News Archive

# U A E # U K # UKRAINE # UNID # URUGUAY # U S A # UZBEKISTAN

U A E
Radio Asia AM, the first Malayalam Radio Station in the Gulf and the Middle East region is set to strengthen its frequency & reach by changing its frequency to 1269 AM from 11th Aug 2007 onwards, said Brij Bhalla, General Manager.
The new 1269 AM Radio Asia will further enhance its foot print across UAE and other GCC countries for increased listening pleasure.
Along with the change of frequency, a series of face changing programmes are also in the pipeline to create more interest and infotainment for the listeners.
The station has maintained its majority listenership since 1992 with its unique blend of music related shows and up to the minute content of News and Views related programmes that was unprecedented in the electronic media in the region.
The presenters associated with Radio Asia have also maintained a strong connection with the common social life of the Malayalee Community in the region with 15 years of daily interaction through their on air relations, added Brij Bhalla.
"We have already decided to include more people friendly shows when the new frequency is on air and we are committed to keeping the Malayalee community fully updated with all the latest happenings, as we have been the pioneers in the field", said Vettoor G Sreedharan, the Programme Director of Radio Asia .
The 15 days shut down period will be used by the team to experiment and test the new 24 hour grid of programmes and latest software and equipment in our new generation studios at Ras Al Khaimah.
Listeners can still stay connected through the recent web edition of Radio Asia AM and FM that brings the stations to the attention of thousands of listeners in the Malayalee fraternity around the globe through www.radioasiauae.com. More details will be available from +971 4 3491011.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection
=Qatar+News&month=July2007&file=Local_News2007072871628.xml
Source: The Peninsula, Doha via Alokesh Gupta, dxld yg (28/7-2007)

U A E
The recent installation in Abu Dhabi is the third successful implementation for Dhabayia, the radio arm of Emirates Media Incorporation (EMI). Dhabayia 1 and Dhabayia 2 were implemented in May 2003 [1170kHz] and January 2005 [1575kHz] respectively.
Thomson and its local partner Bin Jabr TRS Est won the multi-million dollar contract to deliver, installand commission an 800 kW medium wave transmitter [for 1539], a directional two-tower antenna, auxiliary systems, the transmitter building and access roads. The latest generation Thomson S7HP transmitter was selected because it is readily upgraded to digital operation should Dhabayia decide to move to DRM.
Considering the amount of civil works required, the project was completed in a remarkably short time. With the order placed in summer 2006, civil works were still being completed when the transmitter itself was delivered to site at the beginning of January. Test transmissions started on 20 February, with handover for operational services occuring on 25 February.
Perfect team work, creative solutions and flexible interface management made this third record-breaking time scale possible.
The three new high power mediumave stations are situated only a kilometer away from the Dhabayia short wave site, where four Thomson shortwave transmitters and 48 Thomson shortwave antenna systems are still running well after more than 20 years of service.
(Thomson Broadcast&Multimedia "Radio News", Spring 2007)
[Note: the transmitters are leased by EMI to the BBG/IBB; the programming carried is Radio Sawa on 1170, Radio Farda on 1575, and Radio Aap ki Dunyaa on 1539kHz.]
Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, dxldyg (20/5-2007)

U A E
22 Feb 2007 at 1500 UT noted Radio Aap ki Dunyaa in Urdu on 1539 kHz. Fair signal, fighting with Iran and China. I guess this is the new (UAE) Al-Dhabbiya III transmitter (rated 800kW) although the signal wasn't too strong. But I'm off beam, I believe.
Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski Finland via dxld yg (23/2-2007)

U A E
On 648 kHz Radio Asia was heard at night in Malayalam, my mother tongue. News Hour was heard at 1930 UT with detailed information about the happenings in my native state Kerala. It`s one of the many stations for the Indian migrants in the Gulf. They used to
operate on 1557 kHz till very recently.
Jose Jacob, Mussoorie DX-pedition, North India, dx_india via DXLD 6-150 (8/10-2006)

U A E
Re new 800 kW on 1539: but checking the Thalès website, lists no such info and it does not list the Summer 2006 RadioNews. Odd!
Steve Whitt, UK, MWC via DXLD 6-118 (7/8-2006)
Fresh issues of "RadioNews" are distributed only by postal mail; the pdf-files on the website are added much later. The RadioNews bulletins are already labelled "Thomson Broadcast & ultimedia" rather than "Thalès Broadcast & Multimedia" unlike the website http://www.thomson-bm.com
Thomson was going to acquire this division from Thalès.
73s, Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Aug 7, dxldyg via DXLD 6-118 (7/8-2006)

U A E
NEW MAJOR TURNKEY PROJECT IN ABU DHABI.
Not Sadiyat Island but Dabiyah [sic] is the new location of the third high power medium wave station to be contracted by Emirates Media Inc. (EMI) of Abu Dhabi since 2000.
EMI have chosen Thomson and its local partner Bin Jabr TRS Est for the supply of the new broadcasting center Dabiyah III.
The new multi-million dollar turnkey broadcasting solutions for the Dabihay III station includes:
800 kW MW transmitter type S7HP
directional 2-tower antenna system for 1539 kHz
auxiliary equipment, new transmitter building, access and service roads, mains supply, fresh water supply, etc.
Dabiyah III is scheduled to go on air end of January 2007.
Thomson Summer 2006 jpg via Wolfgang Büschel, retyped by Glenn Hauser for DXLD 6-118 (7/8-2006)

U A E
Acc. to Thomson's "RadioNews", Summer 2006, Thomson Broadcast & Multimedia is going to install a third 800kW transmitter at Dhabbiya, to operate on 1539 kHz with a 2-tower directional antenna system. The transmitter is planned to be operational at the end of January 2007. It is expected that also this new transmitter (like the transmitters on 1170 & 1575 kHz) will be leased by the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB).
Bernd Trutenau-LTU via mwdx yg (5/8-2006)

U A E
Ending the parallel transmission of BBG's Radio Farda at the Dhabbaya site on both 1170 and 1575 in the last couple of months, the 800 kW transmitter on 1170 has been switched to Radio Sawa.
Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, July 27, mwdx yg via DX Listening Digest 5-124 (27/7-2005)

U A E
I had Radio Farda-1575 with quite a good signal this evening from around 2000 EDST until just after 2135 EDST [UT May 12 0000-0135] when the station faded. Pop music Mid East style with vocals and announcements by both a man and woman, presumably in Farsi. Could not find the SW parallel on 9585 as on my prior receptions so they may have switched to another SW frequency.
Ben Dangerfield, Wallingford, [SE corner PA], NRC-AM via DXLD
There are no SW frequencies between 2130 and 0030, just 1170 and 1575; 0030-0200 on 9615, 9805, 9865; 0200-0400 on 9775, 9805, 9865.
Glenn , DX Listening Digest 5-080 (12/5-2005)

U A E
New High Power Sound from the Persian Gulf. The Desert goes high-tech with powerful new MW Station. [MW means 1170 and 1575 kHz units, I guess. –wb]
Emirates Media Inc. (EMI), the foremost news and information media organisation in the United Arab Emirates, awarded Thales and its local partner Bin Jabr TRS Est in June 2004 a contract for the supply of an additional new medium wave radio broadcasting center in Abu Dhabi.
The multi-million dollar turnkey broadcasting solution for the Dabiyah II station included the supply of an 800 kW MW transmitter type S7HP, a two-tower directional antenna system, auxiliary equipment and new transmitter building, access and service roads, generator building, mains supply, fresh water supply, etc.
The contract award for the new station followed the successful completion of the Dabiyah I turnkey project in June 2003, where Thales and Bin Jabr, working hand in hand together with the EMI client team, handed over all equipment in recordbreaking time.
Nothing is impossible.
According contract, the partners had only 8 months to complete the new turnkey station and put all equipment on air. Based on the outstanding teamwork during the execution of the Dabiyah I station, where the team handed over all systems in less than six months following date of order, Thales and its local partners were confident that they could meet this new challenging deadline.
Challenges met by the Teams.
Due to the fact that the station is located in the desert, the antenna and building foundations must be built on piles. Whereas the average depth of the subsoil in that area is around 10 m, the teams working at Dabiyah II encountered subsoils as deep as 18 m. Piling became a major issue.
The close proximity to the high power short wave broadcasting center only one kilometer away was an additional challenge to the local team. To avoid mutual interference, Thales had to place the new MW antenna system in a suitable distance to the existing short wave antennas. This called for the construction of an additional 1.8 km access road.
The new two-tower lambda/2 directional medium wave antenna system at Dabiyah II is the third Thales high power MW antenna in Abu Dhabi.
Partnership built up over Years.
Beginning in 1984 with the first high power medium wave station at Dabiyah, Thales has been supplying Abu Dhabi with state-of-the-art short wave and medium wave radio broadcasting solutions.
Dabiyah I and II are each equipped with an 800 kW S7HP transmitter, the Thales solution for high-power medium wave broadcasting. The S7HP family has proven its outstanding digital AM capability most recently in field trials in Macedonia end of 2004.
In the meantime, Abu Dhabi is broadcasting a total of 3600 kW of medium wave power and 4 x 500 kW short wave power using Thales radio broadcasting systems.
http://www.thales-bm.com SPRING 2005 - Published by Thales Broadcast & Multimedia - Issue 19 via OCR via Wolfgang Büschel, DX Listening Digest 5-072 (2/5-2005) [excerpted by yours truly]

U A E
EMI began broadcasting Radio Farda on February 10 on a second MW frequency [1575] as part of their broadcast network modification plan to provide a new Sawa MW service to Saudi Arabia that is scheduled to start sometime next month. John Rogers visited the UAE this week to inspect the new transmitter installation.
IBB Engineering Feb 25 via DX Listening Digest 5-038 (3/3-2005)

U A E
I keep seeing reports of R. Farda, on new 1575, listed under Kuwait. A good guess, but I now have it confirmed that this is definitely from the UAE.
Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest 5-034 (22/2-2005)
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U K
Susy Radio is back on 531 kHz with another 4 week RSL for the Redhill & Reigate area - starting this Sunday. Frequency 531 kHz. Confirmed on their web site
www.susyradio.com and also by Ofcom which gives the following details:

Susy Radio
531 AM - Merstham
Community Radio Trial
On air from: 27/08/06 to 23/09/06
Contact: Colin Pearse
Telephone: 01737 217507
Email: colin.pearse@ntlworld.com

(Information may only be reproduced if full credit is given to the original source, contributor AND to the British DX Club (BDXC-UK)).
The British DX Club via the BDXC-UK egroup via Paul David, mwdx yg (22/8-2006)

U K
There is currently much of interest for radio anoraks in the tiny Scottish island of Orkney.
I am currently listening to tests from the The Superstation via http://www.thesuperstation.co.uk/. The website states " 4th August - we are currently providing intermittent test transmissions on line that are liable to interuption. To listen, click the links above! "
"The Superstation will be a community-focussed station devoted to the people of Orkney. It will aim to provide news, views and information as well as music, to all Orcadians. Licensed: 08 September 2005 "
http://www.commedia.org.uk/about-community-media/community-radio/
They have an superb jingle package and varied test playlist.
I assume The Communicator in Kirkwall will or is being used although the ship needs some repair according to some reports. There are pictures of The Communicator in Orkney on the The DX Archive at http://193.63.162.100/offshore_orkney.htm
Surprisingly I can find no press reports on the websites of the two local papers.
There are webcams of Orkney, including Kirkwall, at
http://www.visitorkney.com/webcams.asp
Also in Orkney the Orkney Wireless Museum Amateur Radio Station will be in operation as GB2OWM from Kiln Corner, Kirkwall between 31 August and 6 September 2006 during the 16th Orkney Science Festival. Activity will be primarily on HF SSB.
This news from http://www.rsgb.org/news/gb2rs.htm via Mike Terry via dxld yg (12/8-2006)

U K
/ NETHERLANDS
BIG L CONFIRMS IT PLANS TO RETURN TO 1395 KHZ.
Since September 2005, the station has only been broadcasting on Sky Digital and the Internet.
A couple of weeks ago we saw reports that Dutch transmission facilities provider Broadcast Partners was involved. We contacted Broadcast Partners, but they declined our invitation to clarify the situation, citing customer confidentiality.
UK commercial radio station Big L has confirmed it plans to return to mediumwave 1395 kHz shortly. An E-mail has been sent out to those registered with its online forum, which states:
"We have upgraded the forums today and are sending this email out as a security test and also ready for our AM system returning. As soon as we have the final date for our AM 1395 transmitter to return we will be contacting all users with this mail system. So keep checking your mail box for this important information."
Big L has also been announcing on the air that it will be returning to 1395.
RNW MN NL via BrDXC-UK June 29 via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD
Is that a service via Lopik Holland technical facilities? 1395 will not work in southern Germany, due of regular Albania powerhouse co- channel, which is registered here since four decades.
Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX June 29.
No, it's Trintelhaven, on the coast, as before. Lopik is no longer permitted to broadcast on 1395 kHz. Maximum permitted power from Lopik is 140 kW (100 kW for Arrow on 675 + 40 kW reserve for Radio 747). 
Andy Sennitt, Netherlands, wwdxc BC-DX June 29 via DX Listening Digest 6-095 (30/6-2006)

U K
British RSL stations on the air on 1431 and 1494 kHz.
Two temporary low-power AM stations are broadcasting this summer in the United Kingdom. Highways Agency Radio in Coleshill (Warwickshire) will broadcast on 1431 kHz from June 26 to July 23, 2006. Programming consists of traffic information for motorists on the M46 & M42 freeways. Contact person for the station is Nick Opperman, who can be reached by telephone 01264 369369 and email. 
Another so-called RSL station is Raven Sound in Bromley on 1494 kHz. Raven Sound broadcasts for the 29th Bromley Pageant of Motoring from June 21 to June 25, 2006. Contact person is Antony Bailey, telephone 020 8466 8060 and email. Raven Sound was first on the air in 1988 during the Beckenham International Tennis Tournament. Current broadcast session is already the 34th time that the station is on the air. Both stations broadcast with a power of only 1 watt. Information about the stations was first reported on the MWC mailing list on June 13. 
DXing.info (23/6-2006)

U K
Dorton Radio is now on the air on 1350 kHz mw and at http://www.rlsb.org.uk/dortonradio/webcast.htm
I believe they will also have extended programmes on Saturday, commencing at 14:30 UTC.  I don't know what time they are due to off on Friday evening, but normally it is around 19:30 UTC on weekdays, though on Thursdays it is at 20:00.  One hour earlier by UTC of course after 26 March.
Paul David via dxld yg (17/3-2006)
Earlier I mentioned the station would be on air until 2200 UTC.  In fact it stayed on until 22:35, but there is a discrepancy in the announced start time for Saturday's programme, as Friday's presenters indicated a start time of 1600 UTC, which is what is mentioned on the website, whereas Thursday's presenters indicated they would be on air at 14:30.
So, best check any time after 14:30, but they should definitely be on at 1600 with Saturday Sport.
Paul David via dxld yg (17/3-2006)

U K
Programme Change Alert!
At 13:30 UTC Thursday on BBC Radio 4, Denmark at the Heart of the Cartoon Storm, presented by Malcolm Brabant, replaces whatever should have been on then.
Paul David, Wembley Park, United Kingdom via DXLD yg (8/2-2006)

U K
CORRECTION
concerning the 2006 (20th) edition of Radio Stations in the United Kingdom:
The correct e-mail address for Paypal orders & email enquiries is: bdxc@bdxc.org.uk (not as on the original posting - apologies for the error).
bdxc via mwdx yahoogroup (4/2-2006)

U K
Queen's Radio new low-power station in UK on 1134 kHz.
A new low-power AM station has begun test broadcasts in the United Kingdom on 1134 kHz. Broadcasting from Belfast, Queen's Radio is the first student radio station in Northern Ireland. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day 7 days a week, although from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. local time and during the weekends programming consists of play lists. Officially the station will be launched on February 6. Transmitter power is 1 watt. Queen's Radio can be contacted by email, by telephone at (028) 90 97 1065 or by writing to Queen's Radio, Queen's Students' Union, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NF, United Kingdom. News about the station was first published by the MW Circle on January 21. 
DXing.info, January 21, 2006 (edited 22/1-2006)

U K
The new 2006 (20th) edition of Radio Stations in the United Kingdom is now available from the British DX Club.
Radio Stations in the UK is a comprehensive 60-page guide to BBC, commercial, community and low power AM/FM services on MW and FM, with lists in frequency order and by station name. It includes transmitter power and site details, plus contact information. Frequencies are cross-referenced to help you find parallels. It comes with a separate supplement - Radio Stations in the Republic of Ireland.
Its been two years since the last edition was published, so there are lots of changes. This new updated edition can now be ordered for immediate despatch.
Radio Stations in the UK is a must for anyone interested in UK domestic radio - from the keen mediumwave or FM DXer to the casual listener. Why not order a second copy to keep in the car - we have a special price for two copies!
PRICE of the new 20th edition per copy (includes postage):
to UK addresses: - 3 pounds.
Rest of World - 3.50 GBP, 6 Euros, 8 US dollars or 8 IRCs.
**SPECIAL PRICE for 2 copies: UK: 5.50 pounds Europe: 10 Euros **
All orders should be sent to:
British DX Club
10 Hemdean Hill
Caversham
Reading RG4 7SB
UK
UK Cheques/POs payable to British DX Club. Dollar/Euro payments by cash or Paypal only
E-mail enquiries/paypal payments to bdxc@bdxc.co.uk - please add 5% to cover Paypal fees.
Full details also on the BDXC-UK web site - www.bdxc.org.uk via DXLD yahoogroup (21/1-2006)

U K
UK's Classic Gold AM network wants to go regional UBC Media Group Plc, owners of the Classic Gold stations on AM frequencies in the UK, wish to regionalise presentation across part of their network. Currently, the 18 Classic Gold stations serve the licence areas as set out in each individual station Format.
UBC propose 'regionalising' 13 of the 18 stations by creating clusters of two or three stations based on geographical location. For example, West – Bristol and Swindon … Anglia – Ipswich and Norwich … and so on. Five Classic Gold stations are to remain standalone and unaffected by these proposals.
In addition, UBC are requesting a change to all Classic Gold formats that will allow them to broadcast their four-hour local show at any time during "weekday daytime". Currently all requirements for locally produced/presented output must be during 'peaktime', generally understood to be 'breakfast' or 'drivetime'.
UK media regulator Ofcom has the ability to consent to such changes under conditions included in the Classic Gold licences, and says that it's satisfied that:
The departure would not substantially alter the character of the service The change would not narrow the range of programmes available by way of relevant independent radio services The change would be conducive to the maintenance or promotion of fair and effective competition There is evidence that, amongst persons living in the affected areas, there is a significant demand for, or significant support for, the change Before deciding whether to consent to this change, Ofcom is required under the Broadcasting Act to consult (a minimum of 28 days) those likely to be affected. This consultation is therefore seeking views on the proposed substantial Format changes to the Classic Gold services. It will also seek views on how Ofcom should approach requests for change on AM stations generally.
Posted by Andy @ Media Network Weblog (1/12-2005)

U K
The BBC has been promoting its digital-only radio stations.
Digital radio is to reach all of the UK and every major station will be added to the service under plans from media regulator Ofcom. Less than 90% of the country can currently receive digital radio.
Ofcom is planning to set up three new platforms, or multiplexes, for local stations and one further national multiplex to "fill in the gaps". That would make space for 74 more local commercial stations and every local BBC station, Ofcom said.
Hundreds of stations are already on digital radio, including many FM and AM favourites plus a number of digital-only broadcasts.
Under the Ofcom plans, the stations that currently account for 95% of all commercial listening in the UK would be put on digital radio.
The radio industry is now being asked for its comments on the plans with the hope of awarding the first new licences early in 2007.
Ofcom chief executive Stephen Carter said: "Our proposals will give more freedom and more digital capacity to commercial radio.
"We would ask the industry to give careful consideration to our thinking."
A recent report predicted that 20 million UK homes will have digital radio sets by 2009 - up from the current figure of 1.2 million.
BBC News via Mike Terry via DXLD yahoogroup (19/10-2005)

U K
I am pleased to announce that on the 30th of August, we commenced a DRM "Phase 1" service to Europe for the BBC World Service. This service is timed to co-incide with the official launch of consumer DRM receivers at the world's largest exhibition for consumer electronics, the IFA in Berlin from the 2nd to the 7th of September. The service comprises of 12 hours per day from Rampisham on Shortwave, targeting Germany and 16 hours per day on Medium Wave from Orfordness, (to be extended to 18 hours per day from the beginning of the winter schedule), targeting Benelux during daylight hours and Western Europe during hours of darkness.
The BBC have also separately hired 12 hours per day from Norkring's site at Kvitsoy, Norway to provide an extended coverage area including France, and to some extent, create a multi frequency network.
While this service is very much a precursor to the fully managed DRM service to Europe, which is under continuing discussion with the BBC, it nevertheless marks a significant milestone in the development of DRM as it evolves from a test and develop phase into a "real" service targeted at the radio listening public.
John Emmerson, VT Communications via Mike Barraclough via DXLD yahoogroup (2/9-2005)

U K
Midland`s commercial Asian radio station Sabras Radio has set its sights on the Capital and will launch its new service for London and the Home Counties on 7 July. Leicester-based Sabras Radio will broadcast on 558 AM to Greater London and the surrounding areas and to a wider audience on DAB, satellite and online.
Sabras first broadcast in 1976 on the local BBC radio station, then operated within the GWR group before becoming totally independent by winning its own licence in 1994 to broadcast on 1260 AM. Sabras has undertaken a range of activities including outside broadcasts and other specialist Restricted Service Licences for religious and cultural events such as Diwali and Ramadan. Sabras claims to have the largest listening hours of any commercial station in the UK and is listened to by an estimated 80% of its target audience in the region. Don Kotak, managing director for Sabras Radio said: ``A carefully balanced programming schedule incorporating appropriate music, languages and speech to reflect and blend all the demands of today`s British Asian audience has proved to be a winning formula. I am confident that this winning formula can be extended to the potential listeners in London and the surrounding areas.`` 
From http://www.mediaweek.co.uk  17 June, 2005 via July-August Medium Wave News via DX Listening Digest 5-106 (28/6-2005)
What about Spectrum 558, already in London, including WRN and other foreign relays??? Does Sabras replace it, or merely buy certain hours on that transmitter? Why does mediaweek not make this clear?
Glenn Hauser,  DXLD.

U K
MW & LW Transmitters - new CD
Over the years information about LW & MW transmitters operating in the UK & Ireland has been fragmented, incomplete or out of date.
More recently the Internet has augmented the printed medium but still it is exceedingly difficult to get all information in one place. In an attempt to improve matters I have spent several weeks collecting, collating and checking data about radio transmitters operating on Long and Medium Wave frequencies; in essence every transmitter in the UK and Ireland operating below 1700kHz.
I imagine that I won't be the only person interested in having as much information as possible all together in one place, so I will happily copy my files onto a CD-ROM for anyone who wants one.
The CD contains the following:
1. A full listing of over 500 transmitters and who is using them, along with data about them such as power, location (both National Grid Reference and latitude and longitude) and, where known, date activated. A description of the antenna and its radiation pattern is also included. The listing includes all currently active stations and some recently decommissioned. You will find broadcasters, navigation beacons, time standards, maritime and military transmitters listed. You will also find some unusual frequency allocations; do you know who uses 87kHz, 457kHz, 846kHz or 1641kHz?
2. A collection of BBC local radio coverage maps.
3. A similar collection of maps for non-BBC stations.
4. A large collection of detailed photographs of 200+ transmitter sites and the antennae in use.
5. A collection of high quality scans of QSL cards from 100+ of the stations in the file.
6. Directional antennae radiation patterns.
7. Features: Extra features include a historical perpective of MW frequency assignment & usage in the UK. Additionally a dossier covering quiet radio areas in the UK is included with detailed information to help you select a listening site with minimum noise or interference. The CD also contains a range of useful country maps showing counties, postcode areas and so on.
In addition it includes direct linking to the Internet which will take you to a station's own website and to a detailed on-line mapping service that will show you on an Ordnance Survey map where the transmitter is physically located.
The CD is fully interactive and uses links to ensure you can quickly find the info you need. The main station listing uses a spreadsheet that you can sort and filter data as you wish.
The UK & Ireland CD is available now, priced from £5.00 and if you are interested in it please e-mail me at transmitters@uk2.net  and I'll reply with full details of pricing and how to order.
73s Steve Whitt via EMWG yahoogroup (24/6-2005)

U K
UK's Sabras Radio to broadcast in London on 558 kHz - report Biz Asia reports that Sabras Radio, an Asian radio station based in the East Midlands of the UK, has finalised a deal with London's Spectrum Radio which will expand the Leicester based station's listenership to London and other parts of the south via the mediumwave transmitter on 558 kHz from early July. Sabras Radio currently broadcasts in the Leicester area on 1260 kHz and DAB digital radio, and worldwide online.
Read the full story 
# posted by Andy @ 08:18 UTC Media Network Weblog (17/6-2005)

U K
BBC local radio stations will be carrying Election special programming from 10 pm (2100 UT) on 5th May.
Programming will contain local election results, interviews, analysis etc - all good stuff for DXers to get a good local ID at a time when these stations normally are networked regionally or relaying a national network such as BBC WS or 5Live.
For example my local station BBC York will run on all its frequencies from 10 pm until the last election count is complete; at the last election that was about 4 am. And they will be repeating that process this time. In otherwords this presents a six hour DXing opportunity.
BBC Asian Network will have an 8 hour election special from 10 pm to 6 am (2100-0500 UT).
A good idea is to look at channels which have more than one BBC station e.g 630, 657, 774, 855, 1026, 1035, 1116, 1161, 1260, 1341, 1368, 1449, 1458, 1485, 1503, 1548, 1557, 1566, 1584, 1602 kHz.
This opportunity only comes round every few years.
73s Steve Whitt, UK, MWC via DXLD yahoogroup (5/5-2005)

U K
5 April 2005 The Requiem Mass of Pope John Paul II, Friday 8 April, 9.00-11.30am (tbc).
The BBC will be live in Rome for the funeral of Pope John Paul II with coverage on BBC ONE and BBC Radio 4 LW.
Huw Edwards will be setting the scene on BBC ONE and is joined in the studio by the Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, and church historian Professor Eamonn Duffy.
They will be providing commentary and analysis and reflecting on the spiritual significance of this historic ceremony. In the evening, there will be another opportunity to see some of the key moments of the day's events (BBC ONE, 7.30pm).
On Radio 4 LW, Edward Stourton is presenting coverage of the mass.
He is joined by the Archbishop of Cardiff, the Most Rev Peter Smith, and the religious commentator Clifford Longley, together with correspondents and guests from around the world.
Prayer for the Day (Radio 4, 5.43am) will also be live from Rome on the morning of the funeral, with the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, and Clifford Longley will be presenting Thought for the Day (Radio 4,7.40am).
Religious programming over the weekend will reflect events in Rome and includes a Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Pope John Paul II from Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral (Radio 4, Sunday 10 April, 8.10am).
There is more coverage on http://bbc.co.uk/religion 
BBC Press release via Mike Terry via DXLD yahoogroup (5/4-2005)
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UKRAINE
RCI via UR-3 on 837 kHz! On Oct 7th I heard the Ukrainian Programme of Radio Canada International via UR-3 on medium wave 837 kHz at 1602 UT with IDs and a report about Saskatchewan (at 1620). According to the RCI schedule, this is only a Sat/Sun broadcast.
73, Patrick Robic, Austria, DXLD 6-150 (8/10-2006)

UKRAINE
Presumably from October 26, two Txs to be reactivated on MW band in Ukraine with UR-2 "Radio Promin'" channel:
837 kHz 150 kW Taranivka (Kharkiv);
1242 kHz 40 kW Dokuchaevsk (Donetsk).
Also "Radio Promin'": Power 150 kW of Tx in Mykolaiv on 549 kHz will be changed to 500 kW.
UR-3 "Radio Kul'tura" channel now will be broadcast on 657 kHz via Tx of 25 kW in Chernivtsi 19 hours a day with including as a rule of three RUI's Romanian language 1/2 h-r transmissions.
Alexander Yegorov, Ukraine, via Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX Oct 25 via DX Listening Digest 5-184 (25/10-2005)

UKRAINE
1377 kHz: regional channel from Mykolayiv is active; I usually hear it with a weak signal during the day. Estimated power is 5...7.5 kW. Station is on the air at approximately 0400-1600 (or even until 1700). 
open_dx - Vladimir Titarev, Kremenchuk, Ukraine via Signal Bulletin # 149 (21/8-2005))

UKRAINE
Radio NART in Ukraine is planning to begin transmissions on 873 kHz mediumwave in June. DXer Boris Skurativskiy from Kiev reports in Open DX that Radio NART was granted a license for 873 kHz AM on June 7. Previously the station has transmitted only on the FM band with transmitters in Kiev, Kharkiv, Odessa, Vinnytsya and Kramatorsk. Former station manager Kyrylo Bulkin says to DXing.info that the station was more independent than its owners wanted it to be, which resulted in management and format changes. The earlier talk format has been replaced by locally produced music programming, although the station continues to relay the BBC and Radio Liberty. Bulkin also says that two thirds of the programming used to be in Ukrainian and the rest in Russian, but currently only Ukrainian programming is being broadcast. The station also identifies as Chesna Khvilya (Honest Wave). 
DXing.info (12/6-2005)

UKRAINE
Radio NART, that has won a competition for using 873 kHz, is planning to appear on this frequency in June.
open_dx - Boris Skurativskiy, Kyiv, Ukraine via Signal Bulletin # 148 (7/6-2005)

UKRAINE
Starting from 3 June, UR2 (Promin') must be on the air at 0300-2100 on 549 kHz. Two transmitters will operate in parallel: Brovary (150 kW) and Mykolayiv (150 kW). 
open_dx - Alexander Yegorov, Kyiv, Ukraine via Signal Bulletin # 148 (7/6-2005)
Top

UNID
Here's the probably solution of the "testone" heard on 783 KHz:
It's not a testtone, but unmisdoubtly a heterodyne with the 600 Kw transmitter from Radio Damascus, which is almost 1 Kc. of the zerobeat from 783 kHz.
That is why it is only audible at the dark hours propagation circumstanses. The very actual on-line site Euro-African Medium Wave Guide http://go.to/emwg tells that Syria is also heard on 782 and 781.
Mr. W. Prins, The Netherlands (27/2-2008)
This is from DXLD 7-142 from November 2007: http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld7142.txt LUXEMBOURG.
Patrick Robic, Austria (26/2-2008)

UNID
Great website- most informative.
In recent months I've noticed there's a continuous test tone on 783Khz, co-channel with Germany after dark, most evenings until quite late (itb was on after midnight last night). Some nulling would suggest it's coming from roughly east of here (my location is Newmarket, Suffolk, UK). I wondered if you knew what/ where the source of this signal might be?
Regards, Giles Merritt UK (26/2-2008) 

Does anybody know about this test tone, or where and what is going on on 783 kHz?
Ydun

UNID
Yesterday I listened to 1386 khz. I heard two ID's, but for me it is difficult to understand.
Max van Arnhem via mwc (23/12-2006)
Max - this has all the hallmarks of a UK low power AM station - it sounds to me like 'Town Radio' but I can't find anything on Ofcom's website to match.
John Williams I'm sure can give us the answer.
If it is LPAM you've done well to hear it in Holland as it will have a power of only 1 Watt.
Andrew Brade via mwc (24/12-2006)
I first logged this station back in September while on holiday in Ardnamurchan on the west coast of Scotland - the most westerly point on the UK mainland. From there, using a MW loop aerial,  it appeared to be from a South or even South Westerly direction. It was only audible at night, very weak, and always with continuous oldies and recorded IDs sounding like"Tower Radio" or "Power Radio". There are no known UK LPAMs with this ID.
Could it perhaps be an Irish pirate?
Dave Kenny via mwc (24/12-2006)
Max, I think you have:
1st clip "On your favorite station, music news and information Carillon Radio"
2nd Clip "Carillon Radio".
73s Steve Whitt via mwc (24/12-2006)
I'll second Steve's id. You're hearing Carillon Radio from Loughborough and Coalville Hospitals. They're a good strong signal with me here in Lincolnshire. The station derives it's name from the Loughborough Carillon which is a musical instrument based in a tower in the centre of Loughborough.
http://www.loughboroughcarillon.com/about-loughborough-carillon/
Regards Tracey Gardner via mwc (24/12-2006)

UNID
I have discovered there is a blank carrier on 1431 kHz - somewhere in Europe.  I have no idea where it is or what it is for.  Any idea?  Thanks.
James Robinson (18/12-2006)

UNID
There's an Arabic speaking station on 1071 id'ing something like "Idhaat al Nur". This was logged as unid some weeks ago by Jan-Mikael Nurmela in Finland. He also heard commercials for eg. "Eldorado Shopping Center" etc. One such shop is in Beirut. The other day I monitored
this station and at times they added "Loubnan" to their id.
There is or was a Hizbollah FM station "Nur" or "Noor" in Beirut, Lebanon, which was bombed by Israeli Forces recently. The Iranian station on 1071 seems to carry it's regular programs, so
maybe this Nur program is via Syria. It surely is no low-power transmitter.
Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland via dxld yg (1/12-2006)
You may like to compare to the station's webstreaming on http://www.al-nour.net Al-Nour is on a large number of satellites and also gives FM frequencies 91.7, 91.9, 92.2MHz on http://www.al-nour.net/taghtiah.htm
73s, Bernd Trutenau, dxld yg (2/12-2006)
Top

U S A
America's First True Green Radio!
Yates Communications received approval this week from the Federal Communications Commission to purchase radio station KAND-AM [1340 kHz], Corsicana, Texas, and announced that they will use the platform to create the nation’s first true “green” radio station.
The owner will operate the radio station both locally over the airwaves and globally on GreenRadio.net as an internet broadcast operation. Yates Communications is scheduled to close on KAND-AM in mid-May and plans to launch the new format on June 1st.
"We‘ve produced weekend syndicated earth-friendly radio content for some time. The programming ran locally in Texas' largest cities, including Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston/Galveston,” says Yates Communications president, David Yates. “We wanted to expand our reach, but were not able find a station interested in weekday programming that encourages listeners to live a more healthy life, save money, and save the planet. We decided to do it on our own" he continued.
"No one has stepped into this void, either from a programming standpoint or a technology standpoint," Mr. Yates says. "Less than one-half of terrestrial radio stations offer an internet stream of their programming, and those that do would rather not because of the impact internet listeners have on their ratings. No one is programming a radio station designed from the ground-up to be broadcast to the entire country, to be delivered over the internet, with all of the resources of a 72 year-old heritage terrestrial radio station - except us."
"We're very pleased with the service of KAND's employees and are eager to have them join us," Mr. Yates said.
Texas Radio Hall of Fame inductee Kevin McCarthy will be hosting 'The Kevin McCarthy Show on Green Radio' from 10:00 a.m. to Noon, weekdays.
"In Boy Scouts they taught us to always leave the campsite in better condition than we found it. I'm really excited about doing this new form of ‘radio’ with a great group of talented people who believe in working to make the world a better place and having fun doing it," exclaimed Mr. McCarthy.
Mr. McCarthy has been a radio and television personality in north Texas since 1972. He spent 14 years as a top-rated talk show host on KLIF. McCarthy was a charter inductee into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2002, a five–time winner of the Dallas Press Club's "Katy" award for "Best Talk Show in Texas," and the 1995 American Women in Radio & Television's Dallas-Fort Worth "Radio Personality of the Year." He was the Reunion Arena Voice of the Dallas Mavericks for 20 years.
The company is conducting a nation-wide talent search to fill their remaining on-air news and talk host positions. The station will carry programs produced by Sierra Club Radio and The National Geographic.
KAND-AM, which is located in the Dallas/Fort Worth Arbitron DMA, will operate using renewable energy to power its transmitter, studios, and offices. This will contribute to lowering the threat of global warming through the purchase of electricity generated by renewable energy sources. The station will purchase carbon offset certificates for its fleet of automobiles and will purchase eco-friendly station vehicles in the future.
"In 1936, one year before KAND began broadcasting, the State of Texas erected a marker in Corsicana naming the town 'The Birthplace of the Petroleum Industry,' Mr. Yates said, "Mobil and Texaco both trace their roots to the town. We can't think of a better place to usher in the next generation of energy to America than Corsicana."
Source: www.pr-usa.net (31/3-2008)

U S A
WHBC 1480 kHz Canton, OH DX Test
Date: Saturday morning (late Friday night), March 29, 2008. Time: 3 - 4 a.m. Eastern Time, 0700 - 0800 UTC. The station will test with daytime power and pattern, carrying their regular Fox Sports Radio talk programming and interspersing Morse code and sweep tones. Reception reports may be sent to Director of Engineering Dale Lamm/NX8J by several means:
You may submit a report via the station's Web site by clicking on this link:
http://www.whbc.com/pages/1418821.php?
You may submit a report directly to Mr. Lamm by sending an E-mail to "DLamm [at] WHBC.com" Recordings in mp3 or wav format as proof of reception will be accepted.
You may send postal reports to Mr. Dale Lamm, Director of Engineering, WHBC-AM Radio, 550 Market Avenue South, Canton, OH 44702-2112. Audio files in mp3 or wav format will be accepted. If you only have cassette recording capabilities, please contact Jim Pogue (KH2AR [at] comcast.net) for special instructions.
NOTE: All requests for postal verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply. Many thanks to Mr. Lamm for agreeing to conduct this test.
Jim Pogue - KH2AR [at] comcast.net www.dxtests.info IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator, via Steve Whitt, MWC (27/2-2008)

U S A
Hi all,
Because of the inclement weather today and tonight here in Philadelphia, I am going to have to postpone the WNTP [990 kHz] DX Test until March 15 (Friday night into Saturday morning).  Aside from the difficult travel conditions, the other work I needed to do tonight is going to be impossible because I won't be able to get to the towers with the heavy snowfall today and expected ice tonight. 
Sorry about the short notice.  The setup, conditions, and procedures for the DX Test on March 15 will be the same as they would have been tonight.  I will not be able to do the test before 3/15 because I leave on 2/28 for England for two weeks (coming home on 3/13).
73, Rene F. Tetro, Lansdale, PA, USA via MWC (22/2-2008)

U S A
Chief Engineer Grady Moates tells us the WBIX DX Test this weekend is a go.
Here are the details:
WBIX 1060 kHz Natick (Boston) Massachusetts DX Test.
Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Feb. 24, 2008.
Time: Midnight - 2:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, 0500 - 0700 UTC.
Mode of Operation: The station will conduct the test at 40,000 watts power
using their two-tower daytime antenna pattern.
Programming: Programming will include a one-hour CD of Todd Rundgren Music
with Morse code, sweep tones and announcements every 10 minutes or so.
For full details, click on this link:
http://www.dxtests.info/2008/01/wbix-1060-khz-natick-boston.html
Thanks to Grady and to Paul Walker for setting up this test.
Jim Pogue, KH2AR IRCA/NRC Joint Broadcast Test Committee Coordinator,
Memphis, Tennessee USA via MWC (22/2-2008)

U S A
New x-bander in San Diego?
This is not new at all. XEPE 1700, licensed to Tecate BCN, has been on for years, tho formats change from time to time. The 1610 is more ingriguing, presumably not XEUACH,
which would be more like ESE, and not believed to Operate in the morning.
Glenn Hauser, via Dxing.info/community (17/2-2008)
See also DX Listening Digest 7-132, November 2, 2007 (ed)

U S A
Apparently there's a new X-bander on 1700 in San Diego, CA. I picked them up several mornings ago on SRS in Manzanillo, mixing with KVNS. ID's as "The new talk of San Diego -- double X." Don't know if it's a spin-off of XX-1090, which also IDs as San Diego (even though it's in Mexico).
Also, some Unid'd station that morning on 1610, playing wall to wall Irish music .. Enya-esque vocals and instrumentals that sounded like a sound track to Lord of the Rings or similar. Listened from 6:50-7:10 AM CST, no breaks or IDs. Looped NW from Southern Jalisco.
Cheers, Jef Jaisun (17/2-2008)

U S A
WBIX 1060 kHz Natick (Boston), MA - DX Test
Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Feb. 24, 2008. Time: Midnight - 2:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, 0500 - 0700 UTC.
The station will conduct the test at 40,000 watts power using their two-tower daytime antenna pattern. Programming will include a one-hour CD of Todd Rundgren Music with Morse code, sweep tones and announcements every 10 minutes or so. The Broadcast Test Committee will be handling all reception reports and verifications for this test. Both eQSL service and traditional paper QSLs will be offered. Recordings on disk in .mp3 or .wav format, audio files via e-mail or cassette recordings will be accepted as proof of
reception.
Send reception reports and recordings to: IRCA/NRC Joint BTC, Attn: WBIX DX
Test, P.O. Box 3777, Memphis, TN 38173-0777 USA
National Radio Club via Mike Terry, mwdx yg & dxld yg (17/2-2008)

U S A
WNTP 990 kHz Philadelphia, PA - DX Test
Date: Saturday morning (late Friday night), Feb. 23, 2008. Time: Midnight -1 a.m. Eastern Time, 0500 - 0600 UTC. From midnight until 12:30 a.m. the station will test with their new daytime pattern and 50 KW power. From 12:30 until 1 a.m. they will test with their non-directional pattern and 12.5 KW power. Previous non-directional tests have been conducted at 5 KW, and this higher power should give more listeners a chance to hear this station.
National Radio Club via Mike Terry, mwdx yg & dxld yg (17/2-2008)

U S A
One Caribbean Radio was launched in New York on Friday. The station, broadcasting on 620 AM, is a full service station established to meet the need in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut tri-state area for a radio station that will programme a diversified format of Caribbean music, news, sports, talk and information to meet the needs of the 3 million Caribbean and Caribbean-American population.
The station previously traded as WSNR-AM, with sports and brokered time format. The transmitter is in Lyndhurst NJ.
Andy, Media Network weblog (10/2-2008)

U S A / CANADA
DX Midamerica updates
1450 WAVG IN Jeffersonville goes TALK, was OLD C&W
1250 KYYS KS Kansas City EX:KKHK Format:SS
1590 WAKR OH Akron goes OLD, was NOS
1340 WAGN MI Menominee VT's as OLD "13-40 Gold-WAGN", DROPS ABC Oldies Radio
540 WRRD WI Jackson 2b SPO:ESPN mid FEB
1070 CHOK ON Sarnia ADDS 200w@103.9.AM remains on
1280 CFBN ON Toronto surrenders license. SiLent
1190 KRFT MO DeSoto, Talk Monster 11-90
1260 KBLY Idaho Falls, NewsTalk 6-90 and 12-60
73 and Best of DX Shawn Axelrod, Winnipeg MB [REMEMBER ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN HEAR FOREVER] via MWDX (1/2-2008)

U S A
KKMO-1360 Seattle, WA - DX Test, 1/13/08 ready to go.
Another possible one for UK/European reception if conditions are good.
An e-mail from CE Monte Passmore indicates everything is set to go for the test this Sunday morning. Please note, the station WILL now use Morse code and sweep tones to maximize opportunities to hear the station. Here are the details:
Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Jan. 13, 2008.
Time: 12 - 12:15 a.m. Pacific Time, 0800 - 0815 UTC.
Modes of Operation: 5,000 watts using non-directional antenna pattern.
Programming: From 12:00-12:10 a.m. PST, programming will consist of 1,000 Hz tone at 0 db. From 12:11-12:15 a.m. PST, programming will consists of college football marching songs. Morse code and sweep tones are now also scheduled as part of the test.
For info on QSLs, please click on this link:
http://www.dxtests.info/2007/11/kkmo-1360-khz-seattle-washington-dx.html
Good luck to everyone in hearing this most exciting test.
Jim Pogue, IRCA/NRC Joint Broadcast Test Committee Coordinator, Memphis, TN
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/dsl.html
via Steve Whitt via MWC (10/1-2008)

U S A
New Catholic radio station in San Francisco hits the airwaves; may be nation's largest.
KSFB-AM 1260 signed on Dec. 10 as Immaculate Heart Radio in the San Francisco Bay Area, the newest outlet in a propering Catholic radio network and possibly the largest single Catholic radio station in the country.
KSFB, formerly KOIT, is the group's 20th station in a network founded 11 years ago in Reno by Doug Sherman.
"I am excited and grateful that our 20th station is located in San Francisco," Sherman said in a press release. "We look forward to sending the Word of the Lord over the airways in order to reach as many souls as possible." [Amen! / ed]
Tom Burke, Catholic San Francisco online www.catholic-sf.org (9/1-2008)

U S A
WIMA 1150 KHZ LIMA, OHIO DX TEST.
Date: Saturday morning (late Friday night), Jan. 5, 2008.
Time: 2 - 2:30 a.m. Eastern Time, 0700 - 0730 UT. 1,000 watts using non-directional antenna pattern. Programming will consist of special voice announcements by our own Fred Vobbe of NRC's DX Audio Service, music by the Ohio State Marching Band, Morse code and 1,000 Hz tones.
Reception reports may be sent to WIMA Radio, Attn: Lima Engineering, 667 West Market St., Lima, OH 45801. E-mail reception reports may also be submitted to limaengineering @ clearchannel.com
No eQSL service is being offered for this test. Recordings on disk in .mp3 or .wav format will be accepted as proof of reception. More information is available at
http://www.667westmarket.com/engineering/wima/test/dxtest.html
This great and historic station has long been DXer friendly, having previously tested in 1992 and 2005. NOTE: All requests for verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply. Many thanks to WIMA Director of Engineering Mark Gierhart for agreeing to conduct this test, and to Fred Vobbe for his help in putting the test program together.
IRCA DX Monitor Jan 5, but published Dec 31, via DXLD 8-001 (1/1-2008)

U S A
FORMAT CHANGES POPPING UP ALL OVER THE DIAL [INDIANAPOLIS]
Updated: Radio formats changing, WIBC is moving its talk format to 93.1. FM, ESPN Radio takes over the 1070 signal on the AM dial.
Kris Kirschner/Eyewitness News Indianapolis: If you wondered why your radio sounds different today, you're not just hearing things. Local powerhouse station WIBC made the move from AM to the FM dial, marking the beginning of a rash of changes in the local radio market. The station can now be found at 93.1 FM after more than seventy years as 1070 AM. The station, now all talk, hopes to appeal to a younger demographic and a wider audience. "Just like TV, radio's going to high-definition. New receivers are coming in, we really need to be ready for the future," says WIBC Director of Operations John Quick. "The audience is now moving to FM, especially the new generation is moving to FM. We're hoping to capture that." Taking over the 1070 spot on the AM dial is an all-sports format powered by ESPN Radio. "The Fan" takes to the air January 7, making it one of the largest ESPN affiliates in the country. They're planning a series of television commercials to promote the switch. There's another change on the dial at 93.9 FM, which became a Christmas channel after a year of unsuccessful talk radio. Programmers say the motive behind the format change, which will be revealed at 9:39 a.m. on January 2, is to improve ratings which underperformed over the past year under the talk format. At 101.9, what's old is new again, as the station now plays hits from the 1960s and 1970s. "The challenge is really getting the word out, letting people know we have a new home," Quick said. While it may take listeners some time to get used to Indy's version of radio roulette, station owners are hoping the gamble pays off with bigger audiences and better ratings.
WTHR news [http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=7544451&nav=menu188_2] via
Artie Bigley, DXLD
CUMULUS IS KEEPING FORMAT CHANGE A SECRET
Emmis and Radio One continue transitions Several central Indiana radio stations will ring in 2008 with new formats and on-air talent, and new marketing campaigns bellowing the changes to listeners and advertisers. One station is keeping its plans secret, fearful of an industry domino effect if its strategy leaks out. There’s plenty at stake. Listener ratings for the first quarter of 2008 will be watched closely, local media buyers said, and could affect spending later in the year. . . http://cms.ibj.com/ASPXPages/6iframes/FrontEndArticlesDetailPage.aspx?ArticleID
=09255&NoFrame =1
Anthony Schoettle - IBJ staff (Indianapolis Business Journal) via Artie Bigley, DXLD 7-160 (28/12-2007)

U S A
I noticed for the first time today in a long time that WWWT 1500 (and its predecessors) has IBOC at night. Now 1490 and 1510 are wiped out even with careful tuning of the antenna.
Bill Harms, Elkridge, Maryland via dxld yg (2/12-2007)

U S A
First DX test of season is a GO
A check with Wayne Miller, Chief Engineer at WIRL-1290 in Peoria, IL, indicates we are
right on track for the first DX Test of the 2007-2008 season.
"We are all set; I am programming the CW IDs and announcements in as I write this. I am interested to see who hears us," he wrote in an e- mail. Here are the details of this weekend's test:

WIRL-1290 Peoria, IL DX Test
Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Oct. 21, 2007.
Time: 2:00 AM to 4:00 AM Central Time (0700-0900 UT).
Modes of Operation: 5,000 watts using normal daytime pattern.
Programming: Programming will consist of voice IDs, Morse code, 1,000
Hz tones and regular format Classic Country music.

For more information, please click on these links:
http://www.dxtests.info/2007/08/wirl-1290-peoria-il-dx-test.html
http://www.dxtests.info/podcasts/BTC_Podcast_1.mp3

And please let me know the results you have regarding reception of the test.
73s, Jim Pogue, IRCA/NRC Joint Broadcast Test Committee Coordinator, KH2AR @ comcast.net Oct 19, DXLD 7-126 (19/10-2007)

U S A
Citadel suspends nighttime digital AM transmissions.
Citadel Broadcasting, the third largest radio group in the United States, has decided to suspend digital nighttime broadcasts on the AM band because of interference problems. Interviewed by DXing.info, Citadel Director of Engineering Martin Stabbert says that digital IBOC broadcasting will continue on Citadel's FM stations, as well on the AM stations during daytime, but nighttime AM broadcasts are suspended. Citadel stations were informed about the decision on Monday, October 1. Of a total of 66 AM stations owned by Citadel, roughly 20 had been broadcasting digitally overnights after it was allowed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on September 14.
"We have received a number of comments, calls and emails involving several different stations," Stabbert says of the feedback concerning nighttime interference. He was however not surprised to learn about IBOC causing so much adjacent-channel interference. "I personally expected something, but didn't know to what extent it would be."
Stabbert says that the suspension should not be interpreted as criticism towards iBiquity, the developer of IBOC. "We are just taking a step back. We need to evaluate our results and act on that," Stabbert says. Stabbert prefers not to comment on the future of IBOC on AM, but says that in his opinion, AM broadcasting would survive even without the introduction of "HD radio", as digital broadcasting has been branded in the United States. "I think AM is viable as it is," Stabbert says to DXing.info.
Although several other AM stations in the U.S. have attempted to measure IBOC interference over the past couple of weeks by turning digital broadcasts repeatedly on and off, Citadel is the first major player to suspend IBOC for the moment. On various discussion forums DXers have welcomed Citadel's decision, expressing hopes that also other broadcasters will eventually find nighttime IBOC to be too destructive on the AM band. During the daytime interference is not an issue because of differences in signal propagation. DXers across the U.S. have been worried about the increased level of interference on the AM band since the introduction of nighttime digital broadcasting. The interference level is expected to keep on rising further, effectively depriving many stations of a long-distance audience, if IBOC expansion on the AM band continues as originally planned.
Information about Citadel's decision first appeared today on radio-info.com, based on a leaked internal memo.
DXing.info (2/10-2007)

U S A
KWWN Las Vegas and WZFN Dilworth MN testing on 1100 AM.
KWWN is a new mediumwave station in Nevada, in the United States, testing since September 21 on the frequency of 1100 kHz AM. The station is owned by Lotus Broadcasting. The first tests have involved running an unmodulated carrier, to be followed by program tests any day now. The format of KWWN will be Hispanic sports, airing the Spanish ESPN network. Reception reports can be sent to Lotus Broadcasting, Chief Engineer Bill Croghan, 8755 West Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89147, USA.

Another new station on the same frequency is WZFN in Dilworth Minnesota. WFZN is licensed to broadcast at a power of 50 kW (daytime), 5 kW (critical hours) and 0.44 kW (nighttime) in the Fargo-Moorhead market. WZFN was first reported heard with country music programming on October 3 by DXer Shawn Axelrod in Manitoba, Canada. WZFN is owned by Alabama-based Brantley Broadcast Associates.
DXing.info (2/10-2007 updated 3/10)

U S A
Daytimer WSLA-1560 Has Been Staying On Late.
WSLA-1560 Slidell, Louisiana - listed as a daytimer - has been staying on late. I have heard them hours after sunset three times during the last week. On the evening of September 12th, I heard a sign-off announcement post-10 PM, after a Houston Astros game. So, if they are airing a legal sign-off this would seem to indicate that this is intentional. Do they now have a PSSA?
With WPAD Paducah still silent, now is the time to try for this one.  Some things to listen for are "ESPN 1560" slogans, Astros baseball (the feed from KTRH-740), and mentions of WGSO and/or WGNO-TV during newsbreaks or news promos.
73 - J. D. Stephens, Hampton Cove, AL, DXLD 7-113 (18/9-2007)

U S A
Nighttime digital broadcasting begins on the US AM band.
Several broadcasters around the United States turned on their digital AM transmitters last night, as soon as it was allowed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As a result, interference caused by digital transmitters to analogue broadcasters has increased considerably. Until now, digital IBOC broadcasting was only allowed during the daytime to minimize interference. Skywave propagation during the night enables digital hiss to spread much further.
DX listeners have reported several strong stations switching to IBOC immediately after midnight, September 14, resulting in severe adjacent-channel interference. Among the strongest stations using IBOC at night are WHO Des Moines IA (1040 kHz), WTAM Cleveland OH (1100 kHz), KFAB Omaha NE (1110), KEX Portland OR (1190) and KFBK Sacramento CA (1530 kHz).
Many dxers fear that widespread adoption of IBOC can render the AM broadcasting band useless for long-distance analogue reception. For example, Clear Channel Communications, which is the largest radio station owner in the U.S. operating more than 1200 stations, is planning to begin nighttime digital broadcasts on all its stations capable of doing so. However, many other radio stations are still reluctant to switch to IBOC because of high costs, marginal improvement in reception, and low penetration of digital HD receivers.
DXing.info (14/9-2007)

U S A
KRKO begins work on new radio towers.
Neighbors are asking the FCC not to grant the station permits it needs.
After years of rancor and debate, construction has begun on four KRKO radio towers south of Snohomish, with plans to begin broadcasting in January.
The towers the tallest measuring 349 feet and the other three each 199 feet tall are expected to send 1380-AM's radio signals for dozens of miles around.
Once operational, the station will increase its broadcasting power tenfold, from 5,000 watts to 50,000 watts.
"We're going to be able to get inside buildings better," said Andy Skotdal, KRKO general manager. "We're going to reach commuters who are coming home from Bellevue and Seattle much better. We're trying to reach the locals."
S-R Broadcasting, owners of KRKO 1380-AM, began driving pilings into the ground for the project on Aug. 21. Concrete foundations will be poured soon, Skotdal said.
"This thing's been going on for 10 years and it's time for it to be over," Skotdal said.
A group that has opposed the project for several years says the construction is premature. The Federal Communications Commission is still reviewing a permit for KRKO to broadcast using the new towers. No building should happen before the permit is granted, the group says.
The group has failed to reverse land-use permits approved by Snohomish County. They argue that the towers will damage the scenery and quality of life and cause health impacts that haven't been adequately addressed.
"I don't believe the public costs are being weighed," Angela Day, a member of Citizens to Preserve the Upper Snohomish River Valley. "There are a lot of unknowns. Science is ahead of the regulation on this."
The station broadcasts sports talk and Everett Silvertips and Aquasox games. It has been in business since 1922.
The station in 2000 applied for its Federal Communications Commission permit for the new towers, Skotdal said, and amended it a few times since. FCC staff held up the permit while local appeals of building permits played out, Skotdal said.
"Since we've won those proceedings, in this instance it's a matter of time," Skotdal said.
An application for the station is pending, said David Fiske, director of the FCC's office of media relations.
Some work is allowed in the meantime, Skotdal said.
"As far as we're concerned, we've got what we need to do the work we're doing right now," Skotdal said. "There is a certain amount of construction you can do regardless of what happens at the federal level. We are complying 100 percent with the rules and the permits that have been issued."
The Federal Aviation Administration requires certain lighting and painting schemes for structures 350 feet and 200 feet tall. As a result, only the tallest KRKO tower will have a red flashing beacon.
The company also has applied to build two more towers on the site for a possible second radio station, Skotdal said. As proposed, each measures 199 feet tall and would be able to broadcast up to 50,000 more watts, Skotdal said.
Source: Reporter Jeff Switzer, Herald Writer via Ehard Goddijn, The Netherlands (2/9-2007)

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WIRL 1290 kHz Peoria, IL DX Test. Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Oct. 21, 2007. Time: 2 - 4 a.m. Central Time [0700- 0900 UT]. 5,000 watts using their normal daytime pattern. Programming will consist of voice IDs, Morse code, 1,000 Hz tones and regular format Classic Country music.
Reception reports may be sent to Wayne R. Miller, Chief Engineer, WIRL Radio, 331 Fulton, Suite 1200, Peoria, IL 61602.
The station will accept recordings by e-mail or on disk (.mp3 or .wav OK but no cassettes please). Address for e-mail reports is wrm @ jmpradio.com. NOTE: All requests for verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply. No eQSL
service is being offered for this test. Our sincere thanks to Chief Engineer Wayne Miller for agreeing to conduct this test
Jim Pogue - KH2AR@comcast.net www.dxtests.info IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator via DXLD 7-105 (31/8-2007)

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We have our first DX Test firmly scheduled for this season.  Please give this announcement the widest possible dissemination.

Here are the details:
WLPO 1220 kHz La Salle, IL DX Test.
Date: Saturday morning (late Friday night), Oct. 27, 2007. Time: 3:00 - 3:30 a.m. Central Time. 1,000 watts using their normal daytime pattern.
Programming will consist of phonetic voice IDs, Morse code, sweep tones and unique music. Reception reports may be sent to Steve Vogler, Chief Engineer, WLPO Radio, 1 Broadcast Lane, Oglesby, IL  61348. The station will accept recordings by e-mail or on disk (.mp3 or .wav OK but no cassettes please).
Address for e-mail reports is steve@wlpo.net. NOTE: All requests for verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply. Our sincere thanks to Chief Engineer Steve Vogler for agreeing to conduct this test.
Jim Pogue - KH2AR@comcast.net www.dxtests.info IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator via Steve Whitt, MWC (30/8-2007)

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Bonneville International Corp. said Tuesday that it will replace Washington Post Radio with a new talk and personality-driven station.
Talk Radio 3WT, with the call letters WWWT, will feature personalities heard on the Post station -- WTWP on 1500 AM, 107.7 FM and 820 AM -- such as David Burd, Jessica Doyle and Tony Kornheiser, as well as play-by-play sports.
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Earlier this week, Salt Lake City-based Bonneville and The Washington Post (NYSE: WPO) agreed to end their alliance that had launched Post Radio in March 2006. The format offered hosts interviewing editors, reporters and columnists at the paper,
"While many advertisers were satisfied with the results the station generated, we just did not garner the Arbitron ratings we had hoped for," said Joel Oxley, a senior vice president with Bonneville in D.C., in a statement.
He added, "When we launched the 'Tony Kornheiser Show,' it was met with such success that we realized we needed to take the station in the direction of personality-driven talk with more opinion and less hard news."
Published August 28, 2007 by the Washington Business Journal via Ehard Goddijn (28/8