Friday, July 31, 2009

Degen introduces new palm-sized digital receiver DE1125

(Photo Courtesy :Degen)


Degen has introduced a new palm-sized digital receiver DE1125

Features include :

- more compact size than the DE1123
- more portable, more attractive appearance
- shell surface treatment, making the surface of delicate shell smooth, high-strength wear-resisting.
- upgraded to 2GB of memory capacity (basic type), download more songs, longer recording.
- increased shuttle selection, selection more quickly and easily
- high-capacity removable lithium battery
- upgraded DSP performance
- short-wave reception circuit refinements, effective in improving the performance of short-wave receiver
- improved circuits, more effective to enhance the recording and playback clarity and fidelity

Zimbabwe lifts reporting ban on BBC and CNN after eight years

John Plunkett and Leigh Holmwood
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 29 July 2009 16.08 BST

The BBC and CNN will be able to report freely from Zimbabwe for the first time in eight years after restrictions were lifted by the country's government.

More at :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/29/zimbabwe-bbc-cnn

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

SLBC - Empowering the new transmitters and opening the digital archives

Wednesday, 29 July 2009 07:50
Empowering the new transmission equipments and opening of the new digital Archives at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation will be taken place under the patronage of Minsiter Anura Priyadarshana Yapa this morning. SLBC has increased its broadcasting capacity by fixing 6 new transmission machines in the Colombo premises. Main Engineer of the SLBC Wimal Priyadarshana says this heighten the listening quality of national radio. New digital archives has also been set up in order to conserve old and important tapes and records of the national radio. SLBC archives is the leading electronic media archives in the Asian Region.

Meanwhile SLBC Chairman Hudson Samarasinghe says media can achieve an enormous task in enhancing relationship between the Sinhalese and Tamil communities. National radio has started several projects in order to achieve this responsibility. MR.Samarasinghe revealed these facts at a media briefing held Colombo to introduce the latest radio drama series produced by Young Asia Television Company. These dramas will be broadcast on Wednesdays and Fridays both Sinhala and Tamil National Services. He further said that measures have been taken to increase quality of broadcast by fixing modern equipments. The national radio will give priority to enhance relationship among the ethnic communities.

(SLBC Press Release)

Radio Asia 2010





Radio Asia 2010 Press Release

Journey to the Digital Land: Addressing Diverse Radio Audiences and Markets

Radio broadcasters, communications academics and representatives of developmental agencies will gather to exchange views at the annual RadioAsia conference which is to be held for the first time in India in 2010. RadioAsia 2010 will be held in New Delhi from 22-24 February 2010, and will address pressing issues facing the resurgent radio broadcasting industry in India and the wider Asian region. RadioAsia - the only international radio programming event of its kind in the region – is organised annually by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), Asian Media Information and Communications Centre (AMIC) and Singapore Exhibition Services (SES). Over the years, this annual gathering of industry players has attracted a great deal of attention from radio broadcasters and other players in the radio industry across the world. Since its inception in 2005, eminent international speakers have gathered in Singapore to share their experiences in all spheres of the radio industry - public service, commercial and community radio.

In order to include a wider range of radio broadcasters in the conference, the organisers have now decided to rotate RadioAsia among different countries in the region, with the 2010 event being the first outside of Singapore. With developments unfolding in India at a rapid pace, the organisers believe that the timing of holding RadioAsia in India is opportune. The rotation of the event between different countries will enable radio broadcasters in those countries to participate and benefit from this international radio industry event.

RadioAsia 2010 will comprise a half day workshop followed by a two day conference where leading experts will deliver papers and presentations Most of the speakers and participants will be drawn from across Asia, but there will be many from the US and Europe as well.

For more information about RadioAsia2010 please visit
http://www.abu.org.my/RadioAsia2010/

Congo suspends Radio France International frequency

Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:51pm EDT
KINSHASA (Reuters) - The Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended transmission of French broadcaster Radio France International (RFI), a government spokesman said on Monday.


Radio and TV Coverage in J&K

28 July 2009, 16:46 IST
Under J&K Special Plan Phase-I approved in 1999, Doordarshan (DD) has set up 92 transmitter projects in Jammu & Kashmir. Terrestrial coverage has become available to 95% population of the state. Further, all uncovered areas of J&K along with rest of the country (except Andaman & Nicobar Islands) have been provided with multi channel TV coverage through DD’s free to air DTH service “DD Direct Plus”.

As part of Special Plan Phase-II for J&K approved in September, 2007, DD have provided 10,000 DTH sets along with TV sets to Government of J&K for uncovered areas. During the current financial year, an amount of Rs. 39.09 crore has been allocated, which includes an amount of Rs. 30.00 crore to be provided as Grants in aid and an amount of Rs. 9.09 crore as Loan to Prasar Bharati for improving Radio and television facility in J&K.

Under J&K Special Plan Phase-I, All India Radio (AIR) has also set up 10 new transmitters and upgraded 2 transmitters in J&K. Similarly under J&K Special Plan Phase-II, 11 number of DG Sets and 7 number of UPS have been approved for AIR. During the financial year 2009-10, an amount of Rs. 100 crore has been introduced for improvement of FM & TV coverage in J&K border areas. This scheme includes setting up of three FM/TV High Power transmitters at hilltops. In addition to this, Low Power Transmitters have also been proposed in uncovered regions.

(Press Information Bureau, Govt of India)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

BBC may broadcast educational programmes if swine flu shuts schools

Joanna Sugden, Patrick Foster and David Rose
From The Times July 28, 2009
The BBC could be forced to clear its schedules to make way for educational programming if a swine flu pandemic shuts schools.

More at :

Happy Station's Tribute To Dxers Part 2

Hi Everyone,
A number of people have been contacting me asking first if I was going to do a second special DXERS show and if I was when? The answer is YES and YES. Happy Station Tribute To Dxers Part 2
Air date: August 13, 2009
Time: This will be for the 1500UTC Transmission
Frequency: 9955khz

My guests and topics will be:
Soviet Jamming with a former Lithuanian Minister Of Communications and long time Dxer Rimantas Pleikys.
Simon Mason author of Secret Signals to talk about the mystery of spy number stations.
And the full interview with Jerry Berg about his books on the history of shortwave radio.
This show will air on World FM 88.5 fm in Tawa & Redwood, New Zealand on August 15, 2009 at 1000UTC. The webstream for that transmission can be heard at http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.worldfm.co.nz .
If you have any questions about that show my email is pcj.happystation@gmail.com
Keep Listening,
Keith Perron

BBC Russian launches online archive of key historical radio moments

The website of the BBC Russian service – bbcrussian.com – launched an archive of significant historical radio programmes from the past 45 years today.Among the voices featured in the audio archive are Alexander Kerensky, Prime Minister during the 1917 Russian Revolution; Nobel Laureates for Literature Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Joseph Brodsky; one of Russia's great poets Anna Akhmatova; and Stalin's daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva. It also features former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and former Beatle Paul McCartney – both of whom took part in live phone-ins with audiences in the USSR in the Eighties. The archive – which can be accessed through the radio page on bbcrussian.com – brings together more than 50 hours of audio from nearly half a century. It is divided into sections on Culture, Society, Britain, History and Music. The oldest recording in the archive is BBC Russian's coverage of the funeral of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1965. First recorded in 1982, author Alexander Solzhenitsyn reads his seminal work One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich. More recently, there are archive recordings of Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist who was murdered in 2006 in Moscow. There are also many recordings of the BBC Russian commentator Anatoly Goldberg who, for many generations of listeners in the Soviet Union, was a household name. Among the programmes, clips and speeches are old editions of iconic programmes like Sevaoborot – featuring legendary broadcaster Seva Novgorodsev – Citizen Of The World, and London A-Z. Sarah Gibson, Head of BBC Russian, says: "The Russian service continues to take pride in the range of topical voices it puts on air. "This archive will allow a new generation to hear some of the pivotal events and people which have appeared on the BBC in Russian, many of whom have had a profound impact on Russian life over the last century."Now that the vintage programmes have been digitised, BBC Russian plans to donate the original tapes of its historical archive to the Hoover Institution in the United States.

BBC Russian is a multimedia broadcaster offering radio and online 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), and are available direct to home through Hotbird 2 satellite. The 24/7 website bbcrussian.com offers news and information in text, audio and video.

(BBC World Service International Publicity)

Monday, July 27, 2009

Nautel to Provide Eighteen 25kW Transmitters to Argentina

July 23, 2009 Hackett’s Cove, Nova Scotia -- Nautel Limited has been selected by Radio Nacional de Argentina to provide eighteen NX25 AM transmitters for locations in provinces across the country. Delivery of the transmitters began last month and will continue through early 2010.The Nautel NX25 leverages Nautel’s advanced NX AM transmission platform to provide a 27.5 kW (maximum) power output in a compact footprint. Offering industry leading efficiency, outstanding linearity and robust solid state construction, the NX25 offers exceptional reliability and low maintenance. The company’s exclusive Advanced User Interface provides an onboard instrument grade spectrum analyzer and full control both locally and remotely using a web browser. Radio Nacional de Argentina selected the NX25 for its transmitters in Bariloche, Santa Rosa, Esquel, San Juan, Santo Tome, Viedma, Santa Fe, Tucuman, Bahia Blanca, San Salvador de Jujuy, Rio Turbio, Catamarca, Rio Grande, Salta, La Rioja, Formosa, Mendoza, and Santiago del Estero.“Nautel is thrilled to work with Radio Nacional de Argentina on this important project,” said Gerardo Vargas, Nautel’s Latin America Sales Manager. “Their choice of the NX25 confirms Nautel’s ability to provide robust, reliable transmitters for locations ranging from coastal urban centers to remote mountain locations.”

Uniwave Di-wave100 DRM receiver to cost $ 200 ?

RNZI Frequency Manager Adrian Sainsbury informs in the 27th July edition of RNZI mailbox program that Uniwave Di-wave 100 DRM receiver is expected for Europen launch by 2nd week of Sept'09 and the early production run will cost approx USD 200.

- Di-wave 100 will go into production in early Sept'09.
- Official launch at IBC, Netherlands (11-15 Sept'09)
- Europen launch expected by 2nd week of Sept'09
- Early Prodn run will cost approx USD 200.

Download the RNZI Mailbox program here :
http://www.rnzi.com/audio/mailbox.mp3

As per an email received from Uniwave Marketing during early July'09 I was informed that :

- Uniwave is finalizing prices and distribution network for India.
- Availability is expected by mid of september 2009 in India.
- First production lot will be limited quantity.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Radio Gloria International this Sunday

Date : 26th of July 2009
Time : 0900 to 1000 UTC
Channel : 6140 KHz

The transmissions of Radio Gloria will be broadcast over the will be 100 000 Watts, and we will
be using a non-directional antenna system (Quadrant antenna) transmitting station Wertachtal in Germany.

Good listening
73s Tom

Community Radio Station at Konark

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement with Young India, Konark, Orissa, for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station at Konark District Puri Orissa. Letter of Intent had been issued to the organization after recommendation 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 52 in the country.
The Community Radio Station is aimed to help the people in villages around Konark learning about water harvesting, safe water storage, water purification, and provide herbal health facilities to the villagers. It will also help improve governance by involving members of the community in developmental initiatives.
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 empower the women. Community Radio broadcasting has developed in response to the needs to grass root social movements, community based organization to find an accessible and affordable means to express their own issues, concerns, cultures and language, and to create an alternative to the state owned public broadcaster and to growth of private commercial media.

(Press Release, PIB, Govt of India)

Friday, July 24, 2009

Universal Radio's best offer in 67 years !

Buy a Grundig G4000A at special price of $ 99.99 & get free Grundig AN200 AM Loop Antenna + free Eton FR350 AM-FM-SW Radio

More at :
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/4000.html

I&B issues notice to Radio Ooo La La

MUMBAI: North east based Positive Radio owned FM venture, Radio Ooo La La is sailing in troubled waters, having defaulted on license fee payments and having to grapple with intra company issues. Positive Radio has four frequencies to carry out radio operations in the north east- Etanagar, Shillong, Guwahati and Agartala.

Harris Corporation Transmitters Support Launch of First DAB+ Digital Radio Services in Australia

SYDNEY, Australia, July 21, 2009 — Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, announced the sale and installation of its DMB 670 transmitters to support the build out of DAB+ digital radio services in Australia, the largest such service in the Southern Hemisphere. Installed and commissioned for Broadcast Australia pty Ltd by local Harris agent — The Bridge Networks (TBN) — the transmitters form the infrastructure foundation for the provision of DAB+ service to Australia's national broadcasters — the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Special Broadcasting Service (SBS).
DAB+ digital radio offers interference-free reception, digital sound quality and a wide and varied choice of stations that broadcast both nationally and locally. Launched in early July, the new digital radio service in Australia has a countrywide reach encompassing five major cities — Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney — enabling over 60 percent of the nation's population to receive DAB+ digital radio.
"Australia is pioneering DAB+ digital radio in the world, and Harris is delighted to share in this momentous event by supporting the build out of the country's first digital radio broadcasting infrastructure," said Tim Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications. "The success of digital audio services worldwide has fuelled the consumer demand for multimedia capabilities. Over time, the added functionality that DAB+ brings is set to considerably enhance the consumer experience by offering high-quality multichannel audio and rich media services, such as mobile video."
The core of the digital operation is Broadcast Australia's Network Operation Centre (NOC) in Sydney, which provides centralized monitoring and forward control of all the transmission sites. At its NOC, Broadcast Australia receives the encoded and multiplexed signal and provides broadcast transmission services for its customers. This hub allows Broadcast Australia to effectively manage the performance of the entire network, respond remotely to any issues and keep clients abreast of the live status of their broadcast.
"The customer had a unique requirement, and Harris actively collaborated with The Bridge Networks and Broadcast Australia to design new products to meet the customer's needs," said Chris Dredge, national sales manager at The Bridge Networks. "With a wide variety of power levels to address every transmission strategy, the Harris DMB transmitters allow broadcasters to better serve consumers by offering distortion-free reception and superior CD-quality sound that considerably enhance the overall listening experience."
Available in power levels from 125 W to 10 kW, the DMB 670 mates the world-standard DAB665 exciter with a new, compact amplifier system to provide powerful, efficient, air-cooled DAB/DMB transmitters. With a unique modular design that provides for maximum redundancy, along with dual, auto-switching transmitters and exciters to eliminate off-air time, the DMB 670 is able to support the demanding requirements of Broadcast Australia and their end customers.
All DMB 670 transmitters utilize Harris PowerSmart™ architecture, which features a new 50-volt LDMOS device that minimizes parts within the transmitter — creating a compact and energy-efficient solution that provides robust transmission output for reliable delivery of multimedia services. PowerSmart enables television and radio broadcasters to lower the cost of ownership over the course of the transmitter life through a cost-effective, compact and "green" energy-efficient design.
Harris Broadcast Communications offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions that span the entire media delivery chain. The Harris ONE™ solution brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that are ideal for emerging media business models and for customers upgrading media operations to digital and high-definition services.

Observations during Solar Eclipse from Denmark

Regarding the Total Solar Eclipse, I made the following observations here at my home in Skovlunde on July 22 (UTC):

INDIA
Freq 0030 0058 0110
(kHz) UTC UTC UTC
--------------------
Hyderabad 4800 S9+10 S9 S9
Bhopal 4810 S9+5 S9 S9
Mumbai 4840 S9+10 S9+10 S9+5
New Delhi 4860 S9+5 S5 faded out
Lucknow 4880 S9 S8 S7
Jaipur 4910 S9+10 S8 S8
Chennai 4920 S9+10 S9+5 S9+5
Srinagar 4950 S8 S5 S5 QRM Angola
Thiruvan.. 5010 S9+5 S8 S8
Jeypore 5040 S9 S7 S6

No other AIR stations were audible.

OTHER STATIONS on clear channels:
Freq 0015 0050
(kHz) UTC UTC

Laos 4412 not heard not heard
" 7145 not heard not heard
Vietnam 5925 not heard not heard
" 5975 not heard not heard
Bhutan 6035 not heard not heard
Malaysia 7130 not heard not heard
Thailand 12095 not heard not heard.

Thus, I did not recognize any effects of the total Solar Eclipse, just normal fade outs because of the sunrise !

But as a matter of fact, the Indian stations well heard, all had their reflections points in the ionosphere towards Denmark far to the northwest of India, so these reflections seems not affected by the total solar eclipse. Unfortunately I was unable to hear any stations which reflection points happened to hit the eclipse zone.

Best 73,
Anker Petersen
Danish SW Clubs International

VOA’S News & information critical to U.S. interests, Director tell Congress

Washington, D.C., July 23, 2009 – The Voice of America (VOA) remains critical to U.S. interests because it allows audiences to “cut through the din of shrill propaganda and the fog of misinformation and disinformation,” Director Danforth W. Austin told Congress today. Testifying before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Relations’ subcommittee on Europe, Austin also praised VOA’s employees and contractors worldwide. “It takes people – often very brave people working in dangerous places – to produce reports that form the basis of 1,500 hours of broadcasting each week,” he said. Austin joined Jeffrey Gedmin, president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) at a hearing entitled, “RFE/RL and VOA: Soft Power and the Free Flow of Information.” Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., subcommittee chairman, said the hearing “comes at a critical time as the world’s most repressive regimes, in places such as Iran, crack down, suppress and stifle freedom of the media and expression.” “President Obama has made international broadcasting a top priority for American foreign policy makers, and it is imperative that Congress provide additional funding and resources to give U.S. international broadcasters the tools they need to ensure the free flow of information,” Wexler said. Austin told the subcommittee that VOA, the largest U.S. international broadcaster reaching about 134 million people weekly in 45 languages, is a good investment for U.S. taxpayers. “We know our programs enhance … understanding of the United States, our policies, our culture and our people,” he said in his testimony posted at

By giving audiences “accurate, objective and comprehensive” news, VOA achieves a credibility with its audience that “lets them cut through the din of shrill propaganda and the fog of misinformation and disinformation that make up so much of the world’s media these days.” VOA’s broadcasts are “critical to the long-range strategic interests of the United States,” he added.
(VOA Press Release)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Bangladesh Betar disposes old SW & MW transmitters

Bangladesh Betar has issued tender notice to dispose off two of its transmitters :

100 kW MW, Make :RCA , Model BTH-100B
100 kW SW, Make :Continental, Model 418A-1

Both these transmitters served the Shavar transmission centre of Bangladesh Betar. The SW transmitter was presently non-operational, as per TDP this was installed in the year 1968.

IOTA SWL Contest 2009

Hello Friends,
Just a memo to remember that next weekend there will be the IOTA SWL Contest. You can find the rules at :
There are six categories with certificates to the top three SWLs in each category and the GEOFF WATTS SWL plaque to the leader in the 12 hours mixed category. Jeroen PD5CW already announced in the list that he will be QRV from EU-146. A number of other IOTA operations has been announced and can be found at http://www.ng3k.com/misc/iota2009.html . Your log is welcome.
73 de
Dan, I1-12387
IOTA SWL Contest Manager

A Man on the Street's View of Radio

by Tim Bealor, 07.22.2009

http://www.radioworld.com/article/84250

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

DW to broadcast educational programmes in Kerala,India

Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster, recently signed an agreement with IT@School-ViCTERS, India's first dedicated educational channel setup on EDUSAT. The agreement will offer schools and students across India the opportunity to access more than 200 hours of Deutsche Welle's educational television programming including the most popular educational program in Germany, "Mouse TV", as well as other documentaries and videos covering science, medicine, waste management, workplace safety, water, world cultures and the animal kingdom. "This new partnership offers Deutsche Welle a great platform to reach out to students at schools in India," says Angelika Newel, Head of Distribution Asia/Australia at Deutsche Welle. "We are confident that our brand of edutainment will be a hit with both students and teachers." "This association between DW and ViCTERS would provide students in Kerala with the opportunity to see and understand advanced educational video content of international standards, thus enabling them to think beyond the box to analyze what they learn at school," adds Anvar Sadath, Executive Director, IT@School- ViCTERS. ViCTERS (Virtual Class Technology on Edusat for Rural Schools), India's first dedicated educational channel based on EDUSAT for schools, was inaugurated in 2005 by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the then President of India. Kerala was the first state to make use of EDUSAT for transmitting educational programs for nearly 15,000 schools in 14 districts. Operational since 2007, ViCTERS is telecast 17 hours a day, from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm. It is distributed by local cable operators, and covers as much as 80% of the total households in Kerala. ViCTERS also facilitates interactive virtual classrooms that enable school students and teachers to directly communicate with subject experts and educationists. It ensures the dissemination of high-quality educational programming to students and teachers.

(DW Press Release)

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Wider Prasar Bharati Network

The number of transmitters in Doordarshan network has increased from 924 at the time of formation of Prasar Bharati to 1416 at present. Similarly number of All India Radio (AIR) transmitters has grown from 299 at the time of formation of Prasar Bharati to 374 as on date.

The areas uncovered by terrestrial transmission along with rest of the country have been provided with multi–channel TV coverage through Doordarshan’s free to air Direct to Home (DTH) service “DD Direct Plus”. DTH signals can be received in the entire country (except Andaman & Nicobar Islands) with help of a small sized dish receive units. To further increase the AIR coverage all over the country, 200 new transmitters have been approved in spillover scheme under 11th Plan. This information was given by Dr. S.Jagathrakshakan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
(Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India)

Monday, July 20, 2009

Feba celebrates 25 years in Zimbabwe

Feba Zimbabwe celebrates 25 years of radio ministry. Through difficult times of political and cultural change one constant has always been the hard work Feba staff put into spreading the Gospel and bringing hope.

More at :
http://www.feba.org.uk/newsbriefs/feba-celebrates-25-years-zimbabwe

DRM+ in Band I promoted in France

DRM+ in Band I promoted as a most suitable technology to complement other digital radio standards in countries like France

Report & pictures
http://tinyurl.com/lsvz9e

Presentation by Mrs. Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Chairman http://www.drm.org/fileadmin/media/downloads/2009-07-16_DRM_Paris.pdf

Presentation by M. Alexander Zink, Chairman DRM Distribution Interfaces and Vice Chairman DRM Technical Committee
http://www.drm.org/fileadmin/media/downloads/DRM-Feature-Overview_SNRL.fr_v1_zink_20090716.pdf

Friday, July 17, 2009

Passport to World Band Radio® in Limbo ?

As with any good recipe, a range of ingredients has to come together if a reference book is to succeed. Solid content is, of course, essential. But in recent months other considerations have had an increased bearing on the future of Passport to World Band Radio®. So it is that the 26th Edition of Passport to World Band Radio® is being held in limbo. Despite this, for now we are continuing to maintain the WorldScan® database and uphold all proprietary material. Among other things, this should help allow for an orderly return to production, under IBS' aegis or otherwise, should conditions allow.
For Passport® readers and our small team, alike, this is a seminal moment. After all, Passport to World Band Radio® goes back a quarter century and has had something like a million readers worldwide. But the future has its own rhythm that confounds prognostication. There may yet be more chapters to this story. Stay tuned.

Best regards,
Lawrence Magne,
Publisher
Passport to World Band Radio
International Broadcasting Services, Ltd.
mktg @ passband.com

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

QSL Card from Cheetah Radio


QSL from RTE International

More QSL's for IARU contest logs




Amit Baruah is appointed Head of BBC Hindi

BBC World Service has announced the appointment of Amit Baruah, a leading Indian print journalist, as the Head of BBC Hindi. Amit will be based in New Delhi and will be responsible for BBC Hindi service's multimedia output. He will also be BBC World Service's lead Editor for India. Amit Baruah, who has been working as the Foreign Editor of India's national daily, Hindustan Times, brings to the BBC 23 years' experience in international reporting. A foreign correspondent for nearly a decade, Amit has reported from Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South-East Asia. He has travelled and reported extensively from the troubled areas of Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab, filing from there for India's national daily, The Hindu, and its weekly magazine, Frontline. Amit is the author of Dateline Islamabad, a unique take on living and reporting from Pakistan, with a close look at the country's contemporary history. Amit has interviewed international political leaders including Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, former Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. He was presented with the Prem Bhatia Award in 2000 for his coverage of Pakistan. Behrouz Afagh, Head of Asia Pacific Region, BBC World Service, says: "Amit joins BBC Hindi at a time of big changes with fresh ideas and energy, and will play a key role in shaping the future of the BBC in India."

BBC Hindi programmes are produced from London and Delhi, set in a rolling format, with news, current affairs and features. The interactive morning and evening programmes, Aaj Ke Din and Aaj Kal, bring news, analysis and interviews on a range of issues, from current affairs and careers to showbiz and sports. BBC Hindi is available on short wave, medium wave, FM and via cable television. Hindi-speakers across the world can access BBC Hindi programmes in text and in audio at the 24/7 site www.bbchindi.com The BBC's special output for India's FM market includes infotainment updates – BBC Ek Minute, weekly features – BBC Take One, BBC Fun & Games and the Sunday chat show, BBC Ek Mulaqat. It is available via partner stations – Radio One in Mumbai and Delhi, Radio Choklate in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Rourkela, Radio Tadka in Jaipur and Udaipur, Tomato FM in Kolhapur, Radio Misty in Siliguri, Radio Chaska in Gwalior, Radio Rangila in Raipur and Radio Spice in Dubai.

(BBC World Service International Publicity)

"BBC World Service extends reach by expanding as a multimedia broadcaster" says 2008/09 Annual Review

The launch of BBC Persian television and other major multimedia developments helped BBC World Service extend its reach to record numbers while maintaining the highest standards of journalism, according to the BBC World Service Annual Review for 2008/09, published today. The review provides information about BBC World Service's performance during a year of major news events like Gaza, Georgia and the US Elections. In his foreword, BBC Global News Director Richard Sambrook highlights BBC World Service's expansion as a multimedia media broadcaster during the year which included the launch of BBC Persian television:

"People come to BBC World Service for journalism that is challenging and asks difficult questions, yet respects different points of view and actively encourages debate.

"Increasingly, they want access at a time and place that suits them. Major progress was made towards achieving that goal in 2008/9."

The review highlights:

■BBC World Service further developed its multimedia strategy, including the launch of BBC Persian television; the growth of BBC Arabic television into a full 24-hour operation; and other online and mobile developments.
■BBC World Service attracted its highest audience ever, with a global multimedia audience estimate of 188 million weekly across its 32 language services.
■Independent research indicates that BBC World Service's reputation for providing unbiased and objective news and information is stronger than that of any other international radio competitor in most markets surveyed.
■In a unique partnership, six new YouTube video channels were launched – in Arabic, Portuguese for Brazil, Persian, Russian, Spanish and Urdu.
■The BBC Global News podcast was downloaded nearly two million times in January 2009.
■BBC Global News services – which include BBC World Service, BBC World News television and bbc.com/news (the BBC's international-facing online news site) – have a record global weekly audience of over 238 million during 2008/09.
■BBC World Service's Grant-in-Aid funding for 2008/09 was £265million.
The Annual Review can be accessed at: www.bbcworldservice.com/annual_review2009

BBC World Service is an international multimedia broadcaster delivering 32 language and regional services, including: Albanian, Arabic, Azeri, Bengali, Burmese, Cantonese, English, English for Africa, English for the Caribbean, French for Africa, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Kyrgyz, Macedonian, Mandarin, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese for Africa, Portuguese for Brazil, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala, Somali, Spanish for Latin America, Swahili, Tamil, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek and Vietnamese.

It uses multiple platforms to reach 188 million users globally including shortwave, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels.

It has around 2,000 partner radio stations which take BBC content, and numerous partnerships supplying content to mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices.

Its news sites include audio and video content and offer opportunities to join the global debate.

For more information, visit http://www.bbcworldservice.com/

To find out more about the BBC's English language offer and subscribe to a free e-newsletter, visit bbcworldservice.com/schedules.

BBC Global News brings together BBC World Service – funded by Grant-in-Aid by the UK Government; the commercially-funded BBC World News television channel and the BBC's international facing online news services in English; BBC Monitoring – which is funded by stakeholders led by the Cabinet Office, and a range of public and private clients; and BBC World Service Trust – the BBC's international development charity which uses donor funding. No licence fee funds are used in any of these operations.

(BBC World Service Press Office )
Related News :


At a glance: BBC annual report 2008/9
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8149694.stm

SARANGA - St Aloysius College Mangalore starts test broadcast

SARANG 107.8 - St Aloysius College (Mangalore) CRS started its test transmission on 24 June. After completing all its formalities, SARANG was waiting to go on air - WOL pending, which came in the last week of June. To begin with, SARANG CRS has been test-broadcasting for two hours every day, from 6 to 8pm. But gradually it will increase the broadcast time. The SARANG signals are received over 20-25 km radius and covers large agricultural, fisher folk, and daily wage earners' communities, besides huge student population. Broadcasts include programmes on health and hygine, farmers and agricultural issues, issues related to fisherfolk, children, and youth and students. There has been a cordial reception to the SARANG CRS - community people eagerly coming forward to air their day to day life - problems and issues, folk elements and and joys and sorrows. The St Aloysius College Community Radio broadcasts in four different languages - Konkani, Tulu, Kannada and English. Beary language programmes also have been tried, though not on a regular basis. While Konkani, Tulu, and Beary languages are major languages of the local communities, Kannada and English happen to be languages of formal communication.A formal launch of SARANG 107.8 is planned for after the monsoon season passes by. CEMCA played a major role in securing the WOL.

====================================
Rev Dr Richard Rego SJ
Director, SARANG SAC 107.8FM Community Radio
Head & Asst Prof., MCMS
Dept of Mass Communication
St Aloysius College; P.B. 720
Mangalore - 575003.
www.richardrego.wordpress.com
www.staloysiuscollege.wordpress.com
0824-2449706.
+919448546425.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Radio Bundelkhand - Giving Voice to the Voiceless

Azadpura is a village in Bundelkhand region. This area faces acute water scarcity and one problem that the women faced was a faulty well which required urgent repairing. The women aired this problem on Radio Bundelkhand and within four days the concerned authority replaced the missing wheel of the well. This is the power of Radio Bundelkhand, an initiative of Development Alternatives.
Full story at :

Voice of Joy in Iraq

Voices of joy are heard around the Feba office as we received verbal permission from Iraq's Ministry of Information to begin test broadcasts from our own community radio station in the country. With an equipped studio and temporary mast in place, Feba's trained full-time staff are in position to launch the Voice of Joy station immediately.
The Voice of Joy ministry project was just a vision in 2007. Now the perseverance and patience of our international ministry team has paid off and our prayers are that the station will become a stable, constant Christian friend to listeners in the area. As a community station, Voice of Joy will broadcast local news and information. While obviously aware of ongoing serious or sometimes tragic events occurring in the region, Voice of Joy also promises music and humour. Along with testimonies to God's love and faithfulness, appropriate social programmes on issues such as health or human interest stories will be broadcast. Please join us in prayer for written permission from Iraq's Ministry of Information for a licence to enable us to consolidate and further our work in this region. Please pray for safe travel and a good outcome for our Middle East Co-ordinator who is making plans to meet up with the Voice of Joy team in Iraq.

(FEBA Bulletin)

New all India Radio Stations

One hundred and ninety five All India Radio Sub-Stations will be set up in the country during the 11th Five Year Plan. 50 new sub-stations will be set up in 18 states viz:
S.No. State/UT
--------------------
1. Andhra Pradesh 4
2. Arunachal pradesh 5
3. Assam 3
4. Gujarat 1
5. Jharkhand 1
6. Madhya Pradesh 1
7. Maharashtra 2
8. Manipur 3
9. Meghalaya 1
10. Mizoram 3
11. Nagaland 3
12. Orissa 1
13. Punjab 2
14. Rajasthan 2
15. Tripura 4
16. Uttar Pradesh 4
17. Uttarakhand 6
18. West Bengal 4
145 FM Transmitters
Also one hundred forty five FM transmitters - 100 Nos. in North East Region and 45 in rest of the country would be set up.The Government has allocated Rs. 163.90 crores for setting up of these stations. This information was given by Dr. S.Jagathrakshakan Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
(Press Information Bureau, Govt of India)

Nepal Govt waives FM, TV license renewal fee

Kantipur Report KATHMANDU, July 14 - The government has decided to continue with the decision of the previous government to waive license renewal fees for television channels and FM radio stations operating across the country, according to Minister for Information and Communications Shankar Pokhrel.

More at : http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=204153

Monday, July 13, 2009

Total Solar Eclipse in India on 22nd July 2009

A Total Solar Eclipse will be visible in India on July 22, 2009 from early morning 05:28 hrs to 07:40 hrs IST (0000-0210 UTC). It will last for nearly four minutes - from 6.26 am to 6.30 am in India when the sun will not be visible at all. After almost 10 years we have an opportunity of witnessing a total solar eclipse from India, the upcoming solar eclipse will be longest total solar eclipse till 2114. According to NASA, the solar eclipse on July 22, 2009 is a 'Total Solar Eclipse' and the Moon's umbral shadow on Sun begins in India and crosses through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China and ends in the Pacific Ocean.

Here's the link for NASA webpage on Total Solar Eclipse on 22nd July 2009
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009.html

Total solar eclipses occurs when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, completely obscuring the solar disk for a few minutes. The eclipse follows a West-to-East track that lasts several hours until the alignment ends.

Here's the path of Total Solar Eclipse in India :
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009iau/TSE2009-fig02.GIF

The total solar eclipse in India will be visible from many cities of India like Surat, Vadodara, Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna & Siliguri. Majority of the regions in India will not have a view of the Total solar eclipse. As per NASA data, it will be a partial eclipse in Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai.

Solar eclipses have been always been of special interest to Dxers & can provide propagation enhancement on lower frequency bands, also of interest will be to monitor MW band. It will be interesting to check the lower bands as the eclipse progresses due to dip in the D layer ionization bringing typical nighttime propagation conditions. It will be also of curiosity of dxers to make observations of propagation conditions just before, during and after the eclipse. There has been some excellent and unusual reception during past eclipses.

Here's a collection of articles on "dxing during solar eclipse" published in the newsletter of "Indian DX Club Intl" during Feb-May 1980, courtesy veteran dxer Sudipto Ghose of Kolkata :
http://alokeshgupta.googlepages.com/solar_eclipse.pdf

A press release from Indian Meteorological Dept which contains the timings of total solar eclipse at different Indian cities :
http://www.imd.gov.in/doc/solar.pdf

Some of the qsl's recvd for IARU contest logs






Radio Netherlands launches special show "The State We're In" on Radio Misty

Audiences in North Bengal and Sikkim can now listen to the Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) flagship infotainment show "The State We're In" on Radio Misty 94.3 fm and Radio Misty Sikkim 95 fm. The partnership with Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) ensures that listeners in the region can now tune in to the RNW's infotainment show tailor-made for India's FM market by Sonologue.
Read more at :

Winners of Radio Taiwan Intl. Jade Mountain Competition

Grand prize (digital camera): Brigitte Hamer (Germany), Liang Ming-shen (Indonesia)

First prize (digital radio): Eddy Setiawan (Indonesia)
Second prize (backpack): Sapna Bain (India); Majid Farazx, Zawwar Hussein Janae ,Farid Rahatn (Pakistan); Noble S. West (USA).
Third prize (T-shirt): Abid Farasatc, Asim Fahadx, Nadima Mumtazc, Wasim Yousafc, Aqeel Yaqoobn, Aslam Zahidx, Jamila Munirz, Shanawar Abbas (Pakistan); Jadah Pereira (USA); Marwan Ahmad Hussein (Jordan); Condell L. Simmons (Trinidad-Tobago).
Consolation prize (water bottle): Fulmala Bain, K.M. Soundararajan (India);Tahsin Ara Khanam (Bangladesh); Faisal Niazix, Naveed Anjumx, Nazar Jawadx, Amina Samadx (Pakistan).
Consolation prize (cowboy hat): A. Mannaathan, Paraber Maity (India); Nooreddin Ibn Ahmad, Sahar Alhusain (Jordan); Isabelle Salvignol, Carole Bonnet (France); Syed Khizar Hayat Shah, Asghar Wastib, Mureed Jabbarx, Laiq Ahmedx, Afroze Bashirx (Pakistan).
Additional prize (RTI souvenir) :Ian Baxer

Saturday, July 11, 2009

When RADIO was indeed king !

An interesting article on good old days of radio ...

http://tinyurl.com/nb7cnl

"RadioAsia" moves to India, to be held in New Delhi in 2010

Friday 10 Jul 2009
RadioAsia - the annual conference for radio broadcasters in the Asia-Pacific - will move to India in 2010 and be held in New Delhi on 22-24 February.This was announced today by the organisers - the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, (ABU), the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC), and Singapore Exhibition Services. Since its inception in 2005, the conference has been held in Singapore in conjunction with the BroadcastAsia exhibition, but this year the organisers decided to start moving the event around the region to provide more opportunities for radio broadcasters in other countries to participate. Broadcasters in Indonesia and China have already expressed interest in having the conference in their countries in future years. RadioAsia normally attracts a wide range of delegates from radio broadcasters, communications academics and representatives of developmental agencies, and next year's conference will focus on the pressing issues facing the resurgent radio broadcasting industry in India and the wider Asia-Pacific region. The 2010 event will comprise a two-day conference and a number of workshops to be conducted by the ABU and AMIC on public services. Sponsors already confirmed for RadioAsia2010 include Deutsche Welle; The Nielsen Company; Media Prima Radio Networks, Malaysia; and The Broadcast Partner, Germany. Local organising partners will include All India Radio and Technomedia.
(Source : Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union)

Radio call letters used to have an air about them

Early radio stations would advertise quaint or wacky slogans to help listeners remember their call letter IDs. An unwieldy one from Orange County's first station: "KFAW: Kept From Awful Winters.'
By Steve Harvey July 12, 2009

Full story at :
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-then12-2009jul12,0,3071994.story

Friday, July 10, 2009

AIR Guwahati celebrates 61st anniversary

CHANDAN SARMAH
All India Radio (AIR) Guwahati, like most of the radio stations of the country during the pre-television or even during the pre-satellite television days, was the epicentre of cultural activities.There is no denying the fact that AIR Guwahati, which came into being on July 1, 1948, was the most glamorous platform for almost all the top-level singers and actors of Assam, including Phani Sarma and Bhupen Hazarika.Before being shifted to the permanent complex in Navagiri hillock in Chandmari after a couple of years of its inception, the glorious history of the AIR Guwahati began in its temporary studio near the Planetarium in Uzan Bazar.The fact that the cultural fraternity of Guwahati still shares a deep emotional bond with AIR Guwahati, was clearly depicted at the celebration of its 61st anniversary on July 1 at Rabindra Bhawan.

BBC shifts Hindi Services base to India

July 10, 09 Noor Fathima Warsia
BBC World Service has finally completed the restructuring process that it had begun over a year back to shift the base of its Hindi Services to India. As is known, BBC Hindi Service has significant presence in the radio and online mediums. BBC has roped in Hindustan Times’ Foreign Editor, Amit Baruah, , to head the Hindi Services.
Read the full story here :

ITU-ABU Workshop on Digital radio Implementation

ITU-ABU Workshop (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
03.08.2009 - 06.08.2009
ABU Technical Department in collaboration with ITU is organising anavent in Kuala Lumpur for the benefit of its members in the region,particularly those in the developing countries. This four-day event on Digital radio implementation for developingbroadcasters will be held in Kuala Lumpur from 3-6 August 2009. This workshop is aimed at providing sufficient information tobroadcasters in developing countries and to assist ABU members to makedecisions how they could perform a frequency planning andimplementation exercise for digital radio in their country.

Source : www.drm.org

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Australians 'hesitant' over price of digital radio

Australian consumers want to make the switch to digital radio but are hesitant over the price, a survey says.An online survey of almost 8,000 shoppers nationally by electronics retailer Dick Smith found 77 percent of those polled would be likely to move to digital radio, news.com.au reports.But 67 percent also said they were only willing to spend less than A$150 (US$120) on the receiver - the current starting price of an entry level model.
Read the full story at :

First DRM+ demo in Band I in Paris

The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) technology for radio broadcast at frequencies up to 174 MHz will be publicly demonstrated in Paris on Thursday, July 16th. The DRM+ signal will be broadcast in band I on 64.5 MHz from Tour Pleyel, in the North of Paris. The stereo and 5.1 Surround sound audio will be accompanied by DRM Dynamic Labels, Journaline text information, and SlideShow graphics images, presented with live indoor reception to the audience. In addition participants will have the opportunity to experience the 5.1 Surround sound DRM+ broadcast in a moving car.The aim of this demonstration is to prove that the DRM system is the perfect solution for radio stations not able to join multiplexes, even in places where the FM band is full.This test is being organized by the Syndicat National des Radios Libres (SNRL) and will be performed with the help of University of Applied Sciences, Kaiserslautern and Fraunhofer IIS, Erlangen.
Agenda
(Source : www.drm.org)

Community Radio Station at Manav Rachna Education Society, Faridabad

Community Radio Station at Manav Rachna Education Society, Faridabad 14:52 IST Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station at Manav Rachna Education Society, Faridabad, Haryana. Letter of intent had been issued to the society 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 51 in the country. The programmes broadcast from the community radio station will provide useful information to the community for their development as well as panel discussions, weather forecasts, entertainment, tips on health including information regarding free health melas organized by Manav Rachna Educational Institutions, free/subsidized OPD facilities in dental care and physiotherapy etc. It will also promote social causes including prevention and eradication of AIDS, Thalassaemia, Dengue, Chickenguenia, Hemophilia, drug abuse etc. 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 empower the women, youth and the marginalized groups to take part in local self governance and overall socio-economic and cultural development of the area. It will also better inform the society about the developmental initiatives of Government and promote transparency in the implementation of the scheme. Keeping this objective in view, the Government of India had announced a policy in December 2002 for the grant of community radio licenses to the educational institutional.

(Press Release, PIB,Govt of India)

Community Radio Station at Manav Rachna Education Society, Faridabad

Community Radio Station at Manav Rachna Education Society, Faridabad

14:52 IST Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station at Manav Rachna Education Society, Faridabad, Haryana.

Letter of intent had been issued to the society 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 51 in the country.

The programmes broadcast from the community radio station will provide useful information to the community for their development as well as panel discussions, weather forecasts, entertainment, tips on health including information regarding free health melas organized by Manav Rachna Educational Institutions, free/subsidized OPD facilities in dental care and physiotherapy etc. It will also promote social causes including prevention and eradication of AIDS, Thalassaemia, Dengue, Chickenguenia, Hemophilia, drug abuse etc.

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 empower the women, youth and the marginalized groups to take part in local self governance and overall socio-economic and cultural development of the area. It will also better inform the society about the developmental initiatives of Government and promote transparency in the implementation of the scheme. Keeping this objective in view, the Government of India had announced a policy in December 2002 for the grant of community radio licenses to the educational institutions.

(Press Release, PIB,Govt of India)

Update :

On 10th July 2009 Manav Rachna University became the first college in NCR to start a community radio station, Radio Manav Rachna. It is available at FM 107.8 Mhz in National Capital Region , New Delhi. It was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Haryana, Sh. Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Radio Free Asia releases third radio pioneer QSL card

Radio Free Asia announces the release of the third QSL card in its Radio Pioneer series. The card honors Serbian-born American physicist, Nikola Tesla. Tesla was a pioneer in many fields. The Tesla coil, which he invented in 1891, is widely used today in electronic equipment. Nikola Tesla patented the basic system of radio in 1896. Tesla’s schematic diagrams describing the basic elements of a radio transmitter were later used by Marconi. In 1896 Tesla constructed an instrument to receive radio waves. He experimented with this device and transmitted radio waves from his New York laboratory. The radio device clearly establishes Nikola Tesla as a radio pioneer. In Colorado Springs, where he stayed from May 1899 until 1900, Tesla made what he regarded as his most important discovery-- terrestrial stationary waves. By this discovery Tesla proved the Earth could be used as a conductor and would be as responsive as a tuning fork to electrical vibrations of a certain frequency. He also lighted 200 lamps without wires from a distance of 25 miles (40 kilometers) and created man-made lightning. The QSL card will be issued for all valid RFA reception reports from July 1 – August 31, 2009.

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.
Upon request, RFA will also send a copy of the current broadcast schedule and a station sticker.

(AJ Janitschek)

Voice of America International News Website Blocked by Suspected Cyber Attack

Voice of America International News Website Blocked by Suspected Cyber Attack
Related news :
Cyber Attack Targets US, S. Korean Government Web Sites
VOA website was back when I checked at 0100 UTC.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Raghu Menon is Secretary of the Ministry of I & B

Raghu Menon has taken charge as the new Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) from July 6, 2009. Menon, a 1974 batch IAS officer of the Nagaland cadre, takes charge from Tourism Secretary Jawahar Sircar, who had been holding additional charge of MIB following the retirement of Sushma Singh in May this year. Menon’s appointment as the I&B Secretary is expected to raise the expectations of the media industry given the fact that he had worked for a brief while as a journalist with English newspaper The Hitavada in Nagpur before joining the civil services. He was even awarded the Austin Wingate Nazareth Gold Medal for his outstanding performance in Journalism. He is said to take a keen interest in mass communications, public relations and the media. It may be noted that Menon had been in the MIB as Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary during his earlier stints. Prior to taking charge as I&B Secretary, Menon was Chairman and Managing Director of National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL).
(Via Jaisakthivel, Chennai)

HT Foreign Editor Amit Baruah To Head BBC Hindi

By Sruthijith KK - contentSutra
Hindustan Times Foreign editor Amit Baruah is leaving to head BBC’s Hindi service. Baruah has been foreign editor since 2007, prior to which, he spent 19 years at The Hindu, variously as foreign correspondent at Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South East Asia, and also as diplomatic correspondent in New Delhi. Baruah confirmed the development.

Full report at :
http://contentsutra.com/article/419-industry-moves-ht-foreign-editor-amit-baruah-to-head-bbc-hindi-culture-/

Radio Free Asia Named Broadcaster of the Year at 2009 New York Festivals

WASHINGTON, DC – Radio Free Asia was named Broadcaster of the Year by the New York Festivals for winning the largest number of awards among participating broadcasters. Four of Radio Free Asia’s nine language services won top honors for excellence in journalism in the international competition, which included three gold, one silver and three bronze medals. “While Radio Free Asia has consistently been honored at the New York Festivals over the years, it is deeply gratifying that the outstanding work by our staff won a record number of awards this year,” said Libby Liu, President of Radio Free Asia. “RFA reporters work tirelessly under the most difficult circumstances to bring uncensored news to our listeners. On a daily basis, they overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles in environments that are hostile for journalists. “We are inspired by this high recognition. We will continue our quest for journalistic excellence to make an even bigger impact on the lives of those we serve.” Information about the winners and their submissions follows:·
Broadcaster Shohret Hoshur of the RFA’s Uyghur service won a gold medal in the Best Human Interest category for her exclusive story on an ethnic Uyghur woman in China facing a forced, third-term abortion. International pressure resulting from the story led to authorities releasing the woman, who was able to give birth to a son.
RFA’s Burmese service won a gold medal in the category of Best Ongoing News Story for its excellent coverage of Cyclone Nargis, which both warned listeners of the approaching storm and, after it made landfall, helped survivors find desperately needed food, shelter, medical attention and other humanitarian aid.
Reporter Ding Xiao of RFA’s Mandarin service won a gold medal in the category of Best Investigative Report for her story on a petitioner from China’s eastern Jiangsu province who was held by authorities without due process in a “law study group” detention center for disciplinary re-education.
Reporter Peter Zhong of RFA’s Mandarin service took a silver medal in Best Investigative Report category for his four-episode story titled “Crime without Punishment” in which he exposed the extent of Guilin’s police-run underworld through his extensive coverage on female prisoner abuse.
Reporter Jill Ku of RFA’s Mandarin service won a bronze medal in the category of Best Special Report for her exclusive story, which caught on audio and video Chinese police arresting a petitioner, who was being interviewed by RFA, during the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
RFA Mandarin Service’s Asia Pacific Report was awarded a bronze medal in the Best Newscast category for its story on Chinese lawyers attempting to file a civil lawsuit on behalf of the families of victims of the tainted milk powder scandal that left at least six infants and children dead and 300,000 suffering from related ailments.
Giao Pham of RFA’s Vietnamese service was awarded a bronze medal in the National/International Affairs category for his timely coverage on young Olympic protestors being arrested and beaten by police for demonstrating against China’s torch carrying in Hanoi – a story which was not covered by media inside Vietnam.
To follow Radio Free Asia’s breaking news and developing stories happening throughout East Asia, please visit our Web site at www.rfa.org and sign up for RFA’s news in English via Twitter at https://twitter.com/RadioFreeAsia

AIR FM Relay Center in Assam

A relay center at Lumbing in Assam with a 10 KW FM Transmitter will be installed as per the approved scheme under the North East Special Package Phase II. The center is likely to be installed during 2010-11. This information was given by Dr. S.Jagathrakshakan Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
(Press Release, PIB, Govt of India)

AIR FM stations enjoy highest listenership

FM stations of All India Radio (AIR) have highest number of listeners in metros as compared to private stations.The average listenership of AIR's Rainbow and Gold channel in the country stood at 49.5 per cent and 29.5 per cent respectively followed by private-owned stations ...

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

DRM response to Digital Britain report

London, 6th July 2009: The DRM Consortium Steering Board, which represents almost 100 members, affiliates and supporters, has welcomed the publication of the British Government’s strategic vision encompassed in the Digital Britain Report but has asked DRM to be made part of the digital radio framework for the UK. In a letter sent to Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), which published the report recently, the Consortium’s top decision-making body has pointed out that the Digital Britain report could miss out the opportunity to truly digitise Britain, especially in some rural and sparsely populated areas, by overlooking the valuable and economic solution offered by the Digital Radio Mondiale technology. Furthermore the Consortium has stated that a combination of DRM and DAB (which are complimentary technologies) would help deliver the goal of Digital Britain in a more complete manner for the radio market. The report has already identified DRM as a unique solution for Medium Wave digital transfer, and the DRM Consortium recommends its use on 26 MHz and of DRM+ (up to 174 MHz) as the solution for local radio, ultra local radio and small or specialised communities.
Ruxandra Obreja, Chairman of the DRM Consortium says on behalf of the Steering Board “The UK has made significant contributions to the development of both these digital broadcasting systems. Once radio is in the digital domain delivering the extra features the Digital Britain report presents so eloquently, it should not matter to the listener by which method they receive the full complement of channels and services no matter where they live in Britain. If the government recommends both DRM and DAB as the way forward, it will have the complete solution for comprehensive digital radio coverage of the UK."
(DRM Consortium Press Release)

4th Mediumwave-Summer-Contest

4th Mediumwave-Summer-Contest

Wellenforum is holding it's 4th Mediumwave-Summer-Contest.

1. Contest Period:
The contest runs from Wednesday, 15.07.2009 (00.00 UTC) to Friday, 31.07.2009 (23.59 UTC).

2. BC Stations
During the contest period participants can score by listening to MW BC stations.Listening time has to be at least 10 minutes for each station.Valid contest frequencies are between 525 kHz and 1700 kHz.Verification should be done by adequate program details like a news headline or a music title.Please do not use phrases like music or news !

3. Conditions of Participation

The contest is open to all DXers, regardless of their membership in any DX club and/or wellenforum.

Logs can be made through the wellenforum-Online-Log facility, which will be available at
www.contest.wellenforum.de in due course.

Please note, that a registration is necessary to be granted access to the wellenforum-Online-Log-facility. You can also send in your logs via eMail to fwi@wellenforum.de.

Please note, that, if you send your logs via email after the contest, the following format should be used: Frequency day time(UTC) ITU station language SIO details

4. Awards

Every participant will receive a participation certificate promptly after the contest has finished.This time we will not evaluate any individual score and ranking.

5. Diploma

On the occasion of the ITALY MEDITERRANEAN GAMES, every registered wellenforum-member has the chance to be awarded with a special Mediterranean Diploma .

To receive this diploma, participants have to log at least one station from every country adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea.

The following countries are participating in the ITALY MEDITERRANEAN GAMES:

Europe:Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Monaco, San Marino*, Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Spain, Turkey*no MW BC station.

Afrika:Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia

Asia:Lebanon, Syria

In addition, the following islands are also eligible:Mallorca, Corsica, Sardinia, Crete, Rhodes

Israel does not participate in the games. Serbia and San Marino do not have a direct access to the Mediterranean Sea.

The Diploma will be given out in three levels.

Bronze - up to 10 countries / islands
Silver - up to 18 countries / islands
Gold - more than 18 countries / islands

We wish you good listening!

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
*****************************************

Monday, July 06, 2009

Honduras Crisis: army shuts down Catholic radio station

http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=14574

2009 AIBs - International Media Excellence Awards closing date extended

About the AIB
The AIB is an international networking organisation of over 25,000 communicators and media professionals. Established in 1993, the AIB's focus is on organisations sharing information across borders, with all its cultural and technical implications.www.aib.org.uk Following many requests from broadcasters throughout the world, AIB has extended the closing date for the 2009 AIBs - the International Media Excellence Awards. We've receiving entries from all over the world - Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, the UAE and Europe, for example - but many broadcasters and production companies have called us and asked for more time to submit their entries.We have responded and extended the closing date to 31 July - three weeks later than our original date.
Download the entry booklet here :
If you're unfamiliar with the AIBs, here's a little more information. Now in their fifth year, the AIBs reward success in international television, radio, mobile and online. They also highlight excellence in production technology and in marketing - two vitally important components in the international media industry.One reason for the continued growth and success of the AIBs is that they complement other awards that have a national focus. Entering the AIBs puts your work in front of a global audience of peers in the media industry.The AIBs are unique as they have been designed by and for the international media industry, offering independent peer recognition of achievements and success. Since their launch in 2005, the AIBs have become a high-point in the international media calendar.To reflect the international nature of the Awards, the AIB recruits an independent panel of judges from media houses worldwide - this year we have judges from every continent.
Celebrating success in different genres
Categories for the AIBs include clearest coverage of a single news event; best current affairs documentary; best creative feature; most creative marketing strategy; and best mobile or cross-media production. The best on-air talent is also recognised with our personality of the year - one for radio and one for TV. Our most innovative technology award rewards the most innovative technological solutions provided in production or distribution. We actively encourage programme makers who produce material in languages other than English to enter and have their work recognised. The Award entrants will come together in London on 4 November for a gala evening that will celebrate their work in the amazing surroundings of LSO St Luke's - a venue that regularly hosts major artists such as Sting, Bruce Springsteen and Elton John, recording HD sessions for the BBC.
Download full details of the 2009 AIB Media Excellence Awards at www.aib.org.uk.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing your entries - remember the new closing date: Friday 31 July 2009!
Yours sincerely
Simon Spanswick
Chief Executive

Vatican Radio starts carrying ads

By Duncan Kennedy BBC News, Rome Pope Benedict has given his blessing for the advertisements Vatican Radio - the voice of the Roman Catholic Church - is starting to air advertisements for the first time in the station's nearly 80-year history.

Read the full story at :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8135753.stm

BBC Hindi & Urdu websites revamped

BBC Hindi & Urdu websites have been revamped with new - look, colors & layout in line with the BBC WS website. BBC Nepali & Bengali websites still to be updated.

Sunday, July 05, 2009

E-QSL from VE9CEH, Canada


QSL from AT8LH (Mahabalipuram Lighthouse)


Phones outnumber radios among poor in South Asia

Penang (Malaysia), July 5Phones are catching up with TVs, and the number of phones being used by 'bottom of the pyramid' households have already outpaced the number of radios and computers in South Asia, researchers have said.LIRNEasia, a Sri Lanka-based Asia-Pacific information and communication technology (ICT) policy and regulation capacity-building organisation, said in India a hundred bottom of the pyramid (BOP) households now had 50 TVs, 38 phones, 28 radios and one computer.Radio has been displaced from its No.2 position after television in India. In India, and also Pakistan and Bangladesh, at the bottom of the pyramid, the mobile is more prevalent than the radio.
Full story at :

BBC Swahili's Dira ya Dunia takes on a new life

Audiences of the BBC Swahili flagship news, current affairs and information programme Dira ya Dunia (World Compass) are in for a surprise when they tune in on Monday 6 July. BBC Swahili's most popular radio programme has been redesigned with new music, branded jingles and presentation style plus additional thematic slots and increased interactivity.Dira ya Dunia, which now will be co-anchored by two presenters, is introducing a twice-weekly business slot and more sports reporting. The new programme will offer more analytical pieces from reporters and experts, and increased interactivity with listeners via SMS and phone calls. Head of BBC Swahili – and one of Dira ya Dunia presenters – Solomon Mugera comments: "The new Dira ya Dunia has a livelier, punchier presentation style, and the new business slot is a product of our annual young entrepreneurs' competition, Faidika na BBC (Prosper with the BBC). "Listeners wanted a forum where they can share business tips, ideas, experiences and advice, and we thought that Dira would be the perfect programme for this." In addition to Solomon Mugera, the Dira presenter team includes Charles Hilary, Suluma Kassim, Salim Kikeke, Hassan Mhelela, Alex Mureithi, Peter Musembi, Flora Nducha, Mariam Omar, Ali Saleh, Idd Seif and Zuhura Yunus. The redesign of Dira ya Dunia is only a beginning of a major revamp of the BBC Swahili radio programming. Solomon Mugera comments: "We'll soon be introducing changes to the rest of the output, including the breakfast show, Amka na BBC, and our hourly news bulletins." The hour-long programme, Dira ya Dunia, starts at 18.30 East Africa Time and also includes regular slots such as Uchumi, each Friday, talking about local and international business news, and Elimu ya Leo, each Tuesday, with news from the world of science and technology.
BBC Swahili is a multimedia broadcaster providing radio and online content to Swahili-speaking audiences. BBC Swahili is available on BBC FM stations and/or partner radio networks in Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Programmes are also available via the website, bbcswahili.com, which offers access to up-to-the minute news, features and analysis on East Africa and the rest of the world.

(BBC World Service Publicity)

BBC World Service to offer Romanian-language current affairs radio programme in Moldova

BBC World Service is now offering audiences in Moldova a Romanian-language news and current-affairs programme that will air weekly, on six frequencies across the country. This programme will broadcast every Friday at 20.00 local time on BBC World Service, on the following frequencies: 97.2 FM in Chisinau; 69.14 FM in Cahul; 101.5 FM in Causeni; 67.46 FM in Edinet; 102.9 FM in Mandrestii Noi – Balti; and 69.53 FM in Ungheni. Each programme will feature a mix of current affairs and analysis of both local and international issues.The programme will be produced by the IMEDIA press group (IMEDIA is the brand of the Committee for the Freedom of the Press NGO based in Chisinau), in co-ordination with BBC World Service. BBC World Service, which broadcasts in 32 languages, currently offers its English, Russian and Ukrainian-language output in Moldova. Nikki Clarke, Head of Americas and Europe Region, BBC World Service, comments: "BBC World Service is very pleased that, through its new agreement with IMEDIA, our audience in Moldova will be able to enjoy a regular news and current-affairs programme in Romanian, as well as our existing services in English, Russian and Ukrainian."
BBC World Service is an international multimedia broadcaster delivering 32 language and regional services: Albanian, Arabic, Azeri, Bengali, Burmese, Cantonese, English, English for Africa, English for the Caribbean, French for Africa, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Kyrgyz, Macedonian, Mandarin, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese for Africa, Portuguese for Brazil, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala, Somali, Spanish for Latin America, Swahili, Tamil, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, and Vietnamese. It uses multiple platforms to reach 182 million listeners globally, including shortwave, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. It has around 2,000 partner radio stations which take BBC content, and numerous partnerships supplying content to mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices. Its news sites include audio and video content and offer opportunities to join the global debate. For more information, visit bbcworldservice.com. To find out more about the BBC's English language offer and subscribe to a free e-newsletter, visit www.bbcworldservice.com/schedules

(BBC World Service Publicity)

Saturday, July 04, 2009

MV Baltic Radio this Sunday

MV Baltic Radio is on this Sunday the 5th of July 2009 at 09.00 to 10.00 UTC on our normal channel of 6140 KHz.
M.V.Baltic. Information: MV Baltic Radio relay service Schedule for summer 2009
1st Sunday – MV Baltic Radio
3rd Sunday – European Music Radio
4th Sunday – Radio Gloria International
We wish you good listening and good reception!
73s Tom

Happy Station Show 9th July

On July 9th for the 1500UTC transmission of Happy Station I'll be doing a feature paying tribute to South Africa's first commercial radio station Springbok Radio.
Some quick facts:
- Springbok hit the airwaves in 1950
- Some well known RSA announcers like Kim Shippey also worked at Springbok
- Springbok was a commercial station operated by the SABC
- Springbok is the first ever media outlet to make a James Bond book into a drama.
- The station stopped in 1985, 9 years after television came to South Africa in 1976.
- Springbok came back in 2008 as an online radio station www.springbokradio.com
My guest is Neil Hendrickse from Springbok Radio. I will also feature some vintage clips of the golden era of South African radio.
July 9th, 2009 1500 to 1555 UTC
Frequency: 9955 khz to North America www.wrmi.net for web stream
July 11, 2009 1000 to 1055 UTC
Frequency. 88.5 fm Tawa, Redwood, New Zealand www.worldfm.co.nz for webstream
July 12, 2009 9:05 pm to 9:59 pm (local time)Radio Sonora (various frequencies) Jakarta and nation wide in Indonesia
(Keith Perron)