DX Listening Digest April 2008

** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 15190, Radio Africa, 2202-2255*, April 14, Pastor Tony
Alamo with his program #474, gives mailing address (P.O.
Box 6467, Texarkana, Texas 75505) plus phone and fax numbers, Porter Wagner
singing "The Dream", station ID: "Thank you for listening to
Radio Africa, inspirational . We are excited to share with you .", gives
email address (radioafrica [at] myway.com) and address in Ghana
spelled out (something like: P.O. Box ???, Kanonme??, Accra??, Ghana),
noticeable QRM at about 2240 (assume WYFR in Portuguese), fair-poor.
Reception reports can be sent via http://www.radiopanam.com/qslreports.htm .
Thanks to Glenn for the heads up (Ron Howard, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)

BOLIVIA

4699,32 15/4 0025 Radio San Miguel, Bolivia, social talks, SS, fair

5952,44 15/4 0103 Radio Pio XII, Bolivia, Talks, poor/fair

6134,81 15/4 0055 Radio Santa Cruz, Bolivia, songs, QRM Aparecida, fair

BRAZIL

4805 15/4 0039 Difusora do Amazonas, Brazil, songs, fair/good

4825 15/4 0031 Educadora Braganca, Brazil, talks & songs, fair

4845,23 15/4 0044 Radio Cultura, Manaus, Brazil, songs, fair, low mod.

5035,07 15/4 0050 Radio Aparecida, Brazil, talks, poor/fair

GUATEMALA

4779,96 15/4 0035 Radio Cultural Coatan, Guatemala, music and talks, fair

VENEZUELA

5000 15/4 0048 Observatorio Cagigal, Venezuela, pips & ids, poor

RX Perseus
ANT T2FD
QTH Milano

I have solved the mystery station on 1700kHz. After reading Paul Walker's
response, it became apparent that no such physical presence of the Antenna
tower(s) exists. Just the record at the FCC database. (Re: today's WOR 8-047
at bottom). Admittedly, my limited knowledge was based on 'common sense' and
I
thought such listings of pattern and location were availible after the tower
was constructed: not before.

Turns out that I was again listening to 1700kHz in the 0200-0300 EDT
(0600-0700 UT) time frame on 4/14/08, and a similar family of music appeared
as
propagation varied. This time, I was able to catch a clear call of, "This is
WJCC AM." at 0240 EDT (0640UT). Knowing this, I'm not surprised at all. I
have
read reports of WJCC being received in No. Europe at this time frame
(Grey-line UT). A tip of the cap to the Engineer who set up the Hialeah
antenna. Nice
signal throw and direction. Now, this might not seem like much for a Grundig
G5 barefoot, but the actual ID was made on a 1 transistor simple home-brew
set. It
popped up nicely between 0238 and 0245 EDT (0638 to 0645 UT), and again 0651
to 0658 UT. SINPO 1-4/3/1-4/3 (when audible), with WEUP faint and flutter
under. The G5 comfirmed receptions after 0300 EDT (0700UT) and is noted with
same SINPO, as no synchro-tune availible. Paul Shaffer Cheshire, CT 1T & G5
barefoot

International Radio Serbia - EU offers closer ties to Serbia

Following events from Serbia via shortwave radio

EU offers closer ties to Serbia

The European Union has said it wants to accelerate Serbia's progress towards membership following the re-election of pro-Western President Boris Tadic.Mr Tadic claimed victory after taking slightly more than half the votes cast in a tight run-off contest with nationalist Tomislav Nikolic.It comes as Serbia's Kosovo province prepares to declare independence.In a message to Mr Tadic, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission - the EU's executive arm - said the result was "a victory for democracy in Serbia and for the European values we share".

Continued news story from BBC News at:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7225727.stm

International Radio Serbia is active on shortwave radio on the following
English schedule:
All times UTC
Target Areas; na (North America) eu (Europe)0100-0130 Mon-Sat. 7115
na0200-0230 7115
na1400-1430 7240
eu1930-2000 6100
eu 7240
eu2200-2230 6100
eu 7240eu
(Source: Monitoring Times-SW Guide)

Chad state radio station put out of action by looters/rebels

IR07
International Relations & Political Science

Chad Latest: Radio Off Air
Posted by Editor on February 2, 2008

It is about 1945 UTC (7:45 p.m.) Saturday - and the Radio Nationale Tchadienne frequency is blank. This new and reasonably high-powered transmitter was coming in well here at my location since its recent inauguration. I can only assume its absence is due to the fighting around Njamena. The Media Network blog reports others as saying they are also missing Chadian media outlets.

Chad state radio station put out of action by looters
Chad state radio went off the air on Saturday as rebels advanced into the capital, opposition leader Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh said. He made the claims in a telephone call from the central African nation’s embattled capital, N’Djamena. Saleh said rebels had entered the city and shooting that had erupted in the morning appeared to have died down. He said there were no soldiers in his neighbourhood and the state broadcaster had gone off the air in the morning.
(Source: Press Association)

Update 1645 UTC Sunday 3 February: More fighting is reported in N’Djamena. AFP reported this morning that government helicopters had attacked a column of rebels in the south of the city heading towards the main radio station. No broadcasts were monitored yesterday evening on 4905 kHz, which had been putting strong signals into Europe in recent days (see attached comment from Dr Derek Lynch).

On Sunday afternoon, the AFP news agency reported that the radio station had been “destroyed today by fires and looting.” Witnesses said the radio station had been pillaged by a mob that smashed broadcasting equipment and made off with computers. That suggests it was put out of action rather than totally destroyed.

Dr Derek Lynch, Ireland Says:

February 2nd, 2008 at 8:00 pm

CHAD 4905 SILENT
Radio Nationale Tchadienne’s new SW transmitter went silent today. I was unablke to hear its French newscast at 1930. The frequency was totally blank - it’s not a case of poor reception. But this transmitter was putting in an excellent signal here, both mornings and evenings, since its recent inauguration. DL

YouTube videos of fighting in Chad

In the absence of TV reports from Chad, I came across some videos posted on YouTube by members of Stop Genocide Now, who were at a hotel in N’Djamena, Chad, as the rebel forces entered the city. The group have now been evacuated. These are very high quality videos.
Fighting in N’Djamena Part 1
Fighting in N’Djamena Part 2
Fighting in N’Djamena: Part 3

Chad rebels fight their way into capitalN'DJAMENA (Reuters) -

Rebels in Chad seeking to overthrow President Idriss Deby battled their way into the capital N'Djamena on Saturday and said they were securing it, but a minister said government forces still controlled the city.Residents and diplomats said rebel fighters had entered the capital, but the situation remained confused. Machine gun and heavy weapons fire, sometimes sporadic, sometimes more intense, could be heard as France prepared to evacuate French and other foreign nationals.Consult the following web address for the additional story:http://www.reuters.com/

The following logs of Chad, reflect what has been monitored in recent weeks. Frequencies remain current at this posting.
Gayle VH - via mt-shortwave Blog

All times UTC

Yes, Chad received here in Sri Lanka too, but only in the evening slot, initially mixing badly with CNR. Thanks for the tip. I have ben rather slow with my DXing due to too much work. But one by one the antennas are getting refurbished and will come back with a lot of interest, not that I have ever been off the band. How can I when I earn a living being in front of a radio.

One comment, someone said probably Chad is down here due to interference on 6 KHz. Well the reason is, I am sure, that evening and morning 6 MHz is not serving a wider area due to propagation in an area between the ground wave and the first sky wave coverage area. With the sun spots so low for local shortwave coverage the angle of return has to be wider as the frequency goes up. Right now here in the tropics in Sri Lanka which is almost similar latitude to Chad, till about 8 a.m. in the morning and after 7 p.m. it is hard to have any coverage in an area about 200kms from the txsite on 6, 7 MHz. So as hams we have to come down to the next band 75metres. With a lot of people depending on SW in Chad the 4904.5 is a logical move. (Victor Goonetilleke-CLN 4S7VK, DXplorer)

4905 Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne (Ndjamenne). 2256-2301*. 26 Jan 08. French. Hip hop music in English and Afropop in French. Station promos at 2300. National Anthem to sign-off at 2301S9/very good signal. (J Wood, TN)

4905 (reactivated frequency) Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne, Grevia, 1729-1914, Arabic, announcements, talks, local tunes, Vernacular, tribal tunes; French 1859, news, program "Espace Jeune"; 54444; I was unable to monitor its sign-on time, but estimate it as being 1600, and 4905 is ex-6165 evenings only for the latter is used during the day.

4905 Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne. Armchair level signals from 0509 tune to 0645 end recording peaked at S5 from 0530 to 0630 with quick improvement from 0509 and slower degradation after 0630. Interesting programing. Local indigenous vocals at 0634-0636. Several telephone call-ins heard around 0600 and after 0636. SINPO 4/5-5-4-4-4. Best I have heard Chad here on any frequency. (Bruce Churchill-USA, DXplorer)

6165 Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne , Grevia, 1328-..., French, news. SINPO 25332, QRM de HRV later on only.
6165 Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne , Grevia, 1113-1400,. Vernacular to talks, ... , French at 1340 when signal rated SINPO 25342,..., tribal songs at 1450; 13441, QRM de HRV whose signal is usually felt well after 1400. (Carlos Goncalves-POR, WWDXC BC-DX)

6165 Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne . Replaced by 4904.97 kHz at 0430-0730 and 1600-2230 UT. 6165 or 7120 on Sat/Sun 0730-1000, daily 1000-1600 UTC.
6165, Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne 2210-2230*, Mixing with Croatia. Both in at fair levels with Croatia in English at 2215-2218*. Croatia abruptly off at 2218 leaving Chad in the clear with French talk, Afro-pop music and sign off with national anthem. (Brian Alexander, PA)

6165, Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne, 2050-2200, Good Afro-pop with lively DJ, short ID (as stated) in French, 2115 "(Musique) Internationale" started with "Macarena", then mixed Afro, rap and raggae. Wiped out station underneath (Croatia?) completely almost. From 2145 QRM had completely vanished. 2200 News (Krone) (DX Window # 318 via Anker Petersen)

6165 Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne , 1114-Vernacular, tribal songs. SINPO 23431, QRM de HRV but also de RWN in Spanish via Bonaire. Propagation wiped out all 3 stns lateR.(Carlos Goncalves-POR, wwdxc BC-DX ) (Source: WWDXC Top News (BC DX # 796)

Correspondence may be directed to:Radiodiffusion Nationale TchadienneBoite Postal 892N'DjamenaChad(Source: World QSL Book/Teak Publishing)

RFI taken off the air in Ivory Coast (Cote-d'Ivoire)

Abidjan, 1 February 2008: The Ivorian media regulatory body has suspended the broadcasting of Radio France Internationale programmes “across the whole of the country”, “until further notice”, because of the lack of a radio correspondent in the country.“RFI programmes broadcast on FM and by satellite have been suspended as of midnight on 31 January,” says a statement issued by the Ivorian National Audiovisual Communications Council (CNCA), sent to AFP.

The statement, signed by the CNCA chairman, Jerome Diegou Bailly, notes that on RFI’s part there is “a clear determination not to meet either its written pledges or to keep its word”.“RFI put a request to the CNCA and gained approval for a correspondent to be put in place in Abidjan by 31 December, a pledge confirmed to Abidjan on 23 November by Ms Dominique Burg, the network director,” continues the statement, emphasizing that the radio had been given a “further extension until 31 January”.On 18 April 2007, the CNCA had already threatened to suspend RFI programmes until mid-May if the radio failed to keep a correspondent in the country. On 12 May 2006, the CNCA gave permission for RFI programmes to resume broadcasting in Cote d’Ivoire after a gap of almost 10 months, notably for “unprofessional treatment of news”, due partly to the “lack of a correspondent” in the country.

This authorization was given “after several meetings between the two parties, who decided to settle the dispute amicably”.The radio had closed its regional office in Abidjan following the death of its correspondent, Jean Helene, shot in the head and killed by a police officer in Abidjan on 20 October 2003.RFI FM broadcasts in Cote d’Ivoire have been suspended several times since the attempted coup d’etat of September 2002 by rebels of the New Forces against President Laurent Gbagbo.(Source: AFP news agency, Paris, in French 1629 gmt 1 Feb 08 via BBC Monitoring/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

DW Asia compact Quiz of the Month

Quiz of the Month

Answer the following question to win a short-wave radio and other Deutsche Welle prizes! Which new year is it according to the Chinese calendar? A. The year of the tiger? B. The year of the rat? C. The year of the dragon? To be entered in the prize draw, please send your answers and your postal addresses to us at myasia@dw-world.de or to Deutsche Welle Radio, Asia English Department, Kurt-Schumacher Straße 3, 53113 Bonn, Germany. The draw will take place at the end of the month and the winners will be informed on this site. Good luck! Thanks to all those who participated in the January question. The first nation to hold elections ever this year is Bhutan. The winners will be announced soon.

--
Swopan Chakroborty
Kolkata, India