Wednesday, September 30, 2009

New Frequency for VOA Urdu

Sun, 27 Sep 2009
Effective 28th September VOA Urdu service is moving on to 6100 kHz at 0000-0100 hrs replacing 9515 kHz due to propagation from Sri Lanka relay station.
(Alok Dasgupta via http://dxasia.info/news)

International broadcasters lift restrictions on freedom of the press worldwide

Washington, D.C., September 29, 2009 – The directors of five leading international broadcasters, including the Voice of America (VOA), released the following statement today at the conclusion of their annual meeting in Berlin, Germany:
Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, freedom of speech is still far from being a reality in many countries of the world and journalists have to face ever more sophisticated restrictions preventing them from reporting freely. While, for some of us, multimedia usage has become an almost indispensable part of everyday life, we should not forget that access to free information is still limited to just one third of the world's population. The global economic downturn has also worsened the situation for many media outlets, especially smaller independent broadcasters.
In light of this, the five largest international broadcasters [VOA, BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle (DW), Radio France International (RFI) and Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW)] call on governments worldwide to end restrictions on the media. The directors general of the group call on heads of state to implement Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states, "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." The international broadcasters point out that countries' democratic credentials can be measured to the extent by which they permit freedom of information, and that this, in turn, is essential for a dialogue of cultures and free exchange of ideas to take place.
During the past year, restrictions on media, and in particular on international broadcasters, have peaked during national election campaigns. Tactics have included deliberate interference with transmissions, blocking and denial of service on the Internet, and harassment and imprisonment of journalists, notably in Afghanistan, Burma, and Iran.
Nevertheless, many courageous people in societies around the world are fighting for their right to express themselves and to be heard. Erik Bettermann, director of Deutsche Welle and current chair of the international broadcasters' group, said, "We are impressed by the ingenuity and energy shown by audiences worldwide in using new digital media to facilitate cross-border communication. Their eyewitness accounts of events (many of which their own governments would prefer to go unreported), often accompanied by audio and visual material, have marked the beginning of a new era in communications, one from which we, as international broadcasters, can also benefit, supplementing our own coverage with authentic accounts supplied by citizens in the world's conflict zones keen to see the story told."
Some countries have extended restrictive regulations beyond broadcasting to the Internet and emerging new media, further limiting access to information. Authoritarian nations without the technical wherewithal to block or eliminate new media dissemination are resorting to traditional methods of repression and intimidation – expensive lawsuits, long prison terms, confiscation of property – to restrict the flow of news, both local and international.
Prior to the Berlin meeting, Reporters Without Borders, an international press freedom advocate, issued a press release expressing concern about reports "that Internet Service Providers in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have installed a new filtering software called Landun (Blue Shield or Blue Dam in English) that is more powerful than its problematic predecessor Green Dam." As a result, the report said, "Access to independent news websites is liable to become more difficult and more risky." Today, journalism must still be regarded as one of the world's riskiest livelihoods. "Over the past year, hundreds of journalists worldwide - including some from our organizations - have been harassed, arrested, exiled, kidnapped or killed," the group pointed out.
"This only strengthens our resolve to jointly increase our efforts to set up a global civil society, where the free flow of information and the dialogue of cultures can take place unimpeded," Bettermann said.
The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 125 million people. Programs are produced in 45 languages.
(VOA Press Release)

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Earthquake on 21st Sept & BBS 6035 off air

It was a moderately strong earthquake that struck around 0855 UTC on 21st Sept, 2009. I was listening to BBCWS's Sports Roundup on 15310 kHz, its epicentre was in Mongor District of Bhutan. It was like sinewave type..low strength..at first..them suddenly a big surge ..then..low intensity...for a while..perhaps..for nearly a minute for the entire earthquake..& the quaking was there after a while...There were several earthquakes of different intensity that were felt in the region within a month with epicentre ranging from Anadaman Nicorbar Island range from August 11th ..& .then in Burma-Manipur Border.plus other regions as epicentre ..etc were felt here in North-east specially in Assam. I felt the night earthquake at August 11th plus the one at around 0855UTC on 09/21. In Guwahati, the one at 0855UTC on 09/21 created panic..& cracks plus slight leaning of some flats etc appeared..as flashed after a while in various TV News Channels ..immediately checked BBS Bhutan on 6035 kHz & 90.00 MHz...& regular Nepali Programme was going on...Later time to time I was checking all the National News Channels of DD plus other news channels like NDTV, Zee News, India TV..Bengali ones E-TV Bengali News..Akash News...& surprised to note it was felt in all North Bengal Areas...Siliguri, Malda..as far as away in Kolkata plus also Dhaka,Bangladesh ...Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang ...in the opposite side ...also in Lhasa..in Tibet.

Update - 23rd Sept 09
BBS is still off the air as per my latest check on 6035 kHz on 23rd Sept at 0859 UTC, however, its FM Relay on 90.00 MHz is loud & clear .... there may be problem again with BBS shortwave transmitter.
73,
Gautam Sharma
Abhayapuri, Assam, India

Monday, September 21, 2009

New governing council of ARSI

The following were returned unopposed at the ARSI (Amateur Radio Society of India) AGM held at Coimbatore :
1. VU2GMN Gopal Madhavan -President (CHENNAI)
2. VU2VP Ved Prakash Sandlas -Vice President ( NEW DELHI)
3. VU2KKZ K Rajaram -Secretary (BANGALORE)
4. VU2GGM Govind Girimaji -Treasurer ( BANGALORE)
5. VU2RCR R Ramachandra -GC Member ( BANGALOR)
6. VU2ETS Saravanan G -GC Member (MYSORE)
7. VU2POP Pratap Kumar -GC Member (BANGALORE)
8. VU2DPD Dipti Dey -GC Member (KOLKATTA)
9. VU2LU Ramesh Kumar K G -GC Member (BANGALORE)
10.VU2RDQ Rohit Rao GC Member ( MANGALORE)
11.VU2JAU Jayant Bhide -GC Member (GWALIOR)
OM Dipti Dey being QSL Manager is automatically on the Council and so OM Devadas K M VU2DH from Chennai, was co-opted to the council
OM TS Ganesh VU2TS continues as HRN Editor and so is also on the council
I would like to thank the outgoing members of the governing council for their contribution over the past two years and welcome the new councilors
(Gopal Madhavan, President, ARSI)

NRM - RADIO speaks for itself

Sumana Chowdhury Mon, Sep 21, 2009 15:26:01 IST
National Radio Meet the brain child of Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication saw its second year on 19th September, 2009. The event regarding the radio world which successfully took off in August last year began its second innings under the pg batch of 2010 of SIMC. This year the event has doubled in content and quality with two days i.e. 19th and 20th September, 2009. National Radio Meet popularly known as NRM amongst the students catered to speakers from different radio stations, from All India Radio to FM channels to even internet radio stations.This year it also saw a speaker all the way from Bangladesh talking about Bangladesh Broadcasting (BB).The event was organized at the SIMC auditorium at Lavale campus in the presence of the students of Batch 2010 and 2011. The auditorium was decorated with different standees, posters and other creatives designed by the students themselves. The event was inaugurated with a prayer and by lighting by the Director of SIMC, Mr. Ujjwal Kumar Chowdhury and the esteemed panel of speakers consisting of Mr.Sharmon Ibrahim and Ms. Jina Campos Braganza of My Opus Radio, Mr. Vehrnon Ibrahim, VP Programming, Radio One and Mr. B.Surendar, Sr. VP & National; Sales Head, Red FM.NRM was officially declared open by Mr. Ujjwal Kumar Chowdhury.
Full report at :
http://www.merinews.com/article/nrm-radio-speaks-for-itself/15784600.shtml

Misty dons new look in Gangtok, plans listeners' club

By: RnM Team 14 Sep 09 12:30 IST
MUMBAI: After revamping the year old Siliguri station, Radio Misty has opted to overhaul its eight month old station in the Sikkim capital, Gangtok.Several new shows have been introduced in the Sikkim station and has launched a 360 degree print and electronic media campaign to create buzz around the initiative.

More at :
http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/misty-dons-new-look-gangtok-plans-listeners-club

Content, branding discussed at National Radio Meet

Sumana chowdhury Mon, Sep 21, 2009 10:59:35 IST
THE SECOND day of National Radio Meet, began with equal amount of zeal and enthusiasm on the September 20, 2009 at the Lavale campus of Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune.The day saw a plethora of speakers from the radio Industry all across India.After the inaugural speech by Prof Ujjwal Kumar Chowdhury, Director, SIMC, the first session began with the theme "Regional radio flavours and content diversification in the radio industry today".Three different phases in the privatisation of the radio industry qwere emphasised in the Day 2 meet.
More at :

Pure Sensia DAB / WiFi radio gains touchscreen, streaming and Facebook

Ah, convergence. Pure Digital -- DAB and WiFi radio extraordinaire -- has just made live a product portal for its forthcoming Sensia, which looks to be a serious leap forward in terms of features and design.

Picture & full report at :
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/20/pure-sensia-dab-wifi-radio-gains-touchscreen-streaming-and-fa/

SIMC starts campus radio with Symbi FM

Express News Service
Posted: Monday , Sep 21, 2009 at 0219 hrs Pune
The Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication (SIMC) has become the latest to enter the campus radio scene in Pune. Under the Symbiosis International University (SIU), SIMC launched its own campus radio programme Symbi FM in association with Radio One on the second day of the National Radio Meet (NRM), 2009, the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication (SIMC) under Symbiosis International University (SIU), Pune, has launched its own campus radio programme Symbi FM in association with Radio One.
More at :

BDXC Africa Guide Updated

BDXC Africa Guide Updated

Africa on Shortwave - by CountryA comprehensive country-by-country guide to domestic and external broadcasts from Africa, including selected opposition and target broadcasts to the African continent. The document is in pdf format. Updated September 2009.
Download the BDXC Africa Guide using this link :
http://www.users.waitrose.com/~bdxc/africa.pdf

Sunday, September 20, 2009

All India Radio Lucknow wins UNICEF regional broadcasting award

Published on : Friday 18 Sep 2009 19:05 - by ANI
New York, Sep 18- ANI: All India Radio Lucknows broadcast on the hopes and dreams of rag pickers and homeless children has won the International Children Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) Regional Award announced by the UNICEF. UNICEF gives the awards for outstanding commitment to the ICDB by television and radio broadcasters, and encourages young people to get involved in television and radio broadcasting.

More at :

All India Radio to air Dasara Programmes

Mysore, Sept. 18- All India Radio (AIR), Mysore, will broadcast various programmes as part of Dasara starting from today. AIR will broadcast an interview with District in-Charge Minister Shobha Karandlaje about Dasara arrangements at 7.45 pm. This will be followed by an interview with Police Commissioner Sunil Agarwal on 'Law and Order' at 8.30 pm. An interview with District Health Officer Dr. V. Raju will be broadcast at 9.16 pm.
More at :

ERTU Boosts AM Radio Signals With New Thomson DRM Transmitters from Grass Valley

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (IBC — Stand 1.D11), September 10, 2009 — The Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU) has placed an order with Grass Valley™ for two Thomson TMW 2050D 50 kW medium-wave digital transmitters and complementary antenna systems to upgrade its existing AM radio broadcast network and ensure reliable regional coverage.
The new Thomson DRM transmitters and antenna systems, which are now being installed in Cairo, Egypt, will be on the air in October 2009, with Grass Valley engineers providing complete design, installation, commissioning and training services. The installation required a special antenna design due to limited space available. ERTU has used Thomson transmission technology since 1969.
"Grass Valley is committed to advancing DRM technology for AM and FM radio providers by continuing to invest considerable resources in the future of radio broadcast technology," Jeff Rosica, Senior Vice President of Grass Valley. "Broadcasters like ERTU will see significant improvements in their terrestrial service by using our latest generation of radio transmitters and antennas and that's why we continue to sell many such systems around the world."
By installing the new technology, ERTU will realize a significant reduction in operational and maintenance costs, thanks to the Thomson systems' innovative design and configuration of its internal system components. Thomson antennas provide high-efficiency to ensure that programs arrive at the given coverage area with the lowest possible energy consumption at the broadcasting site.
Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) is the universal, open standard, digital radio system for short-wave, medium-wave, and long-wave digital radio for frequencies below 30 MHz. It has been standardized by the International Telecommunication Union, and Thomson is one of the founder members of the DRM consortium, which helped develop the key specifications.

(Grass Valley Press Release)

Community Radio Station to Start at Raipur

13:14 IST Friday, September 18, 2009

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Letter of Intent had been issued to the Institute after recommendations of Inter Ministerial Committee and seeking requisite clearances from various Ministries. The Community Radio Station is expected to be operational within three months as per the agreement. With this, the number of CRS will increase to 54 in the country.

Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) aims to help development in agriculture and allied fields by increasing quality manpower, providing relevant technological solutions, piloting their fields uses and supporting other related activities. The university has the objective to at least double the crop yields in the region with appropriate increase in livestock husbandry, fishery and agro forestry. To make its mission possible the university strives continuously to provide quality education in the areas of agriculture and allied Sciences, to undertake basic, applied and adoptive research and to develop the most appropriate solutions and technologies that are relevant to the area and which can elevate the socio- economic conditions of the people. Through the Communit Radio Station, IGKV also aims to provide direct and indirect education and technological support to the public in general and to farmers in the area in particular to improve agriculture productivity and the economic situation of the rural people. Commercial potential of the agriculture sector in the area would also be facilitated.

The Ministry encourages setting up the Community Radio Station to fulfill the needs of the people, to provide them useful and fruitful information.

(Press Information Bureau, Govt of India)

Friday, September 18, 2009

AIR special transmission for "Mahalaya

All India Radio special transmission for "Mahalaya" was noted on foll channels :

Date : 18th Sept, 2009
Time : 2230 - 2335 UTC

SW

4760 - Port Blair
4820 - Kolkata (co-ch PBS Xizang)
4835 - Gangtok
4880 - Lucknow
4895 - Kurseong
4940 - Guwahati

MW

603 - Ajmer
621 - Patna A
648 - Indore A
657 - Kolkata A
666 - New Delhi B
675 - Chattarpur
711 - Siliguri
729 - Guwahati A
747 - Lucknow A
756 - Jagdalpur
801 - Jabalpur
810 - Rajkot A
819 - New Delhi A
846 - Ahmedabad A
909 - Gorakhpur
918 - Suratgarh
954 - Nazibabad
981 - Raipur
1008 - Kolkata B
1026 - Allahabad A
1044 - Mumbai A
1125 - Tezpur
1242 - Varanasi
1260 - Ambikapur
1314 - Bhuj
1386 - Gwalior
1395 - Bikaner
1404 - Gangtok
1476 - Jaipur A
1584 - Mathura
1593 - Bhopal A


Arun Ray, VU3ORN informs that private FM channel Big FM was also carrying this special txn on 92.7 MHz.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

HFCC B09 Conference Opening Remarks by Oldrich Cip

It is my pleasure to address our second shortwave co-ordination conference this year with a couple of opening remarks. First of all let me thank Mr. Jeff White, President NASB, and Mr. Rodolfo Espinal, representing INDOTEL - Dominican Telecomunications Institute and governmental regulatory agency for inviting members of the HFCC/ASBU association to this very exotic and relaxing conference venue here in the Dominican Republic.

The future of international broadcasting has probably been one of the very frequent talking points in our community in the recent past. This is quite natural since we work together with the aim of making listening more reliable and interference free and most of us enjoy doing it. But I believe that the fear of an impending demise of short waves is a bit premature and not quite rational.

We have already entered the multi-channel era and the delivery of the media content has become more varied or even fragmented. In other words the new platforms, and information technologies that are emerging for the programme delivery (that was based exclusively on wireless radio) are indeed strong alternative competitors to shortwave transmissions. But the traditional TV and radio for domestic listeners and viewers face an equally strong or even stronger competition.

We are probably luckier in that shortwave - as well as other transmissions that propagate via reflections from the ionosphere - have a long-distance outreach. In fact the whole range of the radio spectrum that has got this property - and this includes medium and long waves - is large, and it is quite unrealistic to expect that all these bands are going to be abandoned and allocated to other services - just because the sound quality of AM transmissions that are used there is lower than that of the new technologies.

Sometimes I am even more worried over the future of international broadcasting as a whole. The “War of the Words” of the Cold War era is long gone, but quite strangely the mandate of international broadcasting has not been properly redefined.

United Nations, Unesco and especially the ITU are all trying to implement a growing number of Information and Communication Technologies (or ICTs) for the introduction of so called Information Society. Global frequency plans that we co-ordinate represent a vital infrastructure for the technology of international broadcasting. The technology is capable of delivering rich media content over long distances. This could be very important for the dialogue among cultures and for the development of regional and international co-operation - in keeping with the aims and plans of the Information Society. But so far the potential of international broadcasting has been completely left out from the Information Society projects.

Yet there is a good chance that international broadcasting will join the family of the new ICTs that are based on digital technologies. All existing regional segments of global shortwave co-ordination, i.e. HFCC, Arab States Broadcasting Union as well as Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, and also our present host NASB, are associate members of the DRM consortium. We co-ordinate DRM transmissions in seasonal databases, and digitization of shortwave radio is always on the agenda of our conferences.

We had substantive discussions on the potential benefits of DRM for the vast territory of the Russian Federation for example with the management of GRFC telecommunication authority during the HFCC/ASBU Moscow conference only a year ago. We were very much encouraged to receive a letter from the GRFC colleagues earlier this year in that the DRM standard was indeed approved for broadcasting in Russia in the spectrum below 30 MHz.

Much nearer to this conference venue a public consultation is held at the moment for the best digital solution for AM broadcasting in the Federative Republic of Brazil. DRM has been chosen as an important contender and DRM experts take part in this evaluation with local authorities there. In fact during our own Punta Cana Conference this week a DRM seminar will be organised for broadcasters and telecommunication representatives in the Dominican Republic. More information on this will follow from Jeff White and other colleagues.

My brief opening notes would not be complete without welcoming to our conference our colleague and friend Mr Pham Hai Head, Broadcasting Services Division of the Radio Bureau of the ITU. The ITU is an important stakeholder of shortwave co-ordination, and during our last consultations with the ITU in Kuala Lumpur last year - together with our regional partners in ABU and ASBU - we agreed to try getting on board a few remaining users of the spectrum in Latin America and Africa.

I am happy to report that as a result of our joint effort a contact has been established with the director of RAE or Radiodifusion Argentina al Exterior. RAE have been traditional shortwave broadcasters for many years. Mr Luis Maria Barassi, Director of RAE has sent greetings both to the HFCC/ASBU participants and to the ITU, as well as to the conference organisers along with RAE frequency requirements for the incoming season. We have already agreed with the ITU to carry on with the effort to collect shortwave schedule data from stations that are active in external broadcasting but not present yet in our seasonal databases.

Turning back to the conference again I would like to express my admiration for Jeff White, Chairman of the Conference Organising Committee. Almost single-handed and with a very small team he worked as the main organiser, equipment buyer, visa consultant and tour operator – on a conference site very much removed from his home location. Many thanks on behalf of all of us.
(NASB Newsletter, Sept 2009)

Report on HFCC/ASBU B09 Conference in Punta Cana

The High Frequency Coordination Conference (HFCC), held in conjunction with the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), took place at the Dreams Punta Cana Resort in Punta Cana, on the east coast of the Dominican Republic, from August 17 to 22. Just over 100 delegates attended from nearly 40 countries, plus about 28 family members and about a dozen Dominican broadcasters from local and national radio stations. It was hoped that the participation would be about percent more, but the world economic crisis has greatly affected many shortwave station budgets, so some stations were unable to send representatives, and others were forced to send fewer representatives than they normally send. Nevertheless, the overall turnout was considered a success given the current economic conditions. There were large delegations from China, Russia, Iran, the FCC and the IBB in the United States, and VT Communications from the UK, among others.
The NASB was the organizer and main sponsor of the conference, with the government regulatory entity Dominican Telecommunications Institute (INDOTEL) as co-sponsor. NASB associate members International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) and Continental Electronics sponsored the conference's coffee breaks during the week. Thomson Radio Broadcast sponsored the closing reception, and VT Communications provided the conference name tags. Both Thomson and VT Communications are also NASB associate members.
NASB President Jeff White was the conference chairman. He was assisted by a staff including his wife Thais (NASB Assistant Secretary-Treasurer), Johanna Silva (who also worked on our NASB HFCC Conference Committee in Mexico City in 05), Adriana Brito (who is from Venezuela but is the granddaughter of famous Dominican baritone singer Eduardo Brito, for whom the National Theater is named in Santo Domingo), Pedro Estrella of Radio Discovery in Santo Domingo, and WRMI studio operator Javier Garcia from Miami. The NASB sent WRMI's chief engineer José Raul Mena from Miami to Punta Cana for nearly a week before the conference began in order to help set up the Internet connections and other technical arrangements for the meeting together with the HFCC's technical guru Vladislav Cip, who manages all of the data processing for the conference, producing the collision lists, etc. After most of the delegates end their coordination work each day at around 5:00 pm, you can still find Vladislav working in his data processing cubicle until nearly midnight, or sometimes even later.
Well-known Dominican broadcaster Rodolfo Espinal – who originally suggested having an HFCC in Punta Cana – assisted the NASB conference committee and worked as a liaison between the NASB and INDOTEL, the Dominican Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Tourism. NASB Board members Brady Murray and Glen Tapley; George Ross of member station KTWR in Guam; Jerry Plummer of member station WWCR in Nashville; and Terry Borders of member station WEWN were also present and were part of the FCC delegation headed by Tom Lucey. Other members of the U.S. delegation included Dave Hultsman of Continental Electronics; John White of Thomson Radio Broadcast; and Russ Erickson and Duane Williams of the IBB, as well as Arto Mujunen of the IBB's Helsinki office. The speakers at the opening session of the HFCC/ASBU Conference included Jeff White, President of the NASB; Rodolfo Espinal, who delivered a message from the President of INDOTEL; Dr. Virgilio Cedano, the Dominican Republic's Vice-Minister of Tourism in charge of the Eastern Region, which includes Punta Cana and is the most rapidly-growing tourist area in the country; and HFCC Chairman Oldrich Cip. (See the texts of the opening remarks by Espinal and Cip elsewhere in this issue of the NASB Newsletter.)
The conference delegates spent five days coordinating their frequency schedules for the B09 season, which begins in October of this year and goes until March of 10. The usual negotiations took place between the various country delegations to try to reduce interference from one station to another.There was some discussion about the future of shortwave on a worldwide scale. James Serpell of Christian Vision announced that CVI has decided to cease operations at its Julich, Germany transmitter site at the end of the A09 season. He cited as reasons for the closure financial considerations and "the changing patterns of how people are using media." HFCC Chairman Oldrich Cip noted that although many large international broadcasters have reduced or eliminated their shortwave broadcasts due to budget cuts and in favor of new media such as the Internet, the shortwave bands are still crowded, and there is no danger of shortwave broadcasts disappearing in the near future. So worldwide frequency coordination is still very much needed.At the Plenary Session on Friday morning, it was announced that the deadline for the collections of B09 season operation data is October 5, and that the tentative location for the A10 HFCC/ASBU conference is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the beginning of February 10. Jakarta, Indonesia was the other possibility for the B10 conference, but some people were concerned about safety in the wake of the recent bombings of two tourist hotels in Jakarta. So far, there are no volunteers to host the B10 Conference in August of next year.
Also at the Plenary, the Group of Experts mentioned that a layman's guide to the new HFCC collision lists would be available on the HFCC website within the coming weeks. There was some discussion about the advisability of including schedule information from non-members in the HFCC/ASBU frequency lists. Some of these schedules include a lot of “wood” (i.e. listings for transmissions that are not actually on the air), and there was concern that these stations would be getting a “free ride” from the HFCC since they would be getting their schedules included in the coordinated lists, but they are not paying membership fees to the HFCC. As non-members, they would not take part in the coordination conferences, so there would be no way to negotiate with them at the conferences regarding any collisions that they might be causing or involved in. In effect, they would be notifying everyone else that they plan to use certain frequencies at certain times, and it would be up to the HFCC/ASBU members to avoid these frequencies at these times, which is not the spirit of frequency coordination, This situation will continue to be discussed, but for the moment it was decided that a text list of non-members' schedule requirements would be distributed to members during the conferences.
The Group of Experts also mentioned that there is a new HFCC language code list, and that members should be encouraged to include language information and the design frequency of their antennas in their requirements. They also discussed developing a list of specific Internet requirements for future conferences, in view of certain limitations on the hotel Internet systems at this and other previous conferences.
Continuing with items discussed at the Plenary, it was reported that an audit of the HFCC budget by Bernd Friedewald showed that all but one member had paid their membership fees, and the financial report was approved by the membership. One new application had been received for associate membership in the HFCC by the BBC. Oldrich Cip noted that the BBC had been among the original members of the HFCC in the early 1980's, but it had been basically replaced in more recent years by VT Communications, which took over the former BBC shortwave transmitter sites. Now the HFCC rules permit associate members, and it seemed quite appropriate that the BBC should become an associate member.
A half-day forum about DRM -- Digital Radio Mondiale -- took place on the afternoon of August 21 , and many Dominican national broadcasters participated in that event. There were presentations by DRM Consortium board members Horst Scholz from Deutsche Welle and Ludo Maes of TDP, and from DRM Commercial Committee Chairman Michel Penneroux from TDF in France (“DRM – A Strong Reference for Digital Radio in the Dominican Republic”). Speakers also included Geoff Spells of VT Communications (“An overview of the International Technical and Regulatory Situation”) and Antonio Reyes of Christian Vision in Santiago, Chile (“Experiencia de CVC Chile Utilizando el Formato DRM en sus Transmisiones de Onda Corta”). Special DRM transmissions were directed to Punta Cana for the event from Radio Netherlands in Bonaire, CVC in Chile, TDF in French Guiana and Radio Canada in Sackville, New Brunswick. The new Uniwave consumer DRM receiver was demonstrated, and all of these special transmissions were picked up, along with a DRM broadcast from Vatican Radio as well. Well-known Dominican broadcaster Teo Veras attended the forum, and he expressed the hope that at least one large Dominican broadcasting organization might initiate a shortwave service in the foreseeable future.
A new tropical band shortwave station was inaugurated during the HFCC-ASBU Conference in Punta Cana. Radio Discovery broadcast on 4730 kHz during the event. No confirmed reports were received from outside the Dominican Republic, but the station's antenna situation was very limited by the physical restraints of the hotel from which the broadcasts emanated. Radio Discovery will resume transmissions in the near future from its permanent location in Santo Domingo on the frequency of 4780 kHz, which has been authorized by the Dominican Telecommunications Institute INDOTEL. It had been hoped to conduct tests in the WinDRM digital transmission mode from Radio Discovery in Punta Cana, but these were not done due to the antenna limitations. However, Pedro Estrella of Radio Discovery hopes to do the WinDRM tests after the station is re-constructed in Santo Domingo and operating on 4780 kHz.
Conference participants also had time to enjoy a bit of the local atmosphere in Punta Cana, the most popular tourist area of the Dominican Republic. The conference hotel has one of the longest free-form swimming pools in the Caribbean, as well as an attractive beach. There were optional tours on Wednesday to Cap Cana, currently the largest residential and tourism development in the Caribbean; and Thursday to Punta Cana Resort, which was the first tourism development in the Punta Cana area in the 1970's and owner of the Punta Cana Intenational Airport – the world's first privately-owned international airport. At the Punta Cana Resort, the tour passed by the homes of celebrities such as Oscar de la Renta and Julio Iglesias. At Cap Cana, the group was met personally by Ellis Perez, Cap Cana's Vice President for Communications and Public Relations, who was formerly the Dominican Republic's Minister of Tourism and for many years a broadcaster at Radio Universal, one of the country's major radio stations.
On Saturday, August 22, there was an optional bus tour to the Dominican capital city of Santo Domingo. About half of the conference delegates participated. The tour visited the old colonial zone of Santo Domingo where the oldest cathedral in the New World is located, the Columbus Lighthouse where the remains of Christopher Columbus are believed to lie, and it included lunch in a well-known restaurant that's inside a natural cave. The HFCC/ASBU B09 Conference officially ended on Saturday evening back at the Dreams Punta Cana Resort with a reception and group dinner sponsored by Thomson Radio Broadcast. The open-air reception was held at the edge of the beach, and it included a Latin trio playing live music. The dinner was held in the Bordeaux restaurant with a second-floor view of the beach at night, and the menu included cream of corn soup, black angus tenderloin and a chocolate dessert with vanilla ice cream.
What is an HFCC/ASBU Conference?
Twice each year, the world's major shortwave radio stations and governmental regulatory bodies gather at a different place in the world each time for what's called the High Frequency Coordination Conference, or HFCC. The HFCC, together with the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), organizes this conference so that frequency planners, engineers and management from shortwave stations around the world can plan their transmission and frequency schedules for the following half-year. They all share their schedule plans in a master database, and the conference technical personnel produce lists of potential “collisions” where there is more than one station on the same frequency at the same time to the same geographical target area. The various delegations can then negotiate changes to their schedules in order to eliminate any interference before it actually begins. These HFCC conferences have been taking place for nearly years now, since the end of the Cold War. Participants include Russia, China, the U.S., most all of Europe, many Asian stations and some from Africa and Latin America.
The HFCC Conference lasts a week, from Monday to Friday. Each day a new set of “collision lists” is produced, and the conflicts are worked out. By the end of the week, the vast majority of potential interference for the coming frequency season is eliminated.
Planning an HFCC Conference takes a lot of work. The sponsors of each conference are often large organizations like Radio Canada International, Deutsche Telekom, VT Communications (which operates the transmitter sites of the BBC World Service) and China Radio International, to mention a few. The conference which just took place in the Dominican Republic from August 17-22 was hosted by the National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters (NASB) of the United States.
Our work over the past year has involved choosing a hotel with adequate facilities for this group of nearly 150 delegates from nearly 40 countries, negotiating the hotel contract, planning the conference schedule, dinners, receptions, sightseeing tours, helping delegates arrange flight schedules and obtain visas from the Dominican Foreign Ministry when needed. We had to arrange special entry permits for the delegations from Iran and China, for example.
What this project has shown us is that, without a doubt, shortwave broadcasting continues to be an important communications medium around the globe. New technologies like the Internet, iPods and so on have helped shortwave stations expand their contact with listeners, but they have in no way replaced shortwave radio as the primary means of direct communication with listeners around the world. The shortwave bands are still full of transmissions, and it requires a tremendous amount of frequency coordination among stations to prevent interference and guarantee a good signal. We were proud to be a part of that effort in Punta Cana this August, and the results will be seen – or heard – around the world during the coming winter frequency season from October 09 to March of 10.
Jeff White, President, National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters
(NASB Newsletter Sept 2009)

Radio Free Asia releases Anniversary QSL Card



Radio Free Asia (RFA) announces its 13th anniversary QSL card which began use on September 1st. This QSL card celebrates RFA's 13 years of broadcast excellence. RFA's first broadcast was in Mandarin on September 29, 1996 at 2100 UTC. This QSL card will be used for all confirmed reception reports dated September 1 - December 31, 2009. The design used is one of many drawings made by the children of RFA personnel earlier this year. This card not only commemorates RFA's 13th anniversary but also helps capture the spirit of the RFA's family and friends around the world while promoting peace, freedom and democracy.
Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a private, non profit 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, andfairness 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, isavailable at http://www.rfa.org/. RFA encourages listeners to submit reception reports. Reception reports arevaluable to RFA as they help us evaluate the signal strength and quality ofour transmissions. RFA confirms all accurate reception reports by mailing a QSL card to the listener.
RFA welcomes all reception report submissions at http://www.techweb.rfa.org/ (follow the QSL REPORTS link) not only from DX'ers, but also from its general listening audience. Reception reports are also accepted by email atqsl@rfa.org, and for anyone without Internet access, reception reports canbe mailed to:
Reception Reports
Radio Free Asia
2025 M. Street NW,
Suite 300
Washington DC 20036
United States of America.

(AJ Janitschek)

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Doordarshan turns 50 today

Its Golden Jubilee of Television Broadcasting in India today, incidently the transmission of TV programs started on 15 September,1959 at a make shift studio in the All India Radio building.

Here are some press reports :

Doordarshan: 50 Golden years of Television Broadcasting
http://tinyurl.com/m5v63c

Doordarshan turns 50, Soni invites Shyam Benegal

Results - HamfestIndia 2009 & BARC Golden Jubilee HF Contest

Dear Fellow Hams & SWLS

As part of the BARC Golden Jubilee Celebrations and HamfestIndia2009, BARC Golden Jubilee HF contest was held on 23 & 24 May (Phone) and on 30 & 31 May 2009 (CW). The following are the results declared by the Contest Judges VU3ITI & VU3VRL. Thanks to Varadan, VU3ITI for coordinating as a Judge for this event.

Phone Contest
VU3SIO-Sanil Deep, 1st Place
VU3WIB-Dalayan, 2nd Place
VU2YE–Ramesh, 3rd Place
VU2UR–Arasu, 4th Place
VU2JQX-Anil Kumar, 5th place
Special Prize for SWL Participant: (VU2003SWL) Siddhalingesh Basawanal

CW Contest
VU2JQX-Anil Kumar, 1st Place
VU2JOS-Jose, 2nd Place
VU2PAL – Pal, 3rd Place
VU2GUR – Guru, 4th Place
VU2UR – Arasu, 5th Place

The Mementos & Certificates for the winners will be distributed during HamfestIndia 2009. The participation certificates to all the participants will also be distributed.

The 18th Hamfest in India, HamfestIndia 2009 and Bangalore Amateur Radio Club (BARC) - VU2ARC Golden Jubilee Celebrations is just round the corner. The event being conducted in Bangalore this year and is scheduled for Saturday-Sunday, 7 & 8 November 2009. The venue is Sri Nijagunara Kshetra, Bull Temple Road, Bangalore.

We welcome all Hams and SWLs to be part of this Festival in Bangalore with your family and friends. Please log on to www.hamfestindia. com for full details regarding Delegate Registration. We request you to register early and encourage us with your support.

73
Ramesh KumarVU2LU
Member, Organising Committee
HamfestIndia 2009
Cellphone: 91-9845057731

BBC may sell off part of BBC Worldwide

By Stuart Kemp
Sept 14, 2009, 11:12 AM ETLONDON -- BBC director general Mark Thompson said Monday that selling off part of the corporation's commercial arm BBC Worldwide is being considered as an option.

Ambika Soni reaffirms commitment to Public Service Broadcasting Ideals

10:17 IST
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has renewed its commitment of financial support to Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT), a Delhi based NGO. Under the Plan scheme component for production of documentaries through NGOs, the Films Division would grant funds to PSBT, which has been short-listed for production of documentaries for the current financial year. In the past also the Doordarshan and PSBT have had a successful public-private partnership. Over the past nine years a large number of documentary films have been funded by Doordarshan. Among the National Non-Feature Film Awards – 2007, at least four of such joint productions of Prasar Bharati and PSBT have won accolades. Speaking on the occasion of ‘Commemorating 50 years of Public Television In India’, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Smt Ambika Soni invited suggestions from the luminaries of PSBT Trustees for making the Public Service Broadcaster – Doordarshan more vibrant and interesting while retaining its commitment for healthy entertainment suitable for family viewing. Smt Ambika Soni also reiterated that her Ministry would continue to strive to encourage creative skills so long as they honour the sensibilities of all single television viewing families. The Minister exhorted the young filmmakers – particularly those who are the beneficiaries of the PSBT-Ministry fellowships, to take up the challenge of making relevant programmes for particularly the marginalized strata of society. Smt Soni reminded the gathering that Doordarshan is the only channel with the widest terrestrial reach which caters to the remotest and border areas often neglected by the commercial interests of other channels. The Minister also invited stalwarts like Shyam Benegal (a PSBT Trustee), who had made the memorable ‘Bharat ek khoj’ serial for Doordarshan in the past, to contribute meaningfully to Doordarshan again. Adoor Gopalkrishnan (Chairman PSBT)’s new film “Oru Pennum Randaanum”, funded by Doordarshan was screened on the occasion.

(Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India)

Monday, September 14, 2009

Invitation to the Bangalore Hamfest - HamfestIndia 2009

Dear Friends,
The 18th Hamfest in India, Hamfest India 2009 and Bangalore Amateur Radio Club (BARC) - VU2ARC Golden Jubilee Celebrations is just round the corner. The event being conducted in Bangalore this year and is scheduled for Saturday-Sunday, 7 & 8 November 2009. The venue is Sri Nijagunara Kshetra, Bull Temple Road, Bangalore. We welcome all Hams and SWLs to be part of this Festival in Bangalore with your family and friends.
Please log on to www.hamfestindia.com for full details regarding Delegate Registration. We request you to register early and encourage us with your support
73
Ramesh Kumar
VU2LU
Member, Organising Committee
HamfestIndia 2009
Cellphone: 91-9845057731

EBU DRM Workshop 2009

This workshop is intended for broadcasters, regulators, manufacturers and all other industry representatives interested in digital radio. The DRM workshop at EBU will showcase the current state of the DRM system globally. Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) is the universal open digital broadcasting system for broadcasting bands up to 174 MHz (covering Long Wave, Medium Wave, Short Wave, and VHF band I/II). This system has recently been enhanced for higher frequencies and its various benefits are being appreciated by countries in Asia, Europe and South America. This workshop will hear of all the latest DRM developments, discuss the market potential of the DRM system and evaluate the results from its test from various locations worldwide. International experts from broadcasting organisations and manufacturing companies would speak about DRM's place in the world in converting radio from analogue to digital.

Agenda
System overview and business cases
- Overview of the DRM system and extension to higher frequencies: DRM30 and DRM+
- Commercial aspects of DRM+
- Wide area coverage: The example of India
- Local area coverage: Use of the 26 MHz band for DRM and use of Band I for DRM/DRM+
- Update on the global DRM Receivers specification
- View on the Receivers market
Technical and regulatory issues
- Results of field trials
- ITU activities
- Transition: DRM30 in Medium Wave Discussion
On the way forward with DRM
Demonstration: Live Demonstration of DRM30 and DRM+
For more information or assistance, please contact Walid Sami (sami@ebu.ch) or Filka Hänni (haenni@ebu.ch)

Workshop fee

EBU Members 150 CHF
EBU Associate/approved Members international organizations 200 CHF
Others 300 CHF

Accommodation

Block bookings at preferential rates have been made at the following hotels for this event:
Crowne Plaza Hotel
(Breakfast CHF 39.-)
Block ref: IBJ - REF:536463
CHF 240.-
Tel: +41-22-747-0202
Fax: +41-22-747-0303
reservations@cpgeneva.ch

Ramada Park Hotel
(Breakfast included)
Block ref: UER2311 CHF 210.-
Tel: +41-22-710-3029
Fax: +41-22-710-3865
resa@ramadaparkhotel.ch

Grand-Pré Hotel
(Breakfast included)
Block ref: 128590 CHF 183.60
Tel: +41-22-918-1122
Fax:+41-22-734-7691
reservation@grandpre.ch

(Source : EBU www.ebu.ch )

All India Radio special transmission for "Mahalaya"

Date : 18th Sept, 2009 (Friday)
Time : 2230 UTC 17th Sept (0400 IST, 18th Sept) to 0015 UTC 18th Sept (0545 IST, 18th Sept)

"Mahalaya" is a special two hour tranmission consisting of Sanskrit recitation & music orated by Late Shri.Birendra Krishna Bhadra. All India Radio has been broadcasting this since early 1930s . Count down of Durga Puja starts from the day of Mahalaya.

Last year foll AIR channels were noted carrying special Mahalaya transmission :

4835 - AIR Gangtok
4940 - AIR Guwahati
4965 - AIR Shimla
666 - AIR Delhi
747 - AIR Lucknow A
774 - AIR Shimla
954 - AIR Najibabad
1008 - AIR Kolkata B

Also check out :
4820 - AIR Kolkata
657 - AIR Kolkata A


Related links :

Mahalaya: Invoking the Mother Goddess , A Once-a-Year Popular Radio Program
http://hinduism.about.com/cs/audiomusic/a/aa092003a.htm

Saturday, September 12, 2009

DRM Receiver Profiles released at IBC 2009

Amsterdam, 11th Sep 2009: The DRM Digital Radio Receiver Profiles, which define minimum functionality for different classes of digital radio receivers, have been released in Amsterdam at IBC today. The Profiles aim to help manufacturers build stand-alone DRM or multi-standard receivers and stimulate digital radio markets across the world.
The Receiver Profiles offer significant benefits to all stakeholders in the radio market; for broadcasters they provide assurance that their services will be receivable and for manufacturers that their technology investments will be supported by a wide choice of services. For consumers the Receiver Profiles ensure that the products they purchase have the necessary features to offer consistent quality and assured levels of interoperability across their region and beyond. Regulators can use the Receiver Profiles to develop strategies and policies for digital radio broadcasting within national boundaries or with reference to trans-national and harmonised markets.
The Profiles have been developed by the DRM Consortium with the aid of its member experts representing silicon chip manufacturers, consumer device manufacturers, radio broadcasters and other experts from across the industry. The development of the Receiver Profiles has taken into account important market considerations including the consumer experience, manufacturing issues and broadcaster requirements.
Lindsay Cornell, Chairman, DRM Technical Committee and BBC’s Principal Systems Architect, says: “Products conforming to the DRM Receiver Profiles will provide a step change in usability over analogue radios. The Profiles are composed of mandatory features which must be implemented and recommended features which offer enhancements with wide appeal. Manufacturers may offer additional features in order to differentiate their product from others.”
Ruxandra Obreja, Chairperson DRM and Controller Business Development, BBC World Service, says: “The DRM Consortium will actively encourage its members to adopt the DRM Digital Radio Receiver Profiles. With ETSI approval of our system enhancement to include DRM+, DRM offers a total solution for digital switch over. The Receiver Profiles should stimulate the receiver manufacturing industry paving the way for full DRM roll-out”
(DRM Consortium Press Release)

Friday, September 11, 2009

Uniwave Di-Wave 100 DRM Receiver can now be pre-ordered online

Uniwave Di-Wave 100 DRM Shortwave Receiver can now be pre-ordered online at AUD 499 ($ 430 Approx) here :

http://tinyurl.com/lexwf5

As per Av-Comm Pty Ltd, production of this receiver begins at end of Oct'09 & will be despatched upon receipt of first batch.

This price is more than double what some sources had indicated earlier.
According to a Belarussian forum, a representative from Uniwave indicated the retail price for Di-Wave 100 receiver as 250 Euro or 330 $. Here's the link to translated version of the Belarussian forum :
Uniwave website has also been updated & now shows availability Mid Sept 2009.
The di-wave will be officially launch to the market at the IBC show in Amsterdam, September 11th to 15th 2009 , during a big event at the IBC beach with all DRM members, broadcasters on September 11th at 5 pm.
Di-wave 100 will be launch in the Americas at CES show in Las Vegas from January 7th to 10th, 2010.

The music is back (on AIR)

Came across this lovely piece of article published in HT last week....echoes the sentiments of many music lovers & most importantly radio lovers like me.

Whole heartedly agree with the author when he says :
"An AIR with vision and verve could lead India's radio revival."


Read this excellent article here :

The music is back
Samar Halarnkar , Hindustan Times
September 06, 2009'
Saturdays feel like Sundays, and Sunday feels like Monday." It's a warm Delhi September day, overcast and humid. Perfect weather to hear Dean Martin warbling his way through the 1944 American pop standard 'Baby it's cold outside' on the radio.

More at :
http://www.hindustantimes.com/The-music-is-back/H1-Article1-450991.aspx

Special VOA series marks Sept 11 Anniversary

Washington, D.C., September 10th, 2009 – To mark the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Voice of America’s (VOA) Spanish Service is airing online stories that examine how people are coping after eight years. "9-11 had a tremendous impact all over the world, including Latin and Central America," said Alberto Mascaro, Director of VOA Spanish. "Our series is designed to educate our viewers and listeners about the long-term legacy of the attacks on New York and Washington." Nearly 3,000 died in the attacks. To report the series, "9/11: Eight Years Later," VOA sent a team of producers to New York to look at the city which experienced the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.The stories include, "Music and 9/11," which profiles commemorative songs composed and performed by some of the world’s most popular musicians, and "Living With Post-Traumatic Stress" – a report on the enduring psychological scars left on those who survived.The series also looks at conspiracy theories fueled by September 11th, and how the event forever changed New York City’s architectural landscape. The project is posted on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter and invites viewers to comment on the stories. "9/11: Eight Years Later" can be viewed at http://www1.voanews.com/spanish/news/specialreports/Septiembre_11
Other VOA divisions are also producing special reports. VOA’s South Asia Division is marking the anniversary with call-in shows, panel discussions and personal stories in Pashto, Dari, Hindi and Urdu.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Why public broadcasting matters more than ever

September 10, 2009 - 9:54AM
In his 2009 CBA lecture, Australian Broadcasting Corporation managing director Mark Scott explains why public broadcasting matters more than ever.

More at :
http://business.theage.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/why-public-broadcasting-matters-more-than-ever-20090910-fi47.html

Apple's iPod Nano Surprise: Pausable FM Radio

Apple has introduced a new iPod Nano with pausable FM Radio, it has ablility to pause live radio, DVR-style, a feature the company calls Live Pause.

More at :
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2352699,00.asp

Related Link :

Apple adds FM radio to iPod Nano



Sound Waves That Break Barriers: Community Radio


Seminar on 50 Years of Doordarshan

Writing a White Paper

- Who Dumped the Transformative Vision?
- Achievements ? Gains ? Losses?
- Credibility Deficit?
- Present Imbroglio? What is to be Done?

12 September 2009
from 11:00 to 17:00 hrs

India International Centre (Conference Room – II)
40, Max Mueller Marg
Lodhi Estate
New Delhi – 110 003

Participants will include broadcasting policy experts, broadcasters, social scientists, academicians and social activists
Followed by a Discussion on 50 Years of Doordarshan: Reinventing a PSB – Pretender?
Chair: Suhas Borker
From 18:30 to 20:00 hrs
Jointly organised by India International Centre & Jan Prasar

------------------------------------------------------
For any further information please contact: 09868182845
info.janprasar@gmail.com
(Thanks to Martin Joseph)

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

FEBA Radio turns 50 !

FEBA Radio is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

More at :

http://www.feba.org.uk/newsbriefs/febas-50th-anniversary

Deutsche Welle Strengthens Ties with Latin America

"Deutsche Welle would like to strengthen its ties with Latin America through its TV programming in Spanish. Mexico is a central partner in the region for Germany. Producing shows together can foster dialogue between the two countries,” said Erik Bettermann, Deutsche Welle Director General, in Guadalajara (Mexico) during a talk show produced jointly by DW-TV and Mexico’s public broadcaster, SJRTV. The co-production will be broadcast today (Thursday) on DW-TV Latinoamérica.The program will feature Bettermann discussing the challenges and role of journalism in the 21st century alongside Diego Petersen Farah, the head of the magazine “Público-Milenio” from Guadalajara, and the cultural journalist Yolanda Zamora Puente. According to Bettermann, the Internet and “infotainment” have brought about a radical shift in worldwide media usage. He added that the rapidly increasing amount of information available has caused media outlets to compete more for attention. “Publicly-funded media ventures must present themselves as ‘trusted guides’ in the disorienting new media landscape,” said Bettermann, who also described the dual system of public broadcasting and private media as a central pillar of democracy in Germany.Currently, Mexico is engaged in intense discussions about the reorganization of its media system. The television landscape is dominated by private stations, which are owned by just two media companies. This fact has drawn increasing criticism from politicians and from the public at large. Public broadcasters in Mexico are currently attempting to modernize, while achieving greater independence and strengthening ties with the international community.Given these developments, Deutsche Welle has increased its level of cooperation with Mexican media outlets. Bettermann signed a declaration of intent with the Mexican educational channel DGTVE on August 24, 2009 in order to make significant cooperation possible between Deutsche Welle and DGTVE. Spanish programming from the Deutsche Welle will be broadcast in the future over DGTVE’s EDUSAT network, which reaches more than four million students and 33,000 schools and cultural centers.Just a few months ago, DW-TV and Canal Judicial, a station associated with Mexico’s highest court, co-produced a program on the fight against corruption. Since 2008, the Mexican station has been broadcasting DW-TV’s Spanish language programming.
(DW Press Release)

Newzealand imposes fine for radio jamming equipment sellers

Devices intended to "jam", that is harmfully interfere with, radiocommunications are increasingly becoming available. Recognising the importance of effective, interference-free spectrum for New Zealand's communications infrastructure, particularly where radio-navigation or other safety services are concerned, Radio Spectrum Management has issued a Prohibited Radio Jammer Equipment Notice for radio jammer equipment. The manufacture or sale of such interfering equipment is not acceptable in New Zealand and an infringement fine of $1,250 may be imposed on any company found to be in breach of the notice.
(Radio Spectrum Management, Ministry of Economic Development, Govt. of Newzealand)

Making Waves

In an economic age where even survival seems like an accomplishment, Acadiana’s radio stations are ahead of the curve.

By Don Allen
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Read the story here :

Friday, September 04, 2009

Learn English through FM channel in UP

10:23 HRS IST Abhishek Bajpai Lucknow, Sep 4 (PTI)
Switch on the radio to learn English - this is the mantra of Uttar Pradesh education department for students wanting to learn the language. In a bid to make the learning process interesting, the department has chalked out an ambitious plan to teach English language to students through FM channel.

More at :
http://www.ptinews.com/news/264292_Learn-English-through-FM-channel-in-UP

Pilots, ATC fume as radio at city airport cracks up

Arun Ram, TNN 2 September 2009, 03:13am IST
CHENNAI: The sole area control VHF radio at Chennai airport, which monitors aircraft movements up to 200 miles, is cracking up in the face of increasing traffic, putting pilots and controllers under severe stress.
More at :

Thursday, September 03, 2009

DRM at IBC

IBC (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
11.09.2009 - 15.09.2009
The entire and complete family of Digital Radio Mondiale technology (DRM30 and DRM+) will be showcased in Amsterdam this year during International Broadcasting Conference (IBC) 2009.
The DRM Consortium will hold a special networking and demo event at IBC this on Friday, 11th of September from 17:00 – 20:00 at the IBC Beach. Top DRM experts will present the benefits of the DRM family and will discuss its present and future. DRM demonstrations will be held by several DRM members throughout the show.
On Saturday 12th September, the DRM Consortium will also hold its Commercial Committee and Steering Board meetings in the Hotel MERCURE Amsterdam aan de Amstel, Joan Muyskenweg 10, NL-1096 CJ Amsterdam.
(Source : DRM Consortium)

DRM system enhancement approved by ETSI

The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) system enhancement has been approved by the European Standards Organisation – ETSI. The DRM system revision v3.1.1 offers two major improvements like the extension to all broadcast bands up to 174 MHz and the introduction of MPEG surround support. The DRM system specification was revised to incorporate an additional mode designed for the lower VHF band (i.e. broadcast frequencies between 30MHz and 174MHz) allowing operation in bands I and II (the FM band). This standard enhancement is called DRM+. The membership vote for the new DRM System Specification (ETSI ES 201 980 V3.1.1) was closed and approved last week by a majority of members, including Russia and the US. A download version of the DRM system specification is now available on the ETSI website, http://www.etsi.org
The DRM+ initiative began with a vote at the 2005 General Assembly of the DRM Consortium deciding to extend the standard to higher frequencies. The additional mode for DRM+ was agreed and finalised after testing and verifying the design with both laboratory and field based tests. Then the ETSI standardised DRM system specification was updated. This extension completely shares the successful design philosophy of the DRM standard. Therefore, DRM+ has the same multiplex and signaling scheme, the same OFDM design and the same audio codecs as DRM30 (i.e. DRM on broadcast frequencies up to 30MHz). DRM+ is implemented in the standard as robustness mode E. Its spectrum usage parameters are determined from the internationally agreed norms in the FM band (88 to 174MHz). Therefore it has an occupied bandwidth of 95 kHz and a frequency grid of 100 kHz. ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) is recognised as an official European Standards Organisation by the European Union. ETSI standards are available as free-of-charge downloads worldwide. Hailing this development as a landmark in the history of DRM Digital Radio, Ruxandra Obreja, Chairperson DRM and Controller Business Development BBC World Service, said: “This makes the DRM system complete and it offers broadcasters a total digital solution in all bands – LW, SW, MW, band I and band II (the FM band). DRM+ will make radio sound its best ever with features such as CD-quality audio and surround sound effects. DRM is already the best digital solution for long-distance broadcasting on broadcast frequencies below 30 MHz. And now local and regional broadcasting will get the same digital radio benefits with adoption of the extended DRM standard for broadcast frequencies above 30 MHz.” All features of the updated DRM system specification will be on display at IBC2009 in Amsterdam from 11th-14th September.
(DRM Consortium Press Release www.drm.org)