Sunday, January 14, 2007

All India Radio to start DRM transmissions

New Delhi, Jan 14 : All India Radio will soon be joining the selected league of broad- casters having DRM capability. One of the high power transmitter at Khampur, Delhi D17 (Thomcast 53C3-3P53 250 kW code named D17) will be upgraded for DRM operation. Thales Switzerland provided the equipment, technology & support for the upgradation of shortwave transmitter at an estimated cost of CHF 290870.

DRM equipment reached Khampur on Jan 03, and the commissioning engineer from Thales arrived on Jan 09. Installation is expected to be over by early next week and test transmissions expected by next week. According to sources this will be Thales Skywave 2000 system which has been designed to enable existing AM radio broadcasting transmitter equipment to create, transmit, receive and analyze digital signals. As the AIR officials also admit the success of DRM depends on the availibility of DRM capable radios in India at an affordable price. Hope this does not meets the fate of DAB which was tested by AIR R&D since last 6 years, being demonstrated in the broadcast exhibitions year after year but was never launched. Last time when I was at AIR headquarters, officials were talking about big plans to rollout DRM in phased way in India. Lets hope for the best.

Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi. 
Comments at : alokeshgupta@gmail.com

Thursday, January 11, 2007

NIAR HAMFEST 2007


HAMFEST 2007, International convention on amateur radio operatorsat Kadamat, Lakshadweep Islands during 15-17 Jan,2007.

The National Institute of Amateur Radio organizes an International Hamfestwith approximately 50 multinational and Indian Hams from #2 most wantedcountry Laksheedweep Islands VU7. The activity will take place starting15th January 2007 from Agatti, Bangaram, Kadmat callsign VU7RG) andMinicoy Island (callsign VU7MY) and participants have been officiallyapproved for amateur radio operations. This will be the first ever large scaleddxpedition operation from VU7 including foreign operators, probably thebiggest real dxpedition of all time. The callsign VU7RG & VU7MY will beused and reliable QSL managers from each ITU Region have been appointedto handle the QSL's in an efficient way.

Special callsign for Minicoy Island (AS-106)
The minicoy operations will have special callsign VU7MY granted byWPC (Indian Govt.) and will be active from from 15 - 31 January 2007.This will be an all Indian Amateur Radio operation station.

More info in www.vu7.in

VU7RG /VU7MY Operating Frequencies

Site 1 (AS-011 VU7RG)

1820 - 1832 SSB
3500 - 3520 CW
3640 - 3670 SSB
3725 - 3775 QSX
7020 - 7030 CW
7050 - 7060 SSB
7225 - 7250 QSX
10100 - 10110 CW
14000 - 14015 CW
14070 - 14085 DIGI
14200 - 14230 SSB
14230 SSTV
14313 - 14331 SSB
18088 - 18098 CW
18158 - 18168 DIGI
18148 - 18158 SSB
21000 - 21015 CW
21070 - 21085 DIGI
21230 - 21260 SSB
24910 - 24920 CW
24976 - 24990 DIGI
24976 - 24990 SSB
28045 - 28060 CW
28070 - 28085 DIGI
28475 - 28500 SSB

Site 2 (AS-011 VU7RG)

7010 - 7020 CW
7070 - 7080 SSB
7250 - 7275 QSX
10120 - 10130 CW
14030 - 14045 CW
14235 - 14265 SSB
14331 - 14350 SSB
18068 - 18078 CW
18128 - 18138 SSB
21030 - 21045 CW
21320 - 21350 SSB
24890 - 24900 CW
24940 - 24952 SSB
28015 - 28030 CW
28525 - 28550 SSB

Site 3 (AS-011 VU7RG)

1832 - 1845 CW
1845 - 1860 SSB
1905 - 1915 QSX
3520 - 3540 CW
3670 - 3700 SSB
3775 - 3825 QSX
7000 - 7010 CW
7040 - 7050 DIGI
7080 - 7090 SSB
7175 - 7225 QSX
10130 - 10140 CW
10140 - 10150 DIGI
14015 - 14030 CW
14085 - 14100 DIGI
14150 - 14180 SSB
14233 SSTV
14295 - 14313 SSB
18078 - 18088 CW
18108 - 18118 DIGI
18118 - 18128 SSB
21015 - 21030 CW
21085 - 21100 DIGI
21290 - 21320 SSB
24900 - 24910 CW
24930 - 24940 DIGI
24964 - 24976 SSB
28000 - 28015 CW
28085 - 28100 DIGI
28500 - 28525 SSB

Minicoy (AS-106 VU7MY)
7030 - 7040 CW
7060 - 7070 SSB
10110 - 10120 CW
14045 - 14060 CW
14265 - 14295 SSB
18089 - 18108 CW
18138 - 18148 SSB
21045 - 21060 CW
21260 - 21290 SSB
24920 - 24930 CW
24952 - 24964 SSB
28030 - 28045 CW
28550 - 28575 SSB

Fever FM to launch in Mumbai on 15 January

By SUJATHA SHREEDHARAN
Indiantelevision.com Team
(10 January 2007 2:00 pm)MUMBAI: It's all systems go as the newest entrant on the FM block in Mumbai, Fever 104 FM, readies itself for a 15 January launch.The FM station is a technical collaboration between Hindustan Times and Richard Branson's Virgin Radio International. Virgin Radio International has also set up radio stations in Bangkok, Johannesburg, Malayasia and Paris.Speaking to Indiantelevision.com about the no-frills format of Fever FM, Mumbai station head Sajjad Chunawala says, "Most radio stations follow the norm of block radio in programming. So you have the morning, afternoon, late night segments all chalked out. Our positioning of Fever 104 FM is more music, less talk. With a format driven content radio channel, we have defined our target audience as ranging between 25 and 34 years and this is the audience we want to cater to."The station has researched thousands of titles in the past two months to identify the kind of contemporary music which will appeal to its listeners. Said Chunawala, "The content of music will be 80 per cent Hindi and 20 per cent international music taken from the post 1980's period. Of course, the music content will be tweaked to appeal to the local masses. So in Delhi, the music is influenced by Bhangra beats; in Mumbai it's likely to have more of a Bollywood influence."When asked if he fears losing a particular segment of his audience in the already fragmented listenership on radio space, Chunawala is very clear when he says, "We can't satisfy everyone and we know that. Not everbody is likely to enjoy our format we understand that as well. We have identified our core listener who likes his music without the incessant jabber of an RJ and this is where we are focused."No recipes, no agony aunts, no silly jokes and no astrologers - only music. That's the line taken by the FM station. Over the next few days, the station promises a wide variety of on ground promotional activities. To kick off the activity, the station will have people with their mouths sealed stationed at various points across the city to give a sense of 'less talk'.The first Fever FM station was launched in Delhi in October last year. Two more stations in Kolkata and Bangalore are slated to go on air by the end of this month although no official date has been set for them.

http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k7/jan/jan93.htm

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

World's First Missionary Broadcasting Ministry Changes Name; HCJB World Radio Becomes 'HCJB Global'

Contact: Alex Coffin, 704-364-2942,
alexcoffin@mindspring.com
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 9 /Christian Newswire/ --
HCJB World Radio, the world’s first missionary broadcasting ministry, which also has developed an international medical outreach, has changed its name to “HCJB Global,” the organization announced recently.
The ministry also named its media ministries “HCJB Global Voice” and its healthcare ministries “HCJB Global Hands.”
“We feel as we move into the future and expand the incredible dynamic between media and healthcare, the HCJB World Radio name did not accurately portray this vision,” said HCJB Global President David Johnson. “We will work to develop leaders and mobilize missionaries as we serve the world through HCJB Global Voice, our media arm, and HCJB Global Hands, our healthcare ministry.”
At the same time, HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., has become the HCJB Global Technology Center, focusing on the provision of quality assistance through consulting, service and engineering development wherever technological solutions play a role in the advance of the gospel.
The new names, along with new logos, were launched at Urbana 06 in St. Louis, Mo., in late December. HCJB Global will formalize the name change in a dedication event at the ministry’s newly named Ministry Service Center in Colorado Springs later this month.
“This is a major change for our ministry, because it is far more than skin deep. Our new name reflects major changes in our vision and focus as we work to integrate media and healthcare ministry around the world,” said Communications Director Jon Hirst. “As we moved toward the name change, we found that our friends and supporters wanted us to retain the call letters of our first station radio station—HCJB—that we established 75 years ago in Quito, Ecuador. In maintaining the name, we are honoring our heritage and building upon it.”
For 75 years HCJB Global Voice has used shortwave radio, satellite, FM, AM, television and the Internet to deliver the gospel worldwide. For over 50 years HCJB Global Hands has been providing compassionate healthcare to those in the greatest need.
Since 1990 HCJB Global has enabled local partners to plant more than 300 radio ministries in 100 countries throughout Euro-Asia, North Africa/Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas.
HCJB Global’s missionaries, pastors, broadcasters and healthcare providers use media, healthcare and training to work with partners in more than 100 countries around the world to spread the gospel. Lives are transformed, so that people are engaged in the growing church, making an impact on their communities as they are empowered to use media and healthcare tools. The ministry is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Its web site is www.hcjbglobal.org.

http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/310361893.html

Now, more listeners to tune in to Rainbow

Express News Service

Kolkata, January 6: The AIR-FM Rainbow, a popular group of FM channels ofthe All India Radio (AIR), will now be accessible by thousands of morelisteners living in towns. AIR has said that it is planning to set up atleast three new stations in the state with Rainbow content.A relay station - being planned at a certain height on Rajmahal hills - willnot only cater to the state, but will also reach the population of theadjoining states and clusters on the border.A second station will be set up on Susunia hills (close to Burdwan). Thereis also a plan to reach some towns and semi-urban localities in Midnapore,for which the exact location is yet not clear.The idea - said Brijeshwar Singh, director general, AIR - is to take theAIR-FM Rainbow to the smaller towns as well. The projects are a part of theAIR's growth targets, as being suggested for implementation during the 11thFive Year Plan."Private FM channels are interested mostly in big cities. Rainbow is popularall over the country and our intention is to take FM to the towns as well,"Singh said.The AIR-FM Rainbow, at present is aired from 15 centres in the country.There are 18 other stations that transmit Rainbow content. "The proposedthree stations will relay contents from Rainbow India and Rainbow Kolkata,"said AK Padhi, DDG (ER), AIR.The AIR - with its various transmissions amid competitive commercialisedprogramming of the private radio channels - is still reaching over 99 percent of the population and has an area coverage of over 91 per cent. Duringthe 11th Five Year Plan, various other proposals are also being taken up.While setting up of the new stations will ensure an uninterruptedconnectivity along the highways connecting the city with the hills in thenorth. Singh said that various other measures are also underway to makeradio listening a more pleasant experience. This includes digitaltransmissions of the radio services. Also in wings is a plan to offerselective archival content on the world wide web. It may soon be possiblefor the public to download MP3 files - having music content - from the AIRwebsite, Singh added. To ensure the implementation of various projects, abudgeting of Rs 8,000 crore has been proposed (both for AIR and Doordarshan)in the plan.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=216478

Larger 11th plan allocation for AIR, TV

Kolkata, Jan 7. (PTI): About Rs 8,000 crore has been tentatively earmarked for both the upgradation and expansion of All India Radio and Doordarshan inthe 11th plan, AIR Director-General Brijeshwar Singh said here on Saturday."Though the planned allocation is yet to be finalised, nearly Rs 8,000 crorehas been tentatively earmarked for both the AIR and DD," Singh toldreporters while touching upon some of the development programmes of'Akashvani' in the next five years.The schemes that AIR will take up, include the commercial start of thedigital radio programmes, setting up of 18 new FM stations in the next fiveyears, including three in West Bengal to cater to the interests ofNorth-East areas, besides upgradation of the existing FM stations.Singh said, there was at present 38 per cent FM coverage in the country byboth AIR and private channels, which would be augmented to 80 per cent inthe next five years.Focussing upgradation of the FM channels under the 'Rainbow India' schemes,the AIR D-G said plans were afoot to set up one such station atop Rajmahalhills to cover large parts of north Bengal and Bihar, one at a place nearAsansol and Bardhaman to reach its network throughout central part andanother on Susunia hills in Bankura district of West Bengal.In order to widen its coverage in the sports arena, he said AIR would go forlive digital coverage of the next World Cup Cricket in West Indies and thenational games in Guwahati next month.The AIR DG said, Akashvani had seen tremendous growth in the past 15 yearswith one of the largest networks of SW, MW, FM and DTH transmission in theworld.Earlier, Singh announced the winners of Akashvani's prestigious annualin-house awards for technical excellence for 2005 in the presence singerRamkumar Chattopadhyay, danseuse Amala Shankar, singer Gobinda GopalMukhopadhyay and lyricist Abhijit Bandopadhay.The awards would be formally given by Information and Broadcasting MinisterP R Dasmunshi at a function here tomorrow. Dasmunshi would also releasearchival music of Dilip Kumar Roy and Hemanta Mukherjee.Singh said that AIR was busy preparing a commemorial album of Sachin DebBarman. These would be available as MP3 and downloadable files.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200701070313.htm