Worldspace listeners want music to play on

By: Harpreet Khokhar 30 Dec 09 15:06 IST MUMBAI: The news of Worldspace Radio shutting down has shocked its subscribers in India, a country that housed 95 per cent of its subscription base. Music lovers are aggrieved at the abrupt termination of the music service from 31 December. It is the loss of music that the users are upset about most, over the monetary damages they will have to bear.

Says a Worldspace regular, "It was the only thing that kept the music alive to the best of quality and diversity. It really feels strange and profoundly sad to refer to Worldspace in the past tense."

Read the full story here : http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/special-reports/worldspace-listeners-want-music-play

Off AIR

Debjeet Kundu, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, December 30, 2009

Remember Munnabhai giving Gandhigiri lessons on radio in the film Lage Raho Munnabhai? The radio service where Vidya Balan wished Mumbai a was on the WorldSpace radio. But now, it won’t happen anymore. As the year ends today, so will the services of this popular radio service that had an audience base of over 4.5 lakh in India.

Read the full story at : http://www.hindustantimes.com/Off-air/H1-Article1-492039.aspx

BBG's Statement on Interference of Broadcasts to Iran

Washington, DC, 12/29/2009

The Broadcasting Board of Governors condemns the latest efforts of the Iranian Government and its associates to interfere and censor the free flow of objective news and information to the Iranian people. By monitoring satellite signals, BBG's technical experts have determined that on December 27, the Government of Iran engaged in the intentional jamming of satellite transmissions of the Voice of America's (VOA) Persian News Network and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Radio Farda. These efforts continue a pattern by the Iranian Government to block the broadcasting of objective and balanced news and information to the Iranian people, efforts which the Government of Iran has amplified since the June 12 Iranian elections. As Iranian citizens once again demonstrate against the current government, Iran has stepped up its measures to ensure that the Iranian people are deprived of the international reaction, as well as of accurate news about the protests taking place in various cities in Iran. The latest actions of the Iranian government in jamming commercial satellites appear calculated to intimidate the commercial satellite providers that are targets of the jamming into complicity with the actions of the Government of Iran and deprive the Iranian people access to free press and information.

"Private industry is an essential partner in freedom of the press. We urge our satellite partners to stand united in the face of these authoritarian acts or risk even greater human rights losses," BBG Governor D. Jeffrey Hirschberg said after the Iranian Government's latest efforts to jam U.S. International Broadcasting signals."This type of intentional, harmful interference is not only a violation of the rules of the International Telecommunications Union to which the Government of Iran has subscribed, but is also a flagrant violation of the internationally recognized right of the people of Iran to receive news and information without government censorship." Calls to the Iranian Mission to the UN for comment have not been returned.The BBG condemns censorship in any form and vigorously affirms the right of all peoples of the world to receive news and information freely and without restriction. The BBG also strongly urges satellite owners and service providers not to allow themselves to become unwitting instruments of censorship of the free press under the guise of avoiding harmful interference. The people of Iran, like the peoples of all countries, have the right to know about their country and the world.

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

BBC Persian television broadcasting despite interference from Iran

BBC Persian television is continuing to broadcast into Iran despite attempts to jam the station's signal. The persistent interference began soon after BBC Persian began extended coverage of the death of leading reformist cleric Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri. This includes the first airing of an exclusive interview with the grand ayatollah which was filmed before his death. The senior cleric, who had not been seen on Iranian television screens for 20 years, was one of Shia Islam's most respected figures and a leading critic of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The jamming began on Sunday 20 December and affected the Hotbird 6 satellite which carries the BBC's international television and radio services in various languages as well as services from other broadcasters. BBC Persian television is also carried on other satellite networks including Telstar and Eutelsat W2M.

The BBC is looking at ways to increase the options for its Farsi-speaking audiences in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, which may include broadcasting on other satellites. In June this year, BBC Persian television suffered similar deliberate attempts to interfere with its signal when airing extended coverage of the Iranian elections. At that time, the satellite operator traced the interference and confirmed it was coming from inside Iran. BBC World Service Director, Peter Horrocks, said: "The fact that someone would go to these lengths to jam BBC Persian television's signal is indicative of the impact we make in Iran. The Iranian people want to know the truth about what is happening in their country, and they know they will get impartial and independent news from the BBC. We'll do everything we can to give them that news."

BBC Persian is the BBC's integrated news and information service for Persian-speakers. It is available on-air and on-demand 24-hours a day, seven days a week. It is designed to reach audiences on radio, television, the internet – on bbcpersian.com – mobile phones and handheld computers in whatever way best suits the audience. BBC Persian is one of the oldest of the BBC's non-English language services. Launched on 28 December 1940, it has evolved into the Persian-speaking world's leading international broadcaster, covering the political, social and cultural issues that matter to its diverse audiences in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and across the world. With its TV presence, BBC Persian is bringing the world to Persian-speaking audiences – reporting the news wherever it leads. The latest news from BBC Persian is now available on mobile phones, PDAs and other wireless handheld devices.

(BBC World Service Publicity)

Bangladesh will bring back its time by one hour from 11.59 Hrs local time on Dec31

Bangladesh will shift its clock back by one hour from midnight of 31st December 2009. It means 11.59 Hrs Bangaldesh time will become 10.59 Hrs on 31st December 2009.This will continue till 31st March 2010 when it will shift forward by one hour again.

(http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=119573)

BBC Bangla had earlier shifted its time to match the changed Bangladesh time and VOA Bengali service recently announced that it will shifts its evening service by one hour from December 31st to match the Bangladesh time. However, the VOA announcement was made before this announcement of shifitng back of Bangladesh timings was announced on 25th December 2009.

It will be interesting to watch the international broadcasters match this twice a year change and also manage the A and B frequency change seasons.

(Supratik Sanatani)

HCL to set up radio network ahead of Games

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/HCL-to-set-up-radio-network-ahead-of-Games/561683/

Airtel DTH to replace WorldSpace with AIR channels

December 30, 2009 06:31 PM Yogesh Sapkale with Amritha Pillay Airtel DTH is all set to replace WorldSpace services from its platform with 10 radio channels of All India Radio. Full story at :

http://moneylife.in/article/8/3012.html

Special Announcement for India Subscribers to WorldSpace Satellite Radio

Dear customer, On December 31, 2009, the WorldSpace satellite radio broadcast service will be terminated for all customers serviced from India. This action is an outgrowth of the financial difficulties facing WorldSpace India's parent company, WorldSpace, Inc., which has been under bankruptcy protection since October 2008. The potential buyer of much of WorldSpace's global assets has decided not to buy the WorldSpace assets relating to and supporting WorldSpace's subscription business in India. As a consequence, WorldSpace, Inc. must discontinue its subscriber business in India. Your subscription contract is with WorldSpace, Inc., a US company that is in a bankruptcy proceeding in the United States. The company recognizes that you may have paid for services to be rendered beyond the termination date, but is not in a position to offer a refund for any unused portion of your subscription. You may have a potential remedy under the U.S. bankruptcy law. You may file a claim under the claims procedure that is intended to protect creditors of the bankrupt company. Sometime early next year, a claim servicing company will send notice to all creditors listed by the company. In order to ensure that you receive timely notice, we would request that you send the following information by mail or email to Rakesh Raghavan at WorldSpace, Inc. headquarters in the United States. 1. Name 2. Address 3. Email 4. Subscription Account Number 5. Date of Subscription 6. Length of Subscription 7. Amount paid for your current subscription

Send this information to: By email -- CustomerServiceUS @ worldspace.com or by regular mail – Rakesh Raghavan, WorldSpace, Inc. 8515 Georgia AV, Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA. Our sincere apologies for this circumstance.

s/ Robert Schmitz Chief Restructuring Officer WorldSpace, Inc.

All India Radio Patna turns 50

Patna, (BiharTimes): The All India Radio, Patna, officially known as Akashvani, completed 50 years of its journey on December 28. Though it was established in the year 1948, its news wing started functioning in the year 1959. The first provincial news (Pradeshik Samachar) bulletin was broadcast on December 28, 1959 at 7 pm, which was of five-minute duration. Later it shifted to 7:30 PM with 10-minute news in Hindi. In the pre-television age it was the lone source of news and information to the masses, especially the rural folk.

Read the full story here : http://www.bihartimes.com/Newsbihar/2009/Dec/Newsbihar30Dec2.html

Related Links :

50 not out, delight in Patna AIR http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/50-not-out-delight-in-Patna-AIR/articleshow/5389830.cms

WARC-79 - 30 years and still significant!

http://www.abu.org.my/abu/index.cfm/elementid/57499/WARC-79-30-years-and-still-significant-

`Bawdsey Research Station' Commemorations 2010

Special Event Stations In recognition of the historic events that took place in 1935 and 1940 which played a significant part in Britains war effort, Bawdsey Manor will be activated on three separate occasions during 2010. During its time as a the radar research centre and as an operational station for Chain Home radar, it was known by the acronym BRS – Bawdsey Research Station. Special event callsigns with BRS as the suffix have been applied for to recognise this. Over the weekend of 26 to 28 Feb 2010, we will be on the air on HF, 6m and VHF, operating CW, SSB and possibly some digital modes too. The callsign requested is GB75BRS, since this operation will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Daventry Experiment, which resulted in radar development in the UK being based first at Orfordness, then at Bawdsey. Later in the year we will operate on two weekends to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the start and end of the Battle of Britain in 1940. The callsign GB70BRS has been requested. These weekends will be 5/6 June, and 18/19 Sept. Operating bands and modes will be as for the February event. Members of the public, and students from the school now based at the Manor, will be welcomed at any of the events, where there will also be display materials relating to Bawdsey's history during this period. A special QSL card will be issued to those making contact with either of the stations, and a parchment certificate will be available on request to stations who make contact with both callsigns – information about the stations, operation and QSL arrangements can be found on our web site at http://www.bawdseyresearchstation.org.uk Contact: Dave Powis, G4HUPg4hup@btinternet.com tel: 07777 648488

(Press Release)

VOA is dropping Morning Bengali b'cast

With effect from 1st January 2010 VOA is dropping morning Bengali b'cast at 0130-0200 hrs on 11500 and 15205 kHz. Also plan to change the evening b'cast timings in line with the Day Light Saving Time in Bangladesh.

(Alok Dasgupta via DXAsia News)

Fire puts RNW Madagascar relay station off the air

MADAGASCAR

Fire puts RNW Madagascar relay station off the air. There has been a fire in the high voltage room of the external mains power supply at Radio Netherlands Worldwide's relay station in Madagascar. Firefighters from the Madagascan capital Antananarivo managed to bring the blaze under control within hours. The fire destroyed the high voltage circuit breaker equipment, so broadcasts from Madagascar will be suspended for at least three days and possibly up to a week. Some transmissions have already been moved to other sites, but because of the Christmas holidays this has taken longer than usual to organise. Additional changes are pending and will be published when confirmed.

Here are details of temporary replacement services from Dec.25 & 28 :

Radio Sweden International

0200-0300 on 11550 HBY 350 kW / 055 deg to SEAs in Swedish/English 2000-2100 on 9490 HBY 350 kW / 055 deg to SEAs in Swedish/English 2100-2200 on 7425 HBY 350 kW / 190 deg to SoAf in Swedish/English

Vatican Radio

0300-0430 on 9660 SMG 250 kW / 145 deg to EaAf in English/Swahili/Amharic 0330-0400 on 7360 SMG 250 kW / 130 deg to EaAf in Swahili 0430-0500 on 9660 SMG 250 kW / 170 deg to WeAf in French 0500-0530 on 9660 SMG 250 kW / 170 deg to SoAf in English 1600-1630 on 13765 SMG 250 kW / 169 deg to CeAf in Swahili

Voice of America

0430-0600 on 9885 BOT 100 kW / 010 deg to SoAf in English 0530-0630 on 7265 SAO 100 kW / 020 deg to NWAf in French Mon-Fri 1000-1030 on 21590 BOT 100 kW / 350 deg to SoAf in Portuguese Sat/Sun 1300-1400 on 15620 SAO 100 kW / 088 deg to EaAf in Somali 1700-1800 on 12080 LAM 100 kW / 132 deg to SoAf in Shona/English/Ndebele 2100-2130 on 9680 SAO 100 kW / 052 deg to WCAf in French

RFE/RL Radio Farda

0500-0600 on 12015 BIB 100 kW / 105 deg to WeAs in Farsi

Radio Dabanga 1630-1730 on 13800 NAU 250 kW / 150 deg to EaAf in Arabic from Dec.28

Radio Netherlands Worldwide 1400-1600 on 15595 HBY 350 kW / 095 deg to SoAs in English till Dec.27* 1730-1800 on 11655 NAU 250 kW / 140 deg to ECAf in Dutch from Dec.28 1800-2000 on 11655 ISS 500 kW / 138 deg to ECAf in Dutch from Dec.28 1900-2100 on 7425 ISS 500 kW / 155 deg to SoAf in English 2000-2100 on 11655 GUF 250 kW / 080 deg to WeAf in English 2100-2130 on 13700 BON 250 kW / 080 deg to WeAf in Dutch *This has now been cancelled due to poor reception in the target area

No details for the following transmissions:

Adventist World Radio 0230-0330 on 3215 MDC 050 kW / 020 deg to MDC in Malagasy 1430-1530 on 3215 MDC 050 kW / 020 deg to MDC in Malagasy

Radio Voice of People 0400-0500 on 11610 MDC 050 kW / 265 deg to EaAf in English/Shona/Ndebele

Voice of Tibet 1330-1400 on 17550 MDC 250 kW / 045 deg to SoAs in Tibetan

Democratic Voice of Burma 1430-1530 on 17495 MDC 250 kW / 055 deg to SEAs in Burmese

Radio Dabanga 1530-1630 on 13800 MDC 250 kW / 325 deg to EaAf in Arabic

WYFR Family Radio 1600-1700 on 9590 MDC 250 kW / 320 deg to EaAf in Swahili 1800-2000 on 7395 MDC 250 kW / 320 deg to EaAf in English 1900-2100 on 6020 MDC 050 kW / 255 deg to SoAf in English

Radio Netherlands Worldwide 1630-1700 on 13740 MDC 250 kW / 350 deg to N/ME in Dutch 1700-1730 on 9895 MDC 250 kW / 335 deg to EaAf in Dutch 1730-1900 on 6020 MDC 250 kW / 255 deg to SoAf in Dutch

Fiangonana Loterana 1630-1700 on 3215 MDC 050 kW / 020 deg to MDC in Malagasy

Deutsche Welle 2200-2300 on 7380 MDC 250 kW / 080 deg to SEAs in Indonesian

(Ivo Ivanov, DX MIX NEWS # 605, 28 December 2009)

New site for DXAsia News page

With effect from 28th December 2009 news page of DXAsia.info has moved onto a new URL. The RSS feed is also going to change.

The new URL is : http://dxasia-uadx.blogspot.com/ The new RSS feed is : http://feeds.feedburner.com/DXAsia

(Alok Dasgupta via http://dxasia.info/news/)

VOA Frequency Changes

New Freq for VOA Bengali Evening

Due to cochannel interference VOA Bengali service is to use 7405 kHz(from Thailand) at 1600-1700 hrs replacing 7435 kHz w.e.f 28th December 2009

Recent Frequency changes from VOA

Effective 12th December 2009 VOA in English :

1500-1600 hrs on 9310(ex-11525 via Philippines) 1500-1600 hrs on 11525(ex-13735 via Sri Lanka)

Effective 12th December 2009 VOA in Bangla:

1600-1700 hrs on 6000(ex-11500 via Sri Lanka)

(Alok Dasgupta, Kolkata via dxasia.info)

Passport’ publishes last issue

By The Post-Standard December 20, 2009, 6:20AM By Lee Badman Contributing writer

http://blog.syracuse.com/entertainment/2009/12/passport_publishes_last_issue.html

RFA Releases Winter Olympiad QSL Card

Radio Free Asia announces its 31st QSL card that is scheduled for distribution for all confirmed reception reports dated January 1 to March 31, 2010. This QSL card commemorates the 2010 Winter Olympiad in Vancouver, Canada which will be held February 12-28, 2010. The Games have always brought people from around the world together in peace to respect universal moral principles. The card shows an adaptation of the graphic of Radio Free Asia's Olympic pin, as created by RFA's Brian Powell, which was originally used for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This contemporary version adds a winter cap incorporating the Vancouver 2010 color scheme.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a private, nonprofit corporation that broadcasts news and information to listeners in Asian countries where full, accurate, and timely news reports are unavailable. Created by Congress in 1994 and incorporated in 1996, RFA currently broadcasts in Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean to North Korea, Lao, Mandarin, the Wu dialect, Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo, and Kham), and Uyghur. RFA strives for accuracy, balance, and fairness in its editorial content. As a 'surrogate' broadcaster, RFA provides news and commentary specific to each of its target countries, acting as the free press these countries lack. RFA broadcasts only in local languages and dialects, and most of its broadcasts comprise news of specific local interest. More information about Radio Free Asia, including our current broadcast frequency schedule, is available at www.rfa.org. RFA encourages listeners to submit reception reports. Reception reports are valuable to RFA as they help us evaluate the signal strength and quality of our transmissions. RFA confirms all accurate reception reports by mailing a QSL card to the listener. RFA welcomes all reception report submissions at www.techweb.rfa.org (follow the QSL REPORTS link) not only from DX'ers, but also from its general listening audience. Reception reports are also accepted by email at qsl@rfa.org, and for anyone without Internet access, reception reports can be mailed to:

Reception Reports Radio Free Asia 2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300 Washington DC 20036 United States of America.

(RFA Press Release)

WorldSpace may go mute in India

R. Ravikumar Chennai, Dec. 17 Signals indicate that the troubled digital satellite radio broadcasting company WorldSpace Inc may fold up its India operations too. Though the company's Asia operations head, Mr M. Sebastian, is not available for comment, sources close to the development say he has already put in his papers, and employees are believed to be in rounds of internal discussions to figure the way out of the quagmire.

Read the full story here :

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/12/18/stories/2009121853080100.htm

India, Russia deliberate on cooperation in broadcasting

New Delhi:Organised jointly by the Voice of Russia Broadcasting Company and the Russian Centre of Science and Culture (RCSC), the Conference was dedicated to Indo-Russian cooperation and 'Year of Russia in India.' The two-day long conference also witnessed the opening of 'Year of India in Russia'. India and Russia deliberated on cooperation in the field of broadcasting in fourth All India Conference of Listeners' Clubs of Voice of Russia, which concluded here recently.

Chief Guest Alexander M Kadakin, Ambassador of Russian Federation to India, while inaugurating the conference on December 15 had said, ''The Conference assumes great significance in terms of the imperative of disseminating and exchanging information on the history, culture and developments of both countries through the broadcasting media for the interest of general public.'' Referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent visit to Russia, he said the agreements signed in areas like nuclear energy and defence would cement bilateral relations. RCSC Director Fyodor A Rozovskiy expressed the hope that the deliberations of the conference would facilitate better understanding on each other's history and culture and strengthen people-to-people relations. Acknowledging the immense potential of bilateral cooperation, Prasar Bharati Deputy Director-General (External Services Division), AIR, H K Pani elaborated the broadcasting service being rendered by AIR in Russian language.

http://ncrsamaylive.com/NewsDetails.aspx?lNewsID=105502&lCategoryID=105

World news in one minute: video news bulletins on the go from bbcrussian.com

In an innovative move for the Russian online and mobile news scene, the BBC Russian website, bbcrussian.com, has launched video news bulletins. A new way to reach Russian-speaking audiences, the video bulletins are delivered in a format that works well on mobile phones and are available via the bbcrussian.com mobile site, m.bbcrussian.com.The BBC Russian daily online video news bulletin is issued at 14.00 GMT (17.00 Moscow time) Monday to Friday, when the traffic to bbcrussian.com reaches its peak.The 60-second bulletins bring the Russian-speaking online audiences the global news agenda, with headline reporting on the essential news stories of the day from the BBC's newsgathering network across the world.Head of BBC Russian, Sarah Gibson, comments: "We know that our audiences want immediate access to concise news, and our video news bulletins deliver just that.

We are delighted to be in the forefront, bringing this new product to the Russian-language online news market."As our traffic already shows, the bulletins are quickly gaining popularity with our audiences who want news on the go, and we hope that catching up with world news by watching our bulletins on mobile phones soon becomes part of the daily routine for Russian-speaking news consumers."

BBC Russian is a multimedia broadcaster offering radio, online and mobile content to Russian-speaking audiences, with up-to-the-minute news, features and analysis.BBC Russian radio programmes are streamed online via bbcrussian.com and are broadcast on shortwave, on medium wave in Moscow (1260 MW), St Petersburg (1260 MW) and Yekaterinburg (666 MW). They are also available direct to home via the Hotbird 2 satellite. The 24/7 website, bbcrussian.com, offers news and information in text, audio and video, while the latest headlines and video news bulletins are available for download on mobile phones via m.bbcrussian.com.

BBC World Service Publicity

Prasar Bharati Chairman's resignation accepted

New Delhi, Dec 18 Government today accepted the resignation of Prasar Bharati Chairman Arun Bhatnagar, who had resigned in May because he was "dissatisfied" with the functioning of the Board. Bhatnagar, a retired IAS officer who had taken over as chairman of the public broadcaster in May 2008, had tendered his resignation in May close on the heels of the UPA returning to power for a second term. His resignation, which was sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has been accepted by the government, official sources said.

(Agencies) Dec 18, 2009

http://news.chennaionline.com/newsitem.aspx?NEWSID=b770ef2a-232b-486b-bd06-8a19af4033d5&CATEGORYNAME=NATL

Amateur (Ham) Radio classes in India

Amateur radio classes are conducted at various places in India. All interested, especially BCDXers, are requested to join this scientific hobby. Details of places where such classes are being conducted are listed below. Amateur radio classes are also conducted at other locations also from time to time.

1.Hyderabad:

National Institute of Amateur Radio, 6-3-1092/93, Raj Bhavan Road, Somajiguda, Hyderabad 500082, Andhra Pradesh.

Telephone: 040-23310287, 65167388 Email: vu2nro@gmail.com URL: www.niar.org

Classes start on every first Monday of the month, duration is one month Timings: Batch 1: 10.00 am to 11.00 am, Batch 2: 5.00 pm to 6.00 pm

2.New Delhi:

National Institute of Amateur Radio

Contact: Mrs.D.Bharathi Prasad, VU2RBI Telephone: 011-2617 8154 Cell: 09811 547109 Email: bhartahipd@yahoo.com

3.Bengaluru:

Indian Institute of Hams, 2nd Floor, Sree Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium, Kasturba Road, Bengaluru 560001, Karnataka.

Contact: Mr.S.Satyapal, VU2FI Telephone: 080-2666 4501 Cell: 94483 02677 Email: ham7388@gmail.com URL: www.indianhams.com

4.Thiruvananthapuram:

Kerala Science & Technology Museum, Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala.

Next Batch starts on 19th December 2009: Classes are on Saturdays & Sundays at 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm for 4 weeks

Contact: Allen, VU3AUZ Cell: 94473 19727 Email: allen_marian2005@yahoo.com

5.Kolkata:

Indian Wave of Amateur Radio, Flat 501, 60 New G.T.Road, Uttarpara 712258, West Bengal

Contact: Mr.Tapas Chakraborthy, VU2TKC Telephone: 033-2663 4171 Cell: 98311 93390 Email: vu2iwa@gmail.com URL: www.vu2iwa.org

6.Orissa:

Orissa State Disaster Management Authority, Rajiv Bhavan, Unit 5, Bhubaneswar-751001.

Email: osdma@osdma.org www.osdma.org

7.Chennai:

Contact: Mr.G.Madhavan, VU2GHX, 19 Station View Road, Kodambakkam, Chennai-600024, Tamilnadu

Tel: 044- 2472 3635, 2372 1099

8.Pollachi:

Mr.S.Vijayan, VU2WDP, 2/140, Raju Nagar, Chinnampalayam, Pollachi 642001, Tamilnadu

Contact: Tel: 04259-236667 Cell: 94420 0 5599 Email: vu2wdp@yahoo.com

(Jose Jacob, VU2JOS ,National Institute of Amateur Radio)

Lecture cum demo on Ham Radio at Shimoga

Location: Sahyadri Science College, Shimoga, Karnataka Occassion: Part of the Mid-Term Camp - organised by PATHWAYS Training and Placement Cell. Programme: 10.30 AM - 12..00 Noon - Introduction to the Hobby - Techniques, Technology, requirements, etc. - VU2MUD - Madhukar

12.00 Noon - 1.00 PM - Rules Regulations Operating Procedures. - VU2BCP - Basavaraj Patil

2.00 PM Onward - Live Demo of Ham Radio Communication - HF/VHF - Voice, CW, Etc. Followed by Interactive session to clarify doubts based on the day's Programme.

I request all HF active hams to support the demo on the air at 14.00 IST on 19th December, 2009. Operating frequency will be 7.050 MHz - SSB or 7.020 CW

Best Regards Madhukar - VU2MUD

(Via vuhams yg)

140 radios from 50 countries will participate in the Radio1812 event !

For the fourth year in a row, radio stations from across the world will come together to celebrate International Migrants Day by producing, broadcasting and sharing programmes that will make migrants voices heard across the world.

In his statement UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says that: "migration can be a positive and empowering experience for migrants themselves, and for both the home and host societies. But for too many migrants, the reality is discrimination, exploitation and abuse."

As December 18 we aim to raise awareness about these issues and are therefore very pleased with the continued and growing participation of radios, community-based as well as public and international broadcasters.

A special world map on the front page of the Radio1812 site shows the participating radio stations as well as a list of events to celebrate International Migrants Day.

On the site you will also find a selection of the programmes produced by the participants as well as special content which the team at Radio1812 has put together, including:

- An interview with Mr. Alhamid El Jamri, Chair of the UN Committee on Migrant Workers (in French) - An interview with Greek filmmaker Costa Gravas, who chaired the Civil Society Days at the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Athens (in French) - A report on Migration and Climate Change (in English) - An interview with Khalid Louhichi from the League of Arab States on the topic of youth and migration (in French) - A report on Cartaya, a case study of a circular migration project in Southern Spain (Spanish)

For more information please go to www.radio1812.net or send a message to radio1812@december18.net Contact: René Plaetevoet - 32-2-2741435

(Via creative-radio yg)

India woman's cry for help wins RNW competition

Published on : 17 December 2009 - 2:32pm By RNW English section

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/india-woman%E2%80%99s-cry-help-wins-rnw-competition

Lalit Lok Vaani (Lalitpur) and Dhadkan Radio (Shivpuri) receive their GoPAs

UNICEF has great pleasure in announcing that the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India, has signed Grant of Permission Agreements (GoPA) to establish CR stations in Lalitpur (UP) and Shivpuri (MP) with Saijyoti Gramodhyog Samaj Seva Sansthan, Lalitpur, and Sambhav Social Service Organization, Gwalior. Both CR stations are being supported by UNICEF India as part of its Behaviour Change Communication programme in these two districts; and are expected to be on air within the next three months.

Saijyoti has been working in Lalitpur district over the last decade on issues around health, education, sanitation, minority rights and community empowerment. Lalit Lok Vaani, the proposed station in Lalitpur, will make programmes addressing development needs in Bundelkhand, along with programmes that offer local communities an opportunity to showcase the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the region. Situated 15 km outside Lalitpur town near Village Alapur, on the road to Jakhlaun and Deogarh, Lalit Lok Vaani's studio was inaugurated in September 2008 at a grand function at which a number of community members and village leaders participated. Sambhav has been working in Shivpuri district over the last two decades on issues around health, education, sanitation & safe drinking water, minority rights and community empowerment; and also runs the Shri Padmasambhav Eye Hospital in Shivpuri. Radio Dhadkan, the proposed station there, is colocated with the hospital, and will make programmes addressing the development needs in the region, while highlighting the cultural traditions, history and environmental heritage of the region. Dhadkan Radio's studio was inaugurated in March 2009 at a well attended function that featured traditional entertainers alongside a showcase of radio programmes made by the community radio team there.

UNICEF India has supported both stations with technical, training and programmatic support as part of its Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) programme in these districts. UNICEF India works in 17 districts across 13 states of the country, where it provides in-field support to development sector civil society organizations, and partners with the national and state government to improve the health, nutrition and other key social outcomes for children and their families. UNICEF India has been a core supporter of community radio since the evolution of the new policy in 2006, which allowed civil society organizations to apply for permission to set up and run community radio stations: This has been a part of UNICEF's commitment to communication for development (C4D), a systematic, planned and evidence-based strategic process to promote positive and measurable individual behaviour and social change. UNICEF sees C4D as a combination of dialogue and consultation with, and participation of children, their families and communities. It privileges local contexts and relies on a mix of communication tools, channels and approaches. Community Radio is thus an integral part of UNICEF's development programmes, policy advocacy and humanitarian work in the country. As part of UNICEF's support to both stations, the teams at Lalit Lok Vaani and Radio Dhadkan have received technical inputs and training from Ideosync Media Combine, a communication for development organization with long standing experience in community media, grassroots empowerment and the development of audience-driven and -derived communication tools and research processes. Ideosync has trained local volunteers and NGO staff members in radio programming, technical production skills and broadcast management; as well as provided inputs on the design of the studios and equipment setups. Supriya Mukherji Programme Communication Specialist UNICEF 73 Lodi Estate New Delhi 110003 ( Via cr-india mailing list)

EMR relay this Sunday & Radio City

EMR relay this Sunday Date 20th of December 2009 Time 10.00 to 1100 UTC Channel 6140 kHz

Programmes: 10.00 Tom Taylor programme 10.30 Mike Taylor (Mail Box programme) HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR LISTENERS! ALSO A GREAT NEW YEAR! EMR Internet radio service on Sunday and Monday Programme repeats are at the following times: 10.00, 13:00, 16:00, 19:00, 22:00 utc Please visit www.emr.org.uk and click on the "EMR internet radio" button which you will find throughout the website (see the menu on the left). Please send all reception reports to: studio@emr.org.uk

---------------------------------

Radio City Relay on 9510 kHz Dear Listeners, This Saturday the 19th of December 2009 Radio City will return to the Airwaves via Nexus (ex. IRRS) with 150 kW on 9510 kHz. The time slot is 09.00 - 10.00 utc Our contact address is still citymorecars@yahoo.ca Best regards Radio City - the Station of the Cars Good listening

73s Tom Taylor

KBS Domestic relay testing on 6015 kHz

KBS Radio 3 HLKC-Voice of Love is relayed on 6015kHz.

I confirmed it *2100 on Dec. 16. //639kHz, The ID is before the time pips, ID as "KBS Je sam Radio, Sarang-ui Sori Bansong, HLKC"

Audio File : http://ndxc.org/aoki/binews/au/kbs3-20091217-0400_6015.mp3

It is the first time that Radio 3 is relayed on SW. The schedule of Radio3 at *2100-1800* . KBS Global Korean Network HLCA carry on 6015kHz to +0400-0858* on Dec. 16. It seems to be test broadcast.

de Hiroshi

S.Hasegawa NDXC

(Sei-ichi Hasegawa via DX Listening Digest)

Mahabalipuram Eye ball Meet on 13th February 2010

I am glad to inform you that the venue for the Annual MABALIPURAM MEET on 13th February 2010 has been fixed at Tamilnadu tourism development corporation beach resort complex on east coast road. There is a bus stop there. Ask for tamilnadu hotel stop. It is 1 km from the checkpost bus stop. Walkable distance from Adyar Anandabhavan at Jawaharlal Nehru Rest House. Room rent is 1750 plus tax, for double occupancy and Rs.500 for extra bed. Swimming pool is free. All cottages face the beach.

There is no delegate fee but contributions are accepted and payable to S.K.Vittal.Since Sunday the 14th happens to be Valentines day please book your rooms in advance. Cottages at TTDC RESORT can be booked on line at www.ttdconline.com.

73s

VU2VIT

Radio Broadcasting in Asia and the "Voice of America"

http://tinyurl.com/ygvdtvp

World's first USB Radio ?

Here's a report on Thanko USB Shortwave AM/FM Radio which some pundits say as "world's first USB radio" ? http://www.ohgizmo.com/2009/12/15/thanko-raremono-usb-shortwave-radio/

AIR covers mere 24.55 pc area of country through FM

By: RnM Team 15 Dec 09 16:18 IST NEW DELHI: All India Radio covers 24.55 per cent area of the country through FM broadcasting, a service that is operation in 172 towns and cities. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting S Jagathrakshakan told Parliament on Tuesday that while a total of 251 private FM channels were broadcasting in 26 states and union territories in the country, no study had been carried out about the area they covered.

Read the full story here http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/air-covers-mere-2455-pc-area-country-through-fm

Antenna workshop at Kollam

The QUILON AMATEUR RADIO LEAGUE will be conducting an Antenna Workshop on 9th & 10th Jan 2010 at Kollam. It Is proposed to assemble the following types of antenna's :

1. VHF :

i. J.Beam. ii Dual Beam. 2. H.F.

i. 80/40/20m verticals( 2M Length ) ii. 80M trap dipole. iii. 20M Two element yagi. iv. 5 band spider antenna (Hexa beam)

Those who want to participate the workshop may kindly register their name before 31st Dec 2009 with VU2SYT at vu2syt@yahoo.com (spot registration will not be allowed) . Sufficient no of connectors and cables will be available at the workshop on payment. All are requested to bring their own tools for assembling the antenna. Those who want to assemble the antenna may kindly intimate their requirement to VU2SYT by email so that we may collect the materials for the antenna in advance. 73 VU2SYT (Secretary, QARL)

QUILON AMATEUR RADIO LEAGUE POST BOX.No 335, KOLLAM - 691001 , KERALA

EMAIL : vu2kgn@yahoo.com, vu2syt@yahoo.com Mob: 9847690373 & 9446854749

Radio amateurs in India get new frequencies

Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, who is the President of ARSI - the IARU recognized national organization of India, is said to be reporting that the "Wireless Planning & Coordination Wing (WPC), India's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Department of Telecommunications have written to him to inform them that 10100-10150 kHz has been allocated to Amateur Radio Services on a secondary basis in India. This means that VU2 hams are free to use this on a non-interference basis with existing users of these frequencies.Earlier, temporary permission was issued from time to time for this WARC band. It has also been communicated to Gopal that the 50-52 MHz (6m) band cannot be allocated now since it has already been allocated to otherservices.

ADDED NOTE: Steve, VU3USJ, mentions, "Gopal, VU2GMN, who has been in contact with the relevant authorities in Delhi, says he is trying to clarify if SSB will be included with the permanent allocation.I believe Australia is the only other country allowing SSB on 10 MHz for hams." http://www.southgatearc.org/news/december2009/india_gets_10100_10150khz.htm

Ham Radio Class in Trivandrum

A course in Amateur radio and basic electronics is being organized by the Kerala Science and Technology Museum authority. The course will start on 19th December. The course duration is 4 weeks. Classes will be on Saturday and Sunday evenings from 4pm to 6pm. The course fee is Rs: 600/-

The study kit consists of a book explaining the necessary electronics, rules, etc. and a Morse key.There will be both theory and practical sessions in which students will be taught CW and introduction to homebrewing. Interested persons are requested to register at the earliest. Only 20 students per batch.

With Regards Allen, VU3AUZ. +91-9447319727

Ham Classes in Bangalore

Ham Classes starting on 12th Saturday at 6 pm. Three weeks course i.e. Saturdays 6 pm to 8 pm. and Sundays morning 10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fees Rs.1200/- for working people and Rs.900/ for Students.

Exam during end of Jan. 2010 conducted by Ministry of Communication, Govt. of India for grant of Ham operating licence.

Classes to be held at INDIAN INSTITUTE OF HAMS, 2ND FLOOR, SREE KANTEERAVA OUTDOOR STADIUM, KASTURBA ROAD, BANGALORE-1.

Registration at 5.30 p.m. on wards on 12th Saturday.

(Sathyapal, Director, IIH, 94483 02677 via vuhams)

60th Anni. of VOA's Ukrainian service

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

OF MARYLAND

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

More at :

http://tinyurl.com/yh3buu6

AIR Cricket coverage for India-Srilanka T-20/ODI Cricket Series -2009

All India Radio will broadcast live commentary alternately in Hindi & English of the India vs SriLanka T-20/ODI Cricket Series -2009 as per following schedule :

Date Timings(IST) Venue

09 Dec 2009 1700-2030* 1st Twenty 20 International Nagpur 12 Dec 2009 1700-2030* 2nd Twenty 20 International Mohali 15 Dec 2009 0830-1700* First ODI Rajkot 18 Dec 2009 1400-2230* Second ODI Visakhapatnam 21 Dec 2009 1400-2230* Third ODI Cuttack 24 Dec 2009 1400-2230* Fourth ODI Kolkata 27 Dec 2009 0830-1700* Fifth ODI Delhi

(* or till the end of match)

Live commentary will be available on selected SW, 66 MW & on all FM Gold channels. There will be updates on FM Rainbow channels.

KBS World Radio Now Available on Nokia Cell Phones

KBS World Radio launched broadcast services Wednesday for users of Nokia portable gadgets around the world, which is a first for a domestic terrestrial radio broadcaster. By installing the Nokia Internet Radio on portable terminals, users can listen to KBS World Radio's programs and music in real time delivered in eleven languages at any place where Internet access is available. KBS World Radio's popular Korean language program "Let's Learn Korean" is also accessible via the service. Despite the growing popularity of Apple's iPhone, Nokia continues to lead in the global mobile market with a 37 percent share in cell phone sales and a 45 percent share in smart phones. The BBC, Deutsche Welle and Radio France Internationale also broadcast on Nokia Internet Radio.

(KBS Press Release)

IGNOU's Gyaan Vani stations to air Radio Netherlands content

By: RnM Team 10 Dec 09 13:47 IST MUMBAI: Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) has entered into a new partnership with the Gyaan Vani radio channels promoted by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). IGNOU is a central open University with about two million students in India and 35 countries abroad. The stations will now broadcast RNW's weekly radio programme Earth Beat, Radio Netherlands Worldwide's sustainability show.

Read the full story here :

http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/ignous-gyaan-vani-stations-air-radio-netherlands-content

FRS Dec. 27th broadcast

Following our November 15th & 22nd broadcasts a few weeks ago, FRS-Holland will again take to the airwaves over the X-Mas Holiday Season. December 27th FRS-Holland will continue a long time tradition. And that means we invite you- the listener– to participate. Forward your very own personal New Year Greetings to the Free Radio Service Holland and we will make sure it'll be read out during our broadcast. You can dedicate your greetings to friends etc. but you can also make a 'general NY Greeting. It can be written or (preferably!) taped (cassette, CD, MD or MP3 file) and send to our P.O.Box 2702, 6049 ZG Herten in the Netherlands. Of course the easy & quick way is by sending an e-mail to frs@frsholland.nl or frs.holland@hccnet.nl. You can add something special to our December 28th broadcast by participating. So….don't hesoitate and take part in the FRS Party that day. It'll be great fun. Make sure your contribution reaches us before December 16th. We are looking forward hearing from you !!! Tune in on the 27th...it'll be worth while!!! December 27th FRSH will be on 7600//5810 kHz for at least 4 hours. After close down, the full programming will be repeated! Pxs will be presented by Jan van Dijk doing the German show. Dave Scott will be playing classic rock and has a few interesting radio related items. Hopefully Paul Graham will be hosting another classic FRS Golden Show playing great 60s/ 70s stuff as well as a feature on a landbased pirate radio station from years gone by. Peter Verbruggen will look back to what happened in the past on December 27th (Day Calendar) en plays a mix of 80s/90s/00s records in FRS Magazine. He will also host a 45 min. FRS Goes DX edition with the latest news from the wonderful world of wireless . Mike Anderson's DX Welle will feature a mix of DX News and music. During the pxs we will read out November mail and New Year's Greetings. There also isthe Phrase that Pays'. Pxs will most likely commence at 07.52 UTC/ 08.52 CET and last 4 or 5 hours. All shows will be repeated on the same frequencies, during the afternoon hours. That day FRS will likely also be heard via the Internet. 73s, Peter V. (on behalf of the FRS staff) FRS-Holland POBox 2702 6049 ZG Herten The Netherlands

VOA expands SMS news and information delivery worldwide

Washington, D.C., December 8, 2009 – As people turn to mobile devices for news and information, Voice of America (VOA) is ramping up delivery of SMS – short messaging service – alerts to inform its worldwide audience. "The growth of mobile technology is largely due to young, urban users of new technology," said Gwen Dillard, director of VOA's Africa Division. "It's important to reach this market and try to shape their news habits, since they will socialize the next generation of users. The competition is already fierce. We need to respond to this growing market." VOA has teamed up with local providers to deliver SMS in places such as:

Nigeria - VOA Hausa Service has over 13,700 subscribers in an arrangement with Dottxt where users can get up to four alerts a day.

Kenya - More than 1,000 people have signed up for the VOA Swahili Service through Safaricom.

Ghana - More than 144,000 subscribers signed up for VOA English-language alerts through a partnership with Tigo.

Pakistan - VOA's Urdu Service broadcasts show audio newscasts available on cell phones three times a day.

Indonesia - VOA has an arrangement with Jatis to send out two SMS headlines daily.

China - VOA English-learning materials are embedded on Nokia cell phones. By the end of 2008, there were 357,502 downloads of VOA Mandarin material by about 210,000 users of Nokia phones.

Iran - Plans are under way for VOA's Persian News Network to add an application tApple iPhones, allowing Iranians to download Farsi broadcasts.

In addition to text messaging and Web applications, VOA is upgrading and expanding its current 17 mobile websites to include a full range of graphics, audio and video news content. Many of the other language services – there are 45 – will soon launch SMS news alerts, including Special English, French-to-Africa and the Zimbabwe Service.

(VOA Press Release)

1000 kW DRM compatible MW Txer formally inaugrated at Bangladesh

By: Alokesh Gupta 09 Dec 09 19:00 IST

Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated newly commissioned 1000 kilowatt medium wave transmitter of Bangladesh Betar set up at a cost of more than 35 crore taka at Dhamrai today. This new solid-state 1000 kW medium wave (MW) transmitter replaces the 36 year old valve type 1000 kW MW transmitter. The new transmitter is compatible for DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) broadcasts in future. The new transmitter of super power transmitting station at Dhamrai, Dhaka is the heart of the Bangladesh Betar & is used to broadcast radio programmes covering 95% area of the country. It broadcasts centrally produced radio programmes and plays an important role during natural disaster.

Bangladesh Betar Dhaka Station broadcasted the inaugural function live while Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur and Sylhet regional stations of Bangladesh Betar relayed the proceedings simultaneously. The superpower transmitter was originally commissioned on an area of 63 acres of land at Dhamrai with the assistance of the then Soviet Union government at the interest and direction of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1972. The broadcasting formally began on 16th may in 1976.

National Workshop on "Quick & Effective Communication platforms for Disaster Management"

A two day National Workshop on "Quick & Effective Communication platformsfor Disaster Management" is being organized by the Department of Electronicsand Communication Engineering, Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering, Mylavaram, Krishna District during 17-18, December 2009. A cluster of eminent professionals from the Govt. organizations will deliverthe lectures during the programme.

The objective of the workshop is :

- To provide common platform to share views, knowledge and educate / peopleaware in the field of disaster communications.

- To aware the concepts of transceivers

- To explore the design technique of antenna used for disaster communication

- To provide Hands-on-training using sophisticated equipment.

Eligibility : Faculty of Engineering Colleges & students of BTech ECE,EEE,EIE,CSE and IT branches from Universities / Engineering colleges, institutions/ R & Dorganizations.

Benefits:-

- To aware the concepts of transceivers

- Be an emergency radio operator

- Quality for search and Rescue communication

- Talk to the international space station

- Use IRLP to talk to Antarctica and other countries

- Join a community emergency program

- Experience radio direction finding- Practice moon bounce communication

- Just talk to friends worldwide

- Have unique callsign of your interest- Using echolink and connect to internet

- Training to get a licence from the Govt. of India valid worldwide

Registration Fee For faculty: Rs. 400/- per participant

For students : Rs. 200/- per participant

DD to be taken in favor of CPDM 09, payable at Mylavaram, Krishna Dist. Accommodation will be provided on prior request.

Submission of Registrations: on or before 15th December 2009

Address for correspondence:

Coordinator: CPDM -09, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering, L.B. Reddy Nagar, Mylavaram-521230 Krishna

District.

Ph: 08659-222933

e-mail:cpdm09@gmail.com, ece.lbce@gmail.com

A copy of the brochure and registration form is available at NIAR.

Yamini, VU2YAM

----------------------

National Institute of Amateur Radio

Raj Bhavan Road, Somajiguda

Hyderabad 500082, INDIA

Telefax: 91-40-2331 0287

Tel: 91-40-6516 7388E

mail: niarindia@hotmail.com, vu2nro@gmail.com

Web site: www.niar.org

Club station: VU2NRO 14160 kHz

AIR FM sneaks ahead of Red FM in Mumbai

By: RnM Team 05 Dec 09 12:52 IST MUMBAI: The commentary of the first test match between India and Sri Lanka (which gave some nail biting moments to the Indians) probably helped push up All India Radio FM Gold's listenership share in week 47, but only in Mumbai. Gold thus sneaked past Red FM for the first time, staking claim to numbertwo position in the metropolis.

Read the full story here : http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/ram-stats/air-fm-sneaks-ahead-red-fm-mumbai

I&B min to organise community radio consultations across cities

By: Anita Iyer 08 Dec 09 17:20 IST MUMBAI: In a move aimed at encouraging more community radio stations in India, the ministry of Information and Broadcasting is organising a series of state-level workshops across the country. The ministry has already held three consultations in November at Rajashthan, Shillong and Haryana. Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia are the facilitators for the workshop. Read the full story here : http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/ib-min-organise-community-radio-consultations-across-cities

BBC Hindi signs agreement with Big FM

BBC has signed signed an agreement of partnership with the radio channel Big FM after which BBC FM programs will now be heard in 33 more cities of India.FM programs can be heard in 87 cities in India out of which BBC can now be heard in 50 cities which includes big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Srinagar & Surat.

BBC World Service explores climate change in Mekong Delta

To explore the effects of the changing climate on life in the Mekong Delta, BBC World Service has launched a special project, Climate Change And Vietnam. During a three-day boat-trip along the Mekong river, BBC World Service's multi-language, multimedia team will report to the BBC's global audience of 233 million on the efforts already being undertaken to adapt to the changing environment and the potential impact across the region and wider world. The BBC boat set sail today (Monday 7 December) from Ho Chi Minh City with BBC World Service English, BBC Afrique, BBC Burmese, BBC Chinese, BBC Indonesia, BBC Urdu and BBC Vietnamese journalists on board, to examine issues which affect Vietnam, the wider region and the rest of the world. Also on board are climate experts, NGO representatives and government officials. The overarching theme of the BBC coverage is the relation between climate change, on the one hand, and the regional and global food and water security on the other. The BBC investigates how the Mekong Delta, dubbed the rice basket of Asia, is coping with rising sea levels and increased water salinity; discusses existing methods of dealing with flooding including mangrove planting, and cultivation of saline-tolerant varieties of rice and fruit; and asks officials about measures being put in place to deal with flooding and cyclones. The Climate Change And Vietnam Project Manager, James Sales, says: "The security of this fragile ecosystem, which is the Mekong Delta, is vital to millions of people. "As the eyes of the world are fixed on the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the BBC's multilingual teams, broadcasting to audiences across regions and continents, are embarking on this journey so we can help inform the global debate with inputs from people representing various backgrounds and agendas."The boat journey includes stops in My Tho and Can Tho City. From these locations, the teams will make trips to the Thoi Son sand islet, a floating market, a uniquely Vietnamese fusion such as a VAC farm, and other places, reporting Vietnam's climate story to the rest of the world." (BBC World Service Publicity)

Upcoming holiday Happy Station Specials

December 24, 2009 - Happy Station's Chrismas Special ALL REGIONS Tom Meijer will make an appearance with a song recorded for this show. Also a number of other surprises.

Happy Station New Years Specials 0200UTC to 0400UTC - Latin/South America/Caribbean My guest co-host will be David Monson. We have a number of contributions sent in from different places.

1600UTC to 1800UTC - North America This show will be done live from Hong Kong with many more contributions. Bob Zanotti and Bob Thomann will join me on this show and they will present a special Swiss Merry Go Round. The first new show since 1994. We will also be cutting to a live concert of the Hong Kong Symphony's year end concert. I will also be announcing the winners for our year end contest:

Prizes are: 1. Sangean ATS909 2. Sangean ATC606a 3. Jerry Berg's books 4. One year membership to Communication's from the BDXC 5. 10 CD's of Easy Come, Easy Go from Tom Meijer

For station's that relay Happy Station they will get a 55min edited version of the live show.

Starting in 2010 three MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) stations will start to carry The Happy Station Show. And the ABC Radio affiliate in Adelaide. Also WRN's European feed. When the dates are confirmed I will post them.

Finally. This week at 0200UTC (December 10) the transmission to Latin/South America will be live. If your out of this area you can tune to the webstream at http://www.facebook.com/l/570d1;www.wrmi.net .

Keith Perron

Himachal chief minister launches Meow radio station

Shimla, Dec 6 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Sunday launched an FM radio station - Meow 104.8 FM - here.

More at :

http://trak.in/news/himachal-chief-minister-launches-meow-radio-station/32020/

Community Radio Station to start at Lalitpur, U.P

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station at Sai Jyoti Gramodhyog Samaj Sewa Samiti, Lalitpur, U.P. 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 62 in the country.

The Sai Jyoti Gramodhyog Samaj Sewa Samiti focuses on addressing the social, economic and political deprivation of the community by regularly mobilizing local funds and also organizing health camps and awareness programme in the project location. The organization has also imparted training programs with the support of UNICEF (Jalnigam), DRDA, Lalitpur on hand pump mechanism, SHG'S Training etc. The Organization has been actively involved in social development work and creative awareness on water & sanitation, HIV/AIDS, NSV and Polio Immunization.

The Ministry encourages setting up the Community Radio Station as it promises to provide an opportunity to the local communities to express themselves, share their views and particularly the empowerment of women, youth and the marginalized groups to take part in local self governance and overall socio, economic and cultural development in the area. The CRS programs will be based on developmental, agricultural, health, educational, environmental, social welfare, community development and cultural programs.

(Public Information Bureau, Govt. Of India)

Botswana ignores Zim threats over VOA

BAME PIET Staff Writer

Botswana has said it no longer listens to complaints from Zimbabwe over the Voice of America broadcasts relayed through its territory.

Read the story here http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=186&dir=2009/December/Friday4

With no ITU registration border FM radio at risk

KOSH RAJ KOIRALA KATHMANDU, Dec 5: The government´s failure to maintain trans-border coordination while ssuing radio frequency licenses in the bordering Tarai districts has placed the investment in FM adio stations at risk. The failure of trans-border coordination has not only led to the problem of requency overlapping, but also left the FM radio frequencies insecure, with the prospect of having to shut down promptly if International Telecommunications Union (ITU) regulations are nything to go by. Trans-border coordination in radio frequencies is effected at the government level through ITU, a specialized agency of the United Nations that looks after the management of radio and telecom frequencies.

Read the full story here : http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=12547

5th Wellenforum Christmas Contest

Hallo friends, Here are the details for 5th wellenforum Christmas Contest : 1. Contest period From 21. Dec 2009 (00.00 UTC) until 3. Jan 2010 (23.59 UTC) wellenforum is presenting the 5th wellenforum Christmas Contest. 2. Stations During the contest bc stations on long- and mediumwave should be logged. 3. Participation Conditions Participation is free and irrespective of any listener's club membership. Newcomers as well as medium wave specialists can participate. Every station has to be heard at least for 10 minutes. Notes on the programme heard have to be logged as detailed as possible to really identify the station (no empty phrases like "music", "news" etc.). 4. Scoring Every bc station heard on longwave and mediumwave can be logged. Logs without a clear identification will be awarded only one third of the points achievable for this station. Points for a certain log are depending on the CIRAF zone of the particular station. The CIRAF zones are based on the publication "EDXC RADIO Countries" that we will provide together with this invitation. Scoring scheme: Station logged from the same CIRAF zone as the place of reception - 10 points Station logged from a CIRAF zone bordering the zone containing the place of reception - 20 points All other stations - 30 points Example: Your place of reception (QTH) is in Germany - therefore your CIRAF zone is 28. All stations from this zone are worth 10 points. Logs from CIRAF zones bordering zone 28 are worth 20 points. In this case bordering zones are 18, 27, 29, 37, 38 and 39. Stations from any other CIRAF zone are worth 30 points. 5. Sending your logs Please send all your logs in one single (!) email until 10. Jan 2010 per email to :contest@wavetalk.org: "frequency - date - time - ITU - station - SIO - details" e.g.: "1395 - 22/12/2009 - 2200 - G - Big L - 333 - Music (Michael Jackson "Thriller", ID "Big L", Music (Santana "Maria")" Please also do not forget to send your real name, your place of reception (QTH), your RX and Ant. details as well as the CIRAF zone you are in! We will be using this data for the complete listing of all logs. 6. Award Every participant will receive a participation certificate showing individual score and ranking prompt after the contest has finished. 73, Friedhelm Wittlieb Contestmanager -- QTH: Lünen / NRW (near Dortmund) Grundig Satellit 700 with Martens frame antenna (MW) member of the addx and medium wave circle uk "Verifications Editor" - Medium Wave News *****************************************

Positive feedback from the EBU/DRM Conference

London, 2nd December 2009: DRM digital radio technology received great interest from the 80 delegates present at the DRM Conference organised by the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva. The conference, held on 26th November 2009, was attended by participants from 25 countries (mainly from Europe but also from as far afield as Chile and Australia) who represented all broadcasting stake holders including regulators, broadcasters, equipment and chipset manufacturers.

The event brought into focus the recent developments in the DRM technology - the standardisation of DRM+ and the publication of DRM Receiver Profiles. This conference highlighted the market potential of the DRM system and evaluated the results from its tests from various locations worldwide. It also allowed a healthydiscussion on different business cases and real achievements in getting DRM receivers on the market. Supported with excellent organisation by the EBU, the Consortium was able to highlight the achievements andchallenges of the DRM technology and present its potential as the global solution for conversion of radio fromanalogue to digital.

DRM Chairperson, Ruxandra Obreja, expressed her satisfaction at the event by saying: "Iam delighted that this was an interactive event able to demonstrate the great potential and benefits of DRM.From the feedback received the interesting presentations and discussions have impressed the participants,many of whom want to know more and attend similar events dedicated to the DRM technology."There were live demonstrations of the technology at the Conference venue. The event also provided agreat opportunity for networking and exchanging views on digital radio developments in different parts of theworld. To see and hear the presentations made on that day, please visit the EBU website: http://tech.ebu.ch/events/ebu_drm09

The DRM members can access also to all the presentations and view morepictures of the event on the FTP server under /presentations/ EBU-DRM conference.

(DRM Consortium Press Release www.drm.org )

Pictures at :

http://www.drm.org/news/detail/news/positive-feedback-from-the-ebudrm-conference/

Download the presentations here : http://tech.ebu.ch/events/ebu_drm09

World Radio TV Handbook 2010 is out !

64th edition of the bestselling directory of global broadcasting on LW, MW, SW and FM is now out. The Features section this year includes a look at some of the classic receivers of the Cold War period, a visit to the World Service of the BBC, a Samoan Radio Journey and our regular Digital Update.

The remaining pages are, as usual, full of information on :

• National and International broadcasts and broadcasters

• Clandestine and other target broadcasters

• MW and SW frequency listings

• Equipment reviews and articles

• Terrestrial TV by country

• Extensive Reference section

Visit WRTH website at www.wrth.com to find out more and to order a copy. To order online use this link :http://www.wrth.com/order_new.asp

Happy Station Show December 3, 2009 with Dody Cowan

Part 1 of my conversation with Dody Cowan of His & Hers is now online. Go to www.pcjmedia.com then click on program archives to download.

(Keith Perron)

Community Radio Station to Start at Shivpuri,Madhya Pradesh

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station at Sambhav Social Service Organization, Shivpuri, M.P. Letter of Intent had been issued to the Institute after recommendations of Inter Ministerial Committee for 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 61in the country.

The aim of the organization is to empower community members to create and access information relevant to their local development needs. Literacy and overall educational attainment are far lower among women than men in this area. The focus community is the Sahariya tribe which is traditionally a hunting and gathering society. As a result of political, economic and social marginalization, Sahariya community face enormous challenges to development. The Sahariya tribe has been an important constituent in Sambhav's development initiatives since its founding in 1988. The CRS programs will be based on developmental, agricultural, health, educational, environmental, social welfare, community development and other cultural programmes.

The Ministry encourages setting up the Community Radio Stations as it promises to provide an opportunity to the local communities to express themselves, share their views and particularly empower the women, youth and the marginalized groups to take part in local self governance and overall socio, economic and cultural development in the area.

(Press Information Bureau, Govt of India)

Community Radio Station to Start at Hisar, Haryana

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University. 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 60 in the country.The Community Radio Station, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar would be beneficial to communities surrounding suburban areas of Hissar. The objective is to reach out to the communites, particularly those who are poor, literally challenged farmers and socially culturally underprivileged people. The CRS aims to address issues that concern the community through participatory programmes, and improve the quality of life in general and agricultural activities of the farmers in particular. The Ministry encourages setting up the community radio station as Community Radio promises to provide an opportunity to the local communities to express themselves, share their views and particularly empower the women, youth and the marginalized group to take part in local self governance and overall socio economic and cultural development of the area. The CRS programs will be based on developmental, agricultural, health, educational, environmental, social welfare, community development and cultural programs.

(Press Information Bureau, Govt of India)

Voice of Russia Listeners Conference in New Delhi

On the ocassion of "Year of Russia" in India during 2008 & "Year of India" in Russia during 2009, Voice of Russia Hindi service is organising a listeners conference in New Delhi for radio listeners at Russian Science & Cultural Centre, New Delhi.

The 4th Voice of Russia listeners conference will be held for two days as foll : Dec 15, 2009 (Tues) - 11am to 1 pm IST Dec 16, 2009 (Wed) - 11am to 1 pm IST

Venue : Russian Science & Cultural Centre Embassy of Russia Cultural Department # 24 , Feroz Shah Road New Delhi 110001. E - mail: delhi@russiancentre.org.in

Terrestrial Radio Still Dominates Listening

Study in US shows that 77 percent of adults still listen to AM/FM radio on a daily basis. More at : http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=1609324

London-Based Broadcaster to Zimbabwe Takes Exception to Harare's 'Pirate' Label

SW Radio Africa founder Gerry Jackson says her station broadcasts legally to provide Zimbabweans with the news to which they are entitled Sandra Nyaira Washington 27 November 2009

Read the story here : http://www1.voanews.com/zimbabwe/news/africa/Zimbabwe-Pirate-Radios-27Nov09-76284292.html

Rural women launch community radio station in Gujarat

Gujarat Global News Network, Ahmedabad A community radio station (CRS) entirely managed by rural women was launched in the state on Thursday. The 49th CRS of the country called "Rudi No Radio" has been launched by SEWA academy.

Full story at : http://www.gujaratglobal.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1886&Itemid=38

Voice of Kuanghua

07:55-24:05 UTC on 9745 6105 711 981 801 840 kHz URL http://www.khmusic.com.tw (in Chinese) E-mail: lili329@ms45.hinet.net Mailing Address : P.O.Box 1700, Taipei, Taiwan. They issue 3 pieces QSL puzzle(not card!) forming the Taiwan island.

(Takahito Akabayashi, Japan)

Radio Australia celebrates 70 years on air

The ABC's international broadcaster Radio Australia celebrated 70 years on air at an event in Melbourne last night. Speaking at the birthday party, ABC managing director Mark Scott reflected on the role of the service, which broadcasts to Asia and the Pacific. He said Radio Australia suffered a near-death experience a little more than a decade ago, but is now more robust and valued than ever. Mr Scott said the service had transformed over the years in terms of technology and its content."Founded in a time of war, really to push a government line, it then transformed into a truly independent public broadcaster, broadcasting the best of Australia to the region, the best of Australia to the world, and having a profound impact in those countries who have received our services," Mr Scott said. "We used to broadcast in international languages, they were European languages. "Now we broadcast in Asian languages and local languages for our region, most recently Burmese. "Of course, shortwave was our key way of distributing our signal and still is. But now you can pick up Radio Australia, increasingly on FM, certainly online."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/02/2759249.htm?section=australia