STATION NEWS AND THE LOGBOOK - August 24, 2014

"Morning Mist in the Wetlands" - Rob Wagner 

STATION NEWS AND THE LOGBOOK

AUGUST 24, 2014

I have been very busy with non-radio activities over the past two weeks. And I have some other music education projects that will be continuing through until the middle of September. So much for the "retired" man of leisure!! However, I wouldn't undertake these projects if I didn't enjoy them. So there won't be too many MEDXR blog posts over the next few weeks.

STATION NEWS

RUSSIA
The DX world is a-buzz with news of the potential return of the Voice of Russia (....or is that Radio VR......or what???). Observant DXers have noted that there are a pile of frequency registrations appearing in the HFCC list for a scheduled start of October 1. Bob Padula in his World Shortwave Forum writes:

"The Oct 1 A14 registrations were new, and published by ITU/HFCC on August 20, preparatory to the HFCC B14 conference in Sofia, which takes place on August 25. Already I am seeing claptrap, pap and drivel in SWL newsgroups and social networks, declaring that the VOR WILL return to SW on Oct 1! The registrations are planned, and not necessarily definitive!"

I agree! We should be very careful about registrations with HFCC. There are quite a few "wooden" frequencies registered, month after month, that are never used (or not currently used). While it's entirely possible that VoR will return to shortwave (I'd put nothing past Putin!), I won't believe it till I hear it; especially after the Russian Government indicated last year that no one listens to shortwave any more. Errr....except for us, of course!!

THE FUTURE OF VOA
Much has been written in the DX press over the past few weeks about the future (or lack of future...) for the Voice of America and it's subsidiary stations (RFE/RL, RFA etc.). The release of the BBG document To Be Where The Audience Is - Report of the Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave Broadcasting made interesting reading, indeed. However, if you can't bring yourself to wading through the whole document, check out the Shortwave Committee Report Fact Sheet. Also worth reading is high-profile DXer Victor Goonetilleke's thoughts at ‘American policies are being blasted to bits’ while Voice of America shortwave radio goes silent in Asia. In addition, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had this to say on March 2, 2014 at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington D.C.:

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON: “We are engaged in an information war. You know, during the Cold War we did a great job in getting America’s message out. After the Berlin Wall fell, we said: ‘Okay, fine, enough of that. We’ve done it. And unfortunately we are paying a big price for it.”

“Our private media cannot fill that gap. In fact, our private media, particularly cultural programming, often works at counterpurposes to what we truly are as Americans and what our values are. I remember having an Afghan general tell me that the only thing he thought about Americans is that all the men wrestled and the women walked around in bikinis, because the only TV he ever saw was ‘Baywatch’ and (professional wrestling shows).”
“So we are in an information war, and we are losing that war. I’ll be very blunt in my assessment. Al-Jazeera is winning. The Chinese have opened up a global English language and multilanguage television network. The Russians have opened up an English language network. We’ve seen it in a few countries, and it is quite instructive. We are cutting back. The BBC is cutting back.”

“Most people still get their news from TV and radio. So even though we’re pushing online, we can’t forget TV and radio. And so I would look very much toward your cooperation to try to figure out how we get back in the game on this.”
So far, I have not publicly offered a view on the BBG document. However, on reading the report, there was one thing that really stood out for me. There was virtually NO discussion on whether VOA was providing the type of programming that listeners wanted to hear!!!! The report focused almost entirely on why listeners have deserted the shortwave bands without any analysis of whether the programming being offered had any effect on listener retention! Surely, a thorough investigation should have included some comments on listener feedback relating to current VOA programming content. Wouldn't this consideration have some influence on whether VOA was meeting its objectives and goals, and possibly explain (in part) why audience numbers have dropped so significantly?

VINTAGE FM ON 3210 kHz
The relay of Vintage FM transmissions via Craig Allen's OzyRadio transmitter on shortwave 3210 kHz is back on air again. Ron Howard in California reports hearing the station after 1300 UTC. He received a reply for his reception report from Craig Allen indicating that the transmission times are currently 0900 to 1330 UTC (7pm to 11:30pm AEST) using only 300 watts! Quite a DX catch right there!

FROM THE LOGBOOK

4747.61 PERU. R. Huanta Dos Mil, Huanta. Noted on this higher that normal frequency (previously 4747.16v) at 1030 with talk, excited canned anncts, IDs and music. Excellent signal on Aug 23, best signal in a long while.

4780 DJIBOUTI. RTV Djibouti - Dorale. On late at 2120 with Qur'an programming on Channel 1 and noted to f/out past 2140 on Aug 23.

4810 PERU. R. Logos - Chazuta, Tarapoto. LA pops programming at 1045, best signal in a long while on Aug 23.

4955 PERU. R. Cultural Amauta - Huanta. A weak signal on Aug 23 with a talk show. Has been rather irregularly heard here during 2014.

4976 UGANDA. UBC - Kampala. Weak and fading with English discussion program at 2115, Aug 23.

5860 SRI LANKA. R. Farda - Iranawila. Music programming at 2245, anncts in Farsi, weak signal on Aug 13,

5915 CHINA. CRI - Kashi. Suddenly on-air at 2256 before scheduled 2300 with the middle of a Mandarin language lesson. Then official ID at 2300 and the Beijing Hour program. Fair level on Aug 13.

5955 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. RA - Dhabayya. Burmese to SEAs with news at 2302. Very weak signal on Aug 13.

5964.7 MALAYSIA. RTM - Kajang. Klasik FM service in Malay at 2305 with news, weak and fading fast as the all-daylight track between KL and Mount Evelyn established itself, Aug 13.

5990 CUBA. CRI - Havana. English to CAm with discussion program at 2310, fair signal on Aug 13.

5995 MALI. RTV du Mali - Bamako. The usual story with plenty of carrier but weak audio at 2315, delightful African music programming on Aug 13.

6173.86 PERU. R. Tawantinsuyo - Cusco. Nice signal on a good Peruvian night at 1125 with Andean-style music programming. Usual QRM from CNR 1 6175 kHz, so best heard in LSB with filters, Aug 23.

15230 CUBA. R. Havana. S/on 2200 in Portuguese with IS, ID and news to SAm. Weak signal on Aug 23.

15320 GUAM. KSDA-AWR - Agat. Indonesian service at 2215, into English 2230 to SEAs, fair signal on Aug 23.

AND FINALLY...... If this blog post is looking different to the usual format, it's because Google Blogger appears to be broken today! Nothing I do in the Blogger editor formatter seems to correct this silly look to today's blog post. Hopefully it will be fixed soon! Hmmm....might be time to transfer to another platform!

 73 and have a great weekend everyone,


Rob Wagner VK3BVW