Voice of Nigeria, Radio Deutsche Welle Pledge Better Corporation

Nigeria's international radio broadcast organisation, the Voice of Nigeria (VON) and its German equivalent, Radio Deutsche Welle (DW), over the weekend agreed to strengthen their existing bilateral relationship with the objective of promoting socio- economic advancement of Nigeria and Germany.

 

This followed a high-level meeting between the two Corporations which took place over the weekend at the Broadcasting House, Ikoyi Lagos station VON.

 

Full story at :

http://dailytimes.com.ng/voice-nigeria-radio-deutsche-welle-pledge-better-corporation/

The New DXer's Handbook - 2nd Edition

For amateur radio operators and shortwave listeners :

Bryce Anderson's (K7UA) second edition of 'The New DXer's Handbook'

Download your free copy here

http://www.k7ua.com/uploads/4/9/9/0/4990079/new_dxers_handbook_second_edition_01-29-2015_optimized.pdf

Radio Serbia to close down on 31st July

Announcement to closing International Radio Serbia on July 31:

By the decision of Serbian government, International Radio Serbia ceases to exist on 31 July 2015. Thus our fruitful cooperation with you and our tradition of continously informing the diaspora and the public worldwide of the current events, business and cultural capacities, beautiful land- marks, culture and tradition of Serbia and former Yugoslavia in 12 langs via shortwaves, Internet and satellite will be terminated. Thank you for having listened to us and for having trusted us for more than 79 years!!

This is another station which goes from shortwave. Current A-15 schedule:

1730-1800 on  6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Italian Mon-Fri

1800-1830 on  6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Russian

1830-1900 on  6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu English

1900-1930 on  6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Spanish

1930-2000 on  6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Serbian Sun-Fri

1930-2030 on  6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Serbian Sat, co-ch CRI Ar

2000-2030 on  6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu German Sun-Fri, co-ch CRI Ar

2030-2100 on  6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu French, co-ch CRI Ar

2100-2130 on  6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu English, co-ch CRI Ar

2130-2200 on  6100 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Serbian Fri, co-ch CRI Ar

(Ivo Ivanov)

Radio Free Iraq Signs Off After 17 Years Of Service

WASHINGTON -- RFE/RL's Arabic Service to Iraq, Radio Free Iraq (RFI) will air its final broadcast on July 31. The resources of RFI will be merged with Radio Sawa Iraq to provide the audience with extensive Iraq-specific news and informational programming. The new Radio Sawa Iraq programming will be broadcast on both its existing frequency and those of RFI during a period of transition.

 

In recognition of their service, BBG Chairman Jeffrey Shell presented letters of appreciation to RFI colleagues, noting that, "[Radio Free Iraq's] coverage of all sides of Iraq's political scene has been unparalleled and deeply appreciated by its audience, as has its coverage of news from throughout the country with its wide network of regional correspondents.  Iraqi decision makers have considered RFI a must listen or read in their daily news diet while Iraqi citizens have expressed gratitude to RFI for providing a platform for them to raise their voices and concerns."

 

RFE/RL Editor-in-Chief Nenad Pejic paid tribute to the sacrifices made by RFI colleagues to deliver the news in a country riven by constant political turmoil, violence, and war. A bomb blast at the AlHamra Hotel in Baghdad in 2005 ripped apart the Service's bureau, two correspondents - Khamail Muhsin Khalaf and Nazar Abdulwahid al-Radhi - were murdered in 2007, and RFI Baghdad Bureau chief Dr. Muhammad Bdaiwi Owaid al-Shammari was shot dead at a checkpoint in 2014 while on his way to work. RFI correspondents have also suffered kidnappings, death threats, harassment, and physical injury while reporting the news.

 

In remarks to RFI staff members, Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) President Brian Conniff said that, "At this moment in history, when Iraq is threatened by an extremist Islamic insurgency and faces numerous challenges in rebuilding from decades of open warfare and authoritarian rule, we believe adding RFI's signature programming to the Radio Sawa Iraq lineup will provide the audience high quality content that will enhance their listening experience." MBN manages and oversees Radio Sawa.

 

Radio Free Iraq was created by RFE/RL in 1998, in response to direction from the U.S. Congress. Led first by former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq David Newton, and since 2004 by journalist Sergei Danilochkin, it has provided accurate and non-sectarian news and information to local audiences and fostered informed debate of issues that are not otherwise reported in Iraq's ethnically, politically and religiously fragmented media.

(Press Release)

GatesAir Expands its Local Presence and Customer Support in India

CINCINNATI, July 21, 2015 — GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters, has officially announced plans to partner with Horizon Broadcast LLP to open a new state-of-the-art service center in Gurgaon, India; and appointed Anil Bhardwaj as GatesAir's regional sales manager. The strategic moves put GatesAir and its partner Horizon closer to customers across the expansive region, ensuring exceptional service and support to navigate broadcasters through challenging digital transitions.

GatesAir's  India channel partner , Horizon Broadcast LLP, will open and manage the service center. Horizon, will soon relocate its existing Delhi service center operation to its spacious new facility, where the company will continue providing dependable after-sales service and support to GatesAir customers.

Based at the company's New Delhi sales office, Bhardwaj reports directly to Jhonny Maroun, GatesAir's regional sales manager for the Middle East and South Asia (MESA), based in Beirut Lebanon. Bhardwaj brings extensive experience as a business development manager and entrepreneur for a variety of broadcast media companies. As GatesAir's new regional sales manager, Bhardwaj is dedicated to building strong relationships with both new and existing customers, and coordinating with the new local service center to ensure that customer needs are effectively met.

"At a time when the television and radio broadcast industry in India is experiencing dramatic growth, we want to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to our customers in the region," said Maroun. "We are partnering with Horizon to open the new service center and added Anil at a very exciting time, given the push toward Phase 3 FM radio and the transition to DVB-T/T2 digital television happening across India. We want to assure the Indian broadcast community that, as they expand their broadcast transmission facilities, we will be present and prepared to deliver proven solutions and the timely, responsive service they need to successfully expand and thrive.

About GatesAir

GatesAir, Inc. provides complete solutions for over-the-air radio and television broadcasting, leveraging wireless spectrum to maximize performance for multichannel, mission-critical services. Powering over-the-air networks worldwide with unparalleled reliability for nearly 100 years, GatesAir's turnkey solutions enable broadcasters to create, transport and transmit radio and TV content.  With customers in more than 185 countries, the company leads the industry in innovation and design breakthroughs, improving efficiency and reducing total cost of ownership. Visit www.gatesair.com for more information, and follow us on Twitter at @GatesAir

(Press Release)

Ever heard of station's RDS display being hacked ?

A Houston hip-hop and R&B station is investigating how an offensive word was broadcast to digital radio displays across the city.

Listeners tweeted images Sunday night that showed KBXX 97.9 The Box broadcasting the N-word on radio displays where song info is typically shown. The audio portion of the broadcast was apparently not affected.

Full story at :

http://www.khou.com/story/news/local/2015/07/27/houston-radio-station-investigating-song-display-hack/30728299/

The Case for Indigenous Community Radio

Community radio is uniquely situated to cater to the needs of Indigenous communities. The opportunity to produce community-generated mass media can be channeled to support Indigenous language revitalization and preservation efforts. It also provides an easily accessible channel to disseminate culturally appropriate information on public health, development, and politics in real time.

More at :

https://intercontinentalcry.org/this-machine-builds-movements-28452/

President Kalam didn't own TV, listened to All India Radio

Harry Sheridon (53), who had been with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam as his personal secretary for the past 24 years, recalled that Kalam never had a television at home and would start his day between 6.30 am and 7 am and stay awake until 2 am. He would listen to the radio, mostly news on All India Radio.

More at :

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kalam-tribute-sir-never-had-a-tv-at-home-recalls-secretary-of-24-years-1201261

Radio: The All-But-Forgotten Medium With The Biggest Reach

You wouldn't know it from all the media coverage focused on streaming video and streaming music, but recent Nielsen data shows radio actually has the most reach among American media consumers. 93% of adults listen to the radio each week as compared to 87% who watch TV, a substantive difference.

 

Read the full story at :

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougschoen/2015/07/28/radio-the-all-but-forgotten-medium-with-the-biggest-reach/

E-Auction of the First Batch of Private FM Radio Phase III Channels Commences

The long awaited e-auction of more than 800 additional FM channels in almost 300 Indian cities started on 27 July 2015.

E-Auction of the First Batch of Private FM Radio Phase III commenced on 27th July 2015 at 09.30 A.M. and during the day, four rounds of bidding took place. 135 FM Channels in 69 existing cities of Phase II have been put on auction in the first batch. At the close of first day of bidding, 78 Channels in 54 cities became Provisionally Winning Channels with cumulative provisional winning price of around Rs 395 Crore against their aggregate reserve price of about Rs 357 crore.

The Auction began today with Auction Activity Requirement set at 80%. Total 26 bidders were allowed to participate in the auction. The ongoing auction is a Simultaneous Multiple Round Ascending (SMRA) e-auction which is being conducted online from Auction Control Room No. 404 B Wing, Shastri Bhawan.

Daily auction report for day one of e-Auction has been put on MIB website, www.mib.nic.in. Bidding will re-commence tomorrow on 28th July, 2015 at 09.30 AM.

(Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting)

Tomorrow's BBC, Your say - BBC Trust wants your views on the BBC

BBC Trust wants your views on  BBC

https://consultations.external.bbc.co.uk/bbc/tomorrows-bbc

 

Take the online survey here ....

 

https://consultations.external.bbc.co.uk/bbc/tomorrows-bbc/consultation

 

Related ;

 

BBC Charter Review public consultation

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/bbc-charter-review-public-consultation

AIR observes 88th anniversary of India's first radio broadcast with 'New India Vision'symposium

Commemorating the 88th anniversary of the first radio broadcast in the country here on Thursday, All India Radio organised a symposium at the National Media Centre on the theme "Naye Bharat ki Rachna aur Prasaran Madhyam".

 

The symposium was inaugurated by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Colonel (Retired) Rajyavardhan Rathore.

 

Full story at :  http://tinyurl.com/n9c4abs

 

50 years on the air - Radio Seychelles celebrates half-century as the archipelago's first broadcaster

This week marks fifty years since the first radio station in Seychelles began broadcasting - Radio Seychelles, presently part of the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), made its maiden broadcast from the station in July 1965. 

The occasion is currently being celebrated with a two-day exhibition at its studios at Union Vale, a northern suburb surrounding the Seychelles capital of Victoria. The exhibition consists of a collection of historic photographs as well as live programmes produced by some of its former radio hosts to demonstrate the evolution of radio broadcasting.

Full story at :

http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/3386/+years+on+the+air+-+Radio+Seychelles+celebrates+half-century+as+the+archipelago's+first+broadcaster

Typhoon Dolphin & KTWR Guam

KTWR is a powerful shortwave station on Guam, a great island for snorkeling and diving. Much of the island's reputation is due to the clean water and abundant marine life. The spinner dolphins, in particular, are quite an attraction and are fun to watch as they surf the tour-boat wakes. Recently, however, we at KTWR were visited by a dolphin no one wanted to see.

 

Read the story here ...

 

http://www.radiomagonline.com/blogentry/1220

Red Cross Radio reaches out to isolated communities after torrential rains sweep through Solomon Islands

With limited access and communications, the Solomon Islands Red Cross has taken to the airwaves to reach out to people in remote communities through radio broadcasts to reassure them that assessment teams are on their way.

Full story at :

http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/news-stories/asia-pacific/solomon-islands/red-cross-radio-reaches-out-to-isolated-communities-after-torrential-rains-sweep-through-solomon-islands-69084/

Indian Broadcasting Day-23rd July 1927

It was in June 1927, that the very first radio programme in India was broadcast by the Radio Club of Bombay (Mumbai) and then in November, 1927 from Calcutta (Kolkata). These radio broadcasts were made with the efforts of amateurs, later followed by private enterprise.

More at :

http://akashvanisamvaad.blogspot.in/2015/07/indian-broadcasting-day-23rd-july-1923.html

Codecrackers say Gimme Morse

By Kushala S, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Jul 20, 2015, 04.00 AM IST

Morse Code is witnessing a revival in the city thanks to Ham Krishna Kumar

Gathered in a garage in Jayanagar 4th T Block is a motley group of about 10. A class is on, in the first row of which sit five children, enthusiastically taking down notes. The teacher is enlightening them with codes, uttering funny sounding dits and dahs, dots and dashes...

Read the full story at :

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/others/Codecrackers-say-Gimme-Morse/articleshow/48137342.cms?

Angola: New Radio Station Launched in Luanda

Luanda — The new radio station called "Voice of Hope", which belongs to Tocoista Church, was co-inaugurated Thursday by the minister of Culture, Rosa Cruz e Silva, and the bishop of that religious congregation, Afonso Nunes, witnessed by the national Director of Information of the Ministry of Mass Media (MCS), Rui Vasco, in representation of incumbent minister, José Luís de Matos.

The radio station, which operated on experimental phase since April this year, broadcasts in 89.2 FM and has a 6 - 10 pm programming schedule, according to its director, Joao Dombaxi.

Full story at : 

http://allafrica.com/stories/201507170462.html

Arabsat removes Radio Dabanga from its satellite

July 17, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - The Arab Satellite Communication Organization (Arabsat) has removed the radio station Radio Dabanga from its satellite upon a request from the Sudanese government, said a statement released by the radio on Friday.

Radio Dabanga is a shortwave radio station which serves the Darfur area of western Sudan. It is based in the Netherlands and it has been broadcasting in Arabic and local languages since December 1, 2008 ......

Full story at :

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article55733

Community radio station informs and entertains backward region of Haryana

All we hear is… Alfaz-e-Mewat

Community radio station informs and entertains backward region of Haryana

Situated in Mewat district's Ghagas village, the radio station caters to almost 183 villages, and is at the moment dealing with the issue of pensions on one of its regular programmes, Gaon ki Chaupal.

Read the full story at : 

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/all-we-hear-is-alfazemewat/article7434673.ece

It’s Time to Reassess AM

It's Time to Reassess AM and digital (Digital Radio Mondiale) is the way ahead.....asserts Ruxandra Obreja

Read the Radio World blog entry at :

 

http://www.radioworld.com/default.aspx?tabid=75&entryid=10322

CEPT vote a boost for terrestrial broadcasting in the UHF band

Europe's Conference of Post and Telecommunications Regulators (CEPT) has agreed a common position which opposes the allocation of the UHF band (470-694MHz) to mobile services.

 

The vote was held in preparation for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) WRC-15 Conference, where important decisions on the future assignment of spectrum will be made.

 

More at :

https://tech.ebu.ch/news/2015/06/09/cept-vote-a-boost-for-terrestria?newsletterJuly2015

FM radio shutdown : end of the road for analogue?

As Norway prepares to shut down FM radio in 2017, will the UK follow suit?

 

http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2015/07/fm-radio-shutdown.cfm

TWR360 Adds 40th Language, Marathi

TWR360 just turned 2 years old, but the Web portal to Christian media content is charging ahead more like a world-class sprinter than a toddler.

 

The website recently added its 40th language – that's eight times the total available at its launch May 31, 2013. One of the most distinctive features of TWR360 is its ability to detect the language of a visitor's browser and automatically function in that language.

 

Marathi, spoken in India, was the newest language incorporated into the site. Users from India, as it happens, are among the most active on TWR360. They accounted for the second-highest number of sessions among all the 228 countries and territories that had visitors to the site in May 2015. And there were more than 391,000 total visits that month.

 

If you haven't explored TWR360 yet, consider trying it out soon. Visitors not only gain access to a wide range of personally enriching messages in text, audio and video formats but also discover a tool for sharing their faith with others.

 

(Source : TWR Update, July 2015)

Nigerian Govt. lied, Radio Biafra still broadcasting

The Nigerian government's claim that it successfully jammed signals from Radio Biafra, a controversial, underground channel spewing propaganda, is false as the station has continued with its programmes several hours after the government announcement.

 

PREMIUM TIMES correspondents in the south-east of Nigeria, and other listeners there, have confirmed that station remained on the airwaves as of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, long after the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Shade Yemi-Esan, told journalists on Tuesday the broadcast had been blocked.

 

Full story at :

 

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/186692-nigerian-govt-lied-radio-biafra-still-broadcasting.html

Related :

 

Nigeria vows to shut down Radio Biafra

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33536252

10 KW Vividh Bharati FM and 6 KW FM (Rainbow) transmitters of AIR Cuttack on air

10 kW Vividh Bharati FM Service Operating on 100.4 MHz and 6 kW FM (Rainbow) Service Operating on 101.3 MHz of AIR, Cuttack were commissioned at 11.30 AM on 14th July 2015 at New FM Building, HPTV Campus, Tulsipur, Cuttack as a replacement of 1 kW MW Vividh Bharati Service and 2×3 kW FM (Rainbow) Service respectively.

 

Both the Services were commissioned by Shri A.R.Sheikh, ADG(E)(EZ), AIR and DD, Kolkata. 

(A.C.Subudhi, Director Engineering via Prasar Bharati Blog)

http://airddfamily.blogspot.in/2015/07/10-kw-vividh-bharati-fm-and-6-kw-fm.html

 

Related :

 

AIR's FM service now available all across Odisha

 

http://www.iamin.in/en/cuttack/news/airs-fm-service-now-available-all-across-odisha-64709

 

The World’s Strangest Radio Broadcasts

We have only the vaguest idea where the broadcasts are coming from, and even less idea where they're going. The sounds are strange—the synthesized voices of women and children mixed with snatches of music, Morse code, or high-pitched buzzing. Sometimes the transmissions appear on a fixed schedule, other times in short random bursts. The only thing they have in common is the eerie recitation of numbers, beamed through shortwave radio signals bouncing across the globe.

 

Read the interesting story at :   http://mentalfloss.com/us/go/65869

Digital Radio Mondiale at IBC 2015: ‘DRM: Clear and Flexible Digital Radio’

Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) is already preparing for this year's International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam 10th-15th September. IBC is the leading global tradeshow for broadcasters and media professionals and attracts over 150,000 visitors every year from over 160 countries worldwide.

Participants will also be able to see and hear the latest on digital radio (DRM30 and DRM+). Recent and exciting market developments in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America will feature large, as well as equipment (including new receivers).

All those interested are invited to meet DRM experts, broadcasters and manufacturers:

Fraunhofer IIS on Friday 11th September unveiling in Europe the first India-made DRM receiver, from 1400-1500 (Hall 8 B80)

Thomson Broadcast on Saturday 12th September, from 1100 to 1230 (Hall 8 C35)

Nautel in the afternoon between 1530 and 1700 (Hall 8 C49) under the banner "New Developments in DRM Transmitter Technology"

And Sunday will feature a joint event between Ampegon and Transradio from 1100 to 1230 (Hall 8 D35)

Ruxandra Obreja, the Consortium Chairman, says that: "Last year we made an exciting announcement and we hope that 2015 IBC will be even better for all those interested in digital sound broadcasting technology with the increasing interest in DRM and the co-existence of DRM with other similar technologies".

Other DRM members present at IBC are: GatesAir, RIZ Transmitters and RFmondial.

If you want to attend the DRM events please contact: projectoffice@drm.org

(DRM Consortium Press Release)

Pravasi Bharathi to launch world’s first Malayalam Digital Radio (DRM) by Nov 2015

Pravasi Bharathi Broadcasting Corporation operating from its headquarter in UAE is entering into an important phase of its journey. 

According to Chandrasenan.K, Managing Director & General Manager of Pravasi Bharathi Broadcasting Corporation, "Pravasi Bharathi 810 AM", world's first Malayalam digital radio and the first digital radio in the Middle East will be on air by November 2015 using the Digital Radio Mondiale standard.

As per info from station they are planning AM/DRM simulcast using a 200 kW Nautel transmitter. 

In addition to that, Gulf Malayalam Weekly from their Print and Publishing Division will be launched in August as an Onam gift to all Pravasi Malayalees. Gulf Malayalam Weekly is a real life magazine for Gulf Malayalee, being circulated in six GCC nations and in India.

BBC ends broadcasts on 90.3 FM in Abu Dhabi, UAE

BBC World Service has announced today that from Tuesday 30 June 2015 its radio services in English and BBC Arabic will no longer be available on 90.3 FM in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

There are a variety of ways audiences can still access BBC World Service:

At bbc.com/worldserviceradio or bbcarabic.com via the internet.

Via audio channels on Nilesat or Arabsat satellite.

By downloading the BBC Arabic app on iTunes.

On medium wave radio in English on 1413 KHz between 6am and 7am, and 10pm and midnight local time and in Arabic on 702 KHz between 6pm and midnight local time – daily

A BBC Spokesperson said: "The BBC World Service is moving quickly towards a mix of radio and digital platforms and, in this rapidly developing environment, regrettably FM is no longer a cost-effective way of serving listeners in the UAE. This has resulted in the difficult decision to end this broadcast. We would like to thank our audience for listening via FM over the past 10 years and hope you will stay tuned, as BBC World Service can still be reached easily through a range of devices."

The BBC's FM frequency in Abu Dhabi, which was first established in 2003, has been streaming live and 27/4 a mixed radio schedule from BBC Arabic and BBC World Service English.

Government selects panel to review the future of the BBC

The government has set up an advisory panel to carry out a fundamental review of the BBC. Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has appointed eight people to work on the renewal of the BBC's royal charter - which sets out the corporation's remit.

Dawn Airey, former boss of Channel 5, and Dame Colette Bowe, former chairwoman of Ofcom, are among the advisers.

The current BBC charter is set to expire at the end of 2016.

Full story at :

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33496925

Related :

New political battle over the BBC's future to begin this week

Concerns timing of appointment of panel to advise on charter review suggests ministers have already decided to mount 'fundamental attack on scope of BBC'

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/12/bbc-charter-review-green-paper-licence-fee-chief-funding

NBC (PNG) broadcasts South Pacific Games from former RA transmitters at Townsville, QLD

The collapse of ABC Radio Australia internal capacity to provide specific regional content has seen PNG national broadcaster step up to lease transmission time from Australian contractor Broadcast Australia for the South Pacific Games next month 4 -18 July 2015. The site is Townsville in northern Queensland.

 

To Papua New Guinea

 

1000 - 1400 UT  6075 kHz

1900 - 2200 UT  6075 kHz

2200 - 1000 UT  9860 kHz

 

To Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

 

0800 - 2000 UT  12025 kHz

 

Both broadcasts are with a power of 20 kW AM up from 10 kW when the site carried Radio Australia programming.

 

Via Nigel Holmes

  

Originally heard by Sei-ichi Hasegawa on 6075, and subsequently by Rob Wagner on 9860.

  

( Craig via ARDXC mailing list)