Celebrating 70 years of Radio Canada International

The flood of wonderful memories, fueled by the old and not so old photos of Radio Canada International's 70 years, is now, as I write this, suddenly mixed with regret, lost opportunities, and missing colleagues. In a way I dreaded this anniversary, not knowing how to deal with this important milestone.

Read RCI Action Committee's blog entry at :

http://rciaction.org/blog/2015/02/25/celebrating-70-years-of-radio-canada-international/

Spaceshuttle with higher power on 31 mb 9600 kHz!

Dear listeners,

We have plan try to reach more listeners with special quite high powered and directed transmission on 9600 kHz, 31mb next sunday 1st of March 2015 18:00-19:00 UTC. …

Our target is to reach areas of entire Europe, Mediterranean Sea area, Near-East, (Asia) and North-Africa. In any case it will be needed very good receivers and proper antennas for our listeners to get our signal. I wish everyhing will go right with these plans and our strange music will reach bigger areas and much bigger audience?? Let's see what's happens...

Please send ideas of programs and music you like to hear from Spaceshuttle. We would like to fullfill your requests in special musical shows in future. I wish you will have fun with our programes also in future! Please tell you thoughts to us by e-mail: spaceshuttleradio@yhaoo.com

Your letters/reception reports are very welcome to our address in Herten:

Radio Spaceshuttle International

P.O.Box 2702

NL: 6049 ZG Herten

The Netherlands

A little fee (2 euros) for return postage (for full info printed QSLs) is needed !

Quick responce and communication is possible By e-mail: spaceshuttleradio@yahoo.com

Best Regards,

Dick of Radio Spaceshuttle


Here's my log with opening announcement :

https://soundcloud.com/alokesh-1/spaceshuttle-radio-9600-khz-01-march-2015

Media Broadcast adds radio stations to HbbTV service

German transmitter network operator Media Broadcast has commenced offering radio stations on its HbbTV-based hybrid DTT service multithek.

The current lineup comprises Radio B2, BB Radio, Radio Teddy, 89.0 RTL, Radio Brocken, Deluxe Radio and Deluxe Lounge.

More info at :

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2015/02/18/media-broadcast-adds-radio-stations-to-hbbtv-service/

Adventist World Radio Offers Special QSL Stamp for Kigali Broadcasts

Adventist World Radio Offers Special QSL Stamp for Kigali Broadcasts

 

At the beginning of this current Transmission Period B14 October 6, 2014, Adventist World Radio began a relay service from the Deutsche Welle shortwave relay station near Kigali in Rwanda Africa.  The AWR relay via DW Kigali is on the air for a total of 2½ transmitter hours daily in three languages, French, Amharic & Fulfulde.  In one particular time block, two transmitters carry the programming in parallel.

 

However, Deutsche Welle has subsequently announced that they plan to close their African relay station at the end of this current Transmission Period B14 March 28, 2015 and then dismantle the station.  The last AWR broadcasts from DW Kigali will therefor also end at the same time.

 

For those who would like to receive a QSL card for these now short term broadcasts, AWR would welcome all reception reports from listeners in any part of the world.  Each reception report will be verified with a QSL card (not an Email QSL), and the envelope will be affixed with genuine postage stamps, not postal labels.  In addition, while supplies last, a special QSL stamp showing Kigali will be attached to the QSL card.

 

It is not necessary to send an off-air recording of your reception.  We just need your honest reception report on paper. Where possible, please enclose return postage in the form of currency notes in any international currency, or mint postage stamps. Please note that IRC coupons are too expensive for you to buy, and they are no longer valid in the United States.

 

Also please enclose your address label.

 

The only address for the special Kigali QSL stamp is the Indianapolis address at :

 

Adventist World Radio, Box 29235, Indianapolis, Indiana 46229, USA.

 

All reception reports, including all that have already been received, will be QSLed in due course.  However, please be patient with us as we already hold uncounted hundreds of reception reports still pending, and it may take us many months to process them all.

 

The current AWR website shows the following scheduling for the daily Kigali transmissions:-

 

0600 - 0630 UTC        15700 kHz      French

0600 - 0630                 17800              French

1700 - 1730                   9490              Amharic

1930 - 2000                 17800              Fulfulde          

2000 - 2030                 17800              French

=========================================================                            

 

Adventist World Radio - Regular QSL Policy 

 

Adventist World Radio welcomes reception reports from listeners in all countries.  Please note the following items of information:-

 

* Each reception report should contain the following items of information

  Date

  Time, preferably expressed in International Radio Time, equivalent to UTC

  Frequency in kHz

  Sufficient program details to verify that you actually heard the AWR programming

  Reports using SINPO Code preferred

* Reception reports by postal mail are preferred, though email is also acceptable.

 

* Where possible, please enclose return postage in the form of currency notes in any international currency, or mint postage stamps.

 

* Please note that IRC coupons are too expensive for you to buy, and they are no longer valid in the United States.

 

* Where possible, please enclose your address label.

 

* You will receive a full data QSL card, including location, through the postal system in response to your reception report.

 

* Several different QSL cards are available.

 

* The envelope will be affixed with regular postage stamps, not a postage label.

 

* AWR does not send out email QSLs.

 

* It is not necessary for you to send and resend the same reception report.  All reception reports that we receive are verified with a regular full data QSL card.

 

* It is not necessary to send an off-air recording of your reception.  We just need your honest reception report on paper.

 

* At times, there may be a delay before you receive your AWR QSL card.  This is due to the large inflow of reception reports we receive from listeners in so many different countries.

 

* The regular postal address for reception reports is:-

 

 Adventist World Radio

 Box 29235

 Indianapolis

 Indiana 46229 USA

 ====================================================

(Dr.Adrian Peterson, AWR)

Digital Radio Mondiale at ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2015

"DRM: Clever Radio for Smart Countries" at ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium will have a strong presence once again at the ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium (DBS) 2015 in Kuala Lumpur LINK, one of the premier digital events in Asia.  DBS is a key event in the DRM calendar. A general update will be offered on the opening day (Wednesday 4th March) under the title 'Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) - Delivering to all your needs'. 

 

Focusing on the significant cost and spectrum savings delivered by DRM (i.e. using Single Frequency Network deployment) the DRM Workshop "Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) - Clever Radio for Smart Countries" is to be held on Thursday 5th March 1400-1500 in Safir room 2. The event will offer participants an opportunity to learn more about digital radio and to experience the full DRM technology.  Attendees will be invited to ask their own questions about the practical steps needed to create a healthy digital system involving the key stakeholders: listeners, regulator, broadcasters and the receiver manufacturing industry. The new Avion DRM radio has recently been unveiled in India and participants will be able to see and hear for themselves how the listener can experience more choice, enhanced sound quality, text and additional data services. 

 

Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Chairman, is excited about this premier ABU event which has been supported by the Consortium for quite a number of years now because: "We can bring the latest developments to a wide range of specialists while having DRM championed by some of our best DRM experts and practitioners."

(Press Release)

Amateur radio based group rescues released broadcast frequency

When the 'Deutsche Welle' decided to close down one of their 500 kW short wave broadcast transmitters near Munich at the end of 2012, a group containing some German radio amateurs applied for and were allocated the then available short wave frequency of 6070 kHz in 2013.

This group now have an operational 10 kW station on the frequency, using the driver stages from the old Deutsche Welle transmitter. The rest of the transmitter was built by and is run by Rainer DB8QC . The licence allow transmission 24/7 but at present most transmissions are on a weekend during daylight hours.

Full story at :  http://tinyurl.com/qc5rbkh

DRM Test by KTWR GUAM to South Asia

Please check today and tomorrow evening 8.15 - 8.45 pm IST

DRM Test by KTWR GUAM to South Asia

Date : 23 and 24 Feb 2015

Time : 1445 -1515 UTC

Freq  : 15300 kHz

Power : 90 kW

Azi : 285 deg

Reception reports to info@twr.asia or submit online at http://www.twr.asia/online-qsl-form

New SW station Risala International will start broadcasting wef 20th Feb

Starting February 20, 2015, a new radio station will start broadcasting on shortwave, Risala International.

Risala International will broadcast on Fridays from 1830-1900 UTC on 15165 kHz in the 19 meter band.

For more information, visit Risala International website at http://risalainternational.org/

Reception reports to : ludo.maes@broadcast.be

Vividh Bharati's Chennai station to go on FM mode

NEW DELHI: In its attempt to increase the reach of its channels all over the country, All India Radio (AIR) is placing the Vividh Bharati channel in Chennai on the FM mode from Friday, 20 February onwards.

The channel, which was inaugurated on 3 October 1957, has until now been broadcast on medium wave on a 20 KW transmitter.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Rathore, is expected to inaugurate the new channel on the 100.5 MHz tomorrow.

Full story at ...

http://www.radioandmusic.com/biz/radio/air/vividh-bharatis-chennai-station-go-fm-mode-150219

BROADCAST AUSTRALIA CHOOSE NAUTEL FOR HIGH POWERED FM TRANSMISSION

Nautel is pleased to announce the first deployment of high powered FM transmitters to Broadcast Australia under a new five year supply agreement.

The award winning NVLT series was chosen following a successful bid by Nautel and their Australian representative, Innes Corporation for Broadcast Australia's high powered FM transmission requirements. Nautel are world leaders in the development of innovative and intelligent broadcast transmitters and the NVLT series is ranked as best in its industry class for overall power efficiency.

Broadcast Australia's General Manager of Engineering, Stephen Farrugia said "We are pleased to formalise our continuing engagement with Nautel and Innes Corporation.  Broadcast Australia has been using Nautel solid state transmitters for over 25 years and look forward to excellent performance from these air cooled FM transmitters."

Innes Corporation's General Manager, Karen Olliver commented "We have a long standing relationship with Broadcast Australia and have worked closely with their RF Engineers and Field Services Technicians on past project and maintenance requirements. I am very pleased this relationship now extends to the supply of Nautel FM transmitters and this initial deployment will see the first 20kW NVLT's in Australia."

Nautel's Asia/Pacific Regional Manager, John Abdnour added "Broadcast Australia and Nautel continue a 2 decade long relationship with this agreement.  We look forward to the future of our relationship with the supply of the Nautel family of transmitters".

www.nautel.com

Press Release

Source: Innes Corporation

One wave of a time

With the passage of time, radio which once suffered at the hands of television, is witnessing a resurgence.

Radio was always considered as common man's medium. It was the medium which catered to the needs of communication and entertainment for nearly five decades. It was the medium which ruled the media space along with print medium. Utilized, explored, exploited and used by most of the political leaders of post-Independence era, this medium filled the void of communication created due to illiteracy. This medium could reach the farthest and remotest part of the country and even could find space in the life of an illiterate common man.

Read "The Hindu" story at ....

http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/the-rise-of-radio/article6913013.ece

Staying Passionate About Radio

by Rosie Smith

STOCKHOLM — We as an industry all share a passion for radio and its future. However, passion alone cannot sustain any industry. It is important that we work on keeping listeners, attracting younger audiences and ensuring radio is available on all devices and platforms. This is no small task in an increasingly competitive media-filled world.

See more at:  http://www.radioworld.com/article/staying-passionate-about-radio/274536

Nigeria: AM Digital Transmitters for Kaduna State Radio

By Saxone Akhaine

In a bid to ensure quality of information transmission, Kaduna State Governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero has commissioned two 50 Kilowatts AM Digital Transmitters for the Kaduna State Media Corporation  (KSMC) to improve the services of the state owned media outfit.

Commissioning the equipment on Wednesday, last week, Yero said the installation of the digital transmitters would ensure that signals from the broadcast station transcend the entire Northern Nigeria. 

He also explained that "in line with our policy to fully ensure that all parts of Kaduna State have access to information through Radio, we have approved the establishments of two additional Sub-stations in Lere and Birnin Gwari Local Government Areas."

Besides, Yero has also directed the Ministry of Works to carry out complete rehabilitation of the Headquarters of the KSMC, the Katabu Transmitting Station as well as the Zaria and Kafanchan Sub-stations.

Source : http://allafrica.com/stories/201502161639.html

South Africa: Second DRM Program Now Available

As of Feb. 1, a second South African DRM program has been made available from the Radio Pulpit DRM test facility at Kameeldrift, north of Pretoria in South Africa, according to reports from the DRM Southern Africa Platform. It is transmitting BBC content digitally in the former AM band at 1440 kHz.

Read the full story at :

http://www.radioworld.com/article/south-africa-second-drm-program-now-available/274522

Deteriorating media environment: South Sudan threatens Radio Miraya

In what has been described as a growing and widening media crackdown, South Sudan's Information minister and government Spokesperson on Monday issued a warning that he would shut down the United Nations' Radio Miraya in Juba for broadcasting views of South Sudan's rebels.

More at.. ....

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/02/17/deteriorating_environmentsouth_sudan_threatens_radio_miraya/1123892

Inauguration of NER Archive of AIR & DD

Northeast Zonal archive of AIR and DD, the first media archive in the region, has got its shape with the opening of its own office as well as launching of its website www.nezaprasarbharati.in

 

Shri C Lalrosanga, ADG(P) NER has formally inaugurated the initiative of AIR and DD. Shri M S Ansari, ADG(E) NEZ  has launched the official website.

Contributed by : M. K. Devburman mkdburman@gmail.com

Source :  http://airddfamily.blogspot.in/2015/02/inauguration-of-ner-archive-of-air-dd.html?spref=fb

DRM at HFCC Global Shortwave Conference

Earlier this month, representatives from leading international broadcasters attended the 11th Global Shortwave Coordination Conference in Muscat, Oman. The conference brought together the world's primary shortwave coordination groups – the HFCC (High Frequency Coordination Committee) ABU (Asian Broadcasting Union) and ASBU (Arab States Broadcasting Union).

Read the full stort at :   http://www.drm.org/?p=3747

Multi program DRM broadcasts from AIR Bengaluru

Effective today, All India Radio Bengaluru is carrying three audio channels for it's external service DRM transmissions using new 500 kW Riz transmitter (approx 170 kW in DRM mode).

Other than regular external services, two other services FM Rainbow, Mumbai and Vividh Bharati are being broadcasted on same frequency.

Schedule for AIR Bengaluru DRM transmissions :

1000-1100 UTC on 17895 kHz English to Australia/NZ

1145-1315 UTC on 15795 kHz Chinese to China

2045-2230 UTC on 11620 kHz English to Australia/NZ

2245-0045 UTC on 13605 kHz English to NE Asia

Reception reports appreciated at :

sptairynk@rediffmail.com with copy to spectrum-manager@air.org.in

BBC Urdu has highest radio reach among international broadcasters in Pakistan

The BBC's new Urdu TV programme Sairbeen has built a weekly TV audience of 5.6 million since it launched on Pakistan's Aaj News channel, a new survey has found. BBC Urdu also has the highest reach on radio among international broadcasters in Pakistan.

Sairbeen was launched in its current format in March 2014 and is broadcast Monday to Friday. In addition to the impressive audience, Sairbeen has also reinforced the BBC's reputation for trust. Niney four percent of viewers who were surveyed saw it as trustworthy. The programme is also seen as relevant and good at providing a Pakistani perspective on big global events (80 percent).

Streamed live and available on demand online via bbcurdu.com, Sairbeen TV programme can also be watched on BBC Urdu channel on YouTube. The dramatic, tenfold increase in views on this channel over the past year is largely due to the programme's popularity, while exclusive interviews and a dedicated mobile offering have also contributed. Although YouTube is blocked in Pakistan, a large proportion of BBC Urdu viewers are still watching in that country.

On radio the survey found that more people tune in to the BBC Urdu radio in Pakistan than to any other international radio broadcaster. The survey also found that the BBC continues to be considered the most trusted, relevant and objective international broadcaster in Pakistan.

BBC Urdu's online presence has also seen a significant growth the last year, with peaks during major local and international stories. The number of users coming to bbcurdu.com via social media has grown threefold over the last year*. With over 2.9 million followers, the BBC Urdu page on Facebook has nearly tripled over the same period.

BBC Urdu Editor Aamer Ahmed Khan comments: "The survey findings and the latest digital stats summarise a very productive period for the BBC Urdu content on all platforms. Sairbeen TV programme is bringing us a very valued new audience via Aaj News channel. Our radio programming continues to be essential listening for international news-seekers across Pakistan – and our online and social-media presence is rapidly growing, connecting us with new, younger audiences. And all this is underpinned by trust in the BBC's output. These are very reassuring and inspiring findings."

BBC Urdu is part of BBC World Service.

(Press Release)

Why you should care about Software Defined Radio

It hasn't become a household term yet, but Software-Defined Radio (SDR) is a major player on the developing technology front. Whether you're building products for mass consumption, or just playing around for fun, SDR is worth knowing something about and I'll prove it to you.

More at ....

http://hackaday.com/2015/02/12/why-you-should-care-about-software-defined-radio/

Thank you for the radio

On World Radio Day, radio lovers say they miss the old times

If memes are to be believed, then it is true when it is said, 'Home is where the wifi is.' Wifi signals have become almost synonymous with one's connect to the world. But before all this came, there was only the humble radio. Be it entertainment or news, that was the world's only medium to know what was happening elsewhere.

The Hindu sums up enthusiasm of Radio lovers on World Radio Day.....

http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/thank-you-for-the-radio/article6886601.ece

Digital Radio Summit 2015: Unifying the radio experience!

Yesterday's Digital Radio Summit marked the 8th anniversary of such an event. With over a 110 participants from 25 difference countries as far as Australia and the United States, the event showed that the discussions around the future of digital radio are still top on the agenda of many organizations.

Here's full report :

https://tech.ebu.ch/home/news/main/newsList/2015/02/10/digital-radio-summit-2015-unifyi.html

World Radio Day, February 13, will see inauguration of Special 4U0ITU Call Sign

ITU International Amateur Radio Club station 4U1ITU in Geneva will mark World Radio Day on Friday, February 13. This event also marks the kickoff for the International Telecommunication Union 150th anniversary.

International Amateur Radio Union President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, will inaugurate special call sign 4U0ITU at 0900 UTC. He will be accompanied by ITU Secretary General Houlin Zhao, other elected officials and VIPs. The IARC will use the 4U0ITU call sign until World Radiocommunication Conference 2015, November 2-27, 2015.

World Radio Day commemorates the first broadcasts of UN Radio in 1946.

All 4U0ITU contacts will be confirmed. QSL information is available on QRZ.com.

http://www.arrl.org/news/world-radio-day-february-13-will-see-inauguration-of-special-4u0itu-call-sign

Experimental Website Offers HF Band Conditions at a Glance

A fairly new experimental website, bandconditions.com, offers radio amateurs and others interested in HF propagation a quick look at band conditions from the Continental United States. The site provides real-time conditions for 160, 80, 40, 30, 20, 15, and 10 meters. The site developer is Biz Wichy, K5BIZ, who lives in Texas.


More at : 

http://www.arrl.org/news/view/experimental-website-offers-hf-band-conditions-at-a-glance

DRM Roll-out in India with DIGIDIA

After the roll out in India in 6 towns with HARRIS/GATES AIR 20kW MW transmitters, now the roll out with NAUTEL is starting. All factory acceptance tests are finished and a first site in Delhi has been installed. In total DIGIDIA has delivered 26 redundant DRM systems consisting each of two OPRANO DRM Modulators and two ALTO Content Servers. The delivered systems cover the complete DRM functions including Journaline and EWS. All NAUTEL transmitters (100 kW, 200 kW nd 300 kW) have been shipped and will be installed all over India during the next 1 to 2 years.

Source : digidia.fr

Lucio Mesquita appointed as Director of BBC Monitoring

Lucio Mesquita has been appointed as the new Director of BBC Monitoring, it was announced today.

BBC Monitoring provides round –the-clock monitoring of freely available media sources around the world to the BBC and a range of commercial clients.

Fran Unsworth, Director of the World Service Group, says: "Lucio is a truly international journalist whose leadership skills and experience make him ideal for this role. BBC Monitoring is a key resource for BBC News, especially the BBC's global news services, and I look forward to working closely with him."

Lucio Mesquita says: "BBC Monitoring is an incredibly powerful source of news and insight for audiences in the UK and around the world. Our ability to follow the world's ever expanding traditional and digital media sources is unique and brings crucial insights to the BBC's journalism as we seek to inform and explain incredibly complex stories of global impact."

Lucio joined BBC Monitoring on secondment as Deputy Director in May 2014. Immediately before this he was the BBC's Head of Regional and Local Programmes for the West, including local radio, regional television and digital content for the Bristol area, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset. He helped develop, launch and run in Bristol the BBC's first ever partnership with a city, bringing together the BBC, the city council, universities and community organisations in collaborative projects aimed at developing the region's creative sector.

He started his career in the UK in 1991 as a producer with the BBC's Brazilian Portuguese language service in Bush House after working for local and national media in Brazil. After working for the World Service News and Current Affairs team he moved back to Brazil as the first ever BBC bilingual reporter in São Paulo.

On returning to the UK, after a brief stint back with the Brazilian Service as its director, Lucio became Head of the Americas region. The role covered responsibility for English language output for North America and the Caribbean, Spanish for Latin America and Portuguese for Brazil, all with radio and online presence. His final role in the World Service before moving to Bristol was as Head of Americas and Europe, responsible for the BBC's multimedia operations across ten languages.

Lucio was appointed following a competitive recruitment process. He succeeds Chris Westcott, who is leaving the BBC after 26 years' service.

(BBC Press Release)

EBU urges radio fans to share what they listen

Radio fans are being urged to share where they listen as part of a week of top-level meetings and events at the EBU culminating in World Radio Day 2015, a joint initiative between the EBU, ITU and UNESCO.

A 24-hour broadcast relay will be launched on World Radio Day itself, bringing the global community of broadcasters and listeners even closer together. More than 40 stations around the world will dedicate a half-hour segment of their programming to the World Radio Day theme, handing over in English and then continuing in their native language.The EBU will invite listeners around the world to tweet details and pictures of where they listen to their radio using #MyRadio, with a selection of the most interesting and unusual gathered and posted on social media.

A week of top-level events

Experts will gather at the EBU in Geneva from 11 February. They will discover and share the latest technological developments in digital and hybrid radio at the 2015 Digital Radio Summit on Wednesday 12 February, and will be joined on the 12 and 13 February by software developers, integrators and engineers from broadcasters, service providers, network operators and manufacturers who will head to the ITU headquarters in Geneva for the hands-on RadioHack 2015.

'This is the United Nations calling the peoples of the world'

The week will round off on Friday 13 February with World Radio Day 2015. This year's theme is 'Youth and Radio'. Delegates will gather at the ITU headquarters in Geneva to celebrate the day with an added focus on innovation, in the presence of the Secretary General of the ITU, the Director General of UNESCO and the EBU. There will be live and pre-recorded contributions from, among others, the BBC, China Radio International, Australia's ABC and performances from the United Nations Orchestra.

"The EBU continually strives to harness the latest trends and provide the radio industry with fresh initiatives and standards in broadcasting. This year, we are particularly pleased to join forces with the ITU in their 150th year to showcase how far we have come and shine a light on the way forward. The theme of youth, linked to innovation, ties in very neatly with several of our campaigns, including our support for public service media in negotiations on spectrum allocation and talks on digital terrestrial radio (DAB+) and the Smart Radio initiative." said EBU Head of Radio Christian Vogg.

EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre said, "It is a privilege for the EBU to be involved in World Radio Day 2015, particularly in such a significant anniversary year for the ITU. Radio broadcasters and listeners are a strongly united community and it is a pleasure for us to host a week of top-level events leading up and including the day itself."

https://tech.ebu.ch/home/news/main/newsList/2015/02/10/ebu-urges-radio-fans-to-share-wh.html

Radio Spaceshuttle 14-15th February !

GERMANY: Radio Spaceshuttle International,  Rohrbach on 6070 kHz Saturday 14th February 2015 14-15 UTC.

Programm beinhaltet kurze Hörer Briefkasten, Beste deutsch-schweizerischen-Kuh, Disco, Pop und Rock-Musik aus den 80er und 90er Jahren, Finnland-Musik-Edelsteine in den Jahren, usw.

SWEDEN: Radio Spaceshuttle International, Sale on 6035 kHz and 9865kHz Sunday 15th February 2015 08-10 UTC

Bästa pop, disco, dans, trance och rock musik från 70, 80, och 90-talet. Svensk och finsk musik extra.

Wishing that conditions will be fine and good reception all over Europe is possible!

All correct reports sent (with 2 EUROS/ 3 International reply Coupon) to our address: Radio Spaceshuttle International, P.O.Box 2702, NL-ZG 6049 HERTEN, The Netherlands will be verified with our printed QSL! (+ some promotional material!)

COMPETITION: After six month period(January-June) special big surprises 1,2 and 3 (valuable Spaceshuttle stuff) will be sent to three listeners sent THE MAXIMUM NUMBERs of correct reports [-max one report/transmission counted]. If more than three equal reporters [same amount of reports] then Madame Fortune will have her fingers in came ;)

(Dick Spacewalker)

World Radio Day relays round the world

ABU members will be taking part in a round-the-world broadcast relay to celebrate the 4th World Radio Day.

 

On Friday 13 February 2015, participating broadcasters around the globe will devote at least half-an-hour of their programming to the WRD 2015 themes "Innovation and youth in radio".

 

The main organisers, the European Broadcasting Union, in partnership with the ABU and other broadcasting unions, will also offer three short optional pre-recorded radio features devoted to Radio and Youth, Radio and Innovation and the History of Humanitarian Use of Radio: UN Radio.

More at :

 

http://www.abu.org.my/Latest_News-@-World_Radio_Day_relays_round_the_world.aspx

AIR set to launch Vividh Bharati service in FM mode

NEW DELHI: Aiming at enabling listeners to reach out its popular Vividh Bharati service on their mobile phones and car stereos with greater clarity, All India Radio (AIR) is all set to launch the transmission of the service in FM mode in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

 

Read more at:

 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/media/air-set-to-launch-vividh-bharati-service-in-fm-mode/articleshow/46136201.cms

BBC World Service English to end medium wave radio services to Eastern Mediterranean

BBC World Service English to end medium wave radio services to Eastern Mediterranean on 1323kHz in April

The BBC announced that the English language radio service in the Eastern Mediterranean - including Israel, much of Lebanon, Cyprus and southern Turkey - will end on 25 April 2015.

Director of BBC World Service, Fran Unsworth, says: "Our English language service will still be available via satellite and on the internet - which is increasingly how our audiences tune in. However, we cannot identify a financially viable method by which to continue the medium wave radio service. It is for this reason that we have decided to end these transmissions."

Audiences in the region will be able to listen to BBC World Service English 24 hours day through the direct-to-home satellite service on Eutelsat 13 (13o East, 11,117 MHz Vertical) or through the internet at BBCWorldservice.com

(BBC Press Release)

Guyana back on shortwave

3289.975 kHz   Voice of  Guyana  

Heard in amidst of the UTE here, first noted at 0118 UTC. MOR W vclist at 0331 recheck.   Quite readable at 0336, and at 0337 w/Johnny Mathis-like song, and another at 0346-0348. Then "Last Date" by Floyd Cramer, cutoff, and into a diff. song.   0357 started "Last Date" again and deep-voiced M anncr sounding like a Caribbean accent.  0328 "Goodbye to Love" by the Carpenters then W anncr at 0359 (probably the pre-ToH BBC promo, 0400 time ticks and BBC nx //9460.   Came back later when the electricity was out due to an ice storm and found the freq clear of the UTE and W in EG w/rel. pgm at 0804.   Hindi mx at 0815 recheck then tried to air a rel. pgm but the audio was cutting out badly. 0829 deep-voiced M came on w/ID and apologized, then choral NA at 0830.   0831 different M anncr briefly and then what appeared to be the Koran.   Into a Pop mx pgm w/M DJ host.   Fading by 0840. Nice ID at 0848.   Nice to have them back on SW.   (2 Feb.)

 

Dave Valko, Dunlo, PA, USA

Perseus with Wellbrook ALA1530S and 153 foot triangular Delta Loop

 

Glenn Hauser via DXLD list :

Voice of Guyana transmitters

20 Kilowatt Medium-wave on 560 K.C.

5 Kilowatt Medium-wave on 560 K.C. (Back-up)

10 Kilowatt Shortwave on 3.290 MHz. Currently only at 1 K.W.

(Jamie Labadia, UT Feb 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Old Waves Across Borders Fade – New Waves Rise

Michael Hedges December 15, 2014 Follow on Twitter

 

International broadcasting reached a pinnacle during the post-Second World War years. The Cold War gave birth to a competitive sphere where government funded radio broadcasters kept news listeners fixed to their radios. By the mid 1980's the dial was filled. A decade later, everything had changed.

 

http://followthemedia.com/reachout/waves15122014.htm

FY2016 Budget Proposal calls for de-federalization of Radio and TV Marti to Cuba and VOA Latin American outreach

Read the BBG Watch Commentary here : http://bbgwatch.com/bbgwatch/fy2016-budget-proposal-calls-de-federalization-radio-tv-marti-cuba-voa-latin-american-outreach/

Where does radio stand in a connected world?

The evolution of entertainment and new ways to access information have left the medium of radio with an uncertain future.

As it stands, radio is in a healthy condition. According to UNESCO, radio reaches about 95 percent of the world's population, and AM/FM radio accounts for 86 percent of the total time spent by adults listening to radio. As well as this, 75 percent of households in developing countries have access to radio, and there are thought to be 44,000 radio stations worldwide.

Full story at ......

http://thenextweb.com/media/2015/02/01/radio-stand-connected-world/

Voice of Russia stops radio broadcast service in Hindi and Urdu

With effect from 4th February 2015 Voice of Russia is going to stop it's radio broadcast service (read online streaming) in Hindi and Urdu. Moscow had been broadcasting in Hindi and Urdu for 73 years...

 

Websites of the Voice of Russia in Hindi, Urdu and English are changing their names and moving over to a new website. We will now be known as Sputnik news agency and radio.

Source :  http://indian.ruvr.ru/news/2015_02_02/Moscow-stops-radio-broadcast-service-in-hindi-and-urdu/

90 years of Polish Radio

Last sunday marked ninety years since Poland's first radio broadcast on 1 February 1925, seven years after the country regained its independence in the wake of World War I.

The first programme was emitted by the Polish Radiotechnical Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Radiotechniczne) from their makeshift studio in a Warsaw suburb.

''It was actually a test, but a successful one, and that is why we consider this moment as the beginning of the activity of Polish Radio,'' commented Andrzej Siezieniewski, current chairman.

The official founding of Polish Radio was on 18 August 1925.

See more at: 

http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/195524,90-years-of-Polish-Radio

Guangzhou Coast Radio Station coverage expands to Huangyan Islands

GUANGZHOU, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Guangzhou Coast Radio Station in south China's Guangdong Province launched a trial service to deliver maritime information that covers Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands and Huangyan Islands on Sunday.

According to the Navigation Guarantee Center of South China Sea, which is affiliated with the country's Ministry of Transport, the station will broadcast navigational and meteorological warnings and forecasts in English six times a day, with a radio coverage of around 500 sea miles.

As one of the five Navtex radio stations in China, the Guangzhou Coast Radio Station is in charge of broadcasting maritime safety information to waters that include the areas south of the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

Navtex (Navigational Telex) is an international automated system for distributing navigational warnings, weather forecasts and rescue notices to ships. It is also a component of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2015-02/01/c_133962741.htm

Radio Taiwan announces mascot sticker design competition

Stickers of an RTI mascot that accentuate RTI's role as an international broadcaster. The set of eight stickers should depict various expressions and emotions such as: happiness, anger, sadness, excitement, greetings, gratitude, encouragement, and amusement.

 

Use your creativity to design an RTI mascot that accentuates RTI's role as an international broadcaster. You can get inspiration from the stickers available in LINE's sticker market or in other messenger apps. Competition entries must consist of a set of eight stickers, and photos are not allowed.

Maximum of three sets of stickers per contestant. Contestants who enter more than one set of stickers should fill in multiple registration forms and upload their works as separate entries; those who submit their works by post can send them in one batch.

 

Submission Deadline : March 16, 2015

Details at :  http://events.rti.org.tw/big5/2014Activity/2014rtibb/en/index.aspx

KNLS Gets a Sister Station in 2015

For those of you who may have missed the December announcement, here it is again. KNLS will soon have a sister station. The document was issued by the government of Madagascar. Written in French, it gives World Christian Broadcasting permission to put new station, Madagascar World Voice (MWV), on the air.  The new station's towers are already built. The new transmitters are on the way, and hope to have MWV on the air by the middle of 2015.  

 

Madagascar is an island nation in the southern Indian Ocean, located about 300 kilometers across the Mozambique Channel from the east coast of southern Africa.

Millions who were previously unable to hear Alaska station KNLS, or who heard it faintly, will now have a chance to pick up a clear signal. For example, we get mail from KNLS listeners from India, which is half a world away from Alaska. Madagascar World Voice will send a clearer signal to India, so we expect the volume of mail from the planet's second-most populated country to increase. Some listeners in India have digital receivers, and MWV will have the ability to transmit a digital signal.

 

Madagascar World Voice will double the area of the world that can hear music to love, news to know, and a message to live.

  

World Christian Broadcasting's freshly minted 100 KW transmitters were loaded on a cargo ship in the Port of Houston on January 12, 2015.  A few days later the ship sailed, bound for the Indian Ocean.  Arrival date is expected to be somewhere around March 25.  The ships will cross many, many miles of open Atlantic Ocean before they sail under the tip of Africa to head north to their destination.  The two transmitters were built at a cost of $1,000,000 each, so we are praying for smooth sailing and a safe arrival!

 

Once the transmitters are unloaded at our station, much work is left to be done.  They must be installed in the transmitter building that has been awaiting their arrival.  They must be connected to the diesel generators that will power them.  Technicians from Continental Electronics in Dallas must go to fine-tune their installation.  Once all that has been done, we can begin the testing process—which in itself will take more than a month.  Once everything is in order, we can begin broadcasting in late 2015 or early 2016.  

 

Initially we will broadcast in six languages: Arabic (covering the entire Mid-East), Spanish (for South and Central America, plus the Spanish-speaking countries of Africa), English with an African sound (for the continent of Africa), Chinese (for western China), Russian (for the populous regions of western Russia, including St. Petersburg and Moscow), and International English (for India and nearby countries where English is a second language).    

 

Between the new station in the Indian Ocean and our other station in Alaska, our programming will cover almost the entire world (except for North America)

(Source : World Christian Broadcasting)

The story of Deccan Radio

"Radio is one medium that triggers all senses in a person," feels Aslam Farshori, one of the leading television and radio personalities in the country. He was one of the panellists at the Deccan Radio and Urdu Culture on the final day of the Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF) 2015.


Full story at :


http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/The-story-of-Deccan-Radio/2015/01/27/article2638181.ece

Virgin Radio could return to airwaves in digital reboot

Joint bid for new national digital radio multiplex from UTV Media and Bauer includes relaunching Virgin Radio brand, a TalkSport 2 and seven other new stations

Virgin Radio could return to the airwaves as part of one of two rival bids to run the next wave of national digital radio stations.

The return of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin brand is part of a bid put forward by Sound Digital, a consortium of TalkSport owner UTV Media, Magic parent Bauerand transmission business Arqiva, to run the second national commercial digital radio multiplex.

More info at :

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/29/virgin-radio-could-return-to-airwaves-in-digital-reboot

BBC’s Arabic Service marks 77th birthday

To mark its 77th anniversary, BBC Arabic is launching a new radio schedule, and new programmes to be broadcast from Cairo and London. The new programmes will showcase the BBC's commitment to distinctive and original journalism that matters to its diverse Arabic speaking audiences across the world. They will offer listeners a modern BBC platform with a dynamic pace, less formal presentation style and strong audience participation via mobile phones and online at bbcarabic.com. BBC Arabic is also re-launching its YouTube channel.

 

To celebrate the anniversary, BBC Arabic will host a concert of classical Arabic music on Saturday 31 January at Broadcasting House in London, the building that saw the launch of BBC broadcasts in Arabic in 1938.

 

BBC Arabic has established a deep-rooted relationship with its Arabic speaking audiences by providing objective, impartial and trusted news, world-class documentaries and investigative programmes. The numerous awards for BBC Arabic output include two prestigious prizes at the Association of International Broadcasting awards in 2014: the Investigative Radio Documentary award for Forbidden Love, about interfaith marriages in Egypt, and the TV International Investigative Documentary for Saudi's Secret Uprising.

 

Recent audience research (2014) shows BBC Arabic's overall audience reach has risen by more than 11 per cent to 36.2 million adults weekly - up from 32.5 million in 2012 to 2013. Since the 'Arab Spring' in 2010, BBC Arabic's weekly audience has risen from 21.6 to 36.2 million - an increase of 68 per cent.

 

On 27 January, BBC Arabic radio launched new-style news programmes and four new strands:

 

Sport News: A daily half-hour radio round-up of regional and world sports.

Women Today: A daily half-hour news and current affairs radio programme that focuses on women in the news in the Middle East and across the world. The programme offers a mix of reports, interviews and interactive debate.

Midnight Talk: A daily 50-minute programme for younger listeners. The programme provides a platform to freely investigate and debate social and political issues most relevant to young people in the Middle East. The programme has a chatty, informal tone and offers live interviews, music and a stage for talented young people.

Radio Archive: A weekly 27-minute strand, the Programme, draws on more than 70 years of BBC

Arabic Radio archive with rare and exclusive material. The programme also will offer current interviews with relevant people on some of the issues which have been raised in the past and still resonate today.

 

Tarik Kafala, the Head of BBC Arabic says: "This is a very exciting time for BBC Arabic. We are reaching our biggest audiences in our 77 years and developing in ways that will make us more relevant and essential than ever, on all platforms. Today, we're celebrating radio, the medium on which our reputation is built. The investment in new programmes and a new schedule shows our deep commitment to radio and our listeners, the heart and foundation of BBC Arabic."

(BBC Press Release)

Deutsche Welle relay station in Kigali to close down by 28 March, 2015

Deutsche Welle relay station in Kigali / Rwanda will be closed at end of B14 season and dismantled afterwards.

 

All shortwave services will be continued in A15 by rentals at same times and to same service areas.

 

DW English www.dw.de

DW Amharic www.dw.de/amharic

DW French  www.dw.de/francais

DW Hausa  www.dw.de/hausa

DW Swahili www.dw.de/kiswahili

DW Dari    www.dw.de/dari

DW Pashto  www.dw.de/Pashto

 

Kind regards,

 

Thomas Feustel

Technical Distribution

 

(Ivo Ivanov,Sofia, Bulgaria)