Thursday, June 30, 2011

"Betar Bangla", bi-monthly mag of Radio Bangladesh now available for free download

.................................... (photo courtesy Bangladesh Betar)


"Betar Bangla", bi-monthly magazine of Bangladesh Betar (Radio Bangladesh) in bengali is now available for free download from Bangladesh Betar website using this link :

http://www.betar.org.bd/betarbangla.html


Contains interesting articles on various topics, latest news about Bangladesh Betar, programme & frequency schedules of external as well as domestic services.

Bangladesh Betar External Services schedule (in bengali)
http://www.betar.org.bd/betarbangla/external.pdf


Bangladesh Betar FM Schedule (includes details about BBC, DW, CRI & Radio Japan txns) (in bengali)
http://www.betar.org.bd/betarbangla/FM.pdf

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Radio Free Asia issues second 15th Anniversary QSL Card


Radio Free Asia (RFA) announced the release of 37th QSL card. This is the second QSL card commemorating 2011 as RFA’s 15th anniversary. RFA’s first broadcast was in Mandarin Chinese on September 29, 1996 at 2100 UTC. Acting as a substitute for indigenous free media, RFA concentrates its coverage on events occurring in and/or affecting the countries to which we broadcast. Those countries are: Burma, Cambodia, Laos, North Korea, Peoples Republic of China, and Vietnam. This QSL card will be used to confirm all valid reception reports from July 1 - August 31, 2011. The four pieces of artwork were created earlier this year by the children of RFA’s personnel. This card not only commemorates RFA’s 15th anniversary but also helps capture the spirit of the RFA’s family and friends around the world while promoting peace, freedom and democracy.
RFA is a private, nonprofit corporation that broadcasts news and information to listeners in Asian countries where full, accurate, and timely news reports are unavailable. Created by Congress in 1994 and incorporated in 1996, RFA currently broadcasts in Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean to North Korea, Lao, Mandarin, the Wu dialect, Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo, and Kham), and Uyghur. RFA strives for accuracy, balance, and fairness in its editorial content. As a ‘surrogate’ broadcaster, RFA provides news and commentary specific to each of its target countries, acting as the free press these countries lack. RFA broadcasts only in local languages and dialects, and most of its broadcasts comprise news of specific local interest. More information about Radio Free Asia, including our current broadcast frequency schedule, is available at http://www.rfa.org/

RFA encourages listeners to submit reception reports. Reception reports are valuable to RFA as they help us evaluate the signal strength and quality of our transmissions. RFA confirms all accurate reception reports by mailing a QSL card to the listener. RFA welcomes all reception report submissions at www.techweb.rfa.org (follow the QSL REPORTS link) not only from DX’ers, but also from its general listening audience. If you have a smart phone, feel free to use the QR code below to access the automated reception report system and submit your reception reports to the web site.
You also have the option of using the following Microsoft Tag from your smartphone. The free mobile app for your smartphone is available at http://gettag.mobi/

Reception reports are also accepted by email at qsl@rfa.org, and for anyone without Internet access, reception reports can be mailed to:
Reception Reports
Radio Free Asia
2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300
Washington DC 20036
United States of America.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Reprieve for Galei Zahal ....Army Radio Bill extended despite controversy

By LAHAV HARKOV
06/28/2011 04:12

Several MKs say IDF broadcasts must be more politically balanced.

The Knesset Economics Committee voted unanimously to extend Army Radio's mandate by a year and a half on Monday, in spite of the controversy surrounding the station in the past week.


Full story at : http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=226866

Adieu....Deutsche Welle Hindi

Letter from Grahame Lucas,Head of the South Asia Service of DW-Radio announcing swan song of Deutsche Welle Hindi Radio ....

..........................................(click on the image to enlarge)

BBG and South Sudan Reach Historic Agreement

Juba, South Sudan, June 24, 2011 – Today in Juba, South Sudan, the Broadcasting Board of Governors reached an historic agreement with the new nation on a wide range of activities to advance media development. Three Board members, Michael Meehan, Dana Perino, and Susan McCue, established a broad agreement on new FM licenses, affiliate access, journalism training and technical support.

"The US and the South Sudanese will forever celebrate our nations' independence in early July," said BBG Governor Michael Meehan. "The BBG is committed to helping the world's newest democracy stand up on its feet and make sure that through a free media all its citizens' voices are heard."


"Free media is the cornerstone of any democracy and as South Sudan emerges as the world's newest nation, the BBG stands with the Sudanese to propel the free flow of news and information. In particular, we look forward to dialogues on critical issues like maternal, newborn and child health, education for women and girls and economic growth," said BBG Governor Susan McCue.


"The trip to South Sudan allowed us to see first-hand all of the challenges, as well as the hope, and has encouraged us to do more to expand our coverage area and continue to improve our content. One way we can help is to work on closing the gap in education by adding more instructional programs in English. We also made significant headway for additional cooperation with the government of South Sudan and will be following through on our commitments," said BBG Governor Dana Perino.


The Ministry of Information pledged to grant licenses for FM broadcasting for Voice of America (VOA) and other BBG broadcasting including Arabic-language programs from the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN). In addition, the BBG will have access to government-run FM stations as radio affiliates. The BBG agreed to provide technical assistance and journalism training as well as evaluate the avenues for broadcasting in additional languages.


The three members of the Broadcasting Board of Governors also participated in a VOA-organized town hall meeting at which citizens and government officials discussed important challenges facing the new country. The Board members are visiting Ethiopia, South Sudan and Nigeria to broaden the VOA's reach and impact in Africa.


Updates, observations, and photos about the trip will be posted via Twitter (hashtag #usib) and in a weblog http://voaontheroadafrica.tumblr.com/


VOA's audience in Africa is nearly 45 million adults across multiple media platforms, including more than 20 million in Nigeria and 3 million in Ethiopia. Audiences in Sudan's Darfur region are also served by Afia Darfur of the MBN, which is broadcast in Arabic and has an estimated weekly audience of 30% there. Audience reach for VOA's newly launched English program Sudan in Focus is not yet available.


The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent federal agency, supervising all U.S. government-supported, civilian international broadcasting, whose mission is to promote freedom and democracy and to enhance understanding through multimedia communication of accurate, objective, and balanced news, information, and other programming about America and the world to audiences overseas. BBG broadcasts reach an audience of 165 million in 100 countries. BBG broadcasting organizations include the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa), Radio Free Asia, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and TV Marti).


(Press Release)

Radio Netherlands Worldwide's budget slashed 70%

Saturday 25 Jun 2011
The Dutch cabinet yesterday announced figures indicating that from 2013, Radio Netherlands Worldwide's annual budget will be reduced by 70 percent, from €46 million (US$65 million) to €14 million (US$19.77 million).

More at :
http://www.abu.org.my/abu/index.cfm/elementid/70068/Radio-Netherlands-Worldwide-s-budget-slashed-70-

Monday, June 27, 2011

Special RNW Dutch broadcast on 1296 kHz 06-12 UT, on shortwave at 08-15 UT.

FRANCE/GERMANY/U.K. Dutch parliament live transmission coverage on RNW program in Dutch this morning:


1296 kHz via Orfordness mediumwave, logged on SDR console remote radio network onn RFSpace IQ units, powerful S=9+32 dB signal in the Netherlands.


Otherwise in all Europe noted shortwave logs, but not on Perseus Server Network in Italy this morning. Up- and Download net is so slowly this morning, and even before 0800 UT disconnected at all.


5955 NAU S=9+36dB
6035 ISS S=9+20dB
6120 WER S=9+14dB
9895 NAU S=9+23dB


73 wolfgang

(Wolfgang Bueschel Bueschel via hcdx list)

Multi-hop sporadic-E opening on 6m

Multi-hop sporadic-E opening on 6m.

For details please visit
http://www.vhfdx.info/spots/map.php?Frec=50&Map=W2

Radio is surely here to stay, in vogue



Radio In India: Touching Lives!

Posted at YouthKiAwaaz on June 26, 2011
By Anushri Saxena:

Apart from being half as entertaining as the television, radio is one of the cheapest and most widely available sources of information.

More at : http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2011/06/radio-in-india-touching-lives/

Friday, June 24, 2011

SMS Alerts Boost 'Ham' Radio Contacts:

Radio amateurs now have a helping hand in their quest for contacting rare or distant radio stations. 'DX Station' is an innovative SMS text message service that alerts radio amateurs when the sought-after radio station's signal is spotted on the radio dial.

Full story at : http://www.eham.net/articles/26300

TWR Guam Txer replacement project video wins bronze telly award

Read the story here :

http://www.twr.org/news_and_blogs/2011/06-22/twr-video-wins-telly-award

Chinese onslaught on FM Band

Band 2 Es Logs 24 June 2011

Rx parked at 88.0, 0200z onwards got few secs of Radio Foorti couple of times.

0309z onwards ....

All unid Chinese

87.9
88.0
88.6
88.9
89.2
89.6
90.5
90.8
91.6
91.8
92.0
92.2
93.3
93.7
93.8
94.1
95.2
96.0
96.5
99.0
100.1
101.4

More chinese at 0340z

87.5
88.1
89.1
92.4
92.9
96.1
96.4
96.8
97.4
97.5
97.6
97.8
97.9
98.0
98.6
98.7
98.9
99.1
99.6
99.7
100.3
101.1
103.1
103.6

Testing Tecsun PL606 for FM dxing

Here are some interesting links from an Italian dxers blog :

http://tinyurl.com/6jpce2j

http://tinyurl.com/5vxbujy

Original blog is in Italian, links for the translated version.

SWR's midnight summer broadcast on 24th & 25th June


For the first time in the history, Scandinavian Weekend Radio is about to broadcast Midsummer Radio two-day long. Broadcasts starts on Friday 24th June, Midsummer's Day and continues until the end of the next day, 25th of June. Coming up community midsummer news and how people spend midsummer, reports, events and more entertaining Finnish music.
Here's the schedule : http://www.swradio.net/schedule.htm

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

BBC World Service's Hindi short-wave service saved from closure

Foreign secretary agrees to give an extra £2.2m annually for three years from the Foreign Office budget

The BBC World Service's Hindi short-wave broadcasts have been saved from the axe after the foreign secretary, William Hague, agreed to give extra money to the highly regarded international broadcaster.

Related stories :






(Thanks to Naleen Kumar for the links)

IRS Q1 2011 - Radio Mirchi No.1 in hindi speaking markets



DRM Visit to Korea


A delegation of senior DRM Consortium members attended the 21st edition of KOBA (Korean Broadcasting Engineer & Technicians Association ) Exhibition & Conference (14-17th June 2011) and held meetings with the major players and stakeholders in the Radio Digitisation process in Korea.

More at : http://drm.org/news_item/DRM_Visit_to_Korea

Radio Free Asia Wins at 2011 New York Festivals

RFA Korean, Mandarin Broadcasters Take Gold, Earn Finalist Spots

WASHINGTON, DC – Radio Free Asia (RFA) Korean service broadcaster John Hyun-Ki Lee won a gold medal and RFA Mandarin service broadcasters Zhang Min and April Wang were named finalists at this year's New York Festivals (NYF).


"Radio Free Asia delivers trustworthy, informative news and information to millions living in closed societies," said Dan Southerland, Executive Editor for RFA. "For RFA's broadcasters and services, this high recognition at the New York Festivals encourages us to build on our efforts to fulfill an important mission."


Information about RFA's winner and finalists, and their entries follows.

RFA Korean service broadcaster John Hyun-Ki Lee won a gold medal in the NYF category of Human Relations for his piece "New Year Celebrations Thousands of Miles from Home." Lee interviewed North Korean defectors living in Virginia, New York, Australia, and Canada as they reminisced about their families, friends, and lives they left behind. The program was aired on Feb. 4, the day after the Korean diaspora marked the new lunar year, with the hope that long-lost relatives of these defectors would be able to listen.


RFA broadcaster Zhang Min of the Mandarin service was named a finalist in the category of Best Human Interest Story for her piece titled, "Blind Barefoot Lawyer Freed but not Free." For the story, which aired on Sept. 9, 2010, Zhang was able to get an exclusive telephone interview with freed Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng on the day of his release from prison. Despite international concerns, Chen remains under virtual house arrest with little access to the outside world.


RFA Mandarin service broadcaster April Wang's series "One Hundred Million People Shunned: The Stigma and the Reality of Hepatitis B in China" also earned recognition as a finalist in the category of Social Issues/Current Events. The series, which aired consecutively on Sept. 28 and 29, 2010, focused on those suffering in China from discrimination over longstanding misconceptions of the transmission of Hepatitis B.


(Press Release)

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

VRS scheme for SLBC employees ?

The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) is now in the process of bringing a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) says Digatha News

Read the full story here : http://tinyurl.com/6fpbtud


Monday, June 20, 2011

Kashmir Valley tunes in to optimism

If you are travelling by taxi through Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, chances are you will be listening to an upbeat radio chat show hosted by one of two young presenters transforming the mood of the troubled region.

Wafa Vakil and Sardar Nasir Ali Khan are the new voices of the Kashmir Valley, popular radio jockeys (RJs) at the region's only private FM station 92.7 Big FM.


Full story at :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13374457

BBC World Service redundancy could spur strike vote

NUJ describes compulsory dismissal of Bengali World Service journalist as 'provocative act'

Tara Conlan
guardian.co.uk, Friday 17 June 2011 16.22 BST


Industrial action at the BBC could be on the cards after the corporation made a journalist at the BBC World Service take compulsory redundancy. The National Union of Journalists called it a "provocative act" and is urging its members to vote for industrial action. On Wednesday a Bengali member of the World Service was dismissed on the grounds of compulsory redundancy, according to the NUJ.

Full story at :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jun/17/bbc-strike-world-service?CMP=twt_fd

Red FM Thrissur shifts to 91.1 Mhz

The Red FM Station at Thrissur in Kerala has changed the frequency to 91.1 MHz (ex 93.5 MHz). This is due to co channel interference from their Kochi station on 93.5 MHz located about 79 kms away. Thanks to Mr.Anoop from Ettumanoor, Kerala for this info.

(Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio via dx_india list)

RRI "The 2011 George Enescu Festival" Contest

Radio Romania International - "The 2011 George Enescu Festival" Contest

Radio Romania International invites you to participate in a new prize-winning contest, this time dedicated to the "2011 George Enescu Festival". This music festival was inaugurated in 1958, in recognition of the appreciation George Enescu, the best known Romanian musician of all times, enjoyed worldwide. The 20th edition of the festival will take place between September 1st and 25th, in Bucharest and other major cities across Romania. The festival includes almost 120 concerts and shows, grouped in various categories: "Great World Orchestras", "Chamber Music Recitals and Concerts", "Midnight Concerts", "World Music", "Opera and Ballet", "Music of the 21st Century", and, of course, "Enescu and His Contemporaries". As usual, this event attracts some of the best names in symphonic music worldwide. You can get details on these events in our broadcasts, as well as on the website www.festivalenescu.ro, (the English version). The "George Enescu" International Competition has four sections: piano, violin, cello and composition.
The artistic director of the event is the world famous music manager Ioan Hollender, who was born in Timisoara, western Romania, who headed the Vienna Staatsoper, between 1992 and 2010.
In this contest, we grant prizes related to Enescu and Romanian symphonic music, but also to Romanian culture in general. The contest is sponsored by the "Monitorul Oficial" Publishers, with support from the "Casa Radio" Record and Publishing House.
A violin virtuoso known all over the world, composer, pianist, conductor and teacher, George Enescu was born 130 years ago, on 19 August 1881 in Liveni, Botosani county, in north eastern Romania. He is considered one of the greatest composers of the first half of the 20th century. His work includes three completed symphonies, various other important pieces for voice and orchestra, chamber music, one opera ("'Oedip"), solo works and lieder. Such great names as Yehudi Menuhin and Dinu Lipatti are two of the musicians Enescu had a great influence on.


In order to qualify for one of our prizes you have to provide correct and complete answers, in writing, by 30 September 2011, posting date, to a few questions:
1. When and where was George Enescu born?
2. Name at least three compositions by Enescu.
3. Name at least three prestigious musicians attending this year's edition of the festival (soloists, conductors or orchestras).
4. Which edition of the "George Enescu" International Festival is running this year?
Please answer by mail, fax, e-mail, on our Facebook page, or by filling in the form posted on our website. We would also ask you to tell us what motivated you to participate in the competition. Our address is: Radio Romania International, 60-64, G-ral. Berthelot Street, sector 1, Bucharest, Romania, PO Box 111, code 010171, fax no. 00.40.21.319.05.62. Our e-mail address is: engl at rri.ro. We are waiting for your answers by 30 September 2011, posting date. The winners will be announced in the second half of October 2011.


(RRI)

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Friday, June 17, 2011

BBC will restart morning Hindi broadcast

BBC Hindi will survive funding cuts: Patten

From Prasun Sonwalkar Oxford, Jun 17 (PTI) Terming the BBC Hindi Service as "very important", Lord Chris Patten, chairman of the BBC Trust and chancellor of the University of Oxford, today said the service will survive the major funding cuts that had severely affected its future.Patten, who recently took over as chairman of the BBC Trust, told PTI here that due to the importance of the Hindi Service and increasingly deeper relations India, he was making all efforts to ensure its survival amidst funding cuts.


Read the PTI story here :
http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/bbc-hindi-will-survive-funding-cuts-patten/729400.html


(Naleen Kumar)

AT8VTM - International Museum Weekend 17th to 27th June 2011 at VITM, Bangalore

Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technology Musuem, Kasturaba Road, Bangalore is the India's First Special Event Amateur (Ham) Radio Station operating from India taking part in the 10th International Museum Weekend 2011 from 17th to 27th June 2011. Details of the Musuem is on http://www.vismuseum.org.in/ and about the International Museum Weekend is on http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk/imw/

Thanks to Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Government of India for giving us Special Callsign AT8VTM vide Special Permission L - 14011/639/2010 Dated 15.06.2011.


Special and Sincere Thanks to Volunteers and Operators specially VU2UR and VU2LX to make this very big event happen.


Please do come up on the air and work use out to receive special event QSL card. VU Hams have to send sufficient postage stamp and address label along with their QSL for contact made to receive QSL Direct, DX Hams 3 IRCs


de Lion Ajoy VU2JHM
Hon. President, Bangalore Amateur Radio Club VU2ARC
http://www.barc.in

DRM+ successfully tested in New Delhi

New Delhi, 27th May, 2011: The first ever DRM+ trial measurements in India have thrown up very satisfactory results. The test, organised jointly by All India Radio (AIR) and Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium, was an effort to test the strength and coverage of DRM digital radio in FM band (VHF band II).

The single test frequency of 100.1MHz carried three programme channels - Gold DRM (FM), Rainbow DRM (FM) and AIR news in Journaline and its reception was measured by a test vehicle going in four directions from central New Delhi where the transmitter was installed. Nautel VS-1 transmitter with 300W output power (500W radiated power) along with RFmondial DRM+ Modulator and Fraunhofer DRM Content Server were used.
Two test modes were measured - robust 4-QAM and high capacity 16-QAM and the DRM+ coverage was found to be comparable with that of analogue FM station operating at approximately 5 times the power of the DRM+ signal. A full report will jointly be published by AIR and DRM.
This week long DRM+ Showcase (23rd - 27th May 2011) in New Delhi was also accompanied with an extensive workshop on DRM technology covering crucial issues of planning, transition, simulcast, content and receivers. A large number of participants from all across the country attended the sessions that also had interactive discussions with DRM experts.
DRM members Nautel (Canada), Fraunhofer, RFmondial, University of Hannover (Germany) KETI (South Korea), Analog Devices (USA) and BBC (UK) took part in the test either with equipment or experts or both. DRM Consortium will provide more information along with the test results shortly. For details log on to www.drm.org


Ruxandra Obreja, Chairperson DRM Consortium said “This test was a successful culmination of a close partnership of DRM Consortium and All India Radio and the whole hearted support of the DRM members who took part in this event. AIR has already adopted DRM30 for its SW/MW network and DRM+ will play a complementary role operating in VHF band.”

About DRM

Digital Radio MondialeTM (DRM) is the universal, openly standardised digital broadcasting system for all broadcasting frequencies up to 174MHz, including LW, MW, SW, band I and II (FM band). DRM provides digital sound quality and the ease-of-use that comes from digital radio, combined with a wealth of enhanced features: Surround Sound, Journaline text information, Slideshow, EPG, and data services. DRM on short, medium and long wave for broadcasting bands up to 30 MHz (called 'DRM30') provides large coverage areas and low power consumption. The enhancement of the DRM standard for broadcast frequencies above 30 MHz ('DRM+') uses the same audio coding, data services, multiplexing and signaling schemes as DRM30 but introduces an additional transmission mode optimized for those bands. For more information and DRM updates please visit www.drm.org

(DRM Consortium Press Release)

Thursday, June 16, 2011

DRM Newsletter 6/2011

June issue of DRM consortium's newsletter is now available at :
http://tinyurl.com/6de5qjb

Main stories :

- DRM+ successfully tested in New Delhi
- Latest ITU activities
- Steering Board Meeting
- KOBA, Seoul, 14-17 June
- Latest DRM Press Coverage
- Goodbye to Fanny Podworny

BAU launches kisan radio station

Kisan Radio Station, which is being launched by the Bihar Agriculture University (BAU), Sabour (Bhagalpur) in the district soon. Farmers coming within the aerial distance of 20-kilometers would initially be visited, once the Kisan Radio Station (KRS) goes on air.





Denmark reactives long wave and leaves medium wave

Today the Danish national public service radio station DR has reactived long wave 243 kHz using a brand new Nautel 50 kW sender from the current transmitter site in Kalundborg on the western part of Sealand (Sjælland), Denmark.
Broadcasting on medium wave 1062 kHz (250 kW) will cease on Monday June 27 2011. From today and until Monday the programmes will be simulcast on the two frequencies. Broadcasting hours remain the same. Cf. WRTH or Euro-African MW Guide for details.
The use of 243 kHz with 300 kW was ended in February 2007, but after Turkey left the channel in October 2008, DR is the only radio station on this channel. Thus it is estimated that the coverage will be pretty good on 243 although the power utilized is only 50 kW.

Full story (in Danish) here:
http://www.radionyt.com/artikel/default.asp?id=18515


Best 73s
Stig Hartvig Nielsen

(Via mwdx list)

TECSUN PL-390 FM DX KING ?

Phil's reveiew of FM Dxing capabilities of Tecsun PL-390

http://home.comcast.net/~phils_radio_designs/PL390_FM_DX.pdf

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Old Radios Brought Back To Life At InfoAge

Radio club hosts repair clinic
By Kathy Yevchak


Gerry Kersus' RCA radio has been in the family for more than 60 years. It was a wedding gift for his parents. But it has seen better days. Rather than junk it, Kersus brought the All American 5 radio to the radio magicians from the New Jersey Antique Radio Club Saturday to see if it could
be resurrected.


http://wall.patch.com/articles/old-radios-brought-back-to-life-at-infoage

ESAT accuses China of complicity in jamming signals

The Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT), which resumed transmissions to Ethiopia last week after nearly two months of interruption, has urged the government of the People's Republic of China to desist from providing technology, training and technical assistance to the regime in Ethiopia to enable it to jam shortwave radio and satellite transmissions to Ethiopia.

More at : http://www.abugidainfo.com/?p=18210

FRS on air next Sunday evening June 19th

Dear FRS Friends,

If you have just joined our address book and this is the first mail you are receiving, be welcome as member of the FRS family! Next Sunday (June 19th) FRS-Holland will be on air with full programming. Opposite to our usual broadcasts, this one will take place in the evening hours between 16:52- 22:00 UTC/ 18:52- 24:00 CEST. FRS-Holland will be on 7685kHz avoiding 7600 and 7595 interference during the first part of the broadcast. 7685 isn't affected by adjacent channels being used by other stations. Especially during the last part of the broadcast it will be interesting if & how signals will be received to the east (Russia, Ukraine etc.).
We will take our time...it'll be an 'old fashioned' long FRS broadcast: 5 hours!!. Our full staff will be involved including Paul Graham who was absent for quite some time. This time we will deviate from the usual schedule: 3 blocks of resp. 60s, 70s and 80s tracks, a DX Show and a show with mostly tunes. We will handle no letters, there's no Phrase that Pays, the music comes first! Although each show will include 1 or 2 short radio related items !


We like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all of you who responded to our brief evening tests May 22nd (7685). These two 15 min. tests were widely heard across Europe and beyond. For 30 minutes we received some 30 reports. And last but not least: we will soon start replying to the many, many listeners who responded to one or more of our 30th Anniversary broadcasts back in October & November 2010 and February 2011. FRS has produced a special & informative commemorative 30th Anniversary booklet which will be available to each and everyone who sent a report/ letter. This booklet is almost finished. So please have a little more patience, you will get your special QSL card(s) and the booklet.
Thanks for your patience and understanding!!


Hope you are able to tune in next Sunday. We hope the full June 19th shows will go out via the Internet one week later, Sunday June 26th. More news about that will follow.


73s, Peter Verbruggen (on behalf of the entire FRS staff)


a Balance between Music & Information joint to one Format....


FRS-Holland
POBox 2702
6049 ZG Herten
The Netherlands


e-mail: frs.holland@hccnet.nl
e-mail: frs@frsholland.nl

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

FREE Pacific Radio Guides June 2011

New Pacific Radio Listener Guide now at www.radioheritage.com

The June 2011 version of the PAL Radio Guides covering all AM [mediumwave] radio stations across the Asia and Pacific region is now available from www.radioheritage.com.


The PAL Radio Guides list all known AM and SW radio stations operating in the region...... with detailed station data such as operating times, languages, location, and much more...across many thousands of individual stations.


Information in the new Pacific Asian Log Radio Guides is great for travellers, travel agents, corporates and others who need to keep clients and staff informed.


Radio saves lives in emergencies [think earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand, floods in Australia] and these guides list the stations you need to know about across the region.


The PAL Radio Guides are compiled in Seattle [USA] by our editor-in-chief Bruce Portzer from monitoring reports, official sources and feedback from listeners across the region.


Search the two guides online now by options such as location and frequency or download copies for your own personal use from www.radioheritage.net Access is free for non-commercial use.


Search our other frequently updated online guides to Australian narrowcast AM radio [Australia 1611-1701 AM] and the New Zealand Low Power FM Radio Dial [NZLPFM Radio]


Feedback, corrections and updates from users are always welcome and will be incorporated in future versions. Simply email your comments to info@radioheritage.net.


****************************************************
Radio Heritage Foundation is a registered non-profit connecting popular culture, nostalgia and radio heritage across the region. Free community access to these PAL Radio Guides is available at our global website www.radioheritage.com


Now covering 50% of weekly operational costs with donations from supporters worldwide. US$50 sponsors one day. Your donation is important to us and will help keep the PAL Radio Guides free. Please use your VISA or Mastercard today at www.radioheritage.com. Thank you!
***************************************************
(Media Release, Radio Heritage Foundation, www.radioheritage.com, June 13 2011)

AWR to begin Shortwave Broadcasts in Tibetan

By Shelley Nolan Freesland
AWR Communication Director

After a two‐ year search for a producer, AWR will begin broadcasting programs in the Tibetan language this summer through shortwave radio and online. "We are thrilled to have located this young man," says AWR president Dowell Chow. "Although we would normally wait until the start of our next semiannual broadcast season (in October) to launch a new broadcast, we want to begin reaching listeners as soon as possible."


Tibet, a mountainous province in China, does not have an established Seventh‐ day Adventist Church presence. When AWR began spreading the word that it was looking for a Tibetan radio producer, a few leads came through contacts at other supporting ministries. Eventually AWR connected, through e‐ mail, with a man named Nurpu Lama.


Last fall, Chow was scheduled to attend a listeners' reunion in Kathmandu, Nepal – a country which borders Tibet – so Lama traveled there to meet with him. The trip required considerable perseverance: a long walk from Lama's hillside home to a larger town, a bus ride, a full‐ day walk to the Nepali border, and a day‐ long bus ride to Kathmandu.


Since Lama speaks Nepali, he was able to receive training from AWR's long‐ time Nepali producers and technician, learning the equipment and voice announcing skills. The Nepali team provided him with a supply of their scripts, which he began translating by hand and contextualizing for the Tibetan people. Since then, Lama has twice more made the exhausting trip back to Kathmandu to do more recordings in the AWR studio.


Lama's life is not easy. Although his home does have electricity and he is able to use the laptop computer provided by AWR, to access e‐ mail he must hike down the mountainside to a lower village to visit an Internet café. His days are very full, as he raises some animals and food for his family, and also works as a Gospel Outreach pioneer.


"Please join us in prayer as this new producer takes on these additional responsibilities," says Chow. "His voice will be heard across Tibet, through one of the best shortwave signals that AWR has on its entire schedule, sharing the advent message of our soon‐ coming Savior."


Adventist World Radio is the mission radio arm of the Seventh‐day Adventist Church. It broadcasts the Adventist hope in Christ to the hardest‐to‐reach people groups of the world in their own languages, through shortwave, AM/FM radio, podcasts, and on‐demand at awr.org


(Source : Adventist World Radio)

Monitoring Medium Wave / AM 1368 in Europe

Dear listeners,

Today we have made a modification to the Medium Wave antenna on 1368 kHz that may increase sky propagation during the night. Listeners in southern and central Europe should get better reception after sunset effective tonight June 14, 2011. Can anybody monitor out-there in
Europe?


We run daily on 1368 kHz in Europe from 19:00-02:00 CET (17:00-00:00 UTC)

Please send your reception reports to reports (at) nexus (dot) org

Thank you for your co-operation.

73,

Ron

--
Ron Norton NEXUS-Int'l Broadcasting Association

Monday, June 13, 2011

RADIO EAST AFRICA QSL





BDXC Guides updated

Updated BDXC guides as on June 2011 are now avilable at :

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bdxcuk/articles.html

- DX and Media Programme Guide
- Africa on Shortwave - by Country
- Afghanistan on Shortwave
- External Services on Medium Wave
- Middle East on Shortwave - by country
- South Asia on Shortwave - by frequency
- UK on Shortwave

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Lord Patten vows to protect BBC World Service

Lord Patten has said his love of the BBC World Service made protecting it a "priority" - particularly the "core" Arabic, Somali and Hindi services. The new BBC Trust chairman told the Sunday Telegraph he would fight for it as a 20% budget cut across the corporation takes effect this year. The paper claimed he signalled in the interview that digital TV channels BBC3 or BBC4 may be axed to help secure it.

Full story at : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13741210

Saturday, June 11, 2011

RNZI Airs New Radio Heritage Documentary Earthquake Radio

Join us from Monday, June 13 2011 as we bring you the inside story on Radio New Brighton 102.1 FM, the emergency radio station for earthquake hit Christchurch, to be broadcast on the Mailbox program from Radio New Zealand International.

This unique documentary includes on-air sound grabs, interviews with the people who set up the station, volunteer announcers, and local residents. We usually research and write about radio stories, this time we were in the heart of the story ourselves.


You can listen directly via shortwave radio from RNZI in New Zealand, or audio on demand [for the following month] with full details of current broadcast frequencies [both DRM and analog] and times possible for your area as well as audio downloads at www.rnzi.com.


The report also backgrounds how the earthquake on February 22 2011 affected local radio stations, how they responded to the loss of their studios and yet still maintained 24/7 service, and broke the biggest news story in New Zealand for decades.


You'll also learn about JOYZ2U 77.2 FM and other disaster recovery FM stations set up in Japan after their earthquake, tsunami and nuclear triple hit just two days before Radio New Brighton went to air.


How the radio community in the two countries responded to the earthquakes has many similarities, but there are also key differences in how civil defence and local authorities regarded these emergency local radio stations. In one country they were ignored, in the other fully supported.


So join us from Monday, June 13 2011 as we explore these two recent examples of earthquake radio on the Mailbox program from Radio New Zealand International [www.rnzi.com].


You can also use our fully up to date guide to contemporary AM radio in Japan and New Zealand with free access to our PAL Radio Guides at our global website www.radioheritage.com.


Radio Heritage Foundation is a registered non-profit organization connecting popular culture, nostalgia and radio heritage across the Asia and Pacific region. Our website is www.radioheritage.com. To be removed from this mailing list send a return email with 'au revoir' in the subject line.


We currently have an urgent need for donations towards our operating costs as the donor base in New Zealand has been devastated by calls for earthquake relief. If you can help us, please make a donation today at our website www.radioheritage.com.


(Media Release, Radio Heritage Foundation, www.radioheritage.com , June 11 2011)

Support Continued Voice of America Broadcasting to China

Proponents of U.S. international broadcasting to China got some reason for hope last month when a group of congressmen, led by Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) produced a letter in support of continued funding for communication to the vast Chinese populace. The congressmen propose to fence off a portion of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) budget (part of the state and foreign operations appropriations bill)

More at :
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/06/support-continued-voice-of-america-broadcasting-to-china

Radio-in-a-Box powers Bangladeshi community radio

A new community radio station, named Lokobetar, in Barguna in southwest Bangladesh, has started test transmission using the ABU's Radio-in-a-Box. It is expected to start full transmission by mid-June. The ABU has supplied two Radio-in-a-Box (RiB) units to UNESCO-Dhaka for community radio stations in Bangladesh.

Radio Program on FM Broadcast DXing with Cell phone

Dear Friends,

A program on my "Dxing FM Broadcast stations with Cell Phone Radio" will be broadcast several times tomorrow Sunday 12 June 2011 as follows in the Wavesacn program of Adventist World Radio as follows in AM Mode:


5.30 pm IST (1200 UTC) : 17.535 MHz
8.00 pm IST (1430 UTC) : 9.560 MHz
8.30 pm IST (1500 UTC) : 11.720 MHz
9.00 pm IST (1530 UTC) : 15.255 MHz
9.30 pm IST (1600 UTC) : 11.805 & 12.035 MHz
10.00 pm IST (1630 UTC) : 11.740 MHz


The recording of the program will be available in the following site after the broadcast:


http://as-sw.awr.org/in/eng/143

73

Jose Jacob, VU2JOS
National Institute of Amateur Radio
Raj Bhavan Road, Hyderabad 500082, India
www.niar.org

HD Radio: Is It Worth the Effort?

Lingering questions about the long-term viability of HD continue to dog our business. The larger markets have mostly all converted, but the total is only about 14 percent of all stations. Most uncommitted station owners are still reluctant to spend the money and the resources to add HD, uncertain that their investment will ever pay off.

Read the full story here :
http://www.radioworld.com/article/hd-radio-is-it-worth-the-effort/23658

Voice of Russia Opens U.S. Studios

Voice of Russia, descendant of Radio Moscow, is now originating content for U.S. listeners from studios in Washington, a development that in the Cold War days might have been considered far-fetched.

“For the first time, the Russian radio station’s shows broadcast in the U.S. will be created on American soil, whereas before, they all came from Moscow,” the organization stated.

More at : http://www.radioworld.com/article/voice-of-russia-opens-us-studios/23697


Friday, June 10, 2011

Utö9 FM DXpedition in SW Finland

Traditional Finnish Utö-island FM-DX-pedition starts tomorrow. This is the 5th pedition with bigger crew. The DX-camp will be up on 10-19.6.2011, in the southest lived island in Finland, Utö-island. 1,5 km x 1 km. 50 inhabitants.
4x 8-el antennas (2xV Körner - 2xH Triax + amps) - 8 listeners in two houses. All have 2x Sony XDR + several Icom 6m/OIRT-rx's etc.Pedition 2010 was excellent. What about this time...

http://www.uto-fmdx.blogspot.com/

(Harri Kujala, Naantali, SW Finland)
www.hkdx.blogspot.com

Sangean Gets Rugged & On The Road With Digital Utility Radio

A new digital radio aimed at tradies and rugged outdoorsy types has been launched by Taiwanese company, Sangean.

Distributed in Australia by Canohm, the DAB+Box brings digital sound quality to a radio that can handle all work environments and weather conditions and take the rough and ready lifestyle of the typical tradesman. The radio can access both digital broadcast stations as well as FM, and where reception is poor or unavailable, users can also plug an iPhone , iPod or MP3 player into the auxiliary input to listen to digital quality music.


Full story at : www.smarthouse.com.au/Real_Sound/Digital_Radio/L8G8D8W4

IRRS Shortwave & Mediumwave update

As of Friday June 10, 2011, European Gospel radio via IRRS-Shortwave will be on the air daily with a live program on 7290 kHz to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from 18:00-20:0 CET.

Our programs can also be heard daily on our new AM/Medium Wave frequencies: on 1368 kHz from Padua (Padova, North East Italy), and locally in Rome on 1566 kHz. We will be broadcasting daily on these Medium Wave frequencies from 17:00-00:00 UTC, i.e. from 19:00-02:00 CET. Reception on 1368 kHz during darkness has been reported within a radius of approximately 700 km from Padua, i.e. in northern Italy, southern France, Austria, Southern Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, and under DX conditions also from Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

We will also be streaming live 24/7 at http://www.egradio.org or http://mp3.nexus.org

Our schedules are online at http://www.nexus.org/schedules

As always we welcome your comments on our programming, as well as your reception reports. You write us or to our program producers to the addresses mentioned on the air, or at: reports (at) nexus (dot) org

Thank you and stay tuned!

73s de Ron,

--
Ron Norton

NEXUS-Int'l Broadcasting Association

Thursday, June 09, 2011

Deutsche Welle launches special programming devoted to human rights

Multimedia content in 30 languages – Topical focus to coincide with this year’s Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum

Deutsche Welle aims to contribute to the dialogue on human rights and globalization issues with dedicated content in its television, radio and online programming in 30 languages. The project complements the theme of this year’s Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum scheduled to take place from 20-22 June 2011, “Human Rights in a Globalized World – Challenges for the Media”.

“The media can be a powerful instrument for the realization of human rights,” says DW Director General Erik Bettermann. Many people, he adds, are still unaware of the contents of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its two key binding human rights treaties – the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. “The media can serve as an informational bridge and an instrument of enlightenment. They should be held responsible around the world.”

Multimedia project

Basic human needs – the rights to fair working conditions, adequate food and housing – are the central focus of DW’s multimedia project “Human Rights in 2011” (www.dw-world.de/menschenrechte2011). Feature reports provide insight into the living conditions of people in light of global change. Some of the topics include rising prices and hunger in Senegal, displacement as a result of drug gangs in Colombia and the dangerous work of transporting scrap in India. The project includes statements by human rights experts, such as Monika Lüke, Secretary General of Amnesty International Germany, and John Ruggie, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Business and Human Rights. Blogger Lina Ben Mhenni, winner of this year’s Deutsche Welle international blog awards The BOBs, reports on her experience during the Tunisian revolution. The multimedia project is presented in German, English, Spanish and Russian. Many reports will be included in Deutsche Welle’s 26 other broadcast languages.

Theme week on DW-TV

From 13-20 June 2011, DW-TV will broadcast reports, features and documentaries related to the theme of human rights in 2011. Targeted to its worldwide audience, the programming will be in German, English, Arabic and Spanish. For instance, sports program “Kick off!” will report on Muslim soccer players on the occasion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. TV magazine “Arts.21” will introduce female authors from Turkey who have been detained. “European Journal” will feature Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian Foreign Ministry's envoy on human rights. Other highlights include interviews with Angelika Nussberger, a judge at the European Court of Human Rights, and Tom Koenigs, chair of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid in the German Bundestag.

Virtually all of DW-TV’s programs will focus on various aspects of human rights, ranging from the situation in Arab countries through to international labor and social standards to fair trade products, conditions for refugees and child trafficking. DW-TV reports will also be integrated into the multimedia project, “Human Rights in 2011”.

Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum

The three-day conference in Bonn begins on 20 June 2011. This is the third in the German public service broadcaster’s series of conferences examining the role of the media in key issues that will shape the world’s future. Some 1,500 media professionals and renowned experts from around the world are expected to attend the forum.

The Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum is an interdisciplinary congress for which DW, as the initiator and host, has teamed up with many renowned national and international organisations, such as Amnesty International, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation, the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation, the German Institute for Human Rights, Reporters Without Borders, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), UN Water, the European Council on Foreign Relations, die European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the German Development Institute, CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg, the Development and Peace Foundation (SEF), the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC), Goethe Institute, the German Journalists Association (DJV) and other organizations.

Six of this year’s Global Media Forum partners have been included in the University of Pennsylvania’s list of the top 50 think thanks in the world.

Deutsche Welle will hold the prize ceremony for its international blog awards, The BOBs, during the forum in June. In this seventh edition of the competition, prizes have been designated in six categories and eleven languages. For more information go to www.thebobs.com.

Co-host of the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum is the Foundation for International Dialogue of the Sparkasse in Bonn. The conference is also supported by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, the European Regional Development Fund, the Minister for Federal, European and Media Affairs of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the city of Bonn, DHL and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

(Press Release)

Mendes Comments on RW’s BBG Report Story

André Mendes followed up on Radio World’s story posted yesterday about the technology strategy of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. He’s director of engineering and technical services for the International Broadcasting Bureau.

Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Radio Netherlands Worldwide changes focus

excerpt .....
If RNW's new focus meets with government approval, the reduction would be realised by winding down Dutch-language activities and short-wave broadcasts (by closing two transmitting stations in Bonaire and Madagascar, for example). About 100 jobs will probably be lost in Hilversum and on these two islands.

Full story at :
http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/radio-netherlands-worldwide-changes-focus

Radio Netherlands shaken by reports of far-reaching cuts

Radio Netherlands Worldwide was shaken on Tuesday evening by unconfirmed reports that government cuts will leave the Netherlands' international service with less than a quarter of its budget.

In response to the reports from commercial broadcaster RTL TV, Radio Netherlands Director General Jan Hoek says "If this is so, it appears decisions are being taken without due care. I can't imagine this happening."

Full story at :
http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/radio-netherlands-shaken-reports-far-reaching-cuts

Mendes Report Shines Light on BBG Technical Operations

by Paul McLane

http://www.rwonline.com/article/mendes-report-shines-light-on-bbg-technical-operations/23650

A New Voice of America for the Age of Twitter

By MARK LANDLER

WASHINGTON — When Walter Isaacson championed Voice of America’s decision to shut down its shortwave radio broadcasts to China — and shift those funds to the Internet, cellphones and other forms of digital media — he viewed it as the sensible updating of a propaganda playbook dating from the cold war.

Ful story at :
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/world/08voice.html?_r=1

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Sri Lanka :Tallest communication tower in the South Asia region declared open in Kokavil

The reconstructed Kokavil Multi Purpose Transmission Tower was commissioned by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 6th June. It is considered as the tallest ever transmission tower in the entire South Asian region. The tower has been reconstructed at a cost of 450 million rupees.
The funds for the project were collectively provided by the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and the Independent Television Network. Foundation stone for the new tower was laid in August 2009. Construction work was carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Mass Media and Information. The height of the tower is 174 meters. Secretary to the Ministry W.B.Ganegala says the tower will provide clear radio and TV signals throughout the area meeting the needs of the public in the north.

The Kokavil was firstly constructed in 1981 to facilitate the people in the North to view television broadcast clearly. However, it was destroyed by the tiger terrorists on 11th of July 1990.
(Source : SLBC)

DRM+ approved by ITU

DRM+ got approved by ITU as a digital radio system for VHF band also (other DRM30 bands are already in for some time).; ) Now DRM is the unique system by ITU that works on all audio broadcast radio bands: LW, MW, SW and VHF.

In portuguese:
http://www.drm-brasil.org/node/42


Cheers,
Rafael Diniz

(Via drmna list)


Comment : However still under mandatory consultation period.

I will listen to the shortwave broadcast, but not the web stream

By Paul Thurst, on May 29th, 2011

http://www.engineeringradio.us/blog/2011/05/i-will-listen-to-the-shortwave-broadcast-but-not-the-web-stream/comment-page-1/

Monday, June 06, 2011

Crazy conditions noted on FM band this morning

Crazy conditions noted on FM band this morning......more than 25 unid Chinese stn's.

Here's an audio file (4.1 mb) of bandscan at 0304-0309 UTC on 87.5 - 93 MHz, hindi songs are local stns.

http://tinyurl.com/6zyqgwb

Heard an english id "easy music" on 89.3, probably CRI outlet.

Voice of America plans "sunset" for shortwave radio broadcasts

The sun is setting on Voice of America's shortwave radio service, heard worldwide in dozens of languages for 70 years.


A strategic technology plan prepared by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the federal agency responsible for Voice of America, Alhurra, Radio Free Asia and other international stations, concludes that it should end many shortwave broadcasts in favor of "more effective" media such as internet radio.


Full report at :
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/06/06/voice-of-america-ope.html


Related Links :
Mendes Report Shines Light on BBG Technical Operations
by Paul McLane
http://www.rwonline.com/article/mendes-report-shines-light-on-bbg-technical-operations/23650

Radio ga ga

Skand Shukla Jun 6, 2011, 12.23am IST

Read the TOI story here :
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Radio-ga-ga/articleshow/8740008.cms

Sunday, June 05, 2011

Last night's logs

Last night's logs :

04 June 2011 (Sat)

1750z 3480 35333 V.O.The People Korean Talk by YL
1801z 3975 43333 Echo of Hope Korean Talk by YL
1802z 4050 45333 Radio Rossii Russian News by OM
1805z 4810 35333 V.O.Armenia Arabic talk by OM
1807z 4860 35333 AIR Delhi Urdu Poor Modulation+Hum Song by OM
1809z 4880 35333 SWR Africa via Meyerton English Reports from Africa
1814z 4930 45444 VOA Botswana English News YL
1815z 4895 35333 Zimbabwe CR English Talk by OM

Saturday, June 04, 2011

Presentation from NASB 2011 - DRM Receiver Buyer's Programme

DRM Receiver Buyer's Programme - Presentation by Michel Penneroux, Chairman of DRM Commercial Committee, about a plan to stimulate mass production of low-cost DRM radio receivers


http://www.shortwave.org/downloads/NASB2011DRMReceiverBuyersProgrammeMichelPenneroux.pdf

VOA’s TV Ashna Signs 5 Year Agreement with Radio Television Afghanistan

Washington, D.C. — June 2, 2011
Voice of America's popular nightly news program TV Ashna will stay on the air in Afghanistan for another five years under the terms of a new contract signed this week by VOA and Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), the government broadcasting organization.VOA Director Designate David Ensor told reporters at the signing ceremony in Kabul that he was "delighted that there is a new contract" that extends the partnership between VOA and RTA. Under the agreement, RTA broadcasts the VOA program.
TV Ashna, a one-hour VOA news broadcast in the Dari and Pashto languages, has gained a growing audience in Afghanistan with its dynamic interviews, news and sports reporting. The program airs six nights a week, Saturday through Thursday.Ensor, who is currently Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, thanked RTA for its cooperation with VOA, saying both organizations are committed to freedom of the media and quality reporting on issues that matter to Afghanistan.
The Director General of RTA Mohammad Zarin Anzoor said, "We are witnessing an extension for 5 more years of VOA Ashna TV which will be heard in Afghanistan from 6 pm to 7 pm daily."
In addition to news from Afghanistan and the region, TV Ashna reports on U.S. and international developments, including extensive coverage of the uprisings in the Middle East and world reaction to the death of Osama bin Laden.VOA Dari and Pashto websites have also grown in popularity over the past three years and the content is delivered through mobile browsers, on social media sites including Facebook and Twitter, and a daily email news summary offered to subscribers.For the latest international news or for more information about VOA and its programs, visit www.voanews.com

(VOA Press Release)

Friday, June 03, 2011

2011 CBA Award winners

CBA 2011 Award winners "epitome of all that is good about Public Service Broadcasting"

The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) has announced the winners of its Annual Awards. Broadcasters globally are facing the challenges of digitisation, but engaging and high quality programme content is acknowledged as the key driver for digital transition. Excellence in media production across the Commonwealth is celebrated in the winning entries, which come from South Africa, Australia, UK, Ghana, Mozambique and Kenya.


The judges felt that two entries for the CBA-IBC Award for Innovative Engineering deserved recognition, so they awarded SABC and Televisao Independente de Mocambique as joint winners.


The CBA judging panels reported that the quality of content produced by entrants was high, although the World Bank Award for a programme covering Development Success is not to be awarded as no entrants sufficiently fulfilled the application criteria.


To ensure that award recipients receive maximum recognition in their home territories, awards this year will be presented at CBA events regionally.


The CBA is committed to supporting Public Service Media content and would like to thank all CBA Award sponsors for making this celebration of excellence possible. Thanks also to the many judges who took time out of their busy schedules to select these winners.


Judges: Olly Barratt, Feature Story News; Marion Bowman, One World Media; Cheryl Campbell, Television for the Environment; Francis Dobbs, World Bank; Neil Dormand, CBA; Alan Downie, CBA; Huw Edwards, BBC; Hayley Haas, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative; John Ive, International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers; Mark Jacobs, BBC; Karen Merkel, CBA; Akim Mogaji, CBA; Gugulethu Moyo, Media Legal Defence Initiative; Marcia Poole, Amnesty International; Benn Meno Pufong, Cameroon Radio Television; Tim Rogers, Thomson Foundation; Elizabeth Smith, Transforming Broadcasting; Simon Spanswick, Association for International Broadcasting; Robin White, ex-BBC WS Africa.


Amnesty International Award for Human Rights Programme Winner: Assignment - Guinea on the Brink, BBC World Service (UK)


The judges said: "This is a very powerful programme, radio documentary at its best. Guinea on the Brink makes an important contribution to the fight for human rights because it brings this issue to the attention of the millions around the world who listen to the BBC World Service."


CBA-IBC Award for Innovative Engineering Winners: EPG Innovation Project, SABC (South Africa) & MCR Project, Televisao Independente de Mocambique (Mozambique)


The judges said: "Both these entries showed initiative and judges felt that they were equally important to their respective stations, despite the very different sizes and strengths of the two organisations. The SABC project involve writing software that enabled data contained in their radio information systems to be automatically extracted and used to generate programme information on their website and mobile service. This made excellent use of well documented tools. TIM engineers rebuilt their MCR by making pragmatic use of available resources. Both projects demonstrated end user benefits, either from enhanced services or improved quality and reliability."


One World Media Award for Best Programme produced in a Developing Country Winner: Maternal Mortality, Radio Kisima FM (Kenya)


The judges said: "This was a highly creative, innovative programme, with excellent use of available resources. Maternal Mortality is engaging, informative listening; this is 3D radio!"


Thomson Foundation Journalist of the Year Award Winner: Samuel Agyemang, Reporter/Anchor, Metro TV (Ghana)


The judges said: "We were hugely impressed by Samuel's determination to get to the heart of the story – in difficult and challenging circumstances. His reporting had evident impact, brought clear results, and showed courage and a social conscience. We want to commend him on his investigative skill and encourage him to persevere in setting the highest standards of journalism."


UNESCO Award for Science Reporting & Programming Winner: Honeybee Blues, SBS (Australia)


The judges said: "Honeybee Blues is the epitome of all that is good about Public Service Broadcasting, it entertained, informed and educated. The Bee's story was a story in and of itself and also was used as a vehicle to explore wider environmental issues."


For more information, please contact:

(Adam Weatherhead, Project Manager, CBA)

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Sangean ATS-909X Receiver Review

Review of new receiver from Sangean - ATS-909X

http://tinyurl.com/3snh8zd

Article is in Traditional Chinese, above link is for translated version.

(Miller Liu, Taiwan via Glen Hauser, June 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST)