formats, networks and notes. The call letter index gives
call, frequency, city and state. The city index (listed by state, then
city) includes frequency, call and day/night power. The log has been
completely updated from the 1998 edition and carefully cross-checked by
several IRCA members. This is an indispensable reference for anyone who
hears Mexican radio stations. Size is 8 1/2" x 11" and three hole
punched
for easy binding.Prices: IRCA/NRC members - $8.00 (US/Canada/Mexico/sea
mail), $9.00 (rest of the Americas airmail), $9.50 (Europe/Asia
airmail),
$10.00 (Australia/New Zealand airmail). Non-members: add $2.00 to the
above prices.
IRCA TIS List
Completely revised by IRCA's Bill Harms to 9/00, the IRCA "TIS/HAR
LIST" includes AM/FM and TV lists from the US and Canada. This 28 page
"DX Aid" can be yours for only $5.00. Non-IRCA/NRC members... add $1.00.
Overseas... add $0.50.
IRCA Bookstore - 9705 Mary Ave NW - Seattle WA 98117-2334 (please make
checks payable to Phil Bytheway)
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The AM DX NewsFlash is sent weekly from Teknologic in Snohomish WA
All contributions will be used
Comments regarding content are appreciated
With your submission, please include as a minimum:
Your name, location and email address
Tell your email friends about "AM DX NewsFlash"
To receive this email newsletter, send your email ID, name and
location to: phil@xxxxxxxxxxx
Folks whose bulletins are returned twice in a row are dropped from the
list. If your email address changes, please let me know!
Information appearing the NewsFlash can be quoted provided the original
author and the "AM DX NewsFlash" are given proper credit.
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IRCA DUES STRUCTURE
DXM-printed DX MONITOR (21x/year), SDXM-"soft" DX MONITOR (35x/year)
WORLD - SDXM $10.00
USA - DXM $20.00, DXM/SDXM $25.00
Canada - DXM $22.00, DXM/SDXM $27.00
Overseas surface - DXM $23.50, DXM/SDXM $28.50
Airmail (Central America, Caribbean) - DXM $35.00, DXM/SDXM $40.00
Airmail (Europe, North Africa, Middle East) - $38.00,
DXM/SDXM - $43.00
Airmail (rest of the World) - $41.00, DXM/SDXM $46.00
To join the IRCA, send the appropriate dues to: IRCA HQ
PO Box 1831
Perris CA 92572-1831
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If you note any AM changes (call, format, slogan, etc), please send them
to the NRC Log coordinator (Wayne Heinen) @ nrclog@xxxxxxx
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END of 6/7/01 THE "AM DX NewsFlash"
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